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The Crack Magazine

Music

The Smokin Spitfires

Two sets of music from the local legends with all profits going to the Bubble foundation.

Venue:
The Cluny, 36 Lime Street, Ouseburn, Newcastle, NE1 2PQ
Date:
Dec 7th 2025
Time:
12:00
Price:
£7.50

Music Against Child Poverty 2

The line-up so far is Mickey Callisto, The Lake Poets and Tom A Smith. Expect countless more local music icons and familiar faces for an unforgettable show.

Venue:
The Fire Station, High Street West, Sunderland, SR1 3HA
Date:
Dec 7th 2025
Time:
19:30
Price:
£34

Villanelle

Amid a rising wave of grunge revivalism, Villanelle are at the forefront— keeping it visceral and real, connecting with audiences through their distinct blend of raw authenticity and pure rock and roll.

Venue:
KU, Prince Regent Street, Stockton, TS18 1DB
Date:
Dec 7th 2025
Time:
19:00
Price:
£12

Tony Wright

Tony is best known as the singer for Bradford rock band Terrorvision.

Venue:
Old Cinema Launderette, 38 Marshall Terrace, Gilesgate Moor, Durham, DH1 2HX
Date:
Dec 7th 2025
Time:
19:45
Price:
£22

Seth Lakeman

Seth's latest studio album The Granite Way is a collection of songs recorded alongside a group of longtime collaborators, staying true to his roots and referring to ancient stories that inspired early West Country storytelling.

Venue:
Queen's Hall Arts Centre, Beaumont Street, Hexham, NE46 3LS
Date:
Dec 8th 2025
Time:
19:30
Price:
From £26

The Albion Christmas Band

Featuring the combined talents of Simon Nicol (Fairport Convention), Kellie While (Albion Band) Simon Care (Edward II), Blair Dunlop (Albion Band) and the Guvnor himself, Ashley Hutchings MBE, they’ll take you on a guided tour through the Christmas customs of Britain with a mixture of carols, spoken word and humorous readings.

Venue:
The Glasshouse, Gateshead Quays, NE8 2YR
Date:
Dec 8th 2025
Time:
20:00
Price:
£32.40

Madness

Beloved ska band.

Venue:
Utilita Arena, Arena Way, Newcastle, NE4 7NA
Date:
Dec 9th 2025
Time:
19:00
Price:
From £45.75

House Gospel Choir “Love Is The Message”

Venue:
Wylam Brewery, Palace of Arts, Exhibition Park, Newcastle, NE2 4PZ
Date:
Dec 9th 2025
Time:
19:00
Price:
£27.50+bf

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Melrose Quartet Christmas Show

Melrose Quartet invite you to join them for an evening of festive songs and silliness. With their trademark exquisite close harmony and high energy accompaniments on fiddles, melodeon, guitar and bouzouki, Nancy Kerr, James Fagan and Jess & Richard Arrowsmith bring you a wide range of joyous seasonal music from traditional carols to contemporary wassails.

Venue:
Alnwick Playhouse, Bondgate Without, Alnwick, Northumberland, NE66 1PQ
Date:
Dec 9th 2025
Time:
19:30
Price:
£20

Crobot

An evening of dirty, groovy hard rock with Crobot’s Chasin’ Death tour with support from Asomvel.

Venue:
Anarchy Brew Co., Benfield Business Park, Unit A1, Enfield Road, Newcastle, NE6 4NQ
Date:
Dec 9th 2025
Time:
00:00
Price:
£18.70

Specialized Presents: Horace Panter | A Life In Monochrome+Q&A

An intimate charity fundraising night of stories, memories and music with legendary bass player for 2Tone giants The Specials, ‘Horace Panter’. Hosting is well-known musician and Grammy Award winner ‘Nick Welsh’ of Bad Manners & The Selecter.

Venue:
The Forum Music Centre, Borough Road, Darlington, DL1 1SG
Date:
Dec 9th 2025
Time:
19:30
Price:
£20

Caribou

For over two decades, Caribou, led by Dan Snaith, has been a defining force in electronic music evolving from an experimental solo project into a dynamic, genre-defying live act.

Venue:
The Glasshouse, Gateshead Quays, NE8 2YR
Date:
Dec 9th 2025
Time:
19:30
Price:
£35.30

Skinny Lister

Since 2009, Skinny Lister have been at the forefront of first-rate folk/punk in the UK.

Venue:
Independent, 27/28 Holmeside, Sunderland, SR1 3JE
Date:
Dec 10th 2025
Time:
19:00
Price:
£22

Mike Lindup Trio

Mike Lindup - founding member, vocalist and keyboard player with Level 42 - fronts this jazz trio with Yolanda Charles MBE (Bass) + John Sam (drums).

Venue:
PILGRIM, 54 Pilgrim Street, Newcastle, NE1 6SF
Date:
Dec 10th 2025
Time:
19:30
Price:
£25

Bold Big Band

The full 18-piece jazz orchestra will be taking the stage to bring big band classics to life. You’ll hear a wide range of tunes performed by the absolute best in class!

Venue:
The Cluny 2, 34 Lime Street, Ouseburn, Newcastle, NE1 2PQ
Date:
Dec 10th 2025
Time:
19:30
Price:
£12

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The Bootleg Beatles

The world’s Premier Beatles band and their orchestra continue to draw international critical acclaim with their flawless recreation of the greatest songbook of all time.

Venue:
Stockton Globe, 153A High St, Stockton, TS18 1PL
Date:
Dec 11th 2025
Time:
19:30
Price:
From £39.60

Man In The Mirror

A Tribute to Michael Jackson.

Venue:
O2 City Hall, Northumberland Road, Newcastle, NE1 8SF
Date:
Dec 11th 2025
Time:
18:30
Price:
£33.25adv

Slow Readers Club

They write anthemic, uplifting post punk alt-rock songs with sing-along choruses whilst being lyrically dark, political and thoughtful.

Venue:
Newcastle University Students Union, Kings Road, Newcastle, NE2 4NL
Date:
Dec 11th 2025
Time:
19:00
Price:
£30.25adv

Luther Live and Velvet Voices

Step into a world of soul, romance, and unforgettable grooves with Luther Live and Velvet Voices – the ultimate live theatre experience celebrating the golden era of R’n’B.

Venue:
The Glasshouse, Gateshead Quays, NE8 2YR
Date:
Dec 11th 2025
Time:
19:30
Price:
£33.60

Ruth Lyon

Potent Newcastle singer-songwriter who weaves deeply evocative narratives and meditations, with an artistry that balances delicacy and strength, combining analogue textures and angular indie-folk sensibilities.

Venue:
The Glasshouse, Gateshead Quays, NE8 2YR
Date:
Dec 11th 2025
Time:
20:00
Price:
£18.40

Swing Into Christmas with the Down for the Count Swing Orchestra

Fast becoming a holiday tradition for audiences around the country, this is a Christmas spectacular like no other – directed by conductor-compère Mike Paul-Smith and featuring some of the UK’s top vocalists and instrumentalists, the 30-piece orchestra recreates the sounds of Nat King Cole, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra and Billie Holiday in a unique performance full of joy and humour.

Venue:
Middlesbrough Town Hall, Albert Road, Middlesbrough, TS1 2QJ
Date:
Dec 11th 2025
Time:
19:30 - 22:15
Price:
£20.70-£37.70

Holly at Christmas

Buddy Holly’s hits, other contemporary classics and some Christmas crackers are all wrapped up in a fast, furious and funny feast of entertainment to make the perfect gift for all the family.

Venue:
Alnwick Playhouse, Bondgate Without, Alnwick, Northumberland, NE66 1PQ
Date:
Dec 11th 2025
Time:
19:30
Price:
£27

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Shannon Pearl

Neo-folk and witch-pop artist from the northeast of England. Support from Dikajee, Chloe & The Brainwaves and Barry Hall (poetry).

Venue:
The Cluny 2, 34 Lime Street, Ouseburn, Newcastle, NE1 2PQ
Date:
Dec 11th 2025
Time:
19:00
Price:
£5-£15

Singer of the Lakes | White Christmas

Join local singer Lizzie, Singer of the Lakes for an evening of entertainment – combining your favorite musical theatre songs, well-known classical music and your beloved Christmas classics for a night to remember.

Venue:
The Forum Music Centre, Borough Road, Darlington, DL1 1SG
Date:
Dec 11th 2025
Time:
19:30
Price:
£10

Fresh Thursday // Zoe Heselton + Silver Waves + ZINZILE

A unique regular event that showcases new music alongside a home-cooked meal. Zoe Heselton is a British-born poet, songwriter, guitarist, and singer based in Strasbourg. Silver Waves is the longstanding project of Dylan Mallett, a producer based in Bristol. ZINZILE is a wurld’melder, wurld’bringr, wurld’traverser.

Venue:
Cobalt Studios Ltd, 10-16 Boyd Street, Newcastle, NE2 1AP
Date:
Dec 11th 2025
Time:
19:00
Price:
£8-£15

The Bootleg Beatles

The world’s Premier Beatles band and their orchestra.

Venue:
O2 City Hall, Northumberland Road, Newcastle, NE1 8SF
Date:
Dec 12th 2025
Time:
18:30
Price:
£40.95adv

The Devout

Depeche Mode Tribute.

Venue:
Newcastle University Students Union, Kings Road, Newcastle, NE2 4NL
Date:
Dec 12th 2025
Time:
19:00
Price:
£17.60adv

Tony Hadley, The Christmas Big Band Tour 2025

Tony will perform a selection of timeless jazz standards and swing anthems in his distinctive, powerhouse voice, from the likes of Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, and Elvis Presley. He’ll also blend the old with the new by performing stylish reworkings of Spandau Ballet classics, such as ‘True’, ‘Gold’, and ‘Through The Barricades’.

Venue:
The Glasshouse, Gateshead Quays, NE8 2YR
Date:
Dec 12th 2025
Time:
19:30
Price:
From £45

Remones

Ramones Tribute.

Venue:
The Black Bull, Mulgrave Terrace, Gateshead, NE8 1PQ
Date:
Dec 12th 2025
Time:
20:30
Price:
£11

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Cattle & Cane (Acoustic)

To celebrate the 10th anniversary of their debut album ‘Home’, indie-folk siblings Cattle & Cane are releasing the much loved album on vinyl for the first time, as well as performing some special ‘Home’ stripped back acoustic live shows across the country.

Venue:
The Cluny 2, 34 Lime Street, Ouseburn, Newcastle, NE1 2PQ
Date:
Dec 12th 2025
Time:
19:30
Price:
£17.50

Dirtbox Disco + Guitar Gangsters

Venue:
The Central Bar, Half Moon Lane, Gateshead, NE8 2AN
Date:
Dec 12th 2025
Time:
20:00
Price:
£22

Smoove & Turrell

North Eastern Northern Soul. Smoove & Turrell perform singles from their extensive back catalogue spanning eight albums.

Venue:
The Glasshouse, Gateshead Quays, NE8 2YR
Date:
Dec 12th 2025
Time:
20:00
Price:
£26.30

Marketplace

Hartlepool’s Marketplace return for a pre-Christmas homecoming. With their infectious indie-pop, sold-out shows nationwide, and acclaimed new EP Marketplace Mean Business, expect a night of irresistible hooks and high-energy performance.

Venue:
The Studio, Tower Street, Hartlepool, TS24 7HQ
Date:
Dec 12th 2025
Time:
20:00
Price:
£7adv

The Chicago Blues Brothers

Fresh from London’s West End, The Chicago Blues Brothers’ RESPECT Greatest Hits tour brings 40 Motown, soul, rock and roll, and Blues Brothers classics!

Venue:
The Fire Station, High Street West, Sunderland, SR1 3HA
Date:
Dec 12th 2025
Time:
19:30
Price:
From £28

Oh My God! It’s The Church

The band’s fearless leader Reverend Michael Alabama Jackson promises to dress to impress and bless your excess as he is joined by his 10-piece band on a mission to save your soul with Rock’n’Roll.

Venue:
The Georgian Theatre, Green Dragon Yard, Stockton on Tees, TS18 1AE
Date:
Dec 12th 2025
Time:
19:00
Price:
£19adv

Ventura Highway

A new collective of pro-players with a killer set of yacht rock and blue-eyed soul (Doobie Brothers, Steely Dan, Toto, Hall & Oates and more).

Venue:
PILGRIM, 54 Pilgrim Street, Newcastle, NE1 6SF
Date:
Dec 12th 2025
Time:
19:30
Price:
£5

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X-Fest 2025

The festive celebration of original live music is KU’s last original gig of the year and it makes a long-awaited return featuring four top up-and-coming acts. Featuring Arkayla and Casino alongside two stars of the local scene – Blackout The Arcade and The Wednesday Flowers.

Venue:
KU, Prince Regent Street, Stockton, TS18 1DB
Date:
Dec 12th 2025
Time:
19:00
Price:
£12.50

The Sensational Alex Harvey Experience

Sensational tribute to the Sensational Alex Harvey Band.

Venue:
The Cluny, 36 Lime Street, Ouseburn, Newcastle, NE1 2PQ
Date:
Dec 12th 2025
Time:
19:00
Price:
£16.50

Darlington Rnb Club Christmas Party: Aynsley Lister

One of the UK’s hottest contemporary blues guitarists – many consider him to be among the best in the world. His unique brand of blues-based rock delivers contemporary song writing fueled with the kind of heart and soul that’s missing from so much modern music. Support from Smokehouse 3.

Venue:
The Forum Music Centre, Borough Road, Darlington, DL1 1SG
Date:
Dec 12th 2025
Time:
20:00
Price:
£20

Shipcote and Friends + Philippa Ogden

Gentle Geordie country swinging tunes & lilting self-penned charm-filled songs by acclaimed local acoustic trio Shipcote & Friends. Support from Philippa Ogden who has been singing and playing old-time and bluegrass fiddle /guitar for many years.

Venue:
The Globe, 11 Railway Street, Newcastle, NE4 7AD
Date:
Dec 12th 2025
Time:
19:00
Price:
£10

LN

Pagan viking metal.

Venue:
Anarchy Brew Co., Benfield Business Park, Unit A1, Enfield Road, Newcastle, NE6 4NQ
Date:
Dec 12th 2025
Time:
18:30
Price:
£10-£12

Camel Island

High-energy indie rock trio hailing from the North East of England, playing their debut EP in full alongside new material and old favourites.

Venue:
The Bridge Hotel, Castle Square, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 1RQ
Date:
Dec 12th 2025
Time:
19:00
Price:
£5

ABBA-Merry Christmas

Get ready to say “Mamma Mia!” this festive season as ABBA-MERRY Christmas brings you the ultimate festive party!

Venue:
O2 City Hall, Northumberland Road, Newcastle, NE1 8SF
Date:
Dec 13th 2025
Time:
18:30
Price:
£29.90adv

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Aynsley Lister

One of the most exciting contemporary blues guitarists around today.

Venue:
The Cluny, 36 Lime Street, Ouseburn, Newcastle, NE1 2PQ
Date:
Dec 13th 2025
Time:
19:30
Price:
£18

Cattle & Cane

Indie-folk siblings.

Venue:
Arc, Dovecot Street, Stockton-on-Tees, TS18 1LL
Date:
Dec 13th 2025
Time:
20:00
Price:
£24

Niall Southall...is Elvis!

Local legend Niall Southall and his band return after taking the roof off last Christmas!

Venue:
Saltburn Community Theatre, Albion Terrace, Saltburn by The Sea, TS12 1JW
Date:
Dec 13th 2025
Time:
20:00
Price:
£18.50

Fastlove - The Tribute to George Michael

Venue:
The Fire Station, High Street West, Sunderland, SR1 3HA
Date:
Dec 13th 2025
Time:
19:30
Price:
From £28

Black Eyed Sons

Members of The Quireboys and Down n’ Outz are joined by an amazing collection of fellow musicians for a joyous collaboration of mutual admiration and musical celebration.

Venue:
The Cluny 2, 34 Lime Street, Ouseburn, Newcastle, NE1 2PQ
Date:
Dec 13th 2025
Time:
19:30
Price:
£20

A Jazzy Christmas - Paul Edis and Friends

Featuring new arrangements of festive favourites penned by pianist Paul Edis, with the velvet-voiced Jo Harrop and a swinging 9-piece band, A Jazzy Christmas has become an annual tradition.

Venue:
The Glasshouse, Gateshead Quays, NE8 2YR
Date:
Dec 13th 2025
Times:
14:00, 20:00
Price:
£18.40-£21.80

Kate Rusby - Christmas is Merry

Kate Rusby celebrates 20 years of festive joy with this year’s tour, ‘Christmas Is Merry’—a heart-warming tradition for thousands of fans. Her pure, unmistakable voice breathes new life into traditional South Yorkshire carols, winter songs, and Christmas classics, creating an enchanting, magical atmosphere.

Venue:
The Glasshouse, Gateshead Quays, NE8 2YR
Date:
Dec 13th 2025
Time:
19:00
Price:
From £40.90

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Salty Dog

3 Guys who play for the fun of it and for the love of the music.

Venue:
Alnwick Playhouse, Bondgate Without, Alnwick, Northumberland, NE66 1PQ
Date:
Dec 13th 2025
Time:
19:45
Price:
£15

Simply the 80’s Christmas Special Featuring Ant Trouble

Annual 80’s Xmas special featuring the excellent Ant Trouble the UK’s Number One tribute to ‘Adam and the Ants’. With a DJ playing 80’s bangers until late it’s guaranteed to be a ball!

Venue:
The Georgian Theatre, Green Dragon Yard, Stockton on Tees, TS18 1AE
Date:
Dec 13th 2025
Time:
20:00
Price:
£8 or 5 for £35

Ohasis

Oasis tribute.

Venue:
KU, Prince Regent Street, Stockton, TS18 1DB
Date:
Dec 13th 2025
Time:
19:00
Price:
£13

These Smiths

A Tribute to The Smiths.

Venue:
Independent, 27/28 Holmeside, Sunderland, SR1 3JE
Date:
Dec 13th 2025
Time:
19:00
Price:
£15