Narc. Magazine Online
Reliably informed
David Saunders digs into the line-up for this year’s sonic adventure
Image: Snayx by Leila Rummery
Stockton’s newest new music festival is back bigger and bolder for 2024. The Gathering Sounds take places on Saturday 28th September and will bring over 40 artists, from up-and-coming acts to established favourites, to venues in Stockton for one whole day of fun.
Organised by KU/The Social Room’s Jimmy Beck, collaborations will include stages curated by guest promoters UNDER THE INFLUENCE, This Feeling and Famous Last Words to create a fun and exciting festival with something to suit all tastes.
IF YOU LIKE…
Banging headliners
This year’s headliners include North Wales’ The Royston Club, whose vibrant brand of anthemic and melodic indie has been setting venues around the UK ablaze; South London’s Fat Dog, whose genre-blurring blend of dance and punk and unpredictable live shows have reinvigorated the alt. music scene; and Stroud duo Wings of Desire, who draw inspiration from visual arts, and 20th Century counterculture to produce a sound embracing noughties indie, post-punk and krautrock.
Plus, there’s top spot sets from hard-hitting punk rock trio Snayx; Birmingham noisemakers Overpass; Chesterfield’s dynamic indie quintet The Crooks; and Edinburgh’s much talked about gnarly indie rockers Swim School.
Stockton’s quality music venues
As well as being the destination point for the first-ever passenger railway journey and having one of the widest high streets in the UK, Stockton also boasts an impressive array of quality music venues that any city, let alone a town, would be proud of. The Gathering Sounds harnesses these venues to create an experience that any music fan will love.
The multi-venue event includes stages at the vibrant party palace KU, the fun, funky-looking The Social Room, the historic music hall The Georgian Theatre, the grand, glass-fronted ARC and bustling beer house The Storytellers – all situated within a minute or two walk away from one another.
The best new touring artists
The Gathering Sounds prides itself on attracting buzz bands and festival faves. One of the big names on the bill is the UK’s leading shining light in the world of hip-hop and spoken word, Antony Szmierek. The Manchester artist will be captivating the crowds with his poetic performances and well-crafted melodies.
Plus, there’s more highlights in the form of lo-fi trio Borough Council, Glaswegian dynamos Gallus, indie outfit The Cheapthrills, art rock quintet Youth Sector, Northern powerhouse Lissy Taylor, London new wave lot Bowen, Doncaster guitar band The Outcharms, grunge four-piece About Bunny, wonky rock purveyors Erotic Secrets of Pompeii, Liverpool singer-songwriter Dylan Robert, Greenock anthem makers Strange Dimensions, ‘The world’s best kept secret’ The Valla, soulful psych trio Velvet Tuxedo, euphoric soundscapers +P∆VÉ, indie music makers Spangled, Leeds’ alt. rockers The Kites and many more.
The finest local artists
As well as their excellent imports, the festival nurtures the region’s best current and up-and-coming musical exports. Expect local talent aplenty, from fuzz-rockers Pit Pony to soul-inspired genre-bending artist Sarah Johnsone, visceral post-punk/garage rockers TV Death, euphoric indie merchants Blackout The Arcade, melodic artist Lizzie Esau, alt. indie five piece Weathership, feelgood indie popsters Komparrison, raw punks Wingz of the Monkey, proggy psych rockers End Credits and shoegaze songsmith Hannah Robinson.
