Preview: Norwich full gig guide April 12-18

LEISURE SOCIETY

Norwich Arts Centre, April 15

Expect pastoral and slightly whimsical, 1960s-influenced folk-pop, as this acclaimed band return to the Arts Centre on the back of their recently released third album, Alone Aboard The Ark, which is the sound of a band at their 'absolute peak', according to lead singer Nick Hemming.

Taking into account that the much-vaunted Leisure Society frontman can already boast two Ivor Novello nominations for his songwriting skills; that's quite a boast.

The Leisure Society was formed by Hemming, formerly of early 1990s indie band She Talks To Angels which included actor Paddy Considine, film director Shane Meadows and bassist Richard Eaton.

In 2006, he moved to London to work with multi-instrumentalist and producer Christian Hardy; the pair have subsequently built a live band drawn from members of Brighton's Willkommen Collective and further afield, notably Mike Siddell who previously played violin with Hope of the States.

Their wistful 2008 Christmas single, The Last Of The Melting Snow, was honoured with a 2009 Ivor Novello nominated and their debut album, The Sleeper, won considerable acclaim. Alone Aboard The Ark was recorded using vintage instruments and mixing equipment and exudes a real warmth and refreshing immediacy.

Support from the Keston Cobblers Club.

t Further listening: www.theleisuresociety.co.uk

BRITISH SEA POWER

Waterfront, April 16

British Sea Power is not your average band. They've played in museums, floating on the Thames, in libraries, on steam trains, curating their own micro-festival in a North Yorkshire pub and busked atop the Great Wall of China.

They were last seen hereabouts playing an evocative live score to Penny Woolcock's film From The Sea To The Land Beyond, which collated decades of footage of the British coast from the BFI archive, at Norfolk's very literary Voewood Festival.

The Brighton-based band, now six-piece rather than the four members they started with, have always done things a bit different. From waving flags and espousing a slightly tongue in cheek form of nationalism to an odd tendency to drop the calls of various birds into their tracks. And they've touched on countless genre influences throughout their multitude of releases, ranging from rock to reggae and dancehall.

Their 2008 album Do You Like Rock Music? was nominated for the Mercury Prize, but rather than follow it up with more of the same they took a detour into soundtracking documentary Man Of Aran while their 2010 album Valhalla Dancehall was more eclectic than ever.

They've just released their fifth album, Machineries of Joy, which sees them playing it relatively straight.

t Further listening: ww.britishseapower.co.uk

DOG IS DEAD

Norwich Arts Centre, April 18

The Arts Centre welcomes the rescheduled date for fast-rising Nottingham quintet Dog is Dead who have described their music as 'an original blend of harmonious, indie-pop in the disco, with a cheeky jazz hint' and 'uplifting pop for jazz junkies and choir folk'.

Er, sadly they're not as interesting as that sounds. However fans of Vampire Weekend and Two Door Cinema Club will find plenty to like about them.

It's fair to say the past year has been a massive one for these five 21-year-olds. Last summer, the band played a whopping 25 festivals, including their storming Reading + Leeds performance, and headed out on a 30-date UK headline tour.

Their debut album, All Our Favourite Stories, received a flurry of glowing reviews upon its release for its indie pop songs ornamented with glistening harmonies, neat rhythmic shifts and sudden blasts of shimmering guitars.

The band arrives fresh from supporting Two Door Cinema Club on their European tour. Their new single, Do The Right Thing, has just been released and features a sound that includes airy guitar, echoing vocals and a chorus that includes the relevant doses of 'woahs'.

Support comes from Boat To Row and Solko.

t Further listening: www.dogisdead.co.uk

WILEY

UEA, April 18

An original founder and existing member of the Roll Deep crew, Wiley, whose real name is Richard Cowie, is often referred to as the 'Godfather Of Grime'. He had a massive hit in 2008 with the electro-grime flavoured Wearing My Rolex and has worked with Dizzee Rascal, Tinchy Stryder and Chipmunk.

Despite a career that spans more than 15 years, four albums, numerous mixtapes and countless MC spots, he is a relative newcomer to proper live band touring.

He arrives promoting his latest (and ninth) album, The Ascent, which has seen him team up with the likes of Tulisa (Contostavlos), Far East Movement, Tinchy Stryder and Chip among grime mates such as Lethal Bizzle, Kano and Skepta. While the bumper load of collaborations can go either way on hip hop albums, here it just heightens the musical level, and every song impresses in some way, including First Class with Kano and Lethal Bizzle. Ms D (formerly Ms Dynamite) has a hat-trick of songs here - the sunny No 1 hit Heatwave, Reload and Can You Hear Me? (Ayayaya). He's a game-changer of his generation, but with The Ascent, Wiley has raised his game once again. Joining him on stage here will be Skepta, JME and more.

t Further listening: www.myspace.com/eskiboywiley

SOUNDS IN THE CITY

APRIL 12

Beverley Craven (easy/pop) — Maddermarket Theatre

Hextatic + DJ Cheeba (electro/alternative) — Arts Centre

Sugar Rush + Deadwing (rock) — Brickmakers

Sancho Blanco (indie/rock) — The Birdcage

Norwich Folk Club: feat. Glen Bartley (folk) — Christ Church Centre

Efferus + Mastema + Darkest Days + Stars Over Shadow (metal) — B2

Big Black Cadillac (rockabilly) — Walnut Tree Shades

The Vagaband (Americana/blues/rock) — Brewery Tap

Howlin Mat (blues) — Blueberry

Project Mork + Dying Breeds + Broken Window Effect (rock/indie) — The Stanley

Floating Greyhounds + Aviator (rock) — Moles Rest

Hard Rain (acoustic) — Buck Inn

Friends of Eccles (folk) — Red Lion Bishopgate

Outathablues (blues) — Silver Road Cottage

Music House: feat. Andrew Taylor + Rowanoak + Andy Kirkham + Jesse Barrett (acoustic) — Wensum Lodge

APRIL 13

Keep It Secret (pop-punk) — Waterfront Studio

Extra Love + Tallowah + Piratones + Sam & Paul (reggae/ska/pop) — Open

Pure Passion + Tickled Pink (rock) — Brickmakers

Dirt Box Disco + Hotwired + Old Vs New (rock'n'roll/punk) — B2

Faith (rock) — King Edward VII

Andy Robinson Band (rock/blues) — Walnut Tree Shades

Stepback (rock'n'roll) — Arkwrights

The Vagaband (Americana) — Trowel & Hammer

3 Up 2 Down (pop/rock) — Angel Gardens

Something Happening — The Champion

Joe Goes Green — The Farmhouse

Mucked Up Funkies (blues/funk) — Bedfords

Adam Coulton (rock/pop) — The Talk

Tallawah Band (reggae) — Revolucion de Cuba

Johnny Jump Band (country/blues) — Golden Star

Kevin King (rock/pop) — Old Catton Maids Head

Alan Ley — Quebec Tavern

Robert Brown — The Stanley

Just Kevin — Keir Hardie Hall

Susan Jayne — Robin Hood

Barry's White — Sprowston Social Club

Pat James — Wensum Community Centre

Lisa Marie — Heath House

APRIL 14

Drowning Pool + Fozzy (metal/rock) — Waterfront

Neil Daniels & Dave Morrison (blues/jazz/3pm) — Brewery Tap

Lena Black's Uptown Playboys (swing/jazz) — Wensum Valley Hotel

Lee Vann (acoustic/4pm) — Old Catton Maids Head

Lee Vasey Big Band (12pm) — Brickmakers

Folk Club (acoustic/folk) — The Lounge

APRIL 15

Leisure Society (indie) — Arts Centre

With One Last Breath + Adept + Despite My Deepest Fear (metal) — Waterfront Studio

Brickie Session (open mic) — Brickmakers

Jazz Jam: feat. Rich Buddie — Walnut Tree Shades

Jazz Jam: feat. Brendan Young + Lee Vasey + Ian Hireson + Mark Jolley + Matt Furness (jazz) — Silver Road Cottage

APRIL 16

British Sea Power + Milk & Biscuits (indie) — Waterfront

A Hawk & A Hacksaw (world/roots) — Arts Centre

Brooks Williams (Americana/acoustic) — Bicycle Shop

Blind Tiger (rock) — Brickmakers

Norwich Jazz Club: feat. Geoff Mason (trombone/jazz) — Thunder Lane Cottage

Phab Club: feat. Himazas (pop) — Vauxhall Centre

Traditional Folk Night — Beehive

Jam Night — Rumsey Wells

APRIL 17

Hadouken! + Proxies (electro/rock) — Waterfront

Dingus Khan + Tied To The Mast (indie) — Open

Song Noir (jazz) — Café Bar Marzano

Adam Moss + Sam Kelly + Lee Vann + Grant Ley (indie/acoustic/EP launch) — Epic

City College Showcase (local musicians) — B2

Pure Acoustic (open mic) — Brickmakers

Traditional Irish — Gatehouse

Open Mic — Garden House

APRIL 18

Wiley + Skepta + JME (hip hop) — UEA

Martha High + Speedometer: feat. The Voxettes (soul) — Epic

Dog Is Dead + MT + Crystal Bats (indie/pop) — Arts Centre

The Black Sharks + We Can't Dance (indie) — Waterfront Studio

The Outlaws (rock/pop) — Brickmakers

Ria Ritchie (acoustic/pop) — Bar 11

Second Hand Blues (blues) — Walnut Tree Shades

Dying Breeds + One Day Rocket + Hearts & Minds + Sheesh (pop/rock) — B2

Gazing Saints (indie/folk) — Ten Bells

Ghostriders Western Club: feat. Longshot (country) — TA Centre

Johnny Jump Band (country/blues) — Micawbers Tavern

Cuttooth (indie/rock) — Rumsey Wells

Graham Horne — Rose Tavern

Open Mic — Lounge

Open Mic — Union Street Coach & Horses