Reviews Black Fruit Promotions • Cheers To The Vikings • MangoWave • Mesmerized • Music Earshot • Parkett
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Looking for a photographer, a videographer, someone to take your press shots or live footage while performing live in the north east? Here’s a list of visual artists that have impressed us before!
The north east music scene is thriving, with new acts, music venues, and industry professionals rising to the surface and improving as they grow and collaborating with others within the local scene. Find most of its fantastic grassroots music venues below.
For the purpose of my own curiosity I decided to dive into the archives and find out when Dutch-Danish rock band Subterranean Street Society and I started working together, and found out it was late February 2022 on their single ‘One And A Half Men Tent’. Two years and a few months later we finally met in person for the first time, ever. Somewhere over the course of our working relationship we’d started to talk about a UK tour, which just after Brexit seemed impossible. However, together, we made the impossible possible!
On Wednesday the 8th of May they arrived in the north east for two shows, after which they’d head to Manchester, Sheffield, London, and then Brighton for their last UK show of the tour. They started with a mesmerising completely unplugged set at Sofar Sounds Newcastle and headed to Mosaic Tap the next day for an amplified set supporting local outfit Earth Farm! Those two sets were at the same time a world of difference and exactly the same; captivating and more powerful then I’ve ever seen a band perform. It is their thunderous soundscapes and bloody honest, political lyricism that has made me stick by the band for the past few years.
By Celia Medina at Mosaic Tap, Newcastle
The band headed to Manchester for a show at Lions Den supporting Origami Tsunami and toured on to Sheffield for an instore at Record Junkee. One of our least favourite shows not solely due to the administrative nightmare it was in the lead up to the event… A show had been booked in with Kevin at Our Sound Music, who’d joined the team at Record Junkee as in-house promoter. The initial idea was always to make this a free instore and for the band to get the opportunity to sell their physical albums. We’d received a request from Kevin to make this a four band line-up, ticketed evening event instead and had of course said that that would work perfectly for us. Up until now that has been the last we’ve heard of Kevin… Eventually we were able to get hold of Record Junkee and they confirmed to make this once again a free in-store, but when the band arrived the shop was empty and management had locked themselves in their office. So much for a show in Sheffield…
Luckily things were only able to get better from there, with two Sofar Sounds London shows on the books, a fantastic line-up at The Dublin Castle in Camden, and a ‘hometown’ headline at The Folklore Rooms in Brighton! Ahead of the band’s before-last show in London we all enjoyed a wonderful meal together at Italian restaurant Goodfare which I would wholeheartedly recommend to anyone looking for a delicious Italian meal. We enjoyed The Dublin Castle with incredible bands Wakey Wakey Rise & Shine, Butterjunk, and Morning Tourist, and I fell head over heels in love with The Folklore Rooms and its aesthetically-pleasing venue and stage design. Local artists Soft Top and Arjun Nala supported the band which made for a night of incredible live music we won’t soon forget.
Booking live events, organising an international tour, and filling venues with familiar and yet unfamiliar faces is a full-time job. One born from passion when done by those with the right intentions, but costing so much time and energy. Even though I am already working on the next tour, it is still a thing I need to reflect on every time a tour ends; is this really worth it? Is it the best way to go for the artist I am working with? Even though an international adventure sounds like a dream, just booking the events isn’t achieving much just yet. Deciding if an international tour is right for you, is something only you can decide, and although advice from others can be helpful, it can also be damaging. You’ll have to keep in mind all individual tasks before you even get to play your show; your route, the cities you might be able to bring people in, the venues and or promoters you’re hoping to work with, the people you hope to attend your shows, the industry you’re looking to invite, the costs for travel, accommodation, and to feed yourself.
The first time myself and Subterranean Street Society spoke about a UK tour was around June last year, it took us nearly an entire year to organise, and even though I wouldn’t have it any other way and there are only so many things I would have done slightly differently, that’s something to keep in mind when looking to book your own tour. To reiterate; with a band as talented and with their hearts in the right place as Subterranean Street Society, I would book tours all year ’round if I could!
Reviews MoochilaTv • MUSIC MEDIA • Roadie Music • Songlens • Sounds On The Couch • SoundsGoodWebZine • WaxVinylRecords • York Calling
Shout-outs Frequenze Musicali • Unrecorded
Playlists Americana Highways • Apollo’s Harp • ARIYEL’S DIARY • Artistas independentes • Bad Wolf Records • Beat Waves • Daily Discovery • Dive In • Dulaxi Entertainment • Each Measure • End Sessions • EXTRAVANOW • Folk & Strings • Fresh & Acoustic • Fresh Finds • heitmusic • Indie Dock Music Blog • indiemusicflix • INFO MUSIC • Lost In The Manor • Melomani • Mesmerized • Muse Chronicle • Music For All • MusikePool • Os Garotos de Liverpool • Pop • Pop/Singer-Songwriter • PopHits • RGM • RGMS.radio • Rocky • Senocular Music • Sinusoidal Music • Soft pop • SONO Music Group • Space Sour • Tape Ranger • Testing Melodies • The Musical Road • tunesaround • Ze Rock Porto • ZENOMUSIC
grapevine. is leaving listeners with a longing anticipation for more. Alas the yacht pop era continues as grapevine. isn’t hiding his tropical influences, in fact ‘Like An Oasis’ parades those influences and wears them proudly. Released just in time for the summer, ‘Like An Oasis’ is the summer anthem you’ve all been waiting for.
While as luxurious sounding as the song may seem, the track can actually be seen as a desperate plea for when you’re so lost in love with someone who just seems too good to be true that it’s like finding your way through a desolate oasis (as intense as all the great classic power ballads out there). With this track, grapevine. wanted to take his love for the 80’s and the throwback pop sound that he adores most by upping the anti to pull off a track compatible to the classic 80’s anthems by Hall and Oates, Journey and The Outfield.
Not only does the track include more synths, there’s even a saxophone solo kicking off at the last third! Listeners will get a good dose of nostalgia from this new grapevine. era, solidifying his mark on the north east music scene as things definitely aren’t slowing down just yet.
While the band’s previous albums were created during an extensive process, ‘BLEEP’ was written and recorded in one year. This time the songs were written with the entire band to focus on the energy of the ensemble. The result is an up-tempo folk-grunge album, the album release tour starts in March in the Netherlands, followed by a UK tour in May.
Single ‘BLEEP’ is the title track of the album and also the last song the band wrote. It was created in the studio and was recorded live on an 8-track tape recorder. The song is musically and lyrically tough, uncompromising and thus pushes the boundaries of comfort. ‘BLEEP’ mainly asks the question: “Who determines where the boundaries of freedom of expression lie?“
Singer Louis talks about ‘BLEEP’: “The title track from Subterranean Street Society’s upcoming album ‘BLEEP’ is a song about modern-day censorship in a digital age, where the big tech canons have taken total control of our public discourse. It retells a story about “Rocking In The Free World” by Neil Young, who removed his music from Spotify because he disagreed with Spotify podcaster Joe Rogan’s views on the COVID-19 vaccines. In this tragic-comic story, we are left to wonder where the line of free speech is drawn, who the gatekeepers of truth truly are, and if self-censorship will become the new cancel culture.”
Radio Amazing Radio • European Indie Music Network • French Connection • Pinguin Radio • Radio 675 • Teri’s Music Matters • The Sound Lab
Reviews Berlin On Air • End Sessions • Existential Magazine • Get Some Magazine • New Music Review • Rock Era Mag • SoundsGoodWebZine
Shout-outs CHARMmusic • indiemusicflix • Songs Behind the Music
Playlists All pop • Allen Peterson Reviews • Apollo’s Sonic Station • ARIYEL’S DIARY • Bad Wolf Records • Banger Roulette • Beat Waves • Black Fruit Promotions • Buzzy Band • Daily Discovery by Inspotmusic • Discover New Music by Inspotmusic • End Sessions • Epic Experimental • EXTRAVAPOP • Find No Anger • Guitar Thunder • Havoc Underground • IC2 • IGGY Mag • Illustrate Mag • Indie + Rock Retrievers • Indie Discovery • Indie Dock Music Blog • Indie kingdom • Indie Measure • Indie Music For All • Indie Noise Nation • Indie Pop Hits • Indie Rock Gems • Just Hit Shuffle • Jyla Music • KIMU New Music Spotlight • La Caverna • Lost In The Manor • Melody Findings by Inspotmusic • Misfits’ Newest Releases • Muse Chronicle • MusikePOOL • NEW WAVE NOW • Obscure Sound • Os Garotos de Liverpool • Other Side Reviews • Pop Bliss • Pop Paradise • Press Play! • Princess • Punk Rock Corner • Purple Tea • RGMS.radio • Rickys Daily Bangers • Rock This! • Songs of the Week • Stolen Threads 2024 • Talento Emergente 2024 • Testing Rock • The Indie Grid • The Musical Road • TJPL FRESH! • tunesaround • Upbeat & Energetic • Ze Rock Radio
Breaching the barriers of the wider music industry, I decided to initiate conversations with local change makers, get to know hmv Newcastle supervisor Ritch, and read the entire interview on Music For The Misfits.
What is your role at hmv Newcastle, and what do you do besides working at hmv? “I’m a supervisor at hmv and also plan, organise and promote all the in-store events especially the Live & Local activities. Besides hmv, I can usually be found at a gig or two every week, the cinema or the best role of all, being a dad to my daughter.”
When did you start working in the role you’re in now and what inspires you to keep going? “I’ve worked for hmv since July 1999 and played a part in the events for a long time. When #hmvLiveAndLocal began in 2019 I jumped at the chance to run things.”
“A great source of inspiration has been working with the local artists. When hmv launched its own record label (1921 Records) one of my own nominations was chosen, India Arkin. Since then I’ve been even more eager to continuing helping artists where I can.”
What do you think of as the strengths of your local music scene? “We have such a wonderful community that takes care of each other. GIGCO is essential for the scene and is growing all the time. Ben and Matt have such passion and it’s great getting to work with them. Promoters such as Shin Gigs along with us having so many venues around for people to perform. You really could go to a gig every night of the week. I’ve made some amazing friends through the music scene too!”
LLIVELY Music 