POP / Gig Guide

WHITESNAKE

Greatest hits tour - which means cartoon ideas (mainly of love) from a band who've headbanged a bit too much.

Tonight Manchester Apollo; Fri Newcastle City Hall; Sat Edinburgh Playhouse

WORLD WITHOUT WALLS

Somerset-based techno act, very New (sic) Age. Just wait until they start going on about crop circles.

Tonight London Heaven

HOUSE OF PAIN

Hammy, overrated 'Irish' American rappers who threw Consolidated off their tour because they dissed America on Independence Day. Incoherent values, no class, and one-hit wonders.

Sat Wolverhampton Civic Hall; Sun Newcastle Riverside; Mon Leeds Town And Country Club; Tue Nottingham Rock City

SULTANS OF PING

Fri London The Garage

TERRY HALL

Former Specials, Colourfield etc singer. By turns sour and sentimental, he sticks up for songs with emotion and rhyme in them. Plus Billy Rain.

Wed London Islington Garage (Upstairs)

GIL SCOTT HERON

Never mind all that on telly - all you need to know about the first lunar landing is contained in Gil's song 'Whitey's on the Moon'. About due for a renaissance in the U S too. Funky bongoes. Faux lads will be interested to hear that his dad was a professional footballer.

Tonight, Fri London Jazz Cafe

BELA FLECK & THE FLECK STONES

American rhythm act fusing jazz, funk and folk. Check out the five-string banjo.

Mon London Jazz Cafe

THE CLOUDS

Quality Aussie indie-guitar band.

Fri London Mean Fiddler

NOTTINGHAM HEINEKEN FESTIVAL

Stiff Little Fingers, Sunscreem and Cud play at this free four-day event.

Thur-Sun Nottingham Wollaton Park (info on 0891 222459)

TOOL

Agressive U S rock band, indie following.

Tonight London Shepherds Bush Empire; Mon Nottingham Rock City; Tue Newcastle Riverside; Wed Glasgow Garage

THE ISLEY BROTHERS

Former Motown giants run through their hits. Plus the multi-talented Angela Winbush.

Tonight Norwich Theatre Royal; Fri, Sat London Festival Hall

GENE

Tonight Leeds Duchess; Fri Birmingham Jug Of Ale; Sun Southampton Joiners

VIC CHESTNUTT

Superb singer-songwriter.

Mon London Queen Elizabeth Hall; Tue Sheffield Leadmill; Wed Hull Adelphi

THE GRID

Electronic wizardry from newly converted Cajun boys.

Wed London LA2

FOLK, JAZZ & WORLD MUSIC

WOMAD

The annual world-music binge has discovered a new concept this year - entertainment. As the Viva South Africa show proved last week, people are just too lazy to put up with foreignness all the time.

Fri Flora Purim & Fourth World legendary singing star from Brazil together with Airto Morelli. Jah Wobble's Invaders Of The Heart Arabic and African rhythms from the chart-topping former tube driver. Cheb Mami Algeria's answer to George Michael.

Sat Lucky Dube South African reggae superstar fuses Zulu pop with soca and roots. Apache Indian chart-topping, yet very articulate Asian pop star. Transglobal Underground Global beats and rhythms for clubland.

Sun Boukman Eksperyans Banned in their native Island of Haiti, voodoo meets dance floor. Gil Scott Heron The godfather of rap. Gary Clail's on U Sound Controversial rap / reggae artists.

Rivermead, Reading (0734 591591) By road: from the M4 take junctions 10,11, or 12. By rail: Direct services from Paddington to Reading BR (every half an hour - journey time 20 minutes) the West Country, the Midlands and North of England.

THE AMERICAN SOUTH FESTIVAL

The legendary BB King plus Canray Fontenot and others.

Starts this week London South Bank Centre

ELI RYAN

Six-piece latin jazz with a touch of blues.

Tonight Manchester PJ Bells

IVOR GAME

You're in Paul Simon country now. Excellent 29-year-old English singer-songwriter.

Sat London Covent Garden Bunjies

CHEB MAMI

Algerian Rai updated with rock guitars and dance / pop percussion. Worth catching the Crown Prince.

Tonight London Barbican Centre

GNAWA

The decendants of Black African Sudanese slaves recount their hardships through lila - a musical ceremony.

Sun London Subterania