Summer's here, which means time for the big guns to come out with their autumn tour dates, among them the woman once described as a "gothic Stevie Nicks" Bat For Lashes (18 Oct-4 Nov, tour begins Roadworks, Inverness); the reliably epic and anthemic Muse (24 Oct-1 Nov, tour begins SECC, Glasgow); and the unlikely yet total dance heroes Hot Chip (8-19 Oct, tour begins UEA, Norwich) ...
It's also time to see if Clock Opera (5-8 Nov, tour begins The Haunt, Brighton) can swell their growing fanbase with their indietronica "chop pop" ...
For those who caught them earlier in the year Liars will be No 1 Against The Rush of autumn-touring bands with their new electronic pop direction (10-21 Oct, tour begins Brudenell Social Club, Leeds) ...
But the most long-awaited return of the year might be Bloc Party (12-18 Oct, tour begins O2 Academy, Newcastle upon Tyne) previewing possibly cerebral, possibly angular but certainly new material from forthcoming album Four.
