Hot Ticket of the Month: Battles @ Glasgow Arches, 7 June

There's precious few bands whose live prowess has managed not only to knock us for six, but to expand our comprehension of what kind of sound a group of humans is able to generate in real time. Battles have done just that on more than one occasion.

Far from undermining their group dynamic, the recent departure of Tyondai Braxton seems only to have increased their collective focus – a fact which is underlined by the band's bold decision to not play any of their old material on their current tour. Oh, and if you need a deal-breaker then we have one thing to say to you: John Stanier. You need to see this guy play the drums. Seriously, you just do. [Mark Shukla]