Now in its fifth year, The Gathering Sounds is the newest North East multi-venue festival.
Taking inspiration from similar festivals such as Brighton’s The Great Escape, it looks to bring together some of the finest new artists on offer, both nationally and from around the North East, for a massive multi-venue all-day festival in Stockton.
When announcing the first wave of acts for this year’s festival, organiser Jimmy Beck said: “We’ve handpicked a diverse range of acts, ensuring there’s something for everyone to enjoy. Whether you’re a fan of indie, rock, or electronic music, you won’t be disappointed!’
These acts represent the very best of up-and-coming musical talent from across the North East and beyond. Get ready to witness some of the UK’s hottest musical prospects in a variety of intimate venues.”
The various acts will feature across six stages at ARC, The Georgian Theatre, KU, The Storytellers and The Social Room.
Opening the main ARC stage is Antony Szmierek, a spoken word and indie hip-hop artist who blends poetic and often introspective lyricism with undeniably smooth riffs and nostalgic beats, and who has been described as ‘Mike Skinner spliced with Simon Armitage.’
Headliners of the ARC stage are The Royston Club from Wrexham, North Wales, who have been making a mark in the UK and beyond since releasing their debut album, ‘Snaking Hips and Crashing Cars’ last summer. The success of this release led to a tour of the UK and EU, as well as festival sets at both Glastonbury and Reading and Leeds.
South London’s Fat Dog are closing the KU stage, with their idiosyncratic blend of punk and dance that aims to push boundaries and defy categorisation. They have built a reputation for wild and unpredictable live shows that are full of infectious energy.
Other headliners include Birmingham’s Overpass (Under the Influence Stage at ARC2) who describe themselves as ‘driving the next wave of anthemic guitar music’, while The Social Room Stage is headlined by Edinburgh’s Swim School, fresh from their first headline UK tour, including a sold-out show at Newcastle’s Zerox bar.
The festival’s focus on mixing genres and featuring new and upcoming acts make it one of the most exciting line-ups in what is becoming a busy market of similar festivals.
Whatever your taste, there should be plenty to enjoy and new acts to discover.
The Gathering Sounds takes place on Saturday 28th September.
Tickets, priced from £25.00 in advance, are available from fatsoma.com.
