LIVE REVIEW: A Dark Dark Xmas @ Green Room, Stockton (20.12.25)

Image by Griz

Now in its 10th incarnation A Dark Dark Xmas can stake a claim to be one of Teesside’s best loved festive live music events. With the focus firmly on the line-up it means perennial headliners Weathership almost play second fiddle to the supports tonight from Middle Management and Risco.

While Teesside trio Risco may steer clear from genre pigeon-holing, their version of T. Rex’s 20th Century Boy, completely stripped of all its glam (leaving the bare bones of a garage rock classic) rather betrays their musical roots. Latest single Triple Agent is a slow burning conspiracy theory with a nod to AM era Arctic Monkeys without losing any of their own smouldering swagger. Closer, It’s Over, with bassist Maya ripping into a Fatboy Slim interlude, is gloriously good fun and the sort of curveball that shows Risco are not so steeped in their sound as to try something outrageously different. And what really impresses about them most tonight, particularly with a stand-in drummer, is the room in the songs for the bass and drums to pick up some of the heavy lifting. With a headliner of their own in February at the Georgian Theatre next door 2026 could already be theirs.

Meanwhile, Middle Management’s note perfect and, I should mention, deeply ironic social commentary through the eyes of an Andrew Tate stan, Slut, comes complete with a performance poetry segment and a subtle comedy. Mangling all the best bits of Sparks, Devo and Elvis Costello, it is so much more than art-rock schtick and all you really need to know. But it’s only one of myriad reasons why Middle Management will be making waves at Stockton Calling in April. As long as they ask HR first. They end their set with debut single Influencer Influenza already a firm favourite to those down the front as singer Carl acknowledges the year the band have had with plenty more to come next year one suspects.

While Weathership may be veterans of these pages already, opening with Golden Age never tires as their beatific indie rock swamps the small but busy Green Room. Snowy’s solo on Through The Fog is sublime while a couple of newies (one called Broken Bell) are as well received and hinting at a more electronic direction perhaps, with programmed drum patterns accompanying the live performance. And it works too, but tonight is not so much about Weathership but how much new talent there is in Teesside at the moment as we stumble a little tipsily towards another new year… Onwards!