1 The Flaming Lips
Summer wouldn’t be summer without Wayne Coyne Zorbing overhead in a giant inflatable ball at least once. Armed with heaving slacker classic She Don’t Use Jelly, cosmic lullaby Do You Realize?? and their 2017 material – described by the band as “Syd Barrett meets A$AP Rocky” – you’ll leave as euphoric as you are covered in confetti.
Birmingham, 12 August; Bristol, 13 August; Glasgow, 15 August; Nottingham, 16 August
2 Hinds
The Madrid band are masters of rabble rousing with their scrappy, sun-scorched tunes and, since the release of their debut, Leave Me Alone, they have barely been off the road. Given festival season is in its final stages, their garage rock racket ought to sound suitably unhinged.
Summerhall, Edinburgh, 16 August; Green Man, Crickhowell, 18 August
3 Green Man festival
The Brecon Beacons remains one of the most scenic outdoor sites in the country. This year marks the eco-friendly festival’s 15th anniversary and, assuming the weather is dry, its hilly expanses should be the perfect setting for the lofty soundscapes of Michael Kiwanuka, PJ Harvey, Ride, Actress and the Shins.
Glanusk Park, Crickhowell, 17-20 August
4 Everything Everything
While their last record mined the ugliness and intricacies of global politics for inspiration, the grottier elements of the human condition loom large over A Fever Dream – the fourth album from the ever-evolving guitar group. So far, fans have heard the glam stomp of Desire and the math-rock trance of Can’t Do. Catchy, convoluted pop.
The Hippodrome, Kingston, 17 August; HMV Manchester, 18 August
5 Conor Oberst
Bringing the nostalgic charm of 70s west coast rock, plaintive piano and country melancholia to London for one night only, the Bright Eyes frontman manages to turn tales of catheters and a “cyst in the brain” into something oddly romantic.
O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, W12, 18 August
