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Sunderland hero Marty Longstaff when they and their bands will be the first acts to perform on stage at The Fire Station Auditorium at the venue’s opening gig on Friday, December 10. Kathryn and her band The Darkening have been thrilling audiences with their brand of ‘dark and rocky folk’ while Marty and his band The Lake Poets have a growing army of fans, thanks in part to his powerful, poignant and passionate song Shipyards providing the opening titles song for the hugely-popular Netflix documentary Sunderland Til I Die.
Firestarters ignite The Fire Station
I’M J UST SO EXCITED, I CAN’T WAIT. IT’S A REAL HONOUR AN D A PRIVILEGE TO BE PERFORM IN G T H E AUD ITORIUM ’S FIRST GIG AND TO PLAY WITH M ARTY IN HIS HO ME CI T Y IS EXTRA SPECIAL. KATHRYN TICKELL, THE DARKENING
Kathryn, the foremost exponent of the Northumbrian pipes as well as a renown singer and fiddle player, is counting the days to the gig: “I’m just so excited, I can’t wait. It’s a real honour and a privilege to be performing the auditorium’s first gig and to play The Fire Station, an £18m gamechanging cultural with Marty in his home city is extra special.” hub in Sunderland city centre, is set to host a After the December 10 double bill, the region’s chamber orchestra scintillating opening programme. Royal Northern Sinfonia, featuring their new leader Maria Wloszczowska, will perform a candle-lit Christmas concert on The new venue incorporates an auditorium, bars, a restaurant, Sunday, December 12, followed by British queen of soul and dance and creative writing studios and the Parade Ground, a gospel Mica Paris on Wednesday, December 15. 600-capacity outdoor performance space with an external stage The celebrated singer, actress and presenter is set to perform an and bar. unmissable night of powerful soul and gospel classics, along with Sunderland Vibe has been talking to Sunderland Culture to find hit singles from her illustrious 30-year career, including the chartout more about Firestarters, the first programme of performances topper My One Temptation, I Should’ve Known Better and Breathe at The Fire Station Auditorium, which starts in December. Tickets Life into Me. are now on sale for Firestarters which will run to next June and Friday, December 17 will see the main event to officially open The features more than 40 artists and performers – with yet more to be Fire Station, when Mercury Music Prize nominees Field Music will announced. present The Firestarters Revue, with a sensational line-up of The programme will include a homecoming gig from singer guests including rising stars Martha Hill, songwriter Emeli Sandé, who will deliver Reali-T, Faye Fantarrow alongside an intimate performance on Saturday, Sunderland icons Barry Hyde and Ross January 15. Millard (The Futureheads) and Frankie Firestarters will also include a Christmas Francis. Other performers for this very cracker of a concert when funk icons special housewarming for The Fire Station Smoove & Turrell and gospel powerhouses will be announced. Voices of Virtue headline a festive David Brewis, of Field Music, said: "The celebration on Sunday, December 19. The cultural life of this city is something which is gig will feature MC Kay Greyson and The very close to our hearts, so we're extremely Origin Crew dancers. Voices of Virtue will excited and proud to be able to contribute to kick things off with an uplifting set of soul/ the opening of this fabulous new venue gospel classics before Smoove & Turrell along with an amazing cross-section of the take to the stage. region's musical talent." But Firestarters will be lit by north-east Mica Paris Tickets for An Evening with Emeli Sandé are musical icon Kathryn Tickell and home-grown 16
