Northeast Music Guide

Metal Moth ,   We Rise Tomorrow ,   The Distorted ,   Blackjack O2 Academy  Newcastle Saturday 22nd August 2015 Metal Moth  ©Joanne Oliver for Jowheretogo Four great local rock bands rocked the Academy. Headliners Metal Moth blew away new fans with their heavy chunky riffs keeping the friendly mosh pit happy. They played the tracks from their Rise EP and upon that basis their next EP will be a must buy. Natalie Gaines’ intricate rhythms coupled with Kurt Hudson’s engaging vocal style wrapped in a sea of guitars make for a great outfit. We Rise Tomorrow ©Joanne Oliver for Jowheretogo Support came from the musical juggernaut that is We Rise Tomorrow. Richard Clayton is a superb frontman who commands attention. The performance would put metalcore legends Killswitch Engage to shame. Stand in drummer Josh Dunn fitted in well in a vibrant performance. The Distorted ©Joanne Oliver for Jowheretogo Also on the bill were The Distorte...

Touring their new album Ad Nauseum, Dog Fashion Disco are dragging along Psychostick to add to the madness at The Cluny on the 13th September. The Cluny has been recognised as one of the best music venues in the country and so where better to experience this totally mental lineup? "Dog Fashion Disco started in 1998 by 5 high school friends, made some records, toured a lot, broke up in 2007. Formed Polkadot Cadaver, made some records, toured a lot. Decided being broken up was dumb in 2014. Did crowd funding campaign for a new album and raised $85K... come to find out people actually give a shit. Heavily influenced by bands such as Mr Bungle this promises to be off the hook. Check out War Party - Psychostick are What happens when two best friends who grew up listening to W eird Al and Pantera decide to start a band combining crunching riffs and laugh-out-loud lyrics. Psychostick happens, happened, and continues to happen. Vocalist Rob Kersey and guitarist Josh Key ...

Cumbria artist Rachel Greenbank is holding an exhibition of her works at  Circle Bar, in Lowther Arcade, Carlisle. Rachel is a contemporary portrait and figure artist and Illustrator. After graduating in Illustration in 1998 from U.C.Lancs with first class Hons Rachel gained her first art job designing greeting cards for International Greetings and Inspire By Design. She freelanced for 4-5 years,before returning to her first loves -portrait painting and The Lake District. As a portrait artist she passionately believes the process of trying to capture a persons character, and simultaneously revealing a little of ones own personality, is the driving force behind her work.  She creates realistic, emotive portraits, in acrylic, pencil and mixed media. Blending the natural beauty of figures and faces with nature's elements, and constructing digital montages she then creates artworks that are reflections of love, spirituality, human nature and self expression. "I love pa...

Chase Park Festival 2015 Accessible to all, the festival has multiple runways and flat platforms to keep wheelchair users as near the action as possible. Signers (very enthusiastic and entertaining) made sure the hard of hearing didn't miss a word. Food was available from local traders..our personal favourite for a second year running, was Pizzette, a mobile stone cooked pizza van. When you're not into meat, you do often find your diet limited at festivals so this was a lovely change from chips. Chase Park Festival had a good start with sunshine and Beth Macari..her backing band made up mostly of 3 at Sea. Beth continues to develop her soulful pop sound. Beth knows how to engage the audience and was a formidable first act of the day. Patrick and Holly then treated us to a street-dance routine. This was fun! Would love to have joined in but my joints just don't do that!  Ambient electro beats from Soundbeams (from the Percy Hedley Foundation) kept the audience h...

Interview with Stephen Cochrane of SubJuno Stephen was the songwriting powerhouse behind This Ground Moves. He played guitar in the band and added his vocals to the songs, but those compositions were largely from this talented young fella. I met up with him in July in the pleasant surroundings of the Forth pub’s roof beergarden. I begin my asking about his upcoming single Nancy’s Song. JO: You can tell by the sound of the new single that This Ground Moves songs were largely your writing. SC: Yeah, but all of This Ground Moves was me. I wrote every song we ever did. ‘Cos’ that was my job! I’m not that great a guitarist so I had to bring something to the table, or else I’d be just someone playing chords badly on stage! JO: Having listened to Nancy’s Song it has a This Ground Moves “edge” about it but also a slight poppiness. SC: Yeah I wrote it ( Nancy’s Song ) when I was in TGM but I don’t think the rest of the band were that interested in it. But as soon as I...