There’s a killer stalking the streets of Tyneside, but do their “victims” actually want to die? Is ‘The Angel of Death’—as the tabloids are quick to dub them—actually offering a service; a kind of off-book assisted dying scheme for the terminally ill? But…

Marking Papua New Guinea’s landmark 50th Anniversary of Independence, the Great North Museum: Hancock is giving us ‘Celebrating WanBel’, a stunning exploration of the nation’s rich cultural legacy. This free-entry exhibition joins a global museum initi…

The awesome House Of Tynemouth (HOT) are back at their spiritual home – El Globo Barca Art Bar – this August, and they’ve got a suitably sizzling line-up. I love the El Globo Barca Art Bar. In fact it may be my very favourite coastal drinking establish…

Edinburgh Fringe sensation, Lorna Rose Treen is bringing her many silly characters to The Stand in Newcastle this September for an afternoon of pure fun. Fresh off the back of three critically-acclaimed, sell-out Edinburgh Fringes – and winning Dave’s …

Cud? Didn’t they used to be one of the most distinctive and genuinely entertaining indie acts to emerge in the pre-Britpop days? They still are! What’s more, they’re playing Sunderland in early September. While many of their contemporaries leaned rathe…

The Ouseburn Valley ‘Summer Street Party’ is, as the name kind of hints at, a party (but, hey, it’s also a market – and plenty more besides). Oh, my! There is so much going on at the next Ouseburn Valley ‘Summer Street Party’ that I think I’m going to …

The ever reliable Jumpin’ Hot Club are bringing the fantastic Garrett T. Capps to Newcastle in early September. Bunting up! Newcastle’s Ouseburn Valley is about to get a massive dose of Lone Star weirdness and I, for one, am absolutely here for it. Bec…

As they bid adieu to their 40 year career, wacky experimental rock outfit Butthole Surfers have taken a final left turn by releasing After The Astronaut - a 1997 album shelved by Capitol Records due to being “unsellable”. It’s a woozy, disorienting listen…

Laines London are the complete opposite of shrinking wallflowers. If there’s one thing we love, it’s making a statement, and what better way to do it than with some “fucking fabulous” statement accessories? Laines London has been hand-beading everythi…

Festival season is the perfect excuse to embrace the Western way of dressing, and with country music still shaping festival fashion, Binks & Bo is the perfect place to get cowboyed up without looking costume-y. Inspired by both Britain's rural landscap…

Almodóvar’s latest sees the director exploring the ethics of adapting art to life while possibly reflecting on his own process. The picture takes place over two time periods. The first is set in 2004 where fashion photographer Elsa (Lennie) is living with…

Dr. Hannibal Lector would like a quiet word. He – and ‘The Silence of the Lambs’ – is coming to the Theatre Royal in Newcastle this August. A lot of theatres fill their programmes with family-friendly fare over the summer months. ‘The Silence of the L…

The extraordinary work of Tish Murtha is celebrated in the latest exhibition at Baltic in a new show which also highlights the keen eye of Kuba Ryniewicz. As titles go, ‘Close to Home’ couldn’t get much closer to the home area it reflects. The photograp…

If you’ve ever wanted your bottomless brunches to have just that bit more bingo, that bit more drag, and that bit more 1980s mega-hits, then all roads lead to Durham this August. This fun-filled bank holiday brunch is straight outta the 1980s – one of…

For three action-packed days this August, the NOVUM festival will turn Newcastle into a cultural adventure playground where creativity, fun and thrills will be absolutely unbound. Yep, you heard that correctly. Unbound. I doubt there will be another fe…

Forum Books always brings us the best in special, author-led events, and on the horizon they’ve got writer and chef Sabrina Ghayour (pictured) chatting about her latest book ‘Persiana One’, and Dan Jackson talking all things Newcastle United as he launche…

A heart-wrenching, very real story about the painful underbelly of toxic relationships is brought to light in ‘Behind Closed Doors’, which is coming to the Customs House on 1 August. Before heading off to the Edinburgh Fringe, ‘Behind Closed Doors’ is …

Just how is Durham Fringe going to squeeze 140+ performances into five days this July/August? Those 11 venues will probably help. I’ll not waffle on about how amazing this year’s Durham Fringe is (but it really is) because I’d like to dive in with some…

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…

A plague on them all! Oops, sorry. Where was I? Here, maybe. Tommy Double-Barrelled Name recently went to Russia. He was invited by the relative of some tech millionaire billionaire trillionaire who has had his grubby fingers in so many pies, even he was …