The Dead 60s, King Tuts, Glasgow, 4 Aug

In an imaginary world where ska never went out of fashion, Liverpool's Dead 60s would be permanently camped at the top of the charts. Mixing some of The Clash's fiery spirit with the reggae-influenced beats that made The Specials such surefire hits back in the mid-Eighties, they're on a four-man mission to prove that ska is about more than pork-pie hats and Lily Allen's designer rip-offs at New Look. Admittedly, there's little room for them in the midst of the current Day-glo infatuated British music scene, but with the punchy attitude of Ghostface Killah and new single Stand Up under their belt they're still one of the most exciting live bands in Britain, peddling their bullish lad-rock with a streetwise swagger. Look out for Ben Gordon's dirty habit of flicking his used guitar picks at the crowd though – could have someone's eye out with that. [Dan Coxon]