I still get some freelance camera work and this job was at a four day event set in a fantastic location inside the grounds of Tynemouth Priory & Castle where the river Tyne meets the North Sea.

First day a smooth load in and five camera set up with three operators and two remote to feed the large video screens, after a few tweaks the set up was ready to go live.

The return of headliners The Proclaimers, they were canny back in 2019, stage time called and the Reid brothers marched on towards the sun and a full crowd, not a bad place to work.

Of course they played Letter From America and 500 miles, they make the camera job easier for framing when they’re planted next to the mic. Think it might be different for Siouxsie tomorrow – and it was.

Opening band LYR were mere lambs to the slaughter as a sold out sunny Friday evening saw Siouxsie casting spells and spinning her web in the perfect goth setting of the Priory, Castle ruins and graveyard.

The Ice Queen majestically skipped around stage singing Spellbound, Cities in Dust and Arabian Knights. Played last, and not on the set list, was a triumphant Hong Kong Garden. Letting the crowd know she went for a dip in the North Sea earlier in the day brought a cheer and more love from the goth hordes.

Camera set up 4pm on Saturday in place for the openers from 6.30pm, former Housemartin/Beautiful South vocalist Paul Heaton & special guest on at 8.15pm. Cameras went undercover on a soggy evening.

Trouble in the crowd was just handbags, and the rain never dampened the Saturday night sing a-long. Heaton’s songs are great little stories, and a nice touch when introducing band members he told the crowd what football team they supported!

The show ended with four encores, yes that was four, and a sparkly finish, compared to barely an hour on stage from Gabrielle on Sunday.

It was a long filming day with early camera set up from 10am for six acts and over six hours video screening scheduled. Gates opened 11.45am and saw Newcastle band Clear Blood first on at 12noon.

Gabrielle sauntered on stage for 5pm, but after a few songs disappeared for 15mins leaving her backing vocalists singing random pop hits. What’s this about? A costume change? No, when she returned just a few more songs and no encore.

After enjoying the show the crowd looked deflated – was that it? And who thought of booking a Thin Lizzy-lite rock band to go on before her? As tight as they were, maybe a better fit would of been Friday before Siouxsie.

Thankfully, earlier in the afternoon the suited and booted Big Red & the Grinners landed on stage, tuned in and turned on the crowd to their brand of blistering banjobillypop – and saved the day, excelling from their 2019 performance with Big Red observing the Priory ruins ‘I see you still haven’t repaired the windows’.

With sold out shows another successful event organised and delivered by North Tyneside Council. See ya next year.

Alikivi   July 2023