First Call, Last Call

First Call

ASPIRING POP stars Idlewild no doubt hope that their debut album, Hope is Important, will push them from high praise to high record sales. Punk antics, thrashing guitars and indecipherable lyrics are qualities which have led Idlewild to be rather impressively likened to bands such as Sonic Youth and The Pixies (right). Despite the fact that if they follow the fortunes of this lineage, chart success looks unlikely, Idlewild have already established themselves as a top-notch live band, and are definitely well worth catching if you can.

ULU, London (0171-664 2030) 26 Nov

Last Call

MAKING THEIR debut on the British stage is China's largest dance school, the internationally renowned Beijing Dance Academy. Encompassing the traditional grace and ornamental style of classical Chinese dance forms, the programme also integrates modern developments in dance and offers the opportunity to see a rising star, the young male dancer Huang Doudou, who makes his UK debut.

The Peacock Theatre, Sadler's Wells, Kingsway, London WC2 (0171-863 8222) pounds 7.50 to pounds 27.50, to 31 Oct