FEATURE: TWISTERELLA

Image: Dutch Uncles by Oliver Sangster

Award-winning music festival Twisterella returns for its ninth annual event, taking place on Saturday 14^th October in multiple venues and spaces across Middlesbrough town centre. As always, the line-up includes an exciting spread of emerging and established artists, with headliners across the five stages including alt. indie rock duo Prima Queen, choppy popsters Dutch Uncles, home-grown rabble rousers Avalanche Party, gritty punk funkers Opus Kink and the dark grrrl power of Venus Grrrls.

The festival exhibits a wide variety of genres and styles across the board. If you’re up for something wacky and wild and feeling in the mood to step inside a 1980s TV check out Adult DVD, a delightfully happy mix of suppressed rage and joy in synthy electronic, boop-boop ting-ting form. Another one to look out for is the dazzling R&B-infused shimmery rock pop of Cathy Jain, whose track Cool Kid was crowned BBC Radio R1 Introducing’s Track of The Week, and with good reason. We also tip great performances from Brighton’s grungy new wavers Ciel, the instantly addictive avant-funk dance of Hang Linton, Welsh hip-hop artist Sage Todz, who raps in both English and Welsh, and the refreshing post-punk math rock-infused band Alien Chicks.

The opportunity to bring some of the best new acts to Middlesbrough and allow people to discover their new favourite band is always such a thrill

Also of note will be performances from alt. indie punk band Shelf Lives; surf twang from Melin Melyn; seven-piece alt. rock ‘n rollers The Joy Hotel; the Manchester-based sunshine indie of Juice Pops; Spielmann’s towering alternative indie pop rock; acclaimed Aberdeen MC Chef The Rapper; pop rock act Cherym; DIY popsters Heir; emo folk band Suds; Liverpool’s guitar toting quintet Reignmaker; Scottish guitar band Slix; young singer-songwriter Megan Wyn and alt. pop songwriter (and one half of Prima Queen) Kitty Fitz.

Twisterella sees appearances from a glut of local favourites too, such as heartfelt fuzz rock collective Dressed Like Wolves; BBC Tees Introducing front runner Eyeconic; savage dystopian rock band Gone Tomorrow; Hartlepool indie-poppers Marketplace; the honest lyricism of singer-songwriter Melanie Baker; soaring indie pop singer-songwriter Jen Dixon; mind-bending art pop artist Dilettante; genre-breaking ethereal storyteller Me Lost Me; Newcastle punks Irked; Liz Corney, who is best known for her work with The Cornshed Sisters and Field Music; plus Teesside’s own alt. indie artist Weathership.

In addition to the music stages, Twisterella’s very own (un)Conference returns, bringing together key figures from the music industry to offer their knowledge to Teesside’s next generation of artists. The free entry forum event will include experts such as Shakk (BBC Music Introducing), Bradley Kulisic and Pippa Morgan (Singing Light), Lucy Harbron (Gigwise), Hollie Galloway (filmmaker), David Saunders (NARC./Tees Music Alliance) and Shell Zenner (Amazing Radio), and will take place at Middlesbrough Town Hall from 10.30am (finishing at 12.30pm, in time to head to the festival for the first artists).

Co-promoters Henry Carden and Andy Carr are as ever, delighted to be bringing exceptional artists to the town. “The opportunity to bring some of the best new acts to Middlesbrough and allow people to discover their new favourite band is always such a thrill. We’re so excited to be able to Twist again!”

Twisterella takes place at various venues in Middlesbrough on Saturday 14^th October.

Read an exclusive interview with festival co-promoters Henry Carden and Andy Carr on our website