Example set for Birmingham O2 Academy gig

It seems rap star Example can't get enough of touring. He returns to the Midlands tomorrow night (Saturday, December 10, 2011) with a sold-out gig at Birmingham's O2 Academy.

It will be his second visit to the venue this year, having performed there back in March.

He's clearly a big fan of the Midlands, having also popped up at Shropshire's OsFest, Staffordshire's V Festival and Tamworth's Ultrasound Festival over the summer.

2011 has been quite a year for the singer-cum-rapper – real name Elliot Gleave – who first graced the music scene with a little known EP called What We Made that basically involved him rapping about girls, Nandos and Pizza Express.

Now he's a chart-topping star with what appears to be the world's most punishing tour schedule that in the last few months alone has seen him take in everywhere from Australia and Ibiza to Wolverhampton's own Oceana nightclub.

But it was his 2010 album Won't Go Quietly that really (ahem) "kickstarted" his career thanks to the incredible singles Kickstarts, Watch The Sun Come Up, Last Ones Standing and Won't Go Quietly.

His 2011 number one album Playing In The Shadows spawned the number one singles Stay Awake and Changed The Way You Kissed Me and revealed a more hardcore dubstep direction for the Fulham-born boy.

Example has worked with the likes of Skream and Laidback Luke on the record, which has an edgier club sound than his previous work.

Just this week his new EP Midnight Run was released – at midnight no less?– with a whole host of dubstep remixes by the likes of Funkagenda, Flux and The Wideboys available to download.

He is already rumoured to be working on his next album, although how he's finding the time in between radio interviews, TV appearances and gigs I don't know.

But the 29-year-old – who takes his name from his initals EG – has admitted his next record will have a much heavier rock edge. He said this week that his new material will sound like: "The Strokes produced by Skrillex or The Strokes produced by Chase & Status".

His current tour may be the last chance for fans to see him in such an intimate setting as next year he embarks on his first arena tour which is due to call at Birmingham's NIA in May.

His UK arena tour will come after a European tour kicking off in February 2012 that will take in cities including Munich, Vienna, Milan, Barcelona, Madrid and Paris. But for now Example's enjoying being in the UK. Of last week's gig in Manchester he said: "Manchester Apollo – it's now in the top three shows of my career. I'm buzzing. Thank you all!"

His live shows are renowned for his high-energy performances so anyone with tickets can expect to bounce around – a lot.

And don't expect to emerge with your vocal cords intact because screaming is compulsory – you have been warned.

By Amy Burns