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Our pick of some of the best events taking place across the region this week…
Image: Sabine McCalla by Camille Lenain
Every week we pull together some of the best events taking place across the region, from music and theatre, to comedy, art and film. Read more on these, and other events, in the latest issue of NARC. magazine in print and online.
MUSIC
New Orleans-based Sabine McCalla is a modern creative, and yet her music feels like it’s been taken straight from the era of the Folk Music Revival. The singer-songwriter’s sublime storytelling first came to public attention with the release of her first collection of songs, aptly entitled Folk, in 2018 – and after seven remarkable years of sharing her magical mixture of gospel, folk, soul, blues and Americana-inspired music with the world, her debut album can finally be expected this year. Newcastle is in for a treat on Thursday 4th September, as McCalla is heading over from Louisiana for a short string of UK dates, and one of them is at The Globe. Expect maddeningly beautiful, poetic lyricism paired with effortlessly enjoyable arrangements, spanning across a myriad of classic genres and styles. Think melty, mellow ballads and then also think toe-tapping dance numbers… McCalla can do it all, and we’re sure she plans to at her divine live show. Support comes from Manchester-based Fionnuala Bradbury, whose jazzy and traditional Irish folk sound might just make the perfect pairing for McCalla’s music.
Thursday 4th Sep @ The Globe
MUSIC
Former frontman of the showstopping We Are The Ocean, Liam Cromby is back, this time to spotlight his solo work. Expect gently soaring sonics and melodies, deftly tender storytelling lyricism and an all-round good time. Watch alt. rock’s finest step into the shoes of country and Americana.
Friday 5th Sep @ Three Tanners Bank
MUSIC
Edgar Jones has had a monumental career, from fronting The Stairs to playing in the bands of Paul Weller and St Etienne. Now the Liverpool-born singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and genre-bending chameleon is gracing The Common Room’s beautiful stage in Newcastle. If you’re after a talent so good you won’t believe your ears, look no further.
Saturday 6th Sep @ The Common Room
EVENTS
After last year’s roaring (and meowing) success, Cat Video Fest returns with a new programme of the finest feline videos and shorts. Featuring cat classics from the ages including the first ever cat video filmed in 1887, a short from the iconic series Simon’s Cat, plus paw-fulls more.
Saturday 6th Sep @ Star + Shadow
Image: Jake Xerxes Fussell by Kate Medley
MUSIC
The magnificently-monikered Jake Xerxes Fussell has slowly been building an impressive reputation across the last ten years and five albums, with last year’s extraordinary When I’m Called (his debut for the mighty Fat Possum label) getting reviewers into a bit of a lather. It’s well deserved. Fussell comes from a family of folklorists based in North Carolina, and the old weird America is in his DNA and in his playing and is the source of much of his material, which on When I’m Called stretches from medieval ballads to Appalachian folk tales to a song about Andy Warhol, and even a version of Benjamin Britten’s Cuckoo (he seems to be able to find songs anywhere he looks). His playing is wonderful, fluid and expressive and he has a rich, warm voice. All in all, Fussell is an artist to be treasured and it’s wonderful that The Glasshouse team are bringing him to Tyneside for a show on Saturday 6th September, with support from well-regarded North Yorkshire-via-London folk singer Natalie Wildgoose. This is going to be lovely.
Saturday 6th Sep @ Glasshouse
MUSIC
Stuart Murdoch usually lets the music speak for itself. He’s had an illustrious career at the helm of Belle & Sebastian, penning and performing some of the quintessential indie ballads of the noughties, with his hushed voice soundtracking adolescent Britain, broken hearts and bittersweet bliss. Belle & Sebastian are a touchstone on the indie scene, with a sound that’s synonymous with beauty, poise and poetry. Outside the band, Murdoch’s creative streak only continues to evolve, as he directs movies, writes novels and now opens up on stage for a Q&A at Sunderland’s Fire Station on Saturday 6th September. Murdoch is a tenacious creator, and this opportunity for candid communication with the artist will offer fans a window into his mind. With casual conversations and maybe even some musical interludes spanning across the decades of the writer’s career, this intimate evening is not one for any fan to miss.
Saturday 6th Sep @ Fire Station
Image: Hayden Pedigo by Jackie Lee Young
MUSIC
Texas born and raised Hayden Pedigo makes self-proclaimed ‘cowboy country’ music, and I’m struggling to think of a cooler way to spend Saturday 6th September than watching him tear up the stage in his usual avant-garde way. Having just released his new LP I’ll Be Waving As You Drive Away in early June, the guitarist, performance artist, politician and model’s (yep, you’re reading this right) show at The Lubber Fiend is not one to miss, as who knows when he’ll next be back across the pond. This will actually not be Pedigo’s debut at The Lubber Fiend; it follows a highly electric, heavily entrancing and hugely enjoyed set in 2024 – and we’re thrilled but unsurprised that he fancied paying the North East another visit. Expect fingerstyle guitar like you’ve never seen before, paired with miraculously witty deadpan and slightly surrealist, outlandish outfits… this guy needs to be seen to be believed. Support comes from Kit ZUDZ Endean, a North Eastern musician with 25 years of experience in wowing audiences with his acoustic skills and storytelling magic. Endean will be previewing some songs from his brand new record, set to be released in the autumn. Two great sets for your Saturday night – who could say no to that?
Saturday 6th Sep @ Lubber Fiend
MUSIC
For one night only, North Shields is gaining its own orchestra as part of its 800th anniversary celebrations. NXS800 – A Symphony in 8 Movements, takes place on Saturday 6th September at King Street Social Club, and showcases North Shields’ rich working-class history and traditions through live music and visual content. The event has been spearheaded by North Shields-born producer Geoff Kirkwood, also known as Man Power, and orchestral arranger Fiona Brice; together they have created the North Shields Temporary Philharmonic Orchestra, which has been formed specially for the occasion by an ensemble of global musicians. The music will be accompanied by archival sound and field recordings, as well as visual art from artist Jay Halim. There will also be a one-off performance by Man Power and Teesside punk band Benefits, combining spoken word with electronic composition. Also featuring will be art from photographer Eye On The Tyne’s recent Harvest of The Deep exhibition, which documented modern-day fishermen on North Shields’ Fish Quay. The evening is a new way to highlight North Shields’ identity, not only as a true working-class town, but also as a key cultural spot for musical artists.
Saturday 6th Sep @ King Street Social Club
Image: Agriculture by Olivia Crumm
MUSIC
Extreme metal is going through some interesting times: envelopes being pushed, cliches being overturned, corpsepaint being wiped off. There’s probably no finer example of these welcome disruptions of the blackened norm than Agriculture, the L.A. four-piece who in just a few years and a trio of releases have demonstrated that extreme heaviosity doesn’t have to be saddled with lyrics about Armageddon or slaying virgins or building bongs out of the skulls of priests. Instead, their music is a celebration, labelled ‘ecstatic black metal’ and dealing with what they’ve described as “feelings of absolute bliss, overwhelming love and awe-inspiring sublimity”, Agriculture use the tools of black metal to create some of the most intensely uplifting music I’ve ever heard. At times, it’s not unlike Godspeed You! Black Emperor at double-speed, but there’s also room for folky interludes, for an a capella section, for a sax break or steel guitar phrase. Agriculture are constantly fucking with the formula but without abandoning the absolutely thrilling metal at the centre of what they do. There’s a new album due in the autumn via The Flenser (because of course it is) and they’re bringing it to Newcastle’s Cluny 2 on Sunday 7th September as part of a short UK tour. Come on feel the joys.
Sunday 7th Sep @ Cluny 2
