Fast-rising genre-hopping alt-rock outfit PØRTERS released their debut EP ‘Motion Without Direction’.
Their debut is a bold fusion of alt-rock energy and 4-part harmonies. Out of the North East and straight into your speakers comes Newcastle’s own female-fronted power outfit PØRTERS. ‘Motion Without Direction’ is a searing, genre-blending introduction to a band that’s not afraid to hit hard while harmonising sweetly.
KATHMANDU has been praised for writing catchy songs with a twist, but then discovered that even some of their friends thought that their songs were too indie to be truly catchy.
With this in mind, they challenged themselves to see if they could write a first-class pop song that indie lovers and more commercial listeners would enjoy. The result is ‘Charlie’, a hazy lazy summer single to bathe in or to dream away to. Mission accomplished.
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“EASILY THE GREATEST BOOK EVER WRITTEN ABOUT MUSIC AND BEING IN A BAND” ERIC ALPER, SIRIUS XM
Following the runaway success of his first book, ‘Noise Damage’ which topped the Amazon Best Sellers charts in Heavy Metal Books, Punk Books and Music Books, James Kennedy has just released his follow up book, ‘Loud Medicine’ which was published by UWP Books on the 5th of June.
Kennedy Podcast’ from South Wales says: “Noise Damage was a tough act to follow but I’ve worked really hard on this one and I’m so excited that people can finally read it.”
‘Loud Medicine’ is a collection of musings on all things good, bad and ugly about music and the music industry. The book takes the reader on a joyride through the hidden world of the everyday musician where they share every ill-conceived adventure, battle scar and industry screw-over. They’ll also learn how they can save our grass roots venues, support their favourite artists, protect their mental health, why God is a Jazzer, what you should never say to a musician and what exactly is an Evian Shower.
By the end of the trip, the book will serve as a music lovers manifesto for change and a musicians manual for survival. It’s also a love letter to everyone’s favourite medicine and the people who make it. Whether you’re a musician, a music fan or just out for a good time, ‘Loud Medicine’ will have you laughing, learning and losing your mind in dismay. You may even come away feeling more inspired, informed and mobilised.
I am of the belief that everything done within the creative and performing arts is done better when done together, so to announce this next collaboration is quite the dream come true. I always aim to work with venues that are outside of the ordinary so Newcastle Castle seemed the perfect fit to organise a big musical extravaganza this summer. When myself and the team first met it simply clicked. Ideas started rolling and a few weeks ago we finally announced our event!
Only the other day did I finally confirm our entirely line-up but the wristbands are in, the posters and flyers are ordered, the interview questions have been answered and the first 25% of tickets have been sold already! Our micro festival boasts of an array of wonderful intimate performances across genre and style, a bar at the heart of the medieval building and a merchandise store.
I am incredibly excited to have had incredible grassroots musicians India Arkin, Joe Goodall, George Bailey, Rivkala, Porcelain, So Anne-So, Vigilantes, and Wolfred confirm they’ll be joining us for this music extravaganza. I have known all of these talents for different amounts of time and they’ve all blown me away multiple times in the past through various events. I can’t wait to hear them all mesmerise our audience through their own unique crafts and hope they blow you away like they did me!
Stockton’s musical highlight of the year is without a doubt Stockton Calling, which is the all-day music festival that makes every Easter weekend a memorable one. This year I intended to attend and review as I usually do, however things turned out a little differently when I got the request to manage the stage at The Social Room, to which I simply couldn’t say no.
This bright and spacious venue became an instant favourite as soon as it opened its doors above Stockton’s iconic KU Bar. Brightly coloured walls, a floor like a chess board, a wide stage and two well-equipped dressing rooms make for a comfortable space to be in whether you’re a music fan, an artist, or a stage manager. With a fantastic sound engineer, light engineer, and team of staff working at the venue, it was always going to be a wonderful day.
Despite the fact that I was working instead of attending, being stationed at one venue makes a multi-venue festival that bit less stressful, knowing where I’m supposed to be at all times. It also meant that I got to see and work with nine incredible acts who were all very professional and so very talented. I have added the latest releases by The Ransoms, Camel Island, North Riding, M60, Currls, Alien Chicks, Adult DVD, Hungry, and The Paddingtons to the playlist linked below!
There really is nothing quite like discovering new musical talents, while being paid to take care of their every need, and helping a fantastic local festival run smoothly.
Ever since their move from Newcastle city centre to the west end, Beyond Vinyl has been evolving into what is now a new and eclectic community hub for music and vinyl enthusiasts, so it was no surprise to see an endless queue impatiently awaiting its opening this Record Store Day. Together with David I’d organised a series of in-stores to liven up Record Store Day; I’d booked a handful of grassroots musicians from within and outside of the region to play their songs acoustically.
Local folk musician Oliver Hunt, Americana duo Hels Pattison and Zach Savage, pop rock artist Sam George, and incredible rock’n’roll artist Megan Black graced the stage and brought their mesmerising sounds to an eager audience, making Record Store Day 2025 that bit more magical. This line-up had come together through various circumstances, I’d chosen Oliver Hunt as he was about to release a new single, Hels Pattison has been making waves within the local scene and has got a musical summer coming up, Sam George is about to release his debut EP, and Scottish rockstar Megan Black had just returned from a European tour.
Despite the fact that you might not yet know these artists, behind the scenes they are working very hard to make a name for themselves and to increase their on- and offline following, with myself and Beyond Vinyl aiming to support them in their endeavours. Collaborating with venues, promoters, festivals, and record stores has always been at the core of what I do within the music industry, because bringing together those that work towards the same goal makes for the most inspiring and wonderful of work environments!
What’s ‘GIANT’ About? Vocalist Abbie Rose wrote the lyrics and melody for ‘GIANT’ as an anthem of defiance — a story of reclaiming power and demanding respect. It is her response to the countless times she’s been underestimated by those who thought they knew better in the music industry.
The Vision Behind the Video “For the ‘GIANT’ video, we wanted to inject a touch of dark humour and drama by playing the part of an alternative wedding band. It all begins innocently, with Abnorm performing at what seems like a typical function.
But as the video unfolds, the scenes spiral into madness. Abbie embodies the fierceness of the song, and ends drenched in blood — a metaphor for devouring those who have doubted her and wronged her, in a thrilling, almost theatrical twist.”
“‘GIANT’ is the first music video we’ve done as a band so we are very proud of our debut video release featuring Abbie Rose (singer), Ryan Brown (guitarist), and Adam Willis (drums).”
“Endlessly romantic and beautiful…” Guy Garvey on BBC Radio 6 Music
“The thoughtful allure and understated beauty of latest Sandy Kilpatrick single ‘The Spark’ is just the latest in a string of reasons why listeners are starting to fall in love with the artist and his engrossing sound…” Review on CLOUT
“As the track builds, André Silvestre and João Robim’s instrumental flourishes carry the melody into an almost spiritual crescendo, culminating in a choral arrangement that feels celestial. It’s a moment of pure transcendence—the kind of music that makes you close your eyes and just feel.” Review on Hella Fuzz
“With soaring vocals, cinematic strings, and stadium-ready ambition, Sandy Kilpatrick sounds like Glasgow’s next big name.” Review on It’s All Indie
“…a majestic artistic personality who has now transformed into a hidden treasure.” Review on Mesmerized
“…a wonderfully smooth and alluring acoustic led swoon.” Review on Mystic Sons
“…an artist with a compelling voice and a continuous drive to create meaningful music.” Review on Right Chord Music
Together with a team of incredible music industry professionals I am organising the second edition of Newcastle’s music, comedy, and spoken word festival Aelius Alternative on Saturday the 5th of April and we have just announced our full line-up!
Fast rising locals CROWLEY, WOLFRED, and TV DEATH will be headlining across 4 venues and 5 stages; The Globe Up, The Globe Down, Head of Steam, The Telegraph and ZEROX’ Shooting Gallery are all playing their part in highlighting a selection of incredible musical talents. Artists on the line-up include Nadedja, spoken word artists Sam Way and Tahmina Ali, Rushbonds, and White Collar Rebel.
We will once again be collaborating with international live music promoters Sofar Sounds on a secret stage, as well as local comic Adrian Hanlon who’ll be curating and hosting the comedy stage. Sunderland’s NAME Academy will be sending two acts to Newcastle, French music platform Groover will be taking their pick of international acts to perform, Off Axis are taking care of the Scottish delegation to join us in the festivities, and The Pentatonic will be sending Uno Mas to Newcastle.
This year, we are working with national organisation Tonic Music for Mental Health on highlighting the importance of mental health services within the music industry. Aelius Alternative partners include Groover, Love Music Hate Racism North East, Microbus Gateshead, NAME Sunderland, Night Owl Music Promotions, Off Axis Scotland, The Pentatonic and W Artists.
Tickets for the festival are available here.
The true value of conferences such as Tees Music Alliance’s On Point Conference is meeting the professionals that might not always seem within reach. With professionals from all over the country attending and taking part in the round table sessions, the conference offered us all the opportunity to connect with the people that work at organisations such as Help Musicians, Musician’s Union, PRS Foundation, and BAPAM – British Association for Performing Arts Medicine.
During the round table element of On Point Conference, I spoke to David at Help Musicians, who told me about the different initiatives Help Musicians offers. The organisation focuses on supporting artists and helping them develop their career, as well as improve their business skills. Help Musicians also offer funding for creative projects and support anyone who works in music through sister organisation Music Minds Matter. A great tip David gave on what to do when applying for funding is to always keep in mind that the person reading your application knows nothing about you, so make sure to include all that’s relevant.
One of the great organisations I first got introduced to at On Point, was BAPAM, I spoke to Dan about the organisation, their goals, services, and struggles. BAPAM offers free specialist, confidential medical advice, clinics for musicians at The Glasshouse ICM as well as free therapy sessions for musicians. The organisation also offers advice and resources on many different health-related topics for creative professionals, including tips on performance training during the winter. The charity aims to improve the health of our arts community and maintain its creative excellence, a focus I think is incredibly important these days.
At the same table sat Philip who is a musician and works for the Musician’s Union. I’ve never truly looked into their activities so it was wonderful speaking to an employee about the things they can do for the local industry. The organisation offers insurance for members, short term loans, benevolent funds, parental funds and contract advisory. Something Philip confirmed for me was that any written agreement counts as a contract, as long as the offer, consideration, acceptance, intent, and capacity has been noted down. Philip mentioned how also promoters and event organisers can benefit from insurance when hiring venues, and how sadly, when a festival goes into liquidation they indeed do not need to pay any fees owed to performers. My tip when you sign a contract with a festival or event organiser? Make sure there’s a person on the contract instead of a business.
Aside from the helpful tips and tricks the above professionals shared with me, most of all they inspired me to keep working in, and supporting, the music industry.
LLIVELY Music 