IF YOU LIKE: The Gathering Sounds

Image: Brògeal

In the not-too-distant future, when our social media-fuelled decisions finally culminate in warheads sailing overhead or an extremist government dismantling the institutions that once protected us, chances are we’ll look back and wish we’d done more fun stuff. So, if you’d rather not be riddled with regret when panic comes knocking, get yourself down to The Gathering Sounds. Taking over multiple venues in Stockton on Saturday 27th September, this all-new music festival showcases the finest artists from the North East and across the UK, making it a goldmine for fans of next-gen music.

IF YOU LIKE

KU PROMOTIONS

Not sure about their official start date, but for as long as I can remember, KU Stockton and KU Promotions – the masterminds behind this event – have been a force for good in the Teesside music scene. Through their events at KU, across other Teesside venues, and as co-promoters of Stockton Calling, they’ve consistently brought top emerging and establishedacts to the area, while also championing some of the region’s finest homegrown talent. The Gathering Sounds continues this legacy with an absolutely cracking line-up.

COLLABORATION

The Gathering Sounds is a collaborative affair, and as in previous years, it brings together a range of local venues alongside KU to host performances across the town. This year’s edition features seven stages, including ARC and ARC 2, The Georgian Theatre, The Social Room, plus two new additions: The Green Room and The Link.

Guest promoters This Feeling, Under The Influence and The Northern Academy of Music Education (NAME) will each curate their own stages, adding further depth to the programme.At ARC 2, Under The Influence presents a line-up including Brògeal, Big Sleep, Precious Pepala, CRUZ, Vincent’s Last Summer, O’Phantom, Jam Tub and Marrick. The Link, curated by This Feeling, showcases Sunbeam, Dictator, Eighty Eight Miles, Long Island, PG,Ciarletta, The Cases and The Slates. NAME’s stage at The Green Room features Labyrinthine Oceans, Porcelain, Spacecadetbloom, The Blackpine, Harlan Frank and the Houseplants, Isabel Maria, Hannah Smith, Cydni & Maple, Alex May and Ron Jon.

TOP TOURING TURNS

The Gathering Sounds brings a tidal wave of rising national talent to Stockton, with some of the UK and Ireland’s most exciting new acts leading the charge. Headliner Somebody’s Child, the Dublin indie powerhouse, returns fresh from a whirlwind of festival appearances and critical acclaim. London’s Keo, a genre-blending alt. rock outfit led by brothers Finn and Conor Keogh, are riding high after opening for Kings of Leon and releasing their explosive single, Fly. Falkirk’s Brògeal injects Celtic folk and punk into a high-octane live show, earning praise from BBC 6Music and Rolling Stone. Other must-sees include Limerick-based/Springsteen-esque Dylan Flynn & The Dead Poets, Manchester’s The Covasettes, Liverpool’s punk-edged Kairos, Bristol’s fierce Grandmas House, and soulful alt. pop sensation Precious Pepala.

LIVE ‘N’ LOCAL

The festival not only showcases the best of Britain and Ireland, but also shines a light on what’s going on in the region. As with previous events, it’s brimming with talented local artists who know how to entertain an audience. Naming a few, fresh from SXSW and Glastonbury there’s South Shields garage pop artist Cortney Dixon, Sunderland art pop outfit Swindled, much talked about purveyor of pop perfection Loren Heat and guitar sounds aplenty from local rockers The Redroom, Vice Killer, Eighty Eight Miles, The Slates, End Credits and The North.