The pop project of Canadian vocalist and composer Katie Stelmanis, this super album sees her trying to mend her broken heart by way of some euro-dance beats and plenty of salty lyrics (“You said I needed my own friends / So I found them / Then you fucked …

The wondrous Mandidextrous is coming to World Headquarters in Newcastle this November, which gets a hearty “Woo hoo!” from me. For over 15 years, Mandidextrous has been an instrumental figure in the UK/European underground music industry. With their un…

After swapping an apartment in the city for an isolated woodshed in the countryside, a writer reflects on the complex relationships she’s had with the men of her past. There’s Xavier, her elderly ex-partner, with whom she shares a long-standing romantic c…

Just why are Softcult so good? Find out when they play Newcastle this November (but read this chunk of text first). Softcult, the Canadian duo of twin siblings Mercedes and Phoenix Arn-Horn, are so good because they've masterfully revived and reinvented …

Can the browse-tastic Flea Circus be seven years old already? Yes, indeed! And it’s still as good as ever. Situated on the same row as The Star & Shadow cinema in Newcastle, Flea Circus has been my go-to place when I’m in the market for – well – just a…

Does the phrase, “Lumiere returns to Durham in November” get you excited? If you’ve got a pulse, then it definitely should. By all accounts, Lumiere has brought 1.3 million visitors to Durham since it began in 2009, and after a fallow year in 2024 it r…

I had no idea who Charlie Kirk was until he wasn’t. Which made me wonder whether I was as politically informed as I thought. But I comforted myself in assuming he was a Tik-Tok chancer, another spewer of alternative facts, with a fundamentalist Christian …

Julia Ducournau's follow up to the brutal and intense Titane is an overreaching jumble of allegories, albeit stylishly presented. Boros is Alpha, a thirteen-year-old girl who when we first encounter her, is getting a homemade tattoo. Her mother (Farahani)…

Myths, X-rated stories, spells and songs for adults only are revealed in ‘The Mighty Goddess’, which is coming to Newcastle in early December. Sally Pomme Clayton is a truly gifted storyteller who brings stories from the past to life while injecting th…

Simswear have got the natural fibres you need in your life, not just for this winter, but for many winters to come. If you’re fed up of splurging on “top quality” knitwear only to have it fall apart after a few wears, or can’t bear the plasticky shite …

Turning the old into new the Judstuff way. With so many more garments than ever before making their way into our charity shops, it’s never been more crucial to shop second hand to prevent as much of it from going to landfill as possible. However, if yo…

The founder of Erratic streetwear might have studied in London and worked for luxury brands like Burberry, YSL and Chanel, but it’s right here in Newcastle that they’ve decided to set up shop. Housed in Old George Yard, the streetwear brand is inspired…

‘In Motion’ at Mima showcases artists from the Middlesbrough Collection who challenge perspectives and deepen our understanding of the world and our place within it. I love this piece from Anwar Jalal Shemza, pictured (‘The Magic Spiral’, 1970). It re…

Josh Law and Ben Sadler make up Bristol’s Getdown Services, a duo worth getting very excited about. They’ve got gigs in Stockton and Sunderland this November. Getdown Services have carved out a unique and compelling niche in the contemporary music scen…

Discover unmissable one-off screenings every week at Baltic with their new year-round cinema programme. This is great. Baltic – in their level 1 Cinema – are screening the best new releases, along with rare archive films, and it’s the kind of stuff yo…

‘A Joyful Parasite’ is a major new commission at Baltic from London-based Spanish artist, Saelia Aparicio. The work of Saelia Aparicio really does feel unconfined with her stuff drawing on everything from science fiction to biology to bodily memory. A…

Cambois, a village in south-east Northumberland on the north-east coast, has established itself as a real arty hub, and throughout October, November and into December they’re hosting Rude Health 2025, a totally unique festival of theatre, dance, film, and…

‘Se Gæst | The Guest’ is a bold new production from acclaimed choreographer and theatre-maker Anthony Lo-Giudice, and it’s set to tour the north-east this autumn. My interest in ‘Se Gæst | The Guest’ sky-rocketed when I saw the incredible production pi…