Idlewild
The Fleece, Bristol
Saturday 16
Scottish indie rock band with epic, REM-like tendencies return to play superlative hits. A more hooligan affair than singer Roddy Woomble's late folky excursions.
MGMT
The Waterfront, Norwich, Tuesday 19
Carling Academy Oxford, Thursday 22
The Brooklynites excel with the likes of crowd-pleasing, ironic, Time To Pretend. Great stuff, heavier live than on record.
Serj Tankian
Carling Academy Oxford, Tuesday 19
Carling Academy, Birmingham, Wednesday 20
The imposingly bearded System Of A Down man, with politically charged sentiments from new album Elect The Dead.
Black Kids
Thekla, Bristol, Thursday 21
1980s-influenced stuff from Reggie Youngblood and band. Still recovering after their recent 0.0 album critique on Pitchfork, no dubiousness (later amended to a 3.3) - simply on with the show!
Kasabian
Civic Hall, Wolverhampton, Thursday 21, Friday 22
The Oasis favoured Leicester band bring feisty rowdy rock, with a Primal Scream feeling. A headline performance at Creamfields is next in their diary.
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