A duo who are louder than bombs, Big Special write about desperation and struggle, about a Britain in decline, about finding pride in your darkest moments, about how the real class war in the UK is always punching downwards. Theirs are songs of hope, and despair, and more hope, because, ultimately, good people win. Songs that channel that voice you hear when you look in the mirror and see your true self – fight songs for a world gone wrong.
Blitzing together their distinctive styles (Waterfield’s hard-hitting, bouncing-bomb drumming; Thorpe’s expressive avant-rock pyrotechnics; Joe Bell’s athletic basslines; Adkins’ intoxicating synth), Avalanche Party create a noise that blends and twists their individual influences into shapes that defy any neat label.
Starting out as Haze, dance funk group Home Counties met in primary school in Buckinghamshire. Beginning as a five-piece, the addition of vocalist and keys player Lois Kelly has brought new colours to their sound.
A playful and ramshackle combination of 2000’s dance pop and furious post-punk, the band have self-released an impressive number of bedroom singles, starting with debut EP Redevelopment. With a full setlist of catchy and addictive tracks, the music is a vehicle for social commentary and irreverent satire. A weird and wonderful combination of sounds, moods and influences, you can expect plenty of infectious and danceable moments. (Kate Relton)
While guitar bands still seem to dominate things, there’s a lot to get excited about elsewhere at the moment, not least the North East’s thriving jazz scene, which has gifted us the excellent SwanNek, Describing themselves as an ‘eight piece jazz/neo-soul collective’, they formed in 2020 around keyboard player Findlay Hewitson and with a few years gigging and recording under their various belts (including an acclaimed Hoochie Coochie residency), they’re now a remarkable live act, as likely to foreground a cellist or flautist as a guitar, as happy playing a BBC Proms show as a gig in Ouseburn, and vocalist Mollie Birmingham is building up quite a following. (Lee Fisher)
Starting her career at 14 and part of the We Make Culture’s Young Musicians Project, Lottie Willis has rapidly become a BBC Introducing favourite, featuring on Spotify’s Fresh Finds. Hitting the scene with her debut EP in 2023, Willis’s thoughtful, clever and emotional style has won fans all over the country. The Sunderland-based singer-songwriter has played festivals from Lindisfarne to Munro and Waves, and shared the stage with Lake Poets and Rag ‘n’ Bone Man. With a constantly evolving sound, her music has been compared to Phoebe Bridgers, The Sundays and Kate Nash. (Kate Relton)
Born in Poland, raised in ‘Boro, based in Newcastle, Eyeconic (Samuel Mocarski to his mum) is a big hip-hop talent that’s been honing his style for a few years now. With a smooth flow and a way with slow jam tunes (hints of trap and grime) and with plenty of support from the Tyneside boom bap scene and the likes of BBC Introducing and Radio 1, it can’t be long till Eyeconic busts out of the North East and makes a splash nationally. He’s that good. (Lee Fisher)
Finding the sweet spot between perfect pop and searingly honest lyrics is tricky, but ‘Boro’s Loren Heat has clearly nailed it. They’ve released a run of tracks (including the very well received Scarlet Haze EP) that articulate anxiety and vulnerability but also joy and – hell yeah! – love, always to an infectious synth pop backing. They’ve already had the BBC Introducing stamp of approval and appear regularly at festivals and gig bills across the North East, and have been getting a lot of love from the queer community for their openness and pure pop dynamics (think a darker Robyn or Dua Lipa!). (Lee Fisher)
Teesside’s George Bailey is a purveyor of upbeat and energetic indie rock. The multi-instrumentalist singer-songwriter already has a string of autobiographical songs based on his struggles growing up in the north to choose from including previous singles Nowhere For Me Now, Feels Like Forever (Left Behind) and Let Me Go. George’s musical ethos is for his songs to soothe, cure and reflect on the everyday mundanities of life in the small corner of the world we occupy. Not one to miss an opportunity to blend genres, latest track American Dream explores social discourse over the pond through the musical medium of folk-infused alt. rock. (Steve Spithray)
Line-ups are subject to change.
Stockton’s oldest and longest serving dedicated music venue, The Georgian Theatre, is currently undergoing a refurbishment in order to provide additional audience capacity, as well as a new cafe and bar space.
The Georgian Theatre is home to Tees Music Alliance, who have been promoting music and providing services to artists and audiences for over 30 years.
Visit The Georgian Theatre website
Access information
The building is wheelchair accessible with level flooring throughout the building and level access from the entrance. Accessible toilets are available. Seating can be provided on request.
