The Mercury Prize is once again back on Tyneside in October which means that the Mercury Prize Fringe is also back with a whole programme of gigs and other events.

The Mercury Prize Fringe programme this year is packing a significant amount of heat including workshops, discussions, masterclasses, creative experiences and, of course, a whole load of gigs. What’s more, all events are either Pay As You Feel or free. And what about those gigs? Well, I’d definitely flag up the Northern Roots Showcase at Pilgrim (Friday 16 October). This will feature an unforgettable evening of Afrobeats, rap, R&B and soul with live performances and DJ sets from the likes of Crack fave Mcxxne (pictured), Te’Kiah, Chloe Castro, TMJ, Kay Greyson, and plenty more besides. The Liift Showcase at The Head of Steam also looks spectacular (Friday 16 October) and features one of the region’s most exciting acts Dolder. Made up of identical twins Dani and Zara, their harmonious indie-pop has already seen them rack up mentions in Rolling Stone magazine, the NME and more. And I must find room to mention the Byker Grave Showcase (Saturday 17 October) at The Lubber Fiend. This will see a set from the awesome Scott Hepple & The Sun Band, a Newcastle-based garage and psych-rock band that channel the best of 60s and 70s style rock through fuzz-soaked guitars and huge choruses. I’m also loving the look of the Zerox Showcase (Sunday 18 October) at Zerox. Featuring the genre straddling Esau, glam-pop powerhouse Corney Dixon, and LJ Adams, this one is not to be missed. Grab the full Fringe programme from the website, below. DP

Mercury Prize Fringe, Thursday 15-Thursday 22 October, generator.org.uk/mercuryprizefringe