Northeast Music Guide

Λpex, Silent Houses and Hyde at Darlington Forum Music Centre 09/08/2014 A Right Fruit Salad of a Gig! Three completely different local bands on one bill, but all of the best quality. The Forum Music Centre in Darlington is a superb facility with a good sized venue and a stage of a scale you don’t often get to experience when you are at the early stages of your musical career. Hyde were on first and they had a grasp of gritty alternative rock that belied their youth. They did throw in some covers but not obvious choices and their own songwriting proved to be of equal calibre. They should stick with their own material..not because they are bad at covers (they are great at them – Hot For Teacher was a gem), but because their own material deserves to be heard. Silent Houses brought euphoric electronic-based pop to the mix, and the reaction was great. Hayley Mackay is utterly at home as a front-woman and has a crowd in her grasp with a genuine positivity and clear love of t...

Horse, In a Library! Perfect. My other half and I stumbled into the rather dramatic surroundings of the library at the Mining Institute, three songs into Horse’s set. The parking in Newcastle city centre is extra scarce right now due to the alterations at Central Station, taxis are parked everywhere. Enough of our logistical problems what about this gig? First of all, I’m a little annoyed. Horse has been making amazing music since 1989. It took me until this week to hear any of it. I got in touch with Horse to get a couple of tunes for the Jowheretogo Show on NE1fm, to give a gig a little plug, as I do. I heard the songs and knew that this was something special. I feel I’ve missed out on some amazing tunes. Jools Holland is a fan and Q Magazine have been raving about Horse. This may be the year of finding Horse where you don’t expect. The music of Horse is soulful pop. A blues – soaked picture of a woman’s life, struggles, relationships, hopes, dreams and loves. In ...