Fast rising 'lad' rockers Don Broco are a band who've been on a good many people's lips recently, and there's good reason for that. Find out what's the fuss in about when they return to Norwich for a headline date. PLus; Fairport Convention, Dervish and Your Demise.

FAIRPORT CONVENTION

Open, February 16

Fairport Convention is one of best loved live bands on today's concert circuit. Their sell-out gigs attract critical acclaim and delight audiences.

Formed in 1967's 'summer of love', Fairport are hailed as the originators of British folk-rock, and this latest visit to Norwich will see the band perform a selection of favourites chosen in a fans' poll — and the band has a vast repertoire to draw on.

Fairport have won a coveted BBC Lifetime Achievement Award and Radio 2 listeners voted their groundbreaking album Liege & Lief the most influential folk album of all time.

The set is sure to mix established favourites with newer songs and will feature Simon Nicol on guitar and lead vocals, Dave Pegg on bass and backing vocals, Chris Leslie on fiddle, mandolin and lead vocals, Ric Sanders on violin and Gerry Conway on percussion.

The concert will open with a short set by John Watterson (known as Fake Thackray) who will be performing his own interpretation of the 'English chanson' songs of the late, great Jake Thackray.

Whether you are a long-time fan or a newcomer to Fairport, this will be an evening of top quality musicianship that is sure to delight.

t Further listening: www.fairportconvention.com

DON BROCO

Norwich Arts Centre, February 18

Fast rising 'lad' rockers Don Broco are a band who've been on a good many people's lips recently, and there's good reason for that.

The past couple of years have seen the Bedford band take on a relentless touring regime, which is incidentally why they took an age to release their time debut album Priorities.

Having formed officially in 2008 after a number of years playing together, and in various other bands, vocalist Rob Damiani, guitarist Simon Delaney and drummer Matt Donnelly honed the art of hard-riffing power-pop with a gloriously melodic edge.

'Our beginning is kind of a bit murky,' says Damiani. 'We've all been playing together in various guises since we were 15. We had our first school gig when we were doing our GCSEs.' 'All our songs sounded like different Lost Prophets and Incubus songs mashed into one,' interjects guitarist Simon Delaney. 'It was very all over the place, as you'd expect. We didn't take things that seriously then…'

Joined by new recruit Tom Doyle on bass, the quartet's debut album, which finally emerged last summer, with fan's appetite having previously been whetted by 2011's mini-album Big Fat Smile, was one of the most adrenaline-veined, hook-heavy rock debuts of 2012.

And while on previous visits to Norwich they've been in the supporting slot, this time they're headlining a sell-out date suggesting they've made a breakthrough.

t Further listening: www.donbroco.com

DERVISH

Norwich Arts Centre, February 19

From the Great Wall of China to packed auditoriums in the Holy Land and more recently being the first Irish band to perform at huge Rock in Rio music festival, in front of an estimated audience of 240,000 people, Dervish have come a long way in 17 years.

Formed in 1989 by a group of five musicians, Liam Kelly, Shane Mitchell, Martin Mc Ginley, Brian Mc Donagh and Michael Holmes who came together to record an album of local music which was released as The Boys of Sligo.

Inspired by the project they decided to develop this informal gathering (which gathered weekly to play sessions in local pubs) into a working band under the name Dervish, which was chosen as it related to any group of spiritual people who become enraptured by music.

The first Dervish album, Harmony Hill, emerged in 1992 winning widespread critical acclaim and marking the band out at the forefront of the bands working on traditional Irish music.

Since then they've become one of the stalwarts of the Celtic music scene, but without ever becoming stale. Their sound sees mouzouki, mandola, flute, fiddle, bodhran and accordion combining with the unique vocals of the entrancing Cathy Jordan to capture intricate Celtic flavours.

t Further listening: www.dervish.ie

YOUR DEMISE

Waterfront, February 21

Hailing from the normally genteel suburbs of St Albans, in leafy Hertfordshire, Your Demise are anything but cosy home counties chaps. The five-piece draw inspiration from bands like Sick of It All, Agnostic Front and Hatebreed for their aggressive, metal-laden brand of hardcore.

Founded in 2003 — originally as a Suicidal Tendencies cover band — the quintet quickly took the leap to writing its own material, and after debuting in 2005 with the Your Days are Numbered EP, recorded its first full-length album You Only Make Us Stronger.

The quickly built a fan base on the road by touring with bands like Biohazard, Bury Your Dead and especially fellow Hertfordshire noise-merchants Enter Shikari.

Their second album, Ignorance Never Dies, built on this success and even the departure of original vocalist George Noble chose to quit, replaced by Centurion frontman Ed McRae, failed to slow their progress.

Not bracketing themselves into one genre; their musical style ranges from hardcore, metal and punk vibes, the band arrive at the Waterfront in support of their just released latest EP Cold Chillin, and heading a bill that also includes hardcore band Heights, who hailed from down the road from St Albans in Welwyn Garden City, Canadian outfit Counterparts and Ukrainian post-hardcore oddities Fact.

t Further listening: www.yourdemiseofficial.com

SOUNDS IN THE CITY

FEBRUARY 15

NME Awards Tour: feat. Django Django + Miles Kane + Palma Violets + Peace (indie/rock/pop) — UEA

Dubfront Version 2: feat. Young Warrior + Free King Sound + Full Tone Sound (reggae/dub) — Waterfront

Monster Ceilidh Band (roots/alternative) — Arts Centre

Bon Giovi + Bad Touch (rock/tribute) — Brickmakers

Upload Tour: feat. Dave J Giles + Tom Law + Eddplant + Bribry (acoustic) — B2

Feral Mouth (folk) — Blueberry

Kamikaze Hotshot + Saigon Kiss (metal/rock) — King Edward VII

Naked Wizard Explosion: feat. Hello Bear + Dreadbeats + Grant Ley + John Mackay (indie/acoustic) — The Birdcage

Dove & Boweevil Band (blues) — Brewery Tap

Norwich Folk Club: feat. Martyn Wyndham-Read (folk) — Christ Church Centre

We Ghosts (indie) — Silver Road Cottage

Lou & The Diamonds (60s) — Walnut Tree Shades

Bluemoon (rock'n'roll) — Arkwrights

The Misfit Collective (skiffle) — Jurnet's Bar

Dub Fiesta: feat. Doc Scott + more (drum n bass/dance) — Hideout

Pyevarotti — Boundary

FEBRUARY 16

Kyle Eastwood (jazz) — Playhouse

Fairport Convention + Fake Thackery (folk) — Open

Big C Night: Killamonjambo + Keep It Secret + T Bone & The Horn + The Sepiatones (funk/pop/rock/charity) — Waterfront

Danny Tricksters (punk/indie) — Blueberry

The Glamtastics (glam/rock) — Brickmakers

— B2

Stealer + AKA (rock)— King Edward VII

Danny Porter Trio (blues/rock) — Walnut Tree Shades

Floating Greyhounds (rock) — Old Catton Maids Head

Burning Crows (Americana/rock) — The Stanley

Mel & The Strollers (rock'n'roll) — Arkwrights

Outathablues (blues) — Heartsease

Bare Feet Records Alldayer (from 3pm/local) — The Birdcage

Mustang Sally (soul) — Keir Hardie Hall

Hard Rain (rock/pop) — Trowel & Hammer

Battle of the Bands (competition) — Compleat Angler

Slightly Offensive Steve & Noah Fence — Union Street Coach & Horses

Rip-Off Chili Peppers (tribute) — The Wildman

The Dirigibles — Golden Star

Rob Charles (easy) — Sprowston Social Club

Something Happened — The Champion

Lisa Marie — Angel Gardens

Tony Cann — Bread & Cheese

Alen Ley — Quebec Tavern

Hannah — Robin Hood

FEBRUARY 17

Jake Bugg (pop/indie) — UEA

The He Hews (rock'n'roll/roots) — Brewery Tap

Lou & The Diamonds (60s/5pm) — Silver Road Cottage

Black Diamond Duo (acoustic/3pm) — Moles Rest

Lee Vasey Big Band (12pm) — Brickmakers

FEBRUARY 18

Don Broco (pop/indie) — Arts Centre

Jazz Jam: feat. Rich Buddie — Walnut Tree Shades

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

Brickie Session (open mic) — Brickmakers

FEBRUARY 19

Rumours Of Fleetwood Mac (rock/tribute) — Theatre Royal

Dervish (roots) — Arts Centre

Gerard & The Watchmen + Heart Of A Dog (indie/folk) — Bicycle Shop

Tannoys (rock/pop) — Brickmakers

Renato D'Aiello (jazz) — Oaklands Hotel

Stop Drop Rock Tour: feat. Glass City Vice + Reachback + Bentley Park + Room Service (rock) — B2

Front Porch: Kevan Taplin (acoustic/solo) — Olives

Phab Club: feat. Roger Dowe (pop/folk) — Vauxhall Centre

Jam Night — Rumsey Wells

FEBRUARY 20

Harry Seaton Music (acoustic/singer-songwriter) — B2

Pure Acoustic (open mic) — Brickmakers

Traditional Irish — Gatehouse

Open Mic — Garden House

FEBRUARY 21

Your Demise + Heights + Counterparts + Fact (metal/punk) — Waterfront

Exit Ten + My Preserver (indie/rock) — Waterfront Studio

Brother and Bones + Crumbs For Comfort (indie) — Open

Black River Falls (rock) — Brickmakers

Sheesh (pop/rock) — B2

Pangaea (world/jazz) — Rose Tavern

Ghostriders Western Club: feat. Jeff Gallant Band (country) — TA Centre

Part Time Blues: feat. Paul Tinkler (blues) — Walnut Tree Shades

T Bone & The Horn (funk/hip hop/soul) — Ten Bells

Pangaea (world/jazz) — Rose Tavern

Acoustic Jukebox — Brewery Tap

Open Mic — The Lounge