Page 47 - 368649 LP250851 NE Volume Magazine (170mm x 245mm 52pp) November 2022

FESTIVAL REVIEW
COMEDY REVIEW
MAISIE ADAM
AT THE STAND, NEWCASTLE – 06/10/2022
NE VOLUME RATING 
Still emergent as a stand-up but quickly cultivating a national profile, Maisie Adam is radiantly appreciative as she sells out The Stand in Newcastle. We are treated to a warm-up segment where she very genially converses with the audience and teases out the most entertaining details, seamlessly weaving them into even her main show, ‘Buzzed’, in a virtuoso display of her natural gifts for storytelling. The content of Adam’s act is quietly vulnerable, rifling through the most intimate moments of her recent life, including a memorable set- piece about how she was proposed to. While the show’s title is ostensibly not about her infamous haircut, she does provide the lowdown on that in a typically self-deprecating fashion. Everything she shares is laced with intrigue and hilarious perspective. The way Adam lays out a bit, so that for the most observant and attentive listeners an off-hand remark or divergent aside can be a bigger payoff than the punchline, is testament to the diversity of her appeal and the layered character of her still-developing comedy. MICHAEL JOHNSON
THE GATHERING SOUNDS
AT VARIOUS VENUES, STOCKTON – 24/09/2022
NE VOLUME RATING 
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. LEE ALLCOCK
COMEDY REVIEW
MARK WATSON
AT ARC, STOCKTON – 08/10/2022
NE VOLUME RATING 
It would be misrepresentative to summarise Mark Watson’s latest appearance at ARC without mentioning a run-in with several audience members which detonated five minutes in and threatened to completely derail proceedings. Watson handled the incident with confrontational aplomb, and deftly, if inevitably, flipped it into a recurrent callback. The gig became entirely unique, a considerable advert for the unpredictability and glory of live comedy. Strangely enough, the unexpected events turned out to fit Watson’s show like a glove; it is hard to detect any structural rigidity or pedestrian writing in a scattergun set coming across as largely unplanned, which is keen evidence of Watson’s sleight of hand and comedic alchemy. It is impossible to believe the man we see on stage has an off-switch or cannot make humourful gold from the dullest of interactions. Buoyed by an otherwise very supportive crowd, albeit one in which all of the interaction seemed to come from the most tangential of attendees, Watson appeared to end up in his element. It became a bravura experience. MICHAEL JOHNSON
eNAPhotography GIG REVIEWS // NE VOLUME MAGAZINE // 47