March Edition (Published 01/03/2016)

WE’RE LISTENING! - FREE NORTH EAST MUSIC MAGAZINE | www.nevolume.co.uk | March 2016 | Issue #9
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Welcome to NE VOLUME!
Contents
Thank you so much for picking up NE Volume magazine, the
magazine produced by local music fans, for local music fans.
4
Promote Your Business With Ne Volume
5
Gig Preview: The Last Shadow Puppets
6
Gig Preview: Fickle Friends
6
Guest Spot Nights At Music Slash Art
7
North East Guitar Show
8
Tour Preview: Ma Kelly’s Boys
9
Paradox Presents At The Musiclounge
9
Gig Preview: Frankie & The Heartstrings
10
Gig Preview: Dean James Album Launch
11
Shoot The Poet Ep Launch
11
Gig Preview:The Selecter
12
Gig Preview:The Stranglers
12
Gig Preview:Tom Joshua
14
Artist Spotlight: Cape Cub
17
Heather Terry Tribute Day
18
Fleectonbury 2016 Festival
20
Darlington Music Forum Launches At Forum Music Centre
21
Kathryn Lowdon’s Vocal Studio Opens In Newcastle
23
Interview:A Festival,A Parade - New Ep To Be Released
24
Stockton Calling 2016!
26
Interview:The Shooting Of... - Album Launch Dates
27
Interview: James Kruman - “Its An Album Of Two Stories”
27
Interview: Nai Harvest - “Parmos Are On Me!”
29
Interview: Marina Celeste - “North East Is The Real Heart”
30
Interview: Marsicans - “We Just Throw Ourselves Around Alot”
32
Interview: Sunset Sons - “Be As Involved As We Are”
34
Interview: Dalaro - “A Full Set Of Songs And A Better Sound”
34
Interview:The Wonder Stuff - 30Th Anniversary Tour
36
Gig Review: Gabriella Aplin At The 02 Academy
37
Nme Awards Tour Review At The 02 Academy
38
Gig Review:The Front Bottoms At The Riverside
38
Gig Review: Eliza And The Bear At The Georgian Theatre
41 Gig Review: Cage The Elephant At The Riverside
41 Gig Review:Twenty One Pilots At The 02 Academy
42 Gig Review: Love The Sinner At Trillians
42 Gig Review: Ryley Walker At The Arc
44 Abel Raise The Cain - Single Review
44 Boy Jumps Ship - Album Review
44 Dansi - Ep Review
45 Driven Serious - Single Review
45 Fleckt Pets - Ep Review
45 Matt Wilde - Single Review
46 Ne Volume March Gig Listings
March is as extremely busy month for the North East music
scene, and we’ve packed in as much as we possibly can to
keep you up-to-date and informed of what’s going on.
In this month’s edition, we chat to The Wonder Stuff
about their 30th anniversary tour, we provide you with our
honest opinion of the NME Awards Tour at the 02 Academy
featuring Bloc Party + Drenge + more, we keep you
up-to-date with what’s happening in the region this month
including the Last Shadow Puppets at the Middlesbrough
Town Hall, The Selecter at ARC, Stockton, Frankie & The
Heartstrings at The Cluny, Newcastle, there’s a special
tribute to Heather Terry of Musiclounge, Stockton, details
on the all new Darlington Music Forum and so much more.
Just to remind you, if you’ll be running a gig or bringing
any new material out in April/May then please email us at
[email protected] and we’ll do all we possibly can to
include a review/news piece in our April edition which will
be released on the 29th of March.
If you’re interested in listening to any of the music in this
magazine, follow NE Volume on Spotify. Every month we
create a new playlist featuring artists we review, interview
and feature that month!
Again, thank you
for reading and
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means a hell
of a lot.
Lee Allcock
Editor
NE Volume
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Gig Preview: The Last Shadow Puppets
at Middlesbrough Town Hall
Alex Turner and Miles Kane are preparing to come back
together with new album, ‘Everything You’ve Come To Expect’
and have announced a summer tour to promote it.They
aren’t playing Newcastle, as may have been expected, but
they’re playing Middlesbrough on Friday 25th of March at
the Town Hall.The two renowned artists will be hitting the
North East this month to start their UK tour before they
head off to France, Spain, Poland and Italy, and then ending
their tour by swapping the Italian sun for Bridlington. Sticking
to their British roots, the two-piece from Sheffield look to
be playing places they don’t usually play or have never played
before.There is two cases for urgency to that.The first being
that history could repeat itself - the two-piece could go
back to their own bands and projects after the tour and fans
won’t be able to see The Last Shadow Puppets for at least six
years.The second case would be that the size of the venues
the band have chosen to play, which are smaller than they’re
capable of filling, give chance for any fan to see Alex Turner
and Miles Kane up close and personal like never before.
With the guarantee to see new songs, like latest single ‘Bad
Habit’, live, it’s a chance not to miss for any fan of rock ‘n’ roll.
Tickets, priced at £35 in advance, are available from
gigsandtours.com. But be fast, as the event is certain to be a
sell-out.
Written by Tyler Marriott
NEWS
Gig Preview: Fickle Friends
The North East Guitar Show
Stockton’s KU Bar, beloved for its club nights and gigs alike,
has hosted the likes of Arctic Monkeys and Reverend and
the Makers since its opening.The venue has a reputation for
showcasing up and coming talent, in the form of both local
and national acts, and with Fickle Friends set to play a show
at the venue on Friday 4th March this shows no signs of
diminishing.The Brighton synth-pop group are returning to
Teesside - after having previously played at Middlesbrough’s
The Townhouse (formerly,The Keys) in 2015 - as a part of an
extensive tour covering the length and breadth of the country.
Since debut single, ‘Swim’ garnered almost a million plays on
Soundcloud in 2014, the group has been recognised as ones
to watch on both sides of the Atlantic. In 2015 alone, Fickle
Friends were spotted at festivals including, but not limited to,
The Great Escape and Bestival so the chance to see future
indie-pop heroes in a local venue is one that is surely not
to be missed. Middlesbrough rockers Be Quiet, Shout Loud!
will be representing the local area through their supporting
performance; having become firm favourites after playing at
the likes of Stockton Calling.The evening’s main support is
scheduled to be Glaswegian post-pop group Monogram – the
band’s only supporting slot on the Fickle Friends tour outside
of Scotland.
On Sunday 13th March from 10am to 4pm, the Rainton
Meadows Arena will be packed with a treasure chest of local
music stores, a cafe, licensed bar, workshops and superb live
acts. And for only £6.00 (with free entry for under 12’s) this
is the ideal day out for lovers of the six (or twelve) stringed
beauty.The event is sponsored by J G Windows and Vintage
Guitars with PA being provided by Bose Ltd.With over onehundred stalls in the spacious venue, there’ll be opportunities
to buy new and second hand guitars, amps, effects, pedals and
more accessories than you could ever possibly need.
In between finding your latest bargain, there’ll be an array
of performers for your entertainment. Live acts on the day
include: singer-songwriter Paul Brett, showcase virtuoso
fusion guitarist Alex Hutchings, folk duo The Huers, 16 year
old finger-plucking protégé Connor Thomas, local indie band
Twister and the fantastic Sundance who will be performing
a tribute to iconic music of Mr, or should we say Sir, Jimi
Hendrix. So whether you’re searching for a vintage gem,
a brand new axe or maybe you just fancy enjoying some
local music with a couple of drinks, then head on down and
support your local scene. Oh and one last very rock and roll
point - it’s free parking all day.
Rainton Meadows Arena, Houghton-Le-Spring
at KU Bar, Stockton
Doors open at 9.00pm and tickets are available from
Storytellers, Sound It Out Records and online, priced at £7.00.
Written by Caitlin Thompson | Photography by Gaz Jones
New Monday Weekly Guest Spot Night,
Is This It? at Music Slash Art in Newcastle
Emma Bolland sat down with Newcastle-based promoter,
Micky Lomax, to find out about a new Indie/guest DJ night
in Newcastle’s Music Slash Art (MSA), a venue specialising
in innovative and unique fusions of music and art.The night
originated as a platform for timeless sounds and as a mecca
for artists and bohemianism. It’s Newcastle’s very own late
night labyrinth that’s dedicated to the alternative culture.
The guest night, Is This It? centres around alternative and
indie music. As Micky explained: “MSA, as a venue, features
a lot of original street art...so we really feel that this is the
perfect fit for an alternative/indie night.” Although the night is
a fairly new venture, Micky went on to talk about the origins
of Is This It?, including the launch night at Cosmic that took
place in September last year and featured the likes of The
Futureheads and Frankie and the Heartstrings.The nights at
MSA, running throughout March, promise more of the same
exciting artists, and as Micky noted: ‘We’d love to get guest
DJ sets from locals bands and acts in the North East such as
Maximo Park, Little Comets and Everything Everything for
example.” The story behind the initial idea of the night lies
rooted within the indie genre as well, going as far as taking
inspiration for the name from iconic rockers,The Strokes: “It
was a play on their album”, Micky noted.
Written Emma Bolland
6
For more information about upcoming March events please
head to facebook.com/isthisitncl. Just to add, there are
featured drinks deals and entry is £5.00.
Written by Sal Wilcox
For further information, please send an email to info@
guitarshows.co.uk or call the organisers on 01925 813185.
NEWS
Tour Preview: Ma Kelly’s Boys
Mini North East March Tour
Since May 2014, Ma Kelly’s Boys have been laying down the
old Quo boogie all around the North East and that hasn’t
stopped as they’re set to play The Queen’s Head, Alnwick
(19th),The Penny Gill, Spennymoor (20th), and The Ranch,
South Shields (25th) this month. After various projects and
a stint with Oil City Connection (OCC), founder ‘Oil Slick
Mick’ decided to put together: ‘the band that plays Quo’. He
stated: “It’s something I’d always wanted to do…get out there
and play tunes that many people don’t realise are Quo”.The
first recruit was brother ‘Bad Bob Bates’ who had assembled
OCC, and who has been abusing the masses with The Bandits
for well in excess of 20 years. Bob is an essential part of the
line-up due to the family connection and because they’d been
brought up on Quo together throughout their teenage years.
Drummer ‘The Riever’ had been on the radar for several
years and was an instant recruit. Bassist ‘Den Van Diesel’ had
performed with The Diesel Cowboys and The East Coast
Heroes in his younger days and was added to the lineup after
a meeting at an Open Mic Night.The band are going from
strength to strength, noting that their greatest achievement
so far is: “Being included in the line-up at the recent Rock
Legends Christmas festival at the Newcastle O2 Academy.” If
you like Quo you’ll love them, if you don’t you’ll realise you
do! Go see them, you won’t regret it.
Paradox Presents at Musiclounge, Stockton
Photography by Pam Rossall
Could you think of anything better than spending your
bank holiday listening to fantastic, energetic live music in the
comforts of a friendly and atmospheric local venue? Many
couldn’t imagine anything better. So on Friday 25th March,
head down to Musiclounge, Stockton-On-Tees and treat
yourself and your friends/family to a musical night featuring
Late Night Legacy, A Day in Helsinki, Richie Docherty and a
one off set from Ellis Rayner and Nicky Chapman. Not only
are you treating yourself to this musical experience, your
enjoyment actually fuels charity as proceeds from this event
are going directly to the Butterwick Hospice & Raindrops
to Rainbows – so you’re helping to support local charities
whilst also fuelling your local music scene. A range of musical
genres, experiences and sounds are gathering together for
this particular night. Late Night Legacy provide a rich, rock
sound to the venue followed swiftly by the emotive and
lyrically driven group, A Day in Helsinki, who are not afraid to
match the rock headliners by bringing loud sounds to your
night. As well as these bands, Richie Docherty (a member
of Hartlepool’s The Jar Family) will be providing energetic
acoustics and finally kicking off the night will be the incredibly
talented pair, Ellis Rayner and Nicky Chapman who will be
providing us with atmospheric acoustics that are simply too
good to miss out on. Entry is just £4.00. And remember, all
proceeds go to fuelling local charities and your presence and
involvement fuels our local music scene.
Written by Katie Cain
Gig Preview: Frankie & The Heartstrings
at The Cluny, Newcastle
Written by Hannah Dodsworth | Photography by Paul Knox
Sunderland starlets, Frankie & The Heartstrings, are set to
play The Cluny along with special guests, Hello Operator, on
Thursday 10th March. All set for their tour, the Sunderland
five-piece are stopping off in Newcastle to put on a show for
their Northern supporters after releasing their third album,
‘Decency’.With previous speculation that the gig had been
cancelled, the band have confirmed that this is not true and
that it is to go ahead.The band have now been together since
2008 and in that time have released three albums, toured
across Europe and the UK and played at a number of festivals
including Reading and Leeds, Latitude and of course the
mother of all, Glastonbury.Their first major tour resulted
in being support for Florence and the Machine, and they’ve
flourished ever since.The band, who were so alarmed by
the lack of record shops when releasing their second album,
decided to take a leap by opening their own in the city centre
of Sunderland. Although now based in a new spot, Pop Recs
Ltd is a second home for many music fans in the region.
Support for the night comes in the form of Toronto band
Hello Operator - a two-piece rock band who have previously
featured on MTV’s The Real World Challenge: Cut Throat.
After performing at over 200 shows across Canada and
America, they’re joining Frankie and the Heartstrings for their
debut British performance.Tickets are on sale for £8.00 and
can be purchased from seetickets.com.
9
NEWS
Gig Preview: Dean James
Album Launch at Independent, Sunderland
“If you’ve ever seen me play in a scruffy little pub in the North
East and enjoyed yourself, please come to the album launch
— I’m finally on the big stage, so I’d like you all to be there!”
South Shields artist Dean James is set to release his debut
album ‘Pure’, and will launch it at Independent, Sunderland on
Friday 25 March.The music of Dean James speaks for itself - a
raw, powerful vocal with quick, erratic acoustic guitar and
lyrics that tell tales of desperation, addiction, and heartbreak.
Having worked as a mental health nurse for much of his life,
Dean is no stranger to tragedy. “When I was younger, I wrote
songs about ex-girlfriends.” explains Dean. “Now I spend
my days trying to help people addicted to crack cocaine,
supporting them in their recovery so they can see their kids
again.This is the sort of stuff you can’t forget about. It sticks. I
needed an outlet for those emotions, and music is the perfect
opportunity to tell stories as well as let off some steam.”
Dean’s songs are personal and haunting, but the standout
feature of Dean’s music is his uniquely husky-yet-velvety
vocal; it’s something that has won the local songsmith a loyal
following. And with the release of his debut album, he is
looking to share his music to a much wider audience.
The album will be launched at Independent, Sunderland with
tickets costing just £4.00, if you’re skint, or £10.00 if you’d also
like a copy of Dean’s brand new album.
EP Launch: Shoot the Poet to Release ‘#1’
at The Studio, Hartlepool
Shoot the Poet have had a very busy couple of years.Amongst
their growing list of accolades they’ve signed to a London based
record label, have supported The Coronas,The Subways &
Nazereth, and on the 1st of April are set to release their debut
EP entitled “#1’ which will be available to purchase on all online
retailers.The self-proclaimed indie-rockers are announcing
their EP release in style at The Studio, in their hometown
of Hartlepool. Doors open at 7.00pm with the booking of
advanced tickets at £4.00 with a free signed CD. Purchases
can be made online through Seetickets.The band say they
chose their hometown because Monkey Hangers have “given
us everything from day one.” NE Volume has been granted
exclusive access to the four-track EP, and we can officially
report that you can expect big things from this first helping of
the band’s studio work. Each track has its own rhythmic and
melodic elements which makes for a highly-interesting group of
songs that complement each other extremely well.The music
itself is highly-accessible and will appeal to a broad audience with its toe-tapping Americanised pop-punk style and catchy
indie hooks.Leading to their EP release they’ll be supporting
big bands such as Marsicans at KU bar on 11th March and they
were also due to support Viola Beach at Mixtape which was
tastefully cancelled after the tragedy in Sweden.A band with
the world at their feet, Shoot the Poet is making great strides
towards national recognition.
Written by Adam Taylor
Gig Preview: The Selecter
at ARC, Stockton
First opened in 1998 as a means of widening participation
in all areas of the arts, Stockton’s ARC has since become an
integral part of the cultural make-up of both Stockton and
Teesside as a whole.The ARC’s connection with the local
Stockton Calling Festival has helped cement its reputation
as a champion of the region’s cultural heritage – regularly
playing host to a wealth of local talent. However, the ARC
has also been successful in bringing internationally-renowned
acts to Stockton.This is set to continue into the future as, on
Thursday 10th March, 2-Tone act The Selecter are scheduled
to play the venue. Originally formed in Coventry in 1979,The
Selecter’s stop in the North East will be part of a UK tour
in support of their 2015 album ‘Subculture’.With the 2011
re-launch including bringing in original members Pauline Black
and Arthur ‘Gaps’ Hendrickson,The Selecter have proved to
be an enduring force; having since graced the stage at festivals
such as Coachella and Glastonbury.With the band regularly
acclaimed for their live performances, having such an intimate
show right in the heart of Teesside is certainly something to
get excited about. Supports for the night will be Birmingham
band UK Feds, with music that is a combination of punk and
ska. Having released debut EP, ‘Living in Anger’ in 2015, this is
sure to be an exciting performance.
Written by Caitlin Thompson | Photography by John Coles
Tickets are available from the ARC box office and arconline.
co.uk and are priced at £17.50 in advance.
11
NEWS
Gig Preview: The Stranglers
at 02 Academy, Newcastle
On Wednesday 9th March, Surrey-based punk rockers
The Stranglers will be gracing the stage at Newcastle’s 02
Academy as part of their most recent UK tour; which will
take them to 18 cities across the country. Beginning in 1974,
the legendary four-piece have enjoyed a career that has
spanned decades, compiling an impressive back catalogue of
seventeen albums with the most recent being the release
of ‘Giants’ - their first album after the departure of vocalist,
Paul Roberts in 2006. Throughout the tour, the band will
be revisiting the hit album, ‘Black and White’, which saw The
Stranglers take on new, experimental and exciting sounds.
It peaked at No. 2 in the UK and stayed in the charts for 18
weeks. Joining them will be Welsh punk five-piece,The Alarm,
who formed in 1981.The band went on to make waves in
the British rock scene, as well as embark on extensive tours
across Europe and the United States where they opened for
bands such as U2,The 77s and House of Freaks. The Black
and White tour begins on March 3rd in Perth, and carries on
to all major cities within the country such as Nottingham,
Liverpool, Birmingham, London and many more, before
wrapping up on Saturday 26th in Manchester. Tickets for the Newcastle date, priced at £26.40, can be
bought from seetickets.com. For further information about
the tour please head to thestranglers.net.
Written by Emma Bolland
Gig Preview: Tom Joshua
+ Dressed Like Wolves at Westgarth, Middlesbrough
Written Callum Thornhill | Photography by Rick Dobbing
12
Tom Joshua heads to Westgarth Social Club in Middlesbrough
on Saturday 12th March as part of the first ever Spooker
Attic Show.With a capacity of just 25, it’s a great opportunity
to see Tom Joshua – a folk band that are currently supporting
North East favourites Cattle & Cane on their UK tour – up
close.Their sound is extremely laid back to start with, but
it suddenly hits you with melancholy bursting choruses.
Exploring heartfelt themes,Tom Joshua are a perfect first
headliner for the freshly cleared out attic at Westgarth
Social Club. Unused since the 80s, the show is certain to be
a unique, intimate evening. Playing alongside Tom Joshua is
Thornaby’s Dressed Like Wolves – a band that started off as
a recording project by Rick Dobbing. Latest album, ‘In The
End We All Just Walk Off Into The Sea In The Eyes Of The
Ones We Left Behind’, has been a favourite of mine since first
discovering it.The Passenger-esque instrumentation and Kate
Nash-esque wit work together to make Dressed Like Wolves
a must-see.They’re another heartfelt folk band, so the first
ever Spooker Attic Show will definitely pull on your emotions.
The main rooms of the venue have been frequented by the
likes of Wolf Alice and Catfish and the Bottlemen in recent
times.Tom Joshua are definitely the next hidden gem that
you will regret not going to the Westgarth Social Club (attic
room) to see. Purchase tickets for the event, priced at £4.40
in advance, from wegottickets.com.
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CAPE CUB!
Having got together in 2014, North
East’s Cape Cub have gained a passionate
following in a short space of time.Their
current achievements range from 110,000
plays on a single track on Spotify to being
played on BBC Radio 1, and that’s no mean
feat for a band that hasn’t been together
for much longer than a year. Cape Cub
are well on their way already and now
they’re hitting the road and not missing
out the good ol’ North East. Cape Cub
are so humbled and appreciative of the
reaction their music is gaining, having only
really expected their friends to give it a
little listen and hopefully like it! Frontman,
Chad Male, noted:“I used to feel lucky if a
handful of them (friends) turned up to one
of our shows! It’s something I absolutely
did not expect and it’s something that’s
hugely rewarding. Maybe people see a
bit of themselves in these songs.Who
knows!” But now, having accepted that
people do want to hear their music and
it’s not just friends being kind, shows have
become more enjoyable and less of a
fingers crossed lets hope people show up
kind of deal.Although a lot of attention has
come from social media and songs being
posted online, people are still connecting
to the band. On talking about the best
part of a gig, Chad stated:“Hearing people
sing the words back.As soon as we’re
on stage and those people are in front
singing those words back, everything
comes full circle. Everything makes sense
again.” Their next lot of shows will be
14
“Make something that matters to you and I’m
quite sure it’ll matter to someone else too”
taking them from Glasgow and London
and everywhere in-between, and you
can catch them in the North East twice!
Firstly they’re playing in Newcastle at the
Newcastle Student Union where they’ll be
supporting Sunset Sons, and they’re also
performing at Stockton Calling. Cape Cub
are no strangers to playing in the North
East, I asked them where the best place
they have played so far is:“This is a hard
one to be honest! We played Evolution
Emerging last year in Newcastle and it was
one-in-one-out, that was a huge moment
for the boys and I. It was so humbling to
see people from the North East coming to
watch us and showing their support. Other
than that, we played The Great Escape in
Brighton where we did two shows in one
day which were both a bit mental and
busy.” Saturday 26th March will see the
return of Stockton Calling, Stockton’s very
own music festival. Now running across
one day, this years’ Stockton Calling will
showcase over 70 bands over 9 venues.
Cape Cub will be returning once again
and they are already looking forward to
it:“I’m really looking forward to playing
in Stockton again.There are some great
bands playing alongside us and it’s good to
feel part of something. Stockton Calling
definitely does that. In Teesside we have
some amazing promoters and passionate
music fans, and it’s a huge privilege to have
been asked to play.” Starting a band is never
easy, and being noticed is even harder. Cape
Cub have been going strong for almost 2
years now and their fan base grows bigger
everyday.With their music being spread
and their songs becoming more and
more popular, they are already a credit to
the North East music scene. In terms of
starting a band yourself Chad had these
tips:“Everyone does things in their own
way really. But I’d say that if you’re sat there
now and wanting to start a band, then in
your mind make sure you switch off from
the noise around you and write the music
that feels true to you. I know it sounds a bit
Bono-ey, but don’t worry about what’s cool
or what people are currently into…don’t
replicate something else. Make something
that matters to you and I’m quite sure it’ll
matter to someone else too.”
Cape Cub’s music is inspired by everyday
life and location, location being the North
East which they feel can make you feel
slightly isolated and very easily forgotten
about. I agree with their statement as we
aren’t London - we aren’t some uppity/
grungy/derelict area or town that are
praised. So it’s refreshing and very rare that
such an inspiring musical talent has come
from the North East and this inspiring
musical talent is being recognised.
Dates and ticket information for the bands
upcoming dates are available on their
official Facebook page: /capecubmusic.
Written by Katt Mudd
IF YOU HAVE A GIG COMING UP IN APRIL OR WILL BE
RELEASING SOME NEW MATERIAL IN APRIL/MAY,
WE WANT TO KNOW! CONTACT [email protected]
FEATURES
HEATHER TERRY TRIBUTE DAY AT MUSICLOUNGE, STOCKTON
Stockton’s Musiclounge has been very busy recently, as owner
Oliver has kept his promise to ‘keep the show going on’ in
honour of his late wife and co-owner, Heather Terry. Indeed
the venue has hosted 12 events through the opening months
of 2016, as the team begins to come to terms with Oliver’s loss.
FRIDAY 4TH MARCH
+ MONOGRAM + BE QUIET. SHOUT LOUD!
GROOVE NITE
SATURDAY 5TH MARCH
SATURDAY 28TH APRIL
PLUS SPECIAL GUESTS OAYSIS
THE NO.1 BLUR TRIBUTE
8 PIECE SOUL,FUNK & DISCO BAND
BLURD
FRIDAY 11TH MARCH
SUNDAY 1ST MAY
+ SHOOT THE POET + MAJOR MATILDA
OFFICIAL INTERNATIONAL ARCTIC MONKEYS TRIBUTE
EASTER SUNDAY 27TH MARCH
KINGS OF LYON
MARSICANS ANTARCTIC MONKEYS
FOUR FIGHTERS V BLACK ICE
FOO FIGHTERS V ACDC TRIBUTE SHOW
SATURDAY 9TH APRIL
THE UB40 EXPERIENCE
THE DEFINITIVE TRIBUTE TO THE KINGS OF REGGAE UB40
A Rundown Of The Acts Announced So Far
SATURDAY 16TH APRIL
FICKLE FRIENDS
THE TOTAL STONE ROSES
offer also means that there will be something for anyone
and everyone to enjoy, collected in the hope of maximising
donations and awareness.
Saturday 19th March brings a special day of music to Stockton,
as Musiclounge plans a day of live music to celebrate and
commemorate Heather and the happy memories she provided
to those around her. NE Volume spent some time finding out
just what prospective show-goers can expect to find when
they make their way to the venue this month.
Oliver is keen and committed to raising awareness of the
consequences of depression and suicide, and so the donations
raised from the night will be given to Raindrops to Rainbows.
Oliver himself feels that:‘There needs to be more awareness
about depression and suicide as there is a lot around and
people need to work together to offer the appropriate
support.” Remember entry is free, but a donation is necessary.
Grolar bear play fast-paced, energetic and lively indie-comepunk, and with bags of distortion and shouty lyrics are sure to
give a great live performance.
Red 16 hark back to the American pop-punk of yesteryear, as
hinted at by their name.With great musicianship and anthemic
melodies on offer, be sure to check these guys out.This could
be the bands last performance, having announced their demise
on Facebook earlier in February.
Many of the sophisticated types on Teesside will absolutely
love the technicality and blues rhythms of Middlesbrough outfit
Two Blue. For this band, long epic guitar solos and riffs are the
order of the day.
SATURDAY 21ST MAY
THE MOST ACCURATE AND VIBRANT TRIBUTE TO THE KINGS OF LEON
SATURDAY 8TH OCTOBER
THE SMITHS LTD
THE ULTIMATE TRIBUTE TO THE SMITHS
PRINCE REGENT ST.STOCKTON-ON-TEES
WWW.KUBAR.CO.UK SEETICKETS.COM
A great line up of local artists is being gathered to perform
on the night, with more to be announced in the run up to the
event.A fraction of the acts confirmed thus far include: Grolar
Bear, Red 16,Tim Bloomer,Two Blue, Four Letter Word and
Sam Gibson.These acts are guaranteed to whet the appetites
of local gig-goers, let alone the cause.The variety of acts on
Tim Bloomer plays a semi-acoustic Gibson, wears a fetching
and well-groomed beard, and has some cracking tunes to boot.
A professional musician,Tim has opened shows for the likes of
Sir Tom Jones. Impressive.
Written by Adam Taylor | Photography by eNa Photography
17
FEATURES
Stockton Sixth
Form College
Open
Afternoon
Thursday 10th March,
3.30-5.30pm
NORTHALLERTON FESTIVAL FLEECETONBURY 2016
The first ever music festival to be run by The Fleece Inn,
Northallerton takes place on Easter weekend - Saturday 26th
till Sunday 27th March.The festival will include two days of live
music across three stages, with 17 of the UK’s top unsigned
bands taking part.
With the line-up already being revealed, headliners are The
Sherlocks, to perform the Saturday night, and The Spitfires,
on the Sunday.The Sherlocks are a British alternative/indie
band made up of two sets of brothers from Sheffield.With
a busy year ahead, this exciting band have tackled their first
headlining tour which was almost a sell-out at the 23 venues
they played.They also toured alongside The Libertines and
Ocean Colour Scene at the beginning of the year.The exciting
band are red hot right now and shall be rocking the stage on
the Saturday night.
Fresh from touring their debut album ‘Response’ around
Europe, are The Spitfires.They’re a bold and brash band from
Watford who were raised on The Clash and The Specials.
They’ve already sold out for their home town and are
definitely not to be missed as they headline on Easter Sunday.
Other acts performing over the course of the weekend
include:The Tapestry,The Middens,Vendettas,The Kites,The
Lost Boys, Constellos UK, Carvella, Casual Agenda, Baggy
Mondays, and many more.
The Tapestry are a dry, tongue-in-cheek four-piece from
Manchester who say it’s all “about the music”.Their post
punk, landfill indie music has caught the eye of the likes of
Liam Gallagher along with an ever growing steady fan base.
18
The band are all set for touring around the county and are
all ready for releasing the debut EP this month.The Middens,
who are set to take the stage before The Spitfires, are a local
four-piece from North Shields. Coming together in 2015,
they excel above their years and are known for the energetic
live performances. As well as playing Fleecetonbury, keep an
eye out for this Mod-inspired band as they’ll be featuring at
many other festivals across the summer.The Vendettas are
a 1960’s garage rock and roll three-piece from Leeds who
have already been noticed for their talent playing on the BBC
Introducing Stage at Leeds Festival.They’ve been described as
mod revivalists with so much energy and enthusiasm being
the source to them growing such a strong fan base.
www.stocktonsfc.ac.uk
NEVolumePL.indd 1
Newcastle three-piece Champagne Charlies Music have
also been added to the list.The catchy indie rock band came
together in 2005 and have been described as a “Geordie
Arctic Monkeys” for their catchy rifts and intelligent lyrics.
Past performances include The 02 Academy and The Cluny.
Day tickets are on sale for £17.50 and weekend tickets for
£30.00, with camping available. All together that works out at
less than £2.00 per band – an absolute bargain for such great
quality music.Tickets can be bought at Seetickets.com.
For more information regarding the festival, please call 01609
773345 or check out the Fleecetonbury Facebook event page
for further updates and additions to the lineup.Tickets are
selling fast to be sure to get yours before it’s too late!
Written by Hannah Dodsworth
GRAPHIC DESIGN
WILL SAVE THE WORLD.
RIGHT AFTER
ROCK & ROLL DOES.
16/02/2016 1
FEATURES
DARLINGTON MUSIC FORUM LAUNCHES AT FORUM MUSIC CENTRE
KATHRYN LOWDON’S VOCAL STUDIO OPENS ITS DOORS IN NEWCASTLE
Focussing on the need for music and culture in the area,The
Forum Music Centre in Darlington aims to be a platform for
a variety of acts to perform on regardless of age, gender, social
background or race.The centre is focused on helping anyone
and everyone who has a passion for music and wants to excel
and grow in that talent. In order to help musicians, wannabe
promoters, and those who’d like to get involved in the music
industry, the venue is set to launch the Darlington Music Forum
which is certain to be an incredible platform for music lovers
to find more about the world of music.
Emma Bolland caught up with entrepreneurial songstress,
Kathryn Lowdon, who’s just announced that she’s opened up
a new vocal studio in Newcastle in order to nurture talent
within the area.
Allison Mckay, Director of Humantics CIC and manager at the
Forum, noted:“It’s important to keep live music and venues
thriving, therefore we do all we can to create an environment
where people can enjoy live music in a safe and quality
environment that responds to public needs.We also encourage
and support developing and established talent as much as
possible.With the help of local promoter and music enthusiast,
David Saunders, we are really excited to be launching a four
month programme dedicated to songwriters, musicians and
those pursuing enterprise in music.”
The Darlington Music Forum will be free to all ages (under
16s with parent/guardian) every Wednesday from the 2nd
March from 7:00pm until 9:00pm.There will be a number of
excellent guest speakers taking part, including representatives
from Arts Council and Musicians Union, as well as Bob Fischer
from BBC Tees, songwriter Ian St James, Paul Burns from Tees
Music Alliance, Henry Carden from promoters Pay for the
Piano, and maybe even our own editor, Lee Allcock (this hasn’t
been confirmed just yet).The aim of the forum is to create a
dedicated space for musicians to communicate and collaborate
on their music projects.
20
The Forum Music Centre is also a dedicated and licensed live
music venue in central Darlington that also houses five plug and
play band rehearsal rooms and a recording studio with separate
drum booth.As well as live music and rehearsal facilities, the
Forum hosts weekly music tuition in drums and guitar and is
home to many private tutors.You can rehearse from £9.00
and record with an in house engineer for just £25.00 per hour
or just relax in the well-stocked bar which sells a range of
alcoholic beverages and speciality coffees.
The Forum is operated under the umbrella and management of
an independent social enterprise called Humantics Community
Interest Company; therefore all surpluses are reinvested back
into the services it provides.The venue is 200 capacity with
excellent sound, stage and lighting, management and production
which can also be hired for private and promoter events.The
live events are scheduled by a committee of supporters who
ensure a diverse variety of musical genres including rock, pop,
rhythm and blues, indie, Northern Soul, folk, reggae and so on;
as well as a monthly Hilarity Bites Club and various promoter
nights.
If you want to get involved, or would like any further
information, then please head to theforumonline.co.uk or go
down and see it for yourself.
Written by Hannah Dodsworth
Firstly, we discussed the ins and outs of her new project:“The
studio is called Kathryn Lowdon Vocal Studio and it’s located at
Breeze Creatives on Market Street in Newcastle City Centre.
I teach singing lessons and I’m a qualified Vocal Instructor with
the Institute for Vocal Advancement.The studio is open now,
and I’ve started getting more students from the Newcastle
area which is fantastic. My studio is open to any singers from
5 year old children to amateur singers to professionals; so I
get to work with a variety of people which makes life very
interesting and keeps me on my toes. I also look to bring about
an excellent vocal technique offering one to one singing lessons
where I diagnose the singers voice and then give them bespoke
exercises to meet their needs. I also offer workshops on solid
vocal technique, confidence and stage presence and acting for
singers. I do regular recording studio experiences for singers
to develop their microphone technique and help them to get
used to working in a recording studio environment plus I put
together regular events as performance opportunities.”
Talk then turned to the origins of the studio, as Kathryn
explained where the initial idea for it all came from, as well as
some of the individuals who helped to spur on her decision. “I initially got the idea after I had some singing lessons from
Greg Enriquez (Las Vegas) and Spencer Welch (Vancouver) who
are protégés of Michael Jackson’s singing mentor, Seth Riggs.
After my lessons with them, it was clear to me that they were
geniuses and I wanted to be involved in providing a high level of
vocal technique to the people of my hometown; as I thought it
was something that was lacking here at the time.
As Kathryn reveals, the year before opening her business
proved to be tough, but that didn’t stop her from working on
a whole host of other projects with her band, as well as her
solo record. “In the first year of my business I was still working,
starting my vocal studio from scratch, writing a solo record and
managing a band which was a ridiculous workload so I had to
juggle life in quite a big way. But, I’m in a fortunate position now
because I can just focus on my teaching without having to rely
on making additional income to support it. I’m really pleased
with how everything is developing and how my students are
improving their voices and gaining new experience, that is what
I wanted for them. It’s like a happy family.”
As we begin to wrap up, it’s evident that Kathryn has big
plans for her new vocal studio. Concluding her interview,
she explains how she aspires to continue to help local artists
realise their potential. “I really hope that I can help local singers
develop the same level of vocal technique which seems to be
so readily-available in America. I want singers to deliver vocal
performances in a healthy way so they don’t cause damage to
their vocal cords.The great thing about my teaching technique
is that I don’t interfere with their style or genre of music, I just
help them to sing it better.
You can get more information on Kathryn Lowdown Vocal
Studio’s by checking out her Facebook page at
/KathrynLowdonVocalStudio
Written by Emma Bolland | Photography by Tanya Smiles
21
INTERVIEWS
INTERVIEWS
A FESTIVAL, A PARADE TO LAUNCH NEW EP
“THE EP WE HAD IN MIND TO GO AND RECORD WAS TOTALLY DIFFERENT TO WHAT WE CAME OUT WITH”
Stood waiting outside the Crown Posada, I Immediately
recognised Joe and Reece (A Festival, A Parade) as they
crossed the street as I’d previously lifted speakers for them
at a gig last year at Newcastle’s Assembly Rooms.We began
chatting about the Newcastle bands’ brand new EP as we
stepped in to the pub.
So are you excited for the new EP coming out?
Aye, we just want to get it out now. After producing it, seeing
it and hearing it we’re just keen for people to hear it.
Are you focused more on the one launch gig? Or have you
got a few more coming up?
A weekend before the EP Launch we’ve booked a little
handful of gigs.We’re playing in Edinburgh on March 10th with
Shields and then playing the Stadium of Light Fanzone - which
should be good crack as I haven’t been to a game for ages
too.We’ve got those two gigs and then the weekend after,
Saturday the 19th of March, is the launch.
So how far do you think you’ve come since that gig in the
Assembly Rooms?
It sounds daft, but it’s been mental really. It’s sort of
snowballed after that gig.We met loads of people that night
who helped us and have helped spread the word around, so
that gig was extremely important for us. Amazingly also is the
fact that the band is totally new now, but it’s naturally moved
in to this realm that we didn’t expect.
So do you feel like it’s been a coming of age thing?
Well to be honest around about that time when we did the
SoFar sounds thing the EP we had in mind to go and record
was totally different to what we came out with. Somewhere
between then and the back end of last year we started
writing differently – we started working better together and
everything totally changed.
Do you feel the nerves coming back with the launch just
around the corner?
I have because I had to practice for the first time in a while
the other day and discovered that I’d forgotten all my parts,
So I am a little bit nervous about playing live again. It’s only
been a month, but last year we were doing a gig a week so I’ll
be a little bit ropey on the night but I’ll be fine.
So how did the band come together originally?
Me, Reece and Liam (the drummer) have been mates for a
few years. I was looking for a band to jam with for my solo
stuff and they jumped in and helped out.
So what’s the gig you’re looking forward to in the next couple
of months?
I’m really looking forward to Edinburgh just because it’s the
first time we’re really heading out of the North East as a
band, so that’ll be good crack. But the EP launch is going to
be mint as well.The Great Curve and The Welcome Party are
playing- two of our favourite bands - so hopefully there’ll be a
few people down.
Purchase tickets for A Festival, A Parade’s EP Launch at
The Cluny, Newcastle, priced at £3.00 in advance, from
Seetickets.com.
Interview by Alex T Eastlake | Photography by Johnny Haynes
23
MAIN FEATURE
For the seventh year running, the ever-popular Stockton
Calling festival provides an incredible line-up of over
seventy bands, on nine venues across one glorious
day (Saturday 26th March). The acts range from the
brand new to the relatively seasoned and your biggest
challenge will be choosing what you can afford to
miss (answer: none of it, but whatever you see will be
cracking so pick and mix between the venues but catch
as much as you can).
STOCKTON
CALLING
2016!
The MusicLounge Stage showcases Darlington alt-blues
experimenters Goy Boy McIlroy, who marry up roaring
vocals, dark and disquieting storytelling with naturally
flowing banter with the audience. The bleakly cool Post
War Glamour Girls are also set to feature, with other
highlights including Velvoir,Yellow Creatures, Kobadelta
and Idle Violets.
Hartlepool's Jar Family continue their ascent to the
top of the regional scene at Room 21. They describe
themselves as industrial folk, and they’re a communityoriented and happy-go-lucky bunch. Supporting is
JP Riggall who is certain to create a calm, thoughtprovoking atmosphere. Also sharing the bill are the
uplifting and anthemic Abel Raise the Cain, Leeds group
Clay, trippy and instrumentally experimental indie guys
Weird Shapes, catchy local lad Alistair James and King
Mojo.
Headlining the ARC stage is the welcome return of
Sheffield's Reverend and the Makers with outspoken
poet and master lyricist Jon McClure, who will be
showcasing their latest album, ‘Mirrors’. Supporting
Rev are The Kar-Pets,Vitamin, Lilliput, Matt Wilde
and Kingsley Chapman and the Murder, fronted by ex
Chapman family member, of course, Kingsley Chapman.
The KU bar stage features Radio one’s favourite
newcomers, Blossoms and Teesside favourites, Serinette.
Blossoms are firmly growing from the soil of that
great Manchester tradition of cast iron. They’re a truly
northern band that will fit in brilliantly with this year's
festivities. Serinette put me in mind of the cheerful indie
pop energy of Kenickie - without the forced quirkiness
and featuring the most distinctive female vocal I've
heard in a good while. Other highlights include Hidden
Charms, Red Faces, and Mouses.
The Sun Inn features The Tapestry, Ming City Rockers,
Crease, Lucky T Jackson, Heather Story and Lost State
of Dance. Add to that Nocturnal Dictionary (now
known as Major Matilda), The Approved and X Ray
Cat Trio and this is definitely the stage for discovering
something up and coming and outside the box. Ming
City Rockers are punky, fresh and just so easy to bust
out dancing to. Heather Story is a fantastic lyricist, and
that sensationally untouched local accent whips out
great vocal lines backed by sharp guitars in the style of
John Cooper Clarke.
24
Heading the Georgian Theatre are Dutch Uncles, with
the promise of new tracks from the Manchester indie
group. Lilting falsetto vocals are backed by an 80s tinged
journey through angst, unease and thoughtfulness.
Plenty of interesting sound effects and synth pop for
your money, this is a re-imagined trip through many an
awkward adolescence. In support, and in no particular
order, are Avalanche Party, Kiran Leonard, The Vryll
Society, Cellar Door, Inheaven, Medics and Bernaccia.
Can there possibly be any more? Yes! The Storytellers
Stage is the place for big folky feasts such as Tom Joshua,
Plastic Mermaids (watch out for some home-made
instruments) and Broken Records; who bring to the
stage gorgeous strings and accordion and even some
brass to truly widen the sounds on offer. Also on the
bill are are Tamu Massif, Actor, Blue Kassette, The Last
Spectacular, Spookyland and Thornaby’s fuzzy, synthy and
sea-inspired Dressed Like Wolves.
The Green Room stage is sure to showcase just how
great the local music scene is right now. Headliners,
Warm Digits, possess incredible talent and their sublime
visuals/stunning live shows have had North East and UK
wide gig-goers alike stand up and take notice. Other
highlights include gothic psychdelia band The Golden
Age of Nothing, indie disco floor fillers Be Quiet. Shout
Loud, Hartlepool alt. pop band Antlez, and Newcastle alt.
rockers Coquin Migale.
Finally we come to the Vault Stage, which features
a gifted array of solo acts and duos such as Carl
Eaton, James Gray Robson and the Lovely Burn,
Natalie McCool and Jack Watts. Top of the bill here
are Merseyside's Hummingbirds who build on that
traditional feel-good Liverpool sound with American
influences.
Every year Stockton Calling gets bigger and better, and
this is backed up by the caliber of bands from around
the country coming to play alongside our homegrown
talent. Support the event by visiting one or more of
these intimate and friendly venues and enjoy that
journey of seeing a band grow each time you see them.
If you don't manage to see them all then don't worry, as
you won't have seen the last of any of these superb acts.
Written by Stephanie Thompson | Photography by Sam Edge
25
INTERVIEWS
INTERVIEWS
THE SHOOTING OF... ANNOUNCES ALBUM LAUNCH DATE
“I TEND TO LIKE THE ARTISTS THAT ARE DOING SOMETHING DIFFERENT AND CARVING THEIR OWN PATH”
North East one-man band,The Shooting Of...,is set to release
his new album this month so Alex T Eastlake spoke to the
man behind the band to find out more.
What can listeners expect from the new album?
It depends on how familiar they are with my work, I suppose,
but it’s quite a bit different to my live show. I still play
everything on it, but there’s a lot more instrumentation. I put
a lot of heart and honesty into it so hopefully it will be an
immersive experience - I’m pleased with it anyway.
How were your recent shows in the North in Berwick and
Morpeth?
They were good. I decided to do a small tour of intimate
venues in different and less obvious parts of the North East
that also took in Eaglescliffe,Tynemouth, Blyth, Darlington and
South Shields. It’s great to be able to connect with people in
a way which is only really possible in small venues, and to test
myself with an audience of people who have never seen me
and don’t know what to expect. I sold a lot of CD’s, so they
must have thought I was OK.
The Beatles to Oasis, but I do listen to a lot of different stuff.
I like to dabble in many different areas and try many different
sounds and instruments so my music tends to take on a
character from whatever I’m into at the time.
You’ve been compared to Ben Folds and David Bowie ...do
you see the resemblance in your music?
I find Ben Folds a slightly lazy comparison, though there was
possibly a bit of his quirky piano style in some of my early
stuff; less so on the new album.There is most probably a little
Bowie in what I do though I couldn’t pin point it myself. I’m
a huge devotee of Bowie and was really shook up when he
passed away.
Who do you consider your most important influences?
I’ve never purposefully tried to be like anyone so I find it hard
to pinpoint my real influences. But the most listened to artists
and bands in my house are probably the likes of Bowie,Tom
Waits, Neil Young, Nick Cave, Modest Mouse etc. but I end up
listening to so much stuff that I would struggle to know what
really rubs off on my own music.
What are your favourite artists/bands on the NE scene at the
moment?
I tend to like the artists that are doing something different
and carving their own path. If pushed, I’d say that I hugely
admire the likes of Richard Dawson, Field Music, Slug,Warm
Digits, Kingsley Chapman’s new stuff and I’m always interested
in hearing new music.
Did you start on the piano and expand musically from that
particular instrument?
I started on classical guitar at school then taught myself piano.
After that I kind of learned to play other instruments when
required for what I was doing. For example, last year I decided
to take up saxophone so there is quite a bit of that on the
record - tastefully implemented of course.
Do you feel the new album represents a leap in to unknown
territory?
My sound is always evolving. Everyone says I have eclectic
taste in music, which mostly means they like everything from
Purchase tickets for The Shooting Of’s album launch at
Newcastle Castle on Friday 18th March, priced at £5.00, from
newcastlecastle.co.uk.
26
“IT’S AN ALBUM OF TWO STORIES”
JAMES KRUMAN TO RELEASE A NEW EP
“PARMOS ARE ON ME!”
NAI HARVEST HEAD TO THINK TANK?
Ex Teesside-residing singer-songwriter, James Kruman, is set to
release his new EP so Hannah Dodsworth had a little chat to
discover more about what he’s currently working on.
Katt Mudd caught up with the Middlesbrough half of Nai
Harvest, Lew Currie, (drums) and got the low down on what
it’s like to be in a band that is slowly taking over the world.
Tell me a little bit about yourself and your music... how long
have you been playing and performing?
I’ve been performing for as long as I can remember it seems.
I think it first became real in about 2014 when I discovered
my current sound and my style.
Are you looking forward to coming back up to the North
East for your Newcastle show?
Yeah, we’re doing a short run with our pals in Abattoir Blues
for our single launch so that should be good! We’re definitely
looking forward to playing in the North East because I don’t
think we ever have.The tickets for that show in particular seem
to be selling really well too, so parmos are on me. Where do you get a lot of your influence from musically?
I’d say Lou Reed is really up there, especially in terms of
influencing my lyric styles and in creating abstract melancholic
stories. More recently I’ve felt that my environment has
influenced me greatly. I was in New York late last year and I
was bulging with ideas whilst walking the streets. A piece of
graffiti, over hearing two old people bickering. I’m not one
to sit down and dissect a newspaper for words, neither do I
write constantly to find something meaningful.
You’re currently working on your upcoming EP ‘Twitch’... what
can we expect to hear on it?
Well it’s turning into an album now. It’s long overdue. I’ve
got about eight songs that I’m happy with and a few more
that need shaping up a bit. It’s an album of two stories really,
there’s elements where it will be obvious to the listener
that I’m the folk singer that they’ve seen live, but there are
new elements where I stray; where I allow myself to create
something completely new to my sound. I’m not trying to
create anything pretty and polished though, it’s quite the
opposite I think.
What does the rest of 2016 hold for you?
I’m very much looking forward to my next North East gig in
May supporting Mark Morris of the Blue Tones. Last time I
supported him he was playing my guitar backstage; which was
a great experience. I’m on the bill with Danny Devon, who is a
great musician from Hartlepool; I have a lot of time for him.
Physical copies of the EP will be available on Bandcamp in April.
You toured America last year and played a few dates in New
York.What was that like?
CMJ was cool yeah, but it was pretty hard work carting all that
gear around on the subway with just the two of us.We had a
few friends in New York already so luckily we didn’t have to
scrape by for places to stay.And there was already a few other
bands we knew who were also playing the festival so it was nice
to catch up with them too.
Out of all of the venues you’ve played so far, which has been
your favourite?
That’s a hard question, but probably The Great Gatsby in
Sheffield.We’ve played so many shows there before they
stopped allowing them, not just with Nai Harvest either, so it
holds good memories for me and I’m sure for Ben too.They
were always wild regardless of how many people were there!
Do you have any advice for bands whose sound is a little
different than the majority and want to get to where you are?
It doesn’t make a difference what style of music you are, if
you want to get anywhere you’ve just got to put the graft in!
Whether you have a sound that’s considered a little different
to the majority or a sound that’s considered more mainstream,
if you’re putting out music and playing shows constantly you’re
going to be recognised for your work ethic.
You can catch Nai Harvest at Think Tank? in Newcastle on
Sunday 27th March.Tickets are available from seetickets.com.
27
INTERVIEWS
MARINA CELESTE HEADS TO THE REGION
“I HEAR THE NORTH EAST IS PERHAPS THE REAL HEART OF THE REAL PEOPLE OF THE UK“
Katie Cain spoke to Marina Celeste (the voice of Nouvelle
Vague) ahead of her two North East shows at The Green
Room, Stockton (5th) and The Cluny, Newcastle (4th).
We discussed her impressive discography, her wide range
of experiences and what she hopes 2016 will bring her.
How does it feel to have music so successful it appears on
TV shows such as Gossip Girl, Inbetweeners etc.?
To me it’s not that it feels like a success, it’s a journey and a
step forwards. I keep smiling as I’m grateful and I give back
all my love into my music as much as I can.
How are things going for you at the moment? Things appear
to be busy for you recently...
Fabulous, yet very scary. Paris has been a scary, passionate
(more than ever) and proud place to live these last months
and I’m fuelling my music with this energy.
Did you ever imagine being this successful across the world?
It’s a girls dream, and I’m not sure if I am in reality or not.
I’m happy though, so yes I think that is success in life. And
yes I have confidence but that doesn’t rely upon fans loving
my new music or coming to my shows. If I’m happy inside,
then I’m successful. If I can make some others happy for a
few minutes then that is successful. What are you looking forward to most about your visit to
the North East?
I’ve been to the UK a couple of times but I hear the North
East is perhaps the real heart of the real people of the UK.
Most of all, I want to meet everyone who is supporting me
and my music and make an unforgettable, unique evening for
me and my fans.
Will you be showcasing any new material at your North
East tour dates?
These are my new shows where I’ll be showcasing my new
sound with some enormous experimental changes and
surprises; I’m thrilled to be showcasing it to you all. Do you have any previous knowledge/opinions on the
North East music scene?
I hear you have a lot of rock? Is that right? I like rock
n rollers. Isn’t Bryan Ferry and Sting from the North
East? We’ve crossed paths a few times. Just to add, I like tall
handsome Englishmen. Are small intimate shows, such as The Green Room, your
favourite type of shows? Or are you more in to playing
larger venues with bigger stages?
Definitely smaller shows in intimate, nice, comfortable
spaces such as the Green Room - that’s what I love most
of all. I want to connect with everyone attending, feel the
energy of the crowd and soak up the atmosphere in the
air. I want it to be a personal, intimate show for everyone
involved - I like to thrive off the energy.
Is there anything you’d like to say to people planning on
coming to your shows this month?
All I can say is please come meet me. Say hello! Let’s have
a chat, thank you so much for coming to see me and I
promise I won’t disappoint.
Purchase tickets for Mariah’s gigs at The Green Room and
The Cluny at seetickets.com.
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INTERVIEWS
LEEDS BAND, MARSICANS, HEAD TO TEESSIDE
“ON STAGE WE GET BITTEN BY THIS BUG AND WE JUST THROW OURSELVES AROUND A LOT”
Speaking to the upbeat and lively Marsicans bassist, Rob, before
they play Stockton’s Ku Bar on Friday 11th March, Hannah
Dodsworth got to find out a little more about the band, vinyl,
and what to expect from their show.
Tell me a little bit about the band and how you got together
back in 2011…
We got together at school through a love of good music
and just started writing songs and doing covers of bands that
everyone liked at the time.About two years ago there was a
line-up change.When I joined the band, they had a different
bass player and it was a time in our lives where we all wanted
to make a career of it. It was a crystallising moment when we
were like right this is it, this is the only thing we ever want to
do.We kind of just decided we were going to do it.
So you’re from Leeds, what is it like selling out your home town
gigs, and do you think that there is a loyal fan base up North?
We’ve played in the North East a few times and the region is
really really great - I think it’s a very receptive place.You do get
that Northern charm, and I think Leeds is similar in the sense
that everyone’s quite friendly and accepting.You can play down
south and occasionally you might come across people a little bit
too cool for school and you don’t really get that up North.
Your current single ‘Arms of Another’ is available to buy
online digitally, and before that you had ’Gone in a Second’
available as a limited edition vinyl...why do you think there’s
been such a comeback for vinyl at the moment?
Funnily enough I work in a record store on a weekend just to
fund everything, and it’s amazing how it’s just come back in such
a big way. I think that people are coming onto the idea of just
having something tangible again, just something that you can
pick up and have on your shelf and have at home to look at.
30
When the whole digital revolution took place - especially with
streaming - you get a throw away nature to bands and artists in
the sense that you just listen to someone’s album that they’ve
spent two years writing and recording in ten minutes, and then
be like okay, not really into that.Whereas with vinyl you really
have to invest in something.
You play Stockton’s Ku Bar on the 11th March...what can the
audience expect from your performance?
Us playing some new music and playing it in a very animalistic
manner.We let loose a lot on stage. I think it’s fair to say we’re
quite mild mannered people, but on stage we get bitten by this
bug and we just throw ourselves around a lot.
What’s the highlight of your career so far?
We did our first UK tour and that was so much fun. Just
realising that you and four friends could just get in a van and
just fly around the country and people would be there to
accept you, that was a really nice feeling. It was quite validating
just to turn up to towns and cities that we’d never been before,
let alone played a gig and have people there with open arms.
What does the rest of 2016 hold for the band?
Lots of new music, lots of gigs, probably some ridiculous social
media posts.We’re building towards an EP that’s going to be
coming out at the back end of the year and it’s going to be
pressed on 12 inch vinyl.We’re going to bring out a series
of singles and you’ll be able to catch us on the road.We’ll be
at a few festivals, some confirmed and a few more we can’t
mention. It’s an exciting year for us.
Purchase tickets for the event, priced at £3.00 in advance, from
Sound It Out Records, Storytellers, and seetickets.com.
INTERVIEWS
SUNSET SONS HEAD TO NEWCASTLE
“WE WANT PEOPLE TO COME TO THE SHOWS AND BE AS INVOLVED AS WE ARE”
From selling programs at the Metro Radio Arena to playing
the Newcastle venue as support to Imagine Dragons, Sunset
Sons have a tale to tell. So Tyler Marriott speaks to drummer,
Jed Laidlaw, to find out more about the band before their
Newcastle return date.
Sunset Sons have been tipped for big things in 2016 by many
magazines, websites, and radio stations… is that something the
band believes can happen? And if so, are the band prepared?
You have to believe in yourself otherwise no one else is going
to.We think we’re prepared! So far, the gigs just keep getting
bigger and we think the songs we’ve written keep getting
better too.We feel like we are onto something.
‘Very Rarely Say Die’ is to be released on the 1st of April
2016…what was the collective crucial aim when the band
recorded the album?
We just really wanted to make a record that shows where we
are at the moment - where we have come from and where we
see the band going.When I listen to the record, I can hear all
the elements of the band that we have developed over the last
couple of years. It sounds exciting and urgent.There’s a little
nostalgia on there too.A little bit of everything.
Come the release of your album, however you personally
define success, what is the bands main goal from the albums
release?
We’re just really excited for people to be able to listen to the
album as a whole.We want to let fans of the band feel like they
have some ownership of the songs.We want people to come
to the shows and be as involved as we are.
32
What did the band gather from supporting Imagine Dragons,
in sell out Arenas, as it was not too long ago they themselves
were playing Academy shows?
We learnt that our songs can easily fill big rooms, which is nice.
And watching the guys (Imagine Dragons) every night was
really beneficial.They really put on a show. Dan (Reynolds) is an
amazing front man.
‘Remember’ and ‘Medicine’ are included on Guitar Hero Live...
what was the bands initial reaction of being chosen to have a
song, not only in a game, but on a guitar game?
We all went to play the game almost immediately after we
finished our set at Reading Festival last year. It’s pretty fun.We
were all taking the piss out of Rob (guitarist) because he was
the worst at it. It’s a compliment to be included in something
like that. Guitar Hero is an institution.
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The band are no strangers to The North East.What has been
your favourite memory of playing the North East and what is
your favourite venue?
I actually grew up in Tynemouth. I worked at the Arena selling
programs when I was a kid, so to go back last November and
play there was pretty special for me. I’ve got a pretty cool
photo with my Toon top on.
Sunset Sons play Newcastle University on Wednesday 23rd
March. Tickets for the gig and the rest of their UK tour can be
found at ticketmaster.co.uk.
Photography by MC Ferror
Visit the new website at: www.bigfigurepromotions.co.uk
INTERVIEWS
NEWCASTLE’S DALARO RELEASE NEW SINGLE
TYLER SPEAKS TO THE WONDER STUFF
REGARDING THEIR 30TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR
Dalaro, Newcastle’s own indie pop/rock band, have just
released their latest single ‘Youth’ after fans have been
waiting patiently since last summer. Nathan Douthwaite
caught up with the band to discuss the new single.
Tyler Marriott spoke to Miles Hunt of The Wonder Stuff
on surpassing 30 years in the music industry as well as the
forthcoming plans in 2016 including a tour (which includes a
Newcastle date) and a new album.
What are the influences on ‘Youth’?
The surroundings we were in played the biggest part in
how it sounded. We were in London mid-June last year and
it was at least 30 degrees so that made us want to write
a big summer tune. We always try to write big songs that
you could hear at festivals, stadiums and on the radio, so
that was the main thoughts when we were writing it.
Now the band is 30 years old, what has been the biggest
lesson the industry has taught you?
I’ve not been in an industry. I’m a singer, a guitarist and a
songwriter and after spending thirty years doing those things
and little else besides (it), I find myself being more than
satisfied with my life choices.
On the release you said it’s been a “long time coming”. Is
that because you had problems with recording/writing/
releasing this track?
We had the song fully wrote and recorded in a week, but
after some trouble with an old guitarist and gaining two
new ones we decided to wait and get the set sounding
100% the same with the new image. We wanted to be able
to start 2016 with a full new set of songs and a bigger and
better sound.
What are your plans for the rest of this year?
We have two more singles from the same set of recordings
to release which will be out before June/July. Then we have
three more ready to record; so this year will see six new
singles from us. We wanted to just release music all year
long.
Is there anything you want to say to your fans who have
downloaded or streamed ‘Youth’?
Just a massive thanks to everyone, it’s been a wait but
hopefully you’ll enjoy it and keep supporting us! It’s really
nice to have such a positive response to something we
have put loads of work into, so cheers for that.
Now the wait is over and you can listen to Dalaro’s ‘Youth’
via their Soundcloud page.
What would you say, if anything, would be the single best thing
and bad thing to come of the 1994 band split?
I got to do other things during the six years I wasn’t in The
Wonder Stuff. I presented TV and radio. I travelled extensively
across North America. I wrote, recorded and performed
music that I didn’t have to make sure fitted comfortably under
the moniker of The Wonder Stuff. I worked with musicians and
producers, (an opportunity) I wouldn’t have had if The Wonder
Stuff continued through the end of the 90s.
What can we expect from the release of the band’s new
album on the 18th of March?
People can expect eleven brand new songs written over a
period of ten months, recorded by producer Simon Efemey
(and) recorded in Stourbridge.
And the final question, what have you made of the support to
the bands Pledge campaign?
The campaign isn’t over yet, so I have no idea whether using
Pledge Music has had any real effect or not. I hope it does
though!
The Wonder Stuff will be playing at Newcastle’s O2 Academy
on Friday 25th March.Tickets, priced at £22.50 including
booking fee, can be found at ticketweb.co.uk.
Photography by Nick Sayers
35
GIG REVIEWS
Gabrielle Aplin
at 02 Academy, Newcastle - 03/02/2016
The main room at the O2 Academy was less than half full
for the show but that didn’t stop Gabrielle Aplin putting on
a spine-tingling performance of hits from her two UK top
20 albums. Gabrielle opened the show with a track from her
‘Light Up The Dark’ Album, in ‘Coming Home’.With little
to no light coming from the stage, everyone’s eyes and ears
were fixed to the Wiltshire singer-songwriter from the get go.
Gabrielle played her way through hits from both albums which
the sparse crowd thoroughly enjoyed, whilst also breaking
in the middle of her own hits to produce a sweet cover of
David Bowie’s ‘Space Oddity’ which was very similar in style
to her hugely successful cover of ‘The Power Of Love’ from
2013.The interactions were short but sweet, although she
was very impressed to have a cup holder on her microphone
stand which amused the audience. One gig-goer did draw
laughter from Aplin midway through ‘Please Don’t Say You
Love Me’ by yelling out “I love yer”, with this expressing the
true intimacy of the gig.Aplin left the stage to huge hit ‘Sweet
Nothing’ to then re-appear for an encore comprised of
‘Salvation’ and ‘Home’ which brought the show to a close in
a fantastic manner. It was an all round great night and fantastic
performance from Aplin, but it was just a shame that there
wasn’t a bigger crowd to witness it.
THE NME AWARDS TOUR AT 02 ACADEMY, NEWCASTLE – 04/02/2016
Written and photographed by Adam Barnsley
NME has become a household name over the years with mass
amounts of experience and knowledge behind them as a music
magazine.And it’s such abig part of so many music lover’s lives
that the NME Awards has also become a household name;
dating back to 1953 were there was only 5 categories! This
years’ NME Awards ceremony occurred on February 17th at
London’s Brixton Academy, but as a warm up to the highlyanticipated event, NME gives us a flavour of the contestants via
their NME Awards Tour beginning just weeks before the final
ceremony.
The 11-date tour has visited the major music cities across the
UK, not failing the North East by visiting Newcastle mid-way
through their jam packed tour.And the Geordie faithful did not
fail in giving the bands a lively, non-stop show.
The line up consisted of four upcoming alternative artists at the
forefront of the alternative music scene. Bugzy Malone, Rat Boy,
Drenge and Bloc Party were the four chosen representatives
of the popular alternative scene and did a fantastic job at
showcasing a reason to celebrate live, alternative music.
Bugzy Malone did appear to be a strong, powerful rap artist
that some of the crowd did respond well to, but perhaps the
appearance as first act caused his performance to suffer a
little from a lack of warmth. Nevertheless, the delivery was
passionate and lively and did make an excellent attempt to liven
and energise the crowd.
Second act, Rat Boy, has been tarnished with the accusations
that he is essentially a:“rip off of Jamie T” and causes many
people to wrongly assume that he’s lacking any sort of talent
or originality.And although they may be partly right about the
Jamie T rip off accusation, you can’t argue with how the crowd
suddenly appeared to lurch into life and sing and chant along
with his tracks. Plus, it can’t be a bad thing to take inspiration
from an artist, especially one as successful and innovative
as Jamie T himself.You also can't argue with the success his
new release and upcoming tour have received, but seeing a
crowd as energetic and enthusiastic as they were for such a
new upcoming alternative act is substance enough to actually
consider the artist in a slightly different light. Misconceptions
could be changed by seeing the act for yourself, and you might
be surprised how easy is it to be sucked into the teenage hype
around the new alternative act.And, he did contribute a great
deal of energy to the NME Awards tour, we can’t disregard that
now can we?
But it seems despite their support slot title, Drenge were the
true acts to completely blow the entire competition out of
the water. Stars of the show, Drenge, are renowned for their
attitude-packed hearty songs that are fuelling the alternative
scene.And it seems there’s absolutely no stopping the rock
group who continue to leap from strength to strength as time
progresses; and their popularity and recognition is following. It’s
refreshing and exciting to see an alternative band as successful
and talented as Drenge and to see such a lively, dedicated
support. Many of the crowd sang along with each track,
both old and new, showing a dedication stretching beyond
the newest album.An energetic teenage angst was evidently
present within the O2 Academy tonight.
Headliners of the show, Bloc Party, could’ve benefitted from
kicking the show off with more familiar, upbeat tracks to really
spark the crowd up but nevertheless the band did present
themselves professionally and executed their own material
well.And with familiar songs being performed such as ‘Flux’
and ‘Helicopter’, fans did warm up to the band and responded
well overall.The band was a good and strong selection for the
NME Awards tour, although they were slightly overshadowed
by Dredge. However, the overall line up selection was varied
sufficiently and covered most areas of the alternative scene
which was great to see.
Written by Katie Cain
37
REVIEWS
GIGGIG
REVIEWS
The Front Bottoms
+ Kevin Devine & the Goddamn Band
at the Riverside, Newcastle – 06/02/2016
Playing alongside The Front Bottoms in the support slot was
Kevin Devine & the Goddamn Band.The band feature a similar
style and general persona as The Front Bottoms and their
energetic songs are both quirky and humorous. Headliners,
The Front Bottoms, are becoming increasingly popular with
each day that passes.And their music is renowned for being the
perfect blend of hilarity and utter indie heaven; which seems
to attract such a large following from across the whole world.
Last year The Front Bottoms played Newcastle, and within the
space of the year the band have upgraded venues and even
managed to sell out tickets - so the crowd packed out the
space wall to wall.Whilst waiting with heavy anticipation, the
crowd became quickly charged with energy which resulted
in them erupting the minute the first note was played by the
popular group from America. It was incredible to see an entire
room erupt for the band. Every single member of the crowd
lurched into singing, dancing and jumping to each and every
song.A blend of older tracks from their previous releases, and
new songs from their most recent album release,‘Back On
Top’ provided them with an exceptional set that did not lapse
once; the energy continued to flow from the first note right up
until the very last. It was a truly exceptional example of how to
successfully work a crowd and how to truly perform.
Written by Katie Cain
Eliza and the Bear
at The Georgian Theatre, Stockton – 12/02/2016
Written by Callum Thornhill | Photography by Kylie Cobain
38
Unlike other boy bands, Eliza and the Bear (EATB) didn’t
draw in a crowd of admiring teenage girls.They drew in a
venue packed with middle-aged music lovers that soaked up
the positive, upbeat music. It was a strange experience to
not be surrounded by wild, energetic fans. However, towards
the (non-existing) barrier, younger fans were jumping around
and throwing their limbs everywhere - especially when they
were told:“Let me see your hands!” during ‘Talk’.Tracks such
as ‘Oxygen’,‘Cruel’ and ‘Upon The North’ were played. But it
was towards the end of the set when EATB played betterknown songs that the crowd went nuts. Because of the venue’s
size, there were no ‘wings’ for the band to wait in while fans
chanted “One more song!” over and over again. Instead, they
left the stage via a staircase leading to literally nothing before
returning seconds later. Frontman James Kellegher told fans:“In
2014 we made an album.” Said album will finally be released
in April. If it’s as good as their live performance was, Eliza and
the Bear will receive the appreciation they deserve.After
playing ‘Friends’, which is featured on an advert for Bulmers
and received airplay on Radio 1, Kellegher shouted:“You have
one more chance to lose your shit!” before playing their, in
my opinion, biggest hit – ‘It Gets Cold’.This was the moment
we had all been waiting for in terms of atmosphere. Everyone,
even the elder members of the crowd, danced to it and it
topped off a wonderful evening.
GIG REVIEWS
Cage the Elephant
+ Chrome Pony at Riverside, Newcastle – 15/02/2016
Cage the Elephant caused chaos at Riverside, Newcastle from
the first note to the very last. From the moment they took
the stage the sold-out crowd surged forwards and backwards,
smashing into the sound desk every few seconds. It was
madness as security had to be placed between sound desk
and barrier to prevent fans being crushed into equipment.
It’s rare nowadays for a front-man to only play vocals in a
band. Shultz took a ‘backseat’ role in Cage The Elephant.
Actually, no.This was no backseat. He was in the driving
seat, taking the crowd and himself on a kamikaze journey.
Frequently throwing himself into the crowd and on top of
bandmates, Matt Shultz’ energy was incredible.The band from
Bowling Green, Kentucky played a number of tracks from
their new album, ‘Tell Me I’m Pretty’ including ‘Sweetie Little
Jean’, ‘Mess Around’ and ‘Punchin’ Bag.’ Alongside these was
the usually relaxed ballad, ‘Trouble’ with Shultz pointing the
microphone to the crowd before somehow turning it into
another mental anthem. But the highlight of the evening was
the penultimate track, ‘Cigarette Daydream’ as the crowd
briefly calmed down as Shultz crooned through it. No Cage
the Elephant show is ever complete without a Matt Shultz
crowd walk too, so he decided to leap right across the barrier
before standing up and continuing the wild antics. It’s difficult
to think of a band that displayed the same energy and passion
that Cage The Elephant brought to Newcastle tonight and it
was great to watch.
Written by Callum Thornhill | Photography by Kate Hathaway
Twenty One Pilots
at 02 Academy, Newcastle - 19/02/2016
Written by Katie Hall
Twenty One Pilots are quickly becoming an international
phenomenon. Despite a packed out crowd and a heavy sense
of anticipation, there was no let down as the pair came to the
stage dressed all in black with faces covered.The whole room
seemed to know every line, as frontman Tyler Joseph spits out
every word bang on beat. ‘HeavyDirtySoul’ ends with the pair
unveiling themselves to immense applause, and so on it goes.
Brief costume changes occur, once again in pitch black, as
the skeleton hoodie is swapped for sunglasses, Hawaiian
shirts and a ukelele. It seems almost impossible that it’s the
same man who had stormed about the stage, as instead we
heard the sweetest, somewhat brief, rendition of ‘House of
Gold’ leading in to ‘The Judge’. Later on, the mood suddenly
becomes surprisingly intimate, despite the sold out crowd, as
they play a medley of their early hits. Never ones to shy away
from the challenge, Dun even climbed aboard a platform held
up by the crowd to finish ‘Ride’ and Tyler once again spiced
the evening up by scaling the side of the venue for the end of
‘Car Radio’. ‘Trees’ topped off the set with a drum battle from
on top of the crowd; yet everything was pulled off without
problem - or major injury. Completely changing character
between songs, but every minute having such insane energy
that would have kept the audience bouncing all night,Twenty
One Pilots can only be described as stunning.You’ve got to
see it to believe it.
41
GIG REVIEWS
Love The Sinner
at Trillians, Newcastle – 19/02/2016
Tonight saw Newcastle’s Love The Sinner bring their blend
of hard rock and blues to Newcastle’s Trillians Rock bar to
launch their new EP ‘Negatives’. Opening with the EP’s first
track ‘State of Society’, for which they have recently recorded
a music video, the band then rattled through a set consisting
of new songs and more established fan favourites; to the
delight of the packed venue. Love The Sinner’s combination
of driving guitar riffs and catchy vocal hooks offers something
genuinely different on the Newcastle circuit - a confident
brand of heavy music without the manufactured angst that
often plagues the genre.There is no doubt that frontman
Andy Carroll is one of the band’s greatest assets, and he was
on excellent form tonight. Andy exercised remarkable vocal
control on songs such as ‘Death of Me’ and ‘Secrets of the
Sand’ which gave the band an impressive versatility; especially
when combined with flawless harmonies from drummer Paul
Thompson. Ben Cleaver (bass) and Jonny Wright (guitar)
were dependable as always, grooving away and providing the
bouncing riffs that are the staple of the band’s sound.
Set highlights included ‘Spark The Fuse’, which features on
‘Negatives’, as well as an airing of the blues-drenched ‘Shell’
taken from the band’s eponymous debut.The pinnacle of
the night, however, came with ‘Paradise’ where the audience
joined Carroll in full voice on a song that perhaps best
demonstrates what this band is capable of.
Written by Al Hall | Photography by Jordan Smith
Ryley Walker and Danny Thompson
+ Meg Baird at ARC, Stockton – 23/02/2016
Written by Nathan Douthwaite
42
Opening the night was Meg Baird - founding member and the
lead female vocalist of Philadelphia psychedelic folk rock band,
Espers. She played a peaceful set of acoustic/folk songs that
had the crowd flocking to by her music straight after her set.
Next up, and from the minute Walker and the legendary
Danny Thompson walked onto the stage, they stunned the
crowd with ballad after ballad of fantastic melodies.
Thompson, rocking his double bass even in his old age, and
Walker’s insane talent on the guitar created one of the best
partnerships I’ve ever seen.Walker, who is from America,
constantly engaged with his crowd; talking about beef and
ale pies,Yorkshire puddings and even the infamous Teesside
parmo.When one crowd member asked how the two
musicians met,Thompson replied with: “We met in a book
store.” From there a range of peculiar stories were thrown
around about how the duo had met, with Walker adding:
“We’re in the same bowling league.” With two albums under
his belt,Walker had an arsenal of music to play from in which
he chose tracks like ‘On the Banks of the Old Kishwaukee’
and ‘Sweet Satisfaction’ off of his second album ‘Primrose
Green.’ Adding to the setlist,Walker stunned the crowd on
the title track ‘Primrose Green’ in which both musicians
received a huge round of applause for. It was a fantastic night
provided by the much-anticipated collaboration between two
of contemporary folk’s finest artists.
43
ALBUM/EP/SINGLE REVIEWS
Abel Raise the Cain ‘Million Dollar Night’
Single Review
Abel Raise the Cain’s new single,
‘Million Dollar Night’ draws on the
soundscapes inspirations by Arcade
Fire, Sigur Ros and Editors. ‘Million
Dollar Night’ is an atmospheric
encounter of harmonies and
keys that embeds a feeling of
emotiveness and quality. The latter
being an encounter preordained
by guitarist Sean Crichton’s vocals
which truly embarks on the journey
of the songs composition - from
drawing on an intense build-up
throughout the verse to the
chorus (in which the alignment
of vocals and instruments comes
to a sensual climax of rhythm),
to the progressive ending to a
song bursting with life. The sheer
magnitude of Abel Raise the Cain’s
soundscape allows for listeners to
imaginatively visualise scenery way
beyond the streets of the North
East and more so the tranquil
surroundings of a lake - something
hopefully the band can somehow
transcend live. ‘Million Dollar Night’
will surely cement the feeling
of home for the band within a
propounded genre.
The band will be playing this year’s
Stockton Calling Festival as part
of their single launch for ‘Million
Dollar Night’. For more information
regarding the band and the new single
please follow Abel Raise the Cain on
Facebook/AbelRaiseTheCain.
Written by Tyler Marriott
Boy Jumps Ship - ‘Wake Up’
Album Review
Dansi – ‘Self-Titled’
EP Review
‘Wake up’ is the debut album from
Newcastle-based four-piece, Boy
Jumps Ship. It seems to have been a
long time coming for this album to hit
the shelves as these lads have been
on the scene for a few years now;
smashing venues up and down the
country and even touring Europe.
The album opens with ‘Burn’, which
is the first single to be released from
the album. ‘Burn’ has deservedly been
championed by some big names
already such as Radio 1’s Daniel P
Carter, Kerrang and MTV Rocks to
name a few. If you’re familiar with the
band’s previously released EP ‘Lovers
& Fighters’ you’ll recognise the track
‘Make You Proud’ which is number
6.The album brings back nostalgic
sounds of the early 2000’s pop punk
era but also brings its own modern
twist.There are also similarities to
bands such as New Found Glory,
You Me At Six and even the odd
Tom Delonge-esque vocal from lead
vocalist, Si Todd. Look out for tracks
such as ‘Hell’ and ‘Lost & Found’
with their feet-stomping beats and
sing-a-long choruses as they’re sure
to be big tracks in 2016.The lads will
be crowning the release of the album
with a huge hometown show on 23rd
April at the O2 Academy which is
sure to be full of the usual energy and
passion that they’re known for.
Dansi consists of generally three
members in Wilf Stone, Paul
Holdsworth and John Lambeth. Bred
in Northumberland, the band blends
emotion with acoustic melody into
their debut self-titled EP which is set
to be released at a launch show at
The Cluny, Newcastle on Saturday
23rd April. Leading single ‘Clearly’ is
the perfect song to describe the band.
It drastically changes sound from
natural melodic guitar and comforting
vocals to an army of nurtured
trumpets, electric guitar and drums.
The track is a soundscape similar of
that to Paolo Nutini. In fact, don’t be
surprised if the band crack a creative
breakthrough by releasing a track that
appeals to mainstream listeners.
Second track ‘Folk on the Hillside’
proves to follow the formula shown
in the opening track ‘Clearly’.With
both encapsulating progressive
soundscapes through effective
orchestration, it’s a clear product
of hard work and close detail to
production. ‘Rocks of Lime’ also
shows a coherent theme nestling into
the EP’s writing style; a very naturistic
lyric body, comparing each song from
the EP to the adventures woodland
landscapes of England, makes the
listener no Sherlock Holmes.The
references are there in plain sight. Just
like pure emotion in the lead vocals,
it is there for the listener to feel
and emphasise in.The EP comes to
a draw on final track ‘We All Fall’, an
optimistic track contrary to the title.
You can pre-order the album now on
itunes and Musicglue. Official release
date - 22nd April.
Written by Adam Barnsley
Tickets to Dansi’s EP Launch on
the 23rd of April can be purchased
in advance from The Cluny, Reflex
Records, RPM Music and Seetickets.
Driven Serious ‘Ballad of Bones’
Single Review
‘Ballad of Bones’ by self-proclaimed
Durham-ish punk/folk/rock band,
Driven Serious, has a truly unique
sound. And on third listening I keep
pausing to absorb the different
chapters of this melodic story.There
is hard-core folk, an undeniable nod
to “pirate-core” (does that exist?
Well, it does now), a traditional
booming drum, fiddle and cello in
addition to Rob Jones’ folky vocals.
The end result is a song I have
learned to love, and it will certainly
be added to the in-car playlist. I’m
wondering if a certain period drama
set in the Northumberland wilds had
any influence on this sound. I would
certainly expect to hear this on the
soundtrack of such a show. I wonder
if the Kynren show (an epic live action
tale of England in Bishop Auckland)
has finalised the music? This would be
great in a triumphant final scene.
The song is a journey: “carried down
the river on song” and so very English.
It has a raw Anglo-Saxon feeling that
you rarely get in modern music.This is
a brave direction to go in, but there’s
room for someone to slot into the
Jethro Tull-niche. And if the songs are
this good, there’s a chance Driven
Serious could have similar success.
Look out for the band at festivals this
summer, especially piratey ones!
Fleckt Pets – ‘War Cry’
EP Review
Teesside band Fleckt Pets have just
released ‘War Cry’, the second EP
from the Middlesbrough band who
are currently signed to Moon Stone
Records.The four-piece also released
a video for the title-track, ‘War Cry’
at the start of the year. Right from the
beginning of the seven-track EP, you’re
hit with heavy, punk guitars and raw
vocals and the talent and creativity
amassed within Fleckt Pets becomes
clear. Carried by fuzzy guitars
and heavy drum beats, the punk
undercurrents throughout the rest of
the EP are what make it so compelling
and engaging.Tracks such as ‘Roach’
and ‘Aitor, Please Don’t Leave Me
Too…’ provide more elements of a
rock edge, where the title-track, ‘War
Cry’ is the most energetic of the
seven; driven by angsty vocals that are
expertly provided by Tom Barber. Lyrically, the band are as brutally
honest as they were in their first
release (‘This Is Our Punk’, May
2015) and politically charged lines are
threaded throughout the entirety of
‘War Cry’. Although it can be dark at
times, this EP is a shining example of
everything that is great about local,
underground rock. This is folk, evolved for the modern
market. If that sounds like your idea of
good listening, get downloading now
on Amazon.
The band have just launched the EP
at Saltburn’s Cons Club, and if you
weren’t there then you definitely
missed out.This is a band heading for
big things, in my eyes, in not just the
North East but the UK as a whole.
You can now purchase ‘War Cry’ on
itunes.
Written by Jo Oliver
Written by Emma Bolland
Matt Wilde ‘Penny to My Name’
Single Review
Matt Wilde, formally the frontman
of well-known Teesside band Young
Rebel Set, has just released his first
solo single in ‘Penny to My Name’.
The single has a folk and Gaelic
sound to it which is complemented
fantastically by Matt’s raw edge, husky
vocals. Matt’s voice blends perfectly
with the arrangement of the song - it
reminds me of nights in Irish bars with
folk singers telling stories of lost loves
and family troubles. He starts the
track off lightly but then builds it up
to express how he’s really feeling, and
the heartfelt and powerful lyrics show
just how strong the impact of lyrics
have on the overall feel of a song.
It appears the words are close to
Matt’s heart, as I feel like he must have
actually had the fatherly conversation
(which runs through the track) with
his own Father at some point.The
song feels very authentic, and the
line “Don’t piss it all away” is typical
Northern fatherly advice – stating,
in a more straight edge way, that you
should always be looking towards the
future and financial independence.
You can see why Matt was voted
NME Songwriter of the year a few
years ago as he is real in what he
writes. He writes with true emotions
on topics that everyone can relate to
at some point in their life, and it really
touches on the heartstrings.
You can now purchase ‘Penny to My
Name’ on Itunes.
Written by Lisa Bartos
Written by Tyler Marriott
44
45
NE VOLUME GIG LISTINGS
1st March
• Bre Musiq.The Hambletonian,
Norton.
2nd March
• Battle Of The Bands Featuring
Clippah + The Pasolas + Richard
McMahon’s Western Sky. Filthy’s,
Newcastle. Free.
• Sundara Karma.Think Tank?,
Newcastle. £8.80 Adv.
• Fearless Vampire Killers + Vukovi +
Miss Vincent + ILSER. O2 Academy 2,
Newcastle. £11.25 Adv.
• So What.Tap and Spile, Guisborough.
Free.
3rd March
• Battle Of The Bands Semi Final
Featuring Wagjammer + Shard Of Ruin
+ A day In Helsinki. Bubbles,Ashington.
Free.
• Alphabetti Acoustic Featung Rory
Connor + Birze.Alphabetti Theatre,
Newcastle. £5.00 Adv.
• Black Honey.Think Tank?, Newcastle.
£6.60 Adv.
• Whirling Dervish Presents: I Set The
Sea On Fire + Scarlett & Saffron + Ilser.
TSOne, Middlesbrough. Free.
• Trendkill. XIII at The Deck, Redcar.
£3.00 OTD.
4th March
• Gasto Promotions Presents:The Eric
Bell Band + Gary Grainger. Forum
Music Centre, Darlington. £12.00.
• Shine Like Stars Presents: Fickle
Friends + Monogram + Be Quiet,
Shout Loud! Ku Bar, Stockton. £7.00
Adv.
• Crease. Sticky Fingers, Middlesbrough.
Free.
• Sam Dickenson & Band.Alphabetti
Theatre, Newcastle. £10.00 Adv.
• Fizzy Fish. Cleveland Hotel, Redcar.
Free.
• Claire Jayne Allport + Two’s A Crowd,
Musiclounge, Stockton. £2.00 OTD.
• Sponge Divers.The Voyager, South
Shields. Free.
• Hi Fi Spitfires + Fire Lady Luck
+ Snideremarks. Synthonia Club,
Billingham. £3.50 Adv/£4.50 OTD.
5th March
• Minus Me presents: Graham Day and
The Forefathers.The Georgian Theatre,
Stockton. £10.00 Adv (S.T.B.F) /£13.00
OTD. 46
• Pin Drop Promotions
Presents: Marina Céleste.The Green
Room, Stockton. £8.00 Adv (S.T.B.F)
/£10.00 OTD.
• Plugged Out Presents: Ron Brown.
Chaplins, Sunderland. Free.
• Stockton Calling Sessions Featuring
Dodgy. Stockton High Street. Free.
• Justice Rising.The Cleveland Hotel,
Redcar.
• Sunderland Blues Club Presents:
Mitch Laddie Band + Support.
Independent, Sunderland. Free.
• Contraband. Railway Tavern,
Darlington. Free.
• Four Letter Word. O’Connells,
Middlesbrough. Free.
6th March
• Jamie Farrell. Head of Steam, Norton.
Free.
• Bernie and the Blue Notes.The
Voyager, South Shields. Free.
• Big Figure Promotions Presents:
The De Rellas.Westgarth Social Club,
Middlesbrough. £5.00 Adv/£7.50 OTD.
8th March
• Insangel Introducing Presents: Grip +
Temple Avenue + TBC + Adam George
Brown.The Three Tuns, Gateshead.
Free.
• Big Figure Promotions Presents:
Joe Gideon Featuring Jim Sclavunos.
Westgarth Social Club, Middlesbrough.
£8.00 Adv/£10.00 OTD.
9th March
• The Stranglers. 02 Academy,
Newcastle. £27.00 Adv.
10th March
• Uberoon. Ernest, Newcastle.
Donation Only, in Aid of Cruelty Free
International.
• White Hills. Head of Steam,
Newcastle. £11.00 Adv.
• DMF Music Ltd Presents:The
Selecter.ARC, Stockton. £17.50 Adv.
• Whirling Dervish Presents:Twister +
PussyWillowFurryVenus + The Likkor
Men.TSOne, Middlesbrough. Free.
11th March
• Darlington R’n’B Club Presents:
The Connie Lush Band. Forum Music
Centre, Darlington. £12.00.
• Shine Like Stars Presents: Marsicans
+ Shoot the Poet + Major Matilda. Ku
Bar, Stockton. £3.00 Adv.
• Big Sigh & the Yawns. Saltburn House,
Saltburn. Free to Members and £1.00
OTD to Non-Members.
• Insangel Presents: Bez + The Clone
Roses + Eli. Loveshack, Durham.
£12.00.
• Hyena Kill.Think Tank?, Newcastle.
£6.60 Adv.
• Boycott the Radio + Cellar Door.
Musiclounge, Stockton. £2.00 OTD.
Revolutionaries.The Voyager, South
Shields. Free.
12th March
• Weird Shapes. Sticky Fingers,
Middlesbrough. Free.
• Chaos 8 + Juratory + Murdaball +
Uncle Paf. 02 Academy, Newcastle.
£6.00 Adv/£8.00 OTD.
• ‘A Night to Remember’ Charity
Night for Alzheimer’s Society.The
Georgian Theatre, Stockton. £5.00 Adv
(S.T.B.F) /£7.00 OTD.
• Turin Brakes.The Cluny, Newcastle.
£20.00 Adv.
• Plugged Out Presents: Steve Tiss.
Chaplins, Sunderland. Free.
• Traams.Think Tank?, Newcastle. £7.70
Adv.
• Stockton Calling Sessions Featuring
Neville Staple Band. Stockton High
Street. Free.
• Death to Indie + Support +
Late Night Soul Reggae Sessions.
Musiclounge, Stockton. £2.00 OTD.
• Twist Helix.The Cluny 2, Newcastle.
£5.00 Adv.
• Midnite Blue. Railway Tavern,
Darlington. Free.
• So What.The Green Inn, Skelton. Free
• 101. O’Connells, Middlesbrough. Free.
13th March
• Heck.Think Tank?, Newcastle. £8.80
Adv.
• Emmy the Great.The Cluny,
Newcastle. £14.00 Adv.
• Jake Hope. Head of Steam, Norton.
Free.
17th March
• Dust Town Dogs. Forum Music
Centre, Darlington. £10.00.
• The O Casinos + Ian Campbell +
Dave Red. Chaplins, Sunderland. Free.
• Whirling Dervish Presents: Sirens In
The Delta + Of Allies +Sherbet Flies
+ Zoltan & The Son Tan Sams.TSOne,
Middlesbrough. Free.
• The Stuntmen. O’Connells,
Middlesbrough. Free.
18th March
• Driven Serious. Sticky Fingers,
Middlesbrough. Free.
• Scratch The Surface.The Normanby,
Middlesbrough. Free.
• Cornerstone + Ashes of Insurrection.
Musiclounge, Stockton. £2.00 OTD.
• Stiff Little Fingers + Ricky Warwick
and The Fighting Hearts. 02 Academy,
Newcastle. £20.81 Adv.
• The John Verity Band (Ex Argent) &
Kindred Spirit. Hartlepool Supporters
Club. £6.00 OTD.
• The Shooting Of...Album Launch.
Newcastle Castle. £5.00 Adv.
• Last Years Model.The Voyager, South
Shields. Free.
19th March
• The Paradimes. Forum Music Centre,
Darlington. £7.00 Adv.
• Plugged Out Presents: Jack Bowden.
Chaplins, Sunderland. Free.
• Stockton Calling Sessions Featuring
Lisbon + Mark Morriss. Stockton High
Street. Free.
• Ten Feet Tall Presents: King King +
Laurence Jones.ARC, Stockton. £20.00
Adv.
• Heather Terry’s Day. Musiclounge,
Stockton.
• Twister. Railway Tavern, Darlington.
Free.
• A Festival,A Parade EP Launch.The
Cluny, Newcastle. £3.00 Adv.
• Syndicate 66. O’Connells,
Middlesbrough. Free.
20th March
• Truth Hurts Unplugged Sessions.
Alphabetti Theatre, Newcastle. £3.00
Adv.
• Plugged Out Presents:Ashley
Humble.The Ship Isis, Sunderland. Free.
• Andrew Johnson. Head of Steam,
Norton. Free.
• Boneshakers.The Voyager, South
Shields. Free.
16th March
22nd March
14th March
• Battle Of The Bands Heat 7 Featuring
Eden Rejects + Razor Jack + Love The
Sinner. Filthy’s, Newcastle. Free.
• Eabhal + Support.Alphabetti Theatre,
Newcastle. £5.00 Adv/£7.00 OTD.
• Ellie Goulding + John Newman.
Metro Radio Arena, Newcastle. £32.50
Adv.
• Insangel Introducing Presents:
Columbus Dixon + Jamie Farrell Band
+ High Tide In Tokyo + None Of The
Above.The Three Tuns, Gateshead.
Free.
• Dub Pistols.Think Tank?, Newcastle.
£14.30 Adv.
23rd March
• Battle Of The Bands Feautirng Pop
Is Dead + Pretty Livid Imps + All OUt
Attack. Filthy’s, Newcastle. Free.
• Sunset Sons. Newcastle University
Students Union. £13.20 Adv.
• Fleecetonbury Festival, Northallerton.
£17.50 Day or £30.00 Weekend.
• Valley Dogs. O’Connells,
Middlesbrough. Free.
• JD and The Woodsmen. Billy Row
Club, Crook. £5.00 Adv/£7.00 OTD.
24th March
27th March
• Alive in Videoland.The Cluny 2,
Newcastle. £10.00 Adv.
• So What.The Victoria, Saltburn. Free.
• Amelia Coburn. Hambletonian,
Norton.
• Hawaiian Moonshine Club Presents:
The Middens + Support. Blue Lounge,
Redcar. £3.00 OTD.
25th March
• The Vibrators + The Relitics. Forum
Music Centre, Darlington. £8.00 Adv.
• The Last Shadow Puppets.
Middlesbrough Town Hall. £35.00 Adv.
• DIY Magazine & All Mapped Out
Presents: Tigercub.The Georgian
Theatre, Stockton. £5.00 Adv
(S.T.B.F) /£7.00 OTD.
• Paradox Presents: Late Night Legacy
+ A Day In Helsinki + Richie Docherty
+ Ellis Raymer & Micky Chapman.
Musiclounge, Stockton.£2.00 OTD.
• The Wonder Stuff 30th Anniversary.
02 Academy, Newcastle. £22.50 Adv.
• Ma Kelly’s Boys.The Ranch, South
Shields. Free.
• Dean James Album Launch.
Independent, Sunderland. £4.00 OTD.
• So What.The Maine Hotel, Seaton
Carew.
• Big Figure Promotions Presents:
Middlesbrough Calling Featuring The
Membranes + Klammer + Flies On You
+ Fat Spatula + Flecky Pets.Westgarth
Social Club, Middlesbrough. £9.00
Adv/£12.00 OTD.
• Monkey Puzzle + Diddley Squat.
Cluny 2, Newcastle. £5.00 OTD.
• Rock Rampage feat Metallica,
Blink182 and Limp Bizkit Tributes.
Middlesbrough Town Hall. £10.00 Adv.
• All Day Festival. XIII at the Deck,
Redcar. £3.00 OTD.
• Plugged Out Presents:Alan Jones.The
Ship Isis, Sunderland. Free.
• Nai Harvest.Think Tank?, Newcastle.
£7.70 Adv.
• The Gathering Special. Independent,
Sunderland. £10.00 Adv.
• Hyde & Beast + Para Alta + Plaza
+ Lissie’s Heart Murmur.The Studio,
Hartlepool. £5.00 Adv/£7.00 OTD.
• Fleecetonbury Festival, Northallerton.
£17.50 Day.
• Andi Grainger. Head of Steam,
Norton. Free.
• Where The Wild Things Are Festival.
Woodland Event at a Secret Venue.
28th March
• Truth Hurts Unplugged Sessions.
Alphabetti Theatre, Newcastle. £3.00
Adv.
• Baggy Mondays.The Voyager, South
Shields. Free.
30th March
• Battle Of The Bands Feaurirng
Bloomsfield + RMXS + The Sour Dogs.
Filthy’s, Newcastle. Free.
31st March
• The Professionals + Loaded 44.The
Cluny, Newcastle. £14.00 Adv.
26th March
• Phat Tyrtles. Sticky Fingers,
Middlesbrough. Free.
• Long Wave. Saltburn House, Saltburn.
Free to Members and £1.00 OTD to
Non-Members.
• Stockton Calling. £16.00 Adv (S.T.B.F).
• Plugged Out Presents: Day Release.
Chaplins, Sunderland. Free.
• DIIV. Riverside, Newcastle. £12.65
Adv.
• The Spitfires + The Middens.The
Cluny, Newcastle. £7.00 Adv.
• Mapped Out Presents:Tigercub.The
Cluny 2, Newcastle. £5.00 Adv.
• The Flying V’s & Acoustic Freeway.
Hartlepool Supporters Club. £5.00
OTD.
• Suspect Device. Railway Tavern,
Darlington. Free.
Add your April
gigs for FREE by
emailing our team at
[email protected]
Want to make your
gig stand out more?
Contact our team at
[email protected]
for more details.
47