Preview: This week’s gig guide

JEHST

Norwich Arts Centre, September 23

British lyricist and producer Jehst is the latest headliner for Spectro, Norwich Arts centre's regular electronic night.

Though the charts is nowadays crammed with UK artists, the domestic hip hop scene was once a barren winderness populated by just a few mainly underground names.

His debut release Premonitions in 1999 on his own YNR (Young N Restless) Productions imprint instantly allowed the then 19-year-old Jehst — aka William G. Shields — to himself as a fiercely independent artist with an unparalleled grasp on language. He was adept at painting vivid images with a turn of phrase so many since have tried and fallen short of replicate.

With a captivating stage presence to match his studio persona the self-styled High Plains Drifter fast became a cult-phenomenon on the live-circuit, garnering a reputation that would go on to see him billed alongside some truly iconic artists, from reggae legends Lee Scratch Perry and Max Romeo, to hip hop pioneers KRS One and De La Soul and more recently dubstep super-stars Skream and Benga. He arrives on the back of his new album The Dragon Of An Ordinary Family.

Joining him will be prodigy Micall Parknsun who has come a long way since he burst onto the scene with his widely acclaimed debut album, The Working Class Dad, in 2005. His first full-length work gained him a healthy buzz. Parknsun's reputation as a lyricist of the highest order was further cemented by his stage-crippling anthem Dunya (My World), the lead single on Underworld Epics Vol. 1, produced by Jehst and released in 2006. His new album, First Second Time Around is out now on YNR Productions.

t Further listening: www.myspace.com/jehstofficial

RICHMOND FONTAINE

Norwich Arts Centre, September 26

Richmond Fontaine have built themselves up from an cow-punk inspired band to a diverse and amazing live act leading them to be labelled the 'Kings of Americana'.

Singer-songwriter, guitarist and acclaimed novelist Willy Vlautin leads the Portland, Oregon-based band who will be delivering more of their strong and engaging narratives against a beguiling alt-country backdrop, which ranges from dusty, back-porch twang to gnarly, heads-down rock. They will be playing from their decidedly noir-ish tenth studio album, The High Country, plus drawing on a surprisingly extensive back catalogue

The High Country sees Vlautin write a spectacularly unique, genre-bending album that tells an operatically tragic tale and ranges from stark, romantic ballads and dialogue sequences to raw Northwest garage rock and cinematic songscapes, it shows the band's musical trajectory culminating far beyond their cowpunk roots.

Support comes from folk singer-songwriter Laura Gibson who hails from the Portland-area of north west America and who will be previewing material from her new album La Grande, due out in January.

t Further listening: www.richmondfontaine.com

RISE TO REMAIN

Norwich Arts Centre, September 28

Created on the streets of London in 2008, Rise To Remain, are a five-piece metal band storming from the heart of the UK, have begun to make their mark.

Having previously toured with bands such as Trivium, Five Finger Death Punch, Shadows Fall, The Haunted and played festivals such as Download and Sonisphere, the band are no strangers to the live circuit.

After forming out of the ashes of former projects and gaining a fanbase through their DIY touring schedule, the band's first official live outing as Rise To Remain was Download Festival 08, where they opened the third stage.

The band released their debut mini-album last year showcasing their distinctive multi-textured sound drawing influences from across the metal spectrum and suggesting they could be the UK's answer in new wave inspired metal bands. It probably helps that frontman Austin Dickinson is Iron Maiden singer Bruce's son too.

After signing to EMI the band took a year to shape their recently released and well received debut album proper, City of Vultures, which ranges from very modern melodic metal to an old-school Bay Area thrash vibe.

t Further listening: www.risetoremain.com

SLOW CLUB

Waterfront, September 28

Slow Club is a folk-pop duo, made up of Charles Watson (vocals, guitar) and Rebecca Taylor (vocals, guitar, percussion), who hail from Sheffield.

Formed in 2006, after the break-up of Steel City band The Lonely Hearts, the band's alternative, folk-orientated sound is notable for their use of unusual objects as percussion instruments such as like water-filled glass bottles, spoons and the back of a wooden chair.

After a string of EPs and a Christmas single on Moshi Moshi records, their debut album, Yeah So, was released in 2009 and had critics first hailing them the UK's answer to The White Stripes, presumably based solely on the fact they are a male/female duo, and describing them as Nico playing with Bob Dylan if they'd been raised in Sheffield.

The album was in fact a twee, hyper-romantic delight, full of charming little indie folk songs ideally suited to mix tapes and film soundtracks.

The duo could have kept going in that direction indefinitely with potentially great commercial rewards, but instead they've opted to turn down the perky sweetness and instead emphasises rhythm and atmosphere, with lyrics confronting more emotionally complicated subject matter, on their second album, Paradise. However its still charming, punchy and happy pop-folk, with a dash of Northern Soul and sharp northern wit.

Support comes from Norwich indie-rockers Fiorentina and Sweet Baboo — aka warm, witty and wise north Wales songwriter Stephen Black.

t Further listening: www.slowclubband.com

SOUNDS IN THE CITY

Tonight

Spectro: feat. Jehst + more (electronic/hip hop) — Arts Centre

Firewire (rock/pop) — Brickmakers

Mallory Knox + more (pop/punk) — B2

Uprising (rock) — Blueberry

Livewire DC/ZZ Tops (tribute) — Waterfront

Egypt (blues/rock) — Walnut Tree Shades

Feral Mouth (acoustic/roots) — Brewery Tap

Want For Destruction (metal) — King Edward VII

Murphy's Lore (Irish) — The Stanley

Electricity (rock/blues) — Silver Road Cottage

DJ Chrome (hip hop) — Rumsey Wells

Barry Lee (pop/rock) — Lakenham Cock

Mister Pink (rock) — Heartsease

Elvis With Diamonds — Norkie

San (rock/blues) — Angel Gardens

Mark Anthony — Perseverance

Danny Reno — Fiveways

September 24

Dying Breeds + more (pop/punk) — B2

Walkway (rock) — Blueberry

Howard Burton and Joe Dozer (Americana/bluegrass) — Olives

Rock Island Rebels (rock'n'roll) — Walnut Tree Shades

Whole Lotta DC (tribute) — Brickmakers

To The Last (rock) — King Edward VII

Floating Greyhounds (rock) — Boundary

Flying South (rock'n'roll) — Kier Hardy Hall

Honeydripper (blues/rock) — Eaton Cottage

San (rock/blues) — Angel Gardens

Outhablues (blues) — Wensum Social Club

The Yarebeats (rock'n'roll) — Arkwrights

Flying South (rock'n'roll/blues) — Kier Hardy Hall

Play The Music (acoustic/1-4pm) — Arts Centre

Second To None (rock/pop) — Lakenham Cock

Gordon James — Bread and Cheese

Vic Salter — Gatehouse

Jim Spiers — Heath House

Mickey Spanton — Quebec Tavern

Clive Paul — The Windmill

Mark Anthony — Trowel & Hammer

September 25

Birthday Weekender: feat. Chris Cooper + Organic Electronic Collective — Rumsey Wells

Sean Taylor (blues/acoustic) — The Bicycle Shop

Dave Thomas Band (blues) — Brewery Tap

Red Hot Rockers (rock'n'roll) — Boundary

Dave Thomas Band (2.30pm) — Brewery Tap

Graham John Stacey (3pm) — Blueberry

Graham McGrotty — Lakenham Cock

Lee Vasey Big Band (12pm) — Brickmakers

September 26

Richmond Fontaine (alt-country) — Arts Centre

Stookey Blue (folk) — Micawbers Tavern

The Session (open mic) — Brickmakers

Jazz N Jam: feat. Lee Vasey + more (jazz) — Blueberry

September 27

Emmy The Great (folk/indie) — Arts Centre

Joshua Caole (acoustic) — The Bicycle Shop

T-Rextasy (tribute) — Maddermarket Theatre

Live & Direct (acoustic) — Rumsey Wells

Matt Waters (jazz) — Rackheath Green Man

September 28

Slow Club (folk/rock) — Waterfront

Rise To Remain (metal) — Arts Centre

Live Lounge: feat. Danny Whitehouse + more (acoustic) — The Langtry

Pure Acoustic (open mic) — Brickmakers

Jam Night — The Windmill

September 29

Twee Off: feat. Bo Ningen + more (indie) — Arts Centre

Spiers & Boden (folk) — Maddermarket Theatre

Tickled Pink (indie/rock) — Brickmakers

Neon Asylum (electro) — B2

Frost and Mudd (guitar/cello) — Olives

Sugar Rush (rock) — Blueberry

Ghostriders Western Club: feat. Souls'n'Stone (country) — Royal British Legion

The Bunkadoos (acoustic) — Brewery Tap

Dustbowl Presents: Laish + more (acoustic) — The Bicycle Shop

After Hours Band (blues) — Walnut Tree Shades

Johnny Jump Band (rock/blues) — Rose Tavern

Albert Cooper Jazz Life — Rumsey Wells

Open Jam — King Edward VII