Colin Wilson The popular Thetford Forest music dates get under way next week. Colin Wilson takes a look at who and what is on offer.

Colin Wilson

The summer open-air concert series gets really into gear with the first of this year's Thetford Forest dates.

The Zutons, who release their highly-anticipated new album You Can Do Anything on June 2, open the concert season at High Lodge on Thursday (gates 6pm, music 7.30pm). The new album recorded in LA, with producer George Drakoulias (The Black Crowes/Primal Scream/Tom Petty) is the follow-up to the multi-platinum selling albums Tired Of Hanging Around and the Mercury Prize-nominated debut Who Killed The Zutons?

The Zutons have so far scored two Top 10 hits with Why Won't You Give Me Your Love? and Valerie (both from Tired Of Hanging Around) and six Top 40 hits - Pressure Point, You Will You Won't, Remember Me, Don't Ever Think (Too Much), Confusion and Oh Stacey (Look What You've Done).

Valerie has been in the Top 100 Radio Airplay Charts for 100 weeks, having entered the charts in May 2006 (where it was one of the biggest airplay records of the year) and is still there, courtesy of the Mark Ronson/Amy Winehouse version.

Always Right Behind You, the first single from the new album was released on Monday. The Zutons are - David McCabe (vocals/guitar), Abi Harding (saxophone), Paul Molloy (guitar), Sean Payne (drums) and Russell Pritchard (bass).

Main support comes from one of the UK's most talented young bands Mystery Jets, who will be playing songs from their highly-acclaimed second album Twenty One. On the flip side of knocking on the big door of the mainstream, the Mystery Jets are keeping their underground roots spreading with an astonishing Switch remix of album opener Hideaway currently doing the rounds in the clubs.

A new single, Two Doors Down is released through 679 Recordings on June 2. The b side to the seven-inch version features a cover of Aztec Camera's smash Somewhere In My Heart, advancing on those 80s inspired influences apparent throughout Twenty One.

Opening will be Noah And The Whale, who have spent the last seven years keeping London's alternative music scene alive with their unique mix of musical innovation and party spirit.

Tickets £26 (subject to booking fee)

Acclaimed singer-songwriter K T Tunstall plays High Lodge on Friday June 6 (gates 6pm, music 7.30pm). The past three years have been a hectic time for KT Tunstall as she has become established as a phenomenally-successful artist both sides of the Atlantic.

Eye To The Telescope, KT's debut album, was released in 2004 to critical and public acclaim.

The record secured a Mercury Music Prize nomination and KT outsold every other female artist in the UK in 2005. Eye To The Telescope has sold nearly four million copies since release. In 2005 KT won the Q magazine Track of the Year award for Black Horse and the Cherry Tree.

The following year she received a Brit Award for Best British Female Solo Artist , the Ivor Novello Best Song award for Suddenly I See, and in 2007 landed a Grammy nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. In 2006 she released Acoustic Extravaganza, a live album recorded on the Isle of Skye. Chart success continued with the release of her second studio album, Drastic Fantastic in 2007. A collection of thumping pop songs and intimate ballads it delivered the hit singles Saving My Face and Hold On and reached number three in the UK album chart.

KT has become a festival regular and has earned a reputation for mind-blowing live shows, having performed at the likes of Glastonbury and T In The Park.

Special guest is the much-praised Suffolk singer-songwriter Tom Baxter who will be playing songs from the critically-acclaimed top ten album Skybound.

Tom has already established himself as one of the major breakthrough acts of 2008, with tracks such as Better, Tell Her Today and the new single Miracle which is released on June 2.

Tickets £27.50 (subject to booking fee)

One of Britain's best loved bands Status Quo play a sold-out concert at High Lodge on Saturday June 7 (full preview in next week's Event).

t Tickets to see The Zutons and KT Tunstall plus forthcoming concerts from Crowded House (July 10), McFly (July 11) and Katherine Jenkins (July 12) are available in person at the EDP's two Norwich offices (Rouen Road and Millennium Plain), or the venue, or from the hotlines 01842 814612, 01603 772175, 01603 693890, 0870 1602837, 0871 2200260, www.EDP24.co.uk/shop, www.forestry.gov.uk/music, www.gigsandtours.com www.ticketmaster.co.uk