THERE’S no shortage of a variety of shows heading for leading Birmingham venues Symphony Hall and the Town Hall in the coming weeks.

Not far away now will be Brum Bands Unite, which is a St George's Day celebration in support of the Justice for the 21 Campaign.

Their fight for truth and justice for those who lost their lives in the Birmingham pub bombings, was back in the news this past week following the death of IRA-commander turned politician, Martin McGuinness.

The night of celebration at the Town Hall on Sunday, April 23, will feature a number of standalone performances from; Quill, Morganisation (Dave Scott Morgan - ELO) who also wrote the 21 Today song in support of the campaign, Steve Gibbions (Balls), Vix and the Mischiefs (Fuzzbox) along with Chris Tye.

The evening is being sponsored by the St George’s Day Association.

Also next month Symphony Hall will be hosting an evening of music and dance with the Birmingham Royal Ballet.

The company’s acclaimed orchestra, the Royal Ballet Sinfonia, and Principal Conductor Paul Murphy are joined by dancers from the company for an evening of spectacular music and dance on the evening of Saturday, April 29.

The show will be compered by the BRB's Director, David Bintley and repertory will include Frederick Delius – On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring, Benjamin Britten – Four Sea Interludes: ‘Storm’, and Boris Asafiev/Vasily Vainonen – The Flames of Paris: pas de deux.

It starts at 7.30pm.

Prior to this is an appearance on Tuesday, April 18, by Dream Theater.

Due to overwhelming demand, they have announced additional European spring dates to their Images, Words & Beyond 25th Anniversary Tour.

The new dates will begin at Symphony Hall and will include an unparalleled live set of Images and Words in its entirety, along with fan favourites from their deep, widely-acclaimed catalogue.

They will be appearing with special guests.

The night before this show will be one featuring stars of yesteryear with the Solid Silver 60s show.

This show has been entertaining the nation for the past 30 years and celebrates history’s most successful decade of music.

Back on the tour are favourites The Merseybeats, Dave Berry, Wayne Fontana and Vanity Fare, as well as a very special guest from the USA - Chris Montez.

This is on Monday, April 17 (8pm).

Towards the end of May, the 22nd to be precise, the unique artist that is Imelda May will be on stage at the same venue.

She has found a new groove, exploring blues, soul, gospel, folk, rock, sensitive acoustics, cinematic drama and explosive balladry on a set of the boldest, most personal and intimately autobiographical songs she has ever written.

Fans will be able to witness it all on the evening of Monday, May 22.

Looking further ahead, to Monday, June 26, Beverly Knight will be in town with her I Love Soulsville UK tour show.

Following the release of last year’s acclaimed Top 10 album Soulsville, singer, songwriter and actress is going back on the road again.

Wolverhampton born and bred, Beverley is a triple Mobo winner and multiple Brit nominee.

At Symphony Hall she will perform a broad set featuring hits from her stellar career, highlights from the Soulsville album as well as a few customary surprises that fans have come to expect from her legendary live shows.

Currently celebrating his 50th year as a professional musician, keyboard player, songwriter and broadcaster, Rick Wakeman recently made chart history when his Piano Portraits album became the first solo piano album to enter the UK’s Top 10.

Now he will be bringing his show, Piano Portraits in Concert to the stage of Birmingham’s Town Hall on Saturday, June 24 (8pm).

The show will include pieces from the album (Space Oddity, Wondrous Stories, Stairway To Heaven, Help) musical surprises and hilarious anecdotes from this well-known and accomplished raconteur.

The Town Hall is also the venue for Imagioned Isle, which is a Folk Festival of the Imagionatiion,, over the weekend of Friday, May 12 to Sunday, May 14.

Imagined Isle is back and better than ever! Featuring a specially curated line-up of nationally and internationally renowned artists, alongside profiling local and emerging talents, the show celebrates the unique voices and sounds of folk, set against the iconic backdrop of Birmingham’s historic Town Hall.

Enjoy the all-folk extravaganza on Friday's Urban Folk Night, the plethora of blazing tunes from Rabscallion at a Family Ceilidh, the brilliant Fairport Convention and the compelling Jon Boden.

Coming up later in the year, on Friday, July 14, is a most unusual show for the Town Hall.

The Spooky Men's Chorale are the gift that keeps on giving… as thunderous as a herd of wildebeest, as sly as a wagonload of Spike Milligans and as sonorous as a cloister of monks.

The man-choir emerged blinking-eyed from the Blue Mountains of New South Wales in Australia some 15 years ago and armed with no more than their impressively cavernous vocal chords, a nice line in deadpan, improbable facial hair and an ill-matched set of hats, have been gleefully wooing audiences throughout Australia, NZ and the UK ever since.

Renowned for a combination of Visigothic bravado, absurdist humour and eye-moistening tenderness, the Spookies, in middle age, are more masters of their territory than ever before, with five critically-acclaimed albums under their belt.

For their 2017 UK tour, they will revisit their much loved b(l)ack-catalogue, forays into immense Georgian anthems, tender arrangements of traditional and contemporary classics, their own uniquely entertaining songs and choreography.

Their last UK tour saw a large number of sell-out concerts at major venues and a whole raft of ecstatic festival audience reactions.

It’s a show that must be seen and it starts at 7.30pm..