NARC. #219 out now!

The August issue of NARC. magazine is out now, available in print from outlets across the North East, and digitally via our website. Our cover stars are the thought-provoking TV Death. Linsey Teggert talks to the Newcastle three-piece about creating explosive psych rock with a social conscience.

In the previews section, we check out live shows from Prolaspe, Yummy Fur, Dean & Britta, Alan Sparhawk, Rainbow Girls, Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory, Arab Strap, YARD, This Is The Kit, Be Quiet. Shout Loud!, King Creosote, Escuela Grind and many more; comedic chuckles from Bill Bailey at Stockton Globe, Kelly Edgar at The Stand and Terry Christian at The Stand; stunning stage productions including Billingham International Folklore Festival of World Dance, Big Gay Cabaret at The Cumberland Arms, Snoligoster at Alphabetti, and Pits, People & Players at various venues; plus Hartlepool Mural Festival, Blyth Celebrates, Sex Worker Weekender and loads more!

Interview-wise, Claire Dupree talks to returning festival director Conleth Maenpaa about surviving and thriving in Lindisfarne Festival’s 10th Year; Steve Spithray talks to Hartlepool indie poppers Pluto about their free flowing, deeply personal and long awaited debut EP; Steve Spithray talks to the South Shields Singer Patrick Gosling about how a love of mountains inspired his cloud busting new EP; David Saunders talks to the Tyneside documentary photographer Hazel Plater about her exploratory work; Sunderland rapper MC Halo gives us an insight into some of the tracks on his latest album; Kai Palmer talks to Laura Kovic from the Durham-based power pop band Fortitude Valley about their joyous second album; David Saunders chats with the North Shields singer-songwriter Conor Michael about his musical journey; Mack Sproates discovers a joyous, heart-warming and empowering debut solo show about finding comfort in dark times by Newcastle’s superstar drag clown Sweet Boy; Jade Mia Broadhead discovers an empowering, bold and hope-inspiring new single by the Teesside based post-punk queercore singer-songwriter That Clare; Isabel Johnson learns about the community focused, beloved Saltburn Folk Festival;  Laura Rosierse uncovers the importance of care and what’s in store for the powerful, uplifting and joyous upcoming comedy collective Earth Farm; Laura Rosierse discovers more about the local, DIY, multi-genre music festival Marrapalooza; and David Saunders & Chris Cobain of Tees Music Alliance give us some of their most promising regional artists on this month’s Mixtape.  

In the review section, we report from live performances by Bill Murray and Friends, Tim Minchin, Caleb Nichols, Father John Misty, JD McPherson, Rhys Darby, Fontaines DC, Brassed Off, Bantu Continua Uhuru Consciousness, Des Demonas and more; there’s reviews of local singles and EPs from Citrus, Swannek, Tommy Arch, KDEL, Specky Cult, Jim Dixon, Phantom Bagman, El Muerte, Hels Pattinson, Malik Abdul & Uncle Mezz, Groundbird and Harry Speakup, and reviews of new album releases from The Beths, TV Death, Modern Nature, Jimmy McKenna, No Joy, CMAT, Conan Gray, Darren Hayman and His Electric Guitars, The Royston Club, Nova Twins, Eiko Ishibashi & Jim O’Rourke, Gulp,  Dag Och Natt, The Technicolors, Prolapse and more. Enjoy!