We're going to cheat a little bit this week, because the biggest names out of the hat aren't on tour as such, they're playing either a warm-up or a charity date. But there are still plenty of other tours to tell you about so sit back and scroll away!
This week:
All prices + booking fees. For ticket availability, click on the images, below
Michael Ball
This man is big - not in size, you understand but in stature. Having recently announced his 2011 "Heroes" tour AND set to play Edna in "Hairspray" on tour, he is due to play London's Prince of Wales Theatre for a fundraising evening for the children's hospice charity, Shooting Star. Tickets for the fundraiser on Sunday 10th are obtainable from www.delfontmackintosh.co.uk for £65. His "Heroes" tour is also still up for grabs - click his picture for details.
A-Ha
Legends of the 80's eh? Morten Harket was certainly one of the pin-ups of that very decade, fronting the ever-popular A-ha and producing a key album in "Hunting High and Low". There are a limited amount of resale tickets available for their Royal Albert Hall date next Friday, mostly around the £50-£65 mark.
Corinne Bailey Rae
Fresh from her Mercury Prize-nomination for the Top 5 album "The Sea", Corinne Bailey Rae is all set to woo her audiences from next Thursday in Edinburgh. Tickets are £19.50 plus fees for the majority of the dates which take in Leeds and Bristol plus the Royal Festival Hall on Monday 18th (£25).
Attack! Attack!
Now let's get this clear from the start - this is the South Wales version of the band called Attack Attack, er I mean Attack! Attack!, oh you know what I mean. Anyway the Welsh rockers head to Ireland for the first leg of their tour, starting on Friday in Cork and continuing to Dublin, Belfast, Nottingham etc until Cardiff on 7th November. Tickets are £7.50 approx. Their second album "The Latest Fashion" has just been released.
Bowling For Soup
The bouncy ska-rockers return to the UK with a veritable array of support-bands in tow, including 'A' and The Dollyrots (love that name). This tour covers university towns and cities, beginning with Cambridge on Wednesday. Tickets cost £18.50. Two new releases have been confirmed for BFS, starting with an EP "Fishin' For Woos" out next week.
Stiff Little Fingers
Still gigging hard is this 30-year old punk and rebel-rocking ensemble fronted by the inimitable Jake Burns. Expect lots of 'Inflammable Material' on this tour which kicks off in Southampton on Wednesday, as well as a loyal vociferous crowd. Tickets for the tour are still available, so if you want to see a truly punk band (none of this wishy-washy American nonsense), click and stump up £17.50.
Delays
In true time-honoured tradition, Southampton's pop-rock hit-makers Delays will end this new tour in Southampton, where else? Prior to that, Brighton will form the starting point of this run of dates from this coming Monday. Recent fourth album "Star Tiger, Star Ariel" didn't set the world alight, ratings wise but it's just as good if not better than the previous three....judge for yourselves - tickets are just £10.
Walter Trout
You can tell by his profile picture that Walter Trout loves to play the blues and rock out at the same time - either that or he's just sat on a wasp's nest. From Tuesday the US legend begins a UK tour in Hull and continues to Edinburgh, Aberdeen, London and many more until a rare date at Dartford's Mick Jagger Centre on Halloween night, something you really shouldn't miss if you can't face Shepherd's Bush. £19.50 for most nights.
Beverley Craven begins a UK tour in London next Sunday (£15-£20 per other date) to celebrate 20 years in the business, whilst a few one off gigs from those 'Manic Monday' funsters The Bangles (Monday - Dublin, €35 and Tuesday - London Pinktober with guests, £30), Supertramp (Wednesday - London's O2 Arena, £42.50 and other packages), post-punk/jazz funksters Blurt playing a rare Hoxton album-launch date (Sunday, £5) and finally the sold-out Kirsty MacColl Tribute Concert to be held in Soho Square and Shepherd's Bush on Sunday as well.
John Bishop
Possibly one of the fastest rising comedians at the moment is Liverpudlian Bishop. Recently he has been seen in his "John Bishop's Britain" TV series, calling upon the stories of real-life members of the public and adding his own take and wit. Now you can witness what all the fuss is about, beginning on Sunday 10th in Sunderland and ending in June next year in Belfast. Understandably, many dates have sold out - those that haven't cost around £26 to get in.
Mark Watson
The celebrated young comedian (well, just 30 years old) has been wowing Fringe audiences for several years and his quality as a performer hasn't gone unnoticed - his upcoming tour from Tuesday onwards starts in Leicester and has sold out for the most part, all except the later dates from the Manchester Comedy Festival onwards. Prices are around £19.
Mark Thomas
Political and satirical fire-brand Mark Thomas begins a variety of gigs over the next month or so, some dedicated to his recent walking tour of the Gaza, others a more straightforward evening. Check out the article for more details and expect to pay a tenner upwards.
Me and Juliet
The ground-breaking theatre known as the Finborough has chosen a rare Rodgers and Hammerstein comedy-musical to fill seats during October, from Tuesday onwards (which has sold out). Remaining nights cost just £5-£9. Expect a plot involving a musical within a musical and lots of jealousy and scandal.
The Fool [Edward Bond]
English playwright Edward Bond's season continues at the Cock Tavern with a play focussing on the life of the earthy poet, John Clare. This production runs from Sunday 10th until 23rd October and seats cost £5 - £12. Support your local indie theatre!
Showstopper! - The Improvised Musical
Ever fancied shouting out the name of your favourite show-tune slap bang in the middle of 'Les Miserables'? Reckon you should contain that inner devil? Or get out more? Then go to this - a musical show where you really can holler out your choices and see them performed in humourous splendour. The King's Head Theatre will present this show from Sunday onwards, priced at £13-£15.
Doctor Who Live
Come out from behind the sofa - it's only Doctor Who on tour, starting in Wembley from Friday until Sunday. But beware, the Monsters Are Coming and this time it's personal. Tickets for the tour, which also calls at Sheffield, Manchester etc cost around £35 upwards plus fees.