INTERVIEW: This Is Middlesbrough

Image: Lilo by Katie Silvester

You can’t have too much of a good thing, so a brand new all-day event in Middlesbrough showcasing some of the most exciting local and touring bands on the circuit is welcome indeed. This Is Middlesbrough takes place at Teesside University on Saturday 5th April, and has been organised by those behind the incredibly successful Twisterella, which celebrated its 10th anniversary with its most successful event to date last year. Co-promoter Henry Carden explains his desire, alongside fellow promoter Andy Carr, to offer music fans even more: “We decided that rather than growing the existing festival, we’d build on the blueprint with a new Spring edition. We’re launching this year with three stages but the long-term aim is to have five or six stages across multiple venues.”While Twisterella (and hopefully This Is Middlesbrough) pull in the punters for a one-day event, there’s no denying that Middlesbrough can be a challenging environment for gigs. Closures of places like the Westgarth and Base Camp have hit the scene hard, but Henry’s full of praise for thelikes of Industrial Coast, Toft House and Play for continuing to bring artists to the area. “The dynamics have shifted massively over the last few years – Tory (and now Labour) austerity policies, venue closures, changing habits after lockdown, the ‘cost of living’ etc., have all exacerbated the challenges that Teesside always faced.” Henry comments. “There’s always been an appetite from local audiences to discover new music and we’re very grateful for them putting their trust in us. Our first This Is Middlesbrough line-up features some of my favourite emerging artists from across the country and while they might not be household names, they’ll put on incredible performances and will no doubt pick up fans who’ll go see them on their next tours and follow their careers closely from here on in.”This Is Middlesbrough’s debut line-up includes headline acts October Drift, whose epic indie rock has seen them gain international acclaim; the hedonistic art pop Krautrockers Mandrake Handshake; and self-described alt. indie pessimist Brodie Milner. The supporting cast includes hotly tipped artists like orchestral post-punks Martha May & The Mondays, fast-rising Scottish punks Soapbox, multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Leif Coffield, noisy indie rock artist Indoor Foxes and soaring indie folk duo Lilo among others. The North East’s hottest acts also take starring roles, with sets from Pit Pony, Perfect Chicken, Dossers, Shakk & The NE Collective, We Tibetans, Robyn Errico, Northern Hospitality and Isabel Maria. Henry explains how important regional artists are to the line-up: “It’s important to note that any locals who play are there on merit, not because of their postcode. We genuinely believe they can go toe-to-toe with the best national and international emerging artists.” Twisterella alumni have gone on to perform at other respected festivals like The Great Escape, Deershed and Dot To Dot, not to mention pick up management deals, national press and 6Music sessions after being tipped by the tastemaker team, and Henry’s proud to be able to help forge connections and ensure both artists and audiences have a great experience. “Most importantly, local artists get the opportunity to play to a full room of music lovers and they also get the chance to meet and make connections with some of the best emerging artists out there.”