Contemplative yet gutsy Irish singer-songwriter Gemma Hayes finally making a welcome return to the Arts Centre for a gig originally scheduled for May. Plus: Manchester electro-pop outfit Delphic and Hazel O'Conner revisits Breaking Glass.

GEMMA HAYES

Norwich Arts Centre, October 22

Contemplative yet gutsy Irish singer-songwriter Gemma Hayes, whose initial appearance drew comparisons with Joni Mitchell and Joan Baez, finally making a welcome return to the Arts Centre for a gig originally scheduled for May. Over the years, Gemma's songs have appeared in countless TV programmes and films from Grey's Anatomy to One Tree Hill and most recently The Vampire Diaries.

Her debut album, Night on My Side, received much critical acclaim from all corners and garnering a UK Mercury Prize nomination and earning her an award as Ireland's best female artist. Her subsequent release, The Roads Don't Love You, earned her yet another best female artist nod. Her dreamy third album, The Hollow Of The Morning, featured My Bloody Valentine's Kevin Shields on guitar.

Her latest studio album, Let it Break, marked an evolution of her music combining euphoric electro-folk, 1980s indie-rock and acoustic intensity recalling Mazzy Star in the 1990s.

Her raw, soul-shivering shows make her a contemplative, singular voice finding her natural musical kinship not in female singer-songwriters, but in fellow maverick outsiders. 'Bon Iver, Sigur Ros that's what inspires me,' she says, 'musicians who are a world unto themselves.'

Support comes from Ann Scott.

t Further listening: www.gemmahayes.com

DELPHIC

Norwich Arts Centre, October 25

High-flying Manchester outfit bring their perky and accomplished synth pop, which tips its hat at Orbital and New Order. Here they will be playing their newest material since the release of their debut album, Acolyte, in 2010.

They've recently been previewing material, with slightly pretentious sounding titles like Baiya, Memeo and Atlas, from their forthcoming new album No doubt they'll drop their official Olympics single, Good Life, too.

On record they've yet to really come into their own, coming over as slightly derivative. However on stage their glorious hard-wired gene pool of anthemic indie and stadium techno comes into its own, driving along like a perfectly pitched DJ set and where other bands pause to sip their riders between songs, Delphic slip in hypnotic driving techno interludes that turn any gig into a rave.

Obsessive fans of the highly metaphysical films of 1970s Russian director Andrei Tarkovsky, Delphic's combination of high art aspiration and party spirit is very Manchester. The band are well marinated in the Factory city's classic collision of ordinary blokeiness with high-end ideals.

t Further listening: www.myspace.com/delphic

HAZEL O'CONNOR

Waterfront, October 25

Hazel O'Connor is celebrating the special release of her iconic movie Breaking Glass by taking to the road with a Greatest Hits tour that arrives at the Waterfront on Thursday. Hazel – joined by a full band – will power through songs which brought her fame in the cult film Breaking Glass, and you can expect to hear the likes of Big Brother, D-Days, Eighth Day and, of course, Will You. Hazel started her professional life as a dancer working in such diverse countries as Japan and the Lebanon. In 1980, she was catapulted to stardom as Kate in the film Breaking Glass for which she also wrote and performed the soundtrack. She won the Variety Club of Great Britain's 1980 Film Actress Of The Year Award and, in 1981, was nominated for BAFTA Best Newcomer with Breaking Glass nominated for Best Film soundtrack. In addition to the release of Breaking Glass on DVD, the tour coincides with the publication of her autobiography Breaking Glass Barefoot.

t Further listening: www.hazeloconnor.com

SOUNDS IN THE CITY

OCTOBER 19

Labrinth (hip hop) — UEA

Benjamin Francis Leftwich (acoustic/indie) — Waterfront

Reverend & The Makers + Saragasso Trio + These Ghosts (indie/rock) — Open

Bicycle Shop Birthday Party: feat. Andy Kirkham + Blue Rose Code + more (acoustic) — Bicycle Shop

Killer Hurts (metal/album launch) — King Edward VII

The Glamtastics (glam rock) — Brickmakers

Dove & Boweevil Band (soul/blues) — Brewery Tap

Hessian Rose + Under The Radar + Paul E Fawcett (rock) — B2

Outhablues (blues) — Walnut Tree Shades

Smokes, Shoots & Leaves (indie/rock) — Blueberry

Floating Greyhounds (rock) — Hog In Armour

Hard Rain (acoustic) — Silver Road Cottage

Freeload (rock/pop) — The Griffin

Nigel King Band (50s/60s) — Arkwrights

Lucas (soul) — Old Catton Maids Head

Daaron — The Nelson

OCTOBER 20

Trivium + As I Lay Dying + Caliban + Upon A Burning Body (metal) — UEA

Django Django (indie) — Waterfront

Joanne Shaw Taylor (blues) — Arts Centre

Yes Sir Boss + Killamonjambo (indie/blues/roots) — Open

Terror + Brutality Will Prevail (rock) — Waterfront Studio

Whole Lotta DC + Bad Touch (rock/tribute) — Brickmakers

Shea + Jah Love + The Interney Crew (reggae) — B2

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

The Broad Cut Drifters (bluegrass) — The Birdcage

Storm (rock) — Boundary

She/Sez (rock/pop) — The Heartsease

Dog Days of Summer (country/bluegrass) — The Stanley

Moneyshot (rock) — Hog In Armour

Replica (rock) — The Gordon

Honeydripper (blues/rock) — Trowel & Hammer

Hot Smoke & Danger (rock/blues) — Golden Star

3 Up 2 Down — Angel Gardens

Antoine Fleuriot (acoustic) — Old Catton Maids Head

Cornered (country) — The Champion

Kevin Solo — Heath House

David Cass — Keir Hardie Hall

Tony Cann — Quebec Tavern

OCTOBER 21

Joan Armatrading (rock/jazz/country) — Theatre Royal

NME Presents: feat. Howler + The Cast of Cheers + Gross Magic (indie) — Waterfront

Pokey LaFarge & The South City Three (swing/blues) — Arts Centre

I Am I (metal/rock) — Waterfront Studio

Blind Spirit (rock) — King Edward VII

Next Big Things Semi 2: feat. Freya Roy + Noise Pollution Project + more (local/competition) — Open

Dog Days of Summer (country/bluegrass/2pm) — The Gordon

Red Hot Rockers (rockabilly) — Boundary

Murphy's Lore (folk/roots/3pm) — Brewery Tap

Lee Vasey Big Band (12pm) — Brickmakers

TJ Solo — Boundary

OCTOBER 22

Gemma Hayes (singer-songwriter) — Arts Centre

Lacuna Coil (rock) — Waterfront

Fossil Collective (indie/acoustic) — Waterfront Studio

Jazz Jam: feat. Rich Buddie — Walnut Tree Shades

Jazz Jam — Silver Road Cottage

Brickie Sessions (open mic) — Brickmakers

OCTOBER 23

Bowling For Soup (pop-punk) — UEA

Toy + Charlie Boyer & The Voyeurs (rock/indie) — Waterfront Studio

Myshkin & Al Lewis (folk/swing/gypsy) — Bicycle Shop

Shock Hazard (rock) — Brickmakers

Phab Club Presents: Han and Liz (Americana/folk) — Vauxhall Centre

Dan Friend with Simon Brown Trio (jazz) — Green Man

OCTOBER 24

Mary Coughlan (blues/folk) — Arts Centre

The Cribs (indie) — Waterfront

Little Comets + General Fiasco + Tied To The Mast (indie) — Open

Pure Acoustic (open mic) — Brickmakers

OCTOBER 25

Conor Maynard (pop) — UEA

Hazel O'Conner (punk/indie) — Waterfront

Delphic (indie/pop) — Arts Centre

Karnataka (rock) — Playhouse

8th Time Lucky Vs The Ocean's Eyes (rock) — Waterfront Studio

Mucked Up Funkies (funk/rock) — Brickmakers

The Kurve + Fascists To Ashes + For From Innocent (hardcore) — B2

Animal Lover (punk) — King Edward VII

Blues Situation (blues) — Walnut Tree Shades

Johnny Jump Band (blues/country) — Rose Tavern