If you’re a big fan of music, art, and are over 18 years of age, then Stockton offers the perfect night out for you. Music/art event, ‘Vinyl’, is held at Riverside Lounge on a monthly basis and includes original bands and music-related art and photography.
“Music and art go so well together, you know?” Says Ian Allcock who co-organises and promotes ‘Vinyl’ along with Lauren Duncan. “‘Vinyl’ was born out of a charity night we did back in May for Raindrops to Rainbows (a perinatal mental health charity doing great work on Teesside with families affected by postnatal depression). Riverside Lounge loved what we did and asked us to consider running a regular live event so we got our collective, creative heads together and ‘Vinyl’ is the result.”
‘Vinyl’ is a free event, so it won’t leave you staring at your bank balance with a deep feeling of despair and regret. The event is a win-win situation for everyone: the public doesn’t have to pay to get in, the bands get paid a decent fee for gracing Riverside Lounge with their presence, and it offers the artists a platform for their work.
“The feedback we are getting from musicians, artists, photographers, and gig-goers is absolutely amazing,” says a very proud Ian.
If you’re wondering what to expect from a night at ‘Vinyl’, doors usually open at 7:00pm and the first band is on by 8:30 pm. The event usually has three different bands playing their original material (covers aren’t allowed) and there’s usually a mix of local artists and photographers that display their work, providing the creatives of the North East with another outlet to showcase their work to the public.
‘Vinyl’ in December is on the 15th of the month and will make a delightful difference to sitting in one of Stockton’s dinghy pubs with ‘Wizzard’s’ ‘I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday’ blaring loudly in the background. The line-up include headliners from South Yorkshire, Late Night Legacy, with support from Lost in the Crowd and Hartlepool’s Abbey Burns kicking the night off.There will also be a chance for folks to stock up on those final Christmas prezzies as there will be photography and artwork for sale as well as visiting artists and crafters Dianne Bowell and PEG Creations showing their wares.
‘Vinyl’ in January will be held on the 26th and is set to be an amazing night. The fantastic North Yorkshire based alternative hip-hop group, Ceiling Demons, are headlining the event and are supported by The Rhyme Molesters and Consept&D6ixS. “There is specially commissioned artwork from locally recognised graffiti artists plus some amazing photography too,” Ian tells me. “Can you tell we are excited about this?” he adds.
‘Vinyl’ is run by people who are passionate about both music and art, and as gig-goers themselves, they make sure that everything is exactly how they’d want it to be if they were attending. It’s early days for ‘Vinyl’(December will be its 5th night), but despite it being a fairly new event they already have some great acts lined up to take part.‘Vinyl’ is a breath of fresh air for Stockton, as it gives locals access to something that wasn’t really available in Stockton before.
When I asked Ian what he’d say in around ten words to convince people to attend he said: “Vinyl’ is different, it’s music and art together, and it’s free, so come and be part of ‘Vinyl’.”
If you find yourself free on Friday 15th December or Monday 26th January then why not find your way down to Riverside Lounge in Stockton for a brilliant live gig experience and get your hands on some fantastic artwork?
