POP / Gig guide

THE BEAUTIFUL SOUTH

Miaow (Go] Discs) is all about saying 'miaow' in a group of dogs. It's about individuality.

Tonight Aberdeen Music Hall; Fri Glasgow Barrowlands; Sun Cambridge Corn Exchange; Mon Poole Arts Centre; Tue London Clapham Grand; Wed London Forum

SOUNDGARDEN

Accomplished Seattle grunge-Not] rockers. Kurt Factor 9 (he loved their first two EPs, bless his cotton socks).

Tonight Wolverhampton Civic Hall; Fri Newport Centre; Sat London Brixton Academy

DEACON BLUE

Big tour. 'Best of' pop. Worth every penny.

Tue Belfast Ulster Hall

BLACK SABBATH

Semi-precious metal. Don't miss corpse-lovers Cathedral beforehand.

Tonight Newport Centre

KILLING JOKE

Quality cacophonia, with longevity. All venues done out by Megatripolis (hippy crusties). Send the kids.

Tonight Wolverhampton Wulfrun Hall; Fri Manchester Uni; Sun Cambridge Junction; Mon Leeds Metropolitan Uni; Tue Nottingham Rock City; Wed London Astoria

TORI AMOS

Soft-rock for voice, piano and trainspotters. Nice tunes, but hard work emotionally.

Wed Cardiff St David's Hall

MOTOWN EXTRAVAGANZA

The Temptations, The Four Tops, Jimmy Ruffin, Junior Walker, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, and a tribute to Marvin Gaye.

Tonight Glasgow SECC; Sat Sheffield Arena; Sun Wembley Arena

AIMEE MANN

Singer / songwriter from the US.

Mon Newcastle Riverside; Tue Glasgow King Tut's; Wed Leeds Irish Centre

COUNTRY, FOLK & JAZZ

JERSEY JAZZ FESTIVAL

They don't fool around in Jersey: George Melly, John Chilton's Feetwarmers, Blue Note Quartet, Jacques Loussier, Spike Robinson, Andy Sheppard's In Co-Motion . . . all the greats. Spread over several venues.

Jersey 16-23 April (info 0534 73767)

OTIS RUSH

Swaggering Chicago bluesman with a moving voice. Soul and blues standards, plus his own Ain't Enough Comin' In stuff.

Sat Dublin Olympia; Sun Edinburgh Lyceum; Tue, Wed London Jazz Cafe