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PIT PONY CURIOUS FESTIVAL MAKE HOPE POSSIBLE MATTHEW JAMESON SUMMER STREETS
RELIABLYINFORMED
Season Stand Outs
May – Dec 2022
Thu 29 Sep – Sat 22 Oct A brand-new musical odyssey through that very deepest of human feelings
Fri 1 - Sun 3 Jul A little weekend for big ideas to make the world better, brighter and kinder
Thu 10 – Sat 26 Nov Thu 27 – Sun 30 Oct A live reading of David Almond’s spine-chilling and deeply personal tale for Halloween
Sun 4 – Fri 23 Dec A dazzling and delightful new show for kids combining the words of a playwright with the wild minds of children
www.live.org.uk (0191) 232 1232
Live Theatre, Broad Chare, Quayside, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 3DQ
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Rich with emotion but sizzling with high energy and black humour, Ric Renton’s true story of time in HMP Durham and finding an unexpected way through the darkness
Thu 8 – Sun 18 Dec A new play celebrating Northumbrian identity, folk music and family tradition
Supported by:
PREVIEWS 4 HIGHLIGHTS Our pick of some of the best events in July
6 JULY PREVIEWS ISSUE185
JULY22
FREE
RELIABLYINFORMED
32 PIT PONY Luke Waller finds out what makes North East ferocious fuzz rock five-piece tick as they prepare to release their debut album Well hello there! Aren’t you looking good in the sunshine/rain* (delete as appropriate). I’m writing this on a day of clear blue skies and glorious sunshine, which is doing wonders for my mood given that I’m sat in a chilly dark room writing to you, but I know you appreciate it really. If this month’s issue is anything to go by, summer festival season has well and truly kicked off – we’ve got articles about no less than 13 festivals in this issue! I hope you manage to make it to some of them. If it’s fun diversions for the month that you’re after, I can also entice you with some new online content on our YouTube channel – yes, NARC. TV is back! Series four kicks off on 7th July and will feature some mint performances and chat from a superb range of local artists including James Leonard Hewitson, Abi Nyxx, Nel Unlit, Kate Bond, Motherland, Lottie Willis, Sarah Johnsone and SQUARMS, filmed at lovely venues The Green Room in Stockton, North Shields’ Engine Room, The Cumberland Arms in Newcastle and Sticky’s Stockton. Keep tuned to our YouTube, Facebook and Instagram channels every two weeks for new episodes! For those interested in the state of my brain since last month’s missive (TL;DR too much work, no time off, unhappy Claire), you’ll be pleased to know that by the end of June I’d have come out the other side of a crazy workload and will be imminently planning a camping trip! Editor Claire Dupree info@narcmedia.com Website David Saunders narcmagazineonline@gmail.com Creative El Roboto Advertising Claire Dupree info@narcmedia.com Stay social, connect with us NARC.magazine @narc_magazine @narcmagazine NARCmagazineTV
Cover Image Amelia Read Live Photography Iam Burn / Tracy Hyman / Callum Robinson / David Wala Contributors Liv Aldridge / Jake Anderson / Tom Astley / Mark Corcoran-Lettice / Laura Doyle / Lee Fisher / Trev Gibb / Françoise Harvey / Jason Jones / Adam Kennedy / Evie Lake / Lizzie Lovejoy / Ben Lowes-Smith / Hope Lynes / Jay Moussa-Mann / Robert Nichols / Evie Nicholson / Michael O’Neill / Ikenna Offor / Helen Redfern / Steve Spithray / Dawn Storey / Leigh Venus / Luke Waller / Robin Webb / Ali Welford / Maria Winter / Cameron Wright
VISIT US ONLINE WWW.NARCMAGAZINE.COM NARC. Magazine, Tel: 07748 907 914 Email: info@narcmedia.com Web: www.narcmagazine.com Published monthly by NARC. Media. Printed by Reach Printing Services, Middlesbrough. Distributed by CSGN All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or part without permission from the publishers. The opinions expressed in NARC. belong to the individual writers and do not necessarily reflect the views of NARC. or its staff. NARC. welcomes ideas and contributions but can assume no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts, photographs or illustrations
Festivals galore including The Globe Newcastle’s Summer Festival, Jumpin’ Hot Club Country Cantina, Dominion Metal Festival, Durham Fringe Festival and more. Plus live shows from The Bobby Lees, Dude Trips, Make A Scene, The Chapin Sisters, Farida Amadou, Richard Dawson & Circle and Komparrison among others. There’s also tonnes of Edinburgh Fringe preview shows at Live Theatre, Forum Music Centre, The Witham, The Stand and The Georgian Theatre; new exhibitions at NewBridge Project, Gallagher & Turner, Eston Arts Centre, NGCA and BALTIC turns 20, whoop!
INTERVIEWS 34 CURIOUS FESTIVAL 36 SURFACE AREA DANCE THEATRE 37 MASALA FESTIVAL 38 THE DELINES 40 BRASS FESTIVAL 41 LYR 43 MAKE HOPE POSSIBLE 44 DOCKSUNS 45 SUMMER STREETS 46 MATTHEW JAMESON 47 FAT CHANCE 48 HARTLEPOOL WATERFRONT FESTIVAL 49 RULED BY RAPTORS LISTINGS 50 LISTINGS The best of the rest...
REVIEWS 52 LIVE REVIEWS Reports from the front row of Mary Lattimore, Rubber Oh, Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, Bo Ningen, Beccy Owen, Yama Warashi, Hannabiell Sanders, Dalek, All White Everything But Me, Soft Riot and more
56 TRACKS Reviews of local releases including Cortney Dixon, Tales, Baltic, Craig Clark, Alexander Proudlock, Too Common, The Last of the Fallen Angels, Avarice, Nick Gladdish and more
58 DEMOS Featuring Reece Hanrahan, Joe Holtaway, Michael Patterson, Ugly Fly Guys and Chris Mardula
59 ALBUMS New releases from Superorganism, Gwenno, Sick Joy, Viagra Boys, MARQ Electronica, Beabadoobee, Nina Nastasia, Spacemoth, Mabel, The Faim, Dawes, Laura Veirs and more
62 MIXTAPE Comedian and promoter John Smith brings Grinning Idiot Comedy Club back for one last hurrah, he tells us about some of his favourite songs
Next Issue Out 27th July
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PREVIEWS JULY’S DIVERSIONS INCLUDE INTRIGUING ART EXHIBITIONS, DIY COMEDY AND PERFORMANCE, EXPERIMENTAL LIVE MUSIC AND FAMILY-FRIENDLY FESTIVALS!
MUSIC
THURSDAY 7 LARA JONES/ECHO JULIET Award-winning saxophonist, improviser,
producer and collaborator Lara Jones is a member of avant-garde jazz trio J Frisco, and her dream-like solo work is an ambient joy. DJ and percussionist Emily Jones, aka Echo Juliet, takes the listener on a journey through jazz, broken beat and leftfield house by blending percussive loops and organic sounds. Cobalt Studios, Newcastle www.larajonesmusic.com www.facebook.com/echojulietdj
EVENTS
ART & LIT
MUSIC
Artwork by Jo Stanness
UNTIL FRIDAY 29 FROM SOUTH BANK TO SOUTHBANK This exhibition from artist and
illustrator Jo Stanness pits the aesthetics of post-war architecture of London’s Southbank with Middlesbrough’s own South Bank area, exploring the geometry and design of brutalist and modernist structures, producing work in both 2D and 3D using paper, coloured gels and light. Platform A Gallery, Middlesbrough www.platformagallery.net
MUSIC
FRIDAY 1 FRIDAY NIGHTMARES Teesside’s garage rock ‘n’ rollers The Shakin’ Nightmares present another dose of outsider sounds at their regular monthly event. This edition features live sets from psych garage punks Skinny Milk, surfy noir party band The Sinictones, and bass ‘n’ drum outsider grooves from Werms alongside a set from the hosts themselves. Base Camp, Middlesbrough www.basecampboro.co.uk
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FRIDAY 1 YOUTH KILLED IT Experts at spotting the best new thing on the indie circuit, the good folk of Stockton’s KU Bar have landed another coup this month, as they welcome Norwich’s indie punks Youth Killed It. Expect razor sharp riffs, biting social commentary and a dynamic live performance, for which they’ve become highly revered. KU Bar, Stockton www.youthkilledit.com
COMEDY
SUNDAY 3 A COMEDY NIGHT THAT PASSES THE BECHDEL TEST The return of Liberty Hodes and Lauren Stone’s DIY performance night is a welcome one indeed. Described as “daft, user-friendly comedy/cabaret centring around people of marginalised genders”, the duo’s humour is often joyful, occasionally silly and always downright hilarious. We can’t wait to see what they’ve got up their sleeves for their return! The Lubber Fiend, Newcastle www.facebook.com/thelubberfiend
THURSDAY 7 NEWCASTLE LIBRARY WORKSHOPS Poet in the City present two days of free
workshops and discussions celebrating the power of women. Enjoy a manifesto writing workshop with Degna Stone; a film screening from What’s That Dance entitled Dare You: Question The Love Between Girls; and Hellcat Theatre share an immersive audio play about women executed as witches in 1650’s Newcastle. Also on Friday 8th. Newcastle City Library www.poetinthecity.co.uk
MUSIC
FRIDAY 8 J. ZUNZ One half of psych shoegaze band Lorelle Meets The Obsolete, vocalist and guitarist Lorena Quintanilla’s expansive musical vision fuses personal and political themes amid mellifluous repetition, cathartic buzzsaw moments and an emotionally complex concept. Support comes from Heat Death of the Sun’s experimental noise and found sound ambience. The Cumberland Arms, Newcastle www.jzunz.bandcamp.com
WHATS ON
JULY HIGHLIGHTS MUSIC
FRIDAY 8
COMEDY
MOUTH OF THE TYNE FESTIVAL Live music at Tynemouth Priory includes Keane and Eliza Shaddad (Friday 8th), Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Newton Faulkner, Faye Fantarrow and Tom Speight (Sunday 10th), plus there’s a jazz stage featuring Zoe Gilby Duo and Harmony Brass among others, street entertainment taking place throughout the weekend, loads of family friendly activities and a parade. Various venues in Tynemouth www.mouthofthetynefestival.com
MUSIC
Image by Mihaela Betlavich
THURSDAY 14 JAMIE MACDONALD
Having become the first blind comedian on a TV panel show, Scottish comedian and voice over artist Jamie MacDonald has become a regular on the BBC. His new show, Reasonably Adjusted, takes an interesting sideswipe at his blindness, following his journey from hating his eyes to reluctantly accepting them and finally loving them. The Stand, Newcastle www.jamiemacdonaldcomedian.com
SUNDAY 10 FORTITUDE VALLEY
Attempting to launch your band just as a worldwide pandemic hits is hardly ideal, so power pop band Fortitude Valley have barely had a chance to get momentum going. The songwriting project of Durham-based Brisbanite Laura Kovic features members from Martha, ONSIND and Tigercats, and this belated album launch celebrates their 2021 self-titled debut. Little Buildings, Newcastle www.fortitudevalley.co.uk
MUSIC
SATURDAY 16 PICASSO BABY Picasso Baby epitomises what a great event should be; surprising, often off-the-wall, with weird and wonderful diversions you weren’t quite expecting, and a healthy dose of music fused with art, performance and pretty much anything else you can think of. Returning for a one-off special, whatever they conjure up is guaranteed to be worth a look! Disgraceland, Middlesbrough www.facebook.com/disgrace.land.3
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TUESDAY 19
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FRIDAY 22 LITTLE LINDI FESTIVAL
From the good people who brought you Lindisfarne Festival, this family-friendly camping festival is all about the kids (with enough good music to please the adults!) There’s live performance, circus, DJ sets, dance takeovers, a silent disco, cinema tent, Felt Nowt comedy workshops, loads of fun outdoor activity and great food and drink options. Runs until Monday 25th. Lambton Estate, County Durham littlelindi.lindisfarnefestival.com
MUSIC
TUESDAY 26 LACH
Anti-folk mastermind and storyteller supremo, New York musician and writer Lach brings his Hope & Gleam summer tour to North Shields’ intimate Engine Room venue, promising a night of humour, poetry, storytelling, beat punk guitar and showing off his myriad talents via his repertoire of six albums. The Engine Room, North Shields www.facebook.com/lachworld
STAGE
CURIOUS ABOUT WUXIA?
This mini season of films celebrates Wuxia, a genre of Chinese fiction which focuses on the adventures of almost superhuman martial artists. Landmark flicks A Touch of Zen (screened on Tuesday 19th) and awardwinning film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (screened on Tuesday 26th) will provide a perfect introduction to this high energy and visually stunning genre. Forum Cinema, Hexham www.forumhexham.com
COMEDY
WEDNESDAY 20 A TASTE OF IMPROV
A taste of improv might be all you need to set yourself on the way to comedic superstardom. Base Camp’s series of free taster sessions are open to all, from total novices to established improvisers keen to brush up on their skills, an experienced coach will take you through your paces. Base Camp, Middlesbrough www.basecampboro.co.uk
SATURDAY 30 SATORI AND UNFOLDING
This major double bill from South Australian superstar choreographer Lewis Major delves into the poetic possibilities of the human form. Utilising 3D projection, Unfolding is a mesmeric work which shifts through fluidly changing atmosphere and stage architecture, while Satori is a hypnotic meditation using sound, light and movement. Dance City, Newcastle www.dancecity.co.uk
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PREVIEWS
Humbird by Dahli Durley
MUSIC
JUMPIN’ HOT CLUB COUNTRY CANTINA @ THE BARN EASINGTON
Words: Michael O’Neill The esteemed Jumpin’ Hot Club are descending on Easington’s The Barn for their annual Country Cantina, a celebration of roots-driven music that, over the weekend of Friday 22nd and Saturday 23rd July, will host a wealth of both local, and national acts,
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overseen by MC Steve Drayton. Headlining proceedings is the legendary Rob Heron & The Tea Pad Orchestra, who have steadily built a solid following with their Western swing, honky-tonk, rockabilly sound that has seen them become a regular festival fixture, both here and on the continent. The bill also includes revered singer-songwriter and superb storyteller Martin Stephenson; trio Cajun Aces, who specialise in the sounds of traditional South West Louisiana; roots rock veteran John Lewis; Minneapolis’s indie folk strummer Humbird; Wisconsin guitar-picking extraordinaire Luke Callen; Texas singersongwriter Noel McKay; pop folk noir courtesy of Mush Collective; the country folk duo The
Rye Sisters; young Americana outfit Matt Dunbar & The Autonomous Collective; leftfield alt. country songstress Elaine Palmer, and a solo turn from Big Red of local bluegrass legends The Grinners. With weekend tickets going for a mere £35, it’s an absolute steal for such a glorious eclectic line-up of pioneering and diverse artists. There’s also food by La Fiesta and a bar, so you can thoroughly get lost in a broad array of roots-based delight. Jumpin’ Hot Club Country Cantina takes place at The Barn in Easington, County Durham on Friday 22nd and Saturday 23rd July. www.jumpinhot.com
PREVIEWS
OCTOBER HIGHLIGHTS
FILM
BREATHE @ DARLINGTON HIPPODROME
Words: Lizzie Lovejoy What does it mean to be ‘together’? Breathe asks us to consider when we learned the word and how it applies to who we are and how we behave. This project has been the work of directors Mathew Beckett and Lee
O’Connell, who have collaborated with composer Daniel Kidane, Newcastle-based poet Roma Havers and music creator Ben Nobuto as well as a range of community groups. The outcome of which is a 50-minute long film and musical experience to be shared on screen. The film will be shown at Darlington Hippodrome on Wednesday 20th July, and has become a piece that has pushed Orchestras Live and Manchester Camerata to consider new ways of developing work and interacting with communities. Over the course of the pandemic, creative practices have had to evolve, and Breathe is a direct result of taking
July Highlights Thursday 7 July From The Glasshouse #6 featuring Dilettante, Badger & tlk Sage One | 8pm
Friday 8 July The Spooky Men’s Chorale Sage Two | 8pm
Wednesday 13 July Sage Gateshead is Curious
the time to listen to people and respond, and where digital communication has resulted in a digital outcome. This project considers the isolation we have all lived through in recent years, with some feeling the impact of it more than others. It reflects on what it is like to take in our surroundings, interact with the space around us and just Breathe once more while in each other’s company. Breathe is screened at Darlington Hippodrome on Wednesday 20th July. www.darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk
Royal Northern Sinfonia
Friday 15 July And In The End: With Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and The Bootleg Beatles Sage One | 7.30pm
Friday 22 July GemArts Masala Festival - Jasdeep Singh Degun: Anomaly Sage Two | 8pm
Folk Connections Spell Songs
Sage Two | 8pm
Head to sagegateshead.com/whatson for our full gig listings.
@Sage_Gateshead
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PREVIEWS
The Chapin Sisters
MUSIC
THE CHAPIN SISTERS @ BASE CAMP
Words: Maria Winter Masters of harmony and haunting folk melody, The Chapin Sisters play Base Camp in Middlesbrough on Wednesday 27th July. Originally from Brooklyn, New York, sisters Abigail and Lily Chapin hail from a profound musical heritage, including their legendary Grammy award winning uncle Harry and father Tom. Expect an evening of musical indulgence, as their unique sound blurs the lines between traditional Appalachian music, classic country rock and pop, creating an unparalleled hybridisation of sounds. With rich vocal harmonies and unforgettable folk-influenced melodies, The Chapin Sisters will draw from their original repertoire whilst featuring some familiar pop/folk classics, all given their unique spin. With unprecedented storytelling abilities, their lyrics will get you thinking, whilst maintaining elements of mystery and subtlety. Their sound is often rooted in dark lyrical content, although their innate musicality means their style is both addictive and sublime. Support comes from The Ocelots, made up of twins Ashley and Brandon Watson, whose raw and forceful acoustic folk comes replete with delicious harmonies and stunning storytelling. The Chapin Sisters and The Ocelots play Base Camp, Middlesbrough on Wednesday 27th July. www.thechapinsisters.com
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COMEDY
JOEL DOMMETT @ MIDDLESBROUGH TOWN HALL
Words: Dawn Storey With a line-up headed by TV’s Joel Dommett, Middlesbrough Town Hall is hosting a brand-new comedy evening on Sunday 24th July. The evening’s MC Matt Reed has been highly praised by BBC Newcastle who declared his skills “reason alone to attend a comedy night”. If that wasn’t enough, London-based Emmanuel Sonubi’s credentials include Live at the Apollo, Comedy Central Live and ITV2’s Stand Up Sketch Show and he already has a reputation as one of the most sought-after acts on the circuit today. Also joining the bill, Jen Brister is a regular performer on the UK and international circuits who has written and performed five solo shows and is currently supporting Frankie Boyle in London. The evening will be headlined by Joel Dommett, aka “that comedian guy with a beard from that thing you saw” – as he describes himself. A regular on TV shows including The Great British Bake Off: An Extra Slice, he’s most recently been seen on prime-time ITV hosting both the Masked Singer and the Masked Dancer. If those appearances are anything to go by, you can expect snazzy suits and terrible but hilarious puns. Joel Dommett, Jen Brister, Emmanuel Sonubi and Matt Reed perform at Middlesbrough Town Hall on Sunday 24th July. www.joeldommett.com
ART & LIT
WALL IN MOTION @ GREAT NORTH MUSEUM: HANCOCK
Words: Maria Winter Hadrian’s Wall 1900 Festival celebrating the 1900th anniversary of the World Heritage site, with a multitude of events taking place along its length throughout the year. From Friday 1st July Great North Museum: Hancock present Wall in Motion, a spectacular and immersive digital projection mapping experience on a monumental scale, delivering captivating media presentations responding to the cultural narratives resonating from the Roman collection in the museum. By exploring various themes celebrating the motion of people, objects and stories associated with this grand frontier, this project will tell intriguing stories through a truly spellbinding manner. Wall in Motion will feature the innovative work of NOVAK – a creative studio based in Newcastle whose work has been presented at some of the most highly regarded arts festivals such as the UK’s largest light festival, Lumiere and Brighton Festival. Commissioned by the likes of Google and MTV, NOVAK’s creations have featured alongside many notable musicians including Calvin Harris and Disclosure. It’s safe to say this unique experience is definitely not one to miss. Wall In Motion is at Great North Museum: Hancock from Friday 1st July. www.greatnorthmuseum.org.uk
PREVIEWS
L-R Cameron Sharp, Jessica Dawson, Caroline Liversidge, Hannah Walker, Craig Fairburn, Steven Blackshaw James Barton at Live Theatre © Mixtape, The Six Twenty
STAGE
MIXTAPE: SUMMER SIZZLERS @ LIVE THEATRE Words: Laura Doyle Quiz nights are great and it’s so fun to get together with a group of pals for some friendly competition, but they can sometimes get a little…dusty. Sitting around cramped tables with a carousel of drinks can lead to restless legs and fuzzy heads – and the thrill of chasing the win often ends with a disappointing below-podium position. But there are those who are trying to shake up the traditional quiz night structure, and The Six Twenty have
come up with an exciting twist on the familiar that is proving popular. Mixtape blends the best bits of a quiz (drinks, pals and head-scratching conundrums) with new elements to bring the laughs and entertainment. The quiz master is replaced by a comedy troupe performing sketches based on popular songs and it’s up to you to guess what they are. Their next outing is a Summer Sizzlers special at Live Theatre on Friday 15th and Saturday 16th July, where you’re invited to celebrate the warmer weather with summer jams and seasoned comedy that’ll prove for a much more energetic evening of quiz-based tomfoolery than what you’re used to. Dancing and sing-alongs are not only expected, they’re encouraged, as Mixtape’s creator and director
Melanie Rashbrooke explains: “Mixtape is a celebration of all our favourite things; music, pub quizzes, theatre and comedy sketches. It’s about bringing people together for a fun night out, which I think is something we could all really do with right now. You can come as a team, play in pairs or (if you’re feeling up for the challenge) battle it out solo to try and win the ultimate prize; The Golden Mixtape.” Mixtape: Summer Sizzlers takes place at Live Theatre, Newcastle on Friday 15th-Saturday 16th July, with further performances at Carnival House, Sunderland on Saturday 20th August and Alnwick Gardens on Thursday 1st-Friday 2nd September. www.thesixtwenty.com/mixtape
Twisterella.co.uk presents the...
Class of 2022 Zela • Jodie Nicholson Moon Wax • Twist Helix • Joe Ramsey Mt. Misery • Shakk • Jen Dixon SATURDAY 6TH AUGUST • 1:30PM • ALL AGES MIDDLESBROUGH TOWN HALL COURTYARD £5 + BF in advance from middlesbroughtownhall.co.uk The brightest & best emerging regional talent #UTB
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PREVIEWS
COMEDY
TEZ ILYAS @ THE STAND/ARC
Words: Hope Lynes Returning to Newcastle’s Stand on Saturday 9th and ARC Stockton on Thursday 14th July, Tez Ilyas brings a stand-up show full of the comedian’s cheeky wit. Tez Ilyas, star of Man
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Like Mobeen on BBC Three and Teztify on YouTube, is no stranger to acclaim across platforms, with his Channel 4 Comedy Blap Bounty being the most watched show from the strand’s history. Support comes from the talented Eshaan Akbar, who has appeared on Mock The Week and QI, and is the host of the But… Where Are You Really From? podcast on BBC Sounds. Providing an intimate opportunity to get up close and personal with the engaging comedian, this performance centres around
the audience, as guests will be invited to a Q&A with Tez after the comedy show and the opportunity to meet and greet the star, with a free copy of Tez’s book, The Secret Diary of a Muslim Aged 13 ¾, which offers an insight into growing up in Blackburn as a British Muslim, thrown in for good measure. Tez Ilyas is at The Stand, Newcastle on Saturday 9th ARC, Stockton on Thursday 14th July. www.tezilyas.com
PREVIEWS
SQUARMS by Benjamin Scott
MUSIC
TUSK X YEAH YOU @ LIVE THEATRE
Words: Michael O’Neill Two of the most pioneering forces in Newcastle’s illustrious and diverse experimental music community, promoters TUSK Music and avant-garde duo Yeah You, are joining forces for a day-long festival of boundary-pushing and brain-melting splendour at Live Theatre on Sunday 10th July. Comprised of Gustav Thomas and Elvin Brandhi (Will and Freya Edmondes, father and daughter and both incredibly prolific and pioneering artists in their own right) have steadfast earned the title of the “Frank and Nancy of freeform electrosplurge” with their visceral and oft-improvised compositions completely dispensing with any semblance of convention in favour of hyper-kinetic, visceral barrages of samples, beats, noise and free-form vocals. It’s a collaboration that has seen them perform the world over, with a recent appearance at the iconic French festival Sonic Protest. Joining the duo is free-improv stalwart Pat Thomas, Lebanese electronica producer Liliane Chlela, voice artist and cellist Audrey Chen, the legendary London-hailing Bohman Brothers, multi-instrumentalist Lukas Koenig, and the multinational trio Mopcut. Although there is a standard ticket price of £10, TUSK is also implementing their discrete Pay What You Can policy, which ensures that the event can still remain accessible to all those who wish to attend, regardless of the funds they have available.
TUSK x Yeah You takes place at Live Theatre, Newcastle on Sunday 10th July. www.tuskmusic.org
MUSIC
SQUARMS @ ALPHABETTI THEATRE
Words: Hope Lynes Creating a rather ethereal soundscape, SQUARMS beautifully meddle with rap, soul, synth beats, social commentary and post-punk to create a completely unique sound. Performing at Alphabetti on Friday 29th July, they’ll present a listening experience truly curated in the digital age, which is no less impactful in a live setting. The band are fully rooted in cyberspace; the release of their first single in 2018 was available to purchase using Ethereum tokens, and their last release in 2021 via an NFT Crypto Vinyl Bundle. With a debut EP in the works, released singles root SQUARMS within a mediated modern landscape. Latest release Could Do is cheeky, loud and lyrically unapologetic, whereas earlier songs such as She Left The TV On are melodic, floaty and use the lyrical voice as another synthetic element in the construction of their music. The introduction of a cyper-punk band into the cosy cafe setting of Alphabetti’s D’Addario Stage will certainly make for an interesting night. Even more so, given the event has been put on in collaboration with We Make Culture’s Young Musicians Project, creating support slots that are offered out to local young artists. SQUARMS play Alphabetti Theatre, Newcastle on Friday 29th July. www.squarms.co.uk
FILM
RHEA STORR @ NGCA
Words: Steve Spithray Rhea Storr is an artist and filmmaker who explores the representation of Black and mixed-race people in culture. Masquerade and subversion are ongoing themes in Rhea’s work, as is the effect of place or space on cultural representation particularly as a metaphor for protest. The artist’s rural upbringing and mixed British Bahamian heritage informs much of her work. In her film The Image That Spits, The Eye That Accumulates, a mixed-race body explores a Norfolk landscape threatened by coastal erosion. The physical erosion of the landscape mirrors the now obsolete Kodachrome film she uses, once hailed as the new archival film for its vibrant colours. The film stock itself is now only able to be developed in black and white but the artist has been able to restore colour to the film through a convoluted process of coloured filters giving a ghostly veneer as anything that moves does not retain its proper colour. Rhea’s 2017, 23-minute film explores the defining line between an embodied camera or a passive observer, where the images are inadequate as they too erode. As the artist has stated. “History is for those who have the means to fix themselves.” The Image That Spits, The Eye That Accumulates by Rhea Storr runs from Saturday 16th July-Sunday 11th September at Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art, Sunderland. www.rheastorr.com
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PREVIEWS
Harriet Bradshaw by John Hesford
MUSIC
NARC. PRESENTS @ THE CUMBERLAND ARMS
Words: Claire Dupree It’s hard not to be a fan of a venue like The Cumberland Arms. Welcoming, inclusive and unfailingly generous, with a superb music policy, great beer and an unbeatable location, it’s basically pretty fabulous. Having been under the stewardship of Jo Hodson for 20 years, they’re certainly making the most of their anniversary year, with pop-ups, collaborations and special shows aplenty, and this month it’s NARC.’s turn to get in on the action and help the venue celebrate! On Saturday 16th July we’ve programmed a full day of free live entertainment, taking over the (guaranteed!) sunny terrace during the afternoon for a family-friendly show from Teesside cellist and songwriter Harriet Bradshaw, acoustic indie duo Fawns and alt. rock superstars The Timewasters. The evening’s entertainment will move into the venue and see performances from electro spoken word artist Faithful Johannes, indie rock from Holly Rees and good-time rock ‘n’ roll vibes from Weekend Faithful. If that wasn’t enough, there will also be sustenance from
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awesome burger slingers Fat Hippo. The day also marks the return of the Ouseburn Festival, which will see the Valley filled with free entertainment including an artisan market, live performance on the Ouseburn Bandstand and much more. NARC. X The Cumberland Arms presents Weekend Faithful, Holly Rees, Faithful Johannes, The Timewasters, Fawns and Harriet Bradshaw at The Cumberland Arms, Newcastle on Saturday 16th July. www.thecumberlandarms.co.uk www.facebook.com/ouseburnfestivl
ART & LIT
HABIT, ABILITY! @ NEWBRIDGE PROJECT
Words: Claire Dupree Taking influence from nature’s ability to survive and adapt, new exhibition Habit, Ability! at NewBridge Project considers how we as a species might benefit from the survival strategies found in nature instead of asserting our control over it. Artists taking part in the exhibition will examine locations which ordinarily seem inhospitable or inaccessible to humans – whether from prohibited access due to legislation or scientific study – including intertidal mud flats, peat
bogs, the Arctic and the ocean. Artists will also turn their gaze inwards to look at NewBridge itself, and its environmental impact as an organisation as well as its surrounding spaces, with the goal of understanding its role within broader systems of power. Artists taking part in the exhibition, which runs from Saturday 9th July-Friday 23rd September, include Angharad Davies and Éliane Radigue, Carrie Ayagaduk, Ojanen, Dani Admiss and Luiza Prado de O Martins, Dwellbeing and Sarah Cooper, For Solidarity and Katie Pollard, Iris Priest and Katy Cole, Laura Harrington, Louise Mackenzie, Michele Allen, Michelle Williams Gamaker and Rob Smith. A series of events will also run throughout the exhibition, including a grassroots garden party on Saturday 30th July at Summerhill Bowling Club which will celebrate local organisations who have a positive impact on the planet and local people; there’s an improvising sound workshop with Angharad Davies on Saturday 20th August, followed by a performance; the launch of the Anti-Capitalist Book of Fashion on Friday 16th-Sunday 18th September; and much more to be confirmed. Habit, Ability! runs at NewBridge Project, Newcastle from Saturday 9th July-Friday 23rd September. www.thenewbridgeproject.com
PREVIEWS
Beauty School by Todd ‘JD’ Malloy
MUSIC
MAKE A SCENE: SUMMER JAM @ PLAY BREW CO
Words: Laura Doyle ‘Boro festival Make A Scene was a staple from its debut in 2010 as a day (or two) pop-punk aficionados descended on Teesside to enjoy the best in upcoming alternative talent. Anyone who attended those fabled shows had
the chance to enjoy chart-toppers and today’s big names like Don Broco, Bury Tomorrow, and Boston Manor all before they were cool. It looks like it’s time for a re-emergence from the team, with the Make A Scene: Summer Jam event taking place at Play Brew Co in Middlesbrough on Saturday 2nd July. With a hefty line-up of 10 artists representing the next generation of pop-punk and emo, it’s the perfect opportunity to get with the in-crowd before anyone else. Things get a little heavy with metalcore band Your Misery, while Wearsiders noyou fly the flag for scuzzy pop rock; Teesside heavy rockers Motherland join the bill alongside nostalgic riff-monsters Set
Your Sights and headliners Beauty School bring emo-tinged pop-punk nostalgia to their slot, which is well worth a peep ahead of their debut record’s release this Autumn. Add to all of this Make A Scene’s range of market vendors featuring local brands including Have No Regrets, Reap Jiu-Jitsu and Shy Bairn Stitches, food stalls and refreshments provided by hosts Play Brew Co., it’s gonna be one jam-packed day! Make A Scene: Summer Jam takes place at Play Brew Co, Middlesbrough on Saturday 2nd July. www.facebook.com/makeascenefestival
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PREVIEWS
Roshi Nasehi
MUSIC
RAMALAMA DING DONG @ STAR & SHADOW CINEMA
Words: Laura Doyle What’s comedy all about? Some think it’s about one-liners and cheap laughs. But there’s a deeper purpose that some performers weave into their work: to hold a mirror up to society and poke fun at its more ridiculous – and sometimes incredibly shocking – aspects. Welsh-born singer-songwriter Roshi Nasehi is delving into such experimental territories with her new Arts Council supported show, Ramalama Ding Dong, which comes to Star & Shadow Cinema on Saturday 9th July. The Iranian folk pop artist has long been well versed in creating sound art with a focus on social commentary, and now her sights are set on a new form of creative work. This latest venture incorporates her tried and tested musical creativity with stand-up performance to tell her own story of growing up as a child of two heritages. Everyday experiences of bigotry are endemic in our society, but instead of letting them get her down too much, Nasehi
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has opted to transform her negative encounters into story times that could entertain as much as they educate and inform. Those in her audience that recognise themselves in her words get that chuckle of relatability, those who don’t might find it to be an unexpectedly eye-opening experience embedded in an evening of music and storytelling as they delve into a narrative from outside of their regular bubble. Ramalama Ding Dong by Roshi Nasehi is performed at Star & Shadow Cinema, Newcastle on Saturday 9th July. www.roshi.biz
ART & LIT
NON STOP ECSTATIC ESTON @ ESTON ARTS CENTRE
Words: Steve Spithray Industrial Coast is a Thirsk-based independent cassette label with a focus on experimental sound. It is operated by Steve Kirby, who was born in Stockton and brought up in and around the East Durham Coalfields which inform a lot of the label’s releases and general ethos.
The exhibition Non Stop Ecstatic Eston, taking place at Eston Arts Centre from Wednesday 8th-Saturday 30th July, will feature cover art from the extensive back catalogue of Industrial Coast releases, with work from the likes of Tim Gick (Crazy Doberman), Scott King (Sleazenation) and Dylan Walker (Full of Hell) alongside imagery of the North East industrial coast, some taken by Steve himself. The exhibition takes its influence from Soft Cell’s Non Stop Ecstatic Dancing album, itself a remix of Non Stop Erotic Cabaret and in keeping with the label’s spirit of reimagining the socialist spectrum. The opening night of the exhibition will include live performances from America’s Secret Boyfriend with their debut UK show, fellow countrymen Permanent and Dean Lloyd Robinson’s Knifedoutofexistence. The night will also feature the only ever live performance of Statement, an earlier Industrial Coast release by Unknown Artist, while further live Saturday matinees, include Leeds’ Territorial Gobbing and Barnsley’s The Million, meaning Non Stop Ecstatic Eston is an exhibition to revisit and reassess. Non Stop Ecstatic Eston: An Industrial Coast Exhibition runs from Wednesday 8th July to Saturday 30th July at Eston Arts Centre. www.instagram.com/industrialcoast
PREVIEWS
Large Plants by Louise Amazing
MUSIC
LARGE PLANTS @ THE CUMBERLAND ARMS
Words: Evie Nicholson There’s something warm and fuzzy about Large Plants’ music. Their whimsical psych folk sound instinctively draws you back to innocent memories of long hazy days in the sun. There couldn’t be a better time or space for their Wandering Oak gig than the intimate Cumberland Arms this midsummer, on Friday
Saturday 30 July 7.30pm
22nd July. Largely the project of Jack Sharp (previously the brainchild of the acclaimed bluesy-psych Wolf People), Large Plants was born out of the atrophic atmosphere of 2020’s summer lockdown. There’s an inevitable hint of nostalgia and cynicism in early releases like The Death of Pliny, but in general Large Plants undercut any negativity with their grooving biker rock basslines. Although best known for their bold psych cover of Madonna’s La Isla Bonita, it is in tracks like How Far that Large Plants’ edge really shines through. Folk and psych rock aren’t obvious partners but Sharp’s lyrics lift
the song above the wandering jingle of the foggy melody. Most of Large Plants’ songs are only three minutes long but I think they feel much longer. Like a lot of good psychedelic stuff I find myself drifting in and out of the present whilst listening to their debut album, The Carrier. Before you know it, the music is over and although nothing has really changed, for a brief moment time slowed down and everything seemed to melt away…. Large Plants play The Cumberland Arms, Newcastle on Friday 22nd July. www.linktr.ee/largeplantsband
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PREVIEWS
The Bobby Lees by John Swab
ART & LIT
BALTIC 20TH BIRTHDAY WEEKEND
Words: Claire Dupree Did you know that Gateshead’s landmark contemporary art gallery has secret floors and hidden artworks? Or that its collection features human bones and a man made out of fruit? Since opening in July 2002, BALTIC have welcomed over 707 artists in 245 exhibitions from 71 different nationalities or countries of origin. These are just a few interesting titbits on offer at 20.baltic.art, a continually evolving microsite which is part of BALTIC’s 20th anniversary celebrations, culminating in a weekend of special events on Saturday 16th and Sunday 17th July. The UK’s largest dedicated contemporary art institution is a destination in its own right, thanks to its stunning views along the river Tyne, resident kittiwake population (and they’ve got bees on their roof, fact fans!), world-class restaurant and excellent shop, let alone the wondrous art housed within its walls. The weekend will give attendees a chance to dive into current exhibitions by Mounira al Solh, Caroline Caycedo and Albert Potrony; go shopping for local art in the Art Car Boot Sale; interact with local makers; join a ‘zine making workshop themed around food; learn what collaborative residents Undutiful Spirit discovered in their findings through the BALTIC Archive; have fun with games, toys, books and creative activities for youngsters; eat pancakes and check out mobile exhibition What’s For Tea?; and watch films uncovering BALTIC’s 20 year history. Contemporary art provokes discussion and opinion, often challenging traditional thought processes and looking outside mainstream society to encourage discourse. No matter
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what you’ve seen over the last 20 years – or will see in the next 20 – the work at BALTIC often strives to be unusual, sometimes radical and always thought-provoking. Take some time to celebrate with them, you never know what you might discover... BALTIC’s 20th birthday weekend takes place on Saturday 16th and Sunday 17th July. www.baltic.art
MUSIC
THE BOBBY LEES @ THE CLUNY 2
Words: Lee Fisher Although they’ve been around a little longer, it was 2020’s astonishing single Drive that brought The Bobby Lees to most people’s attention. Drive is an in-yer-face garage beast with an infectious pop-literate melody and a breakdown that gets under your skin, the Jon Spencer production making it punch its way out of your speakers. The resulting album Skin Suit was full of bangers too – by turns sexy, anxious, riotous and flat-out fucked. Thanks to Henry Rollins, the Woodstock-formed band have now signed to Mike Patton’s ipecac label (home to everyone from Dalek to Melvins to all 324 of Patton’s side-projects) and their new EP Hollywood Junkyard is just out, led by a title track which has an accompanying video that says a lot about how The Bobby Lees see the ‘cruel and shallow money trench’ of the music business. Now they have a good-sized label behind them, the band are finally making their way to the UK as part of a lengthy European tour. They fetch up at Newcastle’s Cluny 2 on Wednesday 6th July and they’re going to blow your tiny mind. The Bobby Lees play The Cluny 2, Newcastle on Wednesday 6th July. www.thebobbylees.com
MUSIC
DOMINION FESTIVAL @ USHAW
Words: Laura Doyle There are two types of metal fans right now: those who are sad because Download Festival is over, and those who are sad because they didn’t get to Download Festival. In a twist of good faith for us Northern metalheads, there’s a new kid on the block that will bring bucket list level metal names to the North East for an all new three day event. Dominion Festival will take over the usually quiet grounds of Ushaw House & College in County Durham from Friday 29th-Sunday 31st July for the biggest rock and metal extravaganza the region has ever seen, complete with camping and catering to give you the best experience on Dominion’s maiden voyage. There are some absolute gems on this line-up. Headliners for the weekend include German power metal legends Blind Guardian, the iconic gothic metal group Cradle of Filth, and grindcore death metal punks Napalm Death. Further down the line-up, we see a full range of rock-based genres, from pop rockers As December Falls to hardcore punks Blood Youth. Add to that names like InMe, Raging Speedhorn, Girlschool, Phil Campbell & The Bastard Sons, Blaze Bayley and countless more. With three days on site to explore the diverse artists on offer at Dominion, there’s no better place to be for metalheads countrywide. Dominion Festival takes place at Ushaw, Durham from Friday 29th-Sunday 31st July. www.dominionfestival.co.uk
PREVIEWS
Troy Hawke by Steve Ullathorne
COMEDY
LAST STOP TO EDINBURGH @ THE GEORGIAN THEATRE
Words: Jake Anderson With the Edinburgh Fringe Festival on the horizon, a slew of Edinburgh Previews are taking over the UK, and a veritable feast of fantastic acts are arriving at The Georgian Theatre in Stockton from Friday 22nd-Sunday
24th July courtesy of local comedy club Shoe Cake. The three day festival will offer a mixture of adult and family friendly acts. Friday evening’s proceedings will kick off with 1930s throwback and terribly charming man Troy Hawke, followed by Lou Conran’s selfdescribed “undignified manner and devil may care attitude”, topped off with a work in progress show from Northern double act The Halls of Ridiculous, who present a fusion of improv, sketch and character comedy. The Saturday is a day-long event beginning at 12pm with two shows for youngsters, The Discount Comedy Checkout Family Show and
the Lee Kyle Family Show. They’ll be followed by performances from impressionist Danny Posthill, award-winning local comic Catherine Young and high energy Teesside favourite Patrick Monahan before Lee Kyle returns for his oddball work in progress show. Sunday will see a double bill of Justin Moorhouse and Brennan Reece, who both bring quick wit, audacious crowd work and working class humour. Last Stop To Edinburgh takes place at The Georgian Theatre, Stockton from Friday 22nd-Sunday 24th July. www.shoecakecomedy.co.uk
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PREVIEWS
Lily Senner
ART & LIT
LILY SENNER @ GALLAGHER & TURNER
Words: Evie Lake Lily Senner’s Heaven On Earth exhibition at Gallagher & Turner offers a glimpse at the spectacle a change in perspective grants the visual. Senner trained at both Newcastle University and The Royal Drawing School and the exhibition, which runs from Friday 15th July-Saturday 13th August is inspired by her isolated, pandemic walks around Jesmond Dene, Heaton Park and the Town Moor. Senner’s drawings and paintings utilise bold colours and expressionistic lines dictated not by fact but feeling. The North East often plays the part of muse within art, and Senner’s life-bearing exhibition offers a solidification of the animation at the heart of Newcastle, displaying the narratives that can unfold within the remembrance of places and images. Working solely from the imagination, Senner’s work questions reality and the certainty that everything remains stagnant, a questioning of whether lines can move and dictate their own motion emphasised through the mixed-media approach of the
exhibition. Bold, temporal and shifting, Heaven On Earth invites a closer look at our surroundings, the conflation of utopia and dystopia in the midst of altering moods, colours and lines. The unflinching hues of each piece add colour to an environment mostly depicted as grey and failing, adding life and boldness but in a way that also draws focus to actuality; Senner blends imagination and reality and Heaven On Earth is the result. Lily Senner: Heaven On Earth is exhibited at Gallagher & Turner, Newcastle from Friday 15th July-Saturday 13th August. www.lilysenner.com
MUSIC
THE TYPE FIVE @ THE GREEN ROOM
Words: Michael O’Neill The latest iteration of Get Hip!’s Stockton events offers another glorious eclectic combination of sets from their resident DJ crew of Mark, Tony and Graham (who deal in an anything-goes offering of soul, R&B, Latin, garage rock, psychedelia, Hammond grooves, funk and original ska) alongside a live
performance from The Type Five, taking place at The Green Room on Saturday 16th July. Hailing from the North East coast, the trio describe their sound as a subtle blend of psychedelia, kosmische, folk and undergroundinfluenced pop music, resulting in an eclectic and enthralling menagerie of left-field, groove-heavy wonder, sounding brilliantly indebted to the anything-goes spirit of the late-60s/early-70s psychedelic explosion without ever drifting too heavily into pastiche. Look to releases such as She’s Crystallising for a key example of their delightfully unique approach, replete with relentless sixteenthheavy hi-hat grooves, high up the neck bass riffs, echo-drenched vocals and slashing, Syd Barrett-esque fretwork, or the droning, loping Catalogue Girl for a fantastic melding of The Velvet Underground and Ride on a sea of tambourines and droning open chords. Even with these two tracks in mind, it’s clear that the trio offer a perfect analogue to the eclectic mentality that Get Hip! thrives on. Bring some earplugs and an open mind. Get Hip! present The Type Five at The Green Room, Stockton on Saturday 16th July. www.thetypefive.bandcamp.com
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PREVIEWS
Lou Conran
COMEDY
LOU CONRAN @ FORUM MUSIC CENTRE/THE GEORGIAN THEATRE
Words: Jake Anderson Comedian Lou Conran will be performing at Hilarity Bites Comedy Club’s show at Darlington’s Forum Music Centre for an evening of constant laughs on Wednesday 20th July. Conran is playing many shows leading up to her appearance at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and she’ll also rock up at Stockton’s Georgian Theatre as part of the Last Stop To Edinburgh festival on Friday 22nd July, courtesy of Shoe Cake Comedy. Conran is known for her cheerful and reckless storytelling, combined with her fabulous personality. Having been a favourite on the London comedy circuits since 2015, she has supported the likes of Sarah Millican and Joe Lycett. She has dubbed these particular shows as finding “the light in the shite of life”, so expect tales about the joys of life that can be found amid darker moments – something we can all identify with right now.
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Supporting her on the night is the always funny Eddie Brimson, who enjoys bombarding the audience with jokes about the highs and lows of life as a comedian. Similar to Conran, he’s known to constantly engage with the crowd, making him a perfect opener. Lou Conran performs at Forum Music Centre, Darlington on Wednesday 20th July and The Georgian Theatre, Stockton on Friday 22nd July. www.louconran.com
MUSIC
COASTAL EXPLORATIONS: EX-EASTER ISLAND HEAD @ PLAYHOUSE WHITLEY BAY Words: Lee Fisher Benjamin Duvall and his Ex-Easter Island Head outfit have been making intriguing, immersive, experimental music for over a decade now, often basing their performances and releases on using guitars as percussion instruments (expanding to the monumental-sounding 12 piece for their Large Electric Ensemble, for
instance). On Wednesday 13th July they arrive in Whitley Bay for one of their most intriguing projects yet. In conjunction with Hands Of – a charity that fosters creative access for kids – they’ll be presenting a new piece called Coastal Explorations. The band have worked alongside children from three local schools (Norham, Marden and John Spence) who have created their own Aeolian (wind-played) instruments while investigating the geography and environment of the North East coast. The band have also worked with local GCSE music students to create a sonic journey from Holy Island to Newcastle city centre using brass, piano, guitar and percussion in a ten-piece ensemble. This ensemble will come together with the Aeolian flutes, harps and chimes and field recordings at Playhouse Whitley Bay for an evocative and experimental performance embracing location, experimentation and composition. As well as the Coastal Explorations premiere, there will be short sets from the music students and from Ex-Easter Island Head themselves. Coastal Explorations is performed at Playhouse Whitley Bay on Wednesday 13th July. www.facebook.com/handofevents
PREVIEWS
MUSIC
KELLEY STOLTZ @ THE CLUNY 2
Words: Cameron Wright It was Third Man Records’ recent reissue of Antique Glow that reacquainted me with the neo-psych haze of Kelley Stoltz, who will be taking tracks old and new onto the road at The Cluny 2 on Thursday 14th July. Having played with the era-defining Echo &
The Bunnymen for many years, Stoltz is a veteran of acid-tinged pop, fusing lazy melodies with twinkling pop sensibilities. An amalgamation of influence, Antique Glow was a curation of everything before it, morphing and evolving interests from something whimsical to something bracing. Antique Glow was Stoltz’ initial cry, declaring he had something to say. After almost two decades of wandering along the historic variety of musical alleyways he is so evidently passionate about, Stoltz’ journey has seen his influences grow and his reach expand, with lilting jangle pop clashing with
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his more adrenaline-injected growlers. Last month saw the launch of The Stylist, the 17th addition to the odyssey; harking back to a fictitious world of sound, the album dances between decades, holding each with equal esteem. Promising a return to the more affable and charming string of inspirations, The Stylist focuses on the warmth emanating from essential records from the Beatles, Harry Nilsson and The Zombies. Kelley Stoltz plays The Cluny 2, Newcastle on Thursday 14th July. www.kelleystoltz.com
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PREVIEWS
Image by Matt Crockett
COMEDY
JOSIE LONG @ THE STAND
Words: Cameron Wright Edinburgh Fringe is a comedy institution, gathering the greatest comedians from across the globe and allowing them to showcase their beautiful talents, observations and laughter. Even the greatest comics need an opportunity to hone and finesse their routines, and
Newcastle residents are particularly lucky as Josie Long has decided to do just that at The Stand on Tuesday 19th July. Josie Long has been in the game long enough for anyone in the know to already be well aware of her vast plethora of accolades and achievements. One of alternative comedy’s most appealing voices, the comic has challenged traditions old and new with her routines feeling personal, affecting, candid and emotive. Now heralded as one of the country’s finest offerings, the comic is toying with new material which promises to be an experimental experiment, throwing paint at the wall and
Non Stop Ecstatic Eston: An Industrial Coast Exhibition
Cover art from Industrial Coast’s past releases alongside imagery of the North Eastern industrial coast.
Opening 6 -10pm / Wednesday July 6 with live music on night from Secret Boyfriend (US) Permanent (US) Knifedoutofexistence Exhibition open: July 7 - July 30
Eston Arts Centre 176-178 High Street, Eston, Middlesbrough. TS6 9JA
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seeing which of her silly and hilarious ideas sticks. Also mounting the stage is Liam Withnail, the social media sensation who has been amassing views by the millions. Winning Amused Moose’s Outstanding Show Award and Edinburgh Fringe 2019 Scottish Comedy Award, Liam Withnail returns to the stage with new material that will bring smiles to fans old and new. Josie Long and Liam Withnail perform at The Stand, Newcastle on Tuesday 19th July. www.josielong.com
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PREVIEWS
Komparrison by Amelia Read
MUSIC
KOMPARRISON @ THE GEORGIAN THEATRE
Words: Hope Lynes Join Komparrison for their biggest headline show to date on Saturday 16th July. After headlining the NARC. stage at Stockton Calling back in April, the group are moving up from The Green Room onto the stage of big sister venue The Georgian Theatre. It’s clear that after recently debuting their first headline UK tour, the quintet are raring to go and ready to fill bigger venues thanks to their infectious yet biting indie pop sound. The band’s debut EP You Say She’s Satisfied enriches Northern, working-class feminist ideological lyrics into beautifully crafted musical soundscapes. This commitment has earned the band airplay on BBC Radio 6Music and Radio X, and wide acclaim thanks to songs like And Again, a cheeky piece of feminism wrapped up in a catchy indie pop track, and the caustic Loose Lips. Their fun, intelligent and super catchy sound is a real crowd pleaser. Support comes from Sarah Johnsone, whose recent release Don’t Wanna Be Your Girl perfectly mixes her soulful voice with a rocky soundtrack to create an edgy piece of
post-punk, while further support from Sugar Roulette brings yet more fun indie pop style and sass to the night. Komparrison, Sarah Johnsone and Sugar Roulette play The Georgian Theatre, Stockton on Saturday 16th July. www.linktr.ee/komparrison
MUSIC
FARIDA AMADOU & JERUSALEM IN MY HEART @ GOSFORTH CIVIC THEATRE
Words: Mark Corcoran-Lettice Having emerged out of the post-lockdown wilderness with a new lease of life as a venue for live music, Gosforth Civic Theatre hosts a unique and rewarding double bill on Monday 11th July as they play host to Farida Amadou alongside Jerusalem In My Heart. A self-taught electric bass player residing in Belgium, Farida Amadou’s list of collaborations is as extensive as it is eclectic: having performed with musicians like free jazz pioneer Peter Brötzmann, avant rock icon Thurston Moore and experimental guitarist Pavel Tchikov
(Amadou and Tchikov’s recent album Mal De Terre stands out as a disorientating but compelling listen), she’s also been a member of cult punk act Cocaine Piss. Given the scope of her ability and range, the running theme in her work is a dedication to keep learning, keep playing and keep pushing for rewarding, dazzling new sounds. Long running audio-visual project Jerusalem In My Heart themselves boast a broad CV: multi-instrumentalist Radwan Ghazi Moumneh and filmmaker Erin Weisgerber have curated festivals, provided film scores, collaborated with electronic rock band Suuns and released a quartet of their own albums, deploying Moumneh’s melismatic singing and buzuk playing alongside modular synths and field recordings and Weisegerber’s film stock manipulations. Forging ahead with an ambition of creating modern experimental Arabic music, their site-specific performances remain consistently fresh and evolutionary. Farida Amadou and Jerusalem In My Heart play Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle on Monday 11th July. www.farida-amadou.bandcamp.com www.jerusaleminmyheart.com
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PREVIEWS
Jessica Andrews by Seth Hamilton
ART & LIT
JESSICA ANDREWS RELEASES NEW NOVEL, MILK TEETH
Words: Françoise Harvey Sunderland author Jessica Andrews makes a triumphant return to the North East as she celebrates the release of her new novel Milk Teeth. Andrews made waves in 2019 with her lyrical and boundary-breaking debut novel Saltwater, which won the Portico Prize in 2020, and was chosen as one of the 2022 Women’s Prize x Good Housekeeping’s leading voices in fiction under the age of 35. Milk Teeth is an intimate love story that explores how to take up space in the world, and why we deny ourselves good things, with readers calling it “heady, sweaty, sexy and salient”. Want to know more? Newcastle folk can join Andrews at the Biscuit Factory on Wednesday 27th July for An Evening With… hosted by Forum Books, or join her on Thursday 28th July
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when she heads to Sunderland’s Pop Recs Ltd. for an evening of readings and Q&A sessions, arranged by Waterstones Sunderland and co-hosted by local authors and writing/reading groups Iain Rowan (Holmeside Writers, Sunderland Creative Writing CIC) and Helen Wilkinson (Sunderland Book Club, King Ink). Copies of Milk Teeth and Saltwater will be available to purchase on both evenings. Jessica Andrews releases Milk Teeth on 21st July. www.jessica-andrews.com
MUSIC
HOLME FESTIVAL @ COUNTY DURHAM
Words: Steve Spithray As Summer peaks, waves of grain blow confidently in the breeze and the leaves on the trees are yet to turn. A time to be thankful. A time when music and wellbeing become as important as the harvest and the seasons themselves. Imagine an intimate place with infinite possibilities. Thought provoking and green
thinking, with vegan eating and off-kilter sounds. Find a hidden bar for cocktails and dancing in the warped woods, among the ambient beats and the trees at Rookery Nook. Hear Faithful Johannes weave spoken word into aural pleasure and Badger juxtapose melody and existential crisis in The Big Blue Tent, while the dark-wave electronica of Holy Braille lurks in the shadows with Vigilance State (amongst many more); surreal, dystopian and ancient lore. Get delicious burgers, coffee, smoothies and pastries near the wishing tree (hang a wish on a magical branch). Relax, unwind and open your mind. An ancient orchard marks a peaceful zone. A secluded campsite is idyllic and quiet. The further you walk, the quieter it becomes. A weekend of music, wellness and exploration in a magical garden somewhere in County Durham (the location will be revealed when you buy your ticket). There’s no place like Holme. Holme Music and Wellness Festival takes place from Friday 8th-Sunday 10th July in County Durham. www.holmefestival.com
PREVIEWS
Circle with Richard Dawson by Antti Uusimäki
MUSIC
RICHARD DAWSON AND CIRCLE @ BOILER SHOP Words: Ali Welford I never understood the narrative of surprise from much of the coverage surrounding the release of last year’s Henki. Certainly, from droning masterpiece The Vile Stuff to Masseuse’s pounding proto-metal and the fire-and-brimstone flamboyance of Civil Servant, the Richard Dawson catalogue has never shied from flaunting heavier influences.
Factor in his penchant for the absurd and mastery in grand design, and an hour-long “flora-themed hypno-folk-metal” epic – created in collaboration with Finland’s maverick experimentalists Circle – begins to feel like a pretty logical step! Likely or otherwise, Dawson’s exploits alongside his favourite band in the world date back to summer 2019, when he was invited to perform with them at Sideways Festival in Helsinki – an experience he’s since described as “like being a teenager and suddenly being asked to go onstage with Iron Maiden.” Now, their audacious alchemy (which they’d originally planned to debut during a doomed
March 2020 show at Sage Gateshead) is finally primed for a North East stage, with the ensemble set to be unleashed in all its glory at Newcastle’s Boiler Shop on Tuesday 12th July. Clear your social calendar; book a babysitter; ask somebody to cover that pesky nightshift. After all, what kind of square wouldn’t want to spend their Tuesday evening engrossed in 10-minute wig-outs about 20th Century botanist Isabel Clifton Cookson, or 32,000-yearold seeds buried in permafrost? Richard Dawson and Circle play Boiler Shop, Newcastle on Tuesday 12th July. www.richardmichaeldawson.bandcamp.com/ album/henki
x Afternoon
Evening
THE WEEKEND TIMEWASTERS FAITHFUL FAWNS HOLLY REES HARRIET FAITHFUL BRADSHAW JOHANNES OUTSIDE
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PREVIEWS
COMEDY
DANIEL KITSON @ WHARTON PARK
Words: Cameron Wright If you are already familiar with Daniel Kitson, then my work here is done. If you are unfamiliar with his work, then allow me to bring you into comedy’s best respected secret. The epitome of the old adage ‘the comedian’s comedian’ Kitson has gained praise from all your British favourites. Deliberately reclusive,
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the comic has kept his magical routines hidden from social media, leaving his reputation to be built from word of mouth alone. Alternative royalty Stewart Lee and mainstream powerhouse Russell Howard are just two of the voices that have sung the praises of Kitson’s rambling, unfamiliar anecdotes that totter between maverick surrealism and grounded, approachable wit. With his latest venture outside being his first step out of lockdown, the recluse hasn’t really missed his time on the stage, but has built up quite the catalogue of scribbles in his notebook, so it is time to unload, which he’ll be doing at
Wharton Park’s outdoor amphitheatre in Durham on Wednesday 27th July. With the caveat upfront that this latest exponent of shows is a trial by fire, Kitson warns audiences that these work in progress shows may well be a “relatively rickety affair”. Yet when dealing with a comedian renowned for his improvised material, you can guarantee a few laughs along the ride. Daniel Kitson performs at Wharton Park amphitheatre, Durham on Wednesday 27th July. www.danielkitson.com
PREVIEWS
Dude Trips by @marcsharpvisuals
MUSIC
DUDE TRIPS @ INDEPENDENT
Words: Jake Anderson The emo resurgence is in full swing. My Chemical Romance are back, Y2K fashion has its own sections in stores, and the price of Doc Martens is going up and up. Although, that may actually just be the natural inflation of everything at the moment. Luckily, gig prices have somewhat escaped this, and Scotland’s Dude Trips will be playing Independent in Sunderland on Friday 29th July for only £5, along with three more of the UK’s rising emo bands. Dude Trips released their debut album in 2019, and it features the likes of the upbeat and melancholic Documentaries, and the very guitar heavy ballad Blank Canvas. It’s an album which perfectly encapsulates why emo rock took the Western world by storm, feeling like it was
plucked straight from 2007. Joining them on the night are hardcore band Lull, known for their powerful single I Want To Give Your More; Herefordshire’s Lapyear who blend shoegaze and alt. emo sounds to create a chill rock sonic environment, with such songs as the distorted Hang; and lastly there are local lads Ninebanks, known for their old school pop-punk – their newest track Little Silver is heavily noughties in its sound. Dude Trips, Lull, Lapyear and Ninebanks play Independent, Sunderland on Friday 29th July. www.dudetrips.bigcartel.com
MUSIC
THE POPGUNS @ THE CUMBERLAND ARMS
Words: Maria Winter As part of The Cumberland Arms’ continuing 20 year celebrations, indie rock band The Popguns perform alongside lo-fi punks Milky Wimpshake
and synth trio E’spaniel on Sunday 10th July. The gig also serves as a 20th anniversary celebration for promoters Hapless Museum Worker and this special show will be an all-ages gig, so all are welcome. With three notable 1990’s albums and a marvellous recent EP titled Carrying The Fire, Brighton-based band The Popguns’ sound is filled with irrepressible indie charm and incredible musicianship. With unparalleled on-stage energy, their musical delivery is simply divine, so their headline slot will be a must-see! Newcastle-based lo-fi indie punk trio Milky Wimpshake make a welcome return to live performance, bringing their often comedic and upbeat tunes to the line-up. While indie synth pop three-piece E’spaniel will grace the stage with their deliciously styled jangly synth pop. The Popguns, Milky Wimpshake and E’spaniel play The Cumberland Arms, Newcastle on Sunday 10th July. www.popguns.net
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PREVIEWS
Knats by Sam Wall
MUSIC
THE GLOBE SUMMER FESTIVAL @ THE GLOBE NEWCASTLE
Words: Lee Fisher The last weekend of July sees the return of The Globe Summer Festival following the success of last year’s debut. As with last year, the three-day event is themed: Friday is an evening event focusing on the blues, with Elsie Franklin, Liam Ward & Malcolm Thorne and headliners
The King Bees, who turned in a stunning set last year standing in for Holy Moly & The Crackers. Holy Moly are sure to show up this year, to headline Saturday’s line-up of dancey, Americana-tinged old-time outfits, with Darlington’s Bubamara, The Most Ugly Child and Rob Heron & The Tea Pad Orchestra. Things kick off at 3pm and after the bands DJ Stagger Lee will be playing an all-killer, no filler party set till late. Finally, Sunday is jazz day. Also kicking off at 3pm, the strong bill sees relative newcomers Knats headline a bill that also includes Dean Stockdale Trio, Alice Grace Quartet and Julian
Costello Quartet. Promoter Rob Heron is clearly excited about the bill he’s pulled together. “The King Bees absolutely smashed it last year as a last-minute headliner after Holy Moly had to drop out, so this year we are super excited to have both bands headlining. And Knats are the youngest and most exciting jazz combo in town.” Tickets are £12 (Friday), £18 (Saturday) and £15 (Sunday) or £40 for the whole weekend. The Globe Summer Festival takes place at The Globe, Newcastle from Friday 29th-Sunday 31st July. www.theglobenewcastle.bar
Woman welder working in the Tyneside shipyards, 1943 © Imperial War Museums
Stories of Service Tyneside’s home front during the Second World War 18 June - 25 September Explore new uncovered Second World War Tyneside stories of women and people from the African and Caribbean diaspora.
A captivating music and film experience to soothe the soul Darlington Hippodrome, Wednesday July 20, 7:30PM, www.darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk
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One Story, Many Voices 18 June - 18 August A touring digital installation from Imperial War Museums reflecting the understanding of the Second World War and Holocaust today. Donations welcome (free entry) discoverymuseum.org.uk
PREVIEWS
Pelican Theatre’s Ellie Trow and Pagan Hunt
STAGE
DURHAM FRINGE FESTIVAL @ VARIOUS VENUES
Words: Claire Dupree It takes an awful lot of work and dedication to get a grassroots scene off the ground, even more so when it’s entirely volunteer-led, making Durham Fringe Festival’s line-up this year an impressive feat indeed – particularly when considering this is only their second outing. Taking place at venues across the city from Tuesday 26th-Sunday 31st July, the festival will welcome touring performers as well as local ones, giving attendees a chance to interact with interesting work and artists a chance to find a new audience. With over 50 events across the long weekend, attendees are really spoiled for choice. Top of the list should be feminist theatre and comedy troupe Menstrual Rage, whose show And Me tackles what it’s like to be a woman in the 21st Century (Assembly Rooms Theatre, 26-31 July); Queer history and public sex is tackled in Cottage (City Theatre, 26-31 July); Crazy Broken Chinese is a semi-autobiographical stand-up show from comedian He Huang chronicling cultural shocks and sexual liberations (Fabio’s Bar, 26-30 July); local collective Girl Next Door Theatre’s show Head Girl is a coming of age tale about falling out of love with yourself (Cafedral, 26-31 July); emerging female artists Pelican Theatre team
up with Beth Veitch Dance for a double bill of live dance and film (Assembly Rooms, 29-31 July); dance, clown, object manipulation and acrobatics come to the fore in Lulu (Town Hall, 26-28 July); farcical comedy play Stole The Show promises action, tense drama and witty dialogue from Northern School of Art alumni Joseph Casling and chums (City Theatre, 26-31 July); Delivery explores friendship, connection and home through a one-man pizza delivery service (City Theatre, 28-29 July); contemporary dance production IN-STINCT explores female identity and the power of unity (Assembly Rooms Theatre, 28 July); Aidan Sadler’s Queer cabaret show Tropicana takes audiences on a journey through their upbringing in a small industrial town, with an 80s synth pop soundtrack and stand-up comedy aplenty (Assembly Rooms Theatre, 30-31 July); and Teesside favourites The Discount Comedy Checkout present an improvised family show (Assembly Rooms Theatre, 31 July). Durham Fringe Festival takes place across various venues in Durham from Tuesday 26th-Sunday 31st July. www.durhamfringe.co.uk
COMEDY
EDINBURGH FRINGE PREVIEWS @ LIVE THEATRE
Words: Michael O’Neill For a long and illustrious 75 years, Edinburgh’s
Fringe festival has maintained a solid reputation as a proving ground for a broad array of legendary talent that I could not even begin to list in these column inches alone. As any past attendees can attest, the glorious Scottish capital transforms into a broad hotbed of talent, with all disciplines of performance and art being represented in every space that can fit the minimum criteria for being transformed into a ‘venue’. This naturally comes with some challenges for the average punter, with there being 3,199 official events being hosted in the upcoming festival alone, which is almost as eye-watering as the prices of both trains and hotel beds. Luckily, Newcastle’s Live Theatre have you covered with their series of Edinburgh Previews, offering you some of the Fringe’s finest talent without having to part with any small fortunes in the process, beginning with poet John Hegley’s Biscuit of Destiny, a curious blend of “Keats, biscuits, potatoes and Napoleonic prisoners-of-war failures at the school disco” (Wednesday 20th); Scottish comedian Rachel Jackson’s new show Almost Famous (Thursday 21st); ‘Boro lass Rachel Stockdale’s funny and celebratory live show, Fat Chance (Friday 22nd–Saturday 23rd), much loved local collective Your Aunt Fanny’s brand new comedy sketch show, Muff Said (Friday 22nd); the uplifting and intimate new show from Sarah-Louise Young, The Silent Treatment (Saturday 23rd) and Lila Clements’ inspirational story, Look No Hands (Tuesday 26th July). Edinburgh Fringe Previews run at Live Theatre, Newcastle from Wednesday 20th-Tuesday 26th July. www.live.org.uk
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PREVIEWS
SAVE THE DATE 22 - 25 SEPT 2022
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A MIX AND BLEND OF THE FINEST SOUTH ASIAN ARTS AND CULTURE SEVENS: Srishti Date: Monday 18th July/Time: 7.30pm Venue: Dance City, Newcastle, NE1 4BR Tickets: £13.50/£8.00 students/£11.00 concession Box Office: www.dancecity.co.uk/0191 261 0505 Lore by Mani Kambo & Narivad by Sofia Barton Date: 18th July - 10th September Venue: The Gallery, Gateshead Central Library, NE8 4LN Tickets: FREE - Just Drop In! Momentum (South Asian film shorts) Date: Tuesday 19th July 2022/ Time: 7pm Venue: Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, Gateshead, NE8 3BA Tickets: £5 (includes welcome drink) Box office: www.gemarts.org/0191 4404124 An evening of poetry with Amali Gunasekera and Shazea Quraishi Date: Wednesday 20th July Time: 6.30pm Venue: Culture Lab, Newcastle University, NE1 7RU Tickets: FREE (booking essential) Booking: www.gemarts.org/0191 4404124
Yaatri Date: Thursday 21st July Time: 8.00pm Venue: The Globe, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE4 7AD Tickets: £10.00 advance/£12 door Box Office: www.theglobenewcastle Anomaly: Jasdeep Singh Degun Date: Friday 22nd July 2022 Time: 8pm Venue: Sage Gateshead, NE8 2JR Tickets: £7.70 to £16.50 Box Office: www.sagegateshead.com/0191 4434661 MASALA FESTIVAL MINI MELA Featuring Jashn (visual arts exhibition) Date: Sunday 24th July Venue: Bensham Grove Community Centre, Gateshead, NE8 2XD Time: 11am to 3pm FREE FAMILY FUN EVENT - Just Drop In! Plus loads more incredible performances, exhibitions, workshops, pop ups, demonstrations and a delicious Masala Festival menu at Dabbawal!
Check out the full Masala Festival programme at www.gemarts.org
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PREVIEWS
Suzi Reffell
COMEDY
FUNNY WAY TO BE EDINBURGH PREVIEWS @ THE WITHAM
Words: Jake Anderson Comedy club Funny Way To Be are taking over The Witham in County Durham for two days in July to show off a series of preview shows by comics on their way to Edinburgh Fringe festival. The first four previews will take place on Saturday 16th July, and will feature Mark Nelson, Kai Humphries, Craig Hill, Alasdair Beckett-King. Mark Nelson is the host of The Good, The Bad & The Unexpected and is regularly voted as one of the best headlining comedians, whereas Kai Humphries co-hosts the popular Sloss And Humphries On The Road podcast. Craig Hill is a staple of the Scottish comedy circuits, dubbed Scotland’s favourite kilted comedian, while Alasdair Beckett-King has a very suave stage presence that perfectly matches his sharp wit. The second day, occurring on Saturday 30th
July, will feature another four hour-long shows, welcoming Tom Stade, Connor Burns, Suzi Ruffell and Brennan Reece. Canadian comic Tom Stade has become popular on the UK circuit thanks to his cheeky and often caustic charm, while Connor Burns has been a fan favourite support for some of the most popular comedians on the Scottish scenes. Suzi Ruffell consistently sells out shows, and is regarded one of the best up-and-coming acts, and capping the fun off rubber-faced comic Brennan Reece will be presenting his upcoming show, Crowded. Funny Way To Be Edinburgh Comedy Previews take place at The Witham, Barnard Castle on Saturday 16th and Saturday 30th July. www.funnywaytobe.weebly.com
MUSIC
LOW LIFE @ THE LUBBER FIEND
Words: Hope Lynes Gracing the hardcore DIY music space The Lubber Fiend on Friday 8th July, Low Life come all the way over from Sydney to play a venue
that could have been designed for their sound. Mixing post-punk with elements of shoegazey synth, the hybrid the soundscape they create is unique, loud and powerful. With an impressive discography spanning several EPs and three albums, expect to hear popular tracks such as Dogging, which blends the sounds of atmospheric shoegaze with a darker, mysterious energy and a heavier rock edge and recent songs from last year’s album From Squats To Lots…, which are in turns ambient, angsty and have a nostalgic feel to them. A highlight to see performed will be Agony & XTC, a grunge track that incorporates all the greatness of the band’s lyrical edge, loud instrumentals and melancholic moodscape. Support comes from Roxy Girls, whose modern post-punk draws similarities to the energies of Cabbage and Kaputt, both of whom they have supported for. Before them, brand new local Stannington will join the bill, culminating in a showcase of diverse passions for the heavy alternative genre. Low Life, Roxy Girls and Stannington play The Lubber Fiend on Friday 8th July. www.lowlife.bandcamp.com
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INTERVIEWS
PIT PONY
LUKE WALLER FINDS OUT WHAT MAKES NORTH EAST FEROCIOUS FUZZ ROCK FIVE-PIECE TICK AS THEY PREPARE TO RELEASE THEIR DEBUT ALBUM IMAGE BY AMELIA READ Fuzz rock, the style most often given to describe up-and-coming five-piece Pit Pony, does not do them justice; a diverse range of unique sounds makes the band what they really are. Driven by bass-heavy tracks with the force of a monster truck kept on rolling by a salvo of relentless drum lines, twisted and strangled guitars make up the meat of their music as well as providing unforgettable tunes, which are all backed up by the formidable voice of frontwoman Jackie Purver, whose style is raw and honest. This is the sound of Pit Pony that so many have loved through electrifying live shows and single releases since their formation in 2018. And now, in their first release since 2020, a long-awaited debut album, World To Me, will cast light on previously unheard
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sides of the band whilst maintaining the distinctive quality established by antecedent singles. One such idiosyncrasy is that the group are steeped in the culture of the North East. From newly-released single Supermarket’s cover, which proudly features a Newcastle United tattoo, to the video for latest single Sinking, which shows South Shields some love on celluloid, and childhoods spent under the influence of Jimmy Nail… the list continues. “I think we’re all from different parts of the North East,” laughs Jackie. “I’m South Shields, Andrew’s [guitar] Durham, Potter’s [bass] Newcastle, Garth’s [guitar] sort of Teesside way, and Joey’s [drums] Northumberland, so there’s only North Tyneside that we’ve not got! But I think it’s
COVER FEATURE
MUSIC
THERE’S A LOT ON THE ALBUM ABOUT WATER, AND I THINK THAT’S A LOT TO DO WITH GROWING UP NEXT TO THE SEA AND THE TYNE important because it kind of shapes your tastes and your interests. There’s a lot on the album about water, and I think that’s a lot to do with growing up next to the sea and the Tyne.” A noticeable feature of Jackie’s voice is the preservation of her natural Shields-tinged accent: “Sadly it is deliberate; everyone has to think about it because nobody really does it. It should be natural, but the way that music is, people don’t naturally sing in their own voices – but it’s more authentic.” Garth adds, “If I listen to something with someone singing in a different accent, for me, I instantly don’t believe what they’re saying. It’s dead mainstream. I love the Arctic Monkeys, it’s that thing of just writing songs that you mean… And they’ve maintained absolutely ginormous fan bases, not just churning out crap.” This candid nature shines through on more than one track on the new album, including Best Is Yet, an ode to youth, the lyrics of which band wordsmith Jackie wrote when reflecting on her time as a seventeen-year-old with an oyster of a world before her. Complete with references to William Blake, she recalls studying and enjoying his book Songs of Innocence and Experience –
somewhat potent, given the track’s subject matter. Jackie takes lyrical inspiration from poets such as Larkin and Shakespeare, ranging from wonderfully insightful (“And you know I’m not the one to make a promise I can’t keep, so I promise you love”) to anger-filled outbursts (“No fight, no flight, just stupidity, that’s right”). As for how the songs on this twelve-track album came together, Pit Pony’s songwriting process is a solid team effort. “We wrote a lot of it in lockdown, sending ideas backwards and forwards,” says Potter. “Andrew’s really good at putting things together on the computer that we couldn’t even dream of doing.” “When we have a nice riff or verse sorted, Jackie’ll provide a melody, which gives the song a lot of its intent and meaning,” adds Andrew. “Black Tar [the album’s first single] is a good example, because that was originally one me and Joey came up with, which was initially sounding a bit like Ty Segall or a bit Brian Jonestownsy – when Jackie brought the lyrics and it had a spikier meaning we just doubled the tempo, went all out on it!” “Some of the songs really formed and became what they sounded like in the studio, for example World To Me and Sinking. They were both two tracks in particular which had heavy input from [producer] Chris McManus.” The album’s title track is the type of song to make your ears prick up. From its first sombre strum, it is entrancing and profound. Jackie tells its story: “World To Me is actually really personal. Me and Garth have a little girl, so it touches on motherhood and having a baby. It’s about how your perspective changes about what’s important to you, because everything else sort of pales in comparison when you have a child.” The track also features a number of other special appearances, including Garth’s father’s guitar, a clarinet performance from Jackie’s brother, and a giggle from their child woven into the mix. “It was quite emotional,” bassist Potter remarks, “I remember feeling a bit like having a lump in my throat because it was just like, ‘Ah, that’s the take’. You could just tell it was quite special at the time.” In aid of the release of World To Me, Pit Pony will be performing a pair of sets; the first a semi-acoustic show at Newcastle’s RPM record shop, the second a more adrenaline-fuelled affair supported by bigfatbig and William Denton Wilde at Zerox’s Shooting Gallery, both on Friday 1st July, ahead of a short UK tour. “It’ll be the first and maybe only time we ever play with an acoustic guitar,” says Garth about the in-store show. “We did it once in practice, and it sounded great, and we really enjoyed it!” And listeners, whether live or on record at home, will doubtlessly be well pleased too. Pit Pony release World To Me on 1st July via Clue Records. They play an in-store at RPM and later at The Shooting Gallery, Newcastle on the same day. www.pitponyband.bandcamp.com
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INTERVIEW
CURIOUS FESTIVAL
T-B, L-R: David Hoyle, Alex Billingham, Farrell Cox
STEVE SPITHRAY FINDS OUT WHAT’S ON OFFER AT CURIOUS FESTIVAL’S CELEBRATION OF LGBTQIA+ CULTURE Curious Festival is an award-winning annual celebration of LGBTQIA+ culture across the North East. Founded in 2016, the festival explores and celebrates Queer culture through the arts. Working in partnership with arts and community organisations throughout the region, the festival aims to provide a safe space for Queer communities by creating platforms for artists, creatives and young people to be visible, represented and celebrated. Curious Festival founder Phil Douglas comments: “Now more so than ever, visibility for trans, non-binary and Queer artists is important. We’re delighted that Curious Festival is back to create Queer positive spaces, platform exciting new work and enable us to be with communities across the North East again. The world is changing.” Cat Hurst-McGahey, chair of LGBT+ Northern Social Group agreed. “It is a breath of fresh air to work with an organisation who understand the importance of equity and who provide representation for many parts of our communities who are often overlooked or ignored.” This year’s festival includes events at venues as far and wide as ARC Stockton, Gateshead’s BALTIC, Queen’s Hall in Hexham, Dance City and Northern Stage in Newcastle. There will also be
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Mini Pride and Wildflower events at various venues across Newcastle. The three weeks of events culminates with the Curious Stage at Northern Pride on Saturday 23rd and Sunday 24th July. Mini Pride will also be present at Summer Streets festival in Sunderland on Saturday 9th July as well as Billingham Library and Darlington Pride Weekender on dates in August. However, kicking things off on Friday 1st July at BALTIC will be The Noir Narrative, a platform for Black LGBTQIA+ creatives. The following day the same venue sees the Curious Families Day, a day of colourful workshops, a zine making session and sculpture workshop followed by an evening exploring gender and non-binary narratives in film with screenings of Queers Shorts and Anders Duckworth’s Mapping Gender. Over at ARC in Stockton on the same day there is a protest poster making workshop, with the posters created being displayed at the venue throughout July as part of the festival. Taking place at Live Theatre on Sunday 3rd July is The Future is Queer, a mix of performances and presentations by young creatives from across the region. Elsewhere, the first of three weekly evening sessions hosted by Queer Youth Music at Dance City takes place on Tuesday 5th July. On Thursday 7th July ARC
INTERVIEW
EVENTS
T-B, L-R: Lezzer Quest, Fatt Butcher, Sound Cistem
NOW MORE SO THAN EVER, VISIBILITY FOR TRANS, NON-BINARY AND QUEER ARTISTS IS IMPORTANT hosts Curious Cabaret, an evening of live performance, film and exhibition celebrating LGBTQIA+ culture which is also available to livestream at home, while the whole show decants to Queen’s Hall in Hexham the following evening with both nights hosted by performance legend David Hoyle. Back at Dance City the fifth Annual Curious Vogue Ball will take place on Saturday 8th July followed by more cabaret at Sage Gateshead on Wednesday 13th July, this time with Gladys Duffy on DJ duties while songwriter Beccy Owen and cabaret performer Fatt Butcher will also be performing. The Northern Stage Queer Change Showcase takes place on Thursday 14th-Friday 15th July, with a number of events across two days at the venue including a reading of I’m A Cliché from artists Jade Sweeting and Jenni Mac, which investigates stereotypes within Queer culture; Joy Cruickshank’s How To Be A Hot Mess challenges traditional storytelling and gender norms in a fast-paced show of stand-up, spoken word, drag artistry and theatre; Farrell Cox’s Ambivalence uses aerial acrobatics and movement to depict an emotional journey; Alex Billingham’s Milk And Honey celebrates “misshaped misfits”; Mo Svendson’s Tits To Tats is a one-person show which focuses on the trans-masculine experience; and FLOOD Theatre’s verbatim spoken word piece Nite Life looks at bisexuality and the Queer club scene. Rounding things off at the same venue on Saturday 16th July will be Sound Cistem, a two-person ‘up yours’ to the gender binary with a radical dance party. Disabled trans fem artist Alex Billingham is grateful for the
opportunity to be included on the line-up. “Curious Festival have been amazingly supportive of me, giving me space to leap from live art to theatre. Making space for othered communities is vitally important. Being able to support audience members to not feel as alone with this as I once did.” Away from the official Curious programme, plenty of events are going on as a wider celebration of Pride. Of particular note at The Old Coal Yard in Newcastle on Saturday 23rd July, Sister Shack’s Bend & Shake is a Queer party run by women and non-binary people where the ethos is everyone is welcome, but the event aims to provide a welcoming space for women, non-binary people, trans women, trans men, asylum seekers and Queer international people of colour (QIPOC). Built on what the group perceive to be the absence of a truly inclusive Pride in the North East, the event will offer an alternative to the Newcastle scene by representing other marginalised communities through music that doesn’t just stick to the idea of what ‘Queer culture’ is and will include two floors of multi-genre dance music. DJs include the incredibly named Lezzer Quest, regular guests at many of Scotland and the UK’s most revered venues; DJ Hollie, who grew up listening to Northern soul and Tamla Motown and has been a constant on the North East music scene for many years as a resident DJ at Hoochie Coochie; musical polymath Ivory Thing; DJ/violin duo Kintra; Mzansi-influenced DJ Azula Bandit, who will bring women and non-binary heavy hip-hop and R&B sounds to the party, while Samara Laboriel is a creative and DJ born and bred in Newcastle. Dyspraxic Queer DJ Awkward Black Girl completes the extensive line-up. Curious Festival takes place from Friday 1st July-Sunday 24th July at various venues throughout the North East. www.curiousarts.org
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INTERVIEW
STAGE
Alex Rowland, Charlie Dearnley and Chris Fonseca. Dancers are wearing Subpac technology that translates sound to vibration. Image by Paul Miller
SURFACE AREA DANCE THEATRE
LIZZIE LOVEJOY TALKS TO DEAF DANCE ARTIST CHRIS FONSECA ABOUT SURFACE AREA DANCE THEATRE’S NEW PRODUCTION
Surface Area Dance Theatre’s new performance at BALTIC explores the power of British Sign Language (BSL), d/Deaf culture, Japanese culture and butoh. Behind The Face Of A Rock, Throwing Stones will be performed on Friday 8th-Saturday 9th July, with workshop activity also taking place on the Saturday. Deaf dance artist and global deaf ambassador Chris Fonseca is one of the performers in this project. He discusses the links between BSL and dance as well as how that impacts his work. “British Sign Language is not only a form of communication but is also a visually receptive dancing language. At the core of my work is a fusion of dance, and elements of sign language, that reinforce visual concepts; a message sent by the performer is received by an audience who then, by nature, raises an awareness of sign language. We embrace and appreciate sign language as a language that inherently promotes a level of understanding and sign language culture, formed by grammatical structures that easily incorporate dance, sign song, poetry, and visual vernacular.” The work of performers and events like this can help bridge gaps in equality and make entertainment and creative expression accessible for more people. “I am witness to, and support in my work, an expanding awareness which I know is embraced in contemporary dance and art.” Chris explains. “We know to expect and find a daily world occupied by a spectrum of dancers in size, race, disability and religion and that we are respectful to artists from diverse backgrounds.” This project makes use of SubPac, a wearable technology that translates sound to vibration and is accessed by dancers, DJs, gamers and VRS. Chris shares how he interacts with this tool. “My relationship with SubPac allows me to identify deeper levels of sound/bass so that my body feels drum beats and counts, tone and tempo. This body-to-sound and vibration relationship reinforces my understanding of music. I feel sound through
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BRITISH SIGN LANGUAGE IS NOT ONLY A FORM OF COMMUNICATION BUT IS ALSO A VISUALLY RECEPTIVE DANCING LANGUAGE vibration. SubPacs are very useful as they support my ability to channel a focal point that directs my intention when I’m choreographing and performing to music.” Surface Dance Theatre are not only presenting performances, but a BSL accessible workshop as well. “I believe it is very important to engage with the community on multiple levels. These different approaches reach people by visually demonstrating the diverse and wide-reaching spectrum of arts activities that are experimental and test ideas. This, I believe, is the best way of sharing knowledge and experience and recognisably the best way to engage diverse audiences and communities.” Accessibility doesn’t stop there. Behind The Face Of A Rock, Throwing Stones explores a range of cultures, identities and languages, culminating in a celebration of the human experience. “As an artist involved in the production, I have gained newfound knowledge that has flourished throughout the project’s journey, and with this follows an appreciation of diverse art, cultural language, movement and sound.” Chris explains. “The experience has expanded my creativity and developed my understanding of accessibility and how I can enjoy the process as much as audiences that enjoy the live performances!” Surface Area Dance Theatre present Behind The Face Of A Rock, Throwing Stones at BALTIC, Gateshead on Friday 8th and Saturday 9th July, with the workshop taking place at midday on Saturday 9th. www.surfacearea.org.uk
INTERVIEW
EVENTS
L-R, T-B: Yaatri, Srishti Dance Company - SEVENS by Luci Barriball, Jasdeep Singh Degun, Lore by Mani Kambo
MASALA FESTIVAL LIZZIE LOVEJOY CHATS WITH GEM ARTS’ VIKAS KUMAR ABOUT THE SMORGASBORD OF SOUTH ASIAN DELIGHTS ON OFFER AS MASALA FESTIVAL RETURNS
After a tumultuous couple of years of hybrid events, South Asian Masala Arts and Culture Festival returns to physical venues across Newcastle and Gateshead from Monday 18th-Sunday 24th July, and GemArts’ Director Vikas Kumar MBE is delighted to be engaging once again with local communities. “The energy that is created between performers on stage and live audiences is what we all do this for, it is totally exhilarating, irreplaceable, and we’ve missed it massively. It is all about creating shared cultural experiences, be that with your friends, family or absolute strangers. Festivals bring people together to create lifelong memories, celebrating culture and identity, and we certainly guarantee that with this year’s Masala Festival!” Appropriately for the festival’s seventh year, it all begins at Dance City on Monday 18th with a performance of SEVENS, a dance and musical celebration by Srishti Dance Company made up of three parts: Snags, Steps and Sins, celebrating the sacred and sometimes sinful connotations of the number seven. Regional artists working in visual arts are well represented: Lore by Mani Kambo and Narivad by Sofia Barton are both viewable in the gallery of Gateshead Central library throughout the festival (and running until Saturday 10th September), sharing histories of objects, storytelling and Indian suffragettes. “It is vitally important that the festival shines a light on regional talent,” Vikas says. “We are really proud to be able to programme national and international artists, alongside the exceptional talent we have in the region. We also have Payal Ramchandani, one of the UK’s
FESTIVALS BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER TO CREATE LIFELONG MEMORIES, CELEBRATING CULTURE AND IDENTITY, AND WE CERTAINLY GUARANTEE THAT WITH THIS YEAR’S MASALA FESTIVAL!
leading Kuchipudi dancers based in Newcastle, and her new work The Forest Dreams [Caedmon Hall, Friday 22nd] blends Indian classical dance forms with contemporary dance to highlight the climate crisis.” There will also be a group exhibition from local students entitled Jashn, which will reflect on the diversity of experience expressed in South Asian lives, available to view from Sunday 24th July-Wednesday 24th August at Bensham Grove Community Centre. Elsewhere in the programme, film screenings include a series of contemporary South Asian shorts at BALTIC on Tuesday 19th, which investigate facets of identity, nature, physicality and purpose, and there’s poetry readings at Newcastle Uni’s Culture Lab on Wednesday 20th courtesy of Bloodaxe poets Amali Gunasekera and Shazea Quraishi. Live music comes courtesy of a couple of performers who already have an army of fans in the region. Newcastle’s The Globe will welcome the art rock-infused jazz sounds of Yaatri on Thursday 21st, and they’re among the highlights for Vikas. “Yaatri are well worth checking out. A five-piece alt. rock/jazz group causing a real stir with their rhythms of India, mixed with electronic music, and energy of rock and roll, what’s not to like!” Also no stranger to the region, Jasdeep Singh Degun shows off his recent album, Anomaly, at Sage Gateshead on Friday 22nd, accompanied by a large ensemble of collaborators from across the Indian classical, western classical and jazz traditions. To bring the festival to a close on Sunday 24th, join in with Mini Mela at Bensham Grove Community Centre, a family friendly day of crafts, music performance and even more activities. GemArts’ Masala Festival takes place at venues in Newcastle and Gateshead from Monday 18th-Sunday 24th July. www.gemarts.org
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INTERVIEW
THE DELINES
WITH TERRIBLE ACCIDENTS AND GLOBAL PANDEMICS, THE RECENT HISTORY OF THE DELINES COULD ALMOST BE A COUNTRY SONG. LEE FISHER SPOKE TO SONGWRITER WILLY VLAUTIN TO FIND OUT HOW THEY’RE BEARING UP AHEAD OF THEIR FORTHCOMING GOSFORTH CIVIC THEATRE SHOW
The last time we spoke to The Delines’ guitarist and songwriter Willy, the band were re-emerging after a hiatus caused by a horrible accident experienced by singer Amy Boone. Then came lockdown and another forced break. It had to be hard keeping up the momentum, but Vlautin is typically generous and philosophical about it all. “You know, ever since Amy recovered from her accident and could still be in the band, I’ve been nothing grateful. Even with
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forced breaks here and there. And you’re right, the pandemic stopped us in our tracks, but we all knew if the world didn’t end we’d be a band again. So frustrating, yes, but we still worked. We made The Sea Drift and a soundtrack to my book The Night Always Comes… and I spent I spent the pandemic writing. It was the longest I’d been home in over twenty years. So for me, I got lucky, it had a couple of upsides.” The Sea Drift came out in February to some of the band’s best
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I WAS HOPING WE COULD TRANSPORT THE LISTENER INTO OUR WORLD
Image by Jason Quigley
reviews yet. It’s a beautiful record, building on the rich country soul of its two predecessors. The band had talked about it being their cinematic ‘Gulf Coast’ album and this feeling seems to have been in place right from the writing stage. “I think going into writing the songs, I was hoping we could transport the listener into our world,” Vlautin explains. “I constructed them that way, the stories of them and the melodies. I left big open spaces where I knew Cory [Gray], the keyboardist and trumpeter, would come up with the cool shit he did. I can’t say enough about how great he is.” One of the obvious standout tracks is Kid Codeine, a track which marries one of Vlautin’s brief but insightful character studies to a breezy sixties pop melody. It’s an avenue Vlautin is keen to explore. “You know, I hope we can do that kind of tune more often. I’m actually just starting to write more upbeat tunes. For a long time, I was in this kind of melancholy groove because Amy is so good on those tunes that I just couldn’t stop.” Vlautin is as ever still full of wonder for Boone’s voice and delivery. “She’s so fun to write songs for because she’s one of my favourite singers. So I never get tired of it and she keeps getting better. She’s just got that thing that makes me believe her when she sings. She’s got old school soul. And she pulls me back from
being too bleak or dark. She always takes me aside and says, ‘Can’t you write me a love song once in while, a song that isn’t so heavy? Can’t a girl just have an easy time?’” The spirit of Tony Joe White, the astonishing musician and songwriter from Louisiana who wrote such classics as Polk Salad Annie and Rainy Night In Georgia, has always been present in The Delines’ work, the latter in particular being a touchstone. “It started there, with us talking about that tune and her saying that I should write her a tune that good for our next record. Jesus, how do you do that? I sure wish I could, I know that. But I started trying in my own way. In general, there’s such a sense of place to Tony Joe White’s songs, and also a warmth. There’s that inviting feel to his voice and the way he frames songs and the production, and I think we always wanted The Delines to feel a bit like that. A sound that’s smooth, velvet, but the world inside that velvet is real and stark, beat up and bruised.” The Delines have been touring pretty regularly since the world opened up again, and Vlautin admits it was hard getting back into gear. “I think we’ve all slowed down. Both literally and mentally. And then on tour it’s wham! But I guess everyone is feeling that. Nothing much else has changed. Luckily so far people have been coming out to the shows, so fingers crossed that continues.” Indeed, as soon as The Delines’ last European tour finished, Vlautin was in the UK promoting The Night Always Comes with no break at all. “It was only hard because I’m not used to being in front of people any more. With the pandemic and also being in The Delines I’ve gotten used to being out of any sorta public eye. So doing those book gigs was like being thrown into a cold river. I was like, Jesus I forgot how it feels to be nervous and to have to say things and try to act coherent. But it’s lucky to get to do them and I love my novels and want to help them in any way I can.” The Delines play Gosforth Civic Theatre on Thursday 14th July. The Sea Drift is out via Décor Records now. www.thedelines.com
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INTERVIEW
DURHAM BRASS FESTIVAL DAWN STOREY CHECKS OUT THE BOLD AND BRASSY LINE-UP FOR THIS YEAR’S CELEBRATION OF SOUNDS
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T-B, L-R: Old Dirty Brasstards, YolanDa Brown, Ibibio Sound Machine Following a two-year hiatus, Durham BRASS festival makes its much awaited comeback this July, with some of the UK’s finest musicians booked to perform in iconic locations. A highlight of the city’s summer for anyone who’s witnessed past BRASS events, its 2022 programme is bursting with shows which celebrate brass music in its many forms – so don’t miss out by thinking it only encompasses traditional brass bands, because with a line-up which includes a Mercury Music Prize and Brit Award nominee, a band fronted by the current British Poet Laureate and the usual energetic street bands, there’s definitely something for everyone on the bill. As gig venues go, you can’t get much more impressive than Durham Cathedral, which will play host shows from Richard Hawley, who will be re-interpreting his own songs with the backing of traditional Durham colliery band the NASUWT Riverside Brass Band (Saturday 16th), and LYR, which comprises singer Richard Walters, producer Patrick J Pearson and is fronted by poet Simon Armitage with the Easington Colliery band (Friday 15th). Meanwhile the Gala Theatre welcomes a variety of performances including Afro-funk band Ibibio Sound Machine (Thursday 14th), the super fun sounds of Old Dirty Brasstards (Friday 15th), reggae, jazz and soul fusion artist YolanDa Brown (Saturday 16th) and what promises to be a special performance from local favourites Field Music (Sunday 10th) – for Binding Time: Songs and Stories From The Durham Coalfields, Sunderland’s Peter and David Brewis have researched and written songs inspired by coal mining in the region and the struggles of mining communities. The songs have been arranged to be performed by Field Music and their band along with a seven-piece brass section from the NASUWT Riverside Band. Also at the venue, deaf performance artist and choreographer Chisato Minamimura premieres her film exploring the history of brass music in County Durham from her
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ITS 2022 PROGRAMME IS BURSTING WITH SHOWS WHICH CELEBRATE BRASS MUSIC IN ITS MANY FORMS perspective as a deaf artist, and also runs a workshop around sensory perception and human encounters (Gala Studio, Tuesday 12th). Outside of the city itself, conductor, musicologist and composer Ben Lunn presents an exploration of the history and culture of the region with his new song cycle for voice and brass at Ushaw Chapel (Wednesday 13th), the popular Streets of Brass event returns on Saturday 16th and Sunday 17th, with a host of world-renowned artists spreading joy throughout County Durham, playing mini gigs and hosting workshops in schools and care homes in the local community. The much-loved Big Brass Bash evenings will also be taking place in local parks (dates and venues to be confirmed) bringing free music to local communities who may not otherwise engage with it. Starring old favourites like Spain’s Artistas del Gremio, all-female Italian street band Girlesque and Leeds band Back Chat Brass as well as new faces from across the world, the week of fun culminates in the usual fabulous and free finale party bringing all the street bands together in Wharton Park from 6pm on the Saturday night. Durham may have lost out on its City of Culture bid, but it’s still determined to shout about its reputation as a cultural hotspot and create unforgettable experiences for everyone. BRASS Festival takes place at various venues in Durham from Sunday 10th-Sunday 17th July. www.brassfestival.co.uk
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LYR
I HOPE WE’VE CREATED SOMETHING STIRRING AND PASSIONATE THAT PEOPLE FEEL EXCITED BY BUT ALSO PROUD OF IN RELATION TO WHERE THEY COME FROM AND WHO THEY ARE
LEIGH VENUS DISCOVERS THE EMOTION AND HISTORY ENVELOPED IN LYR’S NEW EP, WHICH WILL DEBUT AT BRASS FESTIVAL
“I wasn’t prepared for the sound in the room. The warming up of the instruments and the arranging of the humans threw me back to when I used to play in orchestras as a kid. When they played their first notes, it was tear-jerking and jaw-dropping. I was also frantically plugging in microphones, hoping I could capture the best possible version of it.” The emotions that washed over producer Patrick J. Pearson as he set about recording the Marsden Silver Prize Band are infused throughout Firm As A Rock We Stand, the new EP from LYR – the fascinating ambient rock band featuring Patrick and singer Richard Walters alongside lead singer (and current UK poet laureate) Simon Armitage. The EP depicts the stories and voices of former mining villages left to die; a wound on the national landscape picked at by Marsdenborn Armitage when he discovered his village’s North East doppelgänger had been wiped off the map. “I’d grown up knowing there was another Marsden. I was always fascinated as to where it was and what it was like, so it felt a bit like having a severed limb or something. I don’t think we’re used to the idea that places can just disappear; it’s anathema to us as people.” One of County Durham’s notorious ‘Category D’ mining villages, Marsden was a place where no future development would be permitted, and all properties would be acquired and demolished, consigning a tightly woven community to little more than memory. “I’m biased because I grew up in a village,” reflects Simon, “but I like that size of community where you can still feel free enough to do what you want, but you’re also looked after by a group of people, and you’re accountable to them as well, you’re accountable for your friends.” LYR will debut the evocative collection of songs live at Durham
Cathedral as part of Durham BRASS Festival on Friday 15th July. “It was deeply moving and surprisingly so,” says Richard. “Brass bands have a nostalgia that goes back to Christmas or growing up in a village, gatherings of the community. It instantly taps into some part of our past. It feels very ancient, weirdly.” Sharing the floor with Easington Colliery Band for the BRASS Festival performance, the band are anticipating the heady emotions of the night. “A lot of people in the room will have connections with bands, with County Durham, with those villagers,” says Simon, “and I like the idea that we’ve given them an opportunity to form this big communion. I hope we’ve created something stirring and passionate that people feel excited by but also proud of in relation to where they come from and who they are.” “Even if you don’t feel connected to the story or you’re unaware, it’s a fantastic opportunity to see the combination of all of these things in the Cathedral,” says Patrick. Deeply moved by the voice of communities here and gone, while the show is not to be missed, LYR are keeping the village hall door ajar for future collaborations. “We’ve got a taste for the brass band world now,” enthuses Simon. “Pat has nailed how to record a brass band, and we’ve been approached by other bands. It’s an amazing story, a really rich story, so there might be more to be said.” LYR perform alongside Easington Colliery Band at Durham Cathedral on Friday 15th July as part of BRASS Festival. Firm As A Rock We Stand is out now. www.lyrband.com www.brassfestival.co.uk
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INTERVIEW
STAGE
MAKE HOPE POSSIBLE OVER THE COURSE OF ONE WEEKEND AT LIVE THEATRE, ARTISTS, WRITERS AND ACTIVISTS ENCOURAGE IDEAS AROUND HOW SOCIETY CAN BE RESHAPED TO MAKE THE WORLD BETTER; HELEN REDFERN TALKS TO JACK MCNAMARA ABOUT WHY HOPE IS IMPORTANT “Hope for me is a kind of energy, it’s the way of getting you out of bed, to give you the clarity and passion to do something, to fight for good things and goodness.” Jack McNamara, Live Theatre’s new Artistic Director, has thought a lot about hope. Having programmed and taken creative lead on the upcoming Make Hope Possible festival – which runs at Live Theatre from Friday 1st-Sunday 3rd July – he recognises that true hope runs far deeper than a happy, smiley positivity. “Hope is an effort, it doesn’t come easy. It’s something we need, not in a deluded way, but in a genuine way. In this context, hope is seen as a radical notion, not a passive one.” The implication of Make Hope Possible is that hope sometimes feels impossible. Why is now the right time to be presenting this series of performances and workshops? “There’s plenty to despair about; there always has been and sadly, there always will be,” explains Jack. “We’ve had a particularly foundation-shaking kind of time, haven’t we?” He goes on to talk about COVID, war, the actions of politicians and the climate, concluding: “It’s a frightening time for so many people. There’s a lot to feel bleak about.” The projects over this weekend are not specifically about these ‘headline topics’ however, but rather look deeper in a conceptual way at what underpins them – how we think about race and sexuality, about our relationship as a regional city to London, about society and how it can be reshaped to make the world better, brighter and kinder. And then, there’s the climate. Love Letters For A Liveable Future (Saturday 2nd at 11am) is a Metis Arts workshop, bringing
HOPE IS AN EFFORT, IT DOESN’T COME EASY. IT’S SOMETHING WE NEED, NOT IN A DELUDED WAY, BUT IN A GENUINE WAY
together environmental activists, artists and academics, harnessing people’s ability and power to make change and equipping artists in the region. Aware that this one weekend is “just a slice”, Jack continues: “I’m really passionate about programming future festivals focussed entirely on climate, entirely on very specific areas. At Live, we have lots of amazing spaces, a democratic theatre space, lots of outdoor space…it’s a great environment for bringing people together to debate and explore ideas.” So what can the arts, and theatre in particular, bring to these huge topics of our time? “Art has the ability to manipulate in a positive way…a way of drawing people into a different kind of consciousness. Throughout the festival programme, there’s a playfulness because we’re a theatre, we’re not just a forum for lectures. We add a bit of spice to things. These are provocative works in their ideas but aesthetically, we’re making them very beautiful and lovely to experience.” He gives the example of how the animated reading on the Saturday evening by actor Toby Jones of Alex Niven’s ground-breaking manifesto New Model Island is paired with music from Newcastle-based electronic folk innovator Me Lost Me, so that “the heavy ideas and concepts will be beautifully lifted by the rich soundscape of sound and music and songs.” Jack McNamara is looking for curious audiences – writers, thinkers, makers, changemakers – to come together to explore, playfully and seriously, how we can make big changes that bring back hope to the world. This is a festival about how things aren’t working but how they can work. So bring your curiosity of mind, your ideas and concepts. Stick around to chat. Let hope change you. Make Hope Possible runs at Live Theatre from Friday 1st-Sunday 3rd July. See the website for the full line-up. www.live.org.uk
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INTERVIEW
DOCKSUNS
JAKE ANDERSON FINDS OUT HOW SUNDERLAND’S CATCHY INDIE BAND DOCKSUNS CRAFTED THEIR NEW EP
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Sunderland rock stars Docksuns are releasing their new EP this month, and from its title to its sound, it’s a release rooted in the band’s local identity. Titled Nile Street, the band talk about how the name derives from the creation of the release itself: “It’s where the magic happens basically. In our rehearsal studio on Nile Street, Sunderland. It’s where an acoustic version is transformed into an anthem, the process of four lads contributing to the finish article.” The photo used for the cover also has a story behind it. Continuing the theme of roots and beginnings, the EP artwork represents the beginning of the band’s lead guitarist Steve’s journey into music. “The photo you see on the cover is an old retro picture of lead guitarist Steve, holding his first ever guitar. Always a special memory for any musician, seemed fitting to whack it on some artwork!” It’s been about three years since the band’s debut EP, This Is The Last Time, and a lot has changed for them. “Our last EP was produced when the band was a five-piece, in the early days of Docksuns. Since then, we’ve become a four-piece. As most bands do, we learn from mistakes, from experiences and we’ve matured massively in our songwriting since then – writing catchy melodies and riffs is what we are all about.” Front person James Baxter reveals how each of the songs progressed from their initial ideas: “Our writing process involves a combination of all four members, which, when we get it right, gives you some buzz in the rehearsal room.” James mentions anthemic track Share The Night, the band’s newest song: “It started off a lot slower, but after the lads got their hands
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WRITING CATCHY MELODIES AND RIFFS IS WHAT WE ARE ALL ABOUT on it, it got over 130BPM. It was just so natural how quick we got it turned round and headed straight to the studio to get it down.” Dream World, a delightfully catchy indie epic, was conceived by both Baxter and Marty Clark in 2019. “It sat in the darkness for years until one jamming session we decided to get it on the ‘operating table’. It’s now the track you hear today, an indie toe tapper about appreciating your home town – everyone has dreams, but everyone forgets.” Ending on Criminals, which the band admit is a darker yet no less melodic track, it’s a song that’s been in the band’s rotation for a while. “We recorded it in 2021, but never felt a place for it, until now. It balances the EP and ends it on a high. For some reasons we’ve always underrated this song, as it goes down a treat at live shows and is often our opener.” Having tasted success by gaining regional airplay, the band’s focus turns to their live show, and they’ve got an explosive London debut already under their belts. “London was an experience. A five hour drive just to play a half hour set for a near enough sold-out night, with a surprising sprinkle of people from Sunderland chanting our tunes back from the front row!” Docksuns release Nile Street on 1st July. www.facebook.com/docksuns
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L-R, T-B: Ladies of Midnight Blue by Amelia Read, Dandyism, The Lovely Eggs
SUMMER STREETS
STEVE SPITHRAY TALKS TO SUMMER STREETS’ ORGANISER ROSS MILLARD ABOUT THE RETURN OF THE SUNDERLAND FESTIVAL When I asked Futureheads guitarist and Summer Streets IT’S A CHANCE TO BRING THE FULL AUDIENCE organiser Ross Millard about this year’s festival, he was obviously delighted to have the event back in real-life Cliffe TOGETHER FOR A DAY OF LIVE MUSIC, Park in Sunderland, after two years of online activities and PERFORMING ARTS AND GOOD FOOD AND DRINK smaller-scale live shows. “It’s a chance to bring the full audience together for a day of live music, performing arts and good food and drink. There are plenty of things for kids to get involved in as well this year, with lots of programming aimed especially at children. I’m also hoping that the gig-going regulars of the North East turn out for it too, because we’ve got some brilliant artists on. It’s the first time Stage 2 has been run in partnership with BBC Music Introducing NE, so we’ve got plenty of great emerging talent on that stage as well.” The free festival, which takes place on Saturday 9th July, will include music from folk pop legend Martin Stephenson and the Daintees, psychedelic punk rock band The Lovely Eggs, soul and funk legends Smoove and Turrell, dynamic Afro-Latin percussion and brass duet Ladies of Midnight Blue and fast-rising Sunderland singer Faye Fantarrow, who has recently signed to Dave Stewart’s Bay Street Records. BBC Look North presenter Jeff Brown will host Stage 2, which includes electronic folk from Me Lost Me, Middlesbrough MC Shakk, neo-soul artist Kate Bond, alternative rockers Labyrinthine Oceans and soulful songstress Beth Macari. All this alongside the traditional mix of street performers, arts and crafts, and food and drink. The line-up will be completed by performances from Sunderland Youth Choir and Orchestra, Sunderland Guitar, Ukulele and Bass (GUB) Club, Sunderland Young Musicians Project and Right Track, a local project to help develop young, creative and inspiring musicians. Ross further explained. “After the frustrations of the last couple of years, we’re excited to be delivering a fantastic range of live performers, and Summer Streets has always been about providing a platform for new and emerging talent as well as
community musicians and singers. A big part of Summer Streets is providing a platform for these local performers to showcase their talent.” Ross has also been working with Helen Green, Head of Performance at Sunderland Culture, to put together a programme of street theatre performances. These will include Patrick Ziza’s Dandyism Dance, the aerial theatre company Uncaged Aerial, a Time Machine Disco from Glass House Disco and Space Camp, a brilliant immersive experience that takes audiences into space. Nrithta-Maya Dance Team and Inspire Stage School will also be performing on the day. Activities for children include Tiny Tweeties musical workshops and a Mini Pride delivered by Curious Arts with family-friendly workshops from Infinite Arts and Chalk. A co-commission with The Cultural Spring was also launched to find a community group, creative company or individual to decorate the site ensuring the park will look its best on the day. In addition to all this, and perhaps not for the children, Pop Recs Ltd., in their amazing new High Street West spot, will host Pigs, Pigs, Pigs, Pigs, Pigs, Pigs, Pigs on Thursday 7th July with support from heavy rockers Pit Pony and visceral post-punks TV Death. There will also be an exclusive free show from the warm and wondrous Kenneth Ishak and Newcastle rock super-group Weekend Faithful at the same venue on Saturday 9th July. Summer Streets takes place on Saturday 9th July at Cliffe Park, Sunderland. www.summerstreetsfestival.com
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INTERVIEW
MATTHEW JAMESON ALI WELFORD TALKS TO THE PROLIFIC ELECTRONIC MUSICIAN ABOUT HIS NEW CREATIVE VENTURE
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Image by David Jameson
Accumulated over a five-year span, Matthew Jameson’s catalogue of diverse, riveting electronic music has already digested a wide smorgasbord of influences. In many ways, however, its latest entry marks a break from its predecessors, being a product of both nostalgia and a fervent deep-dive triggered by circumstance. “After Daft Punk broke up last year, I delved back into their discography – I’d been into them when I was younger, and their first album Homework really hit home for me,” the Sunderland artist (and sometime Yes Plant frontman) reveals. “From there, I discovered earlier projects that Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo had been involved with – Together and Le Knight Club – as well as other artists on the label Roulé.” Emerging from the rabbit hole, Jameson set about channelling this infatuation into a creative venture of his own; a passionate homage to the French house sound presented in the form of his latest record, This Side Down: “I really like how the genre utilises repetition, pumping compression, filters and samples to create super lively recordings. I set out to make something which had that same French house feel, whilst also being new and distinctly mine.” Certainly, this seven-track effort – Jameson’s sixth full-length, arriving less than eight months on from his last, Mercy of Memory – skilfully swerves the pitfalls of imitation and pastiche to which many similarly indebted projects succumb. Warm and familiar, but never to the point of distraction, its 44 minutes make for a dynamic, engrossing listening experience, primed for genre connoisseurs and more casual listeners alike. Though its sonic touchstones are self-evident, This Side Down also holds the distinction of being the first record Jameson approached without an overarching concept: “I wanted to focus more on sounds and textures, as well as technical aspects such as mixing, compression and EQ instead of track or album structure,” he recalls. “In the past, I think I’ve focused too
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I FEEL THAT DISTORTION AND SATURATION ARE USEFUL TOOLS FOR EXPRESSION, WHICH IS REALLY IMPORTANT FOR INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC. NOBODY IS PERFECT, SO WHY SHOULD MY RECORDINGS BE? much on coming up with concepts for projects, to make up for the fact I make instrumental music. Throwing that out the window and just going for what felt right was very liberating, and a valuable learning experience.” Freed from his self-imposed shackles, Jameson set about indulging further still, employing the films of Éric Rohmer and François Truffaut as visual references, and even sourcing indirect influence from the North East’s thriving post-punk and hardcore electro scenes. Crucially, he was equally unafraid to wear and repurpose hallmarks from his own discography – notably 2019’s NOT THIS, a radically different collection, yet one whose distorted fingerprints are evident throughout. “The techniques I used for that album were really fun to work with, and I gained a real appreciation for saturating signals and making lo-fi recordings,” he states. “I feel that distortion and saturation are useful tools for expression, which is really important for instrumental music. Nobody is perfect, so why should my recordings be? I also revisited similar timbres and styles to those of [2019 EP] The Second Dimension, where I explored high tempo techno for the first time.” With greater experience, perspective and an ever-widening raft of tools at his disposal, the final product makes for compelling listening – an absorbing addition to what’s quietly become one of the region’s most prolific electronic catalogues. Matthew Jameson releases This Side Down on Friday 29th July. www.matthewjameson.bandcamp.com
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FAT CHANCE
HELEN REDFERN TALKS TO TEESSIDE WRITER AND ACTRESS RACHEL STOCKDALE ABOUT HER REMARKABLE PLAY WHICH TACKLES THE STIGMA AROUND CLASS AND FAT PHOBIA “Fat. Northern. Female. You can’t be all three.” Having graduated from drama school after gaining a scholarship, Middlesbrough-born Rachel Stockdale was told this by a top agent, the truth of which was then borne out by her difficulty in finding roles. Rachel hadn’t always been fat – a descriptor she uses with candour. By looking at her mother, Rachel knew she was predestined genetically to be fat. Heeding her mother’s warnings, she worked hard during her teens to stay a size eight by constant dieting and exercising. “It was exhausting,” Rachel explains, “to be constantly counting calories takes up so much head space, there’s not much room for anything else.” And to be honest, Rachel had an innate sense of confidence in her body and sexuality, whatever size she was. She didn’t have a problem with her weight. It was other people who did. “Whatever size you are, you’re always too fat for someone,” she continues, “the fat friend in a group, too fat for a casting director…it’s always all about how small you can make yourself.” And so Rachel embarked on a ten year journey to allow her body to take up the space it needed to and to be the person she needed to be. The lightbulb moment came on her honeymoon, when she was mistaken as pregnant by a waiter (her biggest fear) after having risked her health on a crash diet to fit into her wedding dress. She ranted to her husband that day. Long and hard. His response? You need to write this all down. She did. And that’s where not only the idea for her play, Fat
RACHEL EMBARKED ON A TEN YEAR JOURNEY TO ALLOW HER BODY TO TAKE UP THE SPACE IT NEEDED TO AND TO BE THE PERSON SHE NEEDED TO BE
Chance, was conceived, but also a liberation from all the brain power it takes to stay thin that set Rachel’s creative imagination free. Rachel is comfortable with who she is, that intersectionality of size and class that makes her almost unique in the industry. She’s “benefit class, below working class” as she describes it, from a single parent family in central Middlesbrough, in the top 1% of underprivileged areas in the UK. Previewing at Live Theatre, Newcastle on Friday 22nd-Saturday 23rd July before heading up to Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Fat Chance is a funny, celebratory and politically powerful hour long one-woman play for anyone who’s put on weight or lost weight, anyone who had free school meals, anyone who’s tried to have it all – or anyone who’s known someone who has. It’s a play for everyone who’s ever felt like they didn’t fit in. A play for everyone then. We all know someone who’s experienced what Rachel has experienced. Now is the time (way past the time) to shed a light on the stigma around class and fat phobia; to talk about it, and to address the prejudice. As for Rachel, she’s done with what other people may think of how she appears and is enjoying how empowering that feels. “People need to stop commenting on other people’s bodies,” Rachel insists, “stop applauding others for being thin and judging others for being fat.” Brimming with confidence, writer and actress Rachel Stockdale is bringing Fat Chance to the stage four years after that initial lightbulb moment in the hope that others may too be set free from those comments about body image that affect us all. Rachel Stockdale presents Fat Chance at Live Theatre on Friday 22nd-Saturday 23rd July. www.rachelstockdale.com
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INTERVIEW
EVENTS
HARTLEPOOL WATERFRONT FESTIVAL
L-R, T-B: Jack of Hearts by Howy White Photography, Colly Metcalfe, Lizzie Lovejoy by Matthew Cooper
LAURA DOYLE CHATS TO SOME OF THE COMMISSIONED ARTISTS TAKING PART IN THIS YEAR’S WATERY-THEMED FESTIVAL Hartlepool’s Waterfront Festival returns for its fifth year on Saturday 9th-Sunday 10th July. After a couple of years of precautionary cutbacks due to global health concerns, it’s full steam ahead for 2022 with the forward-looking theme, When The Boat Comes In. There are big events and big changes coming to the area in the future, from Hartlepool Marina’s upcoming renovations which will transform the Festival’s usual site to the town’s stint as host for the Tall Ships Races in 2023. With such a transitory period on the horizon, the Waterfront Festival celebrates hellos and goodbyes with equal measure. The festival brings local talents and internationally renowned creative minds to the North East for a weekend of explorative entertainment. Prominently featured at the festival, located in Hartlepool’s Town Hall Theatre from Monday 4th-Sunday 10th July) will be multidisciplinary sculptor Luke Jerram’s standout piece Gaia; a to-scale replica of Planet Earth that allows its spectator to gaze upon it as if they were in space. In addition to exhibitions and interactive workshops for all ages and interests, the roster of North East-based movers and makers will make for a jam-packed weekend. Performer and writer Colly Metcalfe will be performing alongside the incredible singer songwriter Nadedja on the Sunday. She explains: “I am a deaf performer and writer. I write and perform spoken word in two languages, British Sign Language (BSL) and spoken English, sometimes I mix the two, sometimes I only use BSL with no voice over.” Her signed BSL performances are “a bit more like ‘signed dance’ than just taking a song and translating the words!” Metcalfe says of her
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THE FESTIVAL BRINGS LOCAL TALENTS AND INTERNATIONALLY RENOWNED CREATIVE MINDS TO THE NORTH EAST FOR A WEEKEND OF EXPLORATIVE ENTERTAINMENT
performance at Waterfront: “I will be adding grace and deeper meaning using not only BSL, but body language and full emotion. Performing live with Nadedja will absolutely blow people away, bringing my language into the mainstream. Having live vocals will make for a very interesting third dimension to Nadedja’s beautiful work, and hopefully this visual different aspect will capture the audience.” Illustrator and spoken word artist Lizzie Lovejoy has taken a few projects under their belt this year, including a performance piece touching on ideas of support, community and friendship, as well as one in collaboration with Metcalfe “to develop a performance piece which celebrates Northern culture and champions our identities.” The Waterfront Festival is the perfect outlet for Lovejoy. “Northernness is inherent in all of my work, it’s core to who I am as a person, and I hope people will take pride in our collective identity and share in what we have built.” The newly formed community interest company Jack of Hearts have also been commissioned to create a performance piece. “We collected stories from local literature, historical records and a storytelling session held at the local pub, The Pot House,” explains creative producer Vicky Jackson, and The Pilot Cats of Pilot Pier already received a warm reception over the Jubilee weekend. Further attractions include Tangled Feet Theatre’s Murmurations; a guided tour into nature at North Gare; an extravagant ceilidh from performance group Folk Dance; Hartlepool Folk Festival take over the Campfire Stage on Saturday; while on Sunday, Tees Women Poets perform sets based around the festival’s theme. With the entire festival being unticketed and pay what you decide at each performance, the Waterfront Festival promises to a welcoming atmosphere for all. Hartlepool Waterfront Festival takes place at Hartlepool Marina on Saturday 9th-Sunday 10th July. www.hartlepoolwaterfrontfestival.com
INTERVIEW
RULED BY RAPTORS CAMERON WRIGHT DISCOVERS HOW THE POST-HARDCORE BAND FUSE PERSONAL STORIES WITH MEDITATED EXPERIMENTATION ON THEIR NEW EP
MUSIC
Image by Jamie Bott “I was once asked why I scream in my music and ultimately I think it comes down to punctuation. It’s an exclamation mark, it’s used when nothing else can emote or communicate what’s inside me.” This need for clarity, immediacy and honesty is at the heart of Newcastle post-hardcore quartet Ruled By Raptors. This month will see the release of Silent Sound, the EP which has spent years waiting for the ideal time to emerge from the shadows. 2018 introduced Ouroboros, the band’s riotous debut, but their latest is an explosion of earnest storytelling, melting over a combination of punching riffs, fiery vocals and crushing rhythms. Lurching into action instantly, the tracks play as a creative outlet for instability and torment, reflected through volcanic choruses and screeching guitars. Leaning into the post-hardcore need for experimentation, the daring release strides through challenges with a grace and ease that makes everything feel meditated and assured. With production by the revered Romesh Dodangoda (Bring Me The Horizon, Funeral For A Friend), the band aim to breathe life into four new hardcore hits when they hit stages across the country, as vocalist and guitarist Chris Bradley explains. “Touring is so important, that’s where all the personality is truly revealed, the greatest I’ve been to have been riddled with mistakes, but that’s where the bond between crowd and performance is strengthened and humanity is heightened.” Peeling back the layers is an essential part of their story and live shows have opened up new conversations which have been resonating with crowds across the country. “What was really poignant to us on the last release was the sense of connection we got, we had conversations with audience members who took their own stories and inserted them into our songs, it feels really important to continue.” Silent Sound is that continuation. Addressing hushed subjects and themes, the band reiterates that a subject becoming less taboo doesn’t mean that it’s a new thing; mental health, identity politics
WRITING THIS RECORD HAS FORCED ME TO BE CONCISE ABOUT THEMES I’D NORMALLY RAMBLE ABOUT. IT ADDS A STRUCTURE AND A RHYTHM TO AN OTHERWISE CLUTTERED AND NOISY MIND and the myriad of struggles that make up the human condition have always existed, it’s only now we are closer to understanding and accepting them. This acceptance of each other and of yourself is a prevailing concept throughout Silent Sound, as Chris explains. “I have OCPD, Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder. It creates this scary and confusing noise around me, I’m always bubbling with a thousand words and ideas and directions, it can be unbearable. This album is me addressing that. Writing this record has forced me to be concise about themes I’d normally ramble about. It adds a structure and a rhythm to an otherwise cluttered and noisy mind. It condenses a novel of thoughts into a verse and a chorus.” Addressing anxiety, fear and confusion, the lyrics of Silent Sound touch on something distinctly personal. “Dance of Wolves is about that worry of being a burden and how my fiancé has battled through the craziness. Oxy’s Moron is a depiction of the insane ups and downs that scream in my head, it maps out the swells of intensity and the moments of calm and reflection.” While being allowed into these stories, we can all find something of ourselves in these worries and ruminations. “Creativity is a necessity, it unties that knot and helps us understand ourselves, which in turn builds connection with like minded people.” Ruled By Raptors release Silent Sound on 15th July. They play Little Buildings, Newcastle on Thursday 14th July. www.ruledbyraptors.com
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LISTINGS
THE BEST OF THE REST...EVEN MORE ALTERNATIVE MUSIC, THEATRE, COMEDY, ART AND FILM TAKING PLACE THROUGHOUT THE NORTH EAST THIS MONTH FRIDAY 1ST JULY CEITIDH MAC
Alt. cellist and songwriter // Alphabetti Theatre, Newcastle
DIZRAELI
Poet, producer, songwriter, MC and multi-instrumentalist raconteur, supported by SQUARMS // Cobalt Studios, Newcastle
LIVE ON THE TERRACE...
VETIVER
Indie folk songwriter // The Cluny, Newcastle
FRIDAY 8TH JULY LIVE ON THE TERRACE...
DJ set from Azula Bandit, with food from Piggy Blinders // The Cumberland Arms, Newcastle
MACHINER
Neo-soul sounds from Kate Bond, plus food from Chuchos // The Cumberland Arms, Newcastle
Brand new indie rock from Hartlepool, whose sound is typified by skyscraping anthems and dark emotional undertones // Base Camp, Middlesbrough
THE FROOT
MICHAEL CASSIDY
Modern psych pop rock, supported by Undivine Telephoneline and EMU // NE Volume Music Bar, Stockton
THIEVES OF LIBERTY
North East heavy rockers, supported by Amongst Liars and Kulpa // Independent, Sunderland
SATURDAY 2ND JULY FRANKIE JOBLING
Neo-soul artist // The Cluny 2, Newcastle
GEORDIE JAZZ MAN
Screening of the film made about the late Keith Crombie, synonymous with Newcastle Jazz Cafe // The Exchange, North Shields
HILARITY BITES COMEDY CLUB
Featuring stand-up comedy from Eddy Brimson, Tom Taylor and Barry Dodds // Forum Music Centre, Darlington
PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS
The riff monsters return! // The Cluny, Newcastle
FEATURED //
Works On Paper
A unique opportunity to view rare drawings, watercolours and prints from the Hatton and Laing Art Gallery collections, with work ranging from the 16th Century to today, featuring artists including Samuel Palmer, Frank Auerbach, Laura Lancaster and Bronwen Sleigh. Runs until Saturday 6th August // Hatton Gallery, Newcastle
Contemporary folk pop artist from Paisley, supported by Sam Shields // Bobik’s, Newcastle
REDWOOD GROVE
Local metal band, supported by Cause for Concern and She Way Out // Independent, Sunderland
SATURDAY 9TH JULY TAANG
Alt. indie dancefloor filler // The Cluny 2, Newcastle
SUNDAY 10TH JULY CAT PEOPLE
Creepy, exotic thriller noir // Star & Shadow Cinema, Newcastle
MONDAY 11TH JULY AN EVENING WITH DAVID SEDARIS
Master of satire and witty raconteur // Tyne Theatre & Opera House, Newcastle
NEIL HARRIS/JULIE GRADY THOMAS
Work in progress shows // The Stand, Newcastle
TUESDAY 12TH JULY THE FOOTBALL MONOLOGUES
A poignant and passionate insight into the love of the beautiful game, with director Q&A // Tyneside Cinema, Newcastle
WEDNESDAY 13TH JULY A cross-genre night featuring music from Mortal Chains, Tony Bengtsson, Shaun Lawson and Craig Redpath // NE Volume Music Bar, Stockton
THURSDAY 14TH JULY
THURSDAY 7TH JULY FROM THE GLASSHOUSE
Featuring sets from art pop collective Dilettante, noisy alt. duo Badger and ethereal sounds of t l k // Sage Gateshead
OPEN SPACES
Exhibition by Sandra Rutter featuring semi-abstract work which focuses on landscapes and seascapes. Runs until Wednesday 3rd August // The Exchange, North Shields
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Enigmatic electronic music maker // The Lubber Fiend, Newcastle
TWO SHOWS FOR A TENNER
Felt Nowt present two work in progress stand-up comedy shows from Louise Young and Anja Atkinson // The Cumberland Arms, Newcastle
FRIDAY 15TH JULY GONE TOMORROW
Teesside alt. indie band, supported by indie punks Casual Threats // NE Volume Music Bar, Stockton
HILARITY BITES COMEDY CLUB
Featuring stand-up comedy from Matt Richardson, Jack Campbell and host Andy Fury // Bishop Auckland Town Hall
LAURENCE JONES
Virtuoso blues guitarist and singer // Forum Music Centre, Darlington
THE FUTUREHEADS
Sunderland’s favourite spiky, punky popsters // Salt Market Social, North Shields
SATURDAY 16TH JULY JASON COOK’S COMEDY CLUB
Expect big names and hot up and comers! // Customs House, South Shields
SUNDAY 17TH JULY BEACH RATS
Captivating drama, part of the LGBTQ+ Film Dialogue season // Star & Shadow Cinema, Newcastle
ELEANOR TIERNAN/BILAL ZAFAR
ANYTHING GOES…
SUNDAY 3RD JULY
SW1N HUNTER
FEATURED //
Science Speakeasy
In their latest night-time Science Speakeasy event, Life Science Centre pose the intriguing question, who owns space? Grab a drink and pull up a seat under Gaia, Luke Jerram’s seven-metre recreation of planet Earth, and hear from experts in astro physics, space law and extragalactic astronomy // Life Science Centre, Newcastle
Two work in progress stand-up shows, on their way to Edinburgh fringe // The Stand, Newcastle
TOM HINGLEY
A special acoustic show from the Inspiral Carpets frontman // The Waiting Room, Eaglescliffe
MONDAY 18TH JULY FORAGER
21st Century grunge punk from Manchester, with support from Holding Out and Dutch Elm // Little Buildings, Newcastle
THE JB CONSPIRACY
Ska, punk and reggae band, supported by ska punks Call Me Malcolm // Trillians, Newcastle
TUESDAY 19TH JULY FEATURED //
Been Stellar
New York-based cinematic indie, supported by Waves of Dread and Roxy Girls // Zerox, Newcastle
LISTINGS HURRAY FOR THE RIFF RAFF
New Orleans alternative country folk // The Cluny, Newcastle
WEDNESDAY 20TH JULY ANYTHING GOES
Cross-genre night featuring sets from Screamplay, Violet Uproar, Phil Cox and The Lights // NE Volume Music Bar, Stockton
SHOOTING DAGGERS
Hard/queercore punks from London, supported by Swedish punx Axe Rash // The Lubber Fiend, Newcastle
THURSDAY 21ST JULY GERRY & SEWELL
An exciting adaptation of Jonathan Tulloch’s The Season Ticket, featuring puppetry, live music and a purely belter tale of epic proportions. Runs until Saturday 6th August // Laurel’s, Whitley Bay
THE WARRENS
Indie rock quartet from Hartlepool, plus support from Sorry Escalator // The Studio, Hartlepool
SUNDAY 24TH JULY LOUISE YOUNG/JOSH JONES
Work in progress stand-up shows // The Stand, Newcastle
TUESDAY 26TH JULY HILARITY BITES COMEDY CLUB
Work in progress stand-up comedy shows from Justin Moorhouse and Lauren Pattison // Forum Music Centre, Darlington
WEDNESDAY 27TH JULY HAYLEY ELLIS
BEANS ON TOAST
Having had a baby just prior to lockdown, Hayley Ellis extols the joy and delirium of motherhood in her stand-up comedy show // The Forum Music Centre, Darlington
LIVE ON THE TERRACE...
FEATURED //
FRIDAY 22ND JULY Oddball folk singer, with support from Kitty Liv // NE Volume Music Bar, Stockton Live contemporary jazz from Knats, with food from Levs // The Cumberland Arms, Newcastle
ALL SEEING EYES
The new project from Johnny Walker from Soledad Brothers, plus support from Onlooker and Snagglepussy // Base Camp, Middlesbrough
SATURDAY 23RD JULY SUSIE MCCABE
Hilarious Scottish comic presents her work in progress show // The Stand, Newcastle
Kieff
Promoters Endless Window present a summery show featuring Dutch post-punk upstarts Kieff and their wonky pop goodness // The Cumberland Arms, Newcastle
THURSDAY 28TH JULY KAREN FROM FINANCE
Australian drag queen on a one-woman journey of self-discovery // The Stand, Newcastle
MUFF SAID
Comedy troupe Your Aunt Fanny present their Edinburgh Fringe show. Also on Friday 29th // The Cumberland Arms, Newcastle
THIAGO PONSANCINI
The Brazilian-born adopted Geordie presents his first abstract art collection, Beyond Visual. Runs until Tuesday 2nd August // Bottleworks, Newcastle
FRIDAY 29TH JULY CATCH 22 COMEDY CLUB
Featuring stand-up sets from Dave Johns, Jon Capewell, Andrew Bird and MC Aaron Twitchen // ARC, Stockton
THE CLAY BREAKERS
Good time rock ‘n’ roll, with support from alt. indie shoegaze band ARRMS // Forum Music Centre, Darlington
THRONES
Newcastle alt. rockers, supported by newshapes // Little Buildings, Newcastle
SATURDAY 30TH JULY FLIPPER
Noise rock legends // The Cluny, Newcastle
HIVEMIND
Melodic Sunderland rock quartet, supported by To Nowhere // Independent, Sunderland
SUNDAY 31ST JULY WHEEL OF FORTUNE AND FANTASY
Romantic drama anthology // Star & Shadow Cinema, Newcastle
FOR DAILY UPDATES ON ALTERNATIVE LIVE MUSIC, THEATRE, COMEDY, ART EXHIBITIONS, FILM SCREENINGS AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN THROUGHOUT THE NORTH EAST, HEAD TO NARCMAGAZINE.COM
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REVIEWS
Hannabiell Transmuted by Callum Robinson
HANNABIELL ‘TRANSMUTED’ FEATURING LADIES OF MIDNIGHT BLUE AND HANNABIELL & MIDNIGHT BLUE COLLECTIVE @ SAGE GATESHEAD (16.06.22) Words: Liv Aldridge The Midnight Blue Collective with Hannabiell Sanders and Yilis del Carmen Suriel at the core, showcase their ‘Transmuted’ residence at Sage Gateshead. The duo envision a kind of music that implements social justice through inclusivity. The band and the dancers of Ladies of Midnight Blue are arranged in a long half-moon shape across the stage; Sanders’ and Suriel’s sound has been described as Afro-psychedelic funk but the welding together of classical jazz, hand-drums and youthful indie riffs is stranger than that. As a listener I am drawn out of a critical consciousness of the music itself; loose patterns are achieved through regular dance intermissions, the performance of a solo by every band member and Sanders’ trombone solos. Sanders announces each piece with excitement and a laissez faire respect for her fellow musicians’ autonomy and skill. She acts as a democratic delegator of sonic and political power. When a screen comes down and words like ‘create’ and ‘knowledge’ appear, I am suspicious, but when these are substituted by ‘capitalism’ and ‘colonialism’ I cannot think of an argument against this prop when the dowdy lingo of performative activism is countered by bold proclamation of detrimental systems. The music approaches cinematic drama: where metallic spears of brassy noise are forgotten in the drilling intermission of airy, dry djembes and the heavier soupy noise of the electronic keyboard. Incorporating electronics really works: providing a bowl of depth to counter the dusty drums. The saxophone and trombone bellow and vibrate, gathering physical power, as if the motion of handling the heavy instrument is a gesture that we understand. The dancers are magnificent, jumping with wild grace, further engineering the excitement in the audience. People are wrenched out of their seats. The trombone is my new favourite instrument.
RUBBER OH, DEXTRO @ THE CLUNY 2, NEWCASTLE (04.06.22) Words: Ali Welford With little more than an hour of live music between them, this is a double-header which can ill-afford to indulge in filler. Fortunately, local
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supports don’t come much stronger than Dextro, the lesser-spotted electronic alias of polymathic musician Ewan Mackenzie. Floating effortlessly between droning synth, effervescent percussion and celestial guitar, his is a performance of rich interstellar wonder; an ambiguous dreamzone awash with arresting visuals and transcendental possibilities. Infrequent yet endlessly engrossing, Dextro’s appearances epitomise the merits of turning up early doors. Next up, it’s a debut local show and de-facto album launch for Rubber Oh – a North East supergroup of sorts, helmed by Pigsx7 guitarist and studio supremo Sam Grant. While not the most gifted frontman (his vocal sounds best in tandem with the more distinctive tones of Ceitidh Mac), Grant atones for his lack of gravitas through imagination and skilled sonic design – traits sported in spades in this short but sweet exhibit of Strange Craft’s delightfully odd, cosmically-tinged psych-pop. He’s not shy of melody either – though even instant hooks such as Little Demon and Hyperdrive Fantasy are driven first and foremost by the twin-bass engine of John-Michael Hedley and Luke Elgie. Juxtaposed by flat, droning keys and Grant’s own dollops of guitar distortion, the chief drawback is that these gloopy sludge pop gems don’t come in larger portions. Here’s hoping there’s plenty left where they came from…
DALEK, HOLY SCUM @ THE CLUNY 2, NEWCASTLE (13.06.22) Words: Ben Lowes-Smith Holy Scum are a band with a novel approach to audience participation, as this writer learned almost immediately after entering the venue: their guitar player plonked his guitar over my shoulders and implored me to vamp. It felt fitting – as there is a sense of fun and real light and shade to the way that they operate. Featuring members of Gnod, Action Beat and Mike from Dalek, their music is heavy and pummelling, almost oppressively so. But it’s an engrossing and amusing thirty minutes heightened by the band not taking themselves too seriously. Until they step onstage, the idea of Dalek bringing their pioneering music to the confines of The Cluny 2 feels slightly surreal. Moving away from the jazzier sounds of their earlier records to a more guttural abrasive sound, the duo draw from new record Precipice and litter the set with old favourites. The music oscillates between the hypnotic and the propulsive effortlessly, and it’s a gloriously cathartic affair from start to finish.
Yama Warashi by Tracy Hyman
YAMA WASHARI, BEN RUDDICK @ THE WAITING ROOM, EAGLESCLIFFE (12.06.22) Words: Robert Nichols Beneath the carousel canopy of the Waiting Room stage, Yama Washari treated the Sunday night restaurant revellers to an evening of rare enchantment. The musical vehicle of London-based Japanese creative Yoshino Shigihara, Yama Washari means ‘childlike mountain spirit’. It is a spirit that infuses Japanese folk into psychedelia, free jazz and there even seems to be the chimes of African pop. The fact that we cannot understand Yoshino’s lyrics only adds to the mystery of this intriguing musical concoction. The Japanese singer sprinkled tantalising insights into the subject matter of her songs. The bassist and drummer caressed their instruments whilst Yoshino flashed discordant keyboards to represent urban chaos. We were beckoned to slow down our rhythm of life, perhaps in tune with the beat of the clapping hands rippling around the room. As the last song ebbed away we felt beguiled by that mountain spirit. But let’s not neglect support act Ben Ruddock. Called up at the eleventh hour, Ben came out from beneath the comfort blanket of his band Gone Tomorrow to make a real show of his first ever acoustic solo set. A song recounting his recent 18th birthday charmed the audience, including Yoshino.
SOFT RIOT, VIGILANCE STATE, HOLY BRAILLE @ STAR & SHADOW CINEMA, NEWCASTLE (18.06.22) Words: Damian Robinson Kicking off the intense electro triple header, Holy Braille emerge from the shadows somewhat less dark than previous outings (both sonically and stylistically); and are now in real danger of breaking into a smile. Standing out with what I believe was called In Or Out, the duo are moving into an interesting pop/electro/rock sphere similar with Depeche Mode’s Violator or Madonna’s Confessions live tour, proving both that they’re an excellent live act and also that maybe it is easier to smile than frown after all. Vigilance State follow, with the type of frantic 80s synth sound and early
90s rave energy that can’t fail to impress. Keeping an intense, almost non-stop, set of dancefloor bangers running, they’re an excellent live duo, standing out with First Class (with its screaming breaks) and Gladness (complete with techno textures) which fall into a set that you’d rather not end. Headliner Soft Riot finishes off the mini-rave evening; entering with apologies that missing equipment might make this more of an improvised, rather than perfect, set. But, aside from a few levelling issues, you would have no idea of anything less than perfect as he bobs and moves his remaining tech across some serious techno and electro club moments. One of these bands would have been enough; all three is a serious result.
MARY LATTIMORE, BEN BERTRAND, NATHALIE STERN @ GOSFORTH CIVIC THEATRE, NEWCASTLE (01.06.22) Words: Ali Welford It’s a glorious early summer evening – but resplendent sunshine is no match for sitting in a dark room absorbing the gothic, sonorous drone folk of Nathalie Stern. On paper, the local’s tense synth and vocal layering seems an awkward fit – yet with Belgian composer Ben Bertrand also on hand displaying the extraordinary dynamic range of bass clarinet, this is a bill bound not by tone, but rather the creative capacity of the loop pedal. Though many of us are experiencing Mary Lattimore live for the first time, the fact the North Carolina-born, Los Angeles-based harpist conjures a set of bewitching, escapist wonderment comes as scant surprise. What’s less foreseeable is just how engaging this virtuoso harpist proves away from her instrument, introducing numbers like For Scott Kelly, Returned To Earth with an innate storyteller’s charm and no lack of humour. Balancing her harp on one knee and a box of looping, synthy delights on the other, each piece is an expertly woven sonic tapestry, layered to subtle yet mesmeric effect as Lattimore’s hands glide gracefully across her strings. Fragile, meditative and shimmering with imagination, it’s a display of artistry that’s nigh on impossible not to become wrapped within; a heavenly exhibit from a figure crafting an ever-more exquisite niche in the sphere of alternative music.
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LIVE
Beccy Owen by Iam Burn
BECCY OWEN: THE AMPLIFIED SANCTUM @ SAGE GATESHEAD (11.06.22) Words: Damian Robinson Just as Björk is often credited with capturing the sound of Iceland into the acoustics of her music, then there must be something very Björkian about Beccy Owen and her use of the sound of Northumberland as the foundation to her sonic compositions. Looking for a style of art that creates intimacy and human connection, Owen’s Amplified Sanctum succeeds by combining a range of Northumbrian sounds and images into a complete artistic pallet; a consortium that weaves spiritual imagery with meditative bliss in a combination designed to make you want to stand still for a moment, reflect on your surroundings, and get in touch with your inner self. Focused on the healing power of water, in particular the energy of the Northumberland coastline, the Amplified Sanctum is a meaningfully calm, deeply spiritual, collection of sounds and visions that layers Owen’s atmospheric, almost chanting, vocals across wide pallets of musical textures. Standing out in moments of Björk-like gentle electronic spaces, Owen’s one person ensemble delivers a deeply interesting and moving piece; her vocal melodies designed to match the patterns of the recorded sea waves breaking against the shore, or dogs paddling in lakes. Never intrusive, but always looking for a human impact, The Amplified Sanctum does a great job of using modern musical instrumentation to capture the essence of historic environmental landscapes.
LAURA VEIRS @ GOSFORTH CIVIC THEATRE, NEWCASTLE (14.05.22) Words: Elodie A. Roy Laura Veirs’ new album is about what comes after a separation – after the sadness and the rage. There is an atmosphere of sedate, tender expectancy tonight. It is just her with her electro acoustic guitar and a few effects pedals which she manipulates in a gloriously haphazard way. She is quite alone, but fills the Gosforth Civic Theatre stage effortlessly. She wears a shiny, sequinned mini dress and white leather boots. It shouldn’t matter but the faintly Parton-ish outfit distracts me, and for a few moments I close my eyes. It is rather magical, when nothing remains but her music – and her voice, clear and steady, gravely juvenile.
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She plays songs from the past twenty-five years or so – including Make Something, Magnetize and July Flame, as well as a beautifully brittle cover of Elliott Smith’s Between The Bars. Lyrically they all belong together. The waves and the moon keep coming back – and even love acquires the quiet inevitability of natural phenomena. Sometimes she forgets her old lyrics, and spontaneously reinvents a passage. Her set ends with her song for Judee Sill. Laura Veirs gently brings together the living and the dead. She knows that every parting contains the promise of a return – from another time, another place.
ALL WHITE EVERYTHING BUT ME @ ALPHABETTI THEATRE, NEWCASTLE (15.06.22) Words: Tom Astley All White Everything But Me recounts the life of Althea Gibson, the first Black tennis player to win Wimbledon. In this one-person, episodic play, Kemi-Bo Jacobs delivers a frenetic and breathless performance, capturing the concentration and energy of a tennis match throughout the gripping narrative. The character of Althea Gibson continually invites the audience into the story with her conversational tone that never explicitly breaks the fourth wall, but peers over it constantly. The hope of a young Althea is perfectly realised as Jacobs hops and skips across the minimal stage, each imagined ancillary character comes to life through Gibson’s remembrances, the character maturing through the chronological play. A key message is delivered in the repeated line “talent is a gift, to develop it is a cost”. This mantra echoes in scenes where Gibson practices, bouncing from highs to lows, deconstructing the pervasive, glib notions of ‘natural’ talent. Gibson’s talent took a toll, required a cost. In parallel to this is an observation of the pressure to be more, to speak for more, that accompanies Black success. All White Everything But Me asks this question of Gibson – the character asks it of herself – should she be more, do more, say more? Importantly, the play does not give an answer, and allows the audience to take these questions away with them. All White Everything But Me runs at Alphabetti Theatre until Saturday 2nd July.
LIVE
Bo Ningen by David Wala
ROLLING BLACKOUTS COASTAL FEVER, STELLA DONNELLY @ BOILER SHOP, NEWCASTLE (06.06.22) Words: Jake Anderson The Boiler Shop is quickly becoming one of my favourite venues; natural light, picnic tables, actual personal space – what more could a frequent gig goer want? Love? Happiness? Pfft. No. What we also want is a bang-up good performance, something I was lucky to see with Stella Donnelly and Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever (RBCF), who provide a taste of the Australian indie scene in the UK. I was hesitant of how the bedroom pop sounds Stella Donnelly is known for would translate to a live stage, but the answer is very well. The stage slowly flooded with her band during her performance, in which she radiated with cheerfulness. The multi-instrumentalist even danced her way across the stage, in between getting the audience bouncing with the likes of Old Man and Die. She was the perfect opener for RBCF. The highly revered Australian indie band continued the positive energy Stella brought to the night, as they continually topped each high tempo banger again and again. The whole crowd was dancing to tracks like Dive Deep and Cars In Space, but the atmosphere was really built by the band themselves, who felt more like a bunch of lads just jamming and enjoying themselves along with us
BO NINGEN, VOKA GENTLE, RUDI BETAMAX @ THE CLUNY 2, NEWCASTLE (07.06.22) Words: Mark Corcoran-Lettice A friendly form of alarm call, Stockton’s Rudi Betamax make for a fine start to the evening with their stomping, rockabilly-informed take on glam rock. Enlivened with Moog synthesiser squiggles, while it might fall firmly into the category of That Sort Of Thing, as far as reliable party starters go we look forward to seeing more of them. Voka Gentle meanwhile are something of a minor revelation: with their shapeshifting arrangements and refusal to stick to any one set of generic conventions, there’s elements of Of Montreal at their most tableau-like or the way BC Camplight delights in refuting singersongwriter cliches, but their electronic heavy art pop stands up superbly in its own right – hell, even the de rigueur sprechgesang song flies higher and stranger than its 6Music counterparts. More, please.
Aligned to the psych circuit primarily because of their inability to fit in anywhere else, Bo Ningen are marking fifteen years of giddy noise making with a UK tour that acts as a highlight reel of their work to date. Instead of drone and longueur, Bo Ningen’s take on a cosmic exploration is explosive and highly caffeinated, frantically busy but still boasting some unexpected melodic teeth. The interplay between guitarists Kohhei Matsuda and Yuki Tsujii sits far aside from any typically rhythm/ lead designation, with the two of them strafing and interweaving to head spinning effect. Closing out with some unashamed hard rock moves, it’s a welcome return to the region from the band.
THE COURETTES, THE MORON-O-PHONICS @ THE CLUNY, NEWCASTLE (14.06.22) Words: Lee Fisher I’ve seen The Moron-O-Phonics a few times and always enjoyed them but tonight they were on fantastic form. It’s a simple but winning combination – a classic trio playing a heady blend of garage trash, sixties pop and a hint of C-86 indie that goes through the Moron-OPhonic mincer to produce non-stop terrace-chant-bubblegum-anthems that would sound just right accompanying your Friday night tea in front of the telly. In about 1968. Or 1973. Or 1977. Or last week. There was a Dance Off, some piss taking, some shambolic sing-alongs and a general sense that things can’t be that bad if people like this are still cluttering up our stages. The Courettes come freighted with a massive amount of hype and a charming back story, and The Cluny was buzzing. The first twenty minutes or so was excellent, a cartoonish sugar rush of girl group garage rock with a Hanna Barbera drummer and a livewire Yé-Yé girl guitarist. But after the initial excitement had calmed down, it all felt a little thin. They’re definitely talented and they know how to work a crowd, but that was the problem – it ended up seeming a little too slick, a little too formulaic. It’s obvious why they invite such a giddy reaction but I can’t help feeling there are a lot of other, better garage bands out there not getting the same attention because they’re not as finely-honed and stylishly presented. Fun for sure, but lacking grit.
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TRACKS
CRAIG CLARK THE LATE SHOW Words: Hope Lynes Slow, heartfelt and beautifully produced, The Late Show tells a beautiful tale through its lyrics, loosely based on Kurt Cobain. This is especially felt in the grungy style of the soundscape, with elements of country in the soulful guitar, mixed with an intimate vocal and the slow beats of the drummer. The lyrics, although loosely based on celebrities, are extremely personal and emotive, and deal with the sensitive topic of death. It illustrates this beautifully into a moving track that is sure to strike with the listener; indeed, I could listen to this wrapped up five minute track on repeat. Celebrate the release of this poignant single, and the start of Clark’s new album Bite The Modern World, with a release show on Friday 8th July at The Cluny 2 in Newcastle. Released: 08.07.22 www.facebook.com/craigclarkmusic
ALEXANDER PROUDLOCK DANCING BETWEEN THE RAINDROPS Words: Jay Moussa-Mann The iconic first few notes of Dancing Between The Raindrops, performed by The Northern Film Orchestra and recorded at Manchester’s iconic Stoller Hall, sound like the entry into a magical wonderland. The unity of the orchestra is notable, the tension euphoric. Suspense builds at the beginning of this classical piece, tremolo strings building and building with the ever-present tinkle of a piano, rising, rising and the deep notes from a cello, before the enticing notes rises into stunning unity. We’re in some enchanted world, pushing our way through thick, snow-laden forests or gazing in wide-eyed wonder at strange lands. If you’re a fan of classical music, you will absolutely appreciate this piece, full of contrast, constantly playing on the element of suspense and drama. Released: 08.07.22 www.alexanderproudlock.co.uk
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REVIEWS OF SINGLES AND EPS BY NORTH EAST ARTISTS. WANT YOUR MUSIC FEATURED? EMAIL NARCMEDIA@GMAIL.COM (PLEASE TRY TO GET IN TOUCH 8-6 WEEKS AHEAD OF THE MONTH OF RELEASE)
CORTNEY DIXON BANG BANG HONEY HONEY Words: Hope Lynes Cortney Dixon has an addictively unique voice, and the layers of guitar on this piece really heighten her use of her vocals as an instrument to compliment the rest of the soundscape. Most of the final vocals on this single are taken from Dixon’s original demo, which is extremely impressive given how confident the vocals sound against the instrumental backdrop. Bang Bang Honey Honey is the definition of fun-driven pop elevated with indie rock and guitars. It’s cheeky, positive and a great listen, with the glimpses of heavier riffs giving an insight as to how far Dixon can go down this new rockier path. Towards the end of the track the piece moves from pop to a heavier rock sound, and the vocals get more and more confident. I’m excited to see what this progression will bring Dixon in future singles. Released: 08.07.22 www.cortneydixon.co.uk
BALTIC JULY Words: Hope Lynes This a cheeky glimpse of summer from Baltic, named July and coming out on the first of the month, this is a song for summertime which reeks in positivity, with a festival vibe the core of the soundscape. Baltic have been together for five years, and after taking a slight break from putting singles out, it’s great to see the band back releasing. With one verse centred around dialogues of summer house parties, July has a great nostalgic feel harking back to those “days of innocence”. Not only do the lyrics reminisce on younger summer days, but the tune sets you back to 2017 festival season, not in an outdated way, but still reminiscent with a thoughtful instrumental to support the uniqueness of the track. Released: 01.07.22 www.soundcloud.com/balticuk
VICE KILLER DISPLEASURE EP Words: Liv Aldridge Peterlee-based Vice Killer’s new EP departs from earlier, flavourless indie rock songs weighed down by a maximalist electric sound. The lyrics have matured: Heroine evokes a mood of grandeur and worship and Midnight Walking billows out into painterly landscape. The swaying, sparkling voice of Thomas Gilling and an effortlessly tight guitar allows melody to develop with a soft alchemy. In Midnight Walking, songwriting borders on childishness, but such earnest romanticism is passable. Gilling’s vocals echo folk rock bare of instrumental weight. With remnants of indie, this turn to folk is the most promising piece of music I have heard from Vice Killer so far. It is unusual to witness a musical shift from contemporary to traditional. Look out for beautifully ascending melodies in the track Displeasure. Released: 08.07.22 www.facebook.com/vicekillerband
MOON WAX WORDS TO SAY Words: Liv Aldridge Newcastle-based soul funk duo Moon Wax’s new release is undeniably catchy. The clean, a capella opening hurls into the squeak of a poppy no-man’s land. When Billy Smith sings that the “mind goes numb”, there is a melodic echo of Taylor Swift. Moon Wax acknowledge influence from funk, psychedelic and 1980s synth pop, but the snappy, polished guitar and off-kilter drums seem closer to the 2010s top charts. The beginning has some charm, but the chorus gets repetitive towards the end, meaning that the song is transient and quickly devoid of its initial intoxicating catchiness. I enjoy when the song departs from its chorus, when the music dips its toes into psychedelic guitar or jarring chords. I see where this is going, but I can’t shake the commercial feeling of the production. Released: 27.07.22 www.linktr.ee/moonwax
TOO COMMON OUT OF SYNC EP Words: Jay Moussa-Mann A collaboration between North East rap artist Too Common and producer Slowmo after discovering each other on YouTube, Out of Sync is a concept EP that revolves around the idea of feeling out of whack with the rest of your surroundings, drawing on a period in Too Common’s life where that was the case. The music portrays this, with its use of reflective echoes and an uneasy soundscape under the lyrics; synths bend out of pitch, howling notes appear and disappear. The EP showcases a range of musical style from heavy grime in Foot The Bill to the slower and sexier Too Drunk and the politically charged Receipts, while Muzzle Off combines a very distinctive 80s retro synth-style melody with a cool contemporary vibe. Released: 08.07.22 www.facebook.com/toocommonmusic
NICK GLADDISH BAND TURN ON EACH OTHER Words: Michael O’Neill A languid meditation on an “emotional wrestle between a couple and their doubts over very difficult situations”, Turn On Each Other paints an emotionally raw portrait of inter-personal loggerheads on a bed of pocket-groove, wandering Rhodes, plaintive fingerpicking and conversation-like call and response between Nick and guest vocalist Shannon Pearl Powell, who breathe life into the song’s protagonists with their soulful, heartfelt harmonies. Despite the tension in the narrative, the song is full of emotion and depth, immediately calling to mind the singular left-field pop balladry of The Beautiful South with its creative lyricism and rich palette of sound. Turn On Each Other will be supported by a single launch at The Globe in Newcastle on Friday 8th July. Released: 08.07.22 www.nickgladdish.com
AVARICE LOST IN THE WAVE Words: Michael O’Neill Gently easing you in with a slow fade-in of droning guitar, before hurling you in medias res into a torrent of sound, Lost In The Wave is a pristinelyengineered slab of classic heavy metal from local riffmeisters Avarice. All the hallmarks of prestige metal are represented here, with loud-quiet dynamics, walls of muted guitars and throat-shredding vocals with operative octave runs and shredding galore. Despite only sticking around for a brisk three minutes, Lost In The Wave is a brilliant, intricately arranged calling card for the band, showcasing their deft ability to write a song that offers a platform for their phenomenal talents as musicians whilst also making it clear that have the songwriting chops to match. An enthralling listen. Released: 08.07.22 www.linktr.ee/avarice
TALES WHAT WE TALK ABOUT Words: Hope Lynes When I first read the title of this song it reminded me of Raymond Carver’s short story collection What We Talk About When We Talk About Love, and I was delighted to find out this was the inspiration for the new song by Tales. This angsty track perfectly blends a new rock sound rooted in the literary. The lyrics focus on Carver’s details of unrequited love, wrapped up in this addictive and catchy track, which packs an electric punch with some lyrics on the cheekier side. The four-piece seem to be on a trend, releasing one track per year for the last three years. This fourth track by Tales definitely leaves me intrigued for more from the band moving forward, especially in the confidence this single elevates. Released: 14.07.22 www.facebook.com/talesncl
WILL WILDER AURORA Words: Tom Astley Aurora certainly has a singular feel to it; written, recorded and mixed by Will Wilder, embracing that bedroom pop aesthetic fully. The trebly, major sevenths broken chords on the guitar lead the ear down the indie rock path, accompanying vocals that have a sincerity-cloaked-in-reverb quality to them that is reminiscent of more shoegazy bands like Slowdive. The frenetic electric drums, skittish and double time, on first listen to me sounded a little incongruous. I was expecting a more laid back wash of sound maybe. But as the track lathers on reverb-laden distortion in the middle eight before the culminating chorus, the track makes total sense, the constituent elements blend into a well-measured and heartfelt track. Released: 01.07.22 www.linktr.ee/willwilder_music
LAST OF THE FALLEN ANGELS (FT. HANNAH ROBINSON) RED DRESS Words: Tom Astley Red Dress has a sumptuous sleaziness in every sound, and the shifting repetitions of the track makes multiple listens an absolute requirement. A late-night neon lit drive of a song, the pedalling synth bass reminiscent of the rumble of the road, snare hits like driving over cat’s eyes, the distortion stalking the vocals like they’re crackling through static on the radio; it’s clear that every aspect of this track has been meticulously pored over. Red Dress clearly has a flavour of Massive Attack and that mid-90s trip- hop sound in the production, but it’s treated contemporarily, and so feels like it still has something pressing to say. Against this intricate, hypnotic backing, Hannah Robinson’s featured vocals glisten through, drawling breathy, effortless harmonies. Released: 01.07.22 www.facebook.com/thelastofthefallenangels
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DEMOS WE WANT YOUR MUSIC!
IF YOU’RE AN UP AND COMING BAND OR MUSICIAN, AND WOULD LIKE YOUR MUSIC REVIEWED IN OUR DEMO SECTION, EMAIL A TRACK TO NARCMEDIA@GMAIL.COM AND TELL US MORE ABOUT YOURSELF! WORDS: EVIE NICHOLSON
DEMO OF THE MONTH
Joe Holtaway – This Skin
Rarely are ruminations about White guilt this earnest or sensitive. Joe Holtaway’s This Skin is a moving reflection on how Whiteness has been historically constructed and how we continually fail to examine it as a tool of oppression. The singer, songwriter, trainee chaplain and social activist seamlessly merges intricate guitar arpeggios, sombre string work and impassioned lyrics. Joe speaks of being born into power and privilege and the process of critical
Reece Hanrahan – Born And Die (On These Estates)
You can’t knock Reece Hanrahan’s ambition. Born And Die (On These Estates) is the first track on his EP of the same name. Effectively a politicised personal history, Reece combines an honest account of his working-class childhood with general political outrage. It’s punchy and scathing. Combining his Irish heritage with his Middlesbrough upbringing, Reece attempts to fuse Irish folk singing with so-called ‘Boro rap. The result is original and distinctive but often mismatched. Reece’s acerbic eloquence unsurprisingly drowns out the acoustic guitar. Fury and folk aren’t natural companions. The track is almost seven minutes long and towards the end drifts into slightly vacuous name-dropping of civil rights activists without any clear purpose. One wonders whether instead of trying to give voice to all forms of oppression and transcend music genres simultaneously, Reece should start small and let his own experience do the talking. www.facebook.com/reece.hanrahan
Ugly Fly Guys – Dead Fresh
I was undeniably sceptical of a track called Dead Fresh by Ugly Fly Guys. Expecting dated
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self-reflection. It’s not self-indulgent or vain, but remarkably self-effacing. A harsh critic would point to the song clocking in at almost five minutes with little music variation, but this sort of seems to be the point. Joe preaches a thoughtful reflection that takes time. The track washes over you, and even if folk isn’t your kind of thing you inevitably find yourself being swept away by its tidal melody. www.joeholtaway.com
pseudo-goth rock, I was pleasantly surprised by their rockabilly-meets-fuzzy-garage sound. Wailing guitars, pounding drumming and vocals that sound like they’ve been filtered through a washing machine aren’t usually my cup of tea, but Ugly Fly Guys make it work. It’s a fun track that doesn’t demand too much of you; at just three minutes long, the band know their limits and I appreciate that. The lyrics don’t make much sense (“hear the colour of fear”, “taste the touch of terror”) but the ideas are most certainly there. With less focus on mastering assonance and alliteration perhaps the Ugly Fly Guys could better match their lyrical punchiness with their melody for true head-banging effect. www.uglyflyguys.bandcamp.com
Michael Patterson – Climbing Waterfalls
Michael Patterson’s Climbing Waterfalls is a radical departure from his typical work with SkyRush. Channelling soft acoustic folk rather than country rock, the track is a free-spirited call for adventure. Saturated with wellmeaning platitudes and images of beaches, clouds and waterfalls, the track is warm and charming. Although lyrically verging on predictable, the central section of the song
contains an extended flute solo that confidently captures Michael’s vision. The minute-or-so bridge feels dreamy and utopic. Michael’s gentle guitar work flirts with the slightly wistful woodwind. I’m aware it seems counter-intuitive to claim that the instruments capture Michael’s message better than his lyrics do, but his melody is the track’s strength and ultimately feels less contrived than his voice. www.twitter.com/Michael82479875
Chris Mardula – Fade Away
Inspired by musical titans like Oasis, The Rolling Stones and Arctic Monkeys, Chris Mardula’s Fade Away is a wailing rock ballad that doesn’t hold back. Early parts of the song are strongly reminiscent of textbook Britpop melodrama and heartbreak, but the song gets stronger as it develops and after about a minute and a half it finds its feet. Electronic guitars start ripping, drum kits thumping and cymbals smashing. Albeit lyrically sparse and slightly derivative, the track is admittedly pretty catchy. I’m not entirely sure what its message is but for those looking for some nondescript angst-driven head banging, this is for you. www.soundcloud.com/chrismardula
ALBUMS 5/5 MARQ ELECTRONICA SAVAGE TIMES (SELF-RELEASE)
4/5 Image by Jack Bridgland
SUPERORGANISM WORLD WIDE POP (DOMINO) Words: Cameron Wright The 2018 debut of Superorganism was a wonderfully messy affair. Arguably the self-titled release was inconsistent, fleeting, insubstantial and unrefined. There was however, no argument that it was unbelievably fun. The DIY band made a point of splashing every colour of paint at the canvas and giggling at whatever the result was. A million ideas were squirted against each other, colliding together to make something resembling art. Embodying whimsical adolescence, there was something beautifully carefree and disinterested with convention that noticeably resonated with audiences. As smashed glass and cola cans popping open were used like synth patterns or drums, there was an undiscovered sense of adventure that the band took very obvious pleasure exploiting. Nobody could deny that the pop music of Superorganism was different. Fun, quirky and different are all wonderfully valid terms to throw around, but with the 2022 follow up, we see Superorganism confirm that after stripping away the frivolities and gimmicks, the true creativity stems from truly talented songwriting and musicianship. Dispelling any argument that the band are weird for the sake of weird, this record is a cohesion of ideas that are heightened by the odd choices, not resting upon them. World Wide Pop certainly makes more of an effort to integrate itself with the pop scene surrounding it, yet never relinquishes its iron fist grasp over its idiosyncrasies. Opening with the adrenaline rush of Black Hole Baby, the band re-establish every troupe that brought them into the eyes and ears of the nation. As the album unfolds, these eccentricities become less abrasive and more decorative, used only to enhance the swirling psychedelic pop worlds the band create. With joyful choruses and repetitive lyrics, the songs seem custom created to be shared with a community, all singing in unison as the band hoists the tracks up amongst the clouds. If the future of pop can take forward that heart and invention of Superorganism, we’ll all be okay. Released: 15.07.22 www.wearesuperorganism.com
ALSO OUT THIS MONTH Moor Mother – Jazz Codes (ANTI-, 01.07) // Dune Rats – Real Rare Whale (BMG, 29.07) // Jamie T – The Theory of Whatever (Polydor, 29.07) // Mejiwhan – Beanna (HRS, 01.07) // Jack White – Entering Heaven Alive (Third Man Records, 22.07) // Senses Fail – Hell Is In Your Head (Pure Noise Records, 15.07) // Travis McCoy – Never Slept Better (Hopeless Records, 15.07) // Adwaith – Bato Mano (Libertino Records, 01.07) // ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of The Dead – XI: Bleed Here Now (Inside Out Music, 15.07) // Mush – Down Tools (Memphis Industries, 08.07) // Party Dozen – The Real Work (Temporary Residence Ltd, 08.07) // Working Men’s Club – Fear Fear (Heavenly Recordings, 15.07) // Ghost Woman – S/T (Full Time Hobby, 01.07) // NoSo – Stay Proud of Me (Partisan, 08.07) // Rae Morris - Rachel@Fairyland (RCA Records, 08.07) // Delicate Steve – After Hours (ANTI-, 08.07) // Interpol – The Other Side of Make-Believe (Matador, 15.07) // Tallies – Patina (Bella Union, 29.07) // Launder – Happening (Ghostly International, 15.07) // Traams – personal best (Fat Cat Records, 22.07)
Words: Robert Nichols How do you react when the world seems completely against you? North East artist MARQ Electronica has responded by shooting back from the hip with a hi-energy dance album that is truly epic in its scope and execution. He has selected his weapons carefully, igniting fires with driving electronica, sweeping synths, disco house moves and funky bass lines, and pouring oil on the flames with melodies the Pet Shop Boys would swoon over. His dark, sonorous, soul glow vocals speak volumes for the disenfranchised, disenchanted and downtrodden. Turning up the heat, shaking up a storm, losing the battle but winning the war with a fist full of anthems that matter. Unstoppable and irresistible. THE anthemic dance album soundtrack for these savage times. Released: 01.07.22 www.marqelectronica.com
4/5 MABEL ABOUT LAST NIGHT... (POLYDOR) Words: Ikenna Offor Having already staked a strong claim to stardom with her irrepressibly sassy yet relatable debut, Mabel McVey’s sophomore outing sees her sights squarely on absolute pop domination. For an album recorded during lockdown, About Last Night... effortlessly delivers a euphoric cacophony of lithe bangers engineered for sweaty dance floor antics. Stylistically, the album all but eschews the breezy, lightweight, R&B-meets-dancehalltinged pop of its predecessor for more bombastic fare. Sublime disco-dipped stunner Let Love Go packs an undeniably anthemic wallop that’ll have you tripping the light fantastic all summer long; elsewhere, the rhapsodic simplicity of LOL belies its meticulously calibrated pop sensibilities. With records this ineffably assured, it’s a given that pop-queenhood can’t be far off – bow the fuck down, y’all! Released: 15.07.22 www.mabelofficial.com
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ALBUMS
4.5 / 5
4.5 / 5
3.5 / 5
BEABADOOBEE BEATOPIA (DIRTY HIT)
GWENNO TRESOR (HEAVENLY RECORDINGS)
DAWES MISADVENTURES OF DOOMSCROLLER (ROUNDER RECORDS)
Words: Adam Kennedy Beabadoobee is destined for big things. With the artist’s new album, Bea has pushed her artistic boundaries and creativity to produce an album that traverses a wide musical spectrum that is eloquently brought together by the artist’s ethereal and somewhat angelic singing voice. Tracks such as the standout Talk, Don’t Get The Deal and See You Soon conjure up fuzz-fuelled 90s alt. rock sounds that will be familiar to fans of songs such as Bea’s 2019 release She Plays Bass. Whilst the infectious pop melodies of Sunny Day, the cinematic beauty of The Perfect Pair, and the electro beats of Tinker Bell is Overrated showcase the variety of the artist’s musical pallet. If there is one word to describe the latest offering from Beabadoobee, it would be ‘dreamy’. Released: 15.07.22 www.beabadoobee.com
Words: Ben Lowes-Smith Gwenno’s third album is a meditation on motherhood, and a much more introspective affair than Saunders’ previous records. The musical reference points remain similar – think Broadcast, 1970s psych, pastoral folk – but the tone and mood of the record is considerably more intimate than previous releases. It’s Gwenno’s second release to be sung entirely in Cornish, so one can be excused for not having the worlds as a diving off point for reference, but given the conviction and beauty in melody, this is of little consideration. The title track is a gorgeously laconic shuffle vibrating with harmony, Kan Me leans into more traditional folk instrumentation, and Men An Toll recalls the intimacy. An album inviting you to bathe and wonder at its small detail. Released: 01.07.22 www.gwenno.info
Words: Trev Gibb I’ve had an appreciation for Dawes’ Taylor Goldsmith since first hearing Florida Key, a lost Bob Dylan lyric he set to music. This new album is a far cry from that. Kicking off with a nine minute trip through rhythm, blues and prog, by the halfway mark there’s echoes of The Electrician by The Walker Brothers. Goldsmith has noted that this record veered away from their usual minimalist sound, setting out to become maximalist; I’d say it’s maximalist but in a minimalist way. On Ghost In The Machine there’s some convening with the philosophers, politics, the music of the spheres and references to Gilbert Ryle and Arthur Koestler and existentialism, with lots of self-referential and meta themes. Is there a killer song? Not quite. Killer moments? There’s several. It’s definitely a grower. Released: 22.07.22 www.dawestheband.com
4/5
4.5 / 5
4.5 / 5
SAM PREKOP & JOHN MCENTIRE SONS OF (THRILL JOCKEY)
THE DOOMED BIRD OF PROVIDENCE A FLIGHT ACROSS ARNHEM LAND (10 TO 1 RECORDS)
NINA NASTASIA RIDERLESS HORSE (TEMPORARY RESIDENCE)
Words: Lee Fisher Being a fan of both The Sea & Cake and Tortoise, I went into this Prekop/McEntire collaboration (their first as a duo) expecting percussive but languid jazzy post-rock. I definitely didn’t expect four tracks of largely improvised modular/analogue quasi-house epics but I’m delighted to say that’s what we’ve got. Sons Of was recorded as a live show in Chicago but – partly due to technical glitches – was augmented in the studio, and the result is a sparkling, shimmering gem. From lead track A Ghost At Noon’s rhythmically solid start through to Ascending By Night, an immersive closing track that wouldn’t have sounded out of place in the chillout room at Club Dog in the early nineties, Sons Of is an unexpected treat. Released: 22.07.22 www.thrilljockey.com
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Words: Lee Fisher After their brilliant but gruelling last album, this fourth LP from Mark Kluzek and his cast of collaborators is vastly different in style and content. Taking Australian newspaper stories from the early twentieth century as a starting point, this is a much less harrowing affair – even darkly jolly in places – full of mystery and wrongdoing and the uncanny. Working with a storied band, and with Kluzek frequently sounding like a rustic Brian Eno, the album draws on a variety of folk and roots traditions and has a loose warmth that at times calls to mind The Mekons and a waywardness that recalls Dead Rat Orchestra. There’s even hints of the dark Weimar cabaret of Tiger Lillies. It’s a rich and rewarding listen Released: 01.07.22 www.thedoomedbirdofprovidence.bandcamp.com
Words: Lee Fisher Riderless Horse emerges from a period of personal trauma for Nastasia that’s too complex and too awful to revisit here, but that this album – her first in over a decade – would even happen was no certainty. Recorded with long-time collaborator Steve Albini, this is a record full of pain, of course, but also of redemption and rebirth. It’s defiantly not misery porn and it sounds wonderful (as ever, Albini’s recording is simple and unadorned). Nastasia’s yearning voice and gently accomplished guitar sound as lovely as ever and while many of the songs are full of grief and loss (“She said you were with me, but oh how can that be?”) there’s healing here too (“I want to live, I am ready to live”). I’m rooting for her. Released: 22.07.22 www.ninanastasia.bandcamp.com
ALBUMS
4.5 / 5
3.5 / 5
4/5
VIAGRA BOYS CAVE WORLD (YEAR0001)
THE FAIM TALK TALK (BMG)
SPACEMOTH NO PAST NO FUTURE (WAX NINE/CARPARK)
Words: Jason Jones Shrimps. Cowboys. Monkeys. More shrimps. Welcome to the batshit world of Viagra Boys. The Swedish post-punks’ new album Cave World is fittingly-titled, bringing to mind a demented subterranean sound machine, fronted by the deranged ramblings of that one uncle you desperately try to avoid at family functions. All slugging grooves and preposterous choruses, the 12 deceptively intricate tracks on display here stumble and lurch along with the chaotic impetus of a silent movie drunk on a treadmill, poking and sniping at everything and everyone from trollish keyboard warriors to anti-vax conspiracists with a signature bare-knuckled sarcasm. Nobody does it quite like Viagra Boys, and Cave World is yet further affirmation of their status as the scene’s glorious oddballs. Released: 08.07.22 www.vboysstockholm.com
Words: Laura Doyle It might have taken Aussie pop rock group The Faim a hot minute to release the follow up to their debut record State of Mind, but the wait is finally over. Talk Talk is a journey of escapism and self-discovery set to a tracklist perfect for summer. The anthemic melody of The Hills rings with rose-tinted nostalgia, while the dulcet and soulful Faith In Me takes things in an unexpectedly orchestral direction. Talk Talk keeps things on the lighter side, rarely plunging into the gritty depths of rock ‘n’ roll that The Faim have previously dabbled. But this, their sophomore album, epitomises The Faim’s mission to make music that they love to listen to and love to play. Released: 08.07.22 www.thefaim.com
Words: Robin Webb Former performer turned producer and studio engineer Maryam Qudus, in between producing acts such as Tune Yards and Speedy Ortiz, has experimented and put together an accomplished debut longplay release of her own. Full of psyched-out spacey pop tunes reminiscent of Jane Weaver and Stereolab (which is no bad thing), it’s constructed very well and is testament to her much sought after skills developed during her time behind the desk. Vintage astral synths cosmically combine with her experimental sonic trickery formulating happening tunes like Noise Of Everyday Life, Berries & Watch You Cry and the gratifyingly electronic closing track No Past No Future, which could easily pass for a long lost outing from the first blooming of new wave synth. Released: 22.07.22 www.ssspacemoth.bandcamp.com
4/5
4.5 / 5
4/5
SICK JOY WE’RE ALL GOING TO F***ING DIE (SO RECORDINGS)
LAURA VEIRS FOUND LIGHT (BELLA UNION)
WYLDERNESS BIG PLANS FOR A BLUE WORLD (SUCCULENT RECORDINGS)
Words: Jason Jones Fatalistic though its title may seem, Sick Joy’s debut album is actually something much closer to a celebration of the spontaneity that makes life worth living. Delivered with an intelligence and acerbic wit that many of their peers can only envy, it also sees the Brighton-based trio make good on their promise as one of the country’s most arresting rock prospects. Admittedly, Sick Joy’s sound is, in many respects, not a particularly revolutionary one – lashings of fuzz-laden riffs, pounding drums and canny hooks make for a familiar enough sonic palette – and yet, the 12 tracks here are catapulted by such an assured ruthlessness, and feel so snarlingly enormous, that it’s almost as if the three-piece have gone koi pond fishing with a stick of dynamite. WAGTFD is a stinging first blow from a band with dizzying potential. Released: 08.07.22 www.sickjoy.com
Words: Robin Webb An album of change, growth, bitterness and elegantly positive survival. Laura Veirs has drawn on her own emotional experience with a thoroughly engaging autobiographical examination following her divorce, the pandemic and her emergence in to a bright new autonomous world. Independent and in control of the process more than ever she has discovered a renewed confidence in producing her own delicately dynamic infused-folk sound that drifts pointedly through electronica and her punk roots. The pulsing Eucalyptus, which is aflame with both strident confidence and a vulnerability that is ever-present throughout this collection, show an album that is nuanced and hopeful for a future informed and protected, as she proclaims “My bitter cold heart can’t help but sing”. Released: 08.07.22 www.lauraveirs.com
Words: Robin Webb Wylderness have expanded not only their number but also their sound, which has grown and flourished with the introduction of lo-fi synths, complex instrumentation and clear experimentation creating a hybrid of jangly pop energy and their more familiar woozy sun drenched wall of shoegazing noise in this their first outing for four years. There’s a distinct change in the music as the album progresses, it begins with starkly reverberated guitar that gradually widens its horizons, then with the instrumental side one closing track Warped the music transforms into an expansive crucible of fuzzed-out stoner feedback noise, and a very welcome auditory exploration which peaks with the track YLT VS VU, an undisguised reference to their influences as a whole. Released: 15.07.22 www.wyldnoise.com
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MIXTAPE WORDS: JOHN SMITH
I used to run and MC the cult comedy club The Grinning Idiot in 2000s and early 2010s. We attracted many of the best comedy acts in the country, from headline acts to up and coming local comics. Acts I booked included Reginald D Hunter, Angelos Epithemiou, Steve Hughes, Michael McIntyre, Sarah Millican and Chris Ramsey. As many a comedian will have heard from audience members, it’s not always wise to give up your day job and I went back to mine after a few years due to financial strains. However, I’m 50 this year and I’m putting on a one-off event to celebrate my birthday which includes my favourite act ever Terry Alderton, along with Paul Sinha, aka The Sinnerman from ITV’s The Chase, and up and coming local talents George Zach and Lauren Pattison. The gig takes place on Saturday 2nd July at Northern Stage, Newcastle and tickets are an inflation-busting £15! For this Mixtape, I’ve picked a few memorable moments from my life, that I’m always reminded of when I hear these tracks. www.northernstage.co.uk
DEXY’S MIDNIGHT RUNNERS COME ON EILEEN
D:REAM THINGS CAN ONLY GET BETTER
In the early 90s, if Come On Eileen came on in the pub, I would occasionally get my top off and start swinging it round my head (not sure why). There was one time I did this in the Empress, Newcastle and my friends thought it would be funny to scratch my back. I forgot all about it and woke up the next day to a knock at the front door of my upstairs Tyneside flat. By the time I answered the door, there was no one there. I was only wearing boxing shorts, I stepped out into the street to see if there was anyone there and the door slammed shut behind me, I was locked out. I had to walk three streets away to the nearest BT telephone box in my bare feet and with a shredded back, to then make a reverse-the-callcharges phone call to my grandma, to bring the spare key. Luckily it wasn’t winter time and I was rescued in around 30 minutes.
Life had gone to shit over the previous couple of years (relationship, property, job), so I moved to London in December 1999. I just got my first mobile phone as part of my job and agreed to meet with some new colleagues in central London on Millennium Eve. I agreed to ring when I got to Leicester Square tube station and they would let me know where they were to meet up. By the time I got to London there were so many people there that the network was busy all night and I couldn’t contact them. I was alone in a grotty toilet, in a grotty pub in Victoria when I heard the rest of the pub counting down 10, 9, 8 to the millennium. By the time I left the toilet, the rendition of Auld Lang Syne had finished. I laughed to myself, as the next song to come on was D:Ream’s Things Can Only Get Better and I thought, I certainly hope so.
THE FRATELLIS CHELSEA DAGGER Chelsea Dagger was the intro music for the acts at the Grinning Idiot gigs and whenever I hear it I’m always reminded of the fun times we had. One of my favourite anecdotes is when I used to run the gigs at St Dominic’s Catholic Club, near Byker Bridge. We were there the day after a gig and the bingo was on. The bingo silence was broken by one of the newer acts in the area bursting out laughing. The barmaid Joan got really angry with him and without realising what she was saying, shouted across the room: “George, don’t laugh when the bingo’s on…we don’t laugh when you’re doing the comedy.”
SERIES 4
STARTS 7TH JULY
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Adapted by Paul Allen Based on the screenplay by Mark Herman Directed by Conrad Nelson
Tuesday 6 to Saturday 24 September Tickets from £20
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Art Car Boot Fair 16+17 July 11am-5pm Buy affordable art from over 50 artists including painters, ceramicists, printmakers, zinemakers and sculptors. Plus live DJs from Slack’s Radio and food stalls. Gateshead Quayside baltic.art /artcar
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