Northeast Music Guide

It's just a crack in the screen...... Not my usual kind of blog post. The smartphone has become part of everyday life. For a business like mine it had opened up new avenues to spread the word about my clients as a PR. I found some of these shut suddenly when my phone hurtled to the kitchen floor. Just a cracked screen. I worried the phone may cost a fortune to fix, but got similar quotes from about 3 people and so when one of them called back promising a 48 hr turnaraound, and 6 months warranty, I thought, I could trust the friendly voice of "John" at the other end of the line. The UPS driver arrived within 10 minutes and my phone was in a padded envelope off to Elite Phones And Computers in Manchester. This was a mistake. I hadn't checked the reviews online, something I always do, and warn other when I find the bad ones.  I sent the phone on Friday and on Monday checked on progress, using the on-site messaging service the company prefers to use instead of ema...

Hanzel Und Gretyl Interview Described as a “Neue Deutsche Härte” (new German hardness/ dance metal) band, Hanzel und Gretyl are stopping off in Newcastle on October 15 at The Cluny during their European Tour. We had a little chat with Kaiser Von Loopy and Vas Kallas (both actually American) : JO: Hi, we’re looking forward to seeing you at the Cluny in October, looking forward to your European tour? Vas: Greetings! YES!  We’re looking forward to our yearly adventure throughout Europe and very stoked that we are coming back to the UK and this time to Newcastle!! The last time was in 2007 as support to Cradle of Filth. That was 8 years ago! That’s nuts! I remember it being crazy good and! I also remember that Cronos from Venom was sitting in the back lounge of our tour bus as I walked in nonchalantly and then acted like a silly fan girl. Yes! Newcastle we are ready!! KAIZER VON LOOPY: It's been way too long!! I can hardly wait to sample the Nukie Broon!!!  in a repe...

Psychostick and Dog Fashion Disco at The Cluny 13/09/2015 A respectably sized crowd filled the Cluny in anticipation of a night of raucous metal with American band Psychostick and Dog Fashion Disco. The bands are clearly enjoying the UK tour, for Psychostick, their first visit over here. Dog Fashion Disco are a very talented group of musicians with music that shows possible influences as diverse as early Black Sabbath, Faith No More and Slayer. The variation in the music made it more than just metal, with jazz and ska making an appearance in some songs. Not content to just play on stage, Jason Stepp,  guitarist, jumped into the crowd to create a mosh pit in the very polite audience. The throng had no choice but to be part of the gig. The many years of experience showed in this performance, and vocalist Todd Smith really has a versatile voice, flipping styles to fit the songs. Psychostick achieve something at which many bands fail. They combine metal with comedy. Obse...

Has it really been 25 years? Photo ©Jizzy Pearl  In 1990 Columbia Records released the debut album by  Love/Hate  ‘ BLACKOUT IN THE RED ROOM’ and although singer  Jizzy Pearl  has stayed busy touring and making albums with such platinum artists as L.A. Guns, RATT and most recently Quiet Riot – ‘Blackout in the Red Room’ was the starting point, the beginning, the bar to which all else has been measured.  This record – voted “Album Of The Year  1990 ” by Kerrang! and Metal Hammer magazines – would not have been possible but for the exceptional loyalty of the band’s UK fans, they were there when the world was young and they are still there 25 years later.  Now it’s 2015 and once again Jizzy Pearl returns to the UK for 5 exclusive concerts, this time celebrating 25 years of Love/Hate music by playing the Blackout in the Red Room album in its entirety, with other Love/Hate fan favorites, along with a select group of top ...