Gregory Porter plays the Royal Albert Hall on December 13 [Erik Umphery]

IF, like me, you try to extend the festive season as long as possible, a Christmas concert is the perfect way to get into the spirit. And one voice that has the power to evoke the warm cosy feeling of Christmas, while bringing calm to a chaotic world is that of the great Gregory Porter. The Grammy-winning musician may be more synonymous with New Year’s Eve due to his appearances on Jools Holland’s Hootenanny, but with the recent release of his first festive album Christmas Wish, a tribute to some of the greats that came before him, and featuring some of his own original tracks, his seasonal spot is further cemented. He plays a special show at The Royal Albert Hall on December 13 – sublime!

• There are so many seasonal shows to highlight – our picks are below – but there are also plenty of great non-Christmas gigs this month so check out our upcoming gigs list at the bottom of this column for more details of shows from Extreme, Errol Linton, The Coral, English Teacher, Django Django, Gogol Bordello and many more.

• One venue that oozes magic is the Union Chapel so, naturally, they have lined up all manner of celebrations for December; A Very Merry Holiday with soulful singer-songwriter Ingrid Michaelson (December 1); Bach: Christmas 1723 with The Eclectic Voices Choir (December 10); Kim Wilde – Wilde Winter Acoustic (December 12); Never Fade Christmas Party In Aid of War Child, featuring Gabrielle Aplin (December 14); Carols by Candlelight (December 17); Cara Dillon – Upon a Winter’s Night (December 19); and A String Quartet Christmas Candlelit Concert (December 22).

• Then, over at The Forge get into a jazz-funk state of mind when The James Taylor Quartet plays two Annual JTQ Christmas shows (Dec 15-16).

• No doubt Massaoke’s Christmas live show at Electric Ballroom on Dec 9 – already sold out – will be stuffed with office parties ready to let their hair down and sing out the festive hits en mass to the accompaniment of Massaoke’s spandex-clad live band Rockstar Weekend. Expect hoarse voices all round.

• Over at Islington Academy, another outfit that can be relied upon to bring the fun vibes – the unholy duo of Club de Fromage and Not another Indie Disco – have three Christmas parties (Dec 2, 9 and 16) to maximise the frivolity. Expect the Lidl Southend Santa (could this really be true?), snow confetti, Xmas tunes, huge pop and indie hits, Xmas sing-along, games, hula, limbo, the usual Fromage stage show with chaotic fun from its band of misfits plus DJs Slow Alfie and Mr Cuddly Dudley.

• Communion Xmas party at Lafayette on Dec 8 is billed as having an all-star line-up featuring Bear’s Den, Christof van der Ven, Jack Garratt, James Bay, Jasmin Jethwa, Lucia & The Best Boys, Maisie Peters, The Staves and Nectar Woode – names correct at time of print.

• Janet Kay and Carroll Thompson aka The Queens of Lovers Rock bring their annual London Xmas concerts to The Forge on Dec 8-9 – time for some nostalgic sweet, soulful reggae.

• Old Dirty Brasstards’ Big Brass Xmas Bash at Lafayette on Dec 9 and 15 will be a night of huge Christmas anthems arranged for a 10-piece brass band.

• Atlantic Soul Orchestra’s Christmas Soulstice features two live sets of soul classics from the likes of Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye and Etta James in a carefully curated set of Motown, Stax and Atlantic soul designed to get you on your feet – at Jazz Café on Dec 10.

• Before carolling, came wassailing, where seasonal songs were exchanged for money, food and ale. Harking back to the old traditions with some of the oldest songs in the English canon and telling Christmas tales, folk musicians Eliza Carthy and John Boden bring The Wassail 2023 Christmas tour to Cadogan Hall on Dec 12.

More upcoming gigs

DEC 1: Lo Que Pasa Esta Noche, Camden Assembly; Black Grape, Electric Ballroom; Zola, Jazz Café; Against The Current, The Forum; Jack Valero, The Grace; Kojaque, Islington Assembly Hall; Pet Needs, The Black Heart; The Wedding Present, Dingwalls; Below Zero + Dr Feelgood, 229;

DEC 2: Starsailor, Electric Ballroom; Fun Lovin Criminals, Islington Academy; The Blow Monkeys + Ian Prowse + Sister John, 229; Change, Jazz Café; Errol Linton, Green Note; Police Dog Hogan, Union Chapel; A Soul Christmas evening with Roachford, Shepherds Bush Empire; Scouting for Girls. Roundhouse;

DEC 3: Nick Waterhouse. Scala; Aurora Dee Raynes, The Forge; Keston Cobblers Club, Lafayette; Attila The Stockbroker + Richard Strange + Jess Silk, The Dublin Castle; Skarra Mucci + Dub Akom, Jazz Café;

DEC 4: Siger, Green Note; Extreme + Living Colour, The Forum; Coco Jones, KOKO;

DEC 5: Anees + Michael Minelli, Electric Ballroom; Aidan Bissett, The Camden Assembly; Rat Pack, Adelphi Theatre; Malik Montana, Dingwalls; These New South Whales + Rifle + Cuckoo Spit, The Social; Georgia Shackleton, Green Note;

DEC 5-6: Far From Saints (Kelly Jones from Stereophonics and Patty Lynn and Dwight Baker from The Wind and The Wave), Islington Assembly Hall;

DEC 6: Billy Bragg, Roundhouse; The Pearl Harts, The Social; mclusky, Dingwalls; The Jackson Line + Gasoline + Matches, The Fiddler’s Elbow; Sultan Stevenson Trio, Cafe KOKO; Thumpasaurus, Scala;

DEC 7: The Coral + Iraina Mancini + Brodie Milner, Electric Ballroom; Police Dog Hogan + Son of Town, Union Chapel; The View, Scala; Blues Power ft Cardinal Black + Troy Redfern + Brave Rival; Maya Law, The Social; The Pale White, The Garage;

DEC 8: Billie Marten, KOKO; The Tyets & Julieta, Scala; Itchy Teeth, Green Note; Dub Pistols, The Garage;

DEC 9: Mozart Estate + Bruno and the Outrageous Methods of Presentation, The Lexington; Alabama 3 + Ol’ Times, The Forum; The Dekkertones, The Dublin Castle; Julie McNight, Jazz Café; Electric Six – Fire 20th Anniversary + US + Erotic Secrets of Pompeii, Islington Academy; The Darkness + Bad Nerves, Roundhouse; Disco Disco with Laurent Garnier;

DEC 10: Ruts DC, The Garage;

DEC 11: Yeule, HERE @Outernet;

DEC 12: The Black Christmas ft Gemstone and Jai Amore & The Tribe, The Camden Club; Lady Leshurr, The Forge; Flyte, KOKO; The Wurzels, Dingwalls; English Teacher + Modern Woman + Tiberius b, The Lexington;

DEC 13: Chase re Gregory Porter Royal Albert Hall – PIC + chase for pics; House Gospel Choir, The Forum; Darius Brubeck plays Dave Brubeck, Jazz Café; Sierra, The Black Heart; Lankum, Roundhouse; Homeboy Sandman, The Forge; Sundara Karma Electric Ballroom; These Wicked Rivers + The Karma Effect, Islington Academy; House Gospel Choir, The Forum; The Thurston Moore Group + Devon Ross, 100 Club;

DEC 14: Deadletter, Scala; Django Django, Koko; Warmduscher, 100 Club; Gogol Bordello + Peat & Diesel + Puzzled Panther, The Forum; Therapy? + Bokassa, Electric Ballroom; Deaf School 50th Anniversary Tour + Vernons Future, Islington Academy