The best gigs and concerts in December

Londoners have a winter routine. We bundle up and brave the cold for the promise of pantos starring noughties X-Factor rejects, trawl through winter markets selling tat and overpriced, over-sugared mulled wine and revel in splitting the G from packed beer gardens offering just the faintest slither of outdoor heating. But I’m giving you the chance to switch things up a little, as I’ve been searching the web for the best gigs happening in London this December. No, I will not torture you with carollers or Bublé-esque crooners. Instead, here’s a selection of shoegaze rockers, renegade pop stars and horrifying metalheads to keep you entertained. I promise, there’s not a bloody Christmas song in sight.

Georgia curates Time Out’s music lists and makes it a priority to go to as many shows as physically possible. Because of this, she’s finally splashed out on some decent earplugs and accepted that she can no longer get in the pit like she used to.

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For the Gen z-indie stans

Remi Wolf

Remi Wolf has carved out a niche of colourful bedroom pop for herself. The LA native has become synonymous with buoyant vocals, bass-slapping beats and humorous lyricism. Her breakout single, 2020’s Photo ID, exemplifies this with lines line, ‘Lit in line, smile for the photo ID / Inside, that's where we can be free / Your highness, caught you sippin' on lean’, where she channels the funky strangeness of David Byrne into her personal experience of being at the DUV while in a bizarre mental state. 

O2 Academy Brixton, SW9 9SL. Thur Dec 5, 7pm. From £42.18.

Lola Young

This Tyler, The Creator-approved musician has been hotly tipped as one to watch for a while now. Back in 2021, she was nominated for the Brit Award for Rising Star Award and then bagged fourth place in the BBC Sound of 2022. She was even the voice of a John Lewis Christmas ad (covering Together in Electric Dreams in 2021). Since then, she’s affirmed her spot as a confessional pop starlet with a brash London attitude, so it’s no wonder why Tyler chose her to appear on the track Like Him on his latest album.

O2 Forum Kentish Town, NW5 1JY. Tue Dec 10, 7pm. From £22.50.

Bakar

Blending elements of indie, rap, rock and punk into his music, Bakar exemplifies a Gen-Z-friendly genre-fluid approach to music. In 2019, he released his best-known song Hell n Back, a cheerful ditty reflecting on finally finding true love (aw). However, his most recent album Halo has a sleeker sound, as if he’s leaning into glistening, Los Angeles-produced indie pop, as exemplified on the track Alive!.

Alexandra Palace, N22 7AY. Thu Dec 5, 6.30pm. From £41.62.

For the indie-loving headbangers

DIIV

Brooklyn-based rock band DIIV are returning to London this winter. The four-piece were booked to support Fontaines DC at Ally Pally last month, so it’s only right they’re now doing their own solo set at The Garage. Hear their blistering mix of rock, indie and shoegaze in an intimate setting as they tour their newest album, the critically-acclaimed Frog in Boiling Water.

The Garage, N5 1RD. Tue Dec 3, 7pm. From £33.23.

Chubby and the Gang

Combining punk rock, rock ‘n’ roll and hardcore, Chubby and the Gang are one of the scene’s most exciting live bands. With a sound characterised by raging high tempos and leftist lyrics, they’ve got all the right ingredients for furiously high-octane live performances. Get ready to be thrown around Moth Club’s glittering gold space (mind you don’t crash into any tables) surrounded by stylish east London punks. 

Moth Club, E9 6NU. Tue Dec 3, 7pm. From £15.40.

For the folk kids

Vampire Weekend 

Long gone are the days of Ezra Koenig writing plinky plonky pop tunes. Vampire Weekend have grown up and out of their 00s hipsterdom, as the newest record proves. Only God Was Above Us is the group’s fifth (and arguably most complex) album, blending lively jazz sounds, jubilant bursts of pop and even some baroque orchestral arrangements. This is matched with honest songwriting, as displayed on the masterful Gen-X Cops where Koenig faces the topic of ageing with an upbeat yet critical tone, singing, ‘each generation makes its own apology.’ It’s sure to hit even harder when it all comes together live in the grand hall of Brixton Academy. 

Eventim Apollo, W6 9QH. Wed Dec 4, 6.30pm. From £57.50.

Tapir!

It’s not often you see a band perform with paper maché on their heads. Tapir! are an indie folk six-piece led by frontman Ike Gray, whose writing often refers to the character of ‘the Pilgrim’ – which the aforementioned bright red heads represent. While we can’t guarantee the group will wear them for these shows, we can assure you you’ll experience a night of intricate melodies and folklore-inspired lyrics all in a suitably mysterious setting. 

St Matthias Church, N16 8DD. Wed Dec 4 and Thur Dec 5, 7.30pm. From £20.81.  

For the fashionable clubrats 

Confidence Man

Janet Planet and Sugar Bones are playing their biggest London gig yet at the Brixton Academy this December. Former Time Out cover stars Confidence Man are promising sensational dance pop anthems like Now U Do, I Can’t Lose You and Holiday on what promises to be a bloody brilliant night. Dress up like a pop star and prepare to dance the night away. Oh, and don’t miss support act Fcukers who are quickly becoming darlings of the New York underground. 

O2 Academy Brixton, SW9 9SL. Fri Dec 6, 7pm. From £48.89.

Bicep

Missed BICEP’s Chroma show at Finsbury Park? No bother, you’ve got an utterly scintillating session in the ‘Sheds ahead of you. The team of techno superstars include Helena Hauff, Anz and Call Super b2b Pariah amongst several artists all hitting their stride right now. Expect a show of epic proportions at London’s largest club, the former IKEA in Tottenham, the Drumsheds. 

The Drumsheds, N18 3HF. Sat Dec, 1pm. From £33.22.

For the indie experimentalists

TV on the Radio

TV on the Radio formed in 2001 during the height of indie sleaze, alongside the likes of Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Interpol, as documented in the book and documentary Meet Me in the Bathroom. Offering a more eclectic sound than their contemporaries, the band draw on influences that include Bad Brains, Serge Gainsbourg and Pixies to create a furious, ready-for-the-stage live sound. Their broad-ranging sets often offer a mix of blissed out jams and forceful smash hits such as their most famous single, Wolf Like Me. 

Islington Assembly Hall, N1 2UD. Tue Dec 10, 7pm. From £54.30.

Panda Bear

A former member of Animal Collective, Panda Bear has established himself as an experimental sonic shapeshifter – integrating psychedelic sounds, left-field samples and heavily layered vocals into his work. Over the span of his career, he’s collaborated with the likes of Sonic Boom and Daft Punk, creating a lengthy catalogue of genre-blending bops. This intimate show at The Lexington is sure to be a great way to hear them. 

The Lexington, N1 9JB. Tue Dec 10, 8pm. From £24.89.

For new-wave jazz fans

Yannis & The Yaw

Back in 2016, Yannis Philippakis was offered the chance to work with the late, great Tony Allen. The former Foals frontman had been a longtime fan due to his work with Fela Kuti, Sébastien Tellier and Jeff Mills. The music they made together combined elements of rock, funk, jazz and dub – with two cultures colliding over jams and loops, chiselled together into an album. And while Allen is no longer here to perform with him, Yannis is still showing off the fruits of their labour with a full live band at the O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire this December. 

O2 Shepherds Bush Empire, W12 8TT. Wed Dec 11, 7pm. From £32.

Jacob Collier

Singer, songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist Jacob Collier is offering his fans the chance to groove along to a night of pop jazz experimentation. His energetic live performances are characterised by the audience singing in harmony or playing percussion as he conducts them. This show in particular is a part of the four-volume, 50-song musical project, entitled Djesse, which he’s been working on for the past four years. It’ll probably be a lengthy one so get some stretches in beforehand. 

The O2, SE10 0DX. Mon Dec 9, 7.30pm. From £33.75.

For the alternative pop boys

Bladee

Bladee is a Swedish rapper, singer and record producer from Stockholm. A founding member of the artistic collective Drain Gang, the musician takes an experimental approach to his writing, describing himself once as, ‘evolved into some sort of auto-tuned dark angel’. This year, he released his seventh album, a 30-song epic titled Cold Visions, which masterfully flits between reality and glitching nightmares. It’s his strongest release to date, marking an exciting evolution over the past 11 years.

O2 Academy Brixton, SW9 9SL. Tue Dec 17, 7pm. From £30.20.

A.G. Cook

We’ve named A.G.’s most recent album Britpop as one of our favourites from this year. And if you give it a whirl, you’ll see why. The PC Music stalwart has earned legendary status for his work with the likes of Charli xcx, SOPHIE, Easyfun and many more within the hyperpop sphere. But in this record, he delves into fuzzy rock influences, showcasing a kaleidoscopic range of brilliant sounds. 

Electric Brixton, SW2 1RJ. Fri Dec 20, 7pm. From £28.75.

For the yell-along rockers

Sam Fender

He’s the Geordie kid that sounds like Springsteen. Yes, Sam Fender is back in London and armed with even more cinematic-sounding, anthemic rock tunes. The musician first garnered attention for his confessional lyricism around mental health, class inequality and the pressures of growing up working class, as seen in songs like 2019’s Dead Boys and 2021’s Seventeen Going Under. He’s got a new album out next year, so expect a few newbies thrown in with the classic singalong anthems.

The O2, SE10 0DX. Tue Dec 10, and Thur Dec 12, 6.30pm. From £67.35.

The Damned 

Best described as energetic, rebellious and genre-defying, the Damned are a band that’ll have your dad dancing like you’ve never seen before. Join the pogoers of a bygone era and catch a band that blends elements of punk rock, gothic rock and early post-punk. Often considered pioneers of both punk and goth, the Damned has never been afraid to push boundaries and defy expectations, so take note and have a crack at really throwing some shapes in the pit. 

Roundhouse, NW1 8EH. Wed Dec 18 and Thur Dec 19, 7pm. From £50.

For the metal heads

Sleep Token

Sometimes, you just want to feel like you’re in a horror movie. This show (and the one below, for that matter) will do just that. Sleep Token combines metal, R&B and post-rock to create a distinctive, atmospheric sound that shifts between heavy, guttural breakdowns and ethereal, melodic progressions. Watch in awe as the band’s masked frontman, Vessel, drags you through themes of worship, loss and vulnerability, in an almost ritualistic live show that promises to be nothing but grand. 

The O2, SE10 0DX. Tue Dec 3, 6.30pm. From £47.80.

Slipknot

To say Slipknot are legends is an understatement. The band is one of the most influential metal acts of a generation. No one else embraces theatrics quite like this lot; the masked personas come paired with equally sinister nu-metal, death metal and industrial sounds. Prepare to be thrown into nightmarish guitar riffs and guttural vocals as the eight-piece group brings elaborate stage setups and confrontational imagery to The O2.

The O2, SE10 0DX. Fri Dec 20, 6.30pm. From £69.85.