The Offing is the post-Second World War story of 16 year old Robert Appleyard, who leaves Durham to travel south and meets Dulcie Piper, a woman who opens up his world but is haunted by her lost love. I realised I was in for a treat when I saw the stunnin…

If you’re not au fait with Jamie (and why everyone is apparently talking about him) then a quick history lesson is probably in order. Jamie Campbell, from Bishop Auckland in County Durham, was the subject of a BBC Three documentary, ‘Jamie: Drag Queen at …

Though it was “Tosca” that was once described as a “shabby little shocker”, Edward Dick ‘s new production of Bizet’s 1875 opera “Carmen” might warrant a similar tag, as the director taps into its tawdry subtext with clinical precision to reveal a brutal…

A packed Sage 2 greeted the Karine Polwart Trio, and we were told it was the first KP Trio gig for two years and it was great to be back. The trio is Karine Polwart (obviously), her brother Steven, playing accompanying guitar, and Inge Thompson who took o…

During Alphabetti theatre’s three-week festival ‘Women are Mint’, I had the pleasure of attending Holly Rees’ acoustic set. As part of Alphabetti’s ‘pay what you feel’ scheme, this event makes local talent accessible to all, and in the tiny venue, the aud…

Lucy Spraggan first came to national attention back in 2012 when she appeared on The X Factor, and she’s one of the few to leave the show with her cred intact. It takes some chutzpah to appear on The X Factor and sing one of your own compositions but Lu…

I’m not saying that Cattle & Cane ARE Christmas, but, actually, sod it, I am. Cattle & Cane ARE Christmas. They’re playing Stockton in December. Cattle & Cane ARE Christmas in the same way that Lindisfarne ARE Christmas. And it’s not because they have a b…

If you’re looking for a man to stand round earnestly in a field, then Philip Jonathan is just the fella you’ve been looking for. (And if you’re looking for a man who is good at the whole singer/songwriter stuff, he’s good at that too. Very good.) I had a …

Pave The Jungle look rather glum, do they not? I don’t know why, ‘cause they’ve got absolutely nothing to be glum about. They’re great! Say, “Hi! How’s tricks?” to guitarist/singer Rachael Whittle and drummer Scott Jeffery. The Newcastle pair formed in 20…

No one brings Christmas like the Mediaeval Baebes and they’ve got a very special concert lined up at the Cathedral Church of St. Nicholas in Newcastle in the run-up to the big day. It is rumoured that Mediaeval Baebes were born when a group of friends – c…

After last year’s Covid clampdown, panto made a welcome return to the Theatre Royal once again and the tried and trusted team – have they been doing this for 14 years now? – were soon back in the groove. They were joined by musical theatre star Carole Ste…

If you feel in need of the kind of euphoric rush that will provide balm for your very soul, then Warm Digits are your go-to band. I barely thought it possible that Warm Digits would manage to scale even greater peaks than they already had, but when they r…

Dutch three-piece Under The Surface are one of the most extraordinary and thrilling propositions around and they’re coming to Newcastle this December. Bunting up! Since 2017 – when Under The Surface released their beguiling debut album – this special trio…

Who’s this smoky-voiced human dynamo, then? It’s Elles Bailey of course, and she’s coming to Sage Gateshead to hit you up with a drop of the good stuff. Elles Bailey is from the UK but for her ‘sound’ she draws deep from the wells of various US influenc…

I’m in love! And the object of my amour is a band from Rotterdam named Rats On Rafts. They’re playing North Shields this December. Oh Rats On Rafts! Where have you been all my life? I only got on board with this year when they released their startlingly g…

Sunderland has an incredible new music venue in the shape of The Fire Station, and their line-up for the coming weeks and months will make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up and go “Woo! Woo! Woo!” Sunderland must have been very good this year…

Armed only with her trusty ukulele, Middlesbrough’s Amelia Coburn is one of the most captivating artists in the north-east. A couple of years ago, we loved Amelia Coburn so much that we put her on the cover. Back then she traded mainly in cover versio…