The Courteeners
You wouldn’t guess quite how popular the Courteeners are from their media profile. Though routinely ignored by critics, they’ve quietly built up a colossal live following with their anthemic indie rock. Earlier this summer they followed the Stone Roses’ lead by playing a huge hometown show at Heaton Park in Manchester, and they conclude their autumn tour by returning to the city for eight shows – that’s 28,000 tickets, all of which are sold out. Good luck on the resale sites.
• At O2 Apollo, Manchester, 8–19 December. Box office: 08444 777 677.
Saint Etienne
The beloved trio – whose last album, Words and Music, might have been their best yet – take to the road for Christmas with four gigs. The core threesome will be fleshed out with a full band, so it’s not just going to be Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs pressing buttons behind Sarah Cracknell. The mini-tour concludes with a first ever homecoming gig for Stanley and Wiggs as they take Saint Etienne for a “Croydon Christmas caper” at Fairfield Halls.
• At the Sage, Gateshead, 8 December. Box office: 0191 443 4661. Then touring until 11 December.
Hudson Mohawke
The Scottish electronica maven ticks every box for hipness you could possibly require. Signed to the none-more-influential Warp label in the UK? Tick. Has produced Kanye West? Tick. Indulged in collaborative projects with other equally hip people? Tick – his TNGHT project also involves Lunice. He’s bringing his bleeps to three UK venues before Christmas. Just don’t expect an encore of Merry Xmas Everybody.
• At Roundhouse, London, 10 December. Box office: 0300 678 9222. Then touring to Manchester, 11 December, and Glasgow, 12 December.
Mumford & Sons
Now they’ve swapped their banjos and double basses for a more conventionally rocking sound, you can expect something a little different from the former gentleman yokels as they finally take their Wilder Mind album – an international No 1 on its release in May – to the UK’s enormodomes. Expect mass singalongs and not a hint of confrontation. The shows are all sold out, unsurprisingly, but their website offers links to ticket exchanges.
• At Motorpoint Arena Cardiff, 5 December. Box office: 029-2023 4500. Then touring until 14 December.
Todd Terje
The Norwegian dance producer and songwriter took his stage name in tribute to the house pioneer Todd Terry, and he’s built a reputation to match, with his song Inspector Norse being named track of the year all over the place in 2012. He’s not just an underground phenomenon – he co-wrote Robbie Williams’s No 1 Candy, and Bryan Ferry sang on his album, It’s Album Time, covering Robert Palmer’s Johnny and Mary. Live, he’s promising a Christmas party with special guests when he visits London.
• At Koko, London, 13 December. Box office: 020-7388 3222.
