Tag Archives: Stockton Calling

Stage Managing the This Feeling stage at Stockton Calling

The moment the last band played their last tune at The Gathering Sounds last year I was already looking forward to my return to The LINK for Stockton Calling so when the day finally came around it was as if I was a kid going on holiday. 

The brilliant team at This Feeling have trusted me with repping and stage managing their shows in the north east and every event so far has been an absolute pleasure. Having attended Stockton Calling plenty of times before I knew what to expect and returning to one of my favourite Stockton venues made it even better. The lovely staff at The LINK welcomed me with open arms and the incredible bands performing during the day were joys to work with.

We started our day with young indie outfit Montello, continued with incredible five piece Masi Masi, vibed along to The Juice, loved seeing Long Island and Eighty Eight Miles again – such powerhouses! – and loved Cusp and headliners Cruz. All kind professional and swift in helping each other out, the bands made this a breeze of a day.

Although I love an indie boy band like no other, seeing women take the mic and conquer the stage with ease is something that’ll never tire me, Long Island and Eighty Eight Miles stunned once again with their powerful and unapologetic performances and they could’ve played at least twice as long if you’d have asked me! 

Once my stage at The LINK had wrapped up I headed to ARC for Glasgow favourites Soapbox, after which I saw The Molotovs at The Social Room before grabbing a quick late night dinner before heading to my accommodation for a decent night’s sleep. That wrapped another incredible Stockton Calling with plenty of wonderful faces and lovely old and new friends I can’t wait to see again!

Special thanks to George, Jimmy, Ellie, Ben, Rob, Ben, Kyle, Rich, Nicole, Chris, and Andy for making this another event for the books.

Stage Managing at Stockton Calling 2025

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.