Fresh off their UK Tour which ended last night in style at Wolverhampton, Bloc Party have announced a brand new tour for October, which they have christened “Bloctober”. Genius.

Tickets go on sale on Friday morning (6th February) at 9am.

Catch the lads at:

Friday 2nd October 2009 – Blackpool Empress Ballroom
Saturday 3rd October 2009 – Edinburgh Picture House
Sunday 4th October 2009 – Inverness Iron Works
Tuesday 6th October 2009 – Aberdeen Music Hall
Wednesday 7th October 2009 – Dunfermline Alhambra
Thursday 8th October 2009 – Hull City Hall
Saturday 10th October 2009 – Sheffield Academy
Sunday 11th October 2009 – Leeds Academy
Monday 12th October 2009 – Lincoln Engine Shed
Wednesday 14th October 2009 – Stoke Victoria Hall
Thursday 15th October 2009 – Birmingham Academy
Friday 16th October 2009 – Newport Centre
Sunday 18th October 2009 – Llandudno Arena
Monday 19th October 2009 – Liverpool University
Tuesday 20th October 2009 – Bristol Academy
Thursday 22nd October 2009 – Truro Hall for Cornwall
Friday 23rd October 2009 – Plymouth Pavillion
Saturday 24th October 2009 – Brighton Centre
Monday 26th October 2009 – Southend Cliffs Pavilion
Tuesday 27th October 2009 – Cambridge Corn Exchange
Wednesday 28th October 2009 – Nottingham Rock City
Friday 30th October 2009 – Reading Rivermead
Saturday 31st October 2009 – Bournemouth Bic

To find tickets, we suggest you try using Needtickets. Needtickets.com offers you the most comprehensive ticket service in the UK. With one click you can search every nationwide online ticket agent and as a result you can find tickets for any live music event that can be booked online. Every ticket is 100% guaranteed as Needtickets.com only offers links to official agents.

Adam Ficek’s new project, Roses Kings Castles has announced a string of UK tour dates for next January. The Babyshambles drummer will head out on the road for a 16 date tour playing some small and cosy places in support of his debut solo collection, also named Roses Kings Castles.

The drummer-cum-solo artist will release ‘Horses’, which comes complete with sleigh bells, as a digital download on December 8th, then as a seven-inch vinyl single the following week on December 15th.

Catch Adam Ficek on the road at the below dates:

Monday 5th January 2009 – Leicester Charlotte
Tuesday 6th January 2009 – Cambridge Portland Arms
Wednesday 7th January 2009 – Nottingham Bodega
Thursday 8th January 2009 – Liverpool Academy2
Friday 9th January 2009 – Manchester Ruby Lounge
Saturday 10th January 2009 – Wakefield Escobar
Sunday 11th January 2009 – Birmingham Bar academy
Tuesday 13th January 2009 – Newcastle Academy2
Wednesday 14th January 2009 – Hull Adelphi
Thursday 15th January 2009 – Preston 53 Degrees
Friday 16th January 2009 – Derby Rockhouse
Sunday 18th January 2009 – Castleford The loft
Tuesday 20th January 2009 – Cardiff Barfly
Friday 23rd January 2009 – Sunderland Voodoo room
Monday 26th January 2009 – Glasgow Captain’s rest
Tuesday 27th January 2009 – York Fibbers
Wednesday 28th January 2009 – Wrexham Central

Top photo is taken from aurélien’s flickr stream under the creative commons license.

So, I’m trying a new thing this week: A “daily roundup” of everything that doesn’t merit a complete post of its own. It won’t be literally every day (I do go out sometimes you know), but will be a collection of new MP3s, Videos, music etc.

It’s scary how quickly this Reading and Leeds festivals have been and (almost) gone. I’ve not really caught much coverage on the BBC of the festivals, but have checked out some of the ace videos and pictures. Particuarly loving the fact that Red Light Company are getting so much coverage from Zane Lowe, following on from my live review and initial introduction. Bloc Party look to have been amazing too – check out their live set available here for 7 days.

MP3: Red Light Company – Fascination
MP3: Red Light Company – Scheme Eugene
MP3: Red Light Company – With Lights Out

This time next week I’ll be in Scotland at Hydro Connect Festival, getting mouth wettingly-excited for the closing nights combination of Sigur Ros and Franz Ferdinand. I’ve spent much of today sorting out some pretty mundane things about the festival, like driving and what sort of coverage we’ll be having. I’ve had a look at the brilliant Winston’s Zen, who was at last weekend’s V Festival and getting a few ideas about how to live-blog the festival, amount of coverage etc. It’s gonna be hard to judge just what’s best until we get there, so don’t be suprised if you get tonnes, or next to nothing coverage wise.

One thing we’ve been having to look at is how to camp – I originally requested camping tickets, but got non-camping tickets, so have been looking at other options for us, from Tangerine Fields‘ bespoke camping options, to the goregous wendy-house style Podpads via the eco-friendly myhab’s – I’d honestly never really considered anything other than a tent, or a hotel for the posho’s.

Traditionally, August is quite a quiet time for the music industry – bands are off playing the festivals, people are on holidays, and generally the live music biz is taking a well-earned break ahead of the onslught of year-end tours. However, this week we’ve had no end of new tour announcements, with The Fratellis, Kaiser Chiefs, The Whip, Laura Marling, Joan as a Policewoman, Slipknot and Martha Wainwright all announcing stints around the UK this winter. I’m not expecting this week to have quite as many new tour announcements, but fingers crossed – this winter’s shaping up to be a great live experience.

Those lovely pop boys The Feeling have announced a sizeable Autumn UK tour.

Tickets go on sale next Friday (27th June) at 9am. Tickets are £25 for the London date and £22.50 for all the other dates.

Friday 31st October – Plymouth Pavillions
Saturday 1st November – Brighton Centre
Sunday 2nd November – Bournemouth BIC
Tuesday 4th November – London Hammersmith Apollo
Thursday 6th November – Southend Cliffs Pavillion
Friday 8th November – Swindon Oasis
Saturday 9th November – Llandudno N.Wales Theatre
Sunday 10th November – Wolverhampton Civic Theatre
Tuesday 12th November – Inverness Ironworks
Wednesday 13th November – Aberdeen Music Hall
Thursday 14th November – Glasgow Academy
Saturday 16th November – Doncaster Dome
Sunday 17th November – Manchester Apollo

Coldplay have announced a 10 date UK tour for December around the arenas of the UK.

Tickets go on sale on Friday (30th May) at 9am.

Catch the lads at:

Monday 1st and Tuesday 2nd December – Birmingham, NIA
Friday 5th and Saturday 6th – Glasgow, SECC
Sunday 7th December – Sheffield, Arena
Wednesday 10th December – Liverpool, Echo Arena
Thursday 11th and Friday 12th December – Manchester, MEN
Sunday 14th and Monday 15th December – London, O2 Arena

Death Cab For Cutie have announced a trio of dates around the UK for the summer, almost exactly two years since their last trip over the Atlantic.

Tickets are on sale now for all dates, but expect them to go quickly as they sold out Brixton Academy last trip over here. Prices are £16 for Birmingham and Manchester, £17.50 for London.

Tuesday 15th July – Birmingham Academy
Wednesday 16th July – Manchester Apollo
Thursday 17th July – London Brixton Academy

The first of this week’s on sales have been announced, with The Twang, Klaxons and Athlete all announcing dates that are on sale on Friday morning at 9am, with the exception of The Twang, which are on sale at 9am on Thursday (apparently). Expect them all to sell out very quickly.

One of my favourite bands of the moment, those Brum lads The Twang, are off on their biggest tour to date. They play:

Newcastle Carling Academy – Monday 8 October
Middlesbrough Town Hall – Thursday 11 October
Liverpool University – Friday 12 October
Sheffield Octagon – Sunday 14 October
Manchester Academy – Monday 15 October
Preston Uni 53 Degrees – Tuesday 16 October
Loughborough University – Thursday 18 October
Leeds University – Saturday 20 October
Birmingham Carling Academy – Thursday 25 October
London Brixton Academy – Friday 26 October
Exter University – Wednesday 31 October

Everyone’s favourite psychedelic lovers, Klaxons, are on tour. They play:

Manchester Apollo – Monday 26 November
Newcastle Carling Academy – Wednesday 28 November
Leeds University Union – Saturday 1 December
Birmingham Carling Academy – Tuesday 4 December
Brixton Academy London – Wednesday 5 December

London pansies Athlete have announced a pretty major tour, covering most of the UK in the first half of October this year.

Nottingham Rock City – Tuesday 2 October
Leeds University – Wednesday 3 October
Birmingham Carling Academy – Thursday 4 October
Newcastle Carling Academy – Sunday 7 October
Bristol Carling Academy – Monday 8 October
Southampton Guildhall – Wednesday 10 October
London Shepherds Bush Empire – Thursday 11 October
London Shepherds Bush Empire – Friday 12 October
Manchester Carling Academy – Sunday 14 October
Liverpool Carling Academy – Monday 15 October
Norwich UEA – Wednesday 17 October
Lincoln Engine Shed – Thursday 18 October

Photo of Klaxons taken from Daniel Heaf’s flickr stream