AFTER a fairly active year, South Wales' most popular clubs are planning a busy 2002, with touring bands hopefully outnumbering the dearly beloved local acts that keep us entertained week after week.

TJ's, Clarence Place, Newport and Gretsky's Bar, Cardiff International Ice Rink will be fed gigs by Bridgend-based promoter, Sickfuture, among others.

A string of quality, largely American punk and metal acts will grace the two venues in January.

* Clever and subtle hardcore band Stampin' Ground return to Wales for their first show since June, with support from Incoherence, Decimate and January Thirst, in Gretsky's Bar on Friday January 11. The gig is a one-off warm up to their sold-out show with AFI in London and the band will not be touring until its new album is out in May. Doors open 7.30pm, tickets are £3.

* The reggae and dixieland jazz influenced softcore punk rock band from Santa Barbara, California, AKA Mad Caddies, is back on Saturday January 26 for an evening at TJ's, following dates in Exeter and Bristol earlier in the month.

* Emo stars The Movie Life and Thursday call on TJ's as part of a nationwide tour, on Wednesday January 31. The Movie Life mix punk and pop and Emo - a relatively new form of punk based in mid-1980s Washington DC, which is distinguishable from the rest of 1970s-era punk by its lyrical content, which is invariably full of self-scrutiny, often complicated arpeggio-based guitars, and an enforced sense of emotion...Emo is short for emotion. Tickets are £6, doors open 9pm.

* Also coming are Icarus Line, Drowningman, Beatsteaks, Grade, Satanic Surfers and All Systems Go.

* Punks of an older generation make it to TJ's on Saturday January 20 in the form of 3 Men and Black which features members of the Jam, The Stranglers, Stiff Little Fingers, Buzzcocks and The Selecter. Tickets are £10 from Rockaway Records, Newport Indoor Market. Doors open 9pm.

Meanwhile, to the West, South Wales' big hopes for 2002, Lostprophets, pictured, kick start the year with two warm up dates to their appearance on the NME New Brats tour on which they support the flavour of the moment, Andrew WK.

* Lostprophets headline the Patti Pavilion, Swansea on Wednesday January 23 and the Coal Exchange on Thursday January 24. Doors open to both gigs at 8pm, close around 11pm.

The Barfly, Cardiff, opened this year and was hailed as the saving venue for South Wales' pop fans, eager for the national bands who might otherwise fail to reach Wales. A host of bands has called on the basement venue (Alabama 3 opened the joint in true sleazy style), but most might have played Clwb Ifor Bach or TJ's anyway, had it not been for the new venue. The most notable performances came from bands from Alan McGee's flagging label, Poptones, such as the Cosmic Rough Riders.

Howerver, next month the Barfly is already fully booked, getting back to its live music seven nights a week policy...

* After the Welsh Music Awards, comes the Writs, Wales answer to the Brits...The Music Awards gave Talkshow the accolade Best Unsigned Band, but to avoid making the same mistake, the Writs host The Writs Unsigned Showcase in The Barfly on Monday and Tuesday January 7 and 8. The line-ups for both dates have yet to be announced.