PREVIEWS

Image: Casual Threats by Austin Tweddle

MUSIC

CASUAL THREATS RELEASE NEW SINGLE, DLR

Words: Jason Jones

Seven years is a long time to keep a secret, especially when that secret is as downright bloody electrifying as Casual Threats’ new single DLR.

The Newcastle post-punks are back with their first release since 2018, but by no means is this some kind of half-baked homunculus of lockdown tedium – a four-chord banana bread loaf, if you will. No, despite wrestling with themes of boredom and isolation – voguish inklings, granted – DLR has in fact been a glinting spear in the trio’s arsenal since their very first set-list way back in 2014.

Finally committed to tape, the track is one of four new releases headed our way this year, and it’s a fraught, writhing, stabbing blast of freneticism; like fighting a rooster in a phone box.

As always, part of Casual Threats’ endearing charm is their knack for penning canny hooks that boast immediacy without straying towards triteness, and DLR is no exception, careering along on the back of a snarling earworm that chomps and stomps as it goes. With post-punk blooming into something of Indian summer right now, the Geordie three-piece are re-entering the fray of a decidedly sardine-like scene. Keep up this pace, however, and they’ll absolutely thrive.

Casual Threats release DLR on 2nd April www.soundcloud.com/casualthreatsband

COMEDY

JULIAN LEE RELEASES BOOK, JOKEBOX

Words: Caitlin Disken

Newcastle-based comic Julian Lee has been joking around for as long as he can remember. But, following his debut gig in the ‘90s, Lee swapped the stage for an unconventional career path: working as everything from a data analyst to club promoter. Returning to the creative industry as a performance poet, Lee soon swapped the rhymes for gags, and now, after a 20-year break, is making waves on the stand-up comedy scene.

The master of puns and one-liners, Lee has built up his reputation over the years: in 2017 and 2018 he was runner-up in Leicester Comedy Festival’s UK Pun Championships, and has featured on BBC Newcastle’s Jesting About. In 2018 Lee took his first show, Jokebox, to Edinburgh Festival, and now he has written a joke book of the same name: Jokebox will be released – rather aptly – on 1st April. We all need cheering up this year, and Lee’s puns are guaranteed to brighten anyone’s day.

Casual Threats by Austin TweddleIf you can’t wait that long, Lee has spent lockdown filming weekly joke videos on his YouTube channel – they’re definitely worth checking out to keep you entertained during lockdown! Julian Lee releases Jokebox on 1st April www.julianleecomedy.com

MUSIC

LADIES OF MIDNIGHT BLUE LIVESTREAM @ NEWCASTLE UNIVERSITY ONLINE

Words: Maria Winter

The incredibly talented Afro-Latin percussion and brass duo Ladies of Midnight Blue are set to perform an online concert via Newcastle University’s YouTube channel. On Thursday 29th April the University’s LIVE Concerts at Home will continue their lunchtime programme, and this show featuring Hannabiell Sanders and Yilis del Carmen Suriel’s upbeat fusion will be a certain highlight.

Ladies of Midnight Blue have performed all over the world, organised the acclaimed Harambee Pasadia Festival, and led countless music workshops specifically focused on raising awareness of issues around inequality. Their sound encompasses a heavy exploration of percussion, and Hannabiell and Yilis’ demonstration of incredible musical skill and energy through their performances contributes to a unique experience for audiences. The music embodies profound creativity, whilst incorporating relevant themes of activism through discussions during the performance, highlighting their varied experiences as artists. If you already have an interest in the elaborate and intricate style of Afro-Latin music, or simply want to discover something new, this concert will definitely be worth the watch.

Ladies of Midnight Blue perform via Newcastle University’s YouTube channel on Thursday 29th April at 1.15pm www.youtube.com/musicnewcastleuniversity

Ladies of Midnight Blue by Amelia Read

ART & LIT

THE TUNNEL GALLERY VIRTUAL LAUNCH

Words: Nicola Owen

The latest in a series of The Tunnel Gallery artist commissions, responding to the hidden heritage stories of Middlesbrough’s Heritage Action Zone, will be launched via a new virtual gallery on Saturday 10th April. Work by five locally inspired creatives, including Connor Clements, Annie O’Donnell, Dan Cochran (North East Statues), Sara Cooper and WAX Collective will be available to view online at your leisure.

The virtual exhibition will be launched with an opening artist talk and Q&A with Connor Clements, who is a Teesside-based multi-disciplinary artist, curator and architectural graduate of Northumbria University. He uses his skills in 3D modelling and rendering, video production, web design, CAD drawing and scenography design to create online spaces for arts organisations through his organisation Dovetail Joints.

Two other commissions will be unveiled during the gallery launch. Billingham-based artist Annie O’Donnell has been inspired by the key stones which once adorned the much-loved Royal Exchange to create a series of large scale colourful abstract collages. Researcher Dan Cochran – who runs North East Statues, which seeks to uncover sculpture, history and community in the Tees Valley – has unearthed stories about pieces of public art in Middlesbrough including The Bottle of Notes and The Scales of Justice, which he shares through archival material, photographs and people’s personal memories.

The Tunnel Gallery virtual launch takes place on Saturday 10th April from 1pm. www.facebook.com/thetunnelgallery

MUSIC

NEW BEGINNINGS @ SAGE GATESHEAD

Words: Claire Dupree

The North East’s venerated concert hall Sage Gateshead will welcome audiences back – albeit virtually – this month, with their New Beginnings season of performances which will be livestreamed from the venue.

The season’s title is particularly fitting for the incoming principal conductor of Royal Northern Sinfonia, Dinis Sousa, a fantastically talented young Portuguese conductor who has several accolades under his belt. On Friday 16th April he’ll join Dame Sarah Connelly and the RNS to perform Berlioz’s intoxicating exploration of love, Les Nuits d’été, Haydn’s Le Matin and Lili Boulanger’s D'un matin de printemps. RNS return on Friday 30th April with an uplifting programme entitled Spring Is Sprung, featuring work by Vaughan Williams, Delius, Thea Musgrave and Schumann.

For contemporary music lovers, North East’s thrilling folk ‘n’ rollers Holy Moly & The Crackers will perform their first livestreamed show on Friday 23rd April, where they’ll demonstrate their singular brand of foot-stomping rock, Balkan folk, alt. indie and soul sound. The Newcastle-based band have honed their live show to a fine point by touring the length and breadth of Europe; no doubt they’ll be chuffed to be returning to the live stage, so audiences will be in for a real treat.

More performances are due to be announced over the coming weeks. www.sagegateshead.com

The Things That Wait, image by Luke Waddington

STAGE

BALLETLORENT ONLINE FILM SCREENINGS

Words: Maria Winter

Multi award-winning dance theatre company balletLORENT have created a digital artistic programme of both short and feature-length films, to provide dance-hungry viewers with access to their highly acclaimed work during lockdown, as well as dancers a much-needed income source.

As a way of continuing the North East dance company’s creative output, Liv Lorent turned to film; devising multiple short and feature films to be recorded and shared. The Carol Ann Duffy penned family dance theatre production The Lost Happy Endings (filmed at Newcastle’s Theatre Royal in October 2020) was selected to be streamed on the arts streaming platform, Marquee TV, while an original adaptation of the beloved Grimm Brothers tale of Rumpelstiltskin (filmed at Northern Stage in 2017) was also shown on Sky Arts this Christmas.

In addition, a selection of short films – the self-filmed lullaby, featuring improvised solos revolving around dancers’ interpretation of a music box; The Things That Wait, filmed in the Swedish Gardens at Saltwell Park; The Current, in which dancers physicalise tension and despair and the primal and powerful ANIMALIA, a solo film created with dancer Natalie Trewinnard who was 34 weeks pregnant at the time of filming – were all filmed between August 2020 and March 2021.

The films are available to watch via the company’s YouTube and Vimeo channels, as well as via Marquee TV. Visit their website for more information. www.balletlorent.com

FILM

DANCE CITY FILM FESTIVAL

Words: Claire Dupree

Contemporary dance fans are in for a treat this month, as Newcastle’s Dance City welcomes a weekend of short dance films, in partnership with Durham’s TIN Arts.

Taking place from Friday 23rd-Sunday 25th April, screening on Friday and Saturday evening from 7pm and on Sunday afternoon from 3pm, the 90-minute programme of shorts will each end with a live Q&A with filmmakers and dancers, who will talk about their work and give an insight into their practice.

The programme is vibrant and eclectic, spanning themes which will resonate with many. Julie Cleves and Robbie Synge’s Forest Floor was shot in Abernethy Forest in the Cairngorms and considers physical access challenges in rural locations; filmmaker Simon Carlgreen, choreographer Peter Svenzon (Art of Spectra) and Stockholm Academy of Dramatic Arts collaborate on their work, Adjacent Movement; Aakash Odedra Company’s Samsara draws upon the diverse disciplines of ballet, contemporary dance, Chinese folk dance and classical Indian dance form kathak; made in the empty galleries of the Tate Britain, Corali Dance Company’s Dancing To Art sees four dancers create individual responses to art works within the gallery; and in what’s certain to be a fascinating piece, Seeta Patel’s A Very bR*T*SH Museum uses movement, projections and animations to challenge institutions like the British Museum in their role in looted history, exploring complex questions about colonialism and imperialism.

Dance City Film Festival takes place online from Friday 23rd-Sunday 25th April www.dancecity.co.uk

Image by Art of Spektra

ART & LIT

WORKING CLASS CREATIVES DATABASE: THIS IS NOT A SHOW @ PBVARTS

Words: Nicola Owen

Pineapple Black’s virtual gallery, PBVArts, hosts the work of the Working Class Creatives Database this month, taking the form of a network of rooms allowing the viewer to explore painting, photography, 3D design and sculpture, amongst other disciplines.

As of 2020, only 16% of the workforce in creative industries identify as being from working class backgrounds. WCCD and Pineapple Black have created a partnership platform in order to elevate those who would otherwise remain unnoticed.

There seems to be more scrutiny across the arts these days regarding meaningful career opportunities for people from lower socio-economic backgrounds. Working class stories are prized yet it is relatively hard to find them produced without a middle class filter of approval. Then there’s the soap opera hypocrisy, stories and characters rooted firmly in working class situations and issues, often dismissed by intellectual types as low brow fodder which appeals to the masses. Working class artists see schemes which enthusiastically seek to recruit participants from their background, but where is the long-term career support? Does interest in the artist evaporate once the box has been ticked?

This first collective exposition from WCCD will seek to unite artists and present a statement of intent, offering a broader narrative of working class experience in the arts.

Working Class Creatives Database: This Is Not A Show is at PBVArts’ virtual gallery from Friday 9th April until Friday 14th May www.pineappleblack.co.uk

MUSIC

THE SAMPHIRES @ THE GLOBE ONLINE

Words: Paul Broadhead

Mark your calendar because Newcastle’s alternative rockers The Samphires will be taking to The Globe’s online stage on Saturday 17th April for what is sure to be an exhilarating live show. It’s sadly come a little too soon for us all to be allowed safely in a room together, but you can be front and centre in your own living room as the show is being streamed live.

Rosa Thomas, Elise Shields and Gemma Watson’s first release, Papercuts, was well and truly immersed in that Pixies and Nirvana early 90’s sound, but new single Coppers showcases a band unafraid to experiment with more indie vibes and country sounds, with some gorgeous harmonies and enchanting lyrics like: “if hours feel like coppers weighing down jacket pockets / can we spare the change to breathe?”

With material touching on universal themes of insecurity and fear, the young band have refused to let issues like global pandemics, national lockdowns and University study stand in their way and their future is looking bright. “And while we’re on the subject, things just can’t stay the same,” sings Rosa.

The Samphires play a livestreamed show from The Globe, Newcastle on Saturday 17th April www.theglobenewcastle.bar www.thesamphires.bandcamp.com

MUSIC

ECOTA RELEASES DEBUT EP, WHAT WE GONNA DO?

Words: Ali Welford

If the past 12 months have taught us anything, it’s that there’s no explicitly ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ approach to handling the drudgery of lockdown. If you’d prefer to pass time vegging out on the sofa as opposed to penning your own literary masterpiece…that’s fine! Even so, it’s difficult not to admire – and indeed envy – the route traced by young songwriter Ecota. Born in Lithuania and now based in Newcastle, Valerija Michailova has used those nondescript evenings shut away in her bedroom to foster a burgeoning creative spark; a process culminating almost exactly a year later with the release of her debut EP, What We Gonna Do?

While Ecota was established with no pre-conceived sound or direction, the four-track release – due on Friday 16th April – displays a surprising sense of focus, pitching its tent in the lo-fi indie/dream-pop realm occupied by the likes of Real Estate and Youth Lagoon. From the hazy chimes of the opening title track to the amped-up shoegazing of closer Forget You – via tales of longing and struggles to move on from past relationships – What We Gonna Do? is ripe with the tumult and growing pains of youth, striking potent chords whilst simultaneously offering rich scope from which to advance.

A bright launchpad that’s as encouraging as it is enterprising.

Ecota releases What We Gonna Do? on 16th April www.soundcloud.com/ecota

Ecota

MUSIC

PETE BEAT RELEASES NEW ALBUM, BEFORE THE WAR

Words: Maria Winter

Newcastle singer-songwriter and producer Pete Beat is set to release his highly anticipated new album, Before The War this month. Pete has over 25 years of musical experience, and recent success with the album’s title track has garnered him support on BBC 6Music and BBC Introducing.

Before The War bears all the hallmarks of superb songwriting; shifting effortlessly from witty lyrics to heart-warming imagery, the album successfully captures the musical variety of Pete as a songwriter. The chilled-out vibe created through electronic inflections provides an easy listening experience and Pete’s constant blending of genres means his style doesn’t fit into a singular category.

The album spans elements of folk, jazz, pop and electronica, with an extensive range of influences – from Bowie to Daft Punk, Prodigy to the Beatles – befitting the eclectic concoction of sounds. Pete’s unique vocal style shines through, his storytelling is relatable and engaging. Pete says: “Aiming for a specific genre just doesn’t appeal to me. I’ll always go for what interests me at the time.”

Pete Beat releases Before The War on 16th April www.petebeat.net

Pete Beat by Jay Dawson

MUSIC

YES PLANT RELEASE NEW ALBUM, RE- IMAGINED

Words: Laura Doyle

Music can mean so many things to so many people – but no-one relates to music in quite the same way as Sunderland experimental project Yes Plant.

Across the myriad of Yes Plant releases, music has been a medium of fun, exploration and primarily a storytelling device. Those stories might be as innocuous as telling someone to shut up, or even a little smidge of the autobiographical, but the vast majority are slightly unsettling narratives exploring anything from childhood abandonment to murder.

With various restrictions scattered across 2020, new material got clogged in the pipeline. Instead, the follow up from 2019’s Getting Away With It and 2020’s Coming Back To It, is Yes Plant’s latest journey: Re-Imagined. As the title would suggest, this album is more of a retrospective across their dizzying career. Here, we revisit the tale of one man’s unfortunate circumstance following the light murder of his beloved, and his new life on the run. Re-imagined is this story in its most complete form: this experimental electro pop perfectly encapsulated the unnerving descent of a fugitive.

Needing to be heard to be believed, Yes Plant creates a deliberate haphazard sound of voice samples and synthetic beats that’d be impossible to replicate.

Yes Plant release Re-Imagined on 23rd April www.yesplant.bandcamp.com

MUSIC

CHLORINE RELEASES NEW ALBUM, BE SOMEBODY ELSE, IT’S FINE

Words: Maria Winter

North East sound experimenter Chlorine releases his sixth and latest album entitled Be Somebody Else, It’s Fine. Chlorine, aka Sunderland musician Graeme Hopper, is in a reflective mood on this 24-minute long piece, created during the Summer of 2020 and profoundly influenced by personal observations and reflection.

According to Hopper, the title is a play on how he tried to make sense of such a surprising, restrictive year, where he would often remark comically to himself, ‘Be somebody else, it’s fine dude’. With the music reflecting a culmination of layers and sounds, we hear the transient mix of emotions embedded in the overall result.

Despite being such a lengthy track, the piece manages to avoid being unwieldy, maintaining the listener’s attention through its experimental nature and embarking on unexpected journeys encompassing field recordings, rhythmic drum and bass and curious sounds, resulting in a body of work which takes extraordinary twists and turns.

Hopper eloquently describes the release as: “24 minutes of layers, improv, sound collages, programmed beats, free drumming, lo-fi noise, tape loops, dub bass, location recs, spoken wordz, scuzz, gumph, goof, melancholy and more.”

Chlorine releases Be Somebody Else, It’s Fine on 30th April via Chocolate Monk Records www.chlorinerecordings.bandcamp.com

COMEDY

COMEDIAN VS COMEDIAN BATTLE RAP @ FELT NOWT ONLINE

Words: Nicola Owen

North East comedians go mic to mic in a clash of rhyming skills and overinflated egos on Saturday 10th April. You can bear witness to the semantic swaggering with the showdowns being livestreamed to your gaff for a very reasonable five pounds.

The main draw features Britain’s Got Talent winner Lost Voice Guy measuring up against Lee Kyle. Contender Kyle comments, “Taking on Lost Voice Guy will be interesting as he’s a great comic and although he can’t talk I know he won’t hold back!” Simon Donald will face Seymour Mace in another tasty match; the two have met in the past with Mace yet to triumph against his three-time conqueror Donald. Can he turn the tables on his nemesis this time around?

Other supporting clashes include Matt Reed vs Catherine Young and Hal Branson vs Neil Harris. The show will be hosted by comedian and rapper Jack Fox.

Battle Rap has been going mainstream in the UK over the last few years. Wittily insulting the opponent and grandstanding feature prominently, as well as a barrage of jokes and improvised madness, so this should end up being a fun evening with a new champion being crowned by the end.

Comedian vs Comedian battle rap takes place via Felt Nowt Online on Saturday 10th April at 10pm www.feltnowt.co.uk

Benjamin Fitzgerald

MUSIC

GOSFORTH CIVIC THEATRE LIVESTREAMS

Words: Claire Dupree

Gosforth Civic Theatre have provided music-hungry audiences with some tasty livestreamed sets over the past few months, and April sees a pair of shows which will have diverse appeal.

The charity-run theatre and music venue welcomes multi-instrumentalist Benjamin Fitzgerald on Friday 9th April, for a free-to-view solo set which will see the neo-classical composer perform a selection of his own songs and some which have inspired his work. Fitzgerald’s music spans a variety of genres, and his unique contemporary sound explores varied themes from mental health issues to grief and loss. A mesmerising performer, his set is sure to be a memorable one.

Also performing from the venue will be vocalist and songwriter Zoe Gilby, who is joined by jazz trumpet player Noel Dennis on Friday 16th April as part of the launch of their new project Aurora (which also features bassist Andy Champion, guitarist Mark Williams and drummer Russ Morgan). Aurora has been inspired by the compositions of trumpet and flugelhorn hero Tom Harrell, which Gilby has written her own lyrics to, serving to demonstrate both musicians’ dynamic style. Tickets cost £7.50, with only one needed per household.

Benjamin Fitzgerald performs on Friday 9th and Zoe Gilby and Noel Dennis perform on Friday 16th April via Gosforth Civic Theatre’s YouTube channel www.gosforthcivictheatre.co.uk

COMEDY

LAURA LEXX @ THE STAND ONLINE

Words: Nicola Owen

Somerset-born Laura Lexx brings her show, Knee Jerk, to online audiences via The Stand, Newcastle on Tuesday 27th April. She has already cracked Edinburgh with two sell out shows in two years and appeared on the small screen as part of Live At The Apollo. She’s twice won the Comedian’s Choice Best Performer Award and has an impressive roster of writing and performing credits to her name.

Sporting a stand-up persona reminiscent of a young, swearier version of Victoria Wood, the show will shine a hilarious light on how hard it is to be a good person these days. In Knee Jerk, Laura uses the tricks she learned to cope with her eco-anxiety to try and soothe the world’s temper and calm our phobias.

Laura takes on social media, mental health, climate change and conceiving – asking questions such as can you change the world without offending anyone? Can we stop being terrified and start being nicer to each other? Can you use netball to solve the gender pay gap? Spoiler alert: come for jokes, not for answers!

Laura Lexx’s livestream takes place via The Stand, Newcastle’s website on Tuesday 27th April, and will be available to buy as a stream on demand until 10pm the following day. www.lauralexx.co.uk

Laura Lexx by Karla Gowlett

STAGE

ELLEN HATHAWAY DANCE RELEASE MOST FREE DOCUMENTARY

Words: Charlie Mansergh

COVID-19 has been monumentally hard-hitting to so many communities all over the world as isolation has taken its toll. It can only be imagined how displaced communities have managed at such a time, and it’s a subject close to Ellen Hathaway Dance Company’s heart. The emerging dance company seek to integrate communities through dance, with much of their work taking place alongside refugees and asylum seekers.

While lockdowns and restrictions have affected EHDC as much as anyone, the company have still managed to create opportunities and ways in which people can connect and tell their stories, resulting in their feature length documentary Most Free.

The documentary follows Ellen Hathaway on her investigation into dance and community. Ellen has experienced first-hand the lasting effects of conflict in communities and was made particularly aware of the global crisis of forced displacement when working in Israel and Lebanon. The documentary itself features interviews with a resettled Syrian family living in Blackpool, local and international dance artists and members of the public, resulting in a piece of work which studies how integration and connectivity is more important than ever.

Ellen Hathaway Dance Company’s documentary, Most Free, will premiere on 2nd April. Tickets for the premiere are available from www. mostfreepremiere2021.eventbrite.co.uk www.ellenhathawaydancecompany.co.uk

MUSIC

AMPLIFIED MAN RELEASES NEW EP, SPARKLE

Words: Maria Winter

Amplified Man is the new solo project from Emergency Librarian guitarist, Pete Kidd. This month sees the release of a compelling new EP entitled Sparkle, which represents a culmination of ambient soundscapes.

Based in the North East, Pete has been performing music around the UK since the early 90s and is one of the founding members of Whitley Bay’s Emergency Librarian. This four-track EP is a cross-genre blend of electronic music and ethereal rock ‘n’ roll.

Amplified Man has provided a new creative outlet for Pete during lockdown, to counter the lack of live music and opportunities for performance. With countless sources of inspiration for this EP, the most intriguing has to be the assortment of ambient nature sounds taken from multiple field recordings. By incorporating these into his tracks, Pete’s music is elevated to unique sonic realms of musical innovation.

When not engaged in creating his own work, Pete has also found time to collaborate with Mick Harrison from 90s indie punks Prolapse on his latest National Screen Service album, which will be released soon.

Amplified Man releases Sparkle EP on 12th April www.amplifiedman.bandcamp.com

MUSIC

HARK! PRESENT JOSEPHINE FOSTER & POLLY PAULUSMA @ TRACKS ONLINE

Words: Charlie Mansergh

Darlington collective Tracks return with another HARK! The Sound of Stories event, which will present an online evening of music and poetry celebrating the works of Emily Dickinson, Angela Carter and a host of other women writers through the power of music.

The HARK! events shine a light on literary heroes, often revealing stories of inspiration from modern songwriters. Their latest instalment takes place on Friday 23rd April, when readings and performances will bring Emily Dickinson’s poetry to life, and uncover the inspiration behind Angela Carter’s incredible legacy of work through original music and performances from international awardwinning musicians.

Artists performing include Colorado musician and artist Josephine Foster, who will be lending her enigmatic voice and interpretive wit, and will revisit songs from her Emily Dickinson-inspired album Graphic As A Star; Polly Paulusma, who will be singing songs from her new album Invisible Music: Folk Songs That Influenced Angela Carter; multi-instrumentalists from Leeds, SCHWA will be playing music inspired by the writings of Kathleen Jamie, Christina Rosetti and Edna St Vincent Millay, via their incredible feature-length performance pieces. In addition, audiences will hear from Dianne Casey of Tees Women Poets.

After the performance, a free online writing workshop will take place on Sunday 25th April, run by Dianne and Sarah Crutwell who will be using music to prompt writing.

HARK! The Sound of Stories featuring Josephine Foster, Polly Paulusma, SCHWA and Dianne Casey takes place via Tracks’ Facebook and YouTube pages on Friday 23rd April www.facebook.com/tracksdarlington

Josephine Foster