16 North East gigs to book now
By Becky Hardy
HOLY MOLY AND THE CRACKERS
When? 23rd April
Where? LIVESTREAM from Sage Gateshead
The first and (hopefully) only full-band livestream from these fiery folk-rockers, you can bet HMATC are going to pull out all the stops.
Tickets: From £8.80 here
SAM FENDER
When? 1st May
Where? Utilita Arena, Newcastle
Rescheduled from April 2020, Sam’s biggest homecoming gig to date will be one to remember.
Tickets: £32.25 here
WOMEN ARE MINT FESTIVAL 2021
When? 14th–16th May
Where? LIVESTREAM from Cobalt Studios, Newcastle
Our favourite three-day celebration of women in music is back, although this year it’s sticking to online performances. But with the likes of Kay Greyson, Beccy Owen and Cortney Dixon on the line up, you’re not gonna wanna miss it.
Tickets: Ok, so this one isn’t exactly one to ‘book now’ – you’ll get a link on the day and tickets are on a pay-what-you-feel basis. We just really didn’t want you to miss it! See more here
GLASTONBURY
When? 22nd May
Where? LIVESTREAM from Worthy Farm
This uninterrupted five-hour production has been designed to resemble ‘one continuous wild night’ at the festival. With performances from Coldplay, Haim and Wolf Alice, you’ll almost feel like you’re really there. Almost.
Tickets: £20.00
CHANTEL MCGREGOR
When? 21st June
Where? The Cluny, Newcastle
At 14, Chantel was told by major labels that she ‘had a great voice, but girls don’t play guitar like that’. Wisely ignoring the comments, she enrolled at the Leeds College of Music and became the first student in its history to achieve a 100% pass mark. So yeah, we love her.
Tickets: £15.00
FREEDOM ALL-DAYER
When? 26th June
Where? NE Volume, Stockton
NE Volume’s first all-dayer, full-capacity gig features Glass Caves, The Balcony, PussyWillowFurryVenus and Charlotte Grayson, among others.
Tickets: £11.00
LADIES DAY WITH JESS GLYNNE
When? 24th July
Where? Newcastle Racecourse
The most glamorous race day of the flat season combines fashion, fillies and plenty of (bottles of) fizz. This year it’ll also feature Grammy-winning firecracker Jess Glynne, too.
Tickets: From £60.00
LAMPLIGHT FESTIVAL 2021
When? 7th–8th August
Where? Mowbray Park, Sunderland
The big draw to Sunderland’s new music festival is undoubtedly the Kaiser Chiefs. But with the likes of Deacon Blue and KT Tunstall also flexing their musical muscles here, you’ll definitely get your money’s worth.
Tickets: £43.45 (for one day)
OLLY MURS
When? 28th August
Where? Darlington Arena
Our hearts skipped a beat when we heard Olly was coming back to the North East. He never disappoints.
Tickets: From £44.25
THE PIGEON DETECTIVES
When? 19th September
Where? The Middlesbrough Empire
Bringing their infectious blend of classic rock and 90s’-inspired indie, The Pigeon Detectives will have you forgetting lockdown even happened.
INHALER
When? 1st October
Where? Newcastle University
Combining the new-wave innovation of Depeche Mode with the dark sensibilities of Joy Division, Irish rockers Inhaler (led by frontman Elijah Hewson, son of U2’s Bono) are a musical tour de force.
THE WATERBOYS
When? 12th October
Where? Stockton Globe
Few bands have as great a live reputation as The Waterboys. Yes, your Dad might love them – but in this case that’s not a bad thing.
Tickets: From £40.15
THE SNUTS
When? 18th October
Where? Middlesbrough Town Hall
If being stuck in lockdown for over a year has made you crave the uninhibited human contact that only a raucous, sweat-drenched gig can give you, then The Snuts will deliver in spades.
RAG’n’BONE MAN
When? 3rd November
Where? O2 Academy, Newcastle
You’d recognise his voice anywhere, but nothing compares to hearing it live.
KAWALA
When? 24th November
Where? St Dominic’s Catholic Club, Newcastle
Kawala are just cool, man. They’re just proper cool. Trust us, you’ll dig them.
FLEETWOOD MAC’S RUMOURS WITH THE TRANSATLANTIC ENSEMBLE
When? 22nd December
Where? Wylam Brewery, Newcastle
We’ve lost track of the number of times we’ve watched the Transatlantic Ensemble perform Fleetwood Mac’s iconic Rumours album at Wylam Brewery – but we’ll be back again in December. Just you try and stop us.
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