Music
North East venue Bobiks has announced its closure after over four years. The closure comes after the Punch Bowl Hotel (which houses the venue) in Jesmond has recently changed operators from Frank & Bird to local Mexican restaurant Birria Bella. Bobiks themselves have given the reason for the closure as the music venue “doesn’t fit […]
By Erin Jardine Divine Image are a six-piece hardcore metal band from Sunderland, who describe themselves as “defying genre boundaries” and creating a “harsh, groovy wall of sound.” And it’s true that although they do a lot of heavy guitar riffing, they also have an atmospheric tone, reminiscent of Realm Of Torment and Xnomad. Divine […]
By Arley Armfield This month two masterful Madchester-era heavyweights resurfaced: Liam Gallagher, the powerful voice of Oasis, and Liam’s hero, John Squire of The Stone Roses. This unlikely duo formed after Squire’s search for a singer in the summer of 2023 ended up when Squire supported Gallagher at the sold-out Knebworth gigs, playing a mesmerising […]
A rise in the top 40 artists releasing more music on vinyl is helping independent shops to flourish in a time when high street footfall is at the lowest it has ever been. According to the ERA (Entertainment Retail Association), 36.7% of total physical music sales last year were in independent shops. This rise is […]
The British music industry contributed £6.7 billion to the UK economy in 2022. Yet, according to the Music Venue Trust, 66 venues have closed in the last 12 months. But why and what can be done? The origins of this crisis are due to rent increases with 125 UK venues abandoning live music in the […]
I saw ‘Bring Me The Horizon’ for the first time on tour on January 16 2024 at Newcastle Utilita Arena – they simply did not disappoint. This tour had three different support acts, the first support act was Staticdress, second was Cassyette and third was Bad Omens. Since the tour I have had Cassyette on […]
Indie rock band Kaiser Chiefs will be the headline act as Soundwave festival returns to Seaton Carew for the second year. After Bastille set the town alight for the event’s maiden year last summer with over 5,000 people gathering by the sea, and on the back of the incredible success, organisers worked hard to lock […]
After a two-year hiatus, Catfish and the Bottlemen have announced that they are headlining Leeds and Reading Festival 2024. In November, the first ten artists who will be headlining Leeds and Reading Festival, during the August Bank Holiday next year, were announced. Within them was the announcement that Catfish and the Bottlemen would be reuniting […]
