UK Metal Gigs and Tours First Half of 2010
With 2010 already well underway with quality metal up and down the country, if you are looking for UK metal gig listings you have come to the right place.
February
Kicking off our listings are German industrial giants Rammstein who hit Birmingham, Manchester and Wembley Arena in London in the opening week of February. London is now totally sold out but there are last minute tickets available for the other 2 shows. This is Rammsteins first visit to the UK in many years so be sure you do not miss out!
Italy's biggest metal export Lacuna Coil return to the UK at the same time as Rammstein promoting their most recent album Shallow Life, playing a few shows before finishing up at Shepherds Bush Empire on Friday February 5th.
If that is not your cup of tea and you prefer things a bit heavier, also on Friday 5th Feb you can head to the University of London Union to see The Black Dahlia Murder cause chaos and carnage in equal measures.
The UK's favourite trance-hardcore band Enter Shikari return in mid Feb for a run of shows which ends up a The Hammersmith Apollo on the 12th of February. Support comes from The King Blues and Sheffield rising stars, the truly crazy Rolo Tomassi.
Next up marks the return of Fear Factory to the UK after their hiatus and line-up changes, but they are back in force to promote new album Mechanize, which is being touted as the most brutal album of their career. Reading thrashers Sylosis have just been added as main support for this tour so it promises to be a cracker. Catch Fear Factory at various venues, finishing the tour up on the 19th of February at the Electric Ballroom in Camden Town, London.
Progressive favourites Mastodon return to the UK with their first full tour to promote their acclaimed album Crack The Skye after a few club shows in Autumn 2009. Totsimoshi support. Catch them around the country in late February, winding the tour up at The Roundhouse in Camden on the 24th.
March
Scandanavian doom metal experts Katatonia return to the UK in March after a highly successful tour supporting Paradise Lost last November which yours truly was lucky to attend. They are embarking on a full tour taking in venues such as Rock City Basement in Nottingham on March 10th and The Relentless Garage, Highbury, London on March 11th. They also play Cardiff, Wolverhampton, Manchester, and The Hammerfest II Festival in Wales. Fellow scandanavians Swallow The Sun have been confirmed as direct support, also returning to the UK after their recent show at the Underworld with Insomnium. German band Long Distance Calling complete Katatonia's support lineup.
Florida Thrash Metal Juggernauts Trivium return to their favoured UK shores in March, playing an extensive 20 date tour taking them everywhere from London to Yeovil. Main support on the tour comes from Chimaira, and US Deathcore band Whitechapel and the UK's own Rise To Remain are also along for the ride. Catch them all across the UK during the whole month of March.
Among my personal favourite bands of all time, American power/prog metal band Kamelot return to the UK for a one off show at London's Koko in Camden on the 28th of March to promote their as yet untitled upcoming new album. A rare chance to hear great tracks like Karma and March of Mephisto plus new material. Support comes from French Prog outfit Adagio and Leaves Eyes.
April
Celebrating their 20th anniversary, the magnificent Opeth are holding a celebration of their career with a series of 6 worldwide shows to mark the occasion. One of these is taking place at the Royal Albert Hall in London on April 5th. At these shows Opeth will perform two sets, the first being their classic album Blackwater Park in its entirety, and the second being made up of other Opeth favourites and songs rarely played live. This is a one in a lifetime show so any progressive metal fans out there get along to the Albert Hall.
Having been mentioned earlier with Enter Shikari, Rolo Tomassi have their own headlining show at the Camden Underworld in London on the 23rd of April so there is another chance to see one of the craziest acts ever to come from Sheffield, this time in a smaller, more personal venue.
If doom metal is your thing, then the return of veterans Cathedral will be to your liking, as they play a handful of shows to promote their new album. Catch them in Manchester April 26th, University of London Union April 29th and Birmingham May 1st.
Just announced for the end of april, Arch Enemy are returning to the UK on a metal hammer sponsored run of shows in Glasgow, Manchester, and The Forum in Kentish Town, London. Catch them on the 28th-30th of April. Support will come from Enslaved and Sabbat.
May
If you are after some quality speed power metal, then they don't come any better than Hammerfall, the power prog legends hitting the UK for a series of shows at the start of May. Shows in Manchester, Sheffield, Nottingham, Glasgow, and Wolverhampton before finishing up at one of my regular haunts, the Electric Ballroom in Camden Town, London.
Promoting their new album Chasing The Grave, US metallers Fozzy fronted by Y2J himself, Chris Jericho return to the UK for a handful of UK dates in mid May. Catch them in Glasgow, Birmingham, and a double header at the Relentless Garage in London on the 15th of May, with an afternoon show for the bands younger fans and an evening show for the more hardcore among you.
June
Hugely successful on the other side of the pond, Californian rock back Switchfoot hit the UK for a rare oversears show at the HMV Forum Kentish Town on the first of June. You can also see them on the second stage at Download on classic rock Sunday. Flood of Red support at the London show.
The 7th Download Festival hits us in June, and this year is also the 30th anniversary of Monsters of Rock, so promoters Live Nation are planning to pull out all the stops to celebrate the big occasion and to compete with Sonisphere. After years of trying to get them, AC/DC have been confirmed as the first headliner, to be joined by Aerosmith and The Christmas Number 1 holders Rage Against The Machine. The already impressive supporting cast includes Them Crooked Vultures, Deftones, Stone Temple Pilots, Wolfmother, Megadeth, Bullet For My Valentine, Motorhead, Lamb of God, Five Finger Death Punch, Stone Sour, Volbeat, Slash, Saxon, Billy Idol, A Day To Remember, Unearth, Suicidal Tendencies, Zebrahead, Breed 77, Napalm Death, Flyleaf, Taking Dawn, Sybreed and many many more.
While they are in the country for Download, Aerosmith also hit the O2 Arena 2 days later on June 15th for a one off show, so if you are not heading to Donington, get your tickets early for that one.
The progtastic metallers with the largest hair in the business, Coheed and Cambria are playing a show at The Forum in Kentish Town on June 24th. They are also playing the O2 academy Newcastle the night before on June 23rd.
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