5 minute read
Plan ahead
Diaries at the ready...
Pip Blom
11 September
Amsterdam’s beamy-grinned, indie-pop powerhouse rockers, Pip Blom are making a welcome return to the city with an exclusive, ‘welcome-back’ show at Independent. This effervescent outfit are one the globe’s fastest-rising artists - renowned for their energetic live shows, Pip Blom originally rose from small pubs in the suburbs of Amsterdam to featuring on the European festival circuit with standout performances at Glastonbury and Lollapalooza. What’s more? When you bag your ticket, Independent are also inviting you to bring a friend along for free - we’ve all missed live music and going out for a few drinks before, so now is the time to come together, support incredible indie venues and dive into the magic of live music once again.
INDEPENDENTSUNDERLAND.COM Field Music
26 September
Now this is a gig to get giddy about! Mercury Music Prize nominated band and more importantly, Sunderland Vibe winter 2020 featurists, Field Music, are returning to the place where it all started and headlining a special home-coming show at The Peacock. One of the finest indie bands in the UK, Sunderland songwriting siblings Peter and David Brewis bring their critically acclaimed 5-piece to the city to celebrate the release of their latest studio effort, Flat White Moon.
FACEBOOK.COM/ THEPEACOCKSUN
Derren Brown
7 - 11 September
The multi award-winning master of mind control and psychological illusion, Derren Brown, is arriving at Sunderland Empire Theatre with a brand new live show. Receiver of wide critical acclaim and boasting more Olivier wins and nominations than any other performer in history, Derren Brown returns to live action as he astonishes and amaze audiences up and down the country. If you’ve seen him before, you know you’re in for a powerhouse treat…
FACEBOOK.COM/SUNDERLANDEMPIRE Kubix Festival
2 & 8 October
Kubix Festival has a special line-up of world-class tunes arriving over Herrington Country park as tons of legendary bands and iconic DJs take to the stage across two separate days. Lovers of rock, indie, punk (and more) are well catered for, as a raft of legends such as the Levellers, Stiff Little Fingers, New Model Army, Cast, Futureheads, The Selecter, Sleeper, The Farm, The Wedding Present, Wilko Johnson and Primitives struff their stuff on 2 October. 8th Friday is a cool celebration of the finest names in dance pop; expect to see the likes of the Vengaboys, 2 Unlimited, N-Trance, East 17 and Ultra Naté.
KUBIXFESTIVAL.COM
City Centre Christmas Lights Switch On
18 November
It may seem a while off yet, but it won't be long until the festive season in Sunderland begins to twinkle once again! We've recently learned that our friends at Sunderland City Council are planning a magical Christmas celebration at Keel Square this winter. The team are busy finalising all the details but rest assured, you can be certain it'll be a scintillating carnival of yuletide fun that'll culminate in the all-important switching on ceremony.
MYSUNDERLAND.CO.UK
The Digital Revolution is Coming to Sunderland This Autumn
Selina Deeney is the Regional Marketing Manager for CityFibre. She is responsible for engaging stakeholders and customers across the town, promoting why full fibre is so important for Sunderland’s digital future.
Who are CityFibre and what are they doing in Sunderland?
CityFibre is building a brand new full fibre optic network across Sunderland as part of a £4 billion national investment programme. We will be connecting up to 8 million homes across the UK and creating over 60 Gigabit cities and towns who will benefit from ultra fast internet speeds.
What is full fibre and what will it mean to me?
Over 85% of broadband internet services marketed as ‘fibre’ today are only actually part fibre. They use fibre to the cabinet (the metal telecoms box) in your street, but then switch to slow and unreliable copper or cable TV style coaxial cabling to each property. And this is what slows us down.
Full fibre, where fibre goes directly into your home, means no more buffering when you’re trying to watch the latest Netflix series, a better connection when making Skype calls and the kids can happily play on Fortnite without any complaints!
What does Gigabit mean?
Standard broadband has average download speeds of around 6Mbps, ‘superfast broadband’ averages speeds of around 30Mbps, while broadband from our full fibre network is capable of Gigabit speeds of up to 1,000Mbps.
How will I know when it’s coming to my area?
We’ll drop a letter through your door before construction is due to start in your street to let you know we are coming. Once construction is complete, you will be contacted so you know how to connect. It roughly takes 6 months after we have built in your street to access services.
What other benefits will this bring to Sunderland?
This project will transform Sunderland into one of the best connected cities in the world, benefiting everyone from home workers to gamers, as well as creating new jobs and services.
