Music maestro Alex Flood picks out the best of the live gigs on offer in and around Norwich this month.

• Dizzee Rascal – Newmarket Racecourse – August 8

Grime crossover sensation, Dizzee Rascal, performs the latest date of the Adnams Newmarket Nights summer series on August 8, and the veteran of headline slots at mainstay festivals, Wireless and Lovebox, could be their biggest booking yet. Bursting onto the scene in 2003 with his Mercury Prize winning debut, Boy in da Corner, Captain Roscoe's blend of African roots music and UK grime and garage has seen the 28-year old from East London go from strength to strength in the years since. One year on from his fifth studio album, ingeniously titled The Fifth, Dizzee's night at Newmarket could be hiphop fans' last chance to see the quick-witted verbal magician in eastern parts.

• Acid Mothers Temple – Epic Studios – August 19

Acid Mothers Temple and the Melting Paraiso U.F.O (as well as numerous offshoots) are a Japanese guitar band, formed in the mid-90s, who combine psychedelia and experimental rock with a distinct antipathy to haircuts, creating an image and sound moulded in the form of an oriental Ziggy Stardust. Led by the enigmatic Kawabata Makoto, the self-dubbed 'soul collective' has had eleven different incarnations in its 19 year existence, producing a prolific discography of 72 studio albums, an impressive feat. Well known for an eclectic and emotionally absorbing live show, Acid Mothers Temple are not one to be missed by any avid rock fan.

• Tinariwen – Norwich Arts Centre – August 26

Internationally acclaimed collective, Tinariwen, were formed in the Sahara desert region of Northern Mali in 1979. Forced to leave the region during periods of intense local conflict, the band were able to return in a mid-nineties ceasefire, and ever since have garnered accolade after accolade (including a Grammy award for 2012 effort Tassili) for their wonderfully intricate melange of blues, folk, rock and African music. Their August 26 date at the NAC is an incredibly rare opportunity to see one of the world's greats in a miniscule setting, and might just possibly be the best gig in Norwich for a long time.

• The Graveltones – Waterfront – August 28

Next to grace the Waterfront's hallowed stage are the heavy, blues-rock 'n' roll duo from down under, The Graveltones. Now based in London, Jimmy O (guitar/ vocals) and Mikey Sorbello (drums) produce a sound flecked with smatterings of well-known influences such as Queens of the Stone Age, Captain Beefheart and John Lee Hooker. One album into a potentially long and illustrious career, The Graveltones present an opportunity to get your ears round some exciting new music for the future.

• Jazz Weekender – Open Club Room – August 30-31

A new initiative from one of Norwich's premier music venues, the Jazz Weekender runs in the last two days of August, and provides a wonderfully fitting end to a summer of musical brilliance in the Mustard City. Opening with the incomparable Paul Hill band at 11.30am on Saturday, and closing at 10pm on Sunday with The Hitchcock and Barnes All-Star Octet, the two days promise to be a majestic ode to jazz in all its glory, from be-bop to progressive jazz-rock. Featuring tributes to the works of Hoagy Carmichael and Herbie Hancock, the event looks set to be the highlight of summer 2014 for local music fans, and with day tickets priced as low as 25 pounds, it's an absolute steal!