What's on for the week ahead...

THE hotly-tipped Black Velvets bring their cocksure mix of rock, punk and glam tunes to The Joiners on Monday as part of an extensive UK tour.

The Black Velvets are four lads from Liverpool with a shared love of everything from T-Rex and AC/DC to The Stone Roses and Guns 'N' Roses. Their music is unashamedly big in sound and they produce simple yet classic tunes.

Having supported The Who, The Killers and John Squire, The Black Velvets are now ready to unleash their rousing, pounding, foot stomping anthems into the ears of the British public. Southampton retro-rocker, Echobeat supports.

Tickets £6. Contact 023 8022 5612.

LINCOLNSHIRE'S Black # 5 boast more rock gems than a South African jewel mine. The band play The Brook on Wednesday in support of their debut album, Last Few Hours, which was produced by Terrovision and Paradise Lost cohort, Pat Grogan and is out now.

Contact 023 8055 5366.

ROCK romanticist, Duke Special, plays The Brook on Sunday supporting the release of his new EP, Adventures in Gramophone, which is out on May 9.

Duke grew up in Belfast. Now he is something of a goth-looking troubadour, who sings about love with his piano and gramophone.

Sounds all a bit bizarre doesn't it, but one listen to Duke's heartfelt howls and you'll be hooked.

Support at The Brook comes courtesy of Juliet Turner.

PORTOBRELLA end their seven-date UK tour on a high with a gig at Portsmouth's Martha's on February 25.

Fronted by half-Italian singer Luciana Caporaso, the band release their eagerly awaited new single, Vive Lad Difference, on February 28.

Contact 023 9285 2951.

FOREST Arts Centre in New Milton will be hosting a really colourful concert tonight when ShivaNova's Flying High comes to town.

ShivaNova is a new dimension of musical excitement bringing together virtuoso musicians from Europe, Asia and Africa. Priti Paintal, ShivaNova's music, integrates elements of jazz, classical, Asian, ambient and club dance styles to create an accessible yet unique sound.

The ensuing evocative mix of sound is created with Sitar, Sarod, Indian and Middle Eastern harps, voices, tabla, Indian and Western violins, cello, piano/keyboards, saxophone, flutes, percussion, African kora, drums and some intriguing Chinese instruments.

Tickets £9. Box office: 01425 612393.

FORMER British Big Band winners, the Pete Cater Big Band, join fellow jazz entertainers, the Swing Time Big Band, at the Pavilion Theatre in Bournemouth on Sunday for four hours of tantalising jazz music.

Pete Carter's band includes 15 of jazz' most accomplished musicians, including trumpeters Craig Wild and Darren Wiles, Trombonist's Liam Kirkman and Barnaby Dickinson, and sax men Sam Mayne and Bob Martin.

Tickets from £14. Box office: 0870 111 3000.

SCOTTISH classical pianist and winner of the BBC Young Musician of the Year Competition, Steven Osborne, performs an enchanting evening of music at the Turner Sims Concert Hall on Tuesday.

Contact the box office on 023 8059 5151 for ticket prices.