Your complete and ultimate guide to the upcoming gigs in Nottingham this month

Are you new to Nottingham and looking for great concerts? Are you a music student looking for the next artist to write about in your coursework essay? Maybe you’re just a music lover and want to know what’s happening in Nottingham’s music scene right now. Any which way, you’ve come to the right place. We believe that it is of the utmost importance to keep our fingers on the pulses of Nottingham’s endless array of culture, especially music with it being at the heart of our city.

From classical to heavy metal and JLS to our very own at Mooch Live, here is your comprehensive guide to the upcoming gigs in Nottingham this month:

JLS – Monday 23rd October at the Motorpoint Arena

It takes a certain type of person to remember when JLS came second in The X Factor, only runners-up to the talented Alexandra Burke. The group went on to release hits such as Beat Again, Everybody in Love and She Makes Me Wanna, which were largely played on the radio and could be heard at virtually every primary school disco in the early 2010s. You can now see them perform their greatest hits at Nottingham’s Motorpoint Arena. Tickets are available here, your childhood self will thank you.

Leonkoro Quartet – Thursday 12th October at Djanogly Recital Hall, Lakeside Arts

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If classical music is more your thing, Lakeside Arts, our on-campus arts organisation, hosts a wide range of classical music concerts on Thursday evenings during term time. On the 12th, you can watch Leonkoro Quartet, a Berlin-based string quartet, now a BBC New Generation Artists, perform chamber music composed by Schubert, Janačék and Beethoven in the Music Department’s Djanogly Recital Hall on University Park Campus. If you register for the Cavatina membership scheme on the Lakeside Arts website, you can receive free tickets if you’re aged 18-25. You really have no excuse not to go.

The Trials of Cato – Sunday 15th October at The Bodega

For folk lovers, The Bodega is hosting The Trials of Cato, dubbed ‘the Sex Pistols of folk’. This band fuses their sound with traditional Celtic instruments, creating their compositions with a modern twist. The Trials of Cato won BBC Radio 2 ‘Best Album’ Folk Award in 2018 for their debut album. At this gig, they will perform music from their highly acclaimed 2022 album Gog Magog. Get your tickets here.

Nell Mescal – Tuesday 17^th October at The Bodega

For those who love heartfelt songs, this emerging artist may be for you. From Kildare, Ireland, 20-year-old singer-songwriter Nell Mescal is coming to The Bodega. Her amazing new song Homesick is certainly a firm favourite for many University students and the intimate cut Graduating is also a highlight. Her indie style merges pop and folk and is cut with an in-earnest reliability. The outcome is something truly beautiful. Get your tickets here.

The Music of Zimmer vs Williams – Friday 20th October at the Theatre Royal Concert Hall

Attention film lovers: on Friday 20th October at 7:00pm the Theatre Royal Concert Hall is hosting a concert dedicated to music composed by the two legendary composers, Hans Zimmer and John Williams. Performed by the Manchester Concert Orchestra, this concert will feature themes from iconic films and franchises such as Star Wars, Harry Potter, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Inception. Tickets are available here, it’s surely not one to miss.

Maisie Peters – Sunday 22nd October at Rock City

With her amazing new singles Lost the Breakup and There it Goes, Maisie Peters is coming to Rock City on her world tour to perform her newly released album The Good Witch. This tour is bound to get you singing and will have you dancing the evening away. Hopefully, you won’t have a busy day of lectures the next day as the song ‘Lost the Breakup’ is bound to be in your head for the rest of the week. Tickets are available from Rock City here.

Fear Factory – Friday 27^th October at Rock City

With Halloween approaching, what better way to celebrate the spooky season than going to Rock City to see Fear Factory. The American heavy metal band are coming to Nottingham on their world tour with their highly anticipated return to performing. Their career spans over 30 years making them veterans of their craft. Expect to hear their iconic staccato riffs as their singing morphs into screams while performing their greatest hits. They will be accompanied by two other heavy metal bands, Butcher Babies and IGNEA. A must-see for any heavy metal fan. Tickets are available from Rock City here.

Martin Stephenson & The Daintees – Monday 30th October at Rescue Rooms

If acoustic singer-songwriters are more your thing, then you’ll love the sound of this next gig. Singer-songwriter Martin Stephenson started busking in the Northeast before forming a band in the 1980s to make the act known as Martin Stephenson & The Daintees. Combining rock, pop and folk music, Martin Stephenson & The Daintees are reuniting for a tour and are coming to Nottingham’s Rescue Rooms on Monday 30th October with doors opening at 7:30pm. Get your tickets here now!

Mooch Live – Thursday evenings from 7:00pm

Live on campus and want a great evening of live music but don’t want to trek all the way to the city centre? Mooch Live has got you covered, hosted every Thursday night in Mooch, in the University of Nottingham’s Portland Building. Come along and watch student singers, bands and local talent from around Nottingham.

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• The ultimate Nottingham Freshers’ Week bucket list