THE K’S LIVE at

Warrington indie-rock risersTHE K’S - have revealed a wistful new video for recent single “Hoping Maybe”, ahead of an extensive UK tour this March which sees them play at NX Newcastle on 10th March.

A cinematic and sentimental new video that captures an electrifying love story unfold alongside a series of compelling performance shots, the video was directed by Geoff Owens and arrives as an ideal accompaniment to the heartfelt track.

For a band that still believes getting right up in front of people is the best way to let them know what you’re all about, The K’s have finally managed to stay still long enough to record some new music — with “Hoping Maybe” leading the charge.

If 2022 was all about laying the live foundations, 2023 is all about raising the roof with new music for the band.

After a ceaseless year of headline shows, major support slots, main stage festival appearances at Reading and Leeds, Isle of Wight and Kendal Calling and a run of European dates with Mancunian stalwarts James and Liam Gallagher, the Warrington four-piece bunkered down in a studio close to their Earlestown base to record the first in a raft of new releases.

Live show favourite “Hoping May- be” is the first in a bold five-single release schedule, set to culminate in a digital and physical album release in November.

Of the new single, vocalist Jamie Boyle says:

“Out of all of the tracks I’ve written, I think “Hoping Maybe” means the most to me. It adds another level of intimacy to our live show, and there is something special in the way we connect with the crowd every single time we play it.”

Alongside the new release, The K’s are also gearing up to head out on a 12-date UK headline tour this March. A band who just can’t help themselves where live shows are concerned — it’s what they were built on after all — the live run will kick off in Glasgow on 9 March. With tickets flying and the Liverpool date already sold out, be quick or youll miss out!

Credit: Olivia McDowall

Last chance to get hold of Bay Tales 2023 tickets

Hear from more than fifteen of the biggest and best authors across five panels of conversation!

The highly anticipated all day event will see Sunday Times and New York Times bestsellers, Richard and Judy Book Club picks and multi-award-winning writers talking about their books and inspiration.

Whether you’re a reader or a writer, you won’t want to miss this full-day event.

Ann Cleeves, Bay Tales patron and author of Vera, Shetland, and the Matthew Venn series.

Brian McGilloway, New York Times bestselling author of the DS Lucy Black thrillers and Inspector Devlin mysteries.

Abir Mukherjee, Times bestselling author, and CWA Dagger for best Historical Novel for the Wyndham & Banerjee series.

Ruth Ware – Sunday Times and New York Times bestselling author of One by One, The Turn of the Key, In a Dark, Dark Wood, and more.

Jack Jordan – International bestselling author of My Girl, A Woman Scorned, and Do No Harm.

Lin Anderson – Author of the Rhona MacLeod series (described by the Daily Record as ‘the Best Scottish Crime Series Since Rebus’).

Trevor Wood – Award winning author of the Newcastle-set Jimmy Mullen trilogy (optioned for TV by the production team behind Line of Duty).

Jo Callaghan – Author of In the Blink of An Eye - one of 2023’s most anticipated debut novels.

Fiona Cummins – The award-winning author of When I Was Ten, The Neighbour and Into the Dark.

Alex North – Sunday Times and New York Times bestselling author of The Whisper Man and The Shadow Friend.

C.J Tudor – Richard and Judy Pick, and author of The Chalk Man (coming to BBC), The Burning Girls (coming to Paramount https://www.playhousewhitleybay. co.uk/events/bay-tales-2023/

+) and The Hiding Place (The Taking of Annie Thorne).

Laure Van Rensburg – author of Nobody But Us – one of THE thrillers of 2022.

Lia Middleton – author of the brilliant When They Find Her and Your Word Or Mine.

CM Ewan: - critically acclaimed and bestselling author of Safe House, A WIndow Breaks, and The Interview.

Jonathan Whitelaw - The Bingo Hall Detectives is a cozy crime with a quirky setting, a great location, entertaining sleuths and a fiendish puzzle.

Karen Woods - Described as ‘Manchester’s answer to Martina Cole’, Karen’s latest novels include Tracks and Vice.

Nasheema Lennon - Debut author of The Engagement: described as ‘a mind-bending, against-theclock psych thriller debut’.

Saturday 27th May 2023

Friday 17th March 2023

An Audience With Sir Steve Redgrave

Saturday 15/04/23

Doors: 19:30, performance starts: 20:00 (all timings are subject to change)

Location: The Auditorium, The Fire Station

Tickets: From £16.50

VIP tickets: £35.00 – pre-show photo opportunity with Sir Steve Redgrave

Under 14s must be accompanied by an adult

For the first time Steve will talk you through his remarkable career, the highs and lows of arguably the greatest Olympian athlete to have ever competed.

Steve is s 5 Times Olympic gold Medallist in five successive Games – Los Angeles, Seoul, Barcelona, Atlanta and Sydney, an achievement that in the words of the former IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch, “Raises Sir Steve Redgrave to the highest rank of Olympic participants.”

• NINE World Championships gold medallist

• TRIPLE Commonwealth Gold Medallist

• BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2000

• Laureus Lifetime Achievement Award 2000

• BBC’s Lifetime Achievement Award

• Awarded 13 Honorary Doctorates from universities in the UK including Durham, Loughborough, Hull, St Andrew’s, Aberdeen and the University of London.

What makes his achievements more remarkable is that he won against a background of serious illnesses. He nearly missed the Atlanta Games due to colitis, for which he still receives treatment, and in 1997 he was diagnosed as diabetic, three years before winning his gold in Sydney.

He was knighted in the New Year’s Honours List 2000, to accompany his MBE in 1987 and his CBE in 1997.

In 2001 Sir Steve set-up his charity – The Steve Redgrave Trust, aimed at raising £5 million over five years for children’s charities. In April 2006 at the London Marathon, he broke the record for the most money raised by an individual, a staggering £1.8million and in doing so broke the £5 million target he set himself.

For tickets https://sunderlandculture.org.uk/ book/?instanceid=395201

With new items from your favourite brands including Fred Perry, HUGO, Tommy Hilfiger, Replay, Pretty Green, BOSS and Lacoste. Plus more new stock arriving daily so make sure you keep checking the website’s LATEST PRODUCTS

Hypnotherapy, but what is Viking Hynotherapy?

Viking Hypnotherapys’ business motto is having “The Strength to Conquer Anything”. Wherever you are today this is just a situ ation you’re in now, this is not your life, we all have the power to change our lives and I am basically your guide for this. Utilising the power of positive suggestion to bring about subconscious change to your thoughts feelings and behaviours. NLP is an approach to communication, personal devel opment, psychotherapy and also Life Coaching.

How different is Hypnotherapy compared to a hypnotist, is it the same thing or is it completely dif- physical conditions.

Have these comedy hypnotist shows, where they put you under and then get you to do silly things

Hi Graham, welcome to NE, it’s great to finally have you in the mag, can you introduce yourself to our readers?

Good to be here Mr Groves. Much appreciated. My name is Graham Brabbs, Owner/Founder of Blue Eyed Devils Comics, half decent tiler and bathroom fitter, avid NUFC fan, bit of geek. My life recently began when I turned 40 in November 2022. A Jarra lad who now lives in Gateshead with my better half Laura. Dad of 2 Stepdad to 3. Yes, that’s 5 between us!

Some people may have seen you at events as you are the man behind Blue Eyed Devils Comics, tell us a bit more about what that is?

We…well me, has now settled on Blue Eyed Devils Comics for our brand name, we are a local small comic shop, selling the usual stuff, comics, graphic novels, action figure, other genre related merchandise and of course, Funko Pops. Hopefully you’ll find our prices reasonable enough that we can steal your custom away from the big establishments like Forbidden

Planet and Travelling Man.

How did it all come about?

All started several years ago, I took the plunge of starting my own business, always been a comic fan so thought why not? Originally named Blue Eyed Devils Retro & Comic Shop; mid 2016 I think it was? Traded for a year or so, a friend of mine joined to be a business partner, roughly autumn 2017, we removed the “Retro &” and voila, our little business. We did quite well, attended conventions and whatnot religiously across Northeast, even ventured down to York! Learned a hell of a lot in a short space of time.

Everything was Ok, until Christmas 2019 and decided after a shocking festive period, where the market was flooded with Pop sellers, that we were to knock it on the head, January 2020 – turns out it was probably a good time, as we know what followed early spring of 2020.

Fast forward 3 years, life seems to be going back to normal and a comic friend of mine was running an event at Barley Mow Village Community Centre, spoke to Andi and we figured was worth it to try, at first it was simply to get rid of some leftover stock. During this event I got the bug back. Changed name again, this time to just comics, a fresh start, revamped whole website everything redone, or as I’ve been saying, reborn. And here we are. Ive ploughed my time and savings into it so I’m not planning on going anywhere this time. Ideally, I want to branch into a bricks and mortar store as well as E-commerce and events. That’s main goal. So, if anyone knows of anywhere whatever it is, give us a shout.

You are bringing a brand new event to Jarrow with CrusadeCon, but what is Crusade-Con and what can people expect, why should they buy tickets for it?

A few years back Andi and I were approached by Sarah from the George Washington Hotel, and it resulted in the 3 of us putting on an event called Washi-Con, which I genuinely enjoyed organising etc. Being from Jarrow, I noticed a lack of con type events anywhere in the South Tyneside area so that’s the basis of why Crusade-Con came about.

Naming rights unfortunately isn’t anything to do with me, it came from our good friend James Brown, the thinking behind it linking in the Jarrow Crusade/ March with Batman, the caped crusader.

We’re hoping for the usual con type day, traders, competitions, gaming, cosplay and characters, people spending their hard earned dosh.

What stalls/traders are going to be there?

Here’s our trader list.

AK Retro / Anime-Zone / Bawn

Darker Arts / Facepainting by Angela / Fusion Cake Haus / Game Frame / Knits & Bits by H / M&B Trading Cards / NE T00N Creative / PokePals / Craig JohnsonProject Saviour / The Treat Shack /

Zero Collectables

And of course, Blue Eyed Devils Comics

505 Pizzeria will also be in attendance situated outside the community centre for a tasty pizza. Plus, we have Hebburn Helps running their tombola and Our Milo have a stall, both great charities supporting amazing causes. Worth coming along just to support those in my opinion.

All of these have their own Facebook pages and will all be featured on the Crusade-Con event page.

Will there be any kind of entertainment/attractions for people to see?

Aside from the immense quality of traders and goods you mean?

We have a few things up our sleeves, an awesome quiz running at £1 per go with scavenger hunt implications. There is a Cosplay/ Character competition for the best dressed in adult and kid categories. Did I mention all 3 have cash prizes? (visit Facebook event page for prizes)

We have a Charity Raffle, hoping to raise plenty dosh towards Hebburn Helps and Daft as a Brush with a splash now for Our Milo. Donations are 100% welcome so if anyone reading this is inclined please contact myself directly. It will be appreciated massively. North East Legion will be in attendance for photo opportunities, as well has collecting for our chosen charities – mentioned above. We have the wonderful Nerd Arcade heading over with a few arcade games for folk to play. Still in discussion with the lads from

Ryton Retro as to what they’re looking at doing/needing. We also have a few other fires burning but they’re staying close to my chest for now.

Running these kinds of events can be a bit of a nightmare, can you tell us what goes into organising an event like Crusade-Con? Finding traders is first issue although they tend to come, financing the whole thing, finding the time between home life and “proper” job, but personally, I’ve found the whole “will people come?” to be my biggest nightmare/worry. These traders have spent to sell their wonderful stuff here and it’s up to me to make sure the event goes well. No matter how much advertising promoting marketing etc that goes into it there’s always that doubt in the back of your mind.

How can people buy tickets for it?

Visit www.bedcs.co.uk and you’ll see Crusade-Con on the landing page. Click this and it will take you to the options available. Pay on the door will be in operations also.

The entry cost, I like to think, is cheap, being £2 for adults (16 years old or over), £1 for U16, U3 go free or a family ticket (2 adults 2 kids/ 1 adult 3 kids) for a fiver. Anyone who purchases a ticket will receive a raffle ticket, this ticket will automatically enter each entrant into a draw to win a copy of Marvel Legacy #1 Joe Quesada Gatefold Black & White 1:500 Incentive Variant. These are currently selling anywhere from £50 up to £150. This copy is classed as mint/near mint. So not a bad prize for the price of entry.

Ryton Retro 7, Ryton Masonic Hall, Black House Lane, Ryton, NE40 3AE – 24 June

TBC

Comic-Con North East, Utilita Arena, Arena Way, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE4 7NA - The weekend of May 27 and 28

Where can people follow Blue Eyed Devils Comics and CrusadeCon and keep up to date with offers and events?

Our website is www.bedcs.co.uk Facebook @blueeyeddevilscomics and there’s a group called “Blue Eyed Devils Comics Group” Insta @bed_comics

You appear at other events, which ones can people find you at in the next few months?

To be honest I’ve not penned many in. have been focused on Crusade-Con. Visit the events and where to find us page on our website or follow us on Facebook.

Confirmations for 2023

NerdFest, Boiler Shop, 20 South Street, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE1 3PE – 10 April

Charity Comic, Sci-Fi & Toy Fayre, Barley Mow Village Hall, Bedford Avenue, Birtley, DH3 2AJ

My own personal favourite event

When you are not hard at work with Blue Eyed Devils Comics and Crusade-Con what do you get up to in your spare time? Spare time, what’s that? Aside from family life job and BEDCS, it’s hard to come by, but the little I have outside of family life is Newcastle United and Hebburn Town U11s (My eldest plays for them)

I have to put you on the spot for the next couple, so Marvel or DC? I’m going with Marvel.

What would you say is your favourite Comic Character of all time?

Gambit from the X-Men, so much so that I named my son after him. Also, a notable mention to both Venom and The Joker.

Twitter @bed_comic_shop

Is there anything you would like to add?

Not really Wayne, other than a few thank yous. Firstly, to yourself, for giving me this forum to speak about this. Gareth Muers from Devils Appetite for the flyer design. ICE Print & Design for the high quality printing of both posters and flyers. To anyone who has ever bought from Blue Eyed Devils Comics, it may sound clichéd but we really are extremely grateful and hope to see plenty of you through the door at CrusadeCon. Finally, a big thank you to my better half Laura for not only putting up with me and but also her unconditional, unrelenting support.