1 Rihanna
After a somewhat shambolic album campaign and several cancelled dates, Rihanna finally arrives on UK shores with something to prove. How will her fans react to the experimental and confounding Anti? If they’re not keen, chances are she has another banger or two in the locker to appease them…
Dublin, Tue; London, Fri; touring to 29 Jun
2 Barry Manilow
“It’s too much packing” – well, if you’re going to give up touring after half a century in the game, that’s as good a reason as any. Catch the likes of Tryin’ To Get The Feeling Again and Looks Like We Made It with fellow Fanilows before it’s too late on this UK leg of the Brooklynite’s One Last Time tour.
Birmingham, Sat; Cardiff, Mon; Bournemouth, Tue; London, Thu
3 Belle And Sebastian
The Glasgow art-popsters are celebrating their 20th birthday this year; in that time, not many indie bands have come close to capturing the bashful teenage trauma contained on their classic debut Tigermilk. Fresh from playing their hometown they arrive in London for a double date at the Royal Albert Hall.
Royal Albert Hall, SW7, Wed & Thu
4 Unknown Mortal Orchestra
Last year’s Multi-Love was inspired by a failed polyamorous relationship between frontman Ruban Nielson, his wife and another woman. You certainly can’t say that about a Catfish And The Bottlemen album – or, indeed, any other album we can think of right now – so why not watch Nielson relive the immense heartbreak and pain live on a nightly basis?
Cambridge, Tue; Liverpool, Wed; Glastonbury festival, Fri
5 Grimes
Five-star reviews abounded for Grimes’s last UK shows: “Unfettered female joy,” was how one critic put it; “Big, danceable pop songs that could easily rattle a stadium” another. With dancers, lasers and DayGlo outfits, this is one to avoid only if you have a neon allergy.
