INTERVIEW
L-R, T-B: bigfatbig, Sisi by Chloe Seamn , Kay Greyson, Firesites
GENERATOR LIVE LEIGH VENUS FINDS OUT WHAT’S IN STORE AT GENERATOR’S CELEBRATION OF NORTH EAST SOUNDS With the pandemic waves still thankfully receding from our cultural shores, the regional music scene is booming as venues continue to throw open their doors and return acts to their audiences. Now, with summer on the horizon, brand-new festival Generator Live is set to launch a cross-genre celebration and exclusive showcase of the very best rising North East talent. The festival has spawned from artist support agency Generator, laser-focused on the needs of individual artists and the fastchanging music sector, and working since 1991 to empower talented individuals and nurture the North East’s music and creative digital industries. A showcase for the artists Generator work with and others tipped as the ones to watch, music fans can look forward to a week of fringe gigs and parties leading up to a blow-out all-dayer on Saturday 25th June at Boiler Shop in Newcastle. The whole thing kicks off on Sunday 19th June at Zerox with the Generator Live Warm-Up Party, a free-entry, one-week countdown celebrating North East Music and offering revellers a chance to bag some festival tickets. Monday 20th June launches the week of fringe events, all curated by North East independent promoters from open call artist submissions, with entry completely free with Generator Live tickets. Collective NEWISM join forces with the KeyChange initiative to
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present soulful songwriters Dayna Leadbitter and Sisi at Little Buildings on Monday 20th; followed by fast-rising indie pop gang Komparrison, synth popsters Firesites and sludgy pop rock from YES CHEF at The Old Coal Yard on Tuesday 21st courtesy of Flat Four Recs and Shout Up!; R&B artist Chloe Castro, rocky noiseniks Ten Eighty Trees and cyber-sound explorers SQUARMS are on at the Head of Steam on Wednesday 22nd, promoted by Eastside and Guitar Wrist; on Thursday 23rd, your very own NARC. Magazine and Youth Music take over The Cluny with the Youth Music First Notes Showcase, featuring Kate Bond, Porcelain, Tom James, Tali, Sam Harris, Sara Heraoua, Alice Elle, Ayzee, and SYP. This is an opportunity to hear from the First Notes cohort, which sees Generator working with 18-25-year-old early-career musicians, providing professional support to produce their first industry-standard release. On Festival Eve Friday 24th, BBC Introducing and Northern Roots present the irresistible and ascendant brat-poppers ZELA, alongside scintillating Newcastle noise rock duo Pave The Jungle at Cobalt Studios. With the organisers committed to creating a platform for the best North East artists and creatives to come together to show the strength of the local music industry, the festival is also supported on Friday 24th by the Generator Live Conference, at which some of the UK’s leading music industry trade bodies will be taking over
