ALBAN ARENA

The 2014 party will kick off on January 17 with Elton John’s favourite ‘60s band The Overtures. Profits from the gig will go towards transforming the old cinema into the luxurious Odyssey. Also lined up are Jefferson Starship on January 20 with their 40th anniversary tour, Former Dire Straits members Alan Clark and Chris White have teamed up with some of the best musicians in the business to form The Straits and will performing classic such as Telegraph Road and Sultans of Swing on February 16, Fairport Convention will arrive with their brand of folk-rock on February 23, late-’90s band Toploader will be there on March 8 with tunes from their third studio album Only Human and Paul Carrack, the man with the golden voice, will grace the stage on March 30.

If pop tunes and rock’n’roll aren’t your bag baby then get along to the Royal Marines Band on January 24, singer/songwriter Beth Nielsen Chapman on February 21, the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain on February 28 or the great Nigel Kennedy on March 1 with his world acclaimed concert series BACH Plus. Or you can get in the soulful groove with Martha Reeves and The Vandellas on April 4, folk singer Kate Rusby on April 10, the still great UB40 on April 11 or the legendary Joe Brown on April 23.

The little ones won’t be left out with Peppa Pig’s Big Splash making waves on February 5 and 6 and CBeebie favourites Chris & Pui bringing their Roadshow there on February 20 with songs, rhymes, comedy sketches and lots of joining in.

Grown ups like a bit of silliness too and comedian Jason Manford will be quipping about First World Problems on February 25 and 26, Russell Kane will be questioning why us Brits love Smallness on March 7 and self-confessed ‘miserable old git’ Ed Byrne will be embracing middle age with open arms, and plenty of laughs, on March 12. St Albans local legend Bob Golding will bring the comedy of Eric Morecambe back to life in a play Morecambe on March 29.

Or if you want a slightly more elegant brand of entertainment, The Russian Ice Stars will glide across a specially created ice rink on March 19-23 with the story of Peter Pan before the Vienna Festival Ballet stars float onto the stage with Swan Lake on April 5.

Alban Arena, Civic Centre, St Albans. Details: 01727 844488, alban-arena.co.uk

ABBEY THEATRE

Down the road, STAJE (ST Albans Jazz Ensemble) will be bringing their big band sound to the stage on January 9. Company of Ten then has a feast of drama lined up, starting with The Price by Arthur Miller from January 23 to February 1. Next up will be Shakespeare’s classic tale The Two Gentlemen of Verona, from February 27 to March 8, and then Tom & Viv, Michael Hastings’ brilliant and controversial play about American poet T S Eliot and his troubled relationship with his wife Vivienne Haigh-Wood.

On March 20 Ian Keable, winner of The Magic Circle’s prestigious Comedy Award, has been invited along to perform his magical show The Secret World of Charles Dickens.

Abbey Theatre, Westminster Lodge, Holywell Hill, St Albans. Details: 01727 857861, abbeytheatre.org.uk

MALTINGS ARTS THEATRE

The Glorious Revolution, on January 10, takes a light-hearted look at the history of Britain, its relationship with the European Union and how it has evolved over the years. On January 24 and 25 Irresponsible Decorators will present four short new plays as part of the New Writing Festival. Hold Off The Earth, on February 6-8 and 13-15, is a haunting re-imagining of Hamlet with a cast of seven, original music and movement, and on March 1 there will be a production of Faustus packed with with dancing, singing, and a 1940’s jazz inspired soundtrack, then on March 13-15 and 19-22 it will be time for The Ladykillers to take to the stage.

The Maltings Arts Theatre, Level 2, The Maltings, St Albans. Details: 0844 8700 887, maltings artstheatre.co.uk

THE HORN

Prepare your eardrums for another exciting season of music with three-piece Moones getting things going on January 9. They are Laurent Barnard, the founder of rock band Gallows, Tariq Khan, the brother of Natasha Khan also known as Bat For Lashes and Ollie Kristian the son of a Seeker and ex-member of acoustic pop stars The Leisure Society. The Bluebook Project, Treelo and Box the sky are also on the bill. Next up on January 16 will be reunited 90s band Dodgy, who released a Christmas single last month in aid of the Trussell Trust, which wants to open a food bank in St Albans. Coastal Cities will be on stage on January 30 with their sound fuelled by jagged post-punk guitars, ‘80s tinged keyboard riffs and youthful vibes. There will also be a host of tribute acts including Boot Led Zeplin on January 18, Bon Jovi UK on February 8, Special Kinda Madness on February 15 and The Rollin Stones on March 8.

The Horn, Victoria Street, St Albans. Details: 01727 853143, thehorn.co.uk

TRESTLE ARTS BASE 

The venue is gearing up for an evening of hot music on January 25, with the latest in its Live Music Project Gig series. Playing at the free event will be headliners Indi and the Vegas, performing a mix of original songs and covers and acoustic troubadour Tom Craven, Dublin-born singer/songwriter now based in St Albans Rae Kelly and St Albans duo Starseedz, made up of Catrine O’Neill and Jon Willoughby.

Trestle Arts Base, Russet Drive, St Albans. Details: 01727 850950, trestle.org.uk