NEWS

COMEDY

PREQUEL SEQUEL REQUEL LIVESTREAMED SHOWS

Words: Eugenie Johnson

Ever watched a movie and thought to yourself that it really needs a sequel, or found yourself pondering why a classic movie has never had the remake treatment? If the answer is no then, let’s be honest, you’re probably not alone. Yet the comedy potential for thinking up these imaginary blockbusters is huge. That’s probably why Chris Lumb from Shoe Cake Comedy Club (who ordinarily run a monthly show at Stockton’s Georgian Theatre) created Prequel Sequel Requel, a panel show alongside Discount Comedy Checkout pals Eddie French, Natalie Smeaton and Phil Smith, that dares to go where no film producers have gone before (and probably with good reason).

Prequel, Sequel, Requel is accessible through its Facebook page during restrictions and throughout the next couple of months the team have a varied bunch of movies lined up, promising something to suit everyone’s movie taste: sci-fi adventure Flight of the Navigator (31st May); Martin Scorsese’s iconic Taxi Driver (7th June); 80s cult classic The Lost Boys (14th June); action-packed crime flick Point Break (21st June); and beloved fantasy romance Edward Scissorhands (28th June). As well as getting the opportunity to laugh at the concepts that never were, audience members can also chip in, voting for their favourite idea from the panel and getting the chance to posit their own titles too. Future events will focus on Pretty Woman (5th July), Scarface (12th July), Mannequin (19th July), Super Mario Bros (26th July), Weird Science (2nd Aug) and The Princess Bride (9th Aug), ensuring that silver screenbased shenanigans continue throughout the summer, no matter where you happen to be.

www.facebook.com/preserequel

MUSIC

GREG GENRE RELEASES NEW ALBUM

Words: Laura Doyle

Newcastle multi-instrumentalist Greg Genre knows only too well the creativity possible thanks to looping techniques, and he’s poised to release a whole album based on it this month. When it got tough to communicate with an entire band, Greg turned to looping to achieve that multi-instrumental sound all on his own. Now that everyone’s in the same boat being stuck indoors by ourselves, Mr Genre has taken to constructing a few songs for us to enjoy which will be released weekly as lockdown progresses, with the aim of releasing the whole project as a video playlist via YouTube, coinciding with a performance on Facebook, on 26th June.

Themes for the release have spanned nature, history and consciousness; Dose of Happiness includes samples of the dawn chorus recorded from his garden and is inspired by Greg’s love of birdwatching; Little Dot explores our miniscule place in an infinite universe; while Spells echoes its mystical name with reverb-heavy, pounding loops adding to the ethereal experience. Looping creates snowflakes of sound: no two are exactly alike, so if you’re looking for a tracklist with diversity and range, look no further than Greg Genre’s genre-busting project.

Greg Genre releases his new album via YouTube and Facebook on 26th June www.facebook.com/greggenremusic Greg Genre

MUSIC

PIT PONY RELEASE NEW SINGLE

Words: Caitlin Disken

Rapidly gaining a reputation as one of the North East’s finest garage rock bands, Pit Pony are back with their latest exceptional offering, Sulk. Masters of complimenting Jackie Purver’s defiant yet melodic vocals with their vigorous guitar textures, Sulk is the Newcastle-based quintet’s most audacious single yet. 4Available digitally across all platforms from 12th June, the track’s “I wanna go out tonight” refrain will undoubtedly resonate with many of us in lockdown. Yet according to the band Sulk was penned pre-lockdown: “It was actually written before it started. Luckily we’d recorded it and two other tracks in Blank Studios the week before lockdown was enforced. I suppose it has a lockdown nod in the sense that we’ve all realised how much we miss one another and have been reaching out to friends and family,” the band acknowledge.

Brilliant and intense, Sulk ultimately deals with love/hate relationships and being stubborn: “It’s a bit like a ‘between the devil and the deep blue sea’ relationship, where you want to be independent but underneath you realise you need other people.”

Pit Pony release Sulk on 12th June www.pitponyband.bandcamp.com

Church, Honey

MUSIC

MUNRO VIRTUAL FESTIVAL #002

Words: Claire Dupree

Let me tell you that running a music festival is no small job, and it takes a particular set of skills and determination to make a successful event. Imagine how much harder that must be when you can’t meet any of the performers, be in any form of control over their technical set-up or have any idea of how many people might turn up (or not). Gulp.

Hats off then, to Teesside promoters Famous Last Words, who will be running their second MUNRO virtual festival on Saturday 30th and Sunday 31st May via their Facebook page. “MUNRO’s first virtual festival was a first for myself as well. I was going into the unknown.” Explains head honcho Adam Gallagher. “In terms of how it would run, how people would react and how to make it a success was something I had to try blindly before knowing the outcome. However, thanks to all the artists that performed, I believe it excelled above and beyond any expectation that I had set for MUNRO.”

With one successful event under his belt, Adam is keen to continue giving musicians in the region a spotlight. “I decided to throw everything at this one weekend and recruit some of my favourite artists. There is a wide variety of exceptionally talented individuals and groups, mainly from the North East but also some from further afield.”

Taking to the ‘stage’ from 2pm until 9pm on both days will be artists representing a mash-up of genres and styles, including brand new acoustic folk artist Church, Honey; Newcastle rockers Club Paradise; emotive songwriter Finn Forster; gritty folk pop star Eve Conway; Brighton’s indie pop rockers Luna Blue; nostalgic lo-fi folkers Mt. Misery; Middlesbrough rapper Shakk; Redcar pop duo Komparisson; Gateshead four-piece Spilt Milk; post-punks Whale Hill and many more.

MUNRO Virtual Festival #002 takes place from Saturday 30th-Sunday 31st May via MUNRO Festival’s Facebook page www.facebook.com/munrofestival

STAGE

ONSTAGE: ONLINE DIGITAL THEATRE FESTIVAL

Words: Helen Redfern

While venues remain closed, creativity still abounds. Writers, theatre makers, actors and performing arts groups are discovering fresh, innovative ways to create theatre shorts and longer productions while they and their audiences stay at home.

Onstage: Online is a digital theatre festival aimed at celebrating creativity during the lockdown. Although Gala Theatre and the Assembly Rooms Theatre, which is the main venue used by Durham University’s Student Theatre, have temporarily closed, both teams are determined to continue to provide a platform for local theatre makers to showcase their work, while also promoting the mental health benefits creativity can bring.

“I know the team at the Gala Theatre are really enjoying working with our partners at Durham University, and I can’t wait to see what theatrical gems the project produces,” enthuses Counsellor Joy Allen, cabinet member for transformation, culture and tourism. “It is well known that watching theatre and engaging in the arts can be incredibly beneficial to our mental health and well-being, and finding things that lift our spirits is especially important right now.”

From Thursday 11th-Sunday 14th June, live sessions will be streamed each day on the Gala Theatre’s YouTube channel, along with scheduled pre-recorded content, showcasing County Durham talent to a global audience of all ages. Kate Barton, head of student theatre at Durham University explains: “We want to programme the best of the North East and appeal to a wide range of audiences and ages.”

When the festival is over, sharing the joy will continue: the videos will remain available for people to enjoy on both the Gala Theatre and Durham University’s YouTube channels.

Keep an eye on their websites for further information on productions. www.galadurham.co.uk www.theassemblyroomstheatre.org/ onstage-online Church, Honey

MUSIC

SAGE GATESHEAD INVITES APPLICATIONS FOR TWO NEW PROJECTS

Words: Claire Dupree

As part of their continuing commitment to support musicians, Sage Gateshead have unveiled two initiatives for North East-based artists.

The Artists In Residence programme, which aims to support four artists over a period of 10 months to develop an ambitious creative project, is open for applications. Their priority is to support musicians who are at a ‘pivotal point’ in their career, and who could benefit from the facilities and advice available from the Sage Gateshead team. Taking place from September to June, the package would include a £3,000 fee plus creative development financing of £500, a residential retreat to work on ideas and implementation, access to rehearsal space at Sage Gateshead, advice and contacts from the team and well-being support. Video footage and a concert or virtual event to showcase the finished result is also part of the package.

The venue are also looking for musicians across all genres to take part in Sage Sessions, a series of stripped-back sets which will take place in Hall One. The venue are keen to hear from musicians who may not have had access to the venue or been represented in the past, including those who consider themselves to be from a disadvantaged background.

Both initiatives have an application deadline of 12th June. Visit the venue’s website for full information. www.sagegateshead.com/artist-development/ artists-in-residence www.sagegateshead.com/artist-development/ sage-sessions

MUSIC

BETH MACARI RELEASES NEW SINGLE

Words: Laura Doyle

Routines are a great thing to have and to keep, so it’s fabulous to see local singer-songwriter Beth Macari keeping to her regimented release schedule.

She releases the third single of a planned five that has been steadily pumped out every three weeks, with her ambitious musical project now taking shape. Chapter three of her mini series is entitled I Am, and continues the streak of songs full of personality and emotion. With a voice so soulful I never knew it could exist outside of a cabaret bar scene in some thriller film, Beth Macari refreshes the funk fusion genre into something new and very palatable.

This time, the name of the game is introspection and personal growth. “It’s all about self love and acceptance, being able to say ‘I am enough’ and ‘I am everything I need’.” Macari explains. “It’s a very honest song, it mentions some of the trolling I’ve had in my career thus far but now being at peace with it.” We’ve all got our demons, and working through them in a healthy, productive way can be difficult, but it’s ultimately the most rewarding.

Beth Macari releases I Am on 26th June www.facebook.com/bethmacarimusic

Rob Heron

MUSIC

ROB HERON EP RELEASE

Words: Lee Fisher

Although recent years have seen him swap spats for Clash t-shirts, local musician and DJ Rob Heron is still a man very much tuned into the rhythms and mores of the past. So while other artists are working on 90-minute isolationist concept albums during lockdown, Heron’s gone the other way. The Grundig Tapes Vol 1, just released on his Bandcamp page, saw him grapple with a 1960s Grundig tape machine, a 1950s Grundig microphone and songs written during The Awfulness but sprinkled with the dust of depression-era Oklahoma.

Inspired by Shetland country singer Thomas Fraser and using the same equipment, wrestling with microphone positions and domestic reverb, the four songs on the EP embody what Heron describes as the “homely and honest, no frills lifestyle”, much like people obsessing over their sourdough starters. Heron admits that the distinctly lo-fi sound of the recordings (think Smithsonian Folkways rather than Sebadoh) could sound harsh to modern ears, even after being mastered by Swedish specialist Anders Peterson. And the songs are great too – tackling the boredom of lockdown and what comes afterwards, the petty racism associated with St George’s Day and – typically for Heron – what happens when the booze runs out. All this plus yodelling and a kazoo solo!

The Grundig Tapes Vol 1 is available now. Whether or not there’s a Grundig Tapes Vol 2 depends on the ‘R’ rate www.teapadorchestra.bandcamp.com Rob Heron

MUSIC

GENERATOR’S CREATING CONTENT COURSE

Words: Claire Dupree

North East development agency Generator unveil their very first online course for musicians, which will take place from Monday 1st-Friday 5th June.

Musicians need to stand out from the crowd now more than ever, so Generator’s pithily titled Creating Content Course will provide the tools and tricks of the trade to enable musicians to engage their fanbase and develop their brand. Artists will learn the basics of digital design by undertaking a series of challenges, from designing posters and logos to creating gifs and building websites, with the aim of encouraging musicians to think more broadly about their output and how to build and retain their fanbase. Generator’s artist development manager Charlie Dancer explains why creative content is so important. “We now live in a world of visual content, where music and visual aesthetics are intrinsically linked. Over the last 30 years artists have used visual content to create a world for music fans to further fall in love, and from a cold industry perspective, build brand loyalty.”

Open to all, the course will be of particular interest to newer artists who are looking to make their mark, as Charlie explains. “You’ve written some great songs but you have no social media presence, assets or anything else. You need launch into the world with some exciting and engaging content – by the end of the week you will have created a website, a logo, a colour pallete, a press release, a music video and social media assets.”

Sign up for Generator's Creating Content Course via their website. www.generator.org.uk

MUSIC

SAM SLATCHER RELEASES NEW ALBUM

Words: Claire Dupree

Durham songwriter Sam Slatcher has previously found acclaim thanks to his tremendous work with National Syrian Orchestra’s viola player Raghad Haddad, which resulted in single City of Sanctuary and the collaborative album Stories of Sanctuary.

As demonstrated on previous releases, Sam has an uncanny knack of drawing out interesting stories and adding his own uniquely percussive style to create music which is both soothing and thought-provoking. His latest efforts have culminated in the release of his debut solo album, Chaos & Solitude, the release of which was brought forward due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sam describes the album as a “personal and political reflection on the recent changes in British society from political division”, and it’s clear the album is a labour of love for the musician, as typified by the gently affecting A Thousand Miles, on which Sam’s buttery vocals are underpinned by harmonious backing from Mim Skinner; while Can’t Move The Mountain Today, with its piano interjections and faintly jazzy rhythms soars with beautific intentions, as soft cello adds a mournful edge. Sam hopes the album inspires listeners to reconnect with nature and discover a place of calm and the kindness of strangers.

He’ll be performing at a livestreamed fundraising concert alongside Raghad Haddad on Friday 5th June, raising money for the City of Sanctuary project, and streamed via their Facebook page.

Sam Slatcher’s album, Chaos & Solitude, is out now www.samslatcher.com

MUSIC

BE QUIET. SHOUT LOUD! RELEASE NEW SINGLE

Words: Tracy Hyman

Middlesbrough’s disco pop kings Be Quiet. Shout Loud! invite you to escape the lockdown for four and a half minutes of typically catchy escapism. The pandemic may have delayed their latest album release, but that hasn’t stopped them from releasing their feel-good disco tracks to the world.

Inside A Disco Dream is as anthemic as the boys get, replete with stabs of synths, percussive claps and sing along “oo oo oo-oo oo oo”s, all of which lead up to the energetic beat-fuelled climax of the chorus. It’s enough to get you on your feet, as the band invite you to turn your bedrooms and lounges into places where disco dreams are made.

“I’ve been here a while. Did you forget about me?” sings Jake Radio. With a track this catchy, it’s not likely!

Be Quiet. Shout Loud! release Inside A Disco Dream on 19th June www.bequietshoutloud.co.uk

MUSIC

TUSK FESTIVAL GOES VIRTUAL

Words: Claire Dupree

While for many the COVID-19 pandemic has restricted and narrowed opportunities, for some it has opened up the possibility for infinite expansion. The adventurous TUSK Festival, scheduled to take place at Sage Gateshead in October, has befallen the fate of so many events – at its heart a festival which actively seeks to encourage international collaboration and performance, the global pandemic has rendered the event in its usual guise untenable.

TUSK, however, has always been a forwardthinking and cutting-edge event, having embraced livestream technology and digital programming for several years. That wealth of experience will now see TUSK Virtual offer an expanded programme of performances, exhibitions, film screenings and discussions which could only ever have been dreamed of pre-pandemic.

Taking place from Monday 28th SeptemberSunday 11th October, the 10th edition of the festival will be a truly global celebration of alternative and experimental culture where ‘normal’ festival rules will no longer apply, making for a truly thrilling and completely immersive event.

Artists already lined up to perform include Norwegian noise artist Deathprod; math rockers Horse Lords; noise artist and improviser Maja S.K. Ratkje; audio-visual artist Sarah Hennies and Newcastle sludge rockers Lump Hummer. Now added to the line-up are avant garde jazz hero Roscoe Mitchell; manic/ecstatic father/ daughter duo Yeah You; mostly-Ugandan sextet Nihiloxica; Newcastle radge punks Blóm; Chicago jazz maestro Angel Bat Dawid; Japanese experimental band OOIOO and influential experimental musician Jim O’Rourke and Japanese songwriter Eiko Ishibashi, who will team up for their first performance to take place outside Japan.

There’s loads more still to be announced, alongside an expanded film schedule and the always-inventive TUSK Fringe programme delivered by The Old Police House. The festival is intrinsically linked with venue partners Sage Gateshead, who continue to support TUSK in the expansion of the programme. We’ll bring more information on the ambitious event in our September issue, and you can keep informed on developments via their website.

TUSK Virtual takes place from Monday 28th September-Sunday 11th October www.tuskfestival.com

Roxy Girls

MUSIC

ROXY GIRLS’ A WEALTH OF INFORMATION EP

Words: Mark Corcoran-Lettice

Exploding onto the North East circuit in 2018 and gaining national attention last year for their fully-formed, adrenalized take on post-punk, Roxy Girls take another step towards the limelight with the release of their latest EP, A Wealth of Information, on Friday 5th June.

The third EP to date, and second to be released via Moshi Moshi Records (one time home to Hot Chip and Late of the Pier and the current label for acclaimed composer Anna Meredith: not bad company to be keeping, to put it mildly), A Wealth of Information comes modelled as a clear successor to last year’s A Poverty of Attention.

Again, the quartet storm through seven songs in less than a quarter of an hour, blowing through ideas at such a blur you’d be concerned if it wasn’t so clear that there’s much more to come from them yet.

Combining established favourites of their live set, like the declarative Commands alongside compressed mini-anthem and lead single Dirtier, and the frantic-even-by-their-standards The Droid, A Wealth of Information boasts a sharp wit and ambition behind its immediate endorphin rush.

Whisper it quietly, but queue this one up right after A Poverty of Attention and you might just find that Roxy Girls have stealthily released a debut for the ages right under our noses.

Roxy Girls release A Wealth of Information via Moshi Moshi Records on 5th June www.roxygirls.bandcamp.com

STAGE

CREATIVE CALLOUTS FOR NEW PRODUCTION HADDOCK AND CHIPS

Words: Eugenie Johnson

The chippy: it’s a British institution. While most of us probably won’t have been able to enjoy the pleasures of fish and chips lately, the community that comes together while waiting on a fresh fry in these establishments is evoked in a new production from writer Janet Plater. Despite the recent restrictions, Plater’s work Haddock and Chips is currently in the R&D phase, with a view to touring in Autumn 2021. It’ll be a rich tale set in a Whitley Bay chippy as protagonists Brenda and Bob manage with a man down, and exploring themes of human decency and kindness.

Haddock and Chips is produced in partnership with CaroleW Productions, whose commitment to supporting projects which epitomise ‘a good night out’ ensures that the production will contain a hearty dose of music and comedy alongside insights into humanity and loneliness.

Accompanying this current phase of development are two creative calls. Coinciding with Bob’s youthful ambition to be a professional photographer, imagery is a running theme throughout the play and it is hoped that an exhibition of selected works will accompany any tour. In addition, the team are also seeking two short response pieces from emerging writers to the production’s core themes. In turn, these will be brought to fruition by a director and actors to be performed to an invited audience. While we may still be socially distanced right now, even in its early stages Haddock and Chips is offering a form of creative community through its take on a cornerstone of British life.

www.carolewproductions.com/ emergingwriters