Live Music Preview: Graham Coxon @ The Barbican

When we caught Graham Coxon in July, it was in front of an indifferent crowd at the iTunes Festival. The dull atmosphere meant we only saw flashes of the Coxon we love, and we left a bit disappointed overall.

Not to worry. Things should be different at the Barbican in November, when the Graham Coxon Power Acoustic Ensemble take to the stage. This snappily-named group includes Coxon and some of the musicians he worked with on his latest album, The Spinning Top.They'll be playing that record in full. Apparently it tells the story of one man's life from birth to death, but even if you miss the overarching plot, we can happily report it's a proper folky treat, and a world away from his previous scratchy, low-fi sound.There will be special guests aplenty too, with appearances promised from Robyn Hitchcock, Martin Carthy, Natasha Marsh and Max Eastley. Just don't expect any Blur tunes.All the extra musicians should add an extra dimension to Coxon's live show. And if all that's not enough to keep you interested, impressive visuals from Chris Hopewell (who's also worked with Radiohead and Franz Ferdinand) will give you something else to look at.The Graham Coxon Power Acoustic Ensemble play the Barbican on 28 November. Tickets are available now. (Image / postmoderngirl under a Creative Commons Attribution licence.)