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OUR PICK OF SOME OF THE BEST EVENTS TAKING PLACE ACROSS THE REGION THIS WEEK…
Image: This Kind of Black
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.
COMEDY
Durham Comedy Festival is the city’s first and only festival dedicated to stand-up comedy, and will be taking place at venues across the city on Monday 26thMay.Presented by The Durham Stand Society and Dweebs Comedy, the festival’s line-up features an array of talent, from local acts to students and TV comedians including Stevie Martin (Taskmaster), Dan Tiernan (Live At The Apollo), Chris Cantrill (Alma’s Not Normal), Amy Annette (Off Menu), Joe Kent-Walters (Best Newcomer Winner at Fringe 2024) and Lorna Rose Treen (Dave’s Joke of the Fringe 2023). The festival will bring together professionals, students and the inhabitants of Durham to celebrate comedy by involving Durham University’s Durham Revue and The Stand Society, as well as The Joke Clinic and Newcastle favourites Shy Bairns. Co-founder and comedian Ben Lycett says: “This is a chance to watch some of the most exciting acts from across the country work up their new shows!” Fifteen shows will be taking place across the day at venues Fabio’s Bar, The Holy Grale, and The Dun Cow. It’s promising to be a belter of a day!
Monday 26th May @ Various Venues, Durham
ART
Part of The Customs House’s annual Takeover Festival, Boxed Off is an outdoor family-friendly art event which brings several artists from the region and beyond together to paint live on custom-made large-scale boxes outside of the South Shields venue. With stalls, a live DJ and six remarkable artists, what’s not to love?
Tues 27th May @ The Customs House, South Shields
STAGE
Reece Williams brings his powerful and unmissable stage show to ARC Stockton in May. The play, also written and produced by Williams, delves into what life was like growing up in Manchester’s Moss Side estate in the 1990s. Told through a blend of spoken word, theatre, and storytelling; the show paints a clear picture of a community which has often been misunderstood by the media. Williams confronts the harsh realities of poverty, violence, and systemic neglect that shaped his upbringing, whilst managing to bring a bold and unique perspective. The production also dives into the joy of community through the music, the friendships, and the resilience of a community that refused to be defined by its portrayal. Williams’ voice is honest and emotive, with moments of humour and tenderness that cut through the grit of his words. The intimate performance is a testament to the power of words from someone who has lived through an experience. It’s a must-see for anyone interested in the intersections of race, class, and identity, and how these display in the stories we carry with us. So make sure you catch this important theatre piece at ARC Stockton on Wednesday 28th May and Thursday 29th May.
Wednesday 28th & Thursday 29th May @ ARC Stockton
MUSIC
There’s something undeniably grounded about Finn Forster -an artist who has turned the grit of growing up in Middlesbrough into a set of anthems that feel both lived in and larger than life. On Thursday 29th May Finn returns to Cluny 2 in Newcastle with the launch of his new EP, bringing his mix of heart-on-sleeve storytelling and indie pop hooks to the renowned venue basement that is fast becoming a rite of passage for rising North East talent.With nods from BBC Radio 2 and Channel 4’s Sunday Brunch, not to mention a win at the Drake YolanDa award and a support history that includes Bastille and The Lottery Winners, Finn Forster is a star who is rising and rising fast. But beneath the accolades is an artist who writes with grace and regional honesty, spotlighting the emotional hinterlands of young adulthood.Expect earnest vocals, candid reflections and choruses designed to be belted from the belly. This EP release is more than just a milestone, it’s a moment for fans to connect with an artist who wears his Northern roots with pride. If 2023’s sold out headline tour was a statement, this is the follow-up that proves he’s here to stay.
Thursday 29th May @ Cluny 2, Newcastle
MUSIC
Lael Neale has never known anything other than going her own way. From her origins in rural Virginia, to her career-building years in the urban chaos of Los Angeles, Naele has funneled her lived experiences into the creation of transcendental minimalist drone pop -and will be swinging by The Cumberland Arms on Friday 30th May. Post-2020, Lael Neale found herself ricocheting between her birth state and her found home; the contrast between rural solitude and the hustle and bustle of one of America’s largest cities providing a lot of the inspiration for her latest record, Altogether Stranger. Her DIY ethic imbues all of her music with an ethereal, lo-fi quality that makes it sound like a lost record of a bygone artist, rather than a freshly-dropped LP. Its handycam-style film which accompanies new single Tell Me How To Be Here adds to the otherworldly feel, as if we, like Neale, are strangers looking in on a place that’s meant to be familiar. The chanteuse performs at The Cumberland Arms on Friday 30th May, supported by American Midwest folk troubadour Entrance, and Wandering Oak’s own soulful soloist John Nellist. Treat yourself to a night of transatlantic eclectic pop mysticism and fill your heart and head with dreamy tones.
Friday 30th May @ The Cumberland Arms, Newcastle
Image: Lael Neale
MUSIC
Celebrate the opening of Stockton’s new independent guitar shop, Vagrant Guitars, with a cracking night of fantastic live music featuring a stunning local line-up, plus some exciting extras, all taking place at the iconic Green Room in Stockton on Friday 30th May. This will certainly be a special night for Vagrant Guitars, marking the opening of the boutique store which is guaranteed to become a keystone in Teesside’s music scene. Billed as an intimate night with premium songwriters, the line-up is terrific. Featuring Tom Blackwell, the solo artist who wraps up country, blues and gospel with emotive, gentle, raspy vocals; J.P Riggall, who will be diving into his impressive and expansive back catalogue of highly evocative songs, fuelled by his hauntingly beautiful vocals that are a shining light in the dark;the dreamy Robyn Errico will paint pictures with her enchanting, captivating soundscapes which are amplified by her stunning, celestial voice; plus tunes from “If black mirror was a band” Middle Management, there will also be a unique pop-up shop brought to you by Willoughby Records. All this will be the perfect way to give Vagrant Guitars a warm reception into Stockton. If you’re a lover of local live music or a supporter of indie grassroots venues, this ones for you.
Friday 30th May @ The Green Room, Stockton
MUSIC
Emerging from the fertile but often troubling power electronics scene in the early eighties alongsideacts like Whitehouse, Sutcliffe Jugend and Controlled Bleeding, Gary Mundy’s Ramleh have gone through numerous incarnations and line-ups in the intervening forty years, including people like Whitehouse/Consumer Electronics’ Philip Best and Skullflower’s Matthew Bower and Anthony DiFranco – a long-serving member these days. Crucially, Mundy et al have gone to considerable lengths to disassociate themselves from some of the ideas and people that blighted the P.E. scene– the Nazi imagery (and the occasional actual Nazi) – and are a much more interesting proposition as a result, whether as the Mundy/DiFranco PE incarnation or the four piece noise rock outfit that started to develop in the nineties. It’s this format of the band that plays a rare live date in Newcastle, visiting the Lubber Fiend on Saturday 31stMay to promote new album Hyper Vigilance. There’s a particularly strong undercard too – local sludge beasts Louse and kindred spirits (and overlapping members) The Shits, as well as Skintern.
Saturday 31st May @ The Lubber Fiend, Newcastle
MUSIC
Darlington label Butterfly Effect has been curating a catalogue of local music and emerging artists for almost a decade, and on Saturday 31stMay they return with their second festival, taking place at Pealie’s Barn.Expect a day’s worth of fantastic, entertaining and exciting new music, with an eclectic and diverse line-up ranging from the bittersweet folk adventures of Elaine Palmer to the pounding rhythms of electronic headliners Analogue Blood. Also in attendance will be Hartlepool’s Scruffy Bear, kicking off the night of fun with their groove-driven rock odyssey, soulful vocals and wailing guitars. Also performing are local favourite Faithful Johannes, who will deliver and thoughtful poetic sounds; Teesside trailblazers Dossers will fire through politically conscious punk; there’s lo-fi punk from Mouses; alt. rock icon Melanie Baker brings her insightful and often humorous vibes to proceedings, and hotly tipped songwriter Robyn Errico is set to dazzle. Plus, there’s sets from Midnight Library, Last of the Fallen Angels andThe Frozen Low.The festival celebrates the North East and all the fantastic branches of music that form its unique identity.
Saturday 31st May @ Pealie’s Barn, North Yorkshire
MUSIC
With country music topping the charts, selling out arenas across the globe and bringing pink cowboy hats to an all time high, the renaissance is very much upon us. With big names extending country to the masses, it is easy to forget where it started; the essence of country music has always been struggle and it’s always been storytelling. Country, at its heart, is earnest reflection on imperfection. Singer-songwriter JP Harris exposes the fascinating ugly underbelly of country music and shines a light on the darkness of society, carrying the torch for the independent, underground country scene. What you see is what you get, and what you get are sparse, honest tales of the everyman, the troubled man. With his new album JP Harris Is A Trash Fire, you see beautiful, delicate instrumentation ornamenting poignant confessions, told with a candour and a grit. The Nashville native is equipped with a resonant voice and a powerful cadence that delivers his every track with an authentic authority. Bringing his band -The Tough Choices -to Cluny 2 on Saturday 31st May, JP Harris is one for all the folk fans in need of something new that harks back to old.
Saturday 31st May @ Cluny 2
Image: JP Harris & The Tough Choices
MUSIC
Miki Berenyi is best known for her era-defining work in Lush, a band who provided a refreshing counterblast to the boorish and laddish guitar band culture of the time, and since recording genre defining records like Spooky, Berenyi has gone on to write a candid, visceral and critically acclaimed memoir Fingers Crossed: How Music Saved Me From Success.
Now Berenyi is writing in a trio with KJ McKilliop – of similarly adored indie rocker group Moose – and eclectic solo artist Oliver Cherer. After years of percolation, their debut album Tripla was released on Bella Union in April, and will be complemented by a UK tour, in a way that Berenyi describes as “beautifully DIY”. The shoe gaze dynamic one would expect from these musicians is present, but dashes of unexpected colour have been added with modern and melodic electronic touches, resulting in an immersive and engaging listening experience. It’s a glistening, gleaming sound exploring the ecstasy in melancholy; confronting the traumas of modern life in a stoic and defiant manner. Much to our delight, the Miki Berenyi Trio bring their wonderful new record to Cluny 2 on Saturday 1st June, and it’s a must see for fans of socially conscious, imaginative, alternative rock.
Sunday 1st June @ Cluny 2, Newcastle
Image: Miki Berenyi Trio by Abbey Raymonde
