SEPTEMBER

14 Sep
Jay-Z: The Blueprint 3
After ‘retirement’, Glastonbury and gigs converting Coldplay fans to the joys of rap music, his masterful album trilogy is now complete.

14 Sep
Muse: The Resistance
The band’s fifth album, it’s tinged with a glam-rock disco feel with lashings of regulation guitar histrionics. Expect much stadium-rocking to follow.

16 Sep
Coldplay and Jay-Z, Hampden Park, Glasgow
A bit of a musical odd-couple perhaps, but if your music taste is diverse then the gig could be the one for you.

21 Sep
Dizzee Rascal: Tongue in Cheek
He may sound unhinged but the UK’s king of grime remains at the top of his game as he unleashes album four.

21 Sep
Nick Cave: White Lunar
A compilation of his work when he lets the Bad Seeds stay home: collaborations, film soundtracks and more.

SEPTEMBER 2

22 Sep
Florence and the Machine, ABC, Glasgow
Riding on the wave of her recent Mercury nomination, the red-headed vamp’s tour is one of the most hotly-anticipated for autumn.

23 Sep
Pete Doherty, Barrowland, Glasgow
Assuming he turns up, this gig will no doubt please the fans, and may be his one of his last solo jaunts before the much-rumoured Libertines reunion next year.

25 Sep
Tommy Reilly, ABC, Glasgow
He sang about the ABC in ‘Gimme a Call’, the song that made him a star, and now he’s finally getting the chance to play there.

28–29 Sep
Massive Attack, O2 Academy, Glasgow
Debuting new material from their next album due early 2010, the biggest cheers of the night will no doubt be saved for their classic anthems like ‘Unfinished Sympathy’ and ‘Teardrop’.

30 Sep
MOBO Awards, SECC, Glasgow
Expect appearances from Tinchy Stryder, Dizzee Rascal, Speech Debelle and more as they celebrate the best in urban British music.

OCTOBER 1

5 Oct
Air: Love 2
The French duo have disappeared beneath the radar of late, but this should see them re-established as the ‘modern day French Pink Floyd’.

4 Oct
Pixies, SECC, Glasgow
Still no new material to be heard but a dose of Doolittle in its entirety should keep the heaving masses sated for now.

5 Oct
The Twilight Sad: Forget the Night Ahead
A Scottish band with the ability to make their strong Scottish accents sound almost caricature like, they brave the difficult second album challenge with this release.

8 Oct
Simian Mobile Disco, ABC, Glasgow,
More electronic shocks than ever from this dynamic English duo, mostly thanks to their massive summer single ‘Audacity of Huge’.

9 Oct
Jamie T, Barrowland, Glasgow
The Billy Bragg for the new generation, Mr T’s songs about love, life and fucking croissants have made him a young indie punk poster boy.

OCTOBER 2

12 Oct
Editors: In This Light On This Evening
Described by the band themselves as ‘raw and anthemic’ they look to be going in a new direction, away from their black, moody origins.

12 Oct
The Flaming Lips: Embryonic
Rolling Stone magazine has described this double album release as ‘hairy hippy exorcism’. Surely worth a listen for that alone.

19–20 Oct
Bat for Lashes, O2 Academy Glasgow; HMV Picture House, Edinburgh
Brighton’s own queen of quirk brings her winsome pop experiments to bear.

20–21 Oct
Pink, SECC, Glasgow
The diminutive pop princess is still insanely popular here, in part because of her spectacle live shows.

26 Oct
Biffy Clyro: Only Revolutions
They broke through to mainstream success in considerable style with previous effort Puzzle, Biffy have promised more left turns and surprises with their fifth album.

NOVEMBER

1 Nov
Eagles of Death Metal, HMV Picture House
The kings of stupid big rock shapes put their tongues back in their cheeks and throw down in the capital.

10 Nov
Bon Jovi: The Circle
There’s life in the old dog yet. JBJ returns with studio album number 11. The poodle perm may be gone, but the stadium rock skills still remain.

19 Nov
Motörhead, O2 Academy, Glasgow
Still going strong after 30-plus years in the business, Lemmy and pals return to delight the die-hard fans that will no doubt be filling the venue.

27 Nov
Gomez, Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh
The band return after a three-year break and a much-coveted support slot on Pearl Jam’s European tour.

28–29 Nov
The Homecoming Final Fling, SECC, Glasgow
The line-up is still a closely-guarded secret, but expect the cream of Scottish talent young and old to be appearing at this two-day event.

DECEMBER

3 Dec
The Tragically Hip, The Garage, Glasgow
The ‘Hip return with a blend of country melodies and electric guitar moments. The biggest global musical export from Canada in years though still a relatively undiscovered treat here.

4 Dec
Yeah Yeah Yeahs, O2 Academy, Glasgow
Skin-tight leather and eyeliner at the ready as Karen O and her boys deliver a rocking live version of their It’s Blitz album.

9 Dec
The Mars Volta, HMV Picture House, Edinburgh
The diminutive prog gods bring their spectral twangs and howls to bear on us, rendering our souls mere blobs of vibrating ectoplasm.

12 Dec
Depeche Mode, SECC, Glasgow
The first Scottish show by Basildon’s electropop overlords in 21 years should be a more than welcome return.

14 Dec
Placebo, SECC, Glasgow
Brian Molko has somewhat inexplicably found a place back in our hearts with his nasal navel gazing, this being the trio’s biggest Scottish date ever.

17 Dec
Pet Shop Boys, SECC, Glasgow
After a breathtaking spectacle of a set at T in the Park this year, British pop’s original duke and duchess return to dazzle with their timeless pop tunes.