APRIL
De La Soul – Sunday, April 9 at the O2 Academy, Glasgow
The New York hip-hop trio bring their irreverent playful brand of rap to Scotland. If you don’t own their physical albums, this is really one of the only ways to hear them – their best stuff still isn’t on streaming platforms.
Paramore – Monday, April 17 at the OVO Hydro, Glasgow
The pop-punk heavyweights tour their upcoming album This Is Why, due out in February. It follows the successful genre pivot of 2017’s After Laughter, which embraced synths and 1980s New Wave.
Declan Welsh and the Decadent West – Saturday, April 22 at La Belle Angele, Edinburgh
The Glasgow band’s 2019 album opened with a spoken word section, asking listeners: “Who even listens to guitar music any more?” If their mainstay presence on the UK’s festival circuit is anything to go by, quite a few of us.
Sam Smith – Saturday, April 22 at the OVO Hydro, Glasgow
Four Grammys, three Brit awards and a Bond theme song just about speak for themselves. Expect weepy eyes from fans of the non-binary regent of blue-eyed soul.
Billy Ocean – Friday, April 28 at the SEC Armadillo, Glasgow
The man who gave us Love Really Hurts Without You. Nuff said.
Steve Mason – Saturday, April 29 at King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut, Glasgow
According to High Fidelity, a record shop can sell five copies of the Beta Band’s debut album within minutes of putting it on the stereo. Frontman Steve Mason’s solo show tours the UK with a stop at King Tut’s to promote his album Brothers And Sisters.
MAY
Katie Melua – Friday, May 5 at the Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow
Jazz and blues singer Katie Melua swaps the depths of the North Sea (she is the current holder of the record for the deepest underwater concert) for plusher surroundings.
Black Country, New Road – Monday, May 8 at the Old Fruitmarket, Glasgow
Recently lighter by one member in the form of lead singer and guitarist Isaac Wood who left the band last year, the still sizable six-piece bring their unique brand of jazzy experimental rock to atmospheric environs.
Harry Styles – May 26-27 at Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh
Is he best known for his status as pop superstar or style icon? A better question to mull over rather than thinking too much about the cost of tickets to see one of our biggest stars right now.
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band – Tuesday, May 30 at Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh
The Boss. Expect a performance reaching up to, if not past, three hours mark. The working-class hero of rock puts on a show that gives you bang for your buck.
Alvvays – Wednesday, May 31 at SWG3, Glasgow
Swapping Nova Scotia for plain old Scotia, indie pop darlings Alvvays come to SWG3 with their dreamy shoegaze hits.
READ MORE: Here are the top gigs to see in Scotland in 2023 - part one
JUNE
Muse – Friday, June 23 at Bellahouston Park, Glasgow
An open-air slot for Matt Bellamy’s Large Hadron Collider set of pipes that will take fans into space and back with Muse’s spacey prog rock stylings.
The Black Keys – Saturday, June 24 at the OVO Hydro, Glasgow
These blue rock stompers look like fellas more comfortable soundtracking a bar-room brawl than packing out stadiums – but here they are. Expect beards, punters with penchants for craft beers and filthy riffs.
Arctic Monkeys – Sunday, June 25 at Bellahouston Park, Glasgow
Arctic Monkeys still manage to pull out cracking live shows to please the old heads (think Adidas and trackies) and fans of their newer stuff (think cowboy boots and three buttons undone as a minimum).
JULY
Motley Crue and Def Leppard (double bill) – Thursday, July 6 at Hampden Park, Glasgow
A joint tour from two rock monsters, the glam and hair metal giants would blow the roof off Hampden if it had one.
TRNSMT – July 7-9, Glasgow Green
Expect some massive sets from the likes of Pulp, George Ezra, Sam Fender, Manchester rapper Aitch, The 1975 and Royal Blood.
Belle and Sebastian – Sunday, July 9 at the Usher Hall, Edinburgh; Monday, July 10 at the Beach Ballroom, Aberdeen
Stuart Murdoch and his merry band of twee indie twinklers return with a duo of Scottish dates. Irresistible.
Red Hot Chilli Peppers – Sunday, July 23 at Hampden Park, Glasgow
They’ve grown up a little from the nudist antics of their early years – but not too much. You know the hits, now see them performed by four adult men with more enthusiasm in their live shows than most teenage wannabes.
The Snuts – Friday, July 28 at SWG3, Glasgow
The Whitburn rockers promote their new record Burn The Empire with this summer show.
AUGUST
The Killers – Tuesday, August 29 at the Royal Highland Centre, Edinburgh
Hair-raising anthemic pop bangers from start to finish. You’ll know every word.
SEPTEMBER
Blink-182 – September 1-2 at the OVO Hydro, Glasgow
A triumphant Blink-182 hit the road once more after bassist Mark Hoppus’s battle with cancer and singer Tom DeLonge’s second return to the pop-punk trio.
Shania Twain – September 14, 22 and 23, OVO Hydro, Glasgow
She might not have impressed many with her 2018 Trump endorsement but she still has the touch when it comes to campy country singalong hits.
OCTOBER
Deacon Blue – October 10-11 at the Usher Hall, Edinburgh; Friday, October 13 at the P&J Live, Aberdeen; Saturday, October 14 at the OVO Hydro, Glasgow
Hitting three raintowns instead of just one, the Scot pop heroes return after 2021’s Riding on the Tide of Love tour.
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