NARC. #175 August 2021

ISSUE175

AUGUST21

FREE

CEITIDH MAC JODIE NICHOLSON TYNE RISING SAMANTHA DURNAN LINDISFARNE FESTIVAL

RELIABLYINFORMED

2

PREVIEWS 4 | HIGHLIGHTS

Our pick of the best events in August

6 | AUGUST PREVIEWS

ISSUE175

AUGUST21

FREE

RELIABLYINFORMED

Live music courtesy of The Nightingales, Newcastle Jazz Festival, Alabaster dePlume, BbyMutha, SQUARMS, Mish Mash festival, Isle of Tyne and more, plus new releases from Roxy Girls, Leddie MC, Salt House Lavish and Scott Michael Cavagan. There’s comedy galore this month, with shows from Hilarity Bites Comedy Club, Felt Nowt, The Stand and more, plus community-based love-ins in the Ouseburn Valley, waterfront wonders in Hartlepool, gorgeous nature-based exhibitions in Newcastle, an inspirational event for women and gender minorities in the music industry and much, much more!

INTERVIEWS 25 | JODIE NICHOLSON 26 | NORTHERN ELECTRIC 31 | STEEL & IRON 28 | CEITIDH MAC

Ali Welford talks to the alt. cellist-songwriter about her first purpose-written body of work

32 | RIGHT HERE TOURING NETWORK 35 | UNLOCKING THE DOORS: NEW COMBINATIONS

So, ‘Freedom Day’ has come and gone and we’re all still (just about) standing. While putting this issue together it’s been great to see how many venues are tentatively re-emerging, and there’s so much more to come after the summer too. It’s not a return to normal by any means (who wants to be normal anyway?), but I for one am feeling a bit more optimistic. Maybe it’s the sunshine gone to my head.

As someone who’s pretty happy with table service in a pub, sitting down at gigs and wearing a mask to hide under, I’m fairly content with the current situation for a while longer, although the urge to have a good dance and get sweaty in a mosh pit is still strong. ‘You do you’, as the saying goes (unless ‘you’ are a wally, in which case, be better).

Anyhoo. This month, aside from camping (yay!) and watching The Husband dig himself a big hole in the back garden (for a pond, not for me...hopefully), I’ve mainly been gearing up for getting out in the world. Namely by running a stage at the lovely Last Train Home Festival (more news next month, but check the line-up on the advert opposite!) and also pitching in with an event for Forward NE this month (more info within!). After spending so long honing my spreadsheet skills to a fine point and staring at two-dimensional people, it’ll be nice to flex my organisational muscles in a real life actual place. Exciting stuff.

I hope you enjoy this busy little issue, and may the rest of your month be sunny and ping-free.

36 | HEELAPALOOZA 37 | TYNE RISING 39 | RE-IMAGINE 41 | LINDISFARNE FESTIVAL 43 | DAVID FIRTH 44 | SAMANTHA DURNAN 45 | DOCUMENT REVIEWS

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 Contributors Paul Broadhead / Mark Corcoran-Lettice / Laura Doyle / Lee Fisher / Lee Hammond / James Hattersley / Beverley Knight / Kate Murphy / Robert Nichols / Michael O’Neill / Stephen Oliver / Nicola Owen / Helen Redfern / Damian Robinson / Elodie A. Roy / Steve Spithray / Leigh Venus / Luke Waller / Robin Webb / Ali Welford

39 | DEMOS 47 | DEMOS

Featuring Amy RS, Chloe Gudgin, Owslandr feat. Sofia Was Here, Orchid Loop and AbeliA

48 | TRACKS

Reviews of singles by North East artists including Salsola, Elephant Memoirs, Scott Wilson, Teenasee feat. Igg, Albert Smith, Witness Protection Programme, Jonathan Honour, Fiona Liquid, Ceiling Demons feat.

Zarahruth, Wild Spelks, Elizabeth Liddle and MXYM

51 | ALBUMS

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

New releases from Lingua Ignota, Haiku Salut, The Bug, The Joy Formidable, Willy Mason, Tropical Fuck Storm, Martha Wainwright, The Wandering Hearts, Steve Gunn, Andrew Wasylyk, Synthetic Villains and Stefan Christensen

54 | MIXTAPE

Promoter and DJ Kristian Atkinson talks about some of his favourite tunes

Next Issue Out 26th August

3

PREVIEWS AUGUST’S DIVERSIONS INCLUDE EXCITING LIVE MUSIC, INTRIGUING ART INSTALLATIONS, LOADS OF GREAT STAND-UP COMEDY AND MUCH MORE BESIDES!

ART & LIT

EVENTS

TAN 2021

DORMAN MUSEUM IS CURIOUS Part of Curious Arts’ Summer programme, a

WEDNESDAY 4

The fourth annual collaborative exhibition from TeesdaleArtNet, TAN 2021 will feature a diverse range of artworks from artists living or working in Teesdale, with exciting original new work across mediums including painting, textiles, ceramics, prints, sculpture and collage. Most of the work is for sale and entry is free. Runs until Sunday 29th August.

The Witham, Barnard Castle www.thewitham.org.uk

COMEDY

FRIDAY 13

vibrant supergroup of LGBTQIA+ artists, creatives and performers take over Middlesbrough’s Dorman Museum for a one-night only ‘queering the collection’ celebration. The perfect way to celebrate local history as well as championing the wealth of LGBTQIA+ artists in the region.

Dorman Museum, Middlesbrough www.curiousarts.org.uk

EVENTS

SUNDAY 15

ART & LIT

SATURDAY 21 WHERE WE ARE NOW Developed in collaboration with

Sunderland-based community groups who have selected and interpreted artworks from the Arts Council Collection, Where We Are Now draws on themes of isolation, community, family, nature, self care and loss through artwork and photography produced by the community during the pandemic. Runs until Sunday 14th November.

Sunderland Museum & Winter Gardens www.sunderlandculture.org.uk

COMEDY

SATURDAY 21

MADE.UPNORTH MARKET BIG MOUTH COMEDY Bringing together 60 of the best Northern CLUB makers, artists, creative businesses and food Taking over the Town Hall’s atmospheric

Discount Comedy Checkout by Scott Akoz Photograph

THURSDAY 12 SHOE CAKE COMEDY CLUB Reliable headliners The Discount

Comedy Checkout offer up 100% raw and improvised sketch silliness, plus there’s stand-up hilarity from Alexei Sayle’s tour support act and elegant crafter of quirky comedy Peter Brush, plus sets from Jacob Nussey, Ben Turner and the quick-fire wit of MC Chris Lumb.

The Georgian Theatre, Stockton www.shoecakecomedy.co.uk

4

vendors, Made.UpNorth will feature incredible original work by potters, textile artists, jewellers, soap makers and artists of all stripes, plus the opportunity to join workshops on papercutting with kppapercuts, felt brooch making with TweedFiend and pottery with The Pottery Experience.

The Boiler Shop, Newcastle www.boilershop.net

Courtyard, Big Mouth Comedy Club pull in the chortles and guffaws with a line-up of top comedic talent. Multi-talented ‘bearded behemoth’ Martin Mor takes the top spot, with support from the charming Mike Newall, Liverpudlian talent Liam Tuffy and quickwitted MC Danny McLoughlin.

Middlesbrough Town Hall www.bigmouthcomedy.co.uk

MUSIC

MUSIC

SATURDAY 21

SATURDAY 21

PUNK ‘N’ OI! MINI FEST This will be the perfect gig to get your

JOSH OKEEFE Touted as the ‘heir to Bob Dylan’, young guitar

frustrations of the last eighteen months out of your system! Local street punks Boilermaker will be joined by Leicester Oi!/punk band The Glory and West Yorkshire punks The Allergics, plus special guest Jonny Robson from Gimp Fist performs acoustically.

The Forum Music Centre, Darlington www.theforumonline.co.uk

and harmonica playing songwriter Josh Okeefe seemingly has stereotypes and expectations to surmount already, but the rebel artist and protest singer is already seasoned beyond his years, and the troubadour’s sound has never been more vital.

The Globe, Newcastle www.joshokeefe.com

WHATS ON

AUGUST HIGHLIGHTS MUSIC

MUSIC

VIHARA Fresh from the release of their debut EP, No

CROSSING THE TYNE FESTIVAL Taking up the whole Bank Holiday, Crossing

SUNDAY 22

Signal, high energy garage punk trio Vihara’s sound will appeal to those with a love of fast-paced punk and grungy rock. Also performing are post-hardcore mob Ruled By Raptors and alt. punks Last Case Scenario.

Perfect for blowing away those post-lockdown cobwebs!

Trillians, Newcastle www.facebook.com/viharaband

MUSIC

SATURDAY 28

The Tyne is brimming with live music across North and South Shields, including two stages in North Shields’ Northumberland Square, acoustic sets at The Exchange, entertainment at Customs House’s Amphitheatre and much more. Also on Sunday 29th-Monday 30th August. Check website for full line-up.

Various venues, North and South Shields www.crossingthetynefestival.uk

COMEDY

SATURDAY 28

COOK & HUTCHINSON HAVE NO PLANS WHATSOEVER Much like the rest of us over the last year or Emma Fisk’s Hot Club Du Nord

SUNDAY 22 THE TEA PAD SUNSHINE MEDICINE SHOW A Cumberland Arms staple, Rob

so, comedy pals Jason Cook and Carl Hutchinson have ‘no plans whatsoever’ for their improv stand-up show at the Customs House, so expect off the cuff gags and chaos aplenty from two of the region’s most reliable comics.

The Customs House, South Shields www.customshouse.co.uk

MUSIC

MUSIC

John Lewis by Nick Treharne

SATURDAY 28 ROCKIN’ FROM 3 ‘TIL 3 Yep, you read that right – twelve solid

hours of rockin’, rockabilly and rhythm ‘n’ blues! The all day event will see performances from the Welsh King of rockabilly, John Lewis, plus excellent local supports including The Sureshots, Miss Mary & The Mr Rights and Sir Jac’s Bantamacs, plus DJs in between.

The Globe, Newcastle www.theglobenewcastle.bar

MUSIC

Heron’s Tea Pad Sunshine Medicine Show offers a fine line-up of ragtime and rock ‘n’ roll, featuring performances from Emma Fisk’s Hot Club du Nord, Poor Moi, and Rob Heron & The Tea Pad Orchestra themselves, plus DJ Lady Koo. Better yet, it’s free!

The Cumberland Arms, Newcastle www.thecumberlandarms.co.uk

EVENTS

FRIDAY 27

GREAT NORTH NIGHTS: THE HISTORY OF BEER Learn everything there is to know about the

UK’s favourite tipple with local beer crafters Northern Alchemy and independent student brewery Stu Brew. This event touches on the history of beer drinking, which goes back as far as Ancient Egypt, and offers the opportunity to sample seasonal beers and try out the bespoke Ancient Egyptian brew.

Great North Museum: Hancock, Newcastle www.greatnorthmuseum.org.uk

SATURDAY 28 GLASVEGAS The Glaswegian emotive indie rockers

return to Sunderland with their epic guitar-led anthems. Known for their unique sound, frontman James Allan’s inimitable vocals and affecting lyrical content, Glasvegas’ music is borne of contemporary Scotland; the band remain fiercely independent and uncompromising in their ethos, making for an output which is both edgy and accessible.

Independent, Sunderland www.glasvegas.net

Image by Amelia Read

SUNDAY 29 NEL UNLIT Having been rescheduled several

times due to you-know-what, A Night With Nel Unlit will finally showcase the Teesside collective’s immersive sound in the grand surroundings of The Georgian Theatre. Their sound veers between orchestral grandiosity, folk nuance and contemporary cool, with an epic atmosphere enhanced by storytelling lyrics.

The Georgian Theatre, Stockton www.nelunlit.wordpress.com

5

PREVIEWS

Image by Lucas Christiansen

MUSIC

BBYMUTHA @ THE CLUNY

Words: Laura Doyle To think that, following the release of her critically acclaimed debut album Muthaland last August, 2020 nearly spelled the end of American rapper and entrepreneur BbyMutha’s musical career. After a tremendous slew of banging EPs over a seven year career, the

6

experience of making a full length album was a bit of a letdown for Tennessee-born Brittnee Moore, and she was all set for an early retirement. But the prolific songwriter just couldn’t stay away for too long: once her apothecary was up and running, she decided to make a comeback to the music scene, and she’s already released two EPs this year alone.

BbyMutha has made a name for herself with her own brand of self-assured, no-nonsense hip-hop tracks that aren’t afraid to grapple with everything from her everyday personal struggles as a Black single mother to institutionalised bigoted dogma. BbyMutha is

also back on the road for a bit of post(ish) pandemic performance, which sees her drop into The Cluny, Newcastle on Sunday 29th August. Few could spit as many harsh truths without even breaking a sweat as easily as BbyMutha, so whether you need to blow off steam, have a good time, or just really need a new rap music rec, you could do much worse than an evening with Ms Moore.

BbyMutha performs at The Cluny, Newcastle on Sunday 29th August www.soundcloud.com/bbymutha

PREVIEWS

OCTOBER HIGHLIGHTS

In Memoriam by Luke Jerram

EVENTS

HARTLEPOOL WATERFRONT FESTIVAL

Words: Claire Dupree After teasing audiences with a delightful series of bite-sized Little Waterfronts events earlier in the year, Hartlepool’s celebrated Waterfront Festival finally returns this month, with events taking place at the historic marina on Saturday 28th-Sunday 29th August.

The flagship event is a much-loved staple of

the region’s events calendar, bringing together communities in a celebration of music and the creative arts. Tickets will be ‘pay what you decide’ and the theme this year is based around ‘Rebirth’, with a wide range of entertainment both in person and online.

Key highlights of the programme, which will be announced in full throughout August, include a performance from everyone’s favourite Mackem rockers The Futureheads, who will perform at the Moon Stage on the Waterfront on Sunday 29th. They’ll be joined by a veritable ‘who’s who’ of North East emerging talent including Jodie Nicholson, bigfatbig, Kay Greyson, Picnic, Amelia Coburn, Michael Gallagher and Mt. Misery. There’s more music

the day before as Transatlantic Ensemble perform Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours in full.

In addition, there will be a unique opportunity to view internationally-renowned artist Luke Jerram’s moving artwork In Memoriam on Seaton Carew beach (from Friday 20th-Monday 30th August), an installation which features 120 flags made from NHS bed sheets arranged in the form of a medical logo, intended as a tribute to NHS staff who risked and lost their lives during the pandemic.

Much more will be announced over the coming weeks, keep an eye on their website for details.

Hartlepool Waterfront Festival takes place on Saturday 28th-Sunday 29th August www.hartlepoolwaterfrontfestival.com

WHERE WE ARE NOW

21 August to 14 November 2021

For more information visit sunderlandmuseum.org.uk

Patrick Hughes, Leaning on a Landscape, 1978.

Arts Council Collection, Southbank Centre, London. ©the artist.

7

PREVIEWS

VISUAL IDENTITY DIGITAL DESIGN PRINT DESIGN CONSULTANCY

UNIFIED BY DESIGN. design.el-roboto.co.uk

8

PREVIEWS

SQUARMS by Benjamin Scott

MUSIC

SQUARMS @ THE ENGINE ROOM

Words: Claire Dupree Fiercely DIY and as unpredictable as they come, Newcastle-based duo SQUARMS head up a bill at North Shields’ The Engine Room on Thursday 5th August which promises to energise and enliven even the most pandemic-weary ears.

The self-described “cyberspace entities” concern themselves with electronica-fuelled hip-hop with a distinctly dystopian flavour.

Embracing the digital age and seeking to subvert conformist agendas, their recent single Dai Jou Bu was released as ‘crypto-vinyl’, on both vinyl and as NFTs (non-fungible tokens), with the express intention of “creating new avenues for independent artists to thrive” and “opening a new ecosystem of value distribution in art”, as they explain on their website. Live, they’re capricious and creative, and in the intimate surrounds of The Engine Room they’ll no doubt produce an incendiary performance.

Joining the crypto-punks on the evening will be two artists who are themselves no strangers to innovating sounds. Experimental hip-hop artist John Dole fuses accessible electronica with effortless flow, while alt. trap/wave artist Xaatu’s multi-layered sound veers deliciously between terrifying beats and thrilling sonic meanderings.

SQUARMS, John Dole and Xaatu play The

Engine Room, North Shields on Thursday 5th August www.squarms.bandcamp.com

EVENTS

BE FORWARD: IDENTIFYING PATHWAYS TO SUCCESS IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY @ THE CUMBERLAND ARMS Words: Claire Dupree If you’ve ever followed a band or artist’s trajectory from performing in the back room of a pub right through to getting signed by a cool label and playing massive festivals, you’ll no doubt have wondered just how the heck they did it. If you’re a musician with aspirations for the same, fancy working within the music scene in general, or just an interested music fan, the first ‘in-person’ event from Forward NE aims to provide you with some insight.

Forward NE is a network for women, trans and non-binary musicians and creatives in the region, and their event at The Cumberland Arms, Newcastle on Thursday 26th August will be the first of many planned across the North East in the coming months.

Be Forward: Identifying Pathways To Success In

The Music Industry will take the form of a talk/Q&A/live music hybrid which will focus on the stories of three successful musicians, promoters and industry experts, with the aim of inspiring and educating women and gender minorities who want to be successful in the music industry. Attendees will hear from Hazel Wilde from Mercury-nominated indie rock band Lanterns on the Lake, Sarah Wilson from Darlington collective Tracks and Noisy Daughters, and Helen Walkinshaw who has a vast range of experience as a DIY musician with Blóm and works as Talent Development manager for Generator. A Q&A will be hosted by NARC. editor Claire Dupree – yep, that’s me!

– and the event will be MC’d by BBC Radio Tees Introducing’s Rianne Thompson.

After the informal and informative talk there will be a live stripped-back performance from incisive indie rock artist Holly Rees and her band, and plenty of opportunity to chat with fellow attendees and guest speakers during a guest DJ set. Entry is free and tables can be reserved via the venue – the talk will also be recorded and available to view online after the event.

Be Forward: Identifying Pathways To Success In The Music Industry with Hazel Wilde, Sarah Wilson, Helen Walkinshaw, Claire Dupree, Rianne Thompson and a performance from Holly Rees takes place at The Cumberland Arms, Newcastle on Thursday 26th August www.facebook.com/forwardne

9

PREVIEWS

Pui Lee. Something Marvellous. Woodcut and mokuhanga

ART & LIT

LOVE NATURE MORE @ NORTHERN PRINT

Words: Nicola Owen Founded on the Fish Quay in 1994 and re-homed in the artistic powerhub which is the Ouseburn Valley, Northern Print is the epicentre for printmaking excellence in the North East.

Whether etched on copper with acid, created with carved wood blocks or formed through mesh, printmaking is an accessible and fascinating practice which can be appreciated and enjoyed by all.

Northern Print studio artists have created over 60 original pieces for their new exhibition Love Nature More, which runs until September.

Inspired by lockdown, during which many people reconnected with and found healing in natural settings, the exhibition seeks to express how the enforced hiatus created a space of uncertainty, observation and reflection on our place in the world. It also acknowledges how we can seek solace in actual, remembered or imagined landscapes and find new ways of living and working that are kinder to nature, and to ourselves.

It’s a beautiful and colourful show, and all prints

10

in the exhibition are for sale (all priced under £100).

For those who find a bit of making helpful in calming the unsettled mind, Northern Print also run printmaking courses for absolute beginners, ‘re-learners’ and folks with more experience.

Love Nature More exhibition is at Northern Print, Newcastle until Saturday 11th September www.northernprint.org.uk

MUSIC

NEW SUPER CLUB THE LOFTS OPENS THIS MONTH

Words: Claire Dupree Dancers and ravers rejoice! Not only are nightclubs open for business and dancing is back on the cards, but there’s a brand new ‘super club’ opening in Newcastle which aims to add further fuel to the fire of the City’s legendary nightlife.

The Lofts is described as offering a “360 visual and sonic experience” in its new home on Newcastle’s Newgate Street. Opening on Friday 27th August with a stellar line-up of big name

acts, they’re certainly putting their best foot forward.

BBC Radio 1 legend and industry taste-maker Pete Tong will headline the opening night, alongside subversive disco collective Horse Meat Disco, innovative house DJ Mighty Mouse, underground disco DJ Natasha Kitty Cat, plus Charlie Hedges and Frankie Foncett. Joining them will be local residents John Dance, Jonny Burn and Kev Cannon.

A night at The Lofts promises much more than just music; the venue boasts a state of the art L-Acoustic sound system, while light shows, professional dancers and immersive experiences will be at the heart of what they offer, with a passion for bringing people together through music.

“Our aim is to build on the excellent reputation Newcastle already has and raise its profile still further.” Says co-owner Rob Seaman, who is behind the venue alongside John Dance and Marty Smith. “We are booking international artists from different genres and can mix up the styles on the same night in the different rooms.”

The Lofts launches on Friday 27th August with Pete Tong, Horse Meat Disco, Mighty Mouse, Natasha Kitty Cat, Charlie Hedges, Frankie Foncett and more www.theloftsne1.co.uk

PREVIEWS

Leddie MC

MUSIC

LEDDIE MC RELEASES NEW SINGLE, PUSHING 30

Words: Claire Dupree Continuing an impressive release schedule which has seen Middlesbrough rapper Leddie MC release a new single practically every month this year, her new track Pushing 30 might be a tough listen for anyone who’s driven up that hill and is coasting down the other side (not me, obvs *ahem*).

“Before you know it you’ll be 30, you’ll be almost middle aged” she spits, as she uncovers some of the rumours about growing older.

Approaching the subject matter with her tongue firmly in cheek, a pinch of humour (“they say you’re past your prime, on the turn with sagging tits...”) and worldly wisdom (“they’re the best years of your life, stop wasting your chances, it’s an honour to grow old never take it for granted”), Pushing 30’s backed by a funky soundtrack making it a catchy ear-worm.

“You need to start trying to conceive babies before you are too old, nothing will ever be

good ever again, your back and knees ache for absolutely no reason (that bit is true!)” She explains about the track. “The upside is, you seem to give a fuck a lot less than you did in your 20s...”

Leddie MC’s only live date this year will be at Middlesbrough Town Hall on Thursday 12th August, as part of their Summer Sessions shows. Given the incredible creative spurt Leddie’s undergoing right now, it’s certain to be a performance filled with fresh sounds and her trademark biting wit.

Leddie MC releases Pushing 30 on 27th August.

She performs at Middlesbrough Town Hall supporting The Lulas on Thursday 12th August www.facebook.com/LeddieMC1

COMEDY

HILARITY BITES COMEDY CLUB @ THE FORUM MUSIC CENTRE, DARLINGTON Words: Kate Murphy Comedy clubs both new and established are

coming back swinging, and the long-running Hilarity Bites is no exception. Like the culture-savvy friend you can trust for a heads-up on the next big gig, this club is always on hand to deliver the finest in rib-tickling, hot and fresh on our doorstep.

It’s Darlington’s turn on Saturday 7th August, when stand-up and songwriter Duncan Oakley takes to the stage with his harmonica and whimsical charm, to put thoughts big and small to the catchiest of tunes. Whether singing about frying pans or what it means to leave a legacy behind, Oakley will ensure no-one leaves without a sillier, funnier and naughtier lens on the world. The cherry on the cake this night is Josh Pugh who, having only performed his first gig in 2014, is a shiny new cherry too, and already clanging with awards like Midlands New Act of the Year 2015 and English Comedian of the Year 2016. Like James Acaster with a slight dark twist, Pugh is impossibly likeable, with a soap-bar purity to his persona and one foot in the delightfully unusual. If you like your comedy excellently observed, you’re all set.

Duncan Oakley and Josh Pugh perform at The Forum Music Centre, Darlington on Saturday 7th August www.hilaritybites.co.uk

11

PREVIEWS

Monday 17 May – Sunday 5 September 2021

12

PREVIEWS

Louise Young by Mark Howe

COMEDY

LAUREN STONE & LOUISE YOUNG @ THE GLOBE

Words: Claire Dupree As if starting a brand new comedy collective during a pandemic wasn’t pioneering enough, Felt Nowt have since branched out into launching their own comedy club in an actual real-life physical space at Laurel’s in Whitley Bay. It’s clear nothing but full-on North East domination will do, and they’re gradually kicking off new regular events at a variety of venues across the region which aim to put North East comics front and centre.

Felt Tips is one such new endeavour; a new act/ new material night at The Globe and Bobik’s in Newcastle, each event will feature an experienced headliner trying out new material alongside an MC and six short spots for new acts to develop their comedy skills. Thursday 26th August will see a particularly tasty line-up take to the stage at The Globe featuring headliner

Lauren Stone, whose time away from live performance will no doubt have provided fresh comedic fodder to suit her dead-pan style, while Louise Young’s razor-sharp wit will be an excellent fit as she takes on MC duties for the night.

Lauren Stone, Louise Young and more perform at The Globe, Newcastle on Thursday 26th August www.feltnowt.co.uk

MUSIC

ISLE OF TYNE @ THE TYNE BAR

Words: Laura Doyle Festivals are tentatively returning this summer, and with it our hopes that the music industry might just about bounce back after over a year out. And, like the dove appearing over the horizon with an olive branch, our first sign of better things within reach is the triumphant comeback of the all-day bank holiday extravaganza, Isle of Tyne.

The folks at Wandering Oak and the Tyne Bar seek to make up for lost time with a free entry

event on Bank Holiday Sunday that will blow the inaugural event out of the water. Samba reggae is on the menu thanks to an appearance from masked Afrobeat punk outfit Ponyland; with more progressive beats and industrial grind than a Carnegie steel mill, STRAIGHT GIRL will undoubtedly go wild on stage to their electro punk hits; and fresh from their debut album Today’s News…Stay Happy, Behold A Pale Horse will be grateful for the opportunity to get back on stage and show it off more than they were able pre-pandemic. Electronica can be morbid too: Crimewave are on a mission to show how to manipulate your sound to make it as bone-chilling as possible; while Ibero-Geordie synth-poppers Twist Helix do excellently on record, but the stage is where they really have a chance to shine. Dancers rejoice, for Stranger Than Horses host a DJ set for anyone who wants to simply get lost in soulful melody. See you at the bar, then?

Isle of Tyne takes place at The Tyne Bar, Newcastle on Sunday 29th August www.facebook.com/wanderingoakuk

13

PREVIEWS

Image by Malcolm Johnson

COMEDY

JONNY & THE BAPTISTS @ THE STAND

Words: Nicola Owen Comedy folk duo Jonny & The Baptists bring their trademark blend of silly and joyful songs, deadpan stand-up and riotous storytelling to The Stand, Newcastle on Tuesday 3rd August as part of a nation embracing tour this Summer.

dancecity.co.uk

14

Dance Like It Never Happened is touted as a show about grief and loss and feeling utterly bereaved. But with laughs. The lads learn to accept and engage with their grief, telling the story of anger, denial, bargaining, depression and acceptance and finally finding meaning, beauty and humour in the hardest part of life.

As they say themselves: “In 2019, we lost another election, our place in Europe and, worst of all, a dearly beloved friend. We are no strangers to grief, but it hurt. Then in 2020, we all lost the world as we knew it. Our

decades-long system of ‘dealing with emotions’ (ignore them, drink heavily and make jokes) finally broke. We finally broke.”

The Times, The Guardian and Metro have all lavished Jonny & The Baptists’ work with four star reviews using Scrabble staples such as “funny”, “irresistible” and “fuzzy”. The lads have a podcast and blog on their website for those hooked on the idea of unconquerable optimism and keen to find out more.

Jonny & The Baptists perform at The Stand, Newcastle on Tuesday 3rd August www.jonnyandthebaptists.co.uk

0191 261 0505

PREVIEWS

Biscuit Head And The Biscuit Badgers

MUSIC

MISH MASH FESTIVAL @ MARKET SQUARE, DARLINGTON

Words: Kate Murphy With last year’s in-the-flesh Mish Mash snatched from us, it’s only right that this summer we get to enjoy a double supply of the something-foreveryone festival: not one, but two days of musical celebration, all thanks to Tracks Darlington, Darlington Borough Council and Tees Valley Festival Recovery Fund.

The party bursts into Darlington Market Square on Saturday 28th August for an opening day of air-punching local pride, with ethereal indie pop from ETHR; chart-topping reggae/ska heaven from The Skapones; the sublime Cortney Dixon – rightly named one of BBC Music Introducing in the North East’s Top Ten Tips, with a one-of-a-kind voice and a smoky-bar style; funk and summer in a bottle from Middlesbrough’s Moon Wax; joyous Latin acoustic from last year’s Mini Mish Mash headliners Los Capitanes; and soul-pleasing funk and dance from headliners Weekend Sun. Sunday 29th sees more music from folk punkers Bubamara, foot-stomping

blues from The Dead Seat and classic funk and soul sounds courtesy of Groove Nite, plus all families’ prayers will be answered thanks to non-stop good times from rock ‘n’ roll folk pirates Blackbeard’s Tea Party, clever daftness from Biscuit Head & The Biscuit Badgers, party-starting African/hip-hop fusion from headliners K.O.G. & The Zongo Brigade and more, not to mention family musical crafts presented by BIG Little Gigs and free music and dance workshops. Missed Mash? Us too.

Mish Mash Festival takes place on Saturday 28th and Sunday 29th August at Darlington’s Market Square www.tracksdarlington.co.uk

MUSIC

THE NIGHTINGALES @ THE CLUNY

Words: Luke Waller Coming to The Cluny on Thursday 5th August will be The Nightingales, supported by local post-punkers Roxy Girls, complete with their offbeat style and abrasive riffs.

Ever since their reincarnation from the legendary Prefects in Birmingham in 1979, The

Nightingales have stuck to their doctrine of avant-garde sound with a pervading DIY quality.

Whether it’s their debut single from 1981, Idiot Strength, which offers a dystopian atmosphere of hopelessness with a raw, frenetic edge, or Thicko Rides Again, the opening track of 2020’s Four Against Fate album, marked by regular buckling twists and turns, something is there which binds the Nightingales’ music together.

The easy answer would be singer, lyricist, and only constant member (except during the band’s 1986-2004 hiatus), Robert Lloyd. Another answer might be the ever-changing nature of the band, whether this be disorientating, dissonant riffs and rhythms to match dark, restless lyrics, or that they have gone through 26 members through the years. Post-modern, post-punk, post-anything-and-everything, “the misfits’ Misfits” is by no means an ill-fitting term for The Nightingales.

As for their fluctuating line-up, it’s never been so stable and hasn’t changed since 2014, with Fliss Kitson on drums, who also accompanies Lloyd on vocals, Faust’s Andreas Schmid on bass and James Smith on guitar.

The Nightingales and Roxy Girls play The Cluny, Newcastle on Thursday 5th August www.thenightingales.org.uk

15

PREVIEWS

L-R: Ben Crompton, Rachel Jackson

COMEDY

FELT NOWT COMEDY CLUB @ LAUREL’S, WHITLEY BAY

Words: Kate Murphy Born out of circumstances no comedian would wish for, Felt Nowt is a comedy company founded by North East stand-ups themselves during the pandemic. With sharp thinking from its founders, Felt Nowt not only became a new

16

contact for those hiring the hottest local talent, it also ensured the top-notch stand-up we’re used to could come to us online as well as in person.

Now here we are, in a world where the dreamed-of is now tangible, and the comedy now comes with the nearby smell of tapas if you wish. After its debut in July, Felt Nowt is hitting the stage again at Laurel’s: the theatre, bar and Mexican and Geordie tapas establishment which is now its proud home every Friday and Saturday. August sees the treats keep coming, with local favourites Hal Branson, Si Beckwith, Lee Kyle and Sammy

Dobson taking turns hosting three fellow huge names a night, including Lauren Pattison (Friday 6th and Saturday 7th), Steffen Peddie (Friday 13th and Saturday 14th), Omar Abid (Friday 20th and Saturday 21st) and George Zach (Friday 27th and Saturday 28th), to name just a few. As we carefully leave the sit-down world, it’s good to be back in the stand-up one with those who do it best.

Felt Nowt Comedy Club takes place every Friday and Saturday at Laurel’s, Whitley Bay www.laurelswhitley.co.uk

PREVIEWS

Dennis Rollins by Darren Cowley

MUSIC

NEWCASTLE JAZZ FESTIVAL @ VARIOUS VENUES

Words: Michael O’Neill The Toon’s premier festival of all things jazz returns after a pandemic-enforced break to pick up where 2019’s marvellous revival left off! For almost fifty years the Newcastle Jazz Festival has long been a showcase of both local, national and international talent (from Ronnie Scott right through to Art Blakey) and this year’s stellar line-up is no exception.

Across the weekend of Friday 13th-Sunday 15th August, three venues (Tyne Bank Brewery, Newcastle Civic Centre and Flat Caps Café) will host performances from fifteen diverse and enthralling acts (including acts specially paired for the festival), ensuring NJF is guaranteed to be a strong testament to the constantly evolving and varied jazz community both in the North East and further afield.

Headliners include the Strictly Smokin’ Big Band & Alice Grace (paying tribute to the broad songbook of Ella Fitzgerald), Tyneside’s empress of the blues Mo Scott and Jay Phelps (who, in an

illustrious career, has collaborated with the likes of Courtney Pine, George Benson, Jean Toussaint and even Amy Winehouse). Add into the mix the plethora of local acts including Not Now Charlie, Abbie Finn Trio and Swing Manouche among others, and it’s clear that the pandemic’s effect on live events has done little to stop the North East jazz scene from evolving and continuing to be both exciting and innovative.

Newcastle Jazz Festival takes place at Tyne Bank Brewery, Newcastle Civic Centre and Flat Caps Coffee in Newcastle from Friday 13th-Sunday 15th August www.newcastlejazzfestival.co.uk es place from Friday 2nd-Sunday 11th July www.hexhambookfestival.co.uk

MUSIC

SALT HOUSE LAVISH RELEASES NEW ALBUM, FRATERNISECOLLABORATE

Words: Michael O’Neill Following on from the success of his previous Quarintent series of releases, local producer/ multi-instrumentalist Salt House Lavish returns

with Fraternise-Collaborate, a sprawling and enthralling LP which finds the artist, shuttered off from the ordinary modes of collaborating with artists due to the pandemic, drawing on the most unlikely source for inspiration: the deep rabbit-hole of royalty-free vocal samples, upon which he crafted a suite of themes for imaginary TV shows.

It’s an enticing conceit, and one which is fully-realised throughout the LP’s astonishing and diverse eight tracks. The resulting music immediately calls to mind the relentless creativity and sonic trickery of The Avalanches and The Bomb Squad, with vocal samples not simply being used for crafty gimmickry, but also to create jaw-droppingly complete and masterful pieces of music. From the slinky funk of lead single Alley Cat, through to the profoundly moving Something To Distract Me, the precision-engineered-for-the-Top-40 might of Why and the enthralling, breakbeat laden climax Do Not Follow Them, Salt House Lavish draws on a rich and broad sonic palette to craft a truly astonishing and unexpectedly moving collection of phenomenal songcraft from the most unlikely of sources.

Salt House Lavish releases FraterniseCollaborate on 20th August www.facebook.com/salthouselavishmusic

17

PREVIEWS

Image by Chris Almeida

MUSIC

ALABASTER DEPLUME @ GOSFORTH CIVIC THEATRE

Words: Claire Dupree Newcastle-based promoter Wandering Oak prove their excellent good taste once again with this co-pro with Gosforth Civic Theatre’s Jazz Club – themselves becoming expert spotters of local and national talent.

Alabaster dePlume is a musician of unwavering talent who has garnered considerable praise for

18

his “cheerfully uneasy” sound which magically interweaves jazz, folk and poetry. 2018’s album The Corner of a Sphere, Alabaster’s fourth, is themed around greed, division and unity and effortlessly fuses poetic lyrical meanderings with instrumentation which veers from sparsely beautiful to bombastically effusive. His most recent album, To Cy & Lee: Instrumentals Vol. 1 is a collection of instrumentals taken from early releases and is intended to serve as a calming release which brims with atmosphere and majestic performances from Alabaster himself alongside percussionist and composer Sarathy Korwar and Dan Leavers, aka Danalogue from jazz rockers The Comet Is Coming, among others.

A singular talent, Alabaster’s work doesn’t stop short of music; he’s also an accomplished short film maker, curator and purveyor of sensitively created and inclusive work which never fails to be impressive.

At his Gosforth Civic Theatre performance on Friday 27th August he’ll be joined by one of the North East’s own absurdly talented songwriters (and this month’s cover star!) Ceitidh Mac, whose transformative cello playing and beguiling songcraft will be as enthralling to watch as the headline act. A special night indeed.

Alabaster dePlume and Ceitidh Mac play at Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle on Friday 27th August www.alabasterdeplume.com

PREVIEWS

Roxy Girls

MUSIC

ROXY GIRLS RELEASE NEW EP, ROXY GIRLS ARE IN THE DRINK

Words: Luke Waller Post-punk band Roxy Girls are due to drop their latest release on 27th August via Moshi Moshi.

Roxy Girls Are In The Drink features four new tracks by the Mackems, and it’s ‘all killer, no filler’ in a short, punchy EP of just under nine minutes. True masters of the two-minute ditty, …In The Drink showcases every reason there is to join the crowd amassing behind the band. …In The Drink displays more sophistication than has been in evidence on previous releases: the irregular yet infectious rhythms of opening track Like A Buoy; the carefree, lively Sister Fatima; the punky, more chaotic In The Drink and the circling, discordant waltz of My New Home all ably demonstrate Roxy Girls’ trademark stabby, angular style, with each track offering a new view of the band’s work.

If new music wasn’t enough, the band will also be supporting pioneering post-punk band The Nightingales at The Cluny, Newcastle on Thursday 5th August.

Roxy Girls release Roxy Girls Are In The Drink on 27th August via Moshi Moshi. They play The Cluny, Newcastle on Thursday 5th August, supporting The Nightingales www.roxygirls.bandcamp.com

MUSIC

THE TEESSIDE ARCHETYPES @ ARC

Words: Laura Doyle Stockton is as underestimated as it is fantastic.

The Teesside market town gets a bad rep, as so many Northern areas do, for unfair stereotypes surrounding working class areas. But that’s never stopped it from doing its own thing – be that becoming a rich cultural hub for the North East with some superb music venues, a place of unexpectedly reasonably priced eateries, or that time in 1933 when 2,000 of its townspeople

came together to kick out a small bunch of Mosley’s fascist black shirts who’d decided on the town for one of their demonstrations.

There is perhaps no one who better appreciates Stockton than Wildcats of Kilkenny’s Mike McGrother. He’s embarking on an ambitious year-long stint at ARC to pay tribute to his beloved home town with 12 monthly performances, each focusing on one of Jung’s Archetypes of the Collective Unconscious. For those not psychologically savvy, that basically means a system of categorisation for the people in the world around us. The first event on Friday 20th August focuses on The Explorer, with subsequent archetypical characters – The Caregiver, The Outlaw, The Magician, The Creative, The Innocent, The Ruler, The Sage, The Hero, The Lover, The Jester and The Everyman – following each month. Expect special guests, musical collabs and definitely a surprise or two.

The Teesside ARChetypes: An Exploration of Stockton is at ARC, Stockton on Friday 20th August www.arconline.co.uk

19

PREVIEWS

HARTLEPOOL LIVE Hartlepool's biggest multi-venue music festival is back this Autumn!

tickets available here

An Unfolding Theatre and Northern Stage co-production

WED 25 AUG - SAT 28 AUG

BOOK NOW: 0191 230 5151 • northernstage.co.uk Tickets from £10, limited availability so book in advance

20

PREVIEWS

Your Aunt Fanny by Jessie’s Whimsical Photography

COMEDY

YOUR AUNT FANNY @ THE CUMBERLAND ARMS

Words: Leigh Venus After 18 dry months, comedy sketch group Your Aunt Fanny returns for an evening gushing comedy on The Cumberland Arms’ terrace with their cannily titled show, Your Aunt Fanny: The Cum Back on Wednesday 11th and Thursday 12th August.

Their first show, Minge Unhinged, received multiple five-star reviews leading to commissions from Live Theatre, Channel 4 and the BBC, and actress and one-seventh of the group Katie Powell can’t wait for the fannies to be exposed to an audience again.

“We are so excited! The Cumberland Arms is a much-loved venue and the ideal friendly place to make our comeback and try out brand new work. We are buzzing to be in front of an audience and show everyone a good time.”

Katie assures us that fans have even more content coming too via brand-new podcast, Match Made in Seven. “We hilariously probe each of the seven deadly sins and what it means

to be a young womxn partial to one or more of them, each week looking at a different sin and hosted by the Fanny most invested in it!”

As always, expect sharp sketches and frank talk from both the new show and podcast as Your Aunt Fanny vividly capture a night on the town with your wildest, filthiest friend.

Your Aunt Fanny perform at The Cumberland Arms, Newcastle on Wednesday 11th and Thursday 12th August www.facebook.com/yourauntfanny

MUSIC

WEDNESDAY NIGHT PRAYER MEETING @ BOBIK’S

Words: Ali Welford If expression is defined as “the conveying of feeling in a work of art and/or performance” (which it is), then improvisation surely represents its purest, least filtered musical form.

Fortunately, thanks to institutions such as TUSK, The Old Police House and Newcastle Festival of Jazz and Improvised Music, the North East not only sports a healthy improv scene, but also one that’s susceptible to further enrichment… Enter

Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting!

Hosted by Thomas Dixon (of Dilutey Juice fame) at excellent Jesmond venue Bobik’s, WNPM is a new free space for musicians to collaborate, horizons to be broadened and all present to share in the collective, unpredictable and often thrilling spills of impromptu performance. Taking place on Wednesday 4th August (and the first Wednesday of each month thereafter), this pay-as-you-feel event promises to be – in the best sense possible – a complete free-for-all.

Anybody and everybody is welcome, with no genres, backgrounds, instruments or perceived levels of ability excluded.

What’s more, each night will feature a range of esteemed guest performers (John Pope, of Archipelago and his own John Pope Quintet, is among those booked in this month), and with just a basic drum kit and the venue’s PA for starters, there’s no telling where sessions could head. Whether performing or simply turning up to listen, it’s time to reintroduce a dash of spontaneity in our lives!

Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting takes place at Bobik’s, Newcastle on Wednesday 4th August www.bobiks.com

21

SCAN ME

SPECIALIST CREATIVE COURSES

NORTHERNART.AC.UK

22

PREVIEWS

Scott Michael Cavagan by Brian Nicholson

MUSIC

SCOTT MICHAEL CAVAGAN LAUNCHES NEW EP @ LITTLE BUILDINGS

Words: Michael O’Neill Prolific anthemic pop rock songwriter Scott Michael Cavagan returns with a new EP, To Be Someone, along with a stellar launch gig to celebrate its release.

A companion piece to his 2019 LP 21st Century Love, the EP finds the solo artist, backed by his live band, further exploring his penchant for widescreen, arena-ready cerebral rock that goes to task on the state of the world and more introspective matters. Heavy on energy, drive, buzzsaw guitars and colossal walls of sound, To Be Someone doesn’t waste a second, with the likes of Escape The Void and I Feel Alive When I Sleep immediately standing toe-to-toe with the recent work of Manic Street Preachers (with some cheeky guitar moves straight out of The Holy Bible in the latter track), but carrying enough confidence and conviction to stand as the work of a gifted and talented artist with an impeccable knack for churning out colossal choruses.

On Friday 6th August, the same day as the EP’s

release, Cavagan will lead a phenomenal bill at the divine Buckybomb emporium and regional treasure otherwise known as Little Buildings, with support from scuzz merchants Dunes and the (in their words) “textural sophisto-rock superpower trio” Tankengine.

Scott Michael Cavagan launches To Be Someone EP at Little Buildings, Newcastle on Friday 6th August with support from Dunes and Tankengine www.scottmichaelcavagan.bandcamp.com

EVENTS

LOVE IS THE MAP @ THE CUMBERLAND ARMS

Words: Claire Dupree A celebration of community, music and creativity will be held at The Cumberland Arms in Newcastle on Saturday 7th August, as North East collective Love Is The Map encourage people to connect, build confidence and reimagine what community means to them.

A host of entertainment is promised, including Curious Monkey Theatre’s story-sharing Curious Caravan, the Coalescence Sound System, an eclectic mix of tunes throughout the day from DJs, plus arts and crafts activities and the opportunity to find out about local groups and

campaigns. Joyful celebration is at the heart of Love Is The Map’s ethos, as founder Beth Coverdale explains: “We think it is important to put on an event that will help build confidence as well as be an enjoyable festival with music, creativity, dancing, learning and fun. We want to inspire a collective sense of purpose and raise aspirations, helping to bring back a sense of collective community.”

Beth continues: “Through this event we hope to bring together and foster understanding amongst people from diverse communities, and of different ages, abilities and life experiences. The activities will offer opportunities to have fun, learn new things and start planning next steps post-Covid – acknowledging the struggles people have faced over the last year and aiming to create space for community-led change.

Mainly it will be a chance to celebrate everything that is incredible about our communities and neighbours.”

It’s not just a day of fun though; Love Is The Map have raised £2,000 to benefit communities in the East End of Newcastle, and the event itself will be free to attend (book a table via the venue).

Love Is The Map takes place at The Cumberland Arms, Newcastle on Saturday 7th August www.instagram.com/loveisthemap

23

SUMMER SESSIONS THURSDAYS AT 8PM JAZZ SUPPER WITH PIES! 20 AUGUST CURRY ON COMEDY 22 AUGUST DANIEL SLOSS-HUBRIS, SCOTLAND’S INTERNATIONAL COMEDY STAR 18 SEPTEMBER ROBERT WHITE, THE TANK TOP TOUR 2 22 SEPTEMBER

For more info and tickets visit middlesbroughtownhall.co.uk Box Office 01642 729 729

24

INTERVIEWS MUSIC

JODIE NICHOLSON

Image by Elizabeth Evans

ALI WELFORD DISCOVERS HOW THE TEESSIDE SONGWRITER IS CRAFTING HER SOUND, ONE IMPRESSIVE RELEASE AT A TIME In an age of dwindling partisanship – where Taylor Swift can dine alongside The National and Bon Iver and few bat an eyelid – it seems musicians are inspired as much by peers’ values and traits as their sonic trademarks. Citing the likes of Bombay Bicycle Club, Daughter and Laura Marling, Jodie Nicholson is a case in point: her goal isn’t so much to sound like her influences, but rather to create like them.

“The artists who inspire me the most are those with the confidence to say ‘You know what? I’m going to do this. You might think you know who I am, but I’m going to change that perception. Yet it’s still somehow going to sound like me!’” She muses. “I’d hate to be bound within a single box or genre just because that’s what I’d done before, regardless of what’s expected of me.”

Fans of Jodie’s illuminating debut album can breathe easy: the gifted Hurworth singer-songwriter hasn’t undertaken a full donk or done a death metal 180. Instead, new EP Can’t Escape The Feeling builds gamely on the minimal acoustic and piano-based framework established on that eponymous 2019 release; its novel synths and pad percussion adding fresh depth to four intimate accounts of feeling lost amidst familiar surroundings.

“Although I’m yet to nail down my sound, this feels like the most ‘me’ music so far; it presents all the facets of what I am as an artist, and what I can bring to the table sonically,” she claims. “Lyrics are a massive part of it, too. Maybe it’s just down to experience, but I’m finally beginning to understand how to make a song say what I want it to say.” According to Jodie, this rings particularly true for the EP’s lead single and opening number: “Be Back Soon has every element of a Jodie Nicholson song bottled into one,” she states. “That’s the one I’d bring to somebody to say ‘This is who I am.’ It felt like the perfect introduction, as the other three songs are like extensions of that world.”

I’D HATE TO BE BOUND WITHIN A SINGLE BOX OR GENRE JUST BECAUSE THAT’S WHAT I’D DONE BEFORE, REGARDLESS OF WHAT’S EXPECTED OF ME According to Jodie, it’s a culmination for which remote producer Tim Bran (London Grammar, Aurora, Rae Morris) also deserves a share of the credit: “Tim really understands my sound and knows where to take it, but is also open to experimenting with ideas I bring to the table.” One of these brainwaves manifests on Why Would You (Go), a track permeated by an off-the-cuff voice memo Jodie recorded in one such familiar setting. “That song was basically written about talking to myself in my car – which I do a lot! – but it didn’t necessarily sound finished,” she recalls. “I drive alone most of the time, and it’s become a bit of a safe space where I can process my thoughts. Maybe I do it too much, but inspiration comes in phases – you have to take advantage when the time comes!

“In terms of the next step, I don’t know what it’s going to be yet, and that’s really exciting to me,” she adds, returning to the subject of change. “There will be common themes – whatever comes next will have loads of harmonies, it’ll be warm and cosy and it might make you cry – but whether it’s a single or a full body of work it’s bound to be different!”

Jodie Nicholson’s new EP, Can’t Escape The Feeling, is released on Friday 20th August. She performs at Last Train Home festival in Darlington on Saturday 4th September, Twisterella festival in Middlesbrough on Saturday 9th October and Westgarth Social Club, Middlesbrough on Friday 22nd October. www.jodienicholsonmusic.com

25

INTERVIEW

L-R, T-B: Blamire, Psydove, Badger by Tom Harvey

NORTHERN ELECTRIC FESTIVAL ALI WELFORD TALKS TO STEVEN CHELL TO FIND OUT WHAT IT TAKES TO BRING A COMMUNITY BACK TOGETHER, AS NORTHERN ELECTRIC FESTIVAL RETURNS TO THE OUSEBURN VALLEY It may be next year before we experience Ouseburn’s own summer festival season in full swing, yet the lifting of restrictions has at least allowed a handful of the Valley’s staples to make a return. Among those taking the plunge is Northern Electric Festival, a passionately curated and strikingly diverse showcase of North East electronic music, held at Cobalt Studios on Friday 20th and Saturday 21st August.

“We can’t wait!” Enthuses co-organiser Steven Chell. “Like most people, it’s not just the live music we’re excited for – it’s seeing our friends, getting back in those environments and being part of the ecosystem again. I think people have been reminded how big a part of their lives the music scene is, and whatever was valuable to us at the beginning of the pandemic is all the more so now.”

26

Usually a sprawling, multi-venue beast, Steven and company have – perhaps sensibly – kept things simple for NEF’s 2021 comeback – though even this scaled back edition presents a substantial taste of the creative zest the region has to offer.

For most acts, it’ll be a first performance before an audience for some 18 months. The layoff has proved trying for musicians of every hue, but far from ring rustiness Steven backs this year’s line-up to kick back stronger than ever. “The artists have had time to reflect on what’s really important to them as well. A lot have mentioned to me that this period been an opportunity to brush up on skills, learn new ones, hone their musical identity and refine their sound. With so many artists having worked on distilling what makes them special, I think every performance is going to be more distinctly ‘them’ than

INTERVIEW

MUSIC

L-R, T-B: John Dole by Johnny Haynes, Spell Token, SQUARMS

WITH SO MANY ARTISTS HAVING WORKED ON DISTILLING WHAT MAKES THEM SPECIAL, I THINK EVERY PERFORMANCE IS GOING TO BE MORE DISTINCTLY ‘THEM’ THAN ANYTHING WE’VE SEEN PREVIOUSLY

anything we’ve seen previously.”

It’s quite the prospect – particularly considering the breadth of talent on show. Friday kickstarts with the woozy psychedelic grooves of Psydove and the experimental retro-futurist production of SQUARMS, before climaxing with irrepressible DIY beats and absurdist lyricism from Badger and a climatic dose of Spell Token’s ambitious, multifaceted dream pop.

Saturday’s live bill is topped by vibrant ‘80s-inspired synth-pop outfit Blamire, who’re shadowed by ever-evolving bizarro collective Emergency Librarian 2, Vigilance State’s minimal, dystopian dark wave, experimental alt. rap vibes from John Dole and heart-onsleeve hip-hop courtesy of Scrannabis. Following Blamire’s headline set, festivities are rounded off with the traditional Northern Electric club night, featuring a trio of sets from Tony Daly, Tokyoacidcru and MOVE Residents.

It’s a scene NEF and various offshoots have done much to foster, yet as the festival’s fifth instalment approaches, Steven admits to a subtle shift in focus: “I feel like providing a platform is becoming less of an important role for us, because the artists who’ve met through the

festival are sharing ideas, helping each other out, and now as things open up again they’re playing gigs together,” he says. “We’re still always on the lookout for new acts, but it’s nice to now be growing and supporting a community rather than establishing one.”

At just £15 advance, NEF also continues to offer superb value, with tickets available on the door those who only wish to attend one evening.

“I think gigs over the next few months are going to be really special,” Steven concludes. “There’s going to be an energy, a positivity and a sense of community and gratitude that is so easily lost when we start taking things for granted and under-appreciating these incredible luxuries. It’s a great excuse to enjoy Ouseburn for a full weekend, see your friends, try out some new music and have a dance. Your ticket also helps support local venues, bands, DJs, sound engineers and promoters get back into the swing of things, and to continue working on exciting art and events.”

Northern Electric Festival takes place at Cobalt Studios, Newcastle on Friday 20th and Saturday 21st August www.facebook.com/n.e.festival

27

COVER FEATURE

MUSIC

28

COVER FEATURE

I DO THINK IT’S IMPORTANT TO REFLECT THE SOCIAL AND POLITICAL THINGS WHICH GO ON, BUT I LIKE TO DO SO IN A WAY THAT’S RELATABLE AND SLIGHTLY AMBIGUOUS

CEITIDH MAC

ALI WELFORD TALKS TO THE ALT. CELLIST-SONGWRITER ABOUT HER FIRST PURPOSE-WRITTEN BODY OF WORK IMAGE BY AMELIA READ

“I think our ears really like the cello,” muses Welsh-born Tynesider Ceitidh Mac. “It has such a versatile sound – the low-end frequencies, the bassline riffs, the lyrical tone of the bow – I’ve heard it has the same range as the human voice, and although it’s usually considered a classical instrument there are lots of people changing the ways in which it can be played. I love performing in venues where you’d never hear a cello normally!”

Alongside the likes of Me Lost Me and Heather Ferrier, Ceitidh (think “Katie”, of “ceilidh” with a T) spearheads a clutch of North East artists following individual yet ideologically aligned paths, conjuring fresh, exciting shapes from sounds many would consign to yesteryear. With a charismatic smoky vocal to match her instrumental prowess, the alt. cellist-songwriter’s reputation has blossomed on the back of her captivating live shows – yet despite a clutch of promising singles is still to manifest in a definitive studio statement.

For this reason, August’s I Reach For The Pen EP represents not only progress, but also a true breakthrough; its 17 glorious minutes heralding Ceitidh Mac’s arrival as a bold, unique virtuoso worth cherishing. Her first cohesive, purpose-written body of work (and, thanks to a successful Kickstarter campaign, her maiden vinyl release), this revelatory six-tracker offers a comprehensive showcase of a burgeoning artist of multitudinal talents, equipped with tools to resonate far beyond an excited local scene.

“I’ve been playing Scrapheap live for a while, but the other songs represent my past year or so of writing,” she explains. Ironically, it’s a period which – at least at the time – felt less like a purple-patch and more like a creative dearth, as instinct and routine clashed with the necessity for remote working. “It definitely wasn’t the most inspired time for me. I struggled without the structure I was used to – gigging, and all the other things which go with being a musician – as well as having all that time but not feeling energised by the world or the state it was in.

“It was a sort of different, almost forced way of writing,” she continues. “Because we couldn’t move around or interact with other people so much, I was just left with my own brain, trying to pull creative stuff out of it – but sometimes you need that interaction to be inspired. The last two songs on the EP – Dragon’s Out and When The Tune Rises – are about those inner workings; that ebb and flow of inspiration and trying to grab onto it when it does eventually come.”

As a listener, it seems almost dumbfounding that this laborious process has spawned such dazzling results. Indeed, far from a toilful dirge, I Reach For The Pen, is both bustling and resplendent, marrying bewitching experimental flair with breezy tones akin to

alt. folk luminaries such as Rachael Dadd and Rozi Plain. As Ceitidh explains, however, these impulses stemmed not from a single significant breakthrough, but rather a series of low-key eureka moments, often as unexpected as they were trivial.

“It was about trying to appreciate the small things. I really enjoy finding those tiny little details in life which everybody experiences and bringing out those everyday processes.” The aforementioned Scrapheap, for instance, was sparked by a petty note (“Please park properly next time!”) left anonymously on her car’s windscreen, while stunning lead track Birds reflects the splendour of awakening to a natural, chirping chorus. “That was definitely one positive,” she recalls: “When the traffic stopped you did suddenly begin to hear the birds on the street I live on – silver linings, I guess! In a way, it’s an EP of two parts: whereas the final two songs are more introspective, the first half is more about looking out, appreciating nature and questioning our human behaviours. I do think it’s important to reflect the social and political things which go on, but I like to do so in a way that’s relatable and slightly ambiguous, so listeners can interpret songs in ways which make sense to them.”

In addition to the four focus tracks, I Reach For The Pen weaves in a pair of instrumentals; cuts Ceitidh admits offer a brief, albeit fruitful detour to her comfort zone. “I love it when an EP or an album has a shape to it, so I wanted there to be a thread running through the songs too. I think as an instrumentalist rather than a lyricist – with the cello as another voice as opposed to an accompaniment – so for me those tracks are just as meaningful. I don’t know whether it’s due to my dyslexia and the way my brain works, but it’s always taken me a while to pick out lyrics. I think that’s naturally led me to be someone who writes melody before words.”

With the EP primed to be let loose, focus now turns to an overdue live return, with a clutch of local dates providing warm-up for a nationwide jaunt come November. For most shows, she’ll be joined by the EP’s silent partners, vibraphonist/percussionist Will Hammond and synth player Calum Howard (who also handled production, with Sam Grant on recording duties at Blank Studios).

Ultimately, though, the profiles of venues in London, Glasgow or her native Pembrokeshire seem immaterial – regardless of whether they’re accustomed to cello, it’s doubtful their stages will ever have hosted an artist quite like Ceitidh Mac. Ceitidh Mac’s new EP, I Reach For The Pen, is released on Friday 27th August, the same day she performs at Gosforth Civic Theatre supporting Alabaster dePlume www.ceitidhmac.com

29

INTERVIEW

30

INTERVIEW

STAGE

STEEL & IRON

Teesworks

HELEN REDFERN TALKS TO KATIE GIBSON ABOUT CHALLENGING PRECONCEPTIONS IN HER PRODUCTION WHICH CELEBRATES THE HISTORY AND HERITAGE OF MIDDLESBROUGH Based on a concept by Middlesbrough-born producer Katie Gibson, Steel & Iron from Twenty Seven Productions is a musical celebrating Middlesbrough and challenging preconceptions about the town.

Katie shares how the concept for the show came to her a few years ago, when regional pieces were being produced but never seemed to be based around Middlesbrough; she’s determined to challenge the negative view of the town that she comes across in the media.

“Everyone who stays in Middlesbrough stays for a reason – there are amazing landmarks, amazing stuff going on. It feels like Middlesbrough is never ever celebrated. It’s been called the worst place to live in the world. But with the airport, the free port, the great work the Mayor of Teesside is doing for the town, the football team – we’ve got loads to celebrate.” Katie is also quick to point out that the theme is easily transferable, saying “’Boro is similar to all other working class places.”

While it may be described as a musical, Steel & Iron is more of a play with music in it – “spoken dialogue and a wonderful plot, flanked by fantastic music”, is how Katie describes it. Middlesbrough songwriter Alistair Griffin composed the music with a little help from Cattle & Cane’s Helen and Joe Hammill and Maximo Park’s Paul Smith. The cast is largely from the region too, and includes Luke Maddison, Frances McNamee, Melissa Sert, Jacob Anderton, Dani Arlington, Jordan Alexander and Tom Jude.

The production has been in the works since 2016, and after a tumultuous couple of years it’s finally back on track, although Katie has found the experience of rehearsing and performing in a public

EVERYONE WHO STAYS IN MIDDLESBROUGH STAYS FOR A REASON – THERE ARE AMAZING LANDMARKS, AMAZING STUFF GOING ON. IT FEELS LIKE MIDDLESBROUGH IS NEVER EVER CELEBRATED

space again an unusual one. “We’ve found it so strange, like we’ve forgotten how it all works. I’ve missed being around like-minded people, so it’s exciting but scary at the same time.”

Steel and iron are what the town’s heritage is built on, and script writer John Hoggarth explores what happens when the things that the town’s identity is formed from – the blast furnaces and coke ovens – are turned off and all of a sudden there’s nothing, just a big hole and a whole load of job losses. “We filmed the music video at a deserted coke works and it was so eerie and empty and desolate,” Katie explains, “this play asks so many questions about that sense of emptiness and desolation, like ‘What happens to a place that is defined by its heritage and industry, when those are taken away from it?’”

As a historian herself, Katie fuses history and theatre in her productions, and with Steel & Iron it’ll be the first time she’s worked to bring a fictional storyline to a theatrical audience. Previously, she’s taken her work into unexpected locations that are right for the theme, with performances in Newcastle’s Victoria Tunnel for WW2 drama Hitler’s Headquarters, and at Newcastle’s Castle Keep for Lee Mattinson’s WYTCH, a gruesome exploration of witches. Fittingly, the pre-launch show for Steel & Iron will take place on Thursday 5th August in a hangar at Teesside International Airport, which is as industrial and gritty as this work deserves, with parts of a scrapped plane on set. Performances will then take place at Middlesbrough Town Hall the following week.

It feels like the right place at the right time for Katie: “This creative collaboration deserves as many eyes on it as possible in the heart of the town.”

Steel & Iron is at Middlesbrough Town Hall from Thursday 12th-Sunday 15th August www.twentysevenproductionsuk.com PS. Unfortunately the production of Steel & Iron was postponed after we went to press. Keep an eye on their website for new dates

31

INTERVIEW

RIGHT HERE

STEVE SPITHRAY TALKS TO THE THREE LOCAL PROMOTERS WHOSE NEW TOURING NETWORK HOPES TO GIVE MUSICIANS AND AUDIENCES A WEALTH OF OPPORTUNITIES As the live music scene gets ready to explode once more, three of the most sought-after promoters in the region have teamed up for the inaugural Right Here event, a new mini-tour with an ethical approach aimed at promoting and supporting new music in the live environment.

‘Co-pros’ are nothing new, and the three promoters based in Wearside, Tyneside and Teesside may be familiar to many as some of the most forward thinking in the region, however this will be the first time they have worked together. I caught up with Ben Wall from Independent Live, Allan Scorer from Little Buildings and Adam Gallagher from Famous Last Words, who will bring the unique three pronged tour to Sunderland, Newcastle and Stockton respectively in August. Headlined in turn by a band from each area, the musical triptych consists of three of the North East’s best new bands: Sunderland’s noyou, Newcastle’s Motel Carnation and Hartlepool’s Marketplace.

Right Here is an idea that has been floating around for a while and

32

was fuelled by a kindred spirit for inclusivity and co-operative ventures, as Ben explains. “I don’t think it is needed, in the sense that it’s not essential, but the North East grassroots music scene is a fairly close-knit community, and something like this should have been organised before now. It came from numerous conversations about how difficult it can be for say, a Sunderland band, to get a decent show in Newcastle or Middlesbrough just because their profile in that city isn’t quite there yet, but as promoters we have an opportunity to help them out and also bring wonderful new bands to our venues at the same time.”

The North East music scene is blessed with a wealth of genuinely supportive and conscientious promoters, particularly at grassroots level, and I wondered what pulled these particular three together.

“We’ve all been fairly active throughout the lockdowns.” Says Ben. “Some venues just shut their doors and sat and waited until they could sell beer again, and probably don’t have the same concerns about their local acts and bands. But as a group, we’re probably a bit

INTERVIEW

MUSIC

L-R, T-B: Marketplace, noyou by EyezMedia, Motel Carnation by Sophie Robson

LET’S ALL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE SAFE AND INCLUSIVE SPACES FOR EVERYONE IN THIS INDUSTRY AND HOPEFULLY THAT ATTITUDE WILL RUB OFF ON NEW BANDS, PROMOTERS AND AUDIENCE ALIKE closer to the grassroots scenes than other promoters and venues, so we’ve naturally come together.” Allan agreed, ever the more mercurial, telling me: “After hammering the free bar with Ben at the Music Venues Trust conference two years ago we have always been able to get along and, knowing the work Adam has done with Famous Last Words in Teesside, hearing he was on board too was a cracking surprise. I’m sure the idea isn’t a new one but being able to accommodate it means we can have more structure, better co-ordination and communication.”

So, what makes a successful music promoter? All three were refreshingly forthright in their responses. Ben: “I can only speak for Independent Live but we do try and go the extra mile when it comes to looking after bands. We are in Sunderland, so we need to work harder and giving the bands a better rider than elsewhere on their tour, or better choice of restaurant after soundchecks; it’s part of how we try to make them want to come back. Every promoter has their own way, we just try to focus on ourselves.” Allan agreed: “Let’s all continue to provide safe and inclusive spaces for everyone in this industry and hopefully that attitude will rub off on new bands, promoters and audience alike.” And Adam: “It’s all about having the right attitude towards these responsibilities that we, as promoters, have when putting on live events.”

With the Right Here idea firmly in place they each put a band forward for the tour. Ben: “We put noyou forward for Sunderland’s pick, and right away Allan and Adam suggested their bands and

they all fit so well it didn’t take any thinking really.” Allan: “We have worked closely with Motel Carnation previously at Little Buildings so given the genres we were looking at they were the best fit to get on board with Ben and Adam’s picks. If this proves to be successful then it will open the doors to more genres of music.” Adam adds: “I put Marketplace forward, I think they are an incredible band that are truly growing on Teesside which is amazing to see and if this idea can help them reach that next step, perfect. The addition of noyou and Motel Carnation to the line up across the three dates is insane.”

Squaring the article circle nicely Allan explained that: “several years ago I had an idea shot down from venues with a couple of bands playing a regional weekender, but it never left my mind.”

So it seems it was just a matter of time before the three promoters’ stars aligned, which begs the question, if somewhat prematurely, where the Right Here brand might be heading in future – Ben is understandably cagey: “Nothing confirmed yet, but lots and lots of interest so we’re hoping for some exciting mini-tours in the coming months.” Amen to that.

Right Here featuring noyou, Motel Carnation and Marketplace starts at Independent in Sunderland on Thursday 19th August, followed by Little Buildings in Newcastle on Friday 20th and The Green Room in Stockton on Saturday 21st. www.linktr.ee/rightheretour

33

34

INTERVIEW

EVENTS

L-R, T-B: MXYM by TJMOV, Space Walk, PICNIC by Daniel Potts

UNLOCKING THE DOORS: NEW COMBINATIONS

HELEN REDFERN DISCOVERS THREE UNIQUE AND HIGHLY CREATIVE PERFORMANCES TAKING PLACE IN SUNDERLAND THIS MONTH Sunderland Culture have commissioned three very different performances aimed at capturing the hopes and anticipation of audiences, as the City of Sunderland gradually reawakens and a sense of slowly returning to normal is restored.

The three shows which comprise Unlocking The Doors: New Combinations include Space Camp...Hylton, We Have A Problem, a 20-minute video performance which will be delivered eight times a day in a shipping container based on Marine Walk in Roker; Club Six Twenty, a one-night only event at Independent; and Acedia, a performance from internationally-renowned dance company Southpaw in the brilliant Athenaeum space on Fawcett Street.

Sparked by a bizarre contract detail from former SAFC player Stefan Schwarz, who was barred by the club from going into space, Space Camp…Hylton, We Have A Problem is about escaping from Sunderland on Andromeda X, a space shuttle that will take you on an adventure into space. Imagine being able to travel wherever you want to again! After being constrained in the same place for so long, audiences can imagine the sense of relief at exploring new horizons as they discover New Sunderland on planet VX – 76. This family-friendly 360 visual and sound 4D experience in a shipping container takes off eight times a day at Roker Beach for an out of this world space adventure. From Tuesday 3rd–Sunday 15th August, you’ll be able to travel through galaxies, make the jump to light speed and encounter alien lifeforms, before eventually landing in your new world. Delivered by theatre company Tiny Dragon, who are working with film company Candle and Bell, this quirky, imaginative piece features up-and-coming Sunderland actress Lauren Waine.

Club Six Twenty, a collaboration between theatre company The Six Twenty and artist Ronan Devlin, is a live, lovingly recreated homage to the 90s rave scene at Independent on Thursday 26th August. For one night only, and featuring hugely popular funk popsters Picnic as

SUNDERLAND CULTURE HAVE COMMISSIONED THREE VERY DIFFERENT PERFORMANCES AIMED AT CAPTURING THE HOPES AND ANTICIPATION OF AUDIENCES the headliner, this immersive live performance will also include the glam emo rock of MXYM, DJ sets, pop-up theatre and a digital installation from Sunderland artist Jo Howell among many other treats. It’ll be a celebration of what we’ve been missing during the lockdowns, restrictions and closures encapsulated in a fun and fabulous neon playground for you to explore, get creative and have a good time. If you leave your troubles at the door, Club Six Twenty promises to show you a good time.

The bank holiday weekend will see several performances from Southpaw Dance Company and light artist Rupert Stamp at The Athenaeum. Their digitally augmented performance fuses innovative technology with live performance via a hologram pyramid structure, to create an immersive audience experience.

Acedia features many different versions of the same character, layered and overlapped, observing a person in lockdown and their many different ways of coping with isolation. Acedia, “the lost name for the emotion we’re all feeling right now” is scripted by award-winning writer Lee Mattinson and is a relatable story which examines the possibilities and the optimism of re-connecting and finding ourselves once again as we as we tentatively emerge from lockdown.

For more information on all of these performances, visit the Sunderland Culture website www.sunderlandculture.org.uk

35

INTERVIEW

MUSIC

HEELAPALOOZA

L-R, T-B: Straight Girl by Andrew Benge, Dilettante, Tall Talker

CLAIRE DUPREE TALKS TO AARON J LYTHE ABOUT THE RETURN OF THE ALL DAY FESTIVAL It’s official, all day gigs are back with a bang! Like many of you, musician and promoter Aaron J Lythe has been desperate to spend an entire day immersed in live music. Luckily, he’s got a lush venue at his disposal and his little black book is overflowing with emerging musicians equally as keen to get back onstage.

Heelapalooza was conceived in 2019, originally as a multi-venue event across Middlesbrough, with the aim of showcasing national and regional artists. It all went swimmingly the first year, not so much in 2020… Aaron isn’t one to go down without a fight though, and 2020’s festival turned into a logistically impressive Houseparty, featuring livestreams and recorded performances.

On Saturday 7th August the festival finally returns to something like its original format, albeit with just one venue – Middlesbrough’s Base Camp – hosting the talent. “I am absolutely buzzing to be even talking about Heelapalooza again as a physical festival. It’s been a mad 18 months for everyone. A lot of change for me, but it’s given me an opportunity to re-assess everything going forward and kind of look at everything I am involved in from a different perspective.”

Aaron enthuses.

The focus this year has taken a more local turn, but Aaron has still been spoiled for choice when it comes to artists to book. “It made sense to focus more locally with the festival being downscaled. I have a lot of love for a lot of local artists and it felt like the right thing to give those guys the opportunity, as opposed to searching far and wide.”

Many artists have spent their last 18 months’ of downtime wisely, writing new material and polishing performances. It’ll be a thrill to finally see acts like dark pop siblings ZELA in the flesh, and watch alt. rockers Venus Grrrls come into their own on stage. Established acts like Hartlepool’s lush indie pop band Mt. Misery, Middlesbrough rapper Eyeconic, Sunderland’s attitude-laden effervescent girl gang bigfatbig and catchy popsters Marketplace always produce the goods when it comes to quality performances.

There’ll also be a chance to catch prog rockers Tall Talker,

36

IT MADE SENSE TO FOCUS MORE LOCALLY WITH THE FESTIVAL BEING DOWNSCALED. I HAVE A LOT OF LOVE FOR A LOT OF LOCAL ARTISTS multi-instrumentalist and rapper Jack Fox, funky pop act Moon Wax, purveyor of ‘graveyard rave’ Straight Girl, dreamy indie rockers Leopard Rays, art rock collective Dilettante and electro indie group Motel Carnation.

“Day festivals are always full of surprise acts you weren’t expecting to see and come away loving, they blur the lines between genres.”

Aaron comments. “They are always the most fun to play as a musician because you’re either surrounded by other musicians or people that appreciate your music, and as a gig goer because it’s just loads of bands in one day and an audience full of like-minded people.”

Aaron and his Sad For Life cohorts have worked tirelessly to produce some cracking gig line-ups in recent years. A proposed expansion of the Heelapalooza brand should continue to see his dance card full for the foreseeable. “Heelapalooza is going to be a lot more of an active music brand going forward from this year’s festival, with pop-up mini festivals under the ‘Heelapalooza House Party’ name set to take over venues on occasion.” He says. “I’ve always been involved in about 10 projects at once and burned myself out and never gotten the most out of any one thing. My plan is to base everything I can do from gig booking, merch and a range of events and run all of that through the Heelapalooza brand.”

Heelapalooza takes place at Base Camp, Middlesbrough on Saturday 7th August www.facebook.com/heelapalooza PS. Unfortunately Heelapalooza was postponed after we went to press! The new date is 14th November

INTERVIEW

STAGE

TYNE RISING

Image by Darren Fleming

CLAIRE DUPREE DISCOVERS A WATERY THEMED PRODUCTION WITH AN ENVIRONMENTAL MESSAGE AT ITS HEART, AS MOVING PARTS ARTS BRING LARGE-SCALE PUPPETRY BACK TO NEWCASTLE The folk at Newcastle-based Moving Parts Arts have successfully encouraged audiences to cast aside any preconceptions they may have about puppetry over the last few years, thanks to their large-scale productions and innovative puppetry school.

This year they’re embarking on their biggest production yet, with a two-day outdoor theatre spectacle taking place at City Stadium in Heaton on Saturday 21st-Sunday 22nd August. Tyne Rising will be an awe-inducing production filled with giant underwater puppet creatures and with an environmental message at its heart, perfect for people of all ages.

“When most people think of puppetry they think of Punch and Judy and sock puppets, but the puppets in Tyne Rising are like nothing the North East as seen before.” Enthuses Moving Parts Arts’ Erin Connor. “They are beautiful, giant sea creatures that are so incredible to look at. We know they are going to amaze our audiences!” The puppets were designed and created by Andrew Kim from Hebden Bridge-based Thingumajig Theatre who has years of expert experience in building large-scale puppets for outdoor performances. “They really are things of beauty. The sea creature puppets looks so realistic and when the puppeteers begin to move them, they come to life in the most amazing way.”

A soundtrack composed by Hannabiell Sanders will contribute energy and vibrancy to the production. “We needed a skilled composer and musician to be able to read Andrew’s script and create music that makes brings the underwater world to life.

Hannabiell [who is working alongside Jeremy Bradfield] is working

PUPPETRY PRESENTS SOME OF THE MOST UNIVERSALLY SHARED STORIES, IN THE MOST ACCESSIBLE WAYS

on a beautiful underwater soundscape that is going to create the perfect experience.”

The story of Tyne Rising revolves around the eponymous river; set 50 years in the future, the Tyne has overflowed its banks and mysterious creatures are unleashed across the City. The people of Tyneside must search their souls and work together to bring the Toon back to balance. The environmental message is one which resonates with Erin, who believes the theatre industry as a whole is looking towards more sustainable ways of working in the future.

“Now more than ever, the theatre industry is re-evaluating the ways we make shows and trying to explore new, more environmentally friendly ways to work. I think (and hope) we are going to see a continued movement within the industry, to commit to taking environmental responsibility, both on and off stage.”

Tyne Rising’s themes are certainly universal, and Erin is enthusiastic about puppetry as an artform being relevant and accessible to everyone, able to transcend barriers. “There can be no words, no sound, and still a story is brought to life. Kids and adults can be taken on a journey without words, which means so much when we think of the language barriers that audiences can face.”

At at time when unity and coming together has never held more resonance, it’s productions like Tyne Rising that can keep us connected. “I’ve watched as audiences have sat in silence or been moved to laughter or tears by puppetry. Puppetry presents some of the most universally shared stories, in the most accessible ways. A complex artform that looks effortlessly simple on stage, means everyone can experience the same story at the same time together.”

Moving Parts Arts present Tyne Rising at City Stadium, Heaton on Saturday 21st-Sunday 22nd August. Tickets must be booked in advance and are priced as ‘Pay What You Can’ www.tynerising.com

37

INTERVIEW

38

INTERVIEW

ART & LIT

RE-IMAGINE

Jessica Warren, The Dirt Under My Fingernails

CLAIRE DUPREE TALKS TO CURATOR MICHAELA WETHERELL ABOUT PINK-COLLAR GALLERY’S AIM TO CHALLENGE PORTRAYALS OF FEMICIDE Challenging perspectives and changing the narrative around difficult subjects is surely one of the purposes of great art; when we’re forced to confront uncomfortable truths, walk in another’s shoes or look at a subject from an unfamiliar perspective we are perhaps better able to understand, empathise and affect change.

It’s by taking this position that RE-IMAGINE, a new exhibition at the North East-based online Pink-Collar Gallery, addresses the distressing subject of femicide. In partnership with Mexican feminist art collective Las Illuministas (one half of which is fellow Northerner, artist Tallulah Lines, who is currently living in Mexico), they have invited artists to “re:imagine, re:name, re:create, re:think and re:tell” the very real stories of women whose lives have been taken by femicide. Across parallel online exhibitions, ten pieces of art and documentary film will go on display, hoping to challenge the way femicide is portrayed in the mass media.

“We have personal stories that relate to domestic violence, posters about the statistics around femicide and activist pieces to highlight this global issue.” Says Pink-Collar Gallery’s Michaela Wetherell.

With a subject as emotive as this it comes as no surprise that the work is affecting, and the stories behind its creation often even more so. Filmed performance piece The Dirt Under My Fingernails by Jessica Warren depicts the artist herself nude in a wooded area where women’s bodies have been discovered; in reclaiming the trauma, memory and place, the artist seeks to empower and embed new memories. “The work also related to how women’s bodies are published in the media. Taking away everything of who they were to look like a lump of meat.” Jessica comments. “When these women are deceased the male gaze holds them captive in the way they are photographed. Women can not be ignored any more, the loss and the fear are real and the only way the world will realise it is if this is communicated in real life.”

Elsewhere in the exhibition, Leanne Pearce’s drawing of a solitary

WE HAVE PERSONAL STORIES THAT RELATE TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, POSTERS ABOUT THE STATISTICS AROUND FEMICIDE AND ACTIVIST PIECES TO HIGHLIGHT THIS GLOBAL ISSUE figure is entitled Asking For It?, and sees the artist questioning how the media and society would portray or judge her if they only saw one image. Other artists taking part in the exhibition include Sofia Barton, Slutmouth, Rosie Stronarch, Sarah Stamp among many more.

While the death of Sarah Everard earlier this year is still at the forefront of the national media, hers is just one of many tragic stories: in the UK one woman is killed by a man every three days and femicide is the biggest killer of women aged 15-44 in the world.

In many cases, a cycle of blame and shame of the victims is common, with murders of women of colour, those living in poverty or with a disability rarely receiving media attention or outrage. In Mexico, 11 women a day are murdered and 97% of femicides end in impunity for the perpetrators.

It’s in highlighting these terrifying statistics and bearing witness to the lives and deaths of women that Michaela hopes to challenge how femicide is portrayed. “We need this message to be shouted out – all day every day – and we are hoping this exhibition and our commission’s public artworks can continue the fight to end femicide.”

RE-IMAGINE is presented by Pink-Collar Gallery and Las Illuministas online from Thursday 5th August-Friday 29th October www.pink-collargallery.com www.lasiluministas.art

39

INTERVIEW

6 S T A G E S O F N E W M U S I C • 2 5 T H S E P T 2 0 21

KID KAPICHI THE CLAUSE

THE K'S

BIG SOCIETY CALLUM SPENCER CHINTZY STETSON COURTNEY DIXON THE CROOKS DEAD PONY EMU FAUX PAS THE FEENS FINN FORSTER HALLAN HAMISH HAWK JANGO FLASH JOE RAMSEY KING NUN KOMPARRISON LOW HUMMER MARKET PLACE MICHAEL GALLAGHER MOTHERLAND THE NATIVE PLASTIC GLASS RATS SAD BOYS CLUB SEROTONES SHAMBOLICS SKY VALLEY MISTRESS ST BURYAN SUGAR ROULETTE VENEERS WE TIBETANS ARC • KU • GEORGIAN THEATRE • ARC2 • KU2 • THE GREEN ROOM TICKETS AVAILABLE FROM • SEETICKETS.COM • TICKETWEB.UK • ARCONLINE.CO.UK

THE GATHERING SOUNDS • STOCKTON-ON-TEES

THE CUMBERLAND ARMS

AUGUST

On the Terrace

SUNDAY 1ST AUGUST LAZY SUNDAY WITH STAGGER LEE (MUSIC) 2PM FRIDAY 6TH AUGUST BAGHDADDIES (MUSIC) 4.30PM & 6.30PM SATURDAY 7TH AUGUST LOVE IS THE MAP A COMMUNITY PARTY FOR THE EAST END 12PM SUNDAY 8TH AUGUST KISSED (MUSIC) 5PM WEDNESDAY 11TH AUGUST YOUR AUNT FANNY: THE CUM BACK (COMEDY) 7.30PM

THURSDAY 12TH AUGUST YOUR AUNT FANNY: THE CUM BACK (COMEDY) 7.30PM SATURDAY 14TH AUGUST RIDDIM! ON THE TERRACE (MUSIC) 2PM SUNDAY 22ND AUGUST THE TEA PAD PRESENTS SUNSHINE MEDICINE SHOW (MUSIC) 3PM THURSDAY 26TH AUGUST FORWARD NE - TALKS & LIVE MUSIC IN SUPPORT OF WOMEN & GENDER MINORITIES IN THE NORTH EAST 6.30PM FRIDAY 27TH AUGUST BOB HERON’S COCKTAIL CABINET 5PM

DRINKS * FOOD * MUSIC * COMEDY * POETRY

August ’s events will be pay as you feel events book tickets at cumbybookings@gmail.com For more info go to Facebook: /thecumby 40

INTERVIEW

MUSIC

L-R, T-B: Dizzee Rascal by Eva Pentel, Dutty Moonshine Big Band, Holy Moly & The Crackers by Amelia Read

LINDISFARNE FESTIVAL WITH 2021’S FESTIVAL SEASON DEPLETED AT BEST, CLAIRE DUPREE DISCOVERS CONFIDENCE AND OPTIMISM IS RIFE IN THE LINDISFARNE FESTIVAL CAMP “Our values revolve around friendship, escapism, art and fun – that’s what we have always been about; if we ever needed a festival, it’s now.” Never has a truer word been spoken, and Lindisfarne Festival founder Conleth Maenpaa is understandably excited about the return of the Northumberland event.

Along with so many others, they postponed their 2020 event in favour of a series of online performances. With 2021’s festival confirmed to take place on Thursday 2nd-Sunday 5th September, the longed-for return of the end of summer celebration is on target to be their biggest and best yet.

“It is vital that we got to go ahead on so many different fronts. The cultural world has been hit hard by the pandemic, and we were so determined to give artists a platform to show the world their talent, a lot of these guys have only been playing in their living rooms for the last year or so. We also want to bring people together; that’s what we are about, uniting people in a fun and beautiful setting. I think we all want this and are ready for this!” Enthuses Conleth.

As for the line-up, it’s shaping up to be pretty special indeed. “We have gone big in every way,” says Conleth. “It’s a massive line-up for a boutique festival. We also have pulled out all the stops on entertainers, comedians, poets; you name it. We have new stages

OUR VALUES REVOLVE AROUND FRIENDSHIP, ESCAPISM, ART AND FUN – THAT’S WHAT WE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN ABOUT; IF WE EVER NEEDED A FESTIVAL, IT’S NOW

and we spent 18 months planning on making the site as beautiful as possible.”

As with previous years’ events, Lindisfarne 2021 features world-class talent in unique settings, and festival-goers can expect an eclectic weekend of performances which include big names like Craig Charles’ Funk & Soul Club, the Godfathers of drum and bass Fabio & Grooverider, punky electro fusion from Alabama 3, grime pioneer Dizzee Rascal and electronic duo Groove Armada.

Elsewhere on the line-up top tips include Glaswegian psych-soul grungers The Girobabies; multi-genre racket makers The Whippet Beans; ‘architects of counter-culture’ Stanley Odd; technicolour genre-hoppers Colonel Mustard & The Dijon 5; the MC-fronted jazz band Dutty Moonshine Big Band and hotly tipped Brighton punks The Piranhas.

Local talent is well represented too with highlights including Teesside’s noir pop siblings ZELA; some of the region’s hottest hip-hop talent including Shakk, Abi Nyxx, Max Gavins and Scrannabis; epic rockers Hector Gannet; Backyard Rhythm Orchestra bring their glorious mix of funk, blues and disco and there’s eclectic sounds and raucous performance from Holy Moly & The Crackers; plus hotly tipped songwriter Andrew Cushin and Berwick rockers Not Now Norman among many more.

“Our line-up is diverse and covers all genres, so we book them if we see a great act!” Conleth says of their booking policy. “We know we have an excellent reputation nationally, so we can now attract big names that would typically headline festivals ten times our size!”

Lindisfarne Festival takes place at Beal Farm, Northumberland from Thursday 2nd-Sunday 5th September www.lindisfarnefestival.com

41

INTERVIEW

Sat 28th - Sun 29th August

42

INTERVIEW

FILM

DAVID FIRTH

LAURA DOYLE ATTEMPTS TO GET SOME ANSWERS TO THE BURNING QUESTIONS SURROUNDING SURREAL POP CULTURE PHENOMENON SALAD FINGERS, WITH ITS CREATOR DAVID FIRTH If you attended secondary school at any point after 2007, there is a 100% chance you’ve encountered Salad Fingers before. There’s something weirdly hypnotic about the surrealist japes of the leggy, green humanoid. From the moment Mr Fingers rubbed his lettuce-like appendages against a rusty spoon and declared the feeling “almost orgasmic”, its reputation as a classic meme was cemented.

A question that often plagued many people’s mind was who brought Salad Fingers into existence, and why? The answer for his creator, animator and musician David Firth, is surprisingly simple: “I only make things that I want to be in existence… It’s comedy to me and to my friends, this is our sense of humour. What I felt was that comedy cartoons were either wacky or disgusting, but never kind of surreal. And if they were surreal, then they definitely take themselves very seriously. I want to make nonsense that is entertaining.”

Salad Fingers ticks all those boxes. Throughout the animated show’s eleven episodes (and counting) run, you’ll go through a lot of emotions. But whether it’s unease at the morbidly innocent synth soundtrack, confusion over the protagonist’s 1930’s lexicon, revulsion at his self-mutilating or just downright odd tendencies, the entertainment value is undeniable. Just trying to work out why the events on-screen are transpiring is enough to keep anyone awake at night; is Salad Fingers hallucinating this series of bizarre events, or are there otherworldly reasons behind his and his associates’ inhuman appearances? Did the Great War obliterate society, leaving behind these outcasts, or has Salad Fingers just got a

I WANT TO MAKE NONSENSE THAT IS ENTERTAINING

very vivid imagination? Answers are unlikely, but theories are welcome.

“I remember watching Rugrats when I was a kid. They’d imagine they were in an office and they were all grown up. They’d put files away and someone would be typing, and then it had to cut to the reality and they’d all just be sat in the garden, pretending to do all this stuff. Maybe Salad Fingers is just pretending... There’s so many possibilities. I don’t make a decision on that. When people think that he’s this big story that’s been planned out and I’m revealing it bit by bit, that’s not true at all. I’m happy to be in the dark about it because that’s what keeps me interested.”

We may never know the truth behind Salad Fingers, but ultimately it matters not one iota. Aunty Bainbridge may bare no actual relation to him, Mr Branches may never move closer than 21 inches to his front door, and Glass Brother may just be an illusion brought on by Salad Fingers’ inquisitive mind: but these twisted events are all real enough to Salad Fingers that we go along for the ride regardless.

If the enjoyment of Salad Fingers still eludes you, maybe a group discussion is the eye-opener you need. Head to Stockton’s ARC on Friday 13th August where you can watch all 11 episodes of Salad Fingers and hear from David himself in a post-screening Q&A. Salad Fingers has Hubert Cumberdale and Marjorie Stewart-Baxter, so perhaps the show is best enjoyed with more than just the company of the lovable weirdo. “I think people aren’t afraid to laugh, which is good. People realise that they might not find it as funny when they’re on their own, but I think it highlights the comedy when they see other people laugh. Stand-up comedy is always funnier if you’re there than if you watch it on TV.” A screening of Salad Fingers plus a Q&A with David Firth takes place at ARC, Stockton on Friday 13th August www.fat-pie.com

43

INTERVIEW

MUSIC

Image by Jodie Canwell

SAMANTHA DURNAN DAMIAN ROBINSON TALKS TO THE NORTH EAST MULTI-INSTRUMENTALIST ABOUT THE CREATION OF HER ENERGETIC NEW ALBUM With a love for all things guitar and guitar culture, it feels more than appropriate for local axe wielder Samantha Durnan to make an album full of loud guitars and heavy riffs, yet if you’d asked her 18 months ago what her debut album might sound like it’s likely you would have received a totally different answer: “I used to play acoustic guitar but then over lockdown I found guitar peddles and that was it, I’ve gone full electric now and I’m fully kitted out with an Orange amp and a stack of pedals!”

Whilst lockdown wasn’t a particularly great time for us all, the consequences of Durnan’s time to herself and her acoustic-toelectric pivot has culminated in her album Flickering The Wild Mind. Storming with energy in a style that blends the classic rock songwriting of Stevie Nicks to the pop/rock guitar sound of HAIM, the album showcases a mature, accessible sound which bristles with energy and passion. Acoustic background noise this is not: Flickering The Wild Mind’s loud guitars, heavy riffs and centred pop punk melodies make this an album that firmly sits in the foreground.

The album was created in her home studio. “This was the first album I’ve fully produced, so working at home allowed me to press record and not have other voices around me in the studio which I found really helpful,” she explains. Lockdown also provided Durnan with space to experiment with her sound and try to new ideas and guitar

44

I WANTED TO SHOW OFF A BIT WITH THE GUITAR BUT ALSO MAKE IT A MODERN POP ROCK FEEL THAT’S MAINSTREAM

techniques in an attempt to create a sound that is both experimental but also grounded in classic rock: “I’ve gone for a simple pop rock feel with the album, I wanted to show off a bit with the guitar but also make it a modern pop rock feel that’s mainstream.”

Choosing to self-produce, Durnan says that Flickering The Wild Mind also benefits from the atmosphere she created and a space that might have not been available in a recording studio setting. “My favourite thing is to record, and I’m totally driven by the emotion of it, so self-producing also helped as it let me really get into the zone fully and play what I feel with time to really hear the music – it’s the first time I’ve accomplished this.”

As a talented multi-instrumentalist it’s perhaps no surprise that Durnan is already thinking about how to recreate the music live; and an album launch at Stockton’s Georgian Theatre is planned for Thursday 16th September. “I thought about playing this music live when I was in the studio so it’s always been on my mind. I’ve started working through the songs with a band already and we’ve already worked out the core structure of the show. We’re likely to play the whole album track by track, but I want to make sure every player in the band has time to know not just their parts but also how they add parts of their own style to the songs.”

For Samantha, it’s clear that whatever style she chooses, her creativity will always be backed by a desire to capture a sound as well as a spirit.

Samantha Durnan releases Flickering The Wild Mind on 13th August. She plays The Georgian Theatre, Stockton on Thursday 16th September www.samanthadurnan.com

DOCUMENT

INTERVIEW

DAMIAN ROBINSON CHATS WITH THE MANCHESTER POST-PUNKS ABOUT THEIR SPIKY SOUND AND FORTHCOMING NEWCASTLE SHOW

MUSIC

There’s something interesting about hyped bands, and in particular about debut singles by hyped bands. For one thing, debut singles move the balance of power from the record label/band to the listener. Once a listener has music to hear, then all that matters is the answer to the question of “Does this band, who I already know look and act the part, actually make decent music or are they crunchy on the outside but hollow on the inside?”

Step forward Manchester’s newest hyped band, Document. Street smart in their attire and sporting custom suits and the ‘right’ haircuts, this collection certainly tick the crunchy on the outside box with their Strokes meets the Jam stylings. But what of the insides? Well, if post-punk, alternative sounds with menacing vocals is your thing then there’s nothing missing from Document’s core.

Check out their debut EP, 2020’s, A Camera Wanders All Night, and you’ll see it’s worth the hype: peaking with the spikiness of lead single The Spy Who Came In From The Cold and waving loudly with the paranoia of second single Pity, both releases sound as dark and as glorious as their titles would suggest.

“I think we just got lucky in a way,” comments lead guitarist Charlie Marriott, “we wanted to start a project for a long time and so really we were sitting on a number of ideas when it came to the EP. It’s nice to hear people saying they like the EP though, that’s always appreciated.”

Original Document plans, like with most bands trying to build momentum, had them out touring the EP, but that was scuppered last year. Instead the band regrouped and began working on their second EP, something that Charlie is happy to update us on: “The new pieces have a new sound for us, which is more percussive and

THE NEW PIECES HAVE A NEW SOUND FOR US, WHICH IS MORE PERCUSSIVE AND ACOUSTIC AND MAYBE EVEN MATURE IN PLACES acoustic and maybe even mature in places. People tell us that the first EP is very post-punk, and I’d say that this new one has a vast array of sounds. I think what we’re trying to do is to produce short bodies of work which move us towards an album with a cohesive sound, but let’s see what happens with the work after this EP.” An August UK tour sees a gig at Newcastle’s Little Buildings on Tuesday 10th August, which will be promoted by new outfit Cow House (led by Newcastle alt. rockers Pave The Jungle). “It was great when Newcastle was added as I love the City and we’re playing with a similar band to us, Separated, so it’ll be a really great night of music,” enthuses Charlie. But with a new EP, and an even newer EP doing the round, is this tour a delayed launch party for their first record, or an early tour to promote their second? “It’s a bit of both to be honest,” laughs Charlie, “more than anything this is us touring the Camera EP, which we never got the chance to play live, so we see this as our first proper UK tour supporting our debut EP, but with even newer material to play as well.”

It may often be cooler to not believe the hype, but when you see bands like Document coming, sometimes it’s totally justified.

Document play Little Buildings, Newcastle on Tuesday 10th August www.documenttheband.bandcamp.com

45

CASTLE!

46

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 INFO@NARCMEDIA.COM AND TELL US MORE ABOUT YOURSELF! WORDS: MICHAEL O’NEILL

DEMO OF THE MONTH

Amy RS – Bittersweet

Entirely recorded, performed, produced, mixed and mastered in her bedroom, Bittersweet finds 18-year-old Amy Ross-Sanderson making her bid to enter the pantheon of brilliantly gifted songwriters taking the foundations of the harmony-soaked scuzzy indie of The Breeders and Sleater-Kinney and going one further. It’s a phenomenal slab of enthralling songcraft replete with thunderous guitars, pounding drums and syrup-coated double-tracked

Chloe Gudgin – Christmases & Game Nights

Upon a hypnotic fingerpicked melody and an atmospheric fog of tape hiss, Chloe Gudgin crafts an engrossing and refreshingly sparse piece of lo-fi folk that is rich in melody and potential, and a strong reminder that the measure of fantastic songwriting is not determined by fancy studio trickery, swanky production values and an orchestra’s worth of backing musicians. The intimacy of the production allows Gudgin’s phenomenal command of songcraft to take centre stage, with her dynamic voice soaring over the sparse accompaniment of ukulele and echo. The lyrics paint a rich and vivid picture abundant in raw emotion and hooks, with Gudgin’s strong command of the craft of writing a phenomenal song being clear at every turn. Marvellous stuff. www.twitter.com/chloelgmusic

Owslandr (feat. Sofia Was Here) – Searchlight

Upon a glorious trip-hop beat that immediately calls to mind the filthy delight of Bristol’s finest, Searchlight is a deep dive into a rich ocean of sound which finds Northumberland-based

harmonies, which acts as a stellar showcase for RS’s prodigious talents as a songwriter, musician (she has only been playing guitar for a mere four years) and a producer (the engineering and mixing is pristine). Make no mistake, if Bittersweet is just the beginning, it’s going to be very interesting to see where Amy RS goes next.

Superb. www.instagram.com/amyrs.music

producer Owslandr making a compelling argument for there being plenty of life left in the criminally under-valued and gloriously dynamic, dubby sub-genre of experimental hip-hop. The powerful vocals from Germany-based Portuguese singer Sofia Was Here float gracefully on the track, resulting in a phenomenal piece of songcraft that goes so much further than merely being a pastiche of Mezzanine, Dummy or Maxinquaye, whilst also serving as a reminder of why those records stand as some of the finest works of music to ever emerge from these shores. www.owslandr.bandcamp.com

Orchid Loop – Illuminance

A delightfully widescreen and deceptively complex slice of crystalline pop which manages to sound like Astral Weeks, The Kick Inside and Voodoo at the same time (no small feat, believe me) Illuminance finds the South Tyneside-based artist Karen Atkinson (recording as Orchid Loop) weaving a rich tapestry of sound of multi-layered harmonies, cinematic strings and horns, slide guitar and funky bass pops that refuses to stay in the same place for too long, whilst wisely avoiding the pitfall of trying too

hard to impress. The production is utterly flawless, serving the rich arrangement, which anchors itself brilliantly to Atkinson’s voice, and demands endless repeated listening so you can wrap your head around the sheer might of the song itself. www.orchidloop.bandcamp.com

AbeliA – Harbour Town

A pop-soaked dose of forward-thinking country in the mould of Sheryl Crow and Kasey Musgraves, Harbour Town is a total delight fit to burst with melodic hooks and brilliant songwriting that doesn’t fall prey to the clichés of the genre, instead being refreshingly full of life, benefiting from some brilliantly deft production touches along the way. It’s a refreshing ode to the sheer joy of having a crisp pint with mates with the glorious aroma of the ocean wafting on you. Besides harmonies and rolling acoustic chords, AbeliA’s accompanied by little more than a sparse programmed beat, atmospheric keys and an insistent cowbell refrain, yet the arrangement is full of energy, brilliantly serving the laid-back delight that is abundant throughout. www.facebook.com/abeliaofficial

47

TRACKS

MXYM WORTH REMEMBERING Words: Kate Murphy MXYM brings us a raucous, rapturous left-field delight with Worth Remembering. Like stadium rock, pop punk and 80s indie all running outdoors to deliver the finale in a musical, it’s BIG in every aspect: from its straight-to-the-heavens guitar solo to its deliciously grand vocal performance, it makes you feel fifty feet tall just to listen to it.

It’s infectious to hear someone who completely knows and completely likes who they are, and the track is thrillingly alive from start to finish. You can’t help but smile at the twangy beginning and ELO-esque synth voice that follows the first chorus: this is confident, inspired cherry-picking from genres you can’t predict, a refusal to be contained in any one box, and a song you won’t be forgetting any time soon.

Released: 04.08.21 www.soundcloud.com/themxym

CEILING DEMONS FEAT. ZARAHRUTH SILVER BIRCH Words: Luke Waller Symbolism-heavy, utterly out there, and tinted by some kind of spiritual atmosphere – Ceiling Demons, the self-described “alternative art-rap band”, are back with their latest single Silver Birch. Serving as a prelude to their new album, Snakes & Ladders, due for release in September.

From beginning to end, this song is a mystical journey with such contrasting parts in a three-minute track having been scarcely seen since the Beatles’ Happiness Is A Warm Gun. From Dan Demon’s rasping, gravelly vocals, through the will-o’-the-wisp choruses written and sung by guest vocalist Zarahruth, to when Chris Shaw’s guitar comes jangling in, foreshadowing the Clash-reminiscent final verse which is sung by the gruff voice of Psy Ceiling, Silver Birch is exciting, enticing and everything you’d never thought of before.

Something really quite special.

Released: 06.08.21 www.ceilingdemons.bandcamp.com

48

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)

SALSOLA THE SEEKERS Words: Beverley Knight For their fourth single release following Deconstruction last year, Salsola present The Seekers. The Teesside quartet busied themselves as best they could through the pandemic by performing livestreams for the Georgian Theatre and BBC Introducing, Art Mouse Promotions and Music Mayhem while recording this very track.

The Seekers floats across the airwaves steadily, unclenched, like a surfer catching a wave; echoing guitar hooks find their way at the forefront as a plush voice lays out a melodious tune, evidencing the feminine tone as witnessed in peers and South London punks Goat Girl. An added breakdown and change of pace adds to the texture, bringing us to a close and a final stamp in their neat package of indie rock.

Released: 06.08.21 www.facebook.com/salsolamusic

SCOTT WILSON HOME Words: Beverley Knight Making sense of a situation through music is what Darlington singersongwriter Scott Wilson opted for in his debut single Home. After years of learning his craft through gigging around the region, he fine-tuned his sound, extracting the influence of Steven Wilson and Tash Sultana.

Relief, pain, heartache and the spectrum of emotions that inevitably come to the surface were tapped into for the gentle, folk outpouring; a beat-free tune with strummed loops ensure that the words are the focus here. Scott’s lulling, echoed voice sadly addresses the situation: “I don’t love you tonight, but you’ll always feel like home,” acting as an example of a heart exposed, avoiding the enormity, but still wanting the best for who’s lost.

Released: 13.08.21 www.facebook.com/scottwilsontunes

ELEPHANT MEMOIRS BIODEGRADABLE Words: Beverley Knight Held in high esteem on the local scene for their notably roaring rock loaded with agile melodies, the new single Biodegradable from Gateshead’s Elephant Memoirs is true to form.

The range in composition, especially in the solo lead voice, is exuded with ease and without ego; the band are here to do a job and they do it well.

Sonically classed as loud or dense, the track is in no way brash, executed without a slap in the face but instead with the more stable construction of a plump wall of sound. Philosophical lyrics are heard and inhaled: “Kindest topless the meanest children when anybody else proceeds to be bitter.”

Compact, confident and collected.

Released: 02.08.21 www.soundcloud.com/elephantmemoirs

WILD SPELKS NINE BY SIXTEEN Words: Kate Murphy We’re welcomed through a beaded curtain of colour into poppy, punk rock paradise: as a sweet, hyped-up guitar kisses us lightly all over the face, the track drives forward with all of the melodic angst that makes this genre so escapist.

While we might be used to hearing over-airbrushed production in big pop-tinged sounds like this, Jonathon Sabiston – the one-man band behind it all – has crafted something layered, intricate and very cleanly put-together, whilst maintaining a from-the-heart authenticity some artists can only dream of. With previous releases Turn It Around and Dreamer having already caught the attention of BBC Introducing Newcastle, Wild Spelks looks set to gain further traction with this latest smartly-produced, Red Bull-infused single.

Released: 20.08.21 www.wildspelks.co.uk

ELIZABETH LIDDLE LONELY Words: Kate Murphy Elizabeth Liddle’s voice joins her piano with a womanly swagger and steers this track in a different direction to what you might have expected. The R ‘n’ B notes which drift and dip through this impressive debut caught me off guard every time, like a pleasurable finish on a drink I was already enjoying.

She brings you right up to the piano in the masterful way artists like Adele can, telling you her life stories like it’s just the two of you in the room, in a voice that’s both crisp and rich, glinting like your best gold jewellery or the honey-coloured tipple you can afford on payday. Already sounding like she has been doing this for a decade, this is one singer-songwriter to watch out for.

Released: 27.08.21 www.facebook.com/eelizabethmusic

FIONA LIQUID DO YOU REMEMBER? Words: Luke Waller “Glam drag post-pop dumbness”, says Fiona Liquid, about her new single, Do You Remember?

The artist excels at observational-style lyrics, delivered in a monologue, of half a conversation which recounts stories of surreal nights on the town and describing how the onset of old age seems to be arriving decades too early.

Perhaps to create this atmosphere of chaos and dread, the resounding synths and thundering bass rumble onwards, as if in a robotic march, getting louder as the song develops, the stories the narrator tells becoming more serious.

Nostalgic but twisted, steeped in angst and self-deprecating humour, and propelled forwards by a heavy dance rhythm, Fiona Liquid’s Do You Remember? is a strong entry into an already exciting genre.

Released: 30.07.21 www.facebook.com/fionaliquid

JONATHAN HONOUR GET AWAY Words: Luke Waller Jonathan Honour’s latest single, Get Away, takes on a classic singersongwriter style of a man with his guitar singing out his sorrows. Far more stripped-back, his recent work – including this year’s album, Acoustic Together – marks a departure from his rockier earlier releases, such as 2018’s Experience.

Get Away puts a battle between optimism and pessimism into sound, coupling up bright, bouncy chords, strummed with an exuberant enthusiasm with decidedly downbeat vocals – Honour’s voice has echoes of Thom Yorke’s, only with a sharper edge. All in all, this song will leave an emotionally tangled-up circle of hopefulness and hopelessness spiralling in your head; recommended for a soul-searching mood.

Released: 18.08.21 www.facebook.com/jonathanhonourmusic

TEENASEE FEAT. IGG WU WEI (BREATHE) Words: James Hattersley The best way to describe Wu Wei (Breathe) is found in the journey of a river. It starts from humble beginnings with a babbling brook of world-inspired percussion before birthing into the main body of the melody – tenderly struck acoustic guitar and the echoing twangs of plucked and drawn out strings that add a heavenly aura.

Underneath the river, you have the bedrock; North East rapper Igg lends his skills to bring a density and richness to the affair. Teenasee’s beautiful and vibrant vocals plot the direction of the river – ever meandering, and adds an overall majesty. Whilst adding variations and melodic flair along the way, the river eventually ends in the ocean – dispersing into the ether and wider consciousness.

Released: 02.08.21 www.soundcloud.com/teenaseemusic

ALBERT SMITH KILLER WHALE Words: James Hattersley Transmitting from the bottom of the Tyne River, Albert Smith (AKA Steven Gordon) spins a luscious, lo-fi chamber folk ballad which offers an escapism from being anything but yourself. A moreish finger-picked guitar builds the foundations of the track, while Smith’s vocals double up, providing a high and low – gelling together in unity – as if Simon and Garfunkel were one.

The lo-fi style of production gives the allure of sitting in a room with the man himself as the creaks of the chair add an honesty and authenticity. Killer Whale carries such a whimsical air that it would be impossible to find yourself not humming it late into the evening as you slip into a dream. Probably about whales.

Released: 16.08.21 www.soundcloud.com/musicofalbert

WITNESS PROTECTION PROGRAMME LONG WEEKEND: TOWARDS THE AGE OF LEISURE EP Words: James Hattersley Noisy post-punk troubadours Witness Protection Programme are set to release their highly anticipated EP Long Weekend: Towards The Age Of Leisure this month, and it’s clear that the band have used the global pandemic to their advantage – honing their unique sound in the silence of the world.

Kicking off the EP is the single Buying Mood, a relentless frenetic frenzy of anti-capitalism; 900 changes up the sonic style, bringing a more controlled melodic approach with jangly delayed guitars; the aptly titled Shitstorm flips the release on its head into a stride through a murky mire of pummelling rhythm, and the title track ends the EP with an anthemic journey through the trials of a non directional lockdown. One to listen out for.

Released: 15.08.21 www.facebook.com/wpprogramme

49

FREE pop-up theatre and puppet maki ng kit with every ticket!

Autumn Term 2021 booking now!

Courses for kids, teens and adults.

www.movingpartsarts.com/school

50

ALBUMS

ALBUMS 4/5 TROPICAL FUCK STORM DEEP STATES (JOYFUL NOISE)

5/5 Image by Lingua Ignota

LINGUA IGNOTA SINNER GET READY (SARGENT HOUSE) Words: Mark Corcoran-Lettice Kristin Hayter’s work as Lingua Ignota has obsessed over divinity and transgression previously – her second album Caligula broke her through to a wider audience whilst feeding a culture of misogyny and patriarchy with its own violence turned back against itself, claiming the right of godhood to cast bloody vengeance on those who would inflict victimhood – yet the heretical might of SINNER GET READY still makes for an intense, provocative experience.

Here, Hayter’s heresy is in her depiction (and sometimes personification) of an implacable deity, loathing of their own creation and denying from them any possibility of redemption or salvation.

Throughout SINNER GET READY (her first release for Sargent House, having thankfully moved from her more questionable past label), Hayter flips the perspective between the voice of this wrathful God, those who in deed and corruption maintain the edifice of religion (with MAN IS LIKE A SPRING FLOWER interweaving the real life disgrace of televangelist Jimmy Swaggart into its narrative), and those attempting to exist within and survive a world already condemned.

If this sounds immeasurably lofty and divorced from listener experience, Hayter’s compositions and performances here are too visceral and eloquent to allow SINNER GET READY to become a purely theological argument. Excising the industrial and noise components of her past work, the album’s palette of stripped bare gospel and distended Appalachian folk still offers dissonant moments where Hayter pushes her classically trained voice to its guttural limit – I WHO BEND THE TALL GRASSES is liturgy as a call to arms – but also makes room for many moments of lingering beauty and beatitude.

Set within an almost ghost town beset by an underground coal fire for over fifty years, PERPETUAL FLAME OF CENTRALIA brings Hayter’s fascination with judgement and endurance into more direct focus, her righteous narrator persevering against hellfire acting as an oblique metaphor for the encroachment of climate catastrophe. The plaintive piano chords and mournful strings that duet with Hayter’s unshakeable, resonant voice ensure this is one of the album’s most outright beautiful songs: a vision of heaven glimpsed on the path of hell, or a suggestion that the inevitable can still be overthrown.

Released: 06.08.21 www.linguaignota.net

ALSO OUT THIS MONTH Chvrches – Screen Violence (EMI Records, 27.08) // Marisa Anderson & William Tyler – Lost Futures (Thrill Jockey, 27.08) // Liars – The Apple Drop (Mute, 06.08) // Chubby & The Gang – The Mutt’s Nuts (Partisan, 27.08) // Kiefer – When There’s Love Around (Stones Throw, 27.08) // GLOO – How Not To Be Happy (Hassle Records, 27.08) // Jade Bird – Different Kinds of Light (Glassnote Records, 13.08) // The Umbrellas – S/T (Slumberland Records, 06.08) // Goat – Headsoup (Rocket Recordings, 27.08) // Bass Clef – Magnetic Chapters (Wrong Speed Records, 06.08) // Nite Jewel – No Sun (Gloriette Records, 27.08) // Ishmael Ensemble – Visions of Light (Severn Songs, 06.08) // Deafheaven – Infinite Granite (Sargent House, 20.08) // The Dead Deads – Tell Your Girls It’s Alright (Rumble Records, 20.08) // Villagers – Fever Dreams (Domino, 20.08) // Yann Tiersen – Kerber (Mute, 27.08) // Fake Laugh & Tarquin – S/T (Republic of Music, 06.08) // Lucinda Chua – Antidotes (4AD, 13.08) // Watchhouse – S/T (Tiptoe Tiger Music/Thirty Tigers, 13.08) // The Helicopter of the Holy Ghost – Afters (Kscope, 13.08)

Words: Mark Corcoran-Lettice Is there any rock band better suited to confront the tumult of the last two years – attempted coups, cult hysteria, a global pandemic – than Tropical Fuck Storm? If their debut remains the one to beat, Deep States comes delightfully close: be it on the lockdown un-party anthem Bumma Sanger, the scabrous but also slyly empathetic QAnon dissection Blue Beam Baby or the moving and startling Legal Ghost, Gareth Liddard remains a lyricist beyond compare.

Continuing to graft noisy synth textures and a sense of hip-hop rhythm to their sinewy guitars, the Erica Dunn-led New Romeo Agent is at once one of their most undeniable and queasy songs to date, a surrealist pop gem amidst a collection that blends confused fury and cathartic release to a dizzying whole.

Released: 20.08.21 www.tropicalfstorm.bandcamp.com

5/5 THE BUG FIRE (NINJA TUNE) Words: Lee Fisher Holy. Fucking. Shitballs.

This is The Bug distilled, taking his cyborg dread collision of industrial, dancehall, grime, dubstep and the rest and turning it into supercharged bass-bombs to fire at Babylon.

The last 18 months have been a pressure cooker and Fire blows the lid off. Armed with a posse of collaborators – regulars like Flowdan, Manga and Roger Robinson (who bookends the album, closing poem The Missing a Grenfell-mourning heartbreaker that dissolves into waves of static), and new blood like Moor Mother (inevitably, brilliantly), Logan and Nazamba, who brings Prince Far I gravitas to War, a speaker-wrecking beast that would make Mark Iration quake. Flowdan hits hardest as usual, especially on window-rattler Bomb.

This is the sound of anxiety manifesting as low end and it’s HUGE. Released: 27.08.21 www.thebugmusic.bandcamp.com

51

ALBUMS

4.5 / 5 STEVE GUNN OTHER YOU (MATADOR) Words: Lee Hammond This record shows Steve Gunn in a new light, spanning genres and flowing freely with coherence, vibrancy and depth laced through it. Opening with the title track there’s something immediately captivating in Gunn’s composition, weaving a rich sonic tapestry that blends Americana with psychedelia. It builds from a gentle start but never loses its adept musical palette, packed with delicate nuance and beauty.

Gunn’s lyrics are paired perfectly with the soundscape, particularly on On The Way, where they rise up and shine against his musical brilliance. As the record comes to a close, instrumental Sugar Kiss compounds the exceptional musicality of Other You before the graceful Ever Feel That Way provides the perfect ending to an incredible record.

Released: 27.08.21 www.steve-gunn.com

4/5

5/5

THE JOY FORMIDABLE INTO THE BLUE (HASSLE RECORDS)

HAIKU SALUT THE HILL, THE LIGHT, THE GHOST (SECRET NAME)

Words: Robert Nichols Whoosh! Feel the force of the blue wave as it floods the senses and sweeps you up and off your feet in an all engulfing embrace. Just as you come up for air from the seismic shock of the title track and album opener you are knocked sideways by a bullet train follow-up.

Into The Blue sees the Welsh trio continuing their quest to create towering, overpowering guitar riffs whilst not stinting on either melody or sensitivity. The shimmering, whirlpool of indie guitar refractions and Ritzy Bryan’s soothing voice build an architecture that is a triumph over adversity. This is an album to lift your mood and send it soaring. It could just be the album you have been waiting for.

Released: 20.08.21 www.thejoyformidable.com

Words: Lee Fisher Each new Haiku Salut album seems to develop a particular aspect of their previous work and take it to another level. This – their fifth – is their best yet, a nine-song cycle of, for the most part, sweetly melancholic, (occasionally haunted) pastoralism. Built from field recordings and thus full of memory and temporality and loss, they’ve moved into a rich sonic territory not a million miles from artists like Field Works, Cassandra Jenkins and recent Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, all releasing stunning albums in recent weeks. There are hints of Moondog here too, from his Westward Ho! phase, and even Virginia Astley. Some tracks shimmer and hang in the air like motes of dust, others pulse and scurry. Each one is really, really beautiful.

Released: 27.08.21 www.haikusalut.com

4.5 / 5

4.5 / 5

5/5

WILLY MASON ALREADY DEAD (COOKING VINYL)

THE WANDERING HEARTS S/T (COOKING VINYL)

MARTHA WAINWRIGHT LOVE WILL BE REBORN (PHEROMONE RECORDS/COOKING VINYL)

Words: Robert Nichols Already Dead bursts into life with a fierce double-barrelled power chord blast Youth On A Spit. It crackles and growls with a riff that sears into the soul, intent laid bare from the very off.

The American singer-songwriter is reacting to these disastrous times by piling on the power and the purpose. Beckoning us to cast off all the cultural luggage and start again. Taking his foot off the pedal he shifts between country blues and folksy refrains, giving his lyrics more breathing space. Oh My Country is a touching appeal to a former lover; One Of The Good Ones a grungy ear-worm; and Slowside a dreamy spoken word remedy – so many reasons why Willy Mason is restoring our love for life.

Released: 06.08.21 www.willymasonmusic.com

52

Words: Stephen Oliver It is easy to understand why The Wandering Hearts draw comparison with Fleetwood Mac, as the vocal harmonies and big choruses are a major feature of this fine slice of UK-based Americana.

Producers Simone Felice and David Baron have done a fantastic job with mixing the voices and instrumentation. The sound is clear and does not feel over processed. The resultant combination ensures that the energy of a live performance is maintained whilst creating a perfect record of each song. The vocals of AJ Dean-Revington, Tara Wilcox Chess Whiffin and Tara Wilcox combine to give more than a passing nod to some Celtic folk roots too.

Serene harmonies have a real drive and purpose on this pleasurable album.

Released: 06.08.21 www.thewanderinghearts.com

Words: Paul Broadhead Martha’s first collection of “songs about love and pain” in five years is a mostly optimistic offering, occasionally “crying into gin” on the sprawling bluesy Americana of Report Card; unsurprising given her recent divorce. “Why do I have to go on for the kids?” she asks in her trademark drawl on Rainbow, but the hook is so memorable, there’s only upbeat vibes that remain.

The title track is a quiet refrain of positivity that bubbles under hypnotic beats and Body And Soul is simply sublime. And for the Wainwright family fetishist’s, there’s “I was making my own bed, I was picturing my dad,” on the brutally honest Getting Older. (Re)born out of pain or not, she’s rarely sounded so alive.

Released: 20.08.21 www.marthawainwright.com

ALBUMS

4/5

5/5

3.5 / 5

STEFAN CHRISTENSEN CHEAP THINGS (WORLD OF ECHO)

ANDREW WASYLYK BALGAY HILL: MORNING IN MAGNOLIA (CLAY PIPE MUSIC)

SYNTHETIC VILLAINS OBSTACLE NAVIGATION (SELF RELEASED)

Words: Elodie A. Roy Stefan Christensen’s music is empty yet it lacks nothing. The sudden silences on the opening track are like those spaces which painters choose to leave unpainted. The exposed canvas completely belongs to the finished image.

Cheap Things – recorded at home in Newhaven for the London-based World of Echo experimental label – achieves a curious equilibrium between the raw immediacy of anti-folk and the meditative abstractions of minimalism. I am thinking of Jandek, Jesu and more insistently of the hypnotic reveries of Steve Reich.

Out of the five tracks, two are instrumental.

They are long and repetitive in a way which feels productive. Cheap Things gives us room and space to drift and feel alive, on a simplified plane. And surely this is worth something.

Released: 06.08.21 www.stefanchristensen.bandcamp.com

Words: Robin Webb Clay Pipe Music continues to be at the vanguard of elegant and thoughtful musical journeys as experienced through the oculus of its carefully chosen artists. This latest release from multi-instrumentalist Wasylyk, who is new to the label, further bolsters that well deserved reputation. Here we pilgrimage through Dundee’s Balgay Park, meditative and contentedly woozy; it’s an escape from the ubiquitous reality facing us all. Each tune gives us space to think and wander, observe and wonder as it resonates within its inspirational surroundings, the comforting landscape, its flora and fauna as it gently brushes against your consciousness, grounding you, reminding you what it is to experience life as your seemingly unwavering worries are finally washed away in the rain.

Released: 20.08.21 www.andrewwasylyk.bandcamp.com

Words: Robin Webb Reminiscent in parts of an early 80’s Tomorrow’s World episode about programming a BBC Acorn computer, vintage synth sounds are combined with guitars, pedals and other electronic and analogue bits and bobs to concoct a rhythmic beat and riff-driven nostalgic trip of dare I say hauntological proportions.

Self-released via Bandcamp it’s a follow-up to last year’s self-titled release by Synthetic Villains, aka Richard J Turner, who writes, arranges and plays all of the instruments. It’s playful and mysterious in places but never sinister, other than when the scary circus is invoked during No Funfair, where I imagine Richard is bothered by errant clowns and ventriloquist dummies in his pursuit of the perfect synth pop tune.

Released: 02.08.21 www.syntheticvillains.bandcamp.com

53

MIXTAPE WORDS: KRISTIAN ATKINSON

I’m Kristian Atkinson a DJ/promoter (Screenage Kicks, Jukebox, Dragnet, theCUT) I own the bar ZEROX, which is currently closed – we’ll be back open soon! I currently have a radio show called ZEROXY MUSIC on brilliant new station Slack’s Radio.

While ZEROX is closed we thought that we’d have a summer party and do a pop-up event at Anarchy Brewery on Saturday 7th August, pulling together some of our favourite bands from the region. There’s so much great music coming out of the North East and for this party we’ve put together a bill with four truly ace bands: Jango Flash, Witness Protection Programme, No Teeth and special guests A Totally Chaotic Fucked Up Mess Of A Family who many or may not be one of the most beloved Newcastle bands hitting the stage under another name.

This Mixtape features a selection of tracks linked to ZEROX itself. www.facebook.com/zeroxbarnewcastle

WAS NOT WAS WHEEL ME OUT (LONG VERSION) At it’s core ZEROX was born as a space to indulge in our twin passions of disco and punk. For years people tried to set these two revolutionary music genres up as opposites, but we see kindred spirit in both; we love high energy, we love dancing and we love substance. The ZE in the name ZEROX comes from our love of 80s punk funk/mutant disco record label Ze Records, one of the first to mix up punk and disco in equal measure, blowing apart preconceptions and blowing minds. This is a Ze Records classic.

CRACK CLOUD FAVOUR YOUR FORTUNE Another great band that we got to see live because Wandering Oak brought them to the City. What a band! Their latest album is an essential slice of modern post-punk brilliance.

ROXY MUSIC PYJAMARAMA The ROX in ZEROX comes from our lifelong love of Roxy Music, one of the few truly majestic bands who made it big with regional members. Pyjamarama isn’t

the most disco or dancefloor friendly of their anthems, and it’s not the most rocking either, but it is a perfect record – it’s sad and joyful and pop and avant-garde all at once. This band may well be the greatest band that Britain ever produced.

YOUNG FATHERS TOY Young Fathers are just the most incredible band, it astounds me that they’re not massive – they’re phenomenal and should be more loved. They’re truly punk in outlook, and they absolutely obliterate genres and stereotypes. They came down to party with us after their mind boggling gig at The Boiler Shop and one of the things I’m most excited about when normal life resumes is seeing them live again – they made me feel alive in the most profound way and somehow they’re way more powerful live than on record.

VIAGRA BOYS JUST LIKE YOU Thanks to wonderful Newcastle promoters Wandering Oak I got to see the life affirming Viagra Boys play a roof-raising gig at The Cluny. We threw

an after party in celebration with the band in ZEROX, which turned out to be one of our favourite sessions in the bar.

This track reminds me of that night, it’s just such a killer track. I can’t wait to see them play this live again.

THE ORIELLES SUGAR TASTES LIKE SALT (ANDREW WEATHERALL MIX) The Orielles make lovely music that somehow mixes post-punk funk with a bewitching jangling indie pop. We love them, and they took the roof off ZEROX when they DJ’d for us. This is a killer remix by the legendary Andrew Weatherall who sadly passed away during lockdown.

BLÓM GOD A Newcastle band that I adore, this is from their album Flower Violence. I hammered the vinyl of it during lockdown, it’s noisy, powerful, aggressive, affecting and beautiful. Plus they always take the roof off when DJing ZEROX after gigs.

DO YOU HAVE A NEW RELEASE PLANNED, AN UPDATE TO INFORM OUR READERS OF OR A STORY TO TELL? WE’RE HERE FOR YOU EMAIL: INFO@NARCMEDIA.COM 54

Antony Gormley, Field for the British Isles, 1993. Arts Council Collection, Southbank Centre, London © the artist.

Acquired in 1995 with the assistance of the Art Fund and The Henry Moore Foundation.

Antony Gormley, Field for the British Isles, 1993. Arts Council Collection, Southbank Centre, London © the artist.

Acquired in 1995 with the assistance of the Art Fund and The Henry Moore Foundation.

55

THE STARS RETURN TO STOCKTON TICKETS ON SALE NOW AT www.stocktonglobe.co.uk

NICK CAVE & WARREN ELLIS

WED 29 SEP 2021

ADAM KAY

THIS IS GOING TO HURT

(SECRET DIARIES OF A JUNIOR DOCTOR)

THU 30 SEP 2021

ROB BRYDON A NIGHT OF SONGS AND LAUGHTER

FRI 8 OCT 2021

AN EVENING WITH THE WATERBOYS

JASON MANFORD

STEVE HACKETT

TUE 12 OCT 2021

THU 14 OCT 2021

FRI 15 OCT 2021

JUDGE JULES LIVE

THE BOOTLEG BEATLES

AMY MACDONALD

WHAT’S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT?

TIM MINCHIN

THU 18 NOV 2021

21 - 22 NOV 2021

SAT 16 OCT 2021

LIKE ME

SUN 17 OCT 2021

GENESIS REVISITED

SAT 23 OCT 2021

THE

HOUSE & GARAGE ORCHESTRA

HOUSE & GARAGE ORCHESTRA SAT 13 NOV 2021

A TRIBUTE TO TINA TURNER

TheGlobeStockton

56

BACK ENCORE

Stockton_Globe

Stockton_Globe