A slight break from the normal TGTF stuff here, as Beardyman has announced details of his debut solo UK tour.

The champion beatboxer is hitting the road, with a novel idea – the crowd chooses what is played.

But how is this going to work? All you have to do is send your suggestions to him on Twitter under the hash-tag #beardytour he will include them in his set, as long as you’re there to claim responsibility for how great (or shocking) they turn out to be. Marmite-hip-hop-ragga-step, renegade-banana-disco-dub, or Michael Jackson and Arnold Schwarzenegger in a techno rave-up… the never-ending choices are yours.

Sound good to you? Yeah, it does to me too. Catch him at:

Tuesday 27th April 2010 – Manchester, The Factory
Wednesday 28th April 2010 – Birmingham, Hare & Hounds
Thursday 29th April 2010 – Glasgow, The Arches
Saturday 1st May 2010 – London, Islington Academy
Sunday 2nd May 2010 – Bristol, Metropolis
Friday 7th May 2010 – Dublin, The Button Factory

Kyp Malone from soulful art rockers TV On The Radio is coming to the UK with his solo project, Rain Machine in May.

Explaining the motives behind his new project, Kyp commented:

“I’ve been writing and recording songs alone since I moved to NYC in 2000, at first alone because I didn’t know anyone, then through the years by choice because of a particular freedom that going it alone afforded. I’ve played regularly since then, at first under the name Black Lights until some kids in Texas told me they were already using that name. Then under my own name but I didn’t like how “Kyp Malone” looked on mock ups of t-shirts and fliers, thus Rain Machine.”

Tickets are on sale for all these dates now. Catch Kyp’s Rain Machine at:

Monday 12th April 2010 – London, Shoreditch Village Underground
Tuesday 13th April 2010 – Manchester, The Deaf Institute
Wednesday 14th April 2010 – Belfast Speakeasy
Thursday 15th April 2010 – Belfast the Academy

A-Ha have announced their Farewell Tour 2010 ‘Ending On A High Note’.

Tickets go on sale on Friday at 9am over on gigsandtours.com

Monday 15th November 2010 – Brighton Centre
Tuesday 16th November 2010 – Newcastle Metro Radio Arena
Wednesday 17th November 2010 – Glasgow Clyde Auditorium
Friday 19th November 2010 – Birmingham LG Arena
Saturday 20th November 2010 – Manchester MEN Arena
Sunday 21st November 2010 – Nottingham Trent FM Arena
Tuesday 23rd November 2010 – Sheffield Arena
Thursday 25th November 2010 – Cardiff International Arena
Friday 26th November 2010 – Bournemouth International Centre
Saturday 27th November 2010 – London Wembley Arena

Delphic look set to be one of 2010’s hardest working bands, as they announce ANOTHER UK tour, this time only four dates and in May.

Tickets go on sale on Friday (26th February) at 9am. Catch them at:

Saturday 15th May 2010 – Wolverhampton, Wulfron Hall
Monday 17th May 2010 – Leeds, Metropolitan University
Tuesday 18th May 2010 – London, Electric Ballroom
Friday 21st May 2010 – Manchester, Ritz

Like your music a bit louder and rockier than some of the stuff we post here at TGTF? Well, maybe Young Guns will be your sort of thing. Embarking on a 10 day tour in late April and early May.

Tickets are on sale now, priced around £7 each.

Tuesday 27th April 2010 – Colchester Arts Centre
Wednesday 28th April 2010 – Manchester Roadhouse
Thursday 29th April 2010 – Glasgow King Tuts
Friday 30th April 2010 – Nottingham Rock City Basement
Saturday 1st May 2010 – Cardiff Clwb Ifor Bach (Matinee Performance)
Sunday 2nd May 2010 – Yeovil Orange Box
Tuesday 4th May 2010 – Bristol Academy 2
Wednesday 5th May 2010 – Birmingham The Flapper
Thursday 6th May 2010 – London Barfly
Friday 7th May 2010 – Swindon Furnace
Saturday 8th May 2010 – Portsmouth Wedgewood Rooms

Hotly tipped New Jersey band The Memory Tapes are coming over to our fair shores next month, starting off with a date at Brighton’s Freebutt and finishing off in London after a few more dates.

Catch the Americans at:

Tuesday 9th March 2010 – Brighton Freebut (tickets)
Wednesday 10th March 2010 – Sheffield Discover the Harley
Thursday 11th March 2010 – Manchester Drowned In Sound @ Deaf Institute
Friday 12th March 2010 – Glasgow Stereo
Saturday 13th March 2010 – London Cargo

The Gaslight Anthem have just announced a string of 2010 UK tour dates in support of their new album which will be called American Slang and will be released in June 2010 on SideOneDummy Records.

Catch them at:

Tuesday 22nd June 2010 – Birmingham Academy 1
Wednesday 23rd June 2010 – Glasgow ABC
Thursday 24th June 2010 – Manchester Academy 1
Saturday 26th June 2010 – London HMV Forum
Tuesday 29th June 2010 – Oxford Academy 1

Beth Jeans Houghton is the Newcastle teen who looks set to be one of this years big big things, crafting finely honed melody from the fantastic and the familiar, and Stornoway are the four piece whose quintessential pop is coloured in pastoral hues (and we introduced here). Together they’re making up this month’s Twisted Folk tour, starting next week for 10 days of an amazing tour.

Tickets are going very fast though….

Monday 8th February 2010 – Exeter Phoenix Arts Centre
Tuesday 9th February 2010 – Reading South Street
Wednesday 10th February 2010 – Brighton Komedia
Thursday 11th February 2010 – London Rich Mix
Saturday 13th February 2010 – Norwich Arts Centre
Sunday 14th February 2010 – Gateshead The Sage
Monday 15th February 2010 – Leeds Brudenell Social Club
Tuesday 16th February 2010 – Manchester Band On The Wall
Wednesday 17th February 2010 – Birmingham Glee Club

Continuing her meteoric rise to fame, Marina and the Diamonds have announced a 2010 UK tour playing some of her biggest venues yet.

Sunday 2nd May 2010 – Birmingham Glee Club
Thursday 13th May 2010 – Bournemouth Old Fire Station
Saturday 15th May 2010 – Brighton Concorde
Sunday 16th May 2010 – Cardiff Millenium Music Hall
Tuesday 18th May 2010 – Norwich Waterfront
Wednesday 19th May 2010 – London Bloomsbury Ballroom
Saturday 22nd May 2010 – Sheffield Leadmill
Sunday 23rd May 2010 – Manchester University
Tuesday 25th May 2010 – Liverpool Masque
Wednesday 26th May 2010 – Belfast Speakeasy
Thursday 27th May 2010 – Dublin Tripod
Saturday 29th May 2010 – Glasgow QMU
Sunday 30th May 2010 – Edinburgh Liquid Rooms
Monday 31st May 2010 – Leeds Cockpit

Zebrahead and MC Lars have announced a pretty gruelling UK tour for mid to end of March this year.

Tickets are on sale now.

Tuesday 16th March 2010 – Southampton Talking Heads
Wednesday 17th March 2010 – London Islington Academy
Thursday 18th March 2010 – Yeovil Orange Box
Friday 19th March 2010 – Peterborough Club Revolution
Saturday 20th March 2010 – Poole Shudder Festival @ Chords
Sunday 21st March 2010 – Swindon Furnace
Monday 22nd March 2010 – Pontypridd Muni Arts Centre
Tuesday 23rd March 2010 – Birmingham Academy 2
Wednesday 24th March 2010 – Norwich Waterfront
Thursday 25th March 2010 – Northampton Road Mender
Friday 26th March 2010 – Manchester Academy 3
Saturday 27th March 2010 – Newcastle Academy 2
Sunday 28th March 2010 – Nottingham Rock City
Monday 29th March 2010 – Glasgow Cathouse
Tuesday 30th March 2010 – Leeds Cockpit