ISSUE187 SEPTEMBER22 FREE RELIABLYINFORMED ROB HERON & THE TEA PAD ORCHESTRA BEYOND THE MIDDLESBROUGHMOORART WEEKENDER SHILPA DONALDRAYJENKINS
Tiwiza, who play Allen Valleys Folk Festival
Words: Michael O’Neill After a challenging couple of years for the industry, it’s been heartening to see so many iconic festivals finally making a full comeback this summer. You’d be forgiven for thinking that the fun was all over with the impending summer’s end, but Hartlepool’s legendary Folk Festival is making a long overdue full comeback after an understandably challenging two years. From Friday 30th September-Sunday 2nd October the festival will return to its previous multi-venue form, with the main stage returning to the 1200-capacity Borough Hall, and shows also being played at the nearby Royal Museum of the Royal Navy, and even on board the HMS Trincomalee (the oldest war ship in Europe!). As always, the line-up is a staggering who’s-who of the burgeoning folk universe, with headliners including Edward II, Flook, Urban Folk Quarter, Daoirí Farrell, Melrose Quartet, Urban Folk Quartet, Hannah James & Toby Kuhn, Nick Hart, Sam Carter, The Shackleton Trio, Sam Baxter, Ríoghnach Connolly and Banter, alongside a staggeringly extensive selection of other artists, and entertainment including plays, interactive workshops, dance events and even cabaret! Hartlepool Folk Festival takes place from Friday 30th September-Sunday 2nd October at various venues in Hartlepool. www.hartlepoolfolkfest.co.uk
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Words: Jake Anderson Six-piece ensemble The Goa Express are rocking their way through their leg of the Revive Live UK Tour which will take them to Stockton’s iconic Georgian Theatre on Thursday 8th September. The band released a new single earlier in the year, titled Everybody In The UK. The track tackles a subject all young people relate to; growing up, and how it’s okay to not want to. The track follows the new wave of heartland rock coming from the indie scene, blending the two into a guitar-driven, up-tempo, instantly chant-able banger. Having six members has given the band a lot of freedom with each song’s sound, resulting in a kaleidoscopic sound with each instrument popping through the mix.
MUSIC ALLEN VALLEYS FOLK FESTIVAL
This special tour isn’t for any release, but rather a part of the national scheme by the Music Venue Trust and National Lottery Fund to help support independent music scenes and venues. As a part of the scheme, ticket bundles are available for National Lottery players in which gig-goers get a free plus one, so you can take your favourite gig buddy or that mate who urgently needs to update their playlists! The Goa Express play the Georgian Theatre in Stockton on Thursday 8th September.
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www.thegoaexpress.bandcamp.com
Words: Michael O’Neill Now in its ninth year, the Allen Valleys Folk Festival is returning to Allendale in Northumberland with what promises to be yet another eclectic and enthralling line-up of artists from all over the globe from Friday 23rd-Sunday 25th September. After being an online-only festival (for obvious reasons) in 2020 and 2021, the festival is returning to the eponymous valleys for a three-day celebration of music, dance and heritage, taking place in a selection indoor venues including The King’s Head, The Golden Lion, the Village Hall and the picturesque St Cuthbert’s Church. As always, the festival promises a broad line-up; festival chairman Peter Aldcroft tells us more: “[The festival boasts] broad appeal with a mix of styles from traditional folk to world music. Saturday headliners include Tiwiza, a band steeped in African tradition but with a modern, driving rock spirit, and Balkan Hot Club, whose pulsating style has been wooing festival goers throughout the UK.” Headliners also include acts such as BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards winners The Rheingans Sisters (Saturday) and popular Scottish outfit Talisk (Sunday). Other artists to look forward to include Diddley Squat, Belta Reivers, Brothers Gillespie, Claire Hastings, George Welch & Christine Jeans and Chris Ormston among others. You hardly need much of an excuse to visit the beautiful surroundings of Northumberland, but this sure is a fine excuse at that! Valleys Folk Festival takes place at venues in Allendale from
Allen
Friday 23rd-Sunday 25th September. www.allenvalleysfolkfestival.co.uk
MUSIC THE GOA EXPRESS @ THE THEATREGEORGIAN
The cover of the new Tea Pad Orchestra album features front man Rob Heron in rodeo clown make-up and western threads looking morose amidst the dregs of a party. The bunting behind him spells out The Party Is Over and you could wonder if they’re trying to tell us something. “Originally the song was just about not going home after a party and feeling crap, and obviously lots of the songs are about booze anyway.” Heron explains. “But I thought it would it be fun to make people wonder if it was going to be our last album, to raise that question. Or is it because some of us have had children? Whether it’ll actually be our last record, I don’t know – I thought the last one was going to be. Also, I wanted a photo cover, our albums have always had cartoon covers. One night I was half-asleep and dreaming and had the image in my head of THE TEA PAD ORCHESTRA WEREN’T ALONE IN USING THE LOCKDOWN AS A TIME TO REFLECT ON THEIR FUTURE, BUT AS ROB HERON EXPLAINS TO LEE FISHER, THEY SEEM TO HAVE EMERGED NEWLY INVIGORATED AND FULL OF IDEAS HERON
IMAGE BY AMELIA READ ROB
& THE TEA PAD ORCHESTRA
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I WANTED IT TO BE MORE MINOR KEY, MORE COUNTRY, LESS TWEE. LESS OF THE BOW-TIE WEARING, VINTAGE TEA DANCE STYLE THAT WE MIGHT HAVE BEEN MISTAKEN FOR TEN YEARS AGO
The Party Is Over grew out of lockdown in a curious way, the title track originally recorded for a solo EP Heron released. “I’d always wanted to re-record it so if I hadn’t written it in lockdown, we might never have recorded another album. It’s the only song I had ready. I’d kind of thought that a solo adventure might be worthwhile after lockdown but then missed playing gigs with the band…”
me dressed as a clown.”
“Obviously new things will come out of playing it together. Ted [Harbot, bass player] actually has a lot of strong ideas in the studio.” And did he have a clear idea about the sound going in?
wearing, vintage tea dance style that we might have been mistaken for ten years ago.”
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Wanting a new album to accompany a tour was another more practical incentive. Heron admits he can only write on a deadline. “When we had the studio booked, I panicked, started writing a song a week and it gets easier. I can’t be bothered to finish half-baked songs so they end up as notes and might get used later, even squashed together with other bits. But the best songs, I think, were the ones I literally wrote the week before recording. A Call To Mother’s Arms was written about half an hour before going into the studio.” I wondered if Heron worked up arrangements with the band, but it seems he has them fully formed in his head.
The band have always been creative in the way they’ve evolved, each new album harking back to previous releases to satisfy long-time fans, but always adding something new. This time there’s the full-on folk of A Call To Mother’s Arms (“I’m a bit worried about that one scaring off the rockabillies!”) and the first single, She Hypnotised Me, a proper R&B stomper that’s coming out as a 7” with a James Brown-style funk B-side. And they clearly had a lot of fun with The Horse That You Rode In On, another song written at the last minute. “What makes that song is just the whole feel, the guitar and the whip sound, every Morricone cliché possible – without those elements it’s not that great a song but it turned out really well.”
The Party Is Over is released by Tea Pad Recordings on 30th September. The band play The Forum Music Centre in Darlington on Friday 7th October and The Cluny, Newcastle on Saturday 17th December. www.teapadorchestra.co.uk
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“I knew I wanted to have no songs that had the classic Tea Pad chord progression in it, that goes UM-DEH-UM-DEH-UMDEH-UM-DEH, like a major key ragtime thing, I wanted it to be more minor key, more country, less twee. Less of the bow-tie
The Autumn sees the band touring the UK, ending up with a special Christmas show at Newcastle’s Cluny on Saturday 17th December, a show that will feature as many album guests as possible and a few surprises. “I still get excited about touring – especially in Europe, it’s like a holiday. Touring in the UK in the Autumn, staying in Travelodges, how good can it be, but if the gigs are great it’s still fun. And I think these gigs are all going to be great.”
Recorded at Blank with John Martindale, the album uses guests more prominently than before. Ruth Lyon (Holy Moly & The Crackers) plays a big part in both singles – “she really nailed her two songs, made them really different” – and House Of The Black Gardenia added some New Orleans second-line flavour to closing track The Doctor Told Me. I wondered if Heron considered making another album in completely one style but he’s not sure. “Part of me would love the band to sound more like She Hypnotised Me but a whole album of that could get boring too. I like that we can do that, then a weird country song, then a zydeco one…”
Words carry power in every medium. Donald Jenkins has previously explored this through spoken word, but now is branching out into rap and hip-hop. This new journey comes in the form of a soon to be released EP, entitled Late Bloomer, in which he discusses age, the culture of his genre and the politics of our “There’sfuture.anongoing discussion in hip-hop about whether or not it’s an ‘old’ person’s game, whether it’s acceptable to have a 30 or a 40 year old rapper.” Donald commented when discussing his own journey into music. “It’s uncommon for someone my age [44] to start rapping… So [describing myself as a Late Bloomer] is just me kind of pre-empting that. But hopefully, I come with some life experience and I’ve got something to say as a result of Donaldit.” explains why he tackles the subject of our future on his EP. “I’m concerned about how we’re breeding generations of people who seem totally disengaged from the political process. We are split into different groups, and we’re arguing over identity politics, but we find very little common ground to unite us…None can agree on what is real. I feel that we need to be more politically aware, but at the same time, it’s also about me as well. I have to acknowledge that it’s okay and fair enough for me to argue and move on.” As an artist who creates music in the hip-hop genre, Donald continues to break down why he does not consider himself part of contemporary hip-hop culture. “People need to be aware, if they’re going to be a part of hip-hop culture, they should also have some idea of the roots, acknowledge its root as a Black music form that people like me are in a position of privilege to be part Donald’sof.”music not only carries the consistent and smooth beat typical of hip-hop, but also electronic sounding elements reminiscent of retro gaming, creating a blended genre of electric rap. One thing not lost throughout the rhythm of his words is his Geordie accent, which adds local familiarity to the worries he shares lyrically. Some may already be familiar with Donald as the initiator of spoken word night Born Lippy. He discusses the transition into rap: “I just love words! I got involved in spoken word about 15 years ago, and discovered another thing in addition to hip-hop. I’ve always listened to hip-hop and when I first started doing spoken word I saw myself as possibly trying to do rap, although not very well and not very good! It was mostly about adapting and changing something to reach a new audience that might not engage with my poetry. “It was a learning curve, because it is different, there’s a lot of different skills involved. Spoken word is all about long pauses and breaks, whereas rap is a lot faster when you’re trying to fit within structures of beat. It’s been a great exploration of extending my own ability as someone who loves manipulating words, looking at how that can be expanded.”
www.donaldjenkins.bandcamp.com DONALD JENKINS I’M CONCERNED ABOUT HOW WE’RE BREEDING GENERATIONS OF PEOPLE WHO SEEM TOTALLY DISENGAGED FROM THE POLITICAL PROCESS LIZZIE LOVEJOY TALKS TO THE SPOKEN WORD ARTIST ABOUT HIS TRANSITION INTO HIP-HOP ON HIS DEBUT EP MUSIC Image by picturesbybish
Donald Jenkins launches his debut EP, Late Bloomer, at Zerox in Newcastle on Friday 9th September with support from Kema Kay, HB, Tom 23 and DJs Pegz and Riddla.
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“All music is inspired by something. Every artist is inspired by something before them, everyone’s been touched by music somehow.”
Looking back through the thick tapestry of music in order to stand on the shoulders of giants, Elizabeth Liddle is the North East’s newest answer for anyone clambering for a taste of a bygone era, quipping that “moving with the times may be good, but being yourself is essential, I’m completely raised on ‘that’ so it’s what I am.” ‘That’ is the sound of the 70s. The delicate vocals of Crosby, Stills and Nash, the supple melodies of Simon and Garfunkel, and the devastating honesty of Joni Mitchell all trickle into the pool of inspiration that Liddle is born from. “Every year my Auntie would buy me a few albums from the history books that would strike a chord with me, be it Bob Dylan or Jeff Buckley, and they would be on rotation for the rest of the year.” Forming the basic silhouette of her debut EP, Somewhere, this homage to 70s stylings produces a series of intimate, piano-driven tracks, revolving around Liddle’s pure and emotive vocals. Her influences are demonstrated in a multitude of ways, both directly and indirectly; the EP features the stunning bright tones of a Hammond organ, instantly catapulting the listener back through time, yet it’s the more subtle ways the era has inspired the artist that really texture the EP. “Writing about myself is terrifying. The whole process feels extremely vulnerable and exposed, but I know all my favourite artists have done it before me and it’s their honesty that resonates with people to this day. Writing exactly what I was going through in that place and time, keeping it sincere and real, that storytelling is what the 70s is to me.”
Following the release of Liddle’s EP in late August, the artist prepares for her headline slot at The Cluny 2 on Sunday 11th September. Promising an intimate experience, the singer once again looks to her heroes for inspiration. “If you’ve ever seen the beautiful Carole King concert from her living room, you’ll know what I’m going for! It’s going to be An Evening With Elizabeth Liddle. We’ll move through a mixture of different sounds, with a few tracks just me and my piano, as that’s how I write, but then also a number with my guitarist Billy Smith, as well as some featuring the full band. It’ll be a lovely, intimate night of music, I think despite growing crowds, that type of intimacy is something I always strive to maintain.”
www.facebook.com/eelizabethmusic ELIZABETH LIDDLE WRITING ABOUT MYSELF IS TERRIFYING. THE WHOLE PROCESS FEELS EXTREMELY VULNERABLE AND EXPOSED CAMERON WRIGHT TALKS TO THE NORTH EAST SONGWRITER ABOUT DRAWING ON HER PASSIONS TO PRODUCE HER REMARKABLE DEBUT EP Image by Moments Photography North East MUSIC
With every detail Liddle discusses, she exudes a giddy excitement. From depicting the EP’s cover art and its throng of Easter eggs hidden amongst it, to her upcoming music videos, concerts or vinyl releases, her enthusiasm is a testament to her passion and dedication for creating something as earnest, rich and ensnaring as the music that captivated her heart. Lighting up at the opportunity to dive down the various alleys of musical conversation, it is tangibly apparent that this is an artist making music from the heart, steeped in adoration and reverence for the building blocks she utilises in her sound.
The delicate and affecting musical flare of Elizabeth Liddle’s Somewhere is a subtle affair that captures something special and shouldn’t be missed. Elizabeth Liddle plays The Cluny 2, Newcastle on Sunday 11th September. The Somewhere EP is out now.
Stephenson is particularly pleased to have booked artist, academic and activist Nicole Mitchell. “I think having Nicole Mitchell at the festival is the unmissable opportunity for audiences, the former first woman president of Chicago’s Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM). It’s deliberately positioning a brilliant creator within the wider context of the festival, to communicate the lineage of jazz and improvised music artistically, conceptually and geographically.” Mitchell will play twice – solo (Friday 30th) on a bill that also includes Emanuele Maniscalco, Francesco Bigoni and Mark Solborg playing as a trio and a quartet including Binker Golding, Alexander Hawkins, John Pope and Paul Hession, and then in a duo with Alexander Hawkins (Saturday 1st October). It’s tough picking highlights from a programme this strong but the performance at St George’s Church on Friday 23rd sounds intriguing: Pendulums: Music for Bellringers, Improvisers & Electronics sees seven artists, live visuals and some local bellringers creating something very special. The following night at Bobik’s has a strong local showing – the magnificent Archipelago joined by improvising guitarist SA Malley (Crane, The Unit AMA) and Glasgow’s excellent Taupe. Thursday 29th sees a strong bill headed up by Anthropology, an eight-piece collective featuring absolute legends Orphy Robinson and Pat Thomas (both of whom appear in other guises across the weekend, including as Black Top with our very own Mariam Rezaei on Saturday 1st October). There are so many more great artists appearing solo or in combination – Pete Wareham, Binker Golding, Dilutey Juice, Farida Amadou and Leafcutter John, to name just five – so check out the online digital programme for the full rundown.
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This year the festival is back to full strength and running across two weekends – the ‘warm-up’ weekend from Friday 23rd-Sunday 25th September and then the main event on the weekend following. The warm-up shows are shifting from the festival’s traditional base at The Lit & Phil up to Jesmond, with an evening in St George’s Church and then two in Bobik’s. There are dozens of artists appearing across the two weekends, so I wondered if there was an organising ethos behind the bookings. “It’s all pretty much intuition,” Stephenson explains. “I tend to put a few artists I’m especially passionate about in place and then just start to build the events around them, the festival tells me what it wants to be, it’s probably more an oblique strategy than anything else.”
NEWCASTLE FESTIVAL OF JAZZ & IMPROVISED MUSIC WITH NEWCASTLE’S LAUDED JAZZ AND IMPROV FESTIVAL EXPANDING ONCE AGAIN THIS YEAR, LEE FISHER SPOKE TO FESTIVAL PRODUCER WESLEY STEPHENSON TO FIND OUT WHAT HE HAS IN STORE
The Newcastle Festival Of Jazz & Improvised Music takes place from Friday 23rd-Sunday 25th September and Thursday 29th T-B: Nicole Mitchell, Maniscalco Bigoni Solborg, Farida Amadou by Laurent Orseau, Taupe
Festivals at all levels have obviously had a rough couple of years – some have been lost, others greatly diminished – and you have to tip your hat to those that are still doing things right. Like the Newcastle Festival Of Jazz & Improvised Music: born in 2017, there was a lockdown hiatus in 2020 (although this was an opportunity to set up a record label) and a necessarily slimmed down and UK-centric iteration last year. Producer Wesley Stephenson is the first to admit it’s been tough. “It’s hard at the moment, given the unpredictability of audiences and finance, but it’s always been hard since I started this line of work, so in some respects not much has changed, we remain resilient. You have to just improvise with the situation as it presents itself, do your very best, and what needs to transpire will inevitably do so.”
September–Sunday 2nd October. www.newcastlefestivalofjazzandimprovisedmusic.co.uk IT’S ALWAYS BEEN HARD SINCE I STARTED THIS LINE OF WORK, SO IN SOME RESPECTS NOT MUCH HAS CHANGED, WE REMAIN RESILIENT MUSIC L-R,
L!PSTICK L!PSTICK
A BIG FAT FUCKING QUEER PARTY FOR EVERYONE CLAIRE DUPREE TALKS TO CLUBLAND CREATURE MONARCHY AND SPOKEN WORD ARTIST LEAH ROBERTS ABOUT THEIR NEW QUEER CABARET NIGHT EVENTS
After bonding over a shared passion for diverse nightlife, the duo decided to start up their own event, and L!PSTICK was born. “L!PSTICK is a big fat fucking Queer party for everyone. Not just middle aged white gay men and certainly not for straight stag-doers that just want to gawp at drag queens and make women who seek comfort in Queer spaces uncomfortable.”
Monarchy reveals more about the debut event’s line-up: “Everybody loves Penni Tration, she’s a Drag Idol judge and will be our DJ and co-host for the main show, alongside myself. Celeste St Claire ‘The Queen of Hartlepool’ is one of the funniest girls about, she is a fab performer and is renowned for her death drops. We also have Loren Heatley – they aren’t a drag artist, they can ACTUALLY sing – Loren’s vocals are incredible. We’ll have some spoken word from Leah, her poetry is DEEP and emotional. Spoken word and poetry is something I feel like every show has room for, it’s a chance for people to feel moved and reflect on life.
“Call me what you want! I’m a bloke in a frock. He/she/it/queen...”
In L!PSTICK, Monarchy and Leah have created an alternative, diverse Queer rave in the heart of Middlesbrough, which will see not just drag performances but also live singers, spoken word poetry and all kinds of other art, with an open mic element to encourage anyone to have a go.
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So begins my acquaintance with Monarchy, ‘clubland creature’, drag artist and the co-host of Base Camp’s brand new monthly Queer cabaret night, L!PSTICK. Monarchy speaks candidly about their journey, both in terms of their sexuality and their drag persona. “My character started in secret, I was occasionally dabbling with makeup at my best friend’s house at the age of 15, all while still presenting hyper masculine to the outside world, often scratching my crotch in an Adidas tracksuit and spitting on the playing field at the local park.”
And there’s drag artist Jester Mess – Jester is what we are all about at L!PSTICK, a trans man and a drag artist isn’t a daily occurrence for many in the town, and this together is unheard of in our area; inclusivity is what we are about, and displaying all types of drag rather than just a big blonde bitch.” Monarchy and Leah’s passion for the event extends way beyond having a great time, and Monarchy describes the vital importance of access to spaces like this for the Queer community. “I am yet to meet a gay person who has not been affected or discriminated against in some way for their sexuality, and places like this provide us with freedom. My friends are so much more than people I see day to day, they are like a family, and that’s what we want L!PSTICK to be – not just a family, a tribe.” L!PSTICK takes place at Base Camp, Middlesbrough on Saturday 10th September. www.instagram.com/thisis_monarchy www.instagram.com/leah_roberts99 IS
Having discovered legendary Middlesbrough club Tiny, and eventually finding the confidence to express themselves in drag, Monarchy met fine art student Leah Roberts, and a kinship was formed over their shared experiences. “Dance floors and drag dungeons are places where people find themselves and can escape the reality of life for a night.” Monarchy enthuses. Leah explains how hard she found it to be seen as a woman of colour in the art industry. “Setting up this experience with Monarchy has given me the chance to be able to spread my wings and express who I am as an individual! Being part of the LGBTQ+ community has opened my eyes up to feel supported within and finally have my very own chosen family!”
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Beyond The Moor’s inaugural day-long event at Gosforth Civic Theatre will take place on Saturday 24th September and aims to showcase the best in contemporary folk music, locally and nationally. The event has been programmed by GCT’s Bernard Wright and Kari Macleod, both of whom have been active in the folk scene and met while studying on Newcastle University’s Folk & Traditional Music degree. Kari explains their desire to kickstart what they hope will be a regular event. “Newcastle, and the whole of the North East, is a region rich in culture and history; the songs and stories told by the folk and roots musicians it produces here reflect this. It’s an endless well of inspiration when you start digging into some of the traditional songs and music going back generations. It’s a lovely scene to be part of because not only is the music great, the people involved are some of the most welcoming and friendly folk you’ll ever meet. We just need more venues to keep booking and supporting the performers and storytellers to ensure this rich culture doesn’t die out.” “We were also conscious to keep the bill varied and diverse, showcasing a broad range of styles within the folk scene.” Bernard explains. “It was great to have the opportunity to bring in some established national acts and create a really exciting Headliningline-up.”
Gosforth Civic Theatre’s folk club gigs have seen an increase in popularity and there’s a tangible thirst for more platforms for contemporary folk and roots music in the region. Newcastle and the North East’s folk scene is strong and vibrant, and Beyond The Moor seeks to harness this by pairing it with genuine world class touring bands. Bernard explains that the venue isn’t just about great music. “GCT is run by disability arts charity Liberdade and our venue is a friendly, welcoming space. Community and accessibility are at the heart of the organisation. On the day we will have some delicious street food on offer alongside our usual cafe/bar, and of course it’s not a folk festival without some tasty craft beer and real Beyondales.”The Moor festival takes place at Gosforth Civic Theatre on Saturday 24th September. www.gosforthcivictheatre.co.uk THE MOOR L-R, T-B,: Amy Thatcher & Fran Knowles, Flook by Naoki Fujioka, Ryan Young, Tim Dalling
IT’S AN ENDLESS WELL OF INSPIRATION WHEN YOU START DIGGING INTO SOME OF THE TRADITIONAL SONGS AND MUSIC GOING BACK GENERATIONS BEYOND
FESTIVAL BEN LOWES-SMITH SPEAKS TO BERNARD WRIGHT AND KARI MACLEOD ABOUT THE BRAND NEW FOLK FESTIVAL
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the first ever edition of the festival will be RTE Radio 1 and BBC Radio 2 Folk award nominees Flook. Taking inspiration from their roots in the Irish and English traditions, Flook have an enviable trademark sound which weaves traditionally-rooted tunes over precise acoustic grooves, with a rare blend of fiery technical brilliance, delicate ensemble interaction and a bold, adventurous musical imagination. They are paired at the top of the bill with Nancy Kerr & James Fagan, one of the best-known and most experienced folk duos on the circuit. Outstanding musicianship, a lifelong grounding in traditional singing and instrumental playing, acclaimed original compositions and most noticeably a visceral chemistry between these two make Kerr and Fagan a perennial favourite. They’ll be joined on the line-up by Withered Hand, Ryan Young & David Foley, Holly & The Reivers, Amy Thatcher & Fran Knowles and Tim Dalling. Tim (who has been described as a cross between Led Zeppelin and Ivor Cutler) will also be leading a workshop enabling participants to explore new ways of generating song ideas.
Adam Finlay, Studio Director at NOVAK is thrilled to be involved in such an inspiring display. “The manuscript is such an amazing example of devotion, design and craftsmanship, which embodies the very rich and expansive history of the North East of England but with connections far beyond the region. It is a great privilege to explore and interpret this fascinating story in a new and exciting way.”
Elsewhere in the region a series of other events in association with the Laing display include In The Footsteps of Eadfrith at Art Block in Seaham, A Northumberland Menagerie by artist Bethan Maddocks at Hexham Old Gaol, artist Paul Rooney’s contemporary soundscape installation at Lindisfarne Castle and The Art of Words at St Mary’s Church on Holy Island with many more events throughout the region.
The exhibition will also include a stunning selection of early medieval treasures brought together from across Britain, representing both personal and collective religious experiences in the 8th Century. A selection of paintings, drawings and photographs will further explore how art and spirituality have developed in the centuries since the Lindisfarne Gospels were Acreated.highlight of the exhibition will be a new work by Turner Prize winning artist Jeremy Deller, while a series of talks by the likes of Geoff Miller (Dean of Newcastle), NOVAK’s Adam Finlay, local historian John Woodhurst, artist Ruth Ewan and the British Library’s head of medieval manuscripts Dr Claire Breay amongst others will take place at the venue throughout the Autumn and will cover everything from the Gospels’ spiritual significance, the early history of the monastery and some behind the scenes detail about how the Gospels are displayed and curated from the Laing staff themselves.
The Lindisfarne Gospels will be on show at Laing Art Gallery, Newcastle from Saturday 17th September-Saturday 3rd December. www.laingartgallery.org.uk/lindisfarne-gospels-2022 MS
THE LINDISFARNE GOSPELS NOVAK’S IMMERSIVE DIGITAL EXPERIENCE WILL ESTABLISH THE WIDER CONTEXT FOR THE GOSPELS AROUND ITS MEANING IN THE WORLD TODAY AND ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH THEMES OF PERSONAL, REGIONAL AND NATIONAL IDENTITY STEVE SPITHRAY DISCOVERS CONTEMPORARY INVESTIGATIONS INTO CENTURIES OF HISTORY AS THE LINDISFARNE GOSPELS RETURN TO THE REGION Matthew Evangelist portrait, Lindisfarne Gospels, c. 700 (Cotton
Nero D IV) (c) British Library Board ART & LIT
The Lindisfarne Gospels are the most spectacular manuscript to survive from Anglo-Saxon England and will go on display at Laing Art Gallery in September. Created on the Holy Island of Lindisfarne, and on loan from the British Library, the book represents the golden age of design and craftsmanship in Northumbria. Video design specialists, NOVAK, have created an animated audio video installation that will immerse audiences within the stunning design of the manuscript and the environments that shaped the book’s creation.
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NOVAK’s immersive digital experience will be the first gallery that visitors will encounter and will establish the wider context for the Gospels around its meaning in the world today and its relationship with themes of personal, regional and national identity. The installation aims to provide audiences with an experiential journey that transports them from the birthplace of the Gospels to the farthest shores of the Mediterranean.
The Lindisfarne Gospels are presumed to be the work of a monk named Eadfrith, who became Bishop of Lindisfarne monastery in 698 and produced the Gospels around 715 believed to be in honour of St. Cuthbert. By 1066 the Gospels had found their way to Durham Cathedral before being removed during the Dissolution of the Monasteries and eventually ending up in the British Museum then the British Library in 1973.
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Experimental punk icon Shilpa Ray’s fourth album, Portrait Of A Lady, marks, in many ways, the beginning and the end of a personal journey through past abuse. Spurred on by wider discourses surrounding #MeToo and the Trump administration, Ray found herself being incessantly reminded of trauma from her past, which is especially true of her song
www.shilparay.bandcamp.com
Lawsuits And Suicide: “I wrote the song after reading an article about a famous guy that had been outed and one victim said that the man would text her all of the time threatening her with lawsuits or suicide. I remember in my 20s, when I was in an abusive relationship, the same line was given to me.” Ray’s quick to label it a diss track, pointed anger towards that man who tried to ruin her life. “You can’t express anger in most societies, there’s a lot of judgement on that. So how do you do it? How can you do it productively? I’ve got to put it somewhere.” A stronghold of hip-hop, Ray’s use of diss tracks is tied to her love for the frank specificity of the genre: “There’s something very benign about rock and indie rock – everyone seems to be having a great time and I don’t identify with that. I like to say things exactly as they are. Even with metal, they can be singing about flowers but it’s gruff so you just assume it’s angry. With hip-hop, the lyrics are very pointed.” Portrait Of A Lady is full of rage, glamour and weight, all encapsulated into curt and epochal songs which are titled spectacularly, ranging from Heteronormative Horseshit Blues to the seismic Manic Pixie Dream Cunt: “It’s crazy, all of the insane things that happen in the US and that’s the kind of word that’s censored?” Every track defies the amount of space possible for a song to take up, which Ray ascribes to her massive, and seemingly uncontainable, voice. However, it’s also down to the tropes and familiar ideas she pulls into her orbit; in Manic Pixie Dream Cunt she yowls “Go gaslighting” to the distorted tune of “Go grease lightning”, and littered throughout are callbacks to glorified movie training montages from the 80s. “The 80s was winning, power and triumph set to synthesisers. Even the slower songs weren’t soft, they were Power Ballads.” And so, in Bootlickers Of The Patriarchy, Ray creates a Maniac-esque tempoed dance track aimed for processing and hitting back at female betrayal. Her songs are curt, polished and focused, however Ray isn’t dismissive of the time and mess that has gone into sharpening her thoughts and self-confidence: “I wish I was stronger back then, but the truth of the matter is you’re going to go through trauma repeatedly. The difference is, you learn how to say no faster.” It’s a sentiment that she now carries into all aspects of her life, recently taking to Twitter to ask if she’ll ever get better at cutting out toxic bandmates sooner: “Negative people and energy tend to get the strange paths in our culture, we think we have to accommodate them and bend over backwards. You’re told time and time again to take it for the sake of art – it’s bizarre and torturous. I’m trying to stop buying into the male bravado and arrogance, that’s on me. I think I’ve finally figured it Shilpaout.” Ray plays The Cluny 2, Newcastle on Sunday 25th September. Portrait Of A Lady is out now.
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EVERYONE SEEMS TO BE
A GREAT TIME AND I DON’T
SHILPA RAY HAVING IDENTIFY by Ebru Yildiz
“Of course I write diss tracks…where else am I going to put my anger?”
WITH THAT. I LIKE TO SAY THINGS EXACTLY AS THEY ARE EVIE LAKE TALKS TO SHILPA RAY ABOUT THE NECESSITY OF DISS TRACKS, WORKING THROUGH TRAUMA AND FINALLY UNLEARNING TO INDULGE THE MALE EGO Image
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Jimmy has a different vision for The Gathering Sounds and its line-up. “We’re in a number of the same great venues but The Gathering Sounds is more for emerging bands whereas at Stockton Calling perhaps bands already have a certain type of Jimmyprofile.” enthuses that The Gathering Sounds is all about championing bands with huge potential. “We see the festival as being perfect for the types of bands who are almost at the point of being able to do stand-alone shows at some of the venues. What that gives us is an opportunity for the acts to actually be bigger than the venues by the time the festival comes Jimmyaround.” reiterates that the festival serves as an ideal opportunity for music lovers to do some early talent spotting. “There are bands on the line-up who, for me, could go on to do really well and gain a really high profile. The Gathering Sounds gives people a chance to see those bands just as they’re at the point of being well known, and in some cases this might be the last time you get to see these bands in such intimate venues.”
Topping the bill at ARC are impassioned rockers The K’s, who’ll be joined by joyous psych rockers CVC, local indie funk heroes Moon Wax, Newcastle songwriter Kieran Bowe and Teesside indie band Nice Guy. Irrepressible popsters The Lottery Winners headline KU, alongside Sunderland lad-done-good Tom A Smith, R&B artist Dayna Leadbitter and alt. rockers Dead Pony. The Georgian Theatre plays host to garage rockers The Bug Club, Canadian indie rock singer Art d’Ecco, Teesside favourites SWEARS and pop songwriter Faye Fantarrow. Post-punks Stone, Hull alt. rock band Low Hummer and newbies Priestgate are all pitching up at The Social Room courtesy of promoters Under The Influence, while This Feeling bring pop four-piece The Native, cosmic indie band Spangled and genre-blurring singer Ruby J to The Storytellers. Across the venues you can also expect to see the likes of Sleep Well Beast, The Lulas, The Chase, The Kairos, Ward, Gone Tomorrow, Velma, Crush, Reardon Love, Bear Park, Sun Beam, Michael Gallagher, Over Pass, The Lilacs, The Voyd, Candid and El Rey. “I think this may be the best line-up we’ve seen,” confirms Jimmy. “You might be looking at this line-up in a few years thinking ‘wow, they all played The Gathering Sounds once’.” The Gathering Sounds Festival takes place at various venues in Stockton on Saturday 24th September. FESTIVAL DESIGNED TO SPOTLIGHT L-R, T-B: The Lottery Winners, Art D’Ecco by Elijah Schultz, Wooze, CVC
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YOUR NEW FAVOURITE BAND
www.facebook.com/thegatheringsounds THE GATHERING SOUNDS YOU MIGHT BE LOOKING AT THIS LINE-UP IN A FEW YEARS THINKING ‘WOW, THEY ALL PLAYED THE GATHERING SOUNDS ONCE’ DAMIAN ROBINSON CHATS WITH JIMMY BECK ABOUT THE
Formed in 2018 by KU Promotions, this year’s Gathering Sounds festival takes place on Saturday 24th September and it’s shaping up to be the most exciting. “We choose a date that was deliberately at the halfway point after Stockton Calling,” confirms Jimmy Beck, Managing Director of KU Promotions. “Stockton’s got a really thriving live music scene and having spoken to music lovers they all kept telling me that they didn’t want to wait a full twelve months for the next all-day event, they wanted something sooner.”
Venues taking part include ARC, KU Bar, The Georgian Theatre, Storytellers and new venue The Social Room, with guest promoters including This Feeling and Hull’s Under The Influence ensuring an exciting breadth of programming.
UNPREDICTABLE LIVE SHOWS AND BITING NEW RELEASE MUSIC
JAKE ANDERSON
The EP itself features banger after banger, whether it’s the rich texture of the noisy and disruptive FUTURE or the sampling on stand-offish track LILLIES OF THE VALLEY, but the stand-out is HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS, which uses an acoustic piece Guthrie created for the turbomafia music YouTube channel, featuring the musician playing the piece on top of a hillside. Guthrie explained this particular track further: “It’s about not knowing where to call home so making yourself comfortable wherever you are instead. It reminds me a lot of where I grew up, that’s why we filmed the acoustic version in Ouston [County Durham]. The guitar piece at the end fits this nostalgic feeling so it made sense to be at the end of this track. I always find it nice to stick a bit of guitar in as a breather from the electronic stuff.”
But the performances are not as improvisational as one might think, DJ Carbomb puts a lot of thought into how the duo will move around on stage, and Guthrie pinpoints the energy they wish to capture: “A lot of it is thinking about the gig aspect of things. Gigs and studio work are still of equal importance and work goes into both, in different ways.”
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SQUARMS and Gonzo Dog perform gigs together frequently, and these live performances are an important aspect of the Gonzo Dog identity. Guthrie unpredictably manoeuvres around the stage during their performances, always keeping the audience on their toes, then ends by “rolling around on the floor”, as DJ Carbomb remarked.
www.gonzo-dog.bandcamp.com GONZO DOG IT’S
MYSTERIOUS
GONZO DOG launch HARM at Cobalt Studios on Saturday 1st October, with support from SQUARMS and SMUJ. ABOUT NOT KNOWING WHERE TO CALL HOME SO MAKING YOURSELF COMFORTABLE WHEREVER YOU ARE INSTEAD TALKS TO DUO GUTHRIE AND DJ CARBOMB ABOUT GONZO DOG’S
For those of us that spend our time in the independent venues of Newcastle, Gonzo Dog should be a name that is instantly recognisable. Composed of Guthrie and DJ Carbomb, their live performances have become iconic and their sound is a combative, dark, electronic collage that’s both bark and bite. Guthrie focuses solely on the writing and vocals, naming themselves after their grandma’s maiden name, whereas DJ Carbomb focuses on the instrumentals. When asked about the origins of the DJ Carbomb moniker, their response was a witty: “I am a DJ.” The duo’s dynamic is unique, they both play two very different but important roles but understand each creatively. “Me and Guthrie disagree entirely on music, I hate a lot of things he loves and vice versa.” DJ Carbomb explains. “I send him a file and a few days later he sends back a vocal. We never speak beyond this.” Guthrie’s succinct response is: “I don’t like him.”
The duo dropped a stunning array of sounds on their self-titled 2021 New Year’s Day release and have gone on to further perfect their unique style with their newest EP – HARM. “We did the first collection of tracks in a couple days,” DJ Carbomb explains. “Most of the instrumentals were made in one night. These five tracks have been sat on and refined for months.” Guthrie expands upon this further: “We had much more time in an actual studio. Honestly, it wouldn’t have been possible without Garry from SQUARMS, he’s helped us out loads with recording and production and is an all-round angel.”
“If you find yourself hungry for knowledge, and if you find yourself seeking out opportunities where you can learn more about anything, whether it’s creative or not, you have to seize that feeling and seize that moment. If you have that burning desire to create knowledge yourself, if you’re finding yourself in conversations, then we have to make the most of that feeling and seek out people and organisations, and ask them for things.
Izzy not only challenges social inequality through their own work, but invites creative workers to connect and do the same, building a more accessible space for the North East creative “Withcommunity.Create/Disrupt I’m really looking for a diverse cohort, and if people aren’t sure if it’s for them, get in touch. If any working class artists who have felt the burden of precarity want to link, I’m always keen to build a network of solidarity in the North NewBridgeEast.”Project is based at The Shieldfield Centre, Newcastle. The deadline for applying to be part of the next cohort of artists for Create/Disrupt, which is supported by North of Tyne Combined Authority, is Monday 10th October.
Create/Disrupt offers work space, community interaction and other varied creative opportunities for arts workers who have not come through traditional routes, such as University. “University is valuable for some people, but I don’t think it’s the be all and end all for creative industries.” Izzy comments. “We have to really examine who’s formed that and where that school of thought came from…When I was a young person, I was too busy just surviving. That’s probably common for a lot of people.”
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Izzy feels that engagement and alternative education is important for new creatives, at any age.
www.thenewbridgeproject.com CREATE / DISRUPT WE CAN’T ACCEPT OR PERPETUATE THE IDEOLOGY THAT THE ARTS ARE A PRIVILEGE. A CAREER CAN’T BE SUSTAINED ON GRATITUDE AND PASSION ALONE LIZZIE LOVEJOY TALKS TO IZZY FINCH ABOUT NEWBRIDGE PROJECT’S ONGOING PROGRAMME OF ARTIST SUPPORT FOR WORKING-CLASS ARTISTS ART & LIT
To see organisations and individuals as useful resources of knowledge or experiences that you can go to.”
Programmes like Create/Disrupt provide the chance for creatives to engage with each other and continue to learn in community-based ways as well as through practice.
Create/Disrupt is a programme from The NewBridge Project designed to bring outsider creatives to the forefront and provide opportunities for working-class artists to thrive. Led by Izzy Finch, they spoke about how this initiative is necessary in our current climate. “I believe that access to the arts is a right and not a privilege. We know that arts work, for most of us, is extremely financially precarious. We constantly have this balance between that of a starving artist and that of someone who’s trying to keep their head above water, someone who shines bright under high pressure situations and has several irons in the fire all the time. It’s awful, but that’s the place that we’ve been led. I feel we must continue to challenge working conditions and protect civil and cultural rights for the growing number of people that occupy this new class of the precariat. “Those who are privileged or financially independent, are able to seek out opportunities of working in the arts, they can afford to undertake low paid internships and roles.” Izzy goes on to say. “The balance is off, and what we see as the arts and who can have access to it is a privilege. We can’t accept or perpetuate the ideology that the arts are a privilege. A career can’t be sustained on gratitude and passion alone.”
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Two sales. That’s all that stood between Katy J Pearson and a place in the UK’s top 40 following the July release of her stellar sophomore album, Sound Of The Morning. “My label didn’t want to tell me – they thought I’d be upset!” she laughs. Certainly, it takes more than a couple of absent purchases to wear this Bristol-based songwriter down. A delightful interviewee, she raises the stat as just another sprightly anecdote, sandwiched between musings on the magic of antibiotics and her terror while learning to drive on dual carriageways. “I found it quite funny really,” she recalls. “It’s amazing to have got that far anyway as an independent artist. It’s always validating to write songs and actually have people think they’re good!” Chart misfortune notwithstanding, the new record marks a significant breakthrough for Pearson, whose best-laid plans have rarely progressed without a hitch. After attempting an initial play in music with her short-lived band Ardyn, she seemingly found her calling on debut solo album Return; winning hearts, minds and significant critical acclaim – only for its release to fall during the cursed year of 2020.
“Because the first record came out during lockdown, I felt desperate to have another body of work to go on tour with,” she recalls. “I love Return, but there are songs on there that are five and six years old; I felt that for my own mental health I needed something new to mix with.” Lusciously arranged, packed with ebullient hooks and spearheaded by Pearson’s distinctive vocal chime, Sound Of The Morning has struck an even brighter chord, drawing legions of fresh admirers and going down a storm during appearances at Glastonbury, Green Man and Latitude. Having begun the album’s press release by stating ‘Katy J Pearson would like you to know that she is not a country singer’, the fact it’s also dispelled some of the more rankling preconceptions has only sweetened the “Theredeal.are so many things you get pigeonholed as – especially as a female artist – but my styles and songwriting are very eclectic. This time I thought ‘Fuck it: I want to write rock songs. I want to write pop songs. I want to write country songs. I want to write them all! Why can’t they all be on one album?’ I didn’t necessarily realise I had that freedom on the first record.” So does Sound Of The Morning represent the holy grail – the archetypal ‘album she’s always wanted to make?’ “Not really, to be honest. I don’t think I’ll ever fully know what my sound is,” she admits. “I’m a songwriter first, then I think about how things should sound stylistically afterwards. It’s the way I’ve always done things – it’s fun and liberating, but also a massive Rarelyheadfuck!”short of inspiration, Pearson is already plotting Sound Of The Morning’s follow-up – but first there’s the small matter of an extensive, largely sold-out September UK tour. “I’ve been playing with this band for three years now, and I definitely feel my gigs have progressed to another level,” she states. “I used to love partying on tour, but this time we’re doing it sober – I’m 26, and I just can’t hack it! It’s a crazy job, but I’m doing okay. I have regular counselling…I think that helps me!” Katy J Pearson plays The Cluny, Newcastle on Sunday 18th September. Sound Of The Morning is out now. www.katyjpearson.bandcamp.com PEARSON
I WANT TO WRITE ROCK SONGS. I WANT TO WRITE POP SONGS. I WANT TO WRITE COUNTRY SONGS. I WANT TO WRITE THEM ALL! WHY CAN’T THEY ALL BE ON ONE ALBUM? KATY J
ALI WELFORD TALKS TO THE ECLECTIC ARTIST ABOUT HER RECENT ALBUM, CHART MISFORTUNES AND ADULTING ON TOUR Image by H Hawkline MUSIC
46 Jamali Maddix King Crud Saturday 22 October, 8pm Tickets: £16 As seen on Taskmaster, Frankie Boyle’s New World Order and Hate Thy Neighbour for Vice. HHHH Sunday Times HHHH Independent HHHH Chortle 03000 266 galadurham.co.uk600 Restricted age: 16+
As a promoter with a decade in the industry, Chell was eager to keep his toes in the water and utilise his abilities to create a safe haven for like minded artists. Often slipping under the radar, the northern electronic scene is thriving, as the festival ably demonstrates. Several years into its evolution, each event has seen an array of talents from new faces to respected stalwarts alike take to the stage and parade their art. Acts like the hypnotic Potaito are new to the scene, whereas headliners Vigilance State have long cemented a reputation for high energy, explosive sets. Elsewhere on the bill, expect to find the abrasive and engaging debut of SpaceBros, elaborate and cerebral stylings of Danica Dares, cross-genre duo Badger, ambient three piece Worry Party, the irreverent and melodic sounds of Amateur Trepanning, Newcastle electronic duo NOVYI LEF, the darkwave electronica of Holy Braille and producer and electronic artist M Data among many others. “It’s definitely a celebration of grassroots artists. Celebrating local people, be it a kid in his room with a computer or someone more experienced. It’s about giving people a platform, but really it’s about who you meet along the journey.” Chell’s
GEARHEAD ENTHUSIASM, DISSECTING AND DISCUSSING THE
47 L-R, T-B: Hurrian Cult Legacy, Kovert, John Dole, NOVYI LEF MUSIC
Northern Electric Festival takes place at The Cumberland Arms and Little Buildings in Newcastle on Friday 2nd-Saturday 3rd September. INGRAINED TECHNICAL ASPECTS
All punters are welcome and anyone passionate about music will enjoy it, but there’s something special about electronic fans; there’s an ingrained gearhead enthusiasm, dissecting and discussing the technical aspects of each sound. Northern Electric Festival helps start that conversation.”
Pining for a weekend that offers something a little different? Craving the live experience, but can’t find anything that fulfils that hunger for exciting, new electronic music? Northern Electric have exactly the treat for you. Born out of necessity, the multi-venue event taking place on Friday 2nd–Saturday 3rd September is the brainchild of Steven Chell who had noticed the distinct lack of representation for the genre. “When I was gigging in a band, we’d have gigs lined up every week and never ran into any problems finding an audience. When I transitioned into creating electronic music, I had nothing. I didn’t know where or how to gig and there weren’t the same opportunities, thus the festival was born.”
www.facebook.com/northernelectricfestival NORTHERN ELECTRIC FESTIVAL THERE’S AN
With new artists emerging every year, Chell is constantly urging new artists to find their path and raise their voice, in whatever way they feel, nurturing a myriad of paths for new creatives.
OF EACH SOUND CAMERON WRIGHT DISCUSSES THE EVER-EVOLVING ELECTRONIC MUSIC COMMUNITY WITH FESTIVAL PIONEER STEVEN CHELL INTERVIEW
The festival will feature artists across two venues, The Cumberland Arms and Little Buildings, climaxing in a late night of techno and rave in Little Buildings. The festival has made a deliberate promise to itself this year to explore the full wingspan of the genre. “Exploring is all about flavour. That’s what we’re trying to give people. New flavours and new colours. It’s the unknown, it’s the anticipation of knowing any act could provide your next eureka moment.”
“At it’s heart, it’s building up a network. It’s giving people a place to communicate, find opportunities, make friends and feel seen.
fervent and tenacious determination for building up a sense of community is clearly the steering motive behind the process, steadfast in his goal to cultivate something pure and purposeful.
These unique visuals are the perfect accompaniment to the new songs which are bursting with life and colour, from the Springsteen-style sounds and saxophone in Super 8 to the irresistible synths which open latest single Rescue You and give a Killers-esque vibe which continues right through to its immediately memorable chorus.
Thompson’s upcoming dates include a show at Sage Gateshead on Friday 16th September which will feature his full, seven-piece band. “I’m really looking forward to the whole tour, but Gateshead will be special. It was our last live performance before lockdown, three years ago now! I’m going to be previewing most of the new album and also it will be my first chance to play tracks from Lifeline live too.”
Yearbook is released on 7th October. INDIE POP SONGWRITER AND MULTI-INSTRUMENTALIST ABOUT HIS NEW ALBUM
As well as working on the new album, Thompson recently took time out to record some live songs at Abbey Road studios, the videos for which can be found online. Unsurprisingly, he describes it as an unbelievable experience. “To stand on the spot where Lennon sang Strawberry Fields, or play the piano that McCartney played on Lady Madonna, it doesn’t get much better than that. The band felt so relaxed the moment we got there. It felt natural and, as cheesy as it sounds, it felt like the room pulled some of that history into the recordings we made.”
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www.rjthompson.com RJ THOMPSON WHAT STARTED AS SIMPLE SONGS HAVE BEEN BUILT UP INTO SOMETHING THAT I VIEW AS A CINEMATIC ALBUM, WITH STRING SECTIONS AND BRASS BANDS. THERE’S SO MUCH TO SEE AND HEAR DAWN STOREY CHATS WITH THE
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RJ Thompson plays Sage Gateshead on Friday 16th September.
Prolific local singer-songwriter RJ Thompson has a new album on the horizon and he’s excited to get back on the road for his first headline shows in three years. Born out of isolation and wishful thinking during the pandemic, some songs on Yearbook began with Thompson imagining places, people and social events while stuck indoors. “Because most of it was written during lockdowns, I was romanticising a much bigger world outside of my window. On tracks like Feel Alive, Super 8 and Rescue You I was dreaming of Californian road trips; on Cutting Room Floor I was dreaming of New Orleans brass bands and street parties; on Skywriter, a world where everyone communicates by writing messages in the sky. You can hear all of those bigger ideas. What started as simple songs have been built up into something that I view as a cinematic album, with string sections and brass bands. There’s so much to see and hear.” Perhaps unconsciously this wish to be back amongst the outside world also fed into his continuing fascination with using apps and modern technology to fully immerse the listener. “I’m a firm believer in creating an experience around the music, to extend the world around an album.” He agrees. “On [previous album] Lifeline I came up with a concept whereby, using my augmented reality app, the record sleeve would change depending on where you are in the world and the time of day or weather. It really seemed to capture people’s imagination. It was quite a simple thing to do, but it was all done retrospectively. We had an old photo of me as a child on the front cover, and had to create about 15 alternative versions of the same image to Thisdisplay.”time around, he’s taken things one step further by developing the music and the artwork together, in order to provide a much deeper experience. “We built a room and spent a week filming over 300 versions of the front cover, simulating different times of the day, weathers and times of the year. So when people view the record sleeve through the app, it will show a cover that is relevant to where they are in the world, and everyone should have a different experience.”
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The line-up this year is as diverse as we have come to expect. Liam talked me through some of his favourite bits: “Rachel Maclean’s work is always impressive; Eimear Walshe is a brilliant Irish artist looking at land contestation under British rule in Ireland and its lasting negative legacy; Scott King, an ex-art and creative director with the likes of i-D and Sleazenation magazine, will be bringing his performance of the Debrist Manifesto to Middlesbrough…”
Event organisers are also working with Sound Art Brighton and commissioned them to create an audio piece that will broadcast through the CCTV system in Middlesbrough, some of which have speakers attached to the cameras. “The piece is called Levelling Up”, Liam told me. “But probably wouldn’t be supported by the Tory Party. We are also working with A/B Smith, another artist using CCTV and AI. It’s all very creepy, but it’s technology that a lot of us are opting into.”
I asked organiser Liam Slevin about this year’s ‘power POWER’ theme, particularly the thinking behind the lowercase/ uppercase styling. “When people talk about power, it’s often in relation to the powerful versus the powerless, which stops any action to change things, so it’s a kind of stutter. You have to say it twice and you have to say it quiet and loud, the praxis of addressing power, both quietly and indirectly, or directly and more forcefully. It’s a repetition.”
The festival organisers have also added mini-MAW, aimed at young people, and Liam was enthusiastic about the newest addition. “This should have been with us from the start. The creative and critical thinking skills that art can develop is well documented and very much needed in the world that is developing around us. We need to be doing more, especially when the ‘arts’ are getting ripped out of formal education.”
Middlesbrough Art Weekender is back for its fifth edition in September. The festival utilises a number of spaces throughout the town so, as well as The Auxiliary gallery space, it will also incorporate Commerce House and Zetland House in the old financial sector of town, as well as using a number of empty units in Hill Street Shopping Centre.
Middlesbrough Art Weekender has always sought to be inclusive in featuring local artists and this year is no different. “We’ve commissioned Bobby Benjamin to work with the Gordon Matta-Clark archive to create a new piece. The archive focusses on a project Matta-Clark did about real estate. He bought up small parcels of land in New York, like kerbs or alleys no wider than a fence post. The archive of this is some drawings, photos and all the absurd bureaucracy involved in owning these slivers of real estate. I’m very excited about seeing Bobby respond to these ideas. Stephen Irving, Bobby’s co-director at Pineapple Black, is also showing in North East Open Call.” North East Open Call is another vital part of the festival and gives a bit more insight into how local artists are chosen among more established names. “For us it’s how a work relates to the festival thematic. We just talk and start populating a list. It then becomes how the works relate to each other. Hannah Cooke, a German artist, was a very late addition to the festival line-up. A past exhibiting artist, Karina Smigla Bobinski, posted about her work and it was perfect, becoming a linchpin in an exhibition that we didn’t realise we needed.”
Thursday
www.middlesbroughartweekender.com MIDDLESBROUGH ART WEEKENDER WHEN PEOPLE TALK ABOUT POWER, IT’S OFTEN IN RELATION TO THE POWERFUL VERSUS THE POWERLESS, WHICH STOPS ANY ACTION TO CHANGE THINGS STEVE SPITHRAY CHATS WITH LIAM SLEVIN ABOUT THEMES OF POWER, AI AND EMPOWERMENT AT THE CONTEMPORARY ART FESTIVAL ART & LIT Scott King
Middlesbrough Art Weekender takes place across various venues from 22nd -Sunday 25th September.
LISTINGS50 THE BEST OF THE REST...EVEN MORE ALTERNATIVE MUSIC, THEATRE, COMEDY, ART AND FILM TAKING PLACE THROUGHOUT THE NORTH EAST THIS MONTH WEDNESDAY 7TH SEPTEMBER JESUS JONES Alt. rock band // The Cluny, Newcastle TIDE LINES Anthemic Scottish folk // Independent, Sunderland THURSDAY 8TH SEPTEMBER ATARI DOLL The iconic local rock band reunite with a new line-up, support from Cazimi and To Nowhere // Trillians, Newcastle ATTILA THE STOCKBROKER Early music meets punk! Support from Francis Golm // Toft House, Middlesbrough CHRIS JAMES & MARTIN FLETCHER Blues guitar and harmonica performers // Harbour View, Roker CLT DRP Electro punk trio with support from Tokky Horror // The Cluny, Newcastle GATHERING OF STRANGERS Anthemic rock band // Bobik’s, Newcastle RANDY FELTFACE Australia’s most entertaining non-human comedian // The Stand, Newcastle SIMON YORK WEST Debut single release show, supported by Hannah Robinson // The Central Bar, Gateshead FRIDAY 9TH SEPTEMBER BLACK KIDS American indie rockers // World Headquarters, Newcastle MIMAN FEAT. ALASDAIR ROBERTS Improvising trio featuring an exclusive performance with collaborator Alasdair Roberts // Star & Shadow Cinema, Newcastle PAPER BOATS New local alt. indie five-piece // Independent, Sunderland SLOW DECADES Alt. indie collective, supported by Marc Bird // The Central Bar, Gateshead SPILT MILK Indie rockers from Gateshead // The Cluny, Newcastle WE WERE PROMISED JETPACKS Scottish indie rockers // Pop Recs Ltd., Sunderland SATURDAY 10TH SEPTEMBER BIG MOUTH COMEDY CLUB Stand-up comedy from Alex Boardman, Steve Harris and MC Aaron Twitchen // Middlesbrough Town HallDavid Newey Songwriter and guitarist, supported by Imogen Bose-Ward and Philip Jonathan // The Central Bar, Gateshead ELEPHANT RED North East alt. rock, supported by Rare Breed, Polyvinyl and Thought Trumpet // NE Volume Music Bar, Stockton FEATURED // John Kippin & Nicola Neate: IN this DAY and AGE – The Outer Hebrides Celebrating the launch of a new book by the artist-photographer duo which focuses on their four-year project which has seen them living in North Uist, one of a remote group of six islands that form part of the Outer Hebrides of Scotland // National Glass Centre, Sunderland NORTHERN PHOTOGRAPHY PRIZE 2022 Shortlist Exhibition Recognising images that capture the spirit and heart of the North East // Biscuit Factory, Newcastle THE SUGGESTIBLES Improvised comedy // The Cumberland Arms, Newcastle SUNDAY 11TH SEPTEMBER CARL HUTCHINSON Dynamic and versatile comedian // The Customs House, South Shields OLANZA Instrumental three-piece whose sound is typified by heavy guitars and technical drums. Support from The Unit Ama // Little Buildings, Newcastle WEDNESDAY 14TH SEPTEMBER HOOVERIII Psychedelic space rockers // The Cluny, Newcastle THURSDAY 15TH SEPTEMBER AL HARRINGTON & JIM MACARA Jazz/blues with a late 40s feel // Harbour View, Roker CATCH THE SPARROW Melodious folk, co-headline show with Heather Ferrier // The Central Bar, Gateshead THURSDAY 1ST SEPTEMBER INDIAN SUMMER Knightsbridge Art Club present an exhibition in a variety of mediums. Runs until 7th September // The Exchange, North Shields ROD SINCLAIR & ANDREA HARRIS Exquisite guitar and sublime vocals // Harbour View, Roker SET YOUR SIGHTS Nostalgic pop rockers, with support from Tired of Fighting and Gone Tomorrow // NE Volume Music Bar, Stockton THE WEATHER STATION Vibrant folk from Toronto // Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle WARMDUSCHER London-based post-punks, who put on a riotous live show // Newcastle University Students’ Union FRIDAY 2ND SEPTEMBER BLACKWATERS Frenetic and chaotic indie punks, supported by Muckle and Silk Road // Bobik’s, Newcastle SATURDAY 3RD SEPTEMBER FEATURED // Anja Percival & Joanne Bourne: This Common Place The printmakers take inspiration from their everyday surroundings to explore the different atmospheres that light creates in our environments –translating the seemingly mundane into something unmistakably beautiful. Runs until Friday 30th September // Newcastle Arts Centre NEV CLAY A lush evening of songs and storytelling from Nev Clay and special guest John Egdell // The Vaux Room, Ship Isis, Sunderland STONE COLD ABYSS Local death metal band, supported by Erebor and Burn The Valley // The Studio, Hartlepool THE REZILLOS New wave punks // The Cluny, Newcastle SUNDAY 4TH SEPTEMBER HOUSE OF THE BLACK GARDENIA Viper jazz, dirty blues and swing, with support from Rob Heron & The Tea Pad Orchestra // The Cumberland Arms, Newcastle
THE MICK CANTWELL TRIO Good time blues // Harbour View, Roker
LISTINGS51MARCO WOOLF Manchester-based songwriter, poet and storyteller, support from Faye MacCalman // The Globe, Newcastle PARISSA ZARIFI The Middlesbrough-born folk and acoustic songwriter and multi-instrumentalist launches her new EP, Written In The Sand // Twisted Lip, Middlesbrough THESE HILLS ARE OURS Rearranged date. Daniel Bye and Boff Whalley’s epic tale about journeys and discoveries // Arts Centre Washington FRIDAY 16 SEPTEMBER FRANKIE JOBLING Neo-soul songwriter, supported by Rushbonds // Bobik’s, Newcastle JASON BYRNE Expect chaos, joy and laughter from the master comedian // ARC, Stockton MOTHER’S RUIN A funny, heart-warming, gin-soaked exploration of modern day motherhood // Northern Stage, Newcastle NEPHILIM High energy metal, with support from Desolation, Avarice and Nation in Ruin // Base Camp, Middlesbrough NICK HARPER Celebrated songwriter and guitarist // The Cluny, Newcastle PALOOKA 5 Sci-fi tinged surf music, supported by Moron-o-Phonics // The Globe, Newcastle SHOE CAKE COMEDY CLUB Stand-up and improv from The Discount Comedy Checkout plus supports // The Georgian Theatre, Stockton THE SLOW READERS CLUB Mancunian rockers // Newcastle University Students’ Union SATURDAY 17TH SEPTEMBER DAN NIGHTINGALE Hit comedian and compere // The Customs House, South Shields DR JOHN COOPER CLARKE An evening of musings on modern life, honest gags, riffs and chat from the celebrated punk poet // The Fire Station, Sunderland EARTH FARM Indie rock with elements of lo-fi bedroom pop // Bobik’s, Newcastle JAMES LEONARD HEWITSON Sublime slacker pop // Pop Recs Ltd., Sunderland LOST VOICE GUY Felt Nowt present a night of stand-up comedy from Lost Voice Guy, Seymour Mace, Julian Lee and host Sammy Dobson // Salt Market Social, North Shields SPONTANEOUS WRECKS Improvised comedy // The Central Bar, Gateshead SUNDAY 18TH SEPTEMBER CHRIS DIFFORD Squeeze co-founder // The Fire Station, SunderlandWEDNESDAY 21ST SEPTEMBER JOE LYCETT Promising more jokes, comedy anecdotes and inappropriate and arguably disturbing jokes // Utilita Arena, Newcastle MADELEINE PEYROUX Uplifting and romantic jazz sounds // Sage GatesheadTHURSDAY 22ND SEPTEMBER CARA DILLON Irish folk artist // Wylam Brewery, Newcastle THE DJOOKS Piano and vocal-based blues // Harbour View, Roker FEATURED // The Exchange Part of Middlesbrough Art Weekender, artist Layla Khoo has created a range of objects incorporating elements of Middlesbrough’s industrial and creative heritage which she’ll ‘exchange’ with members of the public in return for a day of volunteer work at a variety of charitable causes in Middlesbrough. Running until 25th September // Commerce House, Middlesbrough THE SUGGESTIBLES Improvised comedy at its best! // The Stand, Newcastle FRIDAY 23RD SEPTEMBER COURTING Liverpool post-punks, with support from Happy 2000 // The Cluny, Newcastle HILARITY BITES COMEDY CLUB Featuring Martin Mor, Ross Leslie, Mike Wardley and MC Pete Otway // Bishop Auckland Town Hall NADEDJA This pairing between Sage Gateshead and Fenwick’s bistro Arthur’s will see a supper club-style event featuring alt. pop songwriter Nadedja and soulful popsters Lyras // Arthur’s, Newcastle RORY MCLEOD Songwriter, storyteller and harmonica virtuoso // The Cumberland Arms, Newcastle SHRUG Legendary North East alternative rock band // NE Volume Music Bar, Stockton TOM STADE A comedian with impeccable style and wit // ARC, Stockton SATURDAY 24TH SEPTEMBER FAYE FANTARROW The second instalment of Sage Gateshead and Fenwick’s bistro Arthur’s supper club-style events, featuring hotly tipped songwriter Faye Fantarrow and jazz quartet Knats // Arthur’s, Newcastle GLENN MOORE One of the best joke writers of his generation // The Stand, Newcastle SUNDAY 25TH SEPTEMBER JAY ELECTRONICA Rescheduled date for the American rapper and producer // The Cluny, Newcastle JEFFREY LEWIS & THE VOLTAGE Superb underground indie rocker // Cobalt Studios, Newcastle SNOWGOOSE Psychedelic folk rock // The Engine Room, North Shields WEDNESDAY 28TH SEPTEMBER
FOR LOVE A visually-stunning film, who
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THE JACKIE OATES TRIO Folk singer and fiddle player // The Cumberland Arms, Newcastle
The THURSDAY SEPTEMBER
BARBER
THE URBAN VOODOO MACHINE Genre-spanning roots, blues and rock mayhem! // The Georgian Theatre, Stockton
Australian queen of comedy presents her new show Fine, Thanks // O2 City Hall, Newcastle
IN THE MOOD deftly a hazy, saturated, romantic and almost dream-like vision of Hong Kong of yesteryear // Star & Shadow Cinema, Newcastle
FRIDAY 30TH SEPTEMBER
29TH
CELESTE
BETH MACARI Soulful pop songwriter // NE Volume Music Bar, Stockton FEATURED // Hadaway And Write Blowin’ A Hooley Theatre present an evening of new short plays from exciting North East writers, providing an opportunity to get a first look at bite-size local stories that champion regional talent and identity // The Exchange, North Shields THE SKAPONES North East ska and 2-Tone band, with support from Nomad Anthem and Set Your Sights // The Durham Ox, Bishop Auckland
Efterklang by Victoria Wai
LIGHTNING BOLT, EARL OF HELL @ THE CLUNY, NEWCASTLE (13.08.22)
Words: Ali Welford Legends of the noise punk underground, Brians Chipperdale and Gibson guarantee unabated sweat-drenched havoc wherever and wherever they play. Naturally then, Lightning Bolt’s first Newcastle show in 16 years comes on one of those nights when arriving at The Cluny feels like entering a tropical greenhouse – and with more space for slam-dancing, the fact they don’t play in the round (as has long been their custom) only intensifies the swelter. Spare a particular thought for Chipperdale: trapped behind his trademark mic-bearing balaclava, the drummer’s relentless firecracker assault amounts in these conditions to a genuine physical feat. Come the end, he’s among the first out the door, reacquainting his lungs with the joys of fresh (albeit not especially cool) air mere seconds after surfing his shattered body to the venue’s Therear.hour previous is a dizzying, discombobulating blur; Chippendale’s free, rapid-fire hitting and barely intelligible vocal distortions conspiring alongside Gibson’s extraordinary lurching bass tones in a truly bewildering battery of the senses. It’s a display powered by fierce innovation, punishing volume and frightful velocity, and sharply at odds with the earlier fare from openers Earl of Hell. The Edinburgh five-piece’s meaty fuzz-laden stoner rock is a solid proposition, yet their conventional riff-making offers little to quench an audience thirsting for the unbridled chaos that’s to follow. Merciful, perhaps – if there’s one thing this show doesn’t need, it’s warming up further!
REVIEWS52
Words: Dominic Stephenson Opening this succulent psych spectacle were local psychedelia enthusiasts Smote. Unfurling with feedback-drenched drone, the quartet wasted no time in summoning a potent broth. Their rhythmic core is shrouded in layers of sonic riffs, yet the primeval percussion is the vertebrae of their sound. There was also the inclusion of flute, an increasingly popular instrument in the arsenal of psych folk aficionados. Perfectly capable of stirring up whirlwinds of noise, it’s a matter of time before they’re demanding headline shows of their own. To familiarise myself with Minami Deutsch’s work, I’d spent the week before listening to their records. This proved to be futile, such is the Japanese kosmische peddlers’ ability to amplify their tunes to crepuscular heights. Inspired by Krautrock icons of the past and nurtured by labelmates Kikagaku Moyo, a creeping motorik groove sets the tone for founder and lead vocalist Kyotaro Miula’s insouciant vocals to hover above the stage. The self-professed “repetition freaks” swirled into rich, jangling layers, which built into mesmerising swells of hammering drums and fuzzy guitar. The caustic yet irresistible bass is omnipresent and ensured heads were bopping throughout. The mouth-watering set melded into a scorching finale, as the four-piece cascaded into a frantic, space rock vortex. Never mind face-melting, this was face-incinerating. Clearly an underrated gem of the international psych scene, this scintillating showing illustrated the attention they urgently deserve.
EFTERKLANG, THE EARLY PURPLE @ GOSFORTH CIVIC THEATRE,
MINAMI DEUTSCH, SMOTE @ THE CLUNY 2, NEWCASTLE (24.08.22)
NEWCASTLE (24.08.22) Words: Damian Robinson If every show after this is as enticing as tonight’s, then The Early Purple have a heck of a career in front of them. Playing their debut show, the seven-piece band (a North East supergroup of sorts) bring a huge layer of confidence to their blend of folk rock, landing in a space somewhere between Fleet Foxes and Vetiver. Standout track, and recent single, Old Eagle combines drum patterns of Mick Fleetwood (featuring lots of floor tom) with an understated and subtle sound which is both mellow and They’dharmonious. make a great headliner but they’re an even better warm up for Danish act Efterklang, whose blend of Bon Iver falsettos, gentle electronics and folk arrangements create a unique wall of sound. Standouts Cutting Ice To Snow and the lovely duet of Black Summer, set a high bar of musicality before the final song, Åbent Sår (Open Wound), steals the night. Starting with an open invitation to move furniture from the venue’s floor, the track starts as a sit-down singalong before bursting into electronic refrains of Living Other Lives as the audience join in with a mass dance along. Joyous and collective, it’s an exceptional moment to watch. Using performance movements as way to showcase their messages of hope and humanity, Efterklang certainly led by example tonight.
MARTHA WAINWRIGHT, ROSANNA REID @ WYLAM BREWERY, NEWCASTLE (07.08.22)
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Words: Lee Fisher Closing a fortnight celebrating 20 years of the Hodson family’s stewardship of the world’s best pub (IDST), this all-dayer also celebrated 60 years of promoter Chris ‘Prancey Dog’ Trew. On the sunbaked terrace, Yakka Doon gave us a typically powerful and melancholy set, Welford’s flowing guitar and deeply affecting voice like a punch in the gut on Demolish The House, and closer Shake Holes had her in especially troubled and troubling form. Actual National Treasure Nev Clay was especially chatty, but still got through more songs than usual. There’s a lot of laughter to be had, but you’re missing the point if you don’t appreciate the intensely insightful and deeply human quality to the lyrics, the prosaic details of crisp packets, cheap beer and long-forgotten cornershops revealing universal truths. A closing Cuddy’s Cave with Ben Lowes-Smith on guitar was an absolute delight. Then it was inside for the debut of Haunted Hair, the new incarnation of GGAllan Partridge and surely the best thing any of them have done yet. A brief set of new songs and covers, this was a garage-punk-gothabillygirlgang-horrorshow of magnificent proportions, complete with overdriven keyboards, troglodyte drums and Banshees guitar. Haunted Hair are your new favourite band. I’ve written three Moron-O-Phonics reviews in the last three months, and my appreciation of how effortlessly they turn out absolute anthems increases every time. Bad Amputee are contenders for the best band in Newcastle, bringing a defiantly English flavour to their slowcore sound; they need to get a new record out, stat. Thomas Truax gets a lot of acclaim but ultimately, despite his obvious talents, it still feels like wilful eccentricity. He’s David Byrne in a junk shop, They Might Be Giants via Harry Partch, and it leaves me cold. That aside, it was a brilliant day out and a real tribute to North Eastern exceptionalism.
EMMA RUTH RUNDLE @ GOSFORTH CIVIC THEATRE, NEWCASTLE (13.08.22)
THE PRANCEY DOG ALL-DAYER @ THE CUMBERLAND ARMS, NEWCASTLE (13.08.22)
Words: Tom Astley Emma Ruth Rundle’s solo performance on an energy-sapping evening in mid-August gave a stark reminder of the power of live music, and the real, albeit fleeting, connection that takes place between performer and audience at a live event. In a gig that had been rescheduled because of you-know-what, Emma Ruth Rundle gave a masterclass of intimate, genuine musical performance. Moving between upright piano and nylon string guitar on a sparse stage, she ran without ceremony through the entirety of 2021’s near-perfect album Engines Of Hell. Those familiar with Rundle’s work – and this album in particular – will be aware of just how good these haunting songs are. But what was really interesting is how well they worked as a live event. Whole portions of the set were played at barely a whisper, accompanied by the lightest brushstroke of a finger on nylon string guitars, de-tuned to just barely audible, with the strings barely holding their own tension. Even at this volume, the songs filled the humid heat of the room, and left no space for audience noise, not even a Runningmurmur.through the album is a clear reflection of that haunted isolation of the ‘dark time’ of Covid, as Rundle described it on stage, and the memories it dredged up. But unlike much of the well-intentioned ‘lockdown art’, this album, reflected in this exquisite performance, feels like it has something more long lasting, more important to say about the re-opened world.
Martha Wainwright by Victoria Wai
Words: Ben Lowes-Smith Rosanna Reid’s low-key country music is a delight – a perfectly suited foil to Wainwright’s jazzier, more sprawling numbers. She has the demeanour of someone with a stinking hangover, which makes her charming, low-key songs about love, loss and horticulture more vulnerable and impactful. The set ends on a sweet, beautiful moment, as she dedicates a song to her heavily pregnant wife.
Martha Wainwright’s return to Newcastle is greeted rapturously, despite a minor technical issue that is dealt with beautifully; you know you are in the company of a consummate professional. Wainwright draws largely from 2021’s Love Will Be Reborn, detailing a painful and difficult divorce. The music is cathartic but not as dour as the subject matter would suggest, as Wainwright sketches with light and shade. She keeps it very much in the family too; reading from her new memoir and playing songs by her mother Kate, her father Loudon and her brother Rufus to substantiate the memoir. Finishing with a Joni Mitchell cover, the evening is a celebration of the music that has informed and continues to inspire Wainwright in her practice.
WHEN CHAI MET TOAST, BENJAMIN AMOS @ BOBIK’S, NEWCASTLE (08.08.22)
Words: Conor Roy Local promoters Wandering Oak have always been ahead of the curve but I don’t think even they could have predicted what would happen in Yard Act’s career when they announced the Leeds-based post-punk outfit at The Cluny way back in March of 2021. For a band who have since received endless critical acclaim, a Mercury prize nomination, number two in the album charts and two Glastonbury slots, this intimate evening felt nothing short of a victory lap. Zen F.C label mates Baba Ali opened the show. The London-based duo delivered captivating 80s-esque synth funk armed with a reverbdrenched guitar, a drum machine, all manner of synth accoutrement and a sound reminiscent of New Order. Yard Act take to the stage diving head-first into crowd favourite and immigration satire Fixer Upper. James Smith, vocalist and apparent stand-up comic, has the crowd in the palm of his hand. His charisma radiates and it’s clear that as he deals with heckle after heckle he’s carving his own path that sits somewhere along the spectrum between John Cooper Clarke and Mark E. Smith. Asking if anyone had an exciting day and receiving a reply that someone had made a “black pudding teriyaki stir fry” completely derails the gig in the best possible way. Shows like this don’t come around very often, the entire set was hit after hit and I’d confidently file this away under one of those ‘you had to be there’ moments. Moon Wax by Victoria Wai
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Words: Steve Spithray Middlesbrough Council’s organisational skills aside, allowing an all-day gig outside the registry office window while weddings were taking place, could not dampen Twisterella’s exemplary programming of Class of 2022 in the Town Hall courtyard. Reverse headliner Jodie Nicholson (with a full band now adding subtle embellishments to her evocative folk-tinged indie pop) and a strong afternoon line-up got people out early into the rarefied quadrangle sun. Now with a full backing band of her own, Jen Dixon bounced through her set of guitar pop, finishing with a polished and confident Speed of Light. Illness meant Mt. Misery’s set was rearranged into rounds of singer Andrew Smith vs Rick from Dressed Like Wolves. Rick opted to play a selection of typically lo-fi newies including Busted Laptop, while Andrew smiled his way through an endearingly awkward set of Mt. Misery favourites including delightful renditions of Spinning Top and Dreaming Days Are Over. Rapper Shakk’s chill but socially aware vibe meant 24/7 and Butterfly Trees were both highlights of the day, while later on songwriter Joe Ramsey was followed by a suitably energetic Twist Helix and Moon Wax deserve to be mainstays of the festival circuit for their feel-good indie Afunk.marked drop in temperature meant a thinning crowd for headliners ZELA, which was a shame because Sleep Real Bad, in particular tonight, is the sort of slick but dangerous electro pop currently sending them spiralling upwards in the popularity stakes.
YARD ACT, BABA ALI @ THE CLUNY, NEWCASTLE (27.07.22)
Words: Damian Robinson A strong early set by singer-songwriter Benjamin Amos, specialising in acoustic ballads with a focus on the fragility of life, is the perfect set up for the sheer pop joy that is When Chai Met Toast. Almost gleaming with the delight at playing music together, let alone playing to an almost sold-out Bobik’s, the band are a delight to watch; their joy at playing is so infectious that everything else about their performance is almost an afterthought. As it happens though, the afterthoughts are well worth a mention; the band have a series of great songs (Yellow Paper Daisy and Nee Aara standing out), and they play with a superb technical nature – imagine Crowded House meets Jack Johnson, with harmonies that Crosby Stills and Nash would die for. Flipping from an acoustic set up, to an electric pop sound, When Chai Met Toast’s ability to combine Western pop sentiments with Hindi textures and atmospherics is consistently impressive as they vary their set up across the evening; electrifying certain songs in places, joining up three-part harmonies in others, and removing their rhythm sections all together in gentler moments. They may well be the happiest band I’ve ever seen play live. And when you’re around happy people, who love what they do, it can’t help but make you enjoy spending time with them. CLASS OF 2022 @ MIDDLESBROUGH TOWN HALL (06.08.22)
DEMO OF THE MONTH
Cactusman
– Pour Me My First Drink Following a hiatus, Cactusman return with a perfectly realised country track, capturing that lilting melancholic melodic country sound perfectly, demonstrating a clear affinity with the genre. All the key elements are there, from close harmony choruses, bright mandolin tremolo flowering from the end of the chorus, rhythmic acoustic guitar, bass pedalling from one to five, lyrics that long for something lost, wading through regrets caused by the demon drink (another staple of the country sound). If a slice of unapologetic country sound is what you’re fixing to mix with your bourbon tonight, hoss, then this track is www.facebook.com/cactusmanliveonperfect.
Electricwww.instagram.com/mascarasliesCircus–TheRoad
WE WANT YOUR MUSIC! IF YOU’RE AN UP AND COMING BAND OR MUSICIAN, AND WOULD LIKE YOUR MUSIC REVIEWED IN OUR DEMO SECTION, EMAIL A TRACK TO NARCMEDIA@GMAIL.COM AND TELL US MORE ABOUT YOURSELF!
www.instagram.com/silkroad_0
WORDS: TOM ASTLEY
Thomas Walliker – Birds & The Bees Thomas Walliker’s track Birds & The Bees crafts a sound that is familiar and compelling, taking well-worn elements, expertly collated, to create a track that draws the listener in. Slap back reverb and a springy electric guitar, subtle electric organ, synth strings and a shuffle 6/8 rhythm immediately situate the track within a haunted 50s aesthetic. Lyrically, the vibe echoes the laconic, glottal stop lost love style of the Arctic Monkeys. Put together, and not only because of the use of the title in Walliker’s maudlin lyrics, this track also has a flavour of Joji’s Dancing In The Dark, offering a late-night end-of-the-world feel. Mascara’swww.linktr.ee/thomaswallikerLies–Noughts And Crosses Two-piece rock group Mascara’s Lies have produced a really interesting and ambitious track in Noughts And Crosses, replete with enough to keep you listening multiple times.
Electric Circus’s The Road is a driving song about driving, and comes with all the constituent elements of a hard rock headbanger, all put together in a manner that is as successful as it is loud. With a nod to bands like ZZ Top, along the road we hear frenetic pounding drums, a quasi 12 bar riff on exquisitely overdriven guitars, a bass and drum break in just the right place with some crackle of radio static (a sound that DAB radios have essentially erased), a howling (albeit curtailed) guitar solo, and a belted final chorus up the octave. The production is crisp and clear, and the whole track is in and out in under three minutes, meaning it’ll have to be on repeat for any long drive.
55 DEMOS which anchors the track through the verses, and brings to mind Muse, though the vocal delivery is more Alex Turner’s grounded everyman than Matt Bellamy’s squawked rock god. There’s an interesting array of sounds in the mix – from synth and acoustic guitar, though a little more electric guitar in the chorus mix wouldn’t go amiss in my opinion. The chorus melody is a real ear worm, and a little more punch would help to really emphasise that firework release of Muse’s better tracks.
Silkwww.linktr.ee/electric_circus_bandRoad–SidMahogany
The stand out sound is the pounding fuzz bass
Angular and unexpected, Sid Mahogany captures the character of the titular Sid, an enigmatic and grandiose guitarist whose disappearance from a band practice inspired the track. Silk Road intend to confound on this track, in the same way a band like Primus would, offering discordant melodies interlacing with syncopated and meandering chord progressions. Here tempo, temperament and dynamic changes catch the listener off guard – careening from a laid back jazz, to howled yelps over distortion to atonal solos. This track is anything but easy listening, but if you’re after something jarring and complex that you have to invest multiple listens into, poring over the left turns and nuances, then this track is for you.
Words: Cameron Wright After their debut TANKENGINE and its follow up TANKENGINE TANKENGINE, the Newcastle art rock band release their third EP, aptly titled TANKENGINE TANKENGINE TANKENGINE. Opening with a seven-minute behemoth, anchored by a brooding bass and relentless drums, there’s a sense of meditated anarchism that seeps out of the tracks. Splashes of colour spark across the band’s opening statement as it slithers across its run time with a serpentine menace. Without reaching any apex, it isn’t until the second track where the band’s brutalist roots become more prominent. The EP isn’t a stranger to explosions of mania, with the finale becoming an incendiary conclusion to the release. Bookended with the two strongest tracks, TANKENGINE TANKENGINE TANKENGINE showcases a band with staggering potential. Released: 23.09.22 www.tankengineband.bandcamp.com
ELTALIRAWCAMINO
Words: Matt Young After years of performing music in her native Czech, accomplished artist, cellist, composer and singer Taliraw relocated to Newcastle, leaving behind her former band and intent on starting again from scratch. Mixing in a range of styles from lo-fi, hip-hop, pop and ambient, she’s keen to tell her stories as authentically and honestly as possible, drawing from musical and cultural sources.
www.facebook.com/ritualsukmusic Image
Frontperson Alex James explains that music helps him live a high quality life with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, and hopes his success will encourage others with disabilities to express themselves through music. 02.09.22
TANKENGINE EP
THE
SHOWRITUALSME SIGNS EP Words: Michael O’Neill High-flying modern metallers Rituals return with their long-anticipated sophomore release, fresh from the huge burst of acclaim that followed their debut, Awake. Even on first listen, it becomes abundantly clear why that aforementioned release afforded them support and acclaim from Kerrang!, Metal Hammer and Powerplay, with the pulverising blend of riffs, dynamics and power coalescing to result in one hell of a trip. The brief length of the EP shows a very clear respect for quality over quantity, with the likes of lead single In Devastation providing a brilliant showcase for the quartet’s strengths. They consider this release to be the purest distillation of their evolution as songwriters, and it radiates through every Released:hammer-on.02.09.22 by Oana Clarke-Wills
ALEX JAMES TELL ME Words: Jake Anderson Tell Me is the newest single from one of the North East’s most inspirational performers. The band don’t release often, but the alt. rockers always make themselves known when they do. Driven by a catchy hook, Tell Me features thundering riffs and heavy drums that would no doubt sound incredible live. And while the chorus is quite infectious, the writing can at times come off a bit cheesy and anthemic, which some of us will like and gravitate towards, but it never detracts from the quality of the instrumentation being presented.
www.facebook.com/itsmealexjames
El Camino, the lead single from her upcoming English Weather EP, plays out like a dreamy snapshot of the personal frustrations of daily life. Expectations of others, family pressure, rapped refrains on working two jobs, social anxiety, wanting to be free of worry. Despite the reflective lyrics the swirling music builds and uplifts, offering hope, light and that freedom she seeks. Released: 15.09.22 www.-natalierottrova.cz
TANKENGINETANKENGINETANKENGINE
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)
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Released:
Released:
www.jamesleonardhewitson.bandcamp.com
JAMES LEONARD HEWITSON SIDEWAYS
BOBBY LATHERON & BETH MILLER EX Words: Michael O’Neill A supreme slab of hi-NRG pop, Ex succeeds at being a pristine slab of sass pop bursting at the seams with personality and wit whilst brilliantly echoing the classic hallmarks of uptempo, double entendre laden funk Likepop. all good pop, it says all it needs to say in a breezy three minutes, but the sheer charm comes from the wit of the (brutally honest) lyrics which are a classicist ode to the freedom of untying oneself from the burden of a shit relationship. Latheron’s super songwriting is brilliantly bolstered with the aid of Beth Miller’s powerhouse vocals, which are served sublimely by Carl Pemberton’s pristine production, resulting in a sugar-coated and addictive slab of sheer wonder. Released: 02.09.22 www.twitter.com/dreams_bobby
Released: 01.09.22
CHARTS & GRAPHS INTRUDER ALERT Words: Tom Astley Charts & Graphs cite 80s luminaries Gang of Four and Talking Heads as influences on new track Intruder Alert, and there is certainly some of that knowing musicality in this new track, featuring a real earworm of a just-slightly overdriven guitar riff and a bass line pummelling in its simplicity. In the slightly more angular chorus, which on the second repetition gives some really nice chordal colour, the song really comes into its own. There is more than a flavour of late-noughties indie sound here too, the slight crack and lo-fi distortion in the lead vocals bringing to mind The Strokes/ The Hives style production. Catch them live in their support of Jesus Jones at the Cluny on Wednesday 7th Sept. Released: 09.09.22 www.chartsandgraphs.bandcamp.com QUARTET FULL BEAM, ALAN Words: Matt Young Jazz funk. To some those words may strike fear, akin to hearing your doctor saying ‘malignant tumour’. But listen closely, Slowlight Quartet have added synths. Returning after a long hiatus the North East formed quartet spread around the globe in 2017 but have recently reignited their love of playing together and find themselves inspired musically by Snarky Puppy or Vels Trio. This instrumental shines with synth and bass riffs, with brass stab reminders of 80s pop bands swirling around and providing a backdrop for the drums and soloists to add their own colour, before a hazy cinematic outro collapses everything. There are some uneven moments in the mix but it’s an interesting reintroduction for the band as they seek to carve out their own niche.
ARCADE SKIES LID ON A SCREAM
Words: Hope Lynes The title of this track is pleasantly misleading; instead of putting a lid on anything, the song uses a series of melodies to take the listener in different dimensions minute by minute. The ambient synth of this track takes from the developments of Arcade Skies’ first and second EPs. The artist’s first EP epitomised an 80’s electronic style, whereas the second developed more experimentally, and Lid On A Scream perfectly blends the two styles into a multifunctional piece, one that you could both dance and relax to. Ultimately, this is a well produced track that I would recommend to dance fans and 80’s nostalgics, and is a very versatile piece of production from the local independent producer. Released: 02.09.22 www.facebook.com/arcadeskies
SIMON YORK WEST SOMETHING GOOD
Words: Cameron Wright With a gentle rhythm section driving the song from the offset, the punches of guitars and syncopated drum grooves act as the first piece of interest on this new track from Charlotte Forman. When the vocals slide in, there is a real presence held by the Durhambased singer. A full bodied vocal performance eases over the jaunty swing of the track, carrying a relaxed candour throughout which matches the charisma and swagger of the instrumental beautifully. A trumpet strolls in as a welcome addition to the number, and you are left wondering what stopped the artist committing to a fully indulgent brass section, as the track lends itself perfectly to that sunshine-fuelled nostalgia of love, innocence and dance. 09.09.22
Words: Tom Astley Hewitson writes of new track Sideways that it is about ‘being detached from society during the pandemic’, a familiar foundation for so much introspective art in the last couple of years. So its really rewarding to hear Hewitson’s take on this theme incorporate euphoric synth pad sounds, dancing 16ths on the hi-hat and tumbling toms. There’s an unavoidably 80s pomp in some of the synth sounds, the laid-back vocals a little Human League, the intriguing chord pattern in the verse a little ABC. I’d even go as far as to say – especially in the breakdown chorus poetic-heartfelt lyrics about love, and wispy female backing vocals – there’s even a shade of Prefab Sprout, which is a comparison I do not throw about lightly.
Released: 30.09.22 www.facebook.com/theslowlightquartet
www.charlotteforman.co.uk
Words: Hope Lynes The tragic story of George Bailey from It’s A Wonderful Life is beautifully told in a tale with a positive outlook. Something Good wraps up the plot of the movie into a quaint, folky track that feels relatable and honest, with an outlook that could reflect onto anyone listening. Simon York West has created a tender and reflexive track perfectly timed for Autumn. This debut single shows promise for the future of the multi-instrumentalist’s solo project, demonstrating his ability to use a film as inspiration and make a piece of music that is completely unique and Thehumble.backing soundscape is beautifully produced, as even though the lyrics take forefront in this piece, the beauty of the slow guitars and folk instruments create a meaningful acoustic experience. Released: 07.09.22 www.facebook.com/simonyorkwest
SLOWLIGHT
57 CHARLOTTE FORMAN WATCHING THE BIRDS SING
HEARTBREAKERSALSOLA
Words: Jake Anderson Teessiders Salsola blur the lines between genres on Heartbreaker. Warm with its sonics, the single oozes with a good-time summer vibe, featuring a luscious soul-inspired vocal performance that glides over a groove-driven indie pop instrumental, which is easily the strongest aspect of the track. The prominence of the vocals ties everything together and is what kept me returning for repeated listens. Each instrument pops as it should, with my favourite moments being the relaxed momentum of the drums and the strong presence of guitar during the final stretch. It’s a fresh sound for the North East scene, brewing together multiple sonic avenues and resulting in a band that have comfortably found their sound. Check them out at The Green Room, Stockton on Friday 16th September. Released: 16.09.22 www.salsola.bandcamp.com
Words: Jake Anderson Since the pandemic, Andrew Bradley has returned to the North East music scene with a vengeance. Releasing three EPs in 2020, a debut album in 2021, and now his sophomore album, the artist is clearly undergoing a purple patch of Parasomniaccreativity. is more of that hypnagogic pop that the artist known for, incorporating eerie, lo-fi vocals piercing through haunting, misty, synth-layered instrumentals, and it’s a sound that Bradley has mastered. At just 36-minutes long it seems short for an album, but every second is used efficiently as Bradley dissects topics relating to his nightmares and mental health. Its brevity is enhanced by the refined structure of the album, as nothing outstays its welcome and nothing feels short-lived. There’s a perfect balance between hazy, sombre songs and light, melancholic tunes. Released: 01.09.22 www.facebook.com/mynameisbradz
Words: Paul Brown The nostalgia reunion circuit sure has been one of rock’s guiltiest pleasures these last couple of decades. None of us will say no to dancing in a field in July, can in hand, to our favourite band playing the hits from 30 years ago, but I’ll maintain to my dying day that it’s cheating if they don’t also make new music. And therein is our problem, dear reader – the new music so often is just not as good and frequently serves as an unwelcome reminder of why a band split in the first place. Which is why I was particularly nervous when my beloved Suede returned with new music in 2013, having meekly limped off stage ten years earlier following the underwhelming A New Morning, and its less likeable predecessor Head Music. Joyously though, comeback album Bloodsports was the sound of a band revitalised by nearly 10 years apart, and they’ve subsequently kept getting stronger, with each post-reformation record enhancing the back catalogue rather than chipping away at the legacy. Autofiction has been positioned as Suede’s ‘five blokes in a room, going back to basics’ album, which is true to the extent that it’s rich in urgency and energy, probably more so than anything they’ve produced since Coming Up. It’s also an impeccably melodic record, and beautifully captured for all the talk of rawness surrounding it. Brett Anderson’s voice has always been a massive part of Suede’s sound, and the decades have seen it mature (almost) as gracefully as Bowie’s. For decades, when they’ve got it right, Suede’s brilliance has lain in capturing the grit and grime of the world and presenting it all back to us to savour via the medium of sky-scraping rock compositions. And they’ve nailed it wonderfully again on Autofiction, which is never better than in those moments when Anderson is hurtling at full throttle, foot on the monitor, like he does on Personality Disorder and 15 Again. Indeed, of
AUTOFICTIONSUEDE
(BMG)
ALBUMS 4 / 5
towards the middle
58 ANDREW PARASOMNIACBRADLEY(SELF-RELEASE)
the record, he proudly exclaims, “That boy on the stage, well he can’t control it”. And long may that continue. Released: 16.09.22 www.suede.co.uk 5 / ALSO5 OUT THIS MONTH Lambchop – The Bible (City Slang, 30.09) // DITZ – The Great Regression (Alcopop! Records, 16.09) // Shygirl – Nymph (Because Music, 30.09) // The Soft Moon – Exister (Sacred Bones, 23.09) // Tension Span – The Future Died Yesterday (Neurot Recordings, 30.09) // Blancmange – Private View (London Records, 30.09) // Horace Andy – Midnight Scorchers (On-U Sound, 16.09) // Lissie – Carving Canyons (Lionboy Records, 16.09) // The Paranoyds – Talk Talk Talk (Third Man Records, 09.09) // Beth Orton – Weather Alive (Partisan Records, 23.09) // Editors – EBM (Play It Again Sam, 23.09) // The Beths – Expert In A Dying Field (Carpark Records, 16.09) // Two Door Cinema Club – Keep On Smiling (Lower Third, 02.09) // The Proclaimers – Dentures Out (Cooking Vinyl, 16.09) // No Age – People Helping Out (Drag City, 16.09) // Dr John – Things Happen That Way (Rounder Records, 23.09) // Plastic Mermaids – It’s Not Comfortable To Grow (Sunday Best Recordings, 30.09) // Air Waves – That Dance (Fire Records, 09.09) // The Comet Is Coming – Hyper-Dimensional Expansion Beam (Impulse! Records, 23.09) // OFF! - Free LSD (Fat Possum, 30.09) 3.5 / 5 GUITARCOURTINGMUSIC (PLAY IT AGAIN SAM) Words: Evie Nicholson Guitar Music seems like an oddly reductive title for Liverpool-based indie rock virtuosos, Courting. Releasing their debut album in a musical landscape dominated by cynical post-punk grittiness, Guitar Music stands out. Although tracks like Tennis echo their earlier successful releases like Popshop, in general Courting have broadened their sound to include a more glitchy, angular industrial pop. Tracks like Crass achieve this Occasionally,brilliantly. the album can feel chaotic and disjointed, as though Courting can’t decide what their sound is and so opt for a kind of postmodern satire of Guitar Music instead (see Twin Cities). As a cohesive body of work, Guitar Music makes little sense. But as a series of interesting, witty and, at points, moving tracks it passes with flying colours. Released: 23.09.22 www.courtingband.com Suede by Dean Chalkley
59 4 / 5 3.5 / 55 / 5 IJOCKSTRAPLOVEYOUJENNIFER B (ROUGH TRADE) Words: Evie Nicholson Having seen electronic pop duo Jockstrap perform their debut album at World Headquarters a few months back, I’ve been greatly anticipating its release. It’s difficult to summarise what it is about or strives to do, because built in to Jockstrap’s vision of music is the desire to disrupt established conventions, sentiments and genres. Already released tracks like Glasgow and Concrete Over Water open with Georgia Ellery’s vulnerable half-operatic half-Joni Mitchellesque vocals before they escalate toward new-age electronic heights with Taylor Skye’s production. The band aim to challenge the pillars of pop through creating surreal but fundamentally fun music. Blurring alternative and pop, low beats and high, acoustic and electronic, ...Jennifer B cements Jockstrap’s reputation as one of the most complex and exciting artists at the moment. Released: 09.09.22 www.jockstrapmusic.com SUDAN NATURALARCHIVESBROWNPROM QUEEN (STONES THROW RECORDS)
GEMMA CULLINGFORD TONGUE TIED (ELMO RECORDINGS) Words: Ali Welford Serially underrated Norfolk duo Sink Ya Teeth have barely lain dormant for two years, yet their resident synth maestro has wasted little time setting out her stall as a solo artist. Upping the ante from last year’s Let Me Speak, this second outing finds Cullingford exploring our relationships and the myriad of emotions underpinning them – from the fluid optimism of Holding Dreams to New Day’s pensive reflection and the scarcely concealed lust powering Bass Sonically,Face. the record sources cues from a broad assortment of electronic eras, its pulsing synth and stylish bass grooves doing the heavy lifting amidst a foundation of post-punk rigidity and Cullingford’s understated yet course-setting vocal. A progressive step built from familiar touchstones, Tongue Tied proves another rewarding solitary venture.
DOGGERELPIXIES (BMG) Words: Luke Waller Were it not for Pixies, the face of alternative rock would be unrecognisable. Champions of loud choruses and gentle verses amongst myriad other idiosyncrasies, and without whom Radiohead may have gone uninspired and Nirvana ungalvanised, Pixies and their 60s-inspired punk live on, now releasing a fourth album since their reformation. Doggerel is, unfortunately, no match for the unrestrained chaos and earworm-ish tunes of their magnus opi Doolittle and Surfer Rosa. The spaghetti western overtones of leading single Vault of Heaven somewhat echo the surfer rock of Here Comes Your Man; bass-charged opener Nomatterday seems born of the same self-deprecatory ideascapes of Joker. Doggerel remains true to the things that make Pixies who they are, but lacks two things: an obvious nadir and a true climax. Released: 30.09.22 www.pixiesmusic.com / 5 3 / 5
Words: Ikenna Offor Markedly more accessible than its predecessor, though no less heady, Sudan Archives’ ambitious sophomore effort charts a freewheeling jaunt through sublime soundscapes resplendent with alt. flourishes, brooding atmospherics and esoteric eclecticism. Texturally fragmented yet tonally cohesive, Natural Brown Prom Queen intuitively traces an alt. futurist lineage that reaches back from Erykah Badu and Outkast right on through to FKA Twigs and Kendrick Lamar. Despite its sonic ambiguity, the record unspools with deceptive ease, lyrically veering between unfeigned vulnerability and libidinous rapture – a dichotomy best reified by the cooed domestic entreaties of both Flue and Milk Me, and Homesick’s unabashed sex positivity. With ‘Hot Girl Summer’ on its way out, it’s a safe bet that this’ll keep temperatures up in the fall.
CHRISTINE AND THE QUEENSREDCAR LES ADORABLES ÉTOILES (BECAUSE MUSIC)
Released: 09.09.22 www.sudanarchives.com
3.5
GRAVE TUESDAY.GOODSNOTHING EXISTS (TULLE)
Released: 02.09.22 www.gemmacullingford.bandcamp.com
Released: 09.09.22 www.gravegoodsband.bandcamp.com
Words: Ali Welford For bilingual readers, Christine And The Queens’ third record isn’t an ode to North Yorkshire stargazing, rather the exploits of the artist’s new alias, the eponymous Redcar. This latest character heralds the French star’s most expansive, high-concept undertaking to date –though frequently you’re left with the impression he was created with the ambitious contemporaneous live production in mind as opposed to a traditional studio effort. Indeed, for all its outstanding high points (the exultant Tu sais ce qu’il me faut; the ethereal Cocteaus-echoing My Birdman), Redcar –perhaps by design – lacks the immediacy and universality of its predecessors. The eight-and-a-half-minute Combien de temps epitomises its disposition; a plodding, none-too-subtle hint that this project’s true calling awaits on the live stage. Released: 23.09.22 www.christineandthequeens.com
3.5 / 5
Words: Ali Welford Another winning entry on the young yet impressive Tulle Collective roster, this debut presents a Manchester-cum-Dublin-cumBelfast outfit steadfast in their commitment to skeletal aesthetics. Featuring current and former members of PINS, Girls Names and September Girls, Grave Goods already sport their share of post punk credentials – and with them the wisdom to shun a regulation 45 minutes, knowing their wares can be communicated in half that time. With scant room for subtlety, what’s left are seven cynical yet philosophical stabs at the pointlessness of existence, hewn from fiercely minimal frameworks with rawness and angularity at their very core. Perhaps the highest compliment is that Tuesday. Nothing Exists has the feel of a well-crafted demo; incisive, unembellished and fizzling with claustrophobic vigour which ruthlessly distils Grave Goods’ constituent parts.
Words: Lee Fisher Often pigeonholed alongside the American Primitive style of Fahey, Basho and the rest, there’s a great deal more to Marisa Anderson’s music than that might suggest, and Still Here gives full expression to her restless and affecting spirit. Coming after a couple of excellent collaborations (with Jim White and William Tyler respectively) and with a track included here – the lovely, limpid Night Air –ending up as a Matmos sample, Still Here is possibly her best yet. Whether duetting with herself as on the plangent, powerful The Fire This Time, bringing a new level of ache to Mexican folk classic La Llorona or tapping into something particularly and sweetly melancholy on Beat The Drum Slowly, Still Here is a gentle, absorbing delight.
ALBUMS60 5 / 5 4 / 54 / 5 PET PRIMETIMENEEDS ENTERTAINMENT (XTRA MILE RECORDINGS)
TOGETHER,BLOODS BABY! (SHARE IT MUSIC)
Words: Robin Webb An epic long-form release of moody textures, satin and velour which lingers and swaggers, cocktail in one hand, a smoking PPK in the other, and gets you right between the eyes. This is to be your swan song. Sonically down-tempo, glistening in neon blotched raindrops at the dead of night, brooding alleys in a murky past, a soundtrack to nothing. Jade Vincent, Keefus Ciancia and David Holmes have coalesced together again to create an encyclopaedia of imaginary Morricone-esque spaghetti thrillers in a noir universe of dying breaths and world weary heartache. There’s so much to highlight in this luxuriant opus; Dusty, Brel, Hazelwood, Lynch only gives the merest of glimpses into the complexity on display, it’s an experience worth Released:taking. 02.09.22 www.weareunloved.bandcamp.com
Words: Jade Broadhead Sydney-based Bloods’ debut is half pop punk melodious gems like the Blondie-esque Thinking Of You Thinking Of Me, and half in-your-face three chord punk blasts such as BOSS! Cherry is The Replacements at their brattiest best whilst Southern Light is all Veruca Salt 90’s girl-fronted grunge. An undoubted highlight is I Like You, a perfect pop song that lifts the riff from The Breeders’ Cannonball and calls on the services of Against Me!’s Laura Jane Grace on vocals. There’s no harm in wearing your influences on your sleeve, and Bloods still manage to serve up the odd surprise like on opening track Radical, a re-imagined Chilean protest song, and on the beautiful acoustic lullaby, Chasing Released:Constellations. 23.09.22 www.bloods.bandcamp.com
Words: Lee Fisher Oren Ambarchi – peripatetic improviser and voracious collaborator – has been in fantastic form for a few years now, and Shebang! is a worthy addition to his catalogue. Starting out with tentative, rippling guitar and finishing some 35 minutes later with an extended passage that feels like a beautiful release, a much-needed deep breath, Shebang! calls to mind everything from The Necks to Pat Metheny’s As Wichita Falls to Silent Way-era Miles, but still sounds unmistakably part of Ambarchi’s journey. There are contributions from the likes of pedal steel legend BJ Cole and the gloriously ubiquitous Jim O’Rourke, with Ambarchi’s guitar working in mysterious ways throughout. Shebang! is a lesson in sustained, shimmering tension and demands your time and a good pair of Released:headphones.30.09.22 www.orenambarchi.com
Released: 23.09.22 www.marisaandersonmusic.com 4.5 / 5 4 / 54 / 5
Words: Laura Doyle You’re not seeing things – Colchester-based punk rock quartet Pet Needs really do have another album out, barely 18 months after the release of their debut Fractured Party Music. Primetime Entertainment still seethes with the rambunctious wit that made its predecessor so entertaining. But in a move that’s somehow equal parts daring and expected, their tightly-wound emotions interlaced with addictive punk beats have take a decidedly introspective turn. Spirals embodies the frantic mental strain of an emotional breakdown (with heavy breakdowns aplenty to match the mood), while album opener Lost Again emphasises the importance of self-care. Throughout it all, Pet Needs maintain their joyous experimentation: even Ibiza in Winter, a song of desperation and exhaustion, makes room for singer Johnny Marriott’s vocal play. Released: 09.09.22 www.petneedsband.com
LANDE HEKT HOUSE WITHOUT A VIEW (PRIZE SUNFLOWER)
OREN SHEBANG!AMBARCHI(DRAGCITY)
THEUNLOVEDPINKALBUM (HEAVENLY RECORDINGS)
Words: Jade Broadhead Sometime Muncie Girl Lande Hekt’s second LP feels more like an album than Going To Hell’s collection of songs, a cohesion that results in an ultimately uplifting, if often melancholic, record. Dreamy opener Half With You joyfully explores Lande’s coming out and there’s a beautiful positivity to Take A Break, even if that break was an enforced one. Lande’s solo work is less punky than her band, with Backstreet Snow smothered in 80’s American indie, whilst the intro to the gender exploration of Cut My Hair is – perhaps knowingly – lifted from James’ Born Of Frustration. Ballad Always Hurt laments on the sadness that Lande has felt throughout her life, but First Girlfriend offers plenty of hope for an artist truly finding her voice. Released: 23.09.22 www.landehekt.bandcamp.com
MARISA ANDERSON STILL HERE (THRILL JOCKEY)
Words: Luke Waller If the Viking and pagan metal of Turisas, Týr and Amon Amarth no longer strikes fear into your very heart, venture eastwards to the fabled steppes of Genghis Khan and lend your ear to the formidable force that is The Hu – if ye dare. Amidst the strange and enigmatic tones of traditional möring qughurs and tovshuurs, incomprehensibly deep guttural throat singing and battle cries conjure up the legendary spirit of the Mongol hordes, one of human history’s most mystery-shrouded episodes; a forbidding power which grew to become the largest contiguous empire the world has ever seen. Between warlike epic Black Thunder, the crowd-pleasing anthem of This Is Mongol, and Mongols-round-the-campfire songs Triangle and Mother Nature, Rumble Of Thunder is not an album to underestimate, nor one to miss. Released: 02.09.22 www.thehuofficial.com
THE MARS VOLTA S/T (CLOUDS HILL)
Words: Tom Astley If you like The Mars Volta, you can’t have missed that they have a new album out. You’ve probably heard singles and thought ‘well, that sounds pretty pop.’ Yeah. The rest of the album is too. It’s ‘accessible’, if that’s what you want from your progressive rock. Songs have verses and choruses that sound like they are the same song. Songs run for three minutes. There’s very little that’s weird aside from the occasional conservative bit of reverse guitar, occasional Spanish lyrics and Latin cross rhythms, but melded with a more funk, 70s RnB soundworld, which it makes the album sound in places more like Silk Sonic than Frances The Mute. Which, after a couple of listens, and in the right mindset…is good. Released: 16.09.22 www.themarsvoltaofficial.com
Words: Matt Young In lockdown 2020, with three young children at home, Santigold somehow forged the space necessary to craft a brand new album, Spirituals, centred around rediscovering herself as an artist, something she’d set aside whilst in survival mode with family prioritised and the world raged with the pandemic, California wildfires and social justice protests. Lyrically it signposts a more beautiful future, an escape from that present.
ALBUMS615 / 5 3 / 53.5 / 5 SPIRITUALSSANTIGOLD (LITTLE JERK RECORDS)
Collaborating remotely with the likes of Rostram, Dre Skull, Nick Zinner and SBTRKT amongst the long list of producers and contributors, Santigold mixes dance pop vibes with more expressive forms for her art. Closing tracks Ain’t Ready and Fall First both stand out notably, but Spirituals is buoyed throughout with oceans of hope and builds to a joyful, rousing climax. Released: 09.09.22 www.santigold.com
THE RUMBLEHU OF THUNDER (BETTER NOISE MUSIC)
www.facebook.com/thegatheringsounds www.facebook.com/kustockton
The Liverpool crew are one of the hottest bands in the UK right now and have been included in many a top tip list since they broke through. At Stockton Calling we witnessed that the hype was very real as they played a set with one the biggest mosh pits I’ve seen in KU, backed up with noisy anthems and enough energy to light a city. We were overwhelmed when they confirmed for Under The Influence stage.
LET’SSTONEDANCE TO THE REAL THING
Choosing
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WORDS: JIMMY BECK Hi, I’m Jimmy Beck, co-owner and promoter at KU in Stockton. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the venue, which also means I’ve been booking live shows for two decades which is pretty mad! In that time we have had some very special nights at the venue and we’ve seen some bands play our gaff loading out of small cars and go on to play the main stages at festivals. Like most venues we’ve had our ups and downs, but we’ve loved every minute of it. Coming up on Saturday 24th September is the fourth instalment of The Gathering Sounds – a multi-stage event in Stockton which started in 2018 to showcase new and exciting talent. just a few artists from the event for this mixtape was really difficult, but after much deliberation I’ve narrowed it down to this bunch.
MIXTAPE
NARCMAGAZINETV NARC.MAGAZINE NARCMAGAZINEWATCH VIA PERFORMANCES AND CHAT WITH NORTH EAST ARTISTS SERIES 4 ONLINE NOW
TOM A SMITH NEVER GOOD ENOUGH had the pleasure of knowing Tom since he was a young lad. We were tipped off about a kid who was ‘wowing’ crowds at Kendal Calling and I had to see what the fuss was about. Initially I got him in to support acts like Twisted Wheel – even then he was very confident and a gifted guitar player and you just knew he was going to make his mark in later years. It’s great to see him rubbing shoulders with the stars and playing festivals like Glastonbury, and it’s very well deserved. When I first heard Never Good Enough I was blown away by the quality of it, the smooth tempo sets it aside from his other music. It’s a very sincere song and extremely catchy and I’m sure it will become a set list staple.
Dead Pony are rising stars on the Glasgow indie punk scene. We thought they were excellent when they first performed in Stockton as Crystal. After a name change and a few years later they went down a storm again as Dead Pony on the This Feeling stage. They return to the festival after a huge year performing at big events like Glastonbury, Tramlines, Kendal Calling and the small matter of a BBC Maida Vale session for Jack Saunders.
THE GLASSK’STOWNS I’m finishing off the Mixtape with the ARC headliner and one of the biggest unsigned bands in the country right now, The K’s. They are selling out venues and playing the main festival stages in the UK and abroad. They absolutely own the stage when they play, with the songs to back it up. To top it off, they are a really nice bunch of lads to work with. You have to literally turn the leccy off to stop them playing, which is what I love about them and so do the fans!
We’ve
DEAD SHARPPONYTONGUES
THE BUG CLUB THE FIXER An unbelievable garage band from South Wales who play a fast and furious live set of catchy, fuzzy punk songs. They have a big sound for a trio, with a lot going on. We’re really looking forward to seeing them play The Georgian Theatre stage this year!
DOCKINGCVC THE PAY I can’t champion this band enough – I’ve been telling everyone to make a point of going to see them if they are playing anywhere near them. I stumbled across the Welsh six-piece towards the end of last year and booked them in straight away. When they played they didn’t disappoint one bit! The first thing you notice is their chemistry on stage, it really pulls you into their show and the music is an explosion of psych, rock, blues and big hooks – expect big things from these!
2nd Film The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring 3rd Workshop The Lord of the Rings inspired Tea Pot Making with Muddy Fingers Pottery 3rd & 4th Music Dido & Aeneas Opera by Harlekin Studio 6th Talk Sanctified with Blood: Conflict & Violence in the Age of the Crusades 9th Film The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers 16th Film The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King 23rd Talk - Living Autopsy with Dr Suzy Lishman CBE 27th Theatre - Don’t go into the Cellar: Restless Graves & other Ghostly Tales 30th Film The Lost Boys OCTOBER 8th Film The Rocky Horror Picture Show 8th Talk The Resurrection Men: Body Snatchers in the 19th Century 15th Talk Dissection & Display of Bodies 16th Film Taste of Fear 21th Film Hocus Pocus 22nd Film Nosferatu the Vampyre 22nd Talk Witchcraft, Magic & Money in the Nineteenth Century North East 28th Film - The Exorcist 31st Tour - All Hallow’s Eve Exclusive Tour UPCOMINGS EVENTS FOR MORE, SEE ‘WHAT’S ON’ AT: WWW.NEWCASTLECASTLE.CO.UK P L U S M E D I E V A L T O U R S Wor Castle, Your Castle and highlight that we have movie nights, tours, talks, theatre, opera nights and workshops. SEPTEMBER
Life by Luxmuralis Find out more and book www.durhamcathedral.co.uk/lifetickets: 12-16 October 2022 Immerse yourself in sound and light for a spectacular journey through earth, sea and sky at Durham Cathedral this autumn. Credit: © Luxmuralis
