Nina Nesbitt plays The Scala [lovefromjuliaxo]

YOU don’t need to be a fan of a particular artist or genre to find some fascinating tales, and Q&As in the selection of movies curated by this year’s Doc ’n Roll Film Festival. The subjects covered by music documentaries on the programme include Wu Tang’s Ol’Dirty Bastard, Peaches, Hakeem, Devo, The Black Keys, Pauline Black, Scotland’s Girl Bands, Swamp Dogg, Gogol Bordello and many more. Visit www.docnrollfestival.com for the full programme.

• Witness a slice of music history as the influential Booker T Jones (Booker T. & the M.G.s) takes up residence at Ronnie Scott’s from Oct 7-12. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee and Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award recipient has been influential over decades, from his time with Stax to producing and recording with the likes of Bill Withers, Willie Nelson and Carlos Santana. If none of this rings a bell, look up Green Onions on YouTube and you will know.

• Kick Out The Jams are putting on a fundraising show for Medical Aid for Palestinians – see three bands for free, while raising money for a good cause at the Hawley Arms on Oct 10 with performances from Pythies, Berry Galazka and Soaked.

• Guns ‘n Roses bassist Duff McKagan continues his solo ventures with a headline tour, stopping off at Islington Assembly Hall on Oct 5.

• Award-winning “broken-folk” duo Lunatraktors put a post-punk, music hall, pagan rave spin on traditional music with some surprising results. See them play Cecil Sharp House on Oct 5.

• Bill Ryder-Jones makes his debut in the Barbican Hall on Oct 16 where he will perform his new album Iechyd Da for the first time in full.

• Another artist making her first appearance at the Barbican, indie-folk musician Billie Marten reimagines songs from all four of her albums with the help of the pioneering 24-piece Her Ensemble on Oct 4. Formed in 2020, Her Ensemble was formed in 2020 by classically trained violinist Ellie Consta, with the aim of positively impacting the gender gap and gender stereotypes in the classical music industry. Support from London-born, Athens-based songwriter Westerman.

• Nina Nesbitt brings her full band headline tour to Scala on Oct 16 in support of Mountain Music, her first album to be released on her new independent label Apple Tree Records.

• Danish Brazilian band The Courettes play The Dome in support of their fourth album The Soul Of The Fabulous Courettes on Oct 4.

Some notable gigs: The Struts + Barns Courtney + James Bruner, Roundhouse (Oct 6); Ryan Adams, Islington Assembly Hall (Oct 7-8); Joan As A Policewoman, Union Chapel; Afro Celt Sound System, Islington Assembly Hall (Oct 9); Arlo Parks, Koko (Oct 10); Stereo MCs, Koko; Anvil, The Dome; Sasha & John Digweed, Roundhouse (Oct 11) Jet, The Forum (Oct 12); Tom Meighan (Kasabian) + Annabelle Allum, The Forum (Oct 14); Leo Sayer, Palladium (Oct 15).

More upcoming gigs

Oct 4 – Sam Carter, Ben Nicholls and Evan Jenkins, Kings Place; Monster Rally, Jazz Cafe; Pop Will Eat Itself, Islington Assembly Hall;
Oct 5 – Efterklang, Barbican Hall; Speedometer, The Forge;
Oct 6 – Sunday Papers Live, One Marylebone; Samantha Fish, Koko; Stolen, Scala; Kabaka Pyramid & The Beeble Rockers, Islington Academy;
Oct 8 – James Kerry Trio, The Harrison; Dee C Lee, Koko; Kool G Rap, Jazz Cafe; Lely45, Scala; Andy Goodwin, Camden Assembly; Maya Law, Cafe Koko;
Oct 9 – Seb Lowe, Electric Ballroom; Dan Whitlam, Koko;
Oct 10 – Scouting For Girls, The Forum; Drew McDowall, Kings Place; Michael Aldag, Scala; Hattie Whitehead, The Grace; Humanist, Electrowerkz;
Oct 11 – The Blackbyrds, Union Chapel; Yellowstraps, The Lexington; Death Valley Knights + Dreamcatcher, The Fiddler’s Elbow; Dreadzone, 229;
Oct 12 – Cold In Berlin, The Black Heart; Cloonee presents Hellbent, Roundhouse;
Oct 13 – The Men Who Knew Too Much, The Camden Club; The Magpies, Water Rats; Gorilla Riot, Islington Academy; Joshua Baraka, Amazing Grace; Ronnie Foster, Ronnie Scott’s;
Oct 15 – Gary Clark Jr, The Forum;
Oct 16 – The Long Ryders, 229; Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes, Electric Ballroom; Cocodamol + Bramwell + The Taut + Bobbi Lowfi, The Dublin Castle; Hana Lili, The Grace; Il Divo, London Palladium;
Oct 17 – Marc Broussard, Koko; Lebanon Hanover, Scala; Master Peace, Electric Ballroom; Tom Robinson Band, Islington Assembly Hall; Memorials, The Lexington;
Oct 17-18 – Pale Waves, Here at Outernet.