- Next year’s Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival will take place Friday though Sunday, April 16-18 at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, CA. A pre-sale and layaway plan is available for those interested in planning their travel even before the line-up is announced. Concert-goers will be offered expanded camping options, including car, RV and traditional tent camping. For more info, visit www.coachella.com.

- Old school thrash fans might want to take a trip to Poland or the Czech Republic in June, since "The Big Four" of Metal - Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth and Anthrax - will play together for the first time in history as part of the Sonisphere festival. On June 16, 2010, the four bands will take to the Sonisphere stage at Bemowo Airport, Poland, and three days later comes Sonisphere Czech Republic. More Sonisphere shows featuring the combo will be announced in the coming weeks. "Who would have thought that more than 25 years after its inception, thrash metal's big 4 would not only still be around and more popular than ever, but will now play together for the first time?" said Metallica's Lars Ulrich. His ex-bandmate Dave Mustaine added, "This is a 'once-in-a-lifetime' opportunity for heavy metal fans to see the four greatest heavy metal bands in American history back together on one stage. If there are any heads left at the end of this festival that haven't banged, they don't belong there."

- Muse's 2010 North American tour has been expanded, with 14 more dates in the U.S. and Canada announced for March and April. Silversun Pickups will open the entire tour. The trek now begins in Atlanta on February 27 and runs up to April 5 in Salt Lake City.

- Rufus Wainwright will tour the UK in Aprl next year in support of his new solo album, All Days Are Nights: Songs for Lulu.  The tour will coincide with the London opening of his debut opera Prima Donna. It follows a series of celebrated performances at Manchester's International Festival in July.  All Days Are Nights: Songs for Lulu is the first Wainwright studio album since 2007's Release the Stars.  Tickets go on sale on Friday (December 18).

April 13 - LONDON, Sadler's Wells  

April 15 -GLASGOW, Royal Concert Hall 

April 16 - EDINBURGH, Usher Hall 

April 17 - SHEFFIELD, City Hall 

April 19 - GATESHEAD, The Sage 

April 20 - BIRMINGHAM, Symphony Hall

April 22 - MANCHESTER, Apollo 

April 23 - BRISTOL, Colston Hall 

April 25 - NOTTINGHAM, Royal Concert Hall 

April 26 - OXFORD, New Theatre 

April 29 - IPSWICH, Regent Theatre 

- The lineup for the 2010 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival has been announced, with Pearl Jam and My Morning Jacket among the headliners. The festival will take place from April 23-25, April 29-30 and May 1-2. Also on board for the diverse festival are Aretha Franklin, The Black Crowes, George Clinton, The Allman Brothers Band and Lionel Richie. Other acts playing throughout the fest include The Dead Weather, Elvis Costello, B.B. King, Van Morrisson and many, many more.