Stockton, my hometown, has always been a bit of a music hotspot: from The Beatles to Arctic Monkeys, a whole host of stars have graced our small Teesside town with their presence over the years. And today, a number of rising stars, some making their first trip to Stockton, ascended on our humble town for a showcase event that outlined the strength of the UK’s music scene – including the music scene here on Teesside.
This day-long festival was jam-packed with talent so I arrived early to catch Teesside alt-indie outfit Gone Tomorrow at KU, a band that played their debut gig at our own NE Volume Music Bar. This young, up-and-coming outfit proved that they have what it takes to play the bigger stages. With a set full of energy, adrenaline and perhaps a few nerves (frontman Ben Ruddick chatted a little bit more than usual), they ripped through a strong set of fast-paced alternative anthems, with new track ‘Barcelona’ the stand-out.
With a quick jump next door (honestly, it’s about a metre away), I managed to catch half of indie outfit Bear Park’s charisma-filled set over at The Social Room before walking another 100m or so to ARC to bear witness (no pun intended) to Nice Guy’s biggest-ever show, as frontman Michael McCluskey announced: “This is, without doubt, the biggest gig we’ve played and we’re shitting it – so thanks for being nice”, with the sentimental ‘Last Orders at the Linthorpe’, about Michael’s cousin who died two years ago, proving to be the most touching moment of the entire day.
Over at The Georgian, Manchester/Stockton outfit Velma played a set of dark, broody alt/indie-rock – and in complete contrast, over at ARC, The Lulas showcased their summery funk-pop vibe, showing the sublime diversity of this line-up.
Back at KU, Liverpool’s The Kairos drew the biggest crowd of the day so far with a set filled with catchy riffs, a vibrant, scuzzy wall of sound and pop sensibilities. And with no time in between to rest, I headed back to The Social Room to catch Priestgate, based a few miles from Hull, with their ‘80s pop-goth vibe – a band I’d compare to a more hostile version of The Cure.
The angst-filled Low Hummer absolutely smashed their set too, with catchy choruses, light aggression and elegantly put-together lyrics lighting up the room. But it was ARC headliners The K’s who stole the show with their raging confidence, formidable energy (which the crowd fed off), and anthemic indie tracks, such as highlight ‘Sarajevo’ being sung back with vigour.
What a day. And what a way to showcase just how much talent there is out there if we just dig a little deeper.
