The Leadmill has now launched an official petition to try and help prevent their eviction and the eviction of other at-risk venues now and in the future by requesting to suspend Section 25 of the Landlord and Tenant Act (Grounds C to G). You can sign this here. Since the announcement of The Leadmill’s impending eviction notice, anger has spread at the risk of job losses and the idea of others profiting from their hard work. Through this, #WeCantLoseLeadmill began as a way of remembering the goo

Tramlines, Sheffield’s biggest music festival, has announced the opening of this year’s ‘Apply to Play’. The scheme offers a number of paid performance slots to emerging and undiscovered bands and artists from across the UK. Those wishing to play at the 2022 edition of Tramlines can apply via the website at. https://tramlines.org.uk/ apply-to-play-now-live/ Taking place at Hillsborough Park from Friday 22nd – Sunday 24th July, Apply To Play is an annual call out. With slots available to play ac

Following a hugely successful debut last August, the Sheffield Music Trails return bigger and better than ever for their second year, providing a full day of free entry shows across 19 independent music venues throughout Sheffield. This includes venues from Castlegate through to Kelham Island, Abbeydale Road to Heeley and West Street down to Leadmill Road. Originally conceived as a multi-weekend celebration, this year’s trail condenses all the excitement of the festival into a single day, offer

After a turbulent two years, the iconic Sheffield music venue is embarking on a campaign to drive people interested in purchasing tickets for future events to do so before April 1st 2022, in order for venues to take advantage of the VAT cuts that have been made on music venue ticket sales up until the very last moment. With a huge range of events to choose from, there will be something for everybody! The venue posted online this week with the following statement: "Advance ticket sales matter n

With cheap drinks and funky music all being provided by the Leadmill, all you need to do now is secure your tiki vibe outfit. I’ve helpfully made a rundown of the best places to buy your Club Tropicana funky shirts… First and most obviously is Freshmans. A local Sheffield vintage brand, it is home to multiple rails full of Hawaiian print shirts – as well as being a cave of other gems that you’ll probably be less embarrassed to wear out. Helpfully, they also offer 20% off Hawaiian shirts for Clu

After a great first wave of artists being announced in November, we now have even more to get excited over including the full comedy lineup - something I love about Tramlines unique mix of genres making it accessible to anyone and everyone. With names like Bad Boy Chiller Crew, Lady Leshurr, Scouting For Girls, Alfie Templeman, Crawlers, and even my home-town cover band Elvana (Elvis meets Nirvana), we’re in for a good weekend this July. Comedy returns to Hillsborough with a huge Line-Up inclu

Sold-out Tramlines Festival will go ahead at full capacity in Sheffield’s Hillsborough Park from July 23rd to 25th as part of Events Research Programme following the likes of Download Festival that successfully took place over the 4th-6th or June. Announced just twenty five minutes ago (12pm, June 29th) that it will join the third phase of the Government’s Events Research Programme, this means the sold-out music festival will definitely take place at full capacity on 23rd to 25th July. With hu

With festival season on the horizon and after a year away from them, everyone has been highly critical of the performers and lineups expected to be seen over 2021. With huge festivals like Reading and Leads (RandL) and TRNSMT being slated for their lack of diversity, I’m proud that a festival local to me seems to be disregarding this trend. Although the big headliners remain male, the rest of the lineup is sprinkled with female acts across the whole weekend. Taking place in the beautiful Hills

Local indie outfit, The Samphires, will be playing a fascinating online gig at The Globe in Newcastle on Saturday 17th April. The Samphires are an alternative indie band from Newcastle consisting of three teenage girls who studied music together at college. With Rosa Thomas on bass, Elise Shields on guitar and Gemma Watson on drums, they have a simple but intimate and powerful sound, with their songs discussing relatable topics of insecurity and fears for the future. With a range of emotional

North East based Coat Rack Records is an independent record label, marketing and production company all in one. Aiming to be a safe space for artists to be comfortable knowing there is zero-tolerance for harassment, their goal is to embrace the transforming face of the creative industries in the hope of bringing a more ethical standpoint. Comprised of two women in their early twenties, Coat Rack offers a fresh perspective on the industry - striving to support and push artists to explore their c

Local collective Tits Upon Tyne have launched a new project, Called Out, in an attempt to make live music and nightlife safer. With spiking increasing 108% since 2015, Tits Upon Tyne recognised that something needed to happen to reduce this. Their first step has been to create beer mats with a hole hand-punched into it to fit a straw – allowing cups to be covered. Reaching out to multiple bars, many have already come on board with the project – including Northumbria Students Union. It’s a grea

In support of Music Venue Trust, Fightback Lager has been raising money towards keeping grassroots music venues alive during these uncertain times. Music Venue Trust is a registered charity that aims to protect, secure and improve grassroots music in the UK. And with closures to many live music venues, the industry is really struggling during the uncertainty. This means that new and inventive ways to fundraise, like Fightback Lager, will be heavily beneficial. However, while their #saveourvenu

Prohibition Bar has been working hard to create a safe space for performances to exist once again. Over the past few months, the bar has been fighting to create a schedule of shows which they are able to host inside their cosy walls under the clever new title, ‘The Prohibition Act’. Based on a 1920s speakeasy, the cabaret bar opened in 2015 and finally reopened after COVID closures on August 1st. Based on Pink Lane, in Newcastle’s busy West End, Prohibition took over the iconic Jazz Cafe – a genre which can still be heavily seen in their line-ups, although the venue was also created to accommodate a wide range of performances including circus skills.

Spinning Superiority is a North East vinyl market that has been running for two years. With a new record store based in Flea Circus in Newcastle, they have joined the collection of 35+ local independent traders selling a wide range of items, from vintage pieces to art and music. While vinyl may seem outdated to some in a world of streaming services, its popularity has remained – thank god. I spoke to Jack Holmes who explained that Spinning Superiority “always try to be as diverse as possible wh

Andy of Newcastle’s Blast Studios, a Solid State Logic (SSL)-based recording facility, spoke to Emily Duff about the effects of COVID on the business, working in the recording studio during lockdown, and how they’ve implemented guidelines during the recording process. As with any business, there is a lot of uncertainty about what is going on. We closed for a period of time in the first lockdown, but following advice from the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport we have remained open

In light of the coronavirus, all theatres up and down the UK have come to a halt (as I’m sure you’re aware). On Tuesday 17th March, North East writer and actor, Sam Neale, involved in companies like L…

Due to the coronavirus outbreak, live music in the North East has undoubtedly taken a hit. In response to venue closures and gig cancellations, Lee Tuck and 19 other local musicians have worked together to cover Aerosmith’s ‘Love in an Elevator’ with the aim of lifting spirits during this time rather than gaining profits. Each musician recorded their part with resources in their homes which, together, created the full piece. So far, I had only seen this with classical music so it’s great to se

Darlington Hippodrome has set up a range of online dance and drama classes to beat the isolation blues and keep up (or start-up) a new skill. The classes are available for young people and adults alike as a way of keeping the body and mind active during this period of social distancing. Hippodrome Youth Theatre sessions are split into three age groups (7-10, 11-13 and 13+) and take place on Mondays or Thursdays, depending on the age group, and last for an hour and a half. The aim of each class

As a way of engaging learners of all ages, Durham University has launched a free ‘Museum from Home’ online learning package to help you to keep busy during lockdown. Available through the University’s website, each package is designed to require minimal equipment and is accessible without the need of a printer. The site offers a weekly under-5 streamed Little Dragons Club for stories, games, and online activities that follow the school curriculum – and there are downloadable creative tasks too