“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.
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.
Tees Music Alliance and The Georgian Theatre collaborated on another inspiring music conference. On Point Conference took place on the last Friday of January and inspired me once again as well as connected me to those that inspire me within the northern music industry. The term ‘conference’ might sound intimidating but with a bunch of fantastic professionals and official wingman David Saunders, there’s nothing to be intimidated by.
On the panel about Dual Dynamism several northern industry professionals spoke, Supercat PR’s Matty talked about how it’s important for artists to utilise all social media platforms and to support those that support you in relation to PR specifically. “There’s no right or wrong way, focus on what excites you as a musician.” Radio DJ Shell added to that; “Have a strategy and a plan, block out periods of time for content creation and schedule posts, use the power of a mailing list, and be your authentic self on and offline.” Head of EMI North Scott Lewis highlighted an individual and different approach, “Take a different approach, support each other, and stay true to yourself.” No matter what your social media reach, just having a following most often doesn’t pay the bills, for performing artists live performances, merchandise, and syncs are where the money’s at. Scott continued, “Build a community around you and utilise your friends and family to help you with for example design, photo- and videography. Lean on the fear of missing out and make sure that those who pay for a ticket get a show they won’t soon forget. Make your gigs a social event, an event people want to be at.”
Wipe Out Publishing Marketing Manager Pippa Morgan mentioned the usage of a platform called Archive which pulls footage from social media, as well as a tool to automate direct messages sent to fans. To that, Matty added the data we can pull from streaming platforms, “to have an idea where your fans are based, and your most popular platform will give you an idea of the demographic that enjoys your music and art.” The consensus of this panel came down to how plans can give you a focus, and help you to look back on what you’ve already achieved, making sure you’re not drowning in big hopes and dreams that feel unattainable. On plans, Matty added that they shouldn’t feel like something that could not possibly move or change, but that they give you direction and help you make the most out of for example a new release. “Make sure to have more than one single recorded, so that you’re not stopping and starting continuously. Play as many shows and supports so that you’ll be rehearsed and ready when opportunities come in.”
On the next panel subjects include maintaining momentum, gaining financial stability and taking care of ones well being. A new organisation in the form of BAPAM is introduced to me, next to manager and sync specialist Chelsea Wood, PRS Foundation’s Lloyd Francis, and local artist Nadedja. Nadedja is a great example of an artist who’s been open about managing a work-life-social media balance, “I do what makes me feel good, and focus on a clear goal while trying not to compare myself to others. I choose opportunities that make sense for me and my career.” Chelsea makes sure to know her artists on a personal level when working as an artist manager, “the rat race never stops, so it’s important to zoom out and take time off, even though that might make you miss out on opportunities.” Dan added to that that people, and artists in particular, should act before things get to their worst, if you’re unwell, act, don’t simply push through, because the problem will only get worse.
On maintaining financial stability a common theme was to diversify and multiply income streams, options you have as an artist are to sell merchandise, this could be print on demand to minimise costs, and look at sync opportunities. Chelsea mentioned; “Don’t rely on funding, and think about getting a music lawyer.” Some music lawyers would be happy to work pro bono, and they are well connected within the industry which gives you the opportunity to extend your network. On collaborating with other professionals, audience-member Helen mentioned; “work with people you like and make sure that there is a need for what you’d like to do.” Dan added; “Communicate openly and set boundaries when you’re collaborating. To protect your mental and physical health, reach out to organisations such as Music Minds Matter, and make sure to stretch and warm up before a gig.” To add a last note on maintaining financial stability, Chelsea mentioned to not be afraid of change and to do what works for you as an artist, Lloyd added that PRS supports “risky pivots”, and Nadedja highlighted that not everything has to be for you, and that you have to do what feels comfortable and at the same time excites you.
Conferences might feel overwhelming, but when you take notes, be present, and introduce yourself to new connections, they can make a great deal of difference within your musical, or creative career. On Point Conference, organised by Tees Music Alliance, has always been a favourite, not just because it’s local, but also because of its caliber of speakers. With people that have just graduated, entered the scene, to those having worked within the creative industries for years, they all offer their own experience and perspective, and it’s always exciting and inspiring for me to connect with those that are like-minded and just as passionate as me about working in music.
Recently I reached out to Fever UK responding to a call out for freelance Stage Managers, and this week they got back to me with a last minute job in Dublin to which I simply couldn’t say no. Their touring production We Call It Ballet needed someone to take care of cast, crew, and intricate costumes, and with January being a slow month my calendar had the exact amount of time and space for such a job.
I flew out to Dublin on Wednesday, arriving at a nearly empty Newcastle Airport, went through without a hitch and arrived in Dublin in the early evening. Despite the city having already been covered in the dark, luckily there were still plenty of decorative lights lighting up its streets. As I’ve visited the city a few times before I already knew the areas I wanted to revisit, I enjoyed a slow evening stroll before an early night. My impeccable travel planning skills saw my hostel based a two minute walk from the venue the next day, so after a good night’s sleep I found a local café for my morning latte before heading to the venue. The O’Reilly Theatre is based inside the Belvedere College which doesn’t look as impressive from the outside as it looks on the inside. Not too large, not too small, the theatre looks neat and modern with a spacious stage.
After we had loaded all tech, gear, costumes and props, all teams went full steam ahead, the dancers arrived early, fitted their costumes, we sorted some last minute technical issues such as the replacing of batteries… And started show number 1 right on time! We Call It Ballet combines classical ballet with modern technology to create a stunning dance and light show, and it was a true privilege working with the incredible dancers and crew and experiencing the show twice from the wings.
Without major glitches we got through both shows, after which it was time to return the theatre to its original state. I then returned to my accommodation to comedown from what was a tiring but exciting day of work! Interested in experiencing We Call It Ballet yourself? You can still catch the show in cities all over the world, find your city here!
LLIVELY Music 