Our picks of the best shows in the UK this month
Here's your round-up of the biggest and best shows happening in the UK in June, listed in alphabetical order for your convenience and delight.
Following on from their short run of comeback shows in the US, riot grrrl pioneers Bikini Kill will play their first UK shows in 23 years in London later this month. Forming in Olympia, Washington in 1990, this revolutionary band – fronted by Kathleen Hanna – challenged the male-dominated scene and made gigs safe spaces for women, coining the phrase ‘girl power’ three years before Spice Girls zig-a-zig-ah-ed all over the TV. These shows are not to be missed.
June 10: London, O2 Academy Brixton
June 11: London, O2 Academy Brixton
This Scottish trio have been quiet of late, working on their follow-up to 2016’s Ellipsis and the soundtrack for the forthcoming film, Balance, Not Symmetry, which was unexpectedly dropped in our lap last month. The band will take a break from their studio in Los Angeles to play Scarborough Open Air Theatre as a warm-up for their run of summer festival shows. Chances of playing shirtless: high.
June 14: Scarborough, Open Air Theatre
In addition to their appearance at this summer’s Download festival, Jason Aalon Butler’s incendiary Inglewood trio have announced two further demonstrations in support of their album STRENGTH IN NUMB333RS. The owners of the Glasgow Cathouse and London's Electric Ballroom may do well to have a team of carpenters and glaziers on standby as shit, to use the current vernacular, will go off.
June 17: Glasgow, Cathouse
June 18: London, Electric Ballroom
Is it that time of year already? For three days later this month, Castle Donington will host a behemoth bill, headlined by Def Leppard, Slipknot and Tool, plus Lamb Of God, Slayer, Smashing Pumpkins and many more. Slayer will play their last-ever UK show, while grapple fans can get their fix of wrestling thanks to the WWE NXT UK Superstars, so there’s really no excuse to make the journey to the spiritual home of rock and metal, is there?
Jun 14-16: Derbyshire, Donington Park
Ahead of their US tour supporting Slipknot, these Gallic-bred riff dealers, will make the short trek over La Manche – or the English Channel – this summer for a handful of dates, their first since their monumental headline set at Bloodstock last year. Nothing can stop this band, as guitarist Christian Andreu proved at a recent festival slot in Ohio, when he took a pyro blast to the face and completed the set. Fucking nails.
June 29: Birmingham, O2 Academy
June 30: London, O2 Academy Brixton
July 01: Manchester, O2 Apollo
With a rock solid supporting bill – Norwegian stoner trio Bokassa and Swedish ecumenical rockers Ghost – a set bursting with krunching klassiks and retina-searing pyro, any Metallica fan with a ticket for their upcoming UK stadium shows will not be disappointed. After all, who gives you heavy? Metallica is the answer.
June 18: Manchester, Etihad Stadium
June 20: London, Twickenham Stadium
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This Californian quartet will return to these shores in support of their 2018 self-titled album, with new vocalist Jeff Gutt. In addition to two headline shows in Glasgow and London, the band will play Download, before heading into mainland Europe for a number of dates. Fun fact: Gutt was a contestant in the 2012 season of The X Factor, but didn’t make it past the bootcamp stage. Simon Cowell’s loss is very much alt-rock’s gain.
June 12: Glasgow, O2 Academy
June 13: London, O2 Forum Kentish Town
June 15: Castle Donington, Download festival
Ontario pop-punk quintet Sum 41 will play four shows across the UK this month in Exeter, Leicester, Glasgow and Manchester. Expect to hear a hefty chunk of their latest album, Order In Decline, plus choice cuts from their full-length debut All Killer No Filler to 2016’s 13 Voices. And if you’re lucky, they’ll drop in their Metallica medley of For Whom The Bell Tolls, Enter Sandman and Master Of Puppets.
June 23: Exeter, Castle Sessions
June 24: Leicester, De Montfort Hall
June 25: Glasgow, O2 Academy
June 26: Manchester, O2 Victoria Warehouse
This Long Island four-piece will perform their 2002 debut Tell All Your Friends in full during their UK tour this month, plus a second helping of songs from their two-decade long career. The tour follows the release of their anniversary compilation, Twenty, a 21-song collection through Craft Recordings, taking in the highlights from all seven of their full-length albums, from their 2002 debut up to 2016’s Tidal Wave. Supports comes from The Frights and former Thursday frontman Geoffrey Rickly.
June 13: Birmingham, O2 Institute
June 14: Glasgow, Barrowlands
June 15: Belfast, Limelight
June 16: Dublin, Vicar Street
June 18: London, Troxy
June 19: Manchester, Academy
June 20: Bristol, O2 Academy
This year has proved to be very fruitful for Weezer fans. Earlier in the year, they surprise-released the nostalgia-heavy The Teal Album, a collection of covers featuring songs by Black Sabbath, ELO, Eurythmics, and TLC. A couple of months later, they brought out their sixth self-titled album, as the Black Album – which was premiered on their own special island in the game Fornite. Judging by the band’s setlist from their recent US festival appearances, you’re in for an absolute treat. Prepare to see men of a certain age lose their mind during their cover Toto’s Africa.
June 29: London, O2 Academy Brixton
