London Gigs This Month | Best Live Music & Concerts in London (original) (raw)

Happy October folks. I’m Time Out’s voice for all things live music in London, and here I am trying to show you the very best gigs you should be booking this month.

Summer has well and truly fucked off. But instead of planting yourself in front of a SAD lamp, nursing yourself with pumpkin-spiced everything and binge-watching MAFS, take a look at this exciting and absolutely stacked selection of gigs happening in London this October.

Seriously, I’ve been trawling the internet and dredging up something for everyone. Whether you fancy embracing the autumnal chill with solemn shoegaze or dancing the increasingly long nights away with club scene superstars, I have you covered. And my god, that’s not before we begin to get into the hundreds of Halloween events that are coming up.

So, get up off your arse (metaphorically, you’re probably standing on the bus or something) and book a gig that’ll almost instantly cure your seasonal depression.

Georgia curates Time Out’s music lists and makes it a priority to go to as many shows as physically possible. Because of this, she’s finally splashed out on some decent earplugs and accepted that she can no longer get in the pit like she used to.

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For shoegaze crooners

Slowdive

Record label Sonic Cathedral and promoters Bad Vibrations are teaming up for a 20th anniversary filled with lush shoegaze sounds. While the band received tepid reviews for albums like Souvlaki back in the 90s, the band have since been adopted by Gen Z-ers (especially on TikTok). So expect to see a lot of cameras in the air at this one.

EartH, N16 8BH. Fri Oct 4, 7pm. From £47.38.

Photograph: Andy Bell

Ride

Another must-see from Sonic Cathedral is Ride, who are replaying their set from Reading 1992. Peppered with hits from their earlier albums, including the band's best-known track Vapour Trail , the nine-minute epic _Leave Them All Behind_and jangly power pop hit Twisterella, it’s the stuff legendary headline shows are made of. Also on the bill is bdrmm, who will play their classic debut album Bedroom which was released on the Sonic Cathedral label in 2020.

Hackney Church, E5 0PD. Sat Oct 12, 4pm. From £43.56.

A.R. Kane

A criminally under-recognised group in their time, A.R. Kane paved the way for the likes of Yves Tumour and Dean Blunt with their post-punk shoegaze aesthetic. Just listen to Sado-Masochism Is A Must and you’ll recognise their influence immediately. The 80s duo of Alex Ayuli and Rudy Tambala supposedly coined the term ‘dream pop’ to describe their eclectic sound, incorporating lush guitar riffs, drum machines and dub production. This special performance at Ormside Projects is a must for a particularly gothic Halloween.

Ormside Projects, SE15 1TR. Thu Oct 31, 7pm. From £16.50.

For hip-hop heads

Photograph: Live Nation

Ms Lauryn Hill and The Fugees

She’s one of the most influential women in hip-hop and R&B, and a veritable force in music. Lauryn Hill is reuniting with The Fugees to co-headline an extension of The Miseducation Anniversary Tour, featuring music from The Miseducation of Ms. Lauryn Hill, The Score and more. The trio of Lauryn Hill, Pras and Wyclef Jean have not had the easiest ride as a group (there have been fallouts, diss tracks, espionage, fraud, and a lot of tax evasion over the years) so this long-awaited reunion is sure to give fans all the warm fuzzies.

The O2, SE10 0DX. Mon Oct 24, 6.30pm. From £130.

The Streets: Rinse 30th birthday

Legendary radio station Rinse FM is celebrating its 30th birthday with a massive party at Drumsheds. Having been at the heart of music and culture in London since 1994, the station will honour its musical legacy of UK garage, grime, dubstep, breaks, 140 and more with a few familiar faces. Headliners The Streets will do a very exciting live show, plus you've got DJ EZ bringing his expert mixing to the Meridian Water space, alongside many, many more.

Drumsheds, N18 3HF. Sat Oct 3, 1pm. From £27.50.

Photograph: Seye Isikalu

Ghetts

London rap star Ghetts is heading to the Southbank Centre, fresh from releasing his latest album On Purpose, With Purpose earlier this year. The new collection feels unflinchingly honest in its expanded sonic palette and razor-sharp, uncompromising tone. Hear his crystal-clear rhymes, characterised by humour and intelligent wordplay as he performs in partnership with the London Literature Festival.

Southbank Centre, SE1 8XX. Sat Oct 26, 9pm. From £25.

For racy hip-hop pop starlets

Photograph: Fraser Taylor

Bree Runway

Bree Runway is a provocative east London rapper, singer, and songwriter whose music runs the gamut from experimental trap to unflinchingly honest pop. Her debut mixtape 2000AND4EVA came out in 2020 and was followed by a string of successful singles, such as 2023’s Be the One featuring Khalid. Her newest release, _Just Like That_dives back into her harder hip-hop sound, which gives you an exciting taste of what this show (in partnership with War Child) will feel like.

Lafayette, N1C 4DP. Tues Oct 8, 7pm. From £24.75.

Doechii

If you’ve landed a coveted spot in the XXL Freshman Class you’ve gotta be good. Rapper and singer Doechii has had the seal of approval from Katy Perry, SZA and even Queen Bey herself. Her new mixtape Alligator Bites Never Heal is ambitious and musically diverse, offering a fluid selection of tracks spanning punk influences, chopped-and-screwed soundbites and sparkling grooves with lyrics exploring the pressures of stardom, making imposter syndrome and label expectations feel surprisingly relatable.

Village Underground, EC2A 3PQ. Mon Oct 28, 7.30pm. From £37.08.

For the non-stop ravers

Photograph: Jasmina Wood

Overmono

Welsh electronic duo Overmono (aka brothers Tom and Ed Russell) successfully broke out of the underground club scene with their 2023 debut album Good Lies. Over the past year, they’ve played huge shows across the country, including London’s Roundhouse, Heaton Park in Manchester and Bristol’s huge new venue, the Prospect Building. This performance at The O2 Academy Brixton is sure to be even bigger and better than the last.

O2 Academy Brixton, SW9 9SL. Fri Oct 11, 7pm. From £46.43.

TAAHLIAH

TAAHLIAH has been shaking up the UK’s club scene for a few years now, with her upcoming debut album Gramarye promising slick dance music, weightless balladry and classic pop songwriting. Tying into this, her first-ever live show, heavenrise, will be at the ICA on October 30, with the Glaswegian DJ and artist presenting a unique in-the-round experience using a state-of-the-art spatial sound system for maximum audio impact.

ICA (Institute of Contemporary Arts), SW1Y 5AH. Wed Oct 30, 7.30pm. From £20.50.

PC Music: Crypt II

PC Music is back with another Pop Crypt II celebration. The event promises a day and night of all-star hyperpop entertainment at HERE At Outernet, with live sets from 5pm to 10pm and a following club night from 11pm to 4am. The line-up includes A. G. Cook, Tommy Cash, EASYFUN, Mowalola and Dorian Electra alongside ‘secret special guests’. Last time, Caroline Polachek and Hannah Diamond popped by, but with Charli xcx’s ‘Sweat’ tour wrapping up on October 23, we can’t help but pray for a Halloween miracle.

HERE at Outernet, WC2H 8LH. Thu Oct 31, 5pm. From £39.27.

For out-of-this-world jazz crusaders

Photograph: Karolina Wielocha

Church of Sound: Kahil El’Zabar & The New Ethnic Heritage Ensemble

One of London’s best nights for jazz exploration, Church of Sound, is back with more otherworldly sounds. This time around, Chicago great Kahil El’Zabar & The New Ethnic Heritage Ensemble will be taking to the stage. Known for his futuristic style, undeniable showmanship and incredible intensity El’Zabar (who’s collaborated in the past with Pharoah Sanders) has been a significant contributor to the underground scene for over 40 years.

St James The Great (Church of Sound), E5 8EH. Thu Oct 24, 7.30pm. From £24.

Jordan Rakei

Jordan Rakei is a New Zealand-Australian musician, singer and songwriter who is best known for his jazz experimentation, which touches on influences such as The Roots and peers like The Internet and Hiatus Kaiyote. Recorded in a swift two weeks, his new album The Loop demonstrates how Rakei continues to push himself as a writer and a producer, taking inspiration from parenthood to create a 13-track collection of soulful musings.

Royal Albert Hall, SW7 2AP. Tue Oct 1, 6.30pm. From £25.54

For the indie elders

Photograph: Ed Cooke

The Libertines

The Libs are taking over the Roundhouse for three nights of British indie bangers. They released All Quiet on the Eastern Esplanade, their second album since reforming in 2010, earlier this year to lukewarm reviews. Nevertheless, the once-notorious indie rockers are famed for their live shows, so expect jovial frontmen Carl Barât and Peter Doherty to be sharing the mic, blasting out hits from the new album alongside other era-defining classics such as, Can’t Stand Me Now and Time For Heroes.

Roundhouse, NW1 8EH. Wed Oct 30, Thu Oct 31, Fri Nov 1, 7pm. From £42.50.

Evan Dando

Lead singer of The Lemonheads Evan Dando will be performing in Islington this month. Expect to hear some of the first new material from the band and Dando in many years, with a grittier rock sound underpinning it all. Of course, the fans will expect to hear classics from It’s A Shame About Ray and the musician’s 2003 solo release Baby I’m Bored which you’re likely to hear, as well as the hotly anticipated (and somewhat secretive) new release.

Islington Assembly Hall, N1 2UD. Wed Oct 30, 7pm. From £34.12.

Photograph: Atiba Jefferson

The Hard Quartet

Supergroup The Hard Quartet is the millennial bloke’s Boygenius. You’ve got The Cairo Gang’s Emmett Kelly, Matt Sweeney of Chavez, Jim White who regularly drums for Cat Power and Bill Callahan, and Stephen Malkmus, frontman of Pavement. Their debut album comes out early this month, with a UK and US tour following swiftly after. The band’s first single and video, _Earth Hater_gives you a glimpse into their playful indie-rock paradise.

Electric Ballroom, NW1 8QP. Tue Oct 22, 7pm. From £36.50.

Real Estate

This American rock group helped usher in a warm, hazy style of indie rock that defined the late noughties. Real Estate’s relaxed vocals, breezy melodies and laid-back guitars are on full display on standout albums such as 2014's Atlas. In more recent years, they’ve gone even mellower, as you’ll hear in tracks like Daniel which came out earlier this year. This show promises over 10 years' worth of chilled-out indie tunes which will surely make for a blissful experience.

Hackney Church, E5 0PD. Thu Oct 3, 7pm. From £40.40.

For the sad women of indie

Photograph: Courtesy of the artist

Laura Marling

Laura Marling is one of the UK’s most lauded indie musicians. Her last release, Song For Our Daughter, was nominated for Mercury, Ivor, and Grammy awards, so she’s had a tough task matching it with the new one. However, if the single _Patterns_is anything to go by, we are in for a treat. Patterns in Repeat is out on October 25, and she’s doing a four-night residency at Hackney Church to mark the occasion. Grab one of the few remaining tickets while you can.

Hackney Church, E5 0PD. Tue 29, Wed 30 Oct, Fri 1, Sat 2 Nov, 7pm. From £50.60.

Soccer Mommy

American singer-songwriter Sophia Regina Allison, better known as Soccer Mommy, has supposedly been writing songs since she was five years old. While it's unlikely you’ll hear those songs when you’re seeing them here (they’re probably not much good), you will catch her doing classics like Your Dog and Circle the Drain which have cemented her in the ‘sad women of indie music’ canon, alongside the likes of Phoebe Bridgers and Angel Olsen.

Rough Trade East, E1 6QL. Tue Oct 8, 7pm. From £17.

Photograph: Steve Guillick

Porridge Radio

Porridge Radio may have come up through the post-punk Windmill scene, but they’ve successfully broken out of the Black Midi/Squid/Black Country, New Raod landfill by crafting their slacker indie sound. This event at Rough Trade West will have frontwoman Dana Margolin performing a stripped-back solo set, tying in with the new album, Clouds In The Sky They Will Always Be There For Me. Speaking about the release, she said, ‘It is about completely losing my sense of self in one relationship, and the deep residue of insecurity and pain that lingered and clouded a new relationship.’
Rough Trade West, W11 1JA. Thu Oct 17, 5pm. From £14.

For modern genre-blending adventurers

NEW YORK

This local London duo are mashing up electronica, reggaeton beats and filthy lyrics to create a kind of indie that doesn't sound like anything else you'll hear this year. Underpinned with a humurously dry vocal delivery, their songs have a kind of late 00s indie sleaze vibe to them (FFO of Miss Kitten and the sort), with lines like, 'I hate myself/ You should see how much I can’t stand myself/ Because I’m a lazy bitch,' over industrial dance music. They come supported by the equally-cool No Bra as part of Relaxin Records' Moth Club takeover.

Moth Club, E9 6NU. Tue Oct 15, 7pm. From £15.

Mk.gee

Mk.gee is a man in high demand. He’s on the new cover of Dazed, he’s been reported on by The New York Times, and Rolling Stone has alleged that he’s working with Justin Beiber on his new album. And you know what, he deserves the hype. Earlier this year, Mike Gordon released Two Star & the Dream Police, a debut album that successfully blends ’80s pop, rock and R&B to create a brief 33-minute-long collection of fluid-yet-focused reflections on anxiety and longing. It’s sure to get you weeping when you see it live.

Electric Brixton, SW2 1RJ. Tue Oct 29, 7pm. From £28.60.

Photograph: Ewen Spencer

Master Peace

If you’re getting into the whole electroclash revival, this is the artist for you. Channelling influences such as Klaxons, Skepta and The Clash into his own brand of electronic-heavy indie, Peace Okezie, aka Master Peace, is a straight-talking new talent on the underground scene. Have a listen to the single I Might Be Fake for a taste of his urgent, early-noughties sound and blunt lyricism.

Electric Ballroom, NW1 8QP. Thu Oct 17, 7pm. From £18.95.

For heavy rockers

Cradle of Filth

It wouldn’t be Halloween without face paint-clad gothic metal, would it? Extreme metal band Cradle of Filth are taking over O2 Forum Kentish Town on October 31 to bring you a sweaty, dark, deliciously dressed-up celebration of their 30-plus years in the scene. Find your nearest goth shop and stock up on leather accessories before heading to this suitably spooky event.

O2 Forum Kentish Town, NW5 1JY. Thu Oct 31, 6pm. From £36.10.

Photograph: James Hartley

SPEED

They’re one of the hottest – if not the hottest – hardcore bands in the world right now. So, getting the chance to see SPEED in an intimate setting is not to be overlooked. The Aussie band have been covered in every mag from Crack to Kerrang!, who note their electrifying live shows as the reason for their notoriety. Need a little convincing? Give single THE FIRST TEST a whirl and you’ll get an idea of the sheer ferocity that this band exudes.

The Garage, N5 1RD. Thu Oct 31, 6pm. From £28.

Dream Wife

Inspired by the likes of Hole and Pixies, Dream Wife released their single Love You More off the back of last year’s successful Social Lubrication album. It’s a gritty love song, encouraging listeners to embrace perfectly imperfect bodies. Their live shows are known to be pretty electrifying, with the group dressing up as though they’re members of The Runaways, complete with classic punk vocals and frantic guitar solos. The legendary Underworld is a pretty fitting spot for it, if you ask us.

The Underworld, NW1 0NE. Thu Oct 31, 7.30pm. From £21.07.

Photograph: Colin Medley

Fucked Up

Canadian hardcore five-piece Fucked Up are claiming their stakes in the ‘London’s sweatiest gig’ contest with this show at Oslo. Frontman Damian Abraham is known within the scene for his aggressive performance style, which is sure to have you mindlessly throwing yourself around the mosh pit. Their new release Another Day embraces a kind of joyful defiance with its classic punk sound, infused with dashes of hazy synths and droning guitars to create something melodic yet ultimately ‘fuck the system’.

Oslo Hackney, E8 1LL. Sat Oct 26, 7pm. From £22.

Want to hear more from our experts? Here's our Food and Drink Editor Leonie Cooper on what she's looking forward to eating this autumn.

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