Class Gymnast are Jon Melvin (Vocals), Mark Cliff (Drums), Jordon Ridley (Bass), Andrew Yates (Guitars) and John Dempsey-Curry (Guitar).
“We’re mainly South Shields lads, although I suppose our spiritual home is Sunderland – we’ve rehearsed at The Bunker on and off for the best part of two decades” said guitarist John Dempsey-Curry.
What are your hopes for this single?
“I’ll be honest, it’s just nice to get some music out there. We started this ‘project’ in 2019 as a way of playing some older songs and ended up writing and recording new music. Right when we started trying to do anything of substance, the pandemic happened and we had to slow right down. We’re not fast at the best of times, but we ended up writing and recording around one song a year, and never really doing anything with it. This is us finally committing to something.”
How long have the band been playing music for?
“We’ve all been playing together in some form for a while. Three of us were in a band called The Volts in 2000 for a couple of years. Four of us were in The Broken Things back in the early 2000s. A few of us started a band called Maps Are Fiction / The Dead Generosities in the 2010s. A couple of us are in the going concern The Union Choir. I believe The Broken Things may be making a brief comeback as part of a charity gig alongside some other bands of that time shortly, which will be exciting.”
What do you think about the state of live music today?
“We’re all in our 40s and most of us have kid(s) so getting out to see gigs is hard. Playing them even harder. I know from other folks I’ve seen posting pictures (on social media) that there’s still a thriving small band scene, so I know there’s a scene out there, but it does feel very much like there’s a lack of venues dedicated to this kind of thing like there was ‘in my day’. I’m very probably wrong on that though!
Have the band planned any gigs soon?
“On the live music front we are playing the Ship Isis in Sunderland on 31st January with two other bands – American Wrestling and Becca Rubin.”
Produced by Martin Trollope – aka Harbourmaster – ‘Fugue State’ the debut single released 26/1/2026 and same day music video premiering on You Tube at 6pm. Pre-orders on Apple music 19/1/2026.
After a sold out stage tour in 2024 Cramlington Train Wreckers is back. The inspiring story of working class solidarity will be staged at Newcastle Theatre Royal on Sunday 12th July 2026to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the national strike in 1926.
The strike was the biggest rupture in society since the English civil war. Miners were asked to take a pay cut to ‘improve productivity’ – really just to maintain the profits of the bosses. North East actor Micky Cochrane played one of the main roles on the tour and is revisiting the play at Theatre Royal.
“The audiences were really good in ‘24. Lots of bums on seats and a great response. A lot of people come with high expectations for Ed’s plays and love what he does.”
Written by Ed Waugh (Wor Bella, Carrying David, Hadaway Harry) the story of the striking miners who accidently derailed the famous Flying Scotsman train in Northumberland is told by former actor and director Russell Floyd (The Bill, Eastenders), and after a very successful Carrying David and Billy Elliott the musical, the afore mentioned Micky Cochrane.
“I had worked with Russell on Carrying David and The Great Joe Wilson. I know how he works and what he brings out of actors. We work really well together.“
“I also won the North-East Culture Awards Performing Artist of the Year. It was a great reward for the fantastic plays and big roles I played last year” said Micky.
Also starring is Alex Tahnee who was in Romeo & Juliet and Alice in Wonderland “I knew Alex. She was great. The play has lots of information so we had to be on it. We had to help each other out”
“I had heard of the Cramlington Train Wreckers but I didn’t know the full story and main players so it was another chance to learn more about the history of the area.” explained Micky.
Tickets for Cramlington Train Wreckers at Newcastle Theatre Royal on Sunday 12th July 2026 available from >>>
Neville’s music has attracted attention from the BBC and the specialist music press. Stuart Maconie featured him on BBC 6 Music’s Freak Zone, Electronic Sound magazine praised his debut album The Edge of Destruction which established Consett born Neville (53) as a distinctive voice in contemporary British music. The critically acclaimed debut featured on this site in July 2023.
“I’m hoping to build upon the success of the previous two albums, which certainly found an audience, at the same time this album has a different approach. I like the idea of doing something slightly out of the ordinary each time” explained Foster.
What or who was your inspiration when you were young?“As a child I’d a neighbour who had an old 78 gramophone. I still remember the smell of the thorn needles. That was my first musical experience, it seemed like another world with its own smells and sounds. My dad who like a lot of other men in the 1970s took up guitar so I recall him playing.”
“My first record I bought from Woolworths in Durham as a child was Mike Oldfield’s Blue Peter. My dad played Tubular Bells around the house so I’d have heard that and Oxygène by Jean-Michel Jarre. So, Oldfield and Jarre would be my earliest exposure to modern music.”
“Having played guitar myself for many years when I began making this kind of music I remembered Jarre and Oldfield but also discovered I had in my record collection the likes of Terry Riley, Hans-Joachim Roedelius and Michael Rother without really having ever joined up the dots of who these people were or what they were doing.”
Is music in your family? “Not at all. My grandfather was in the navy and played the accordian, he always told me as a child that if I wanted to be popular at parties I should learn to play the piano. My father had a few attempts at playing the guitar which didn’t work out, but it did mean there was a guitar around the house when I was growing up.”
“It’s important to remember, this period in time and in the north east, most families were not affluent enough to have the luxury of a musical instrument in the house let alone a musical education.”
Are you planning any live dates? “The nature of this album makes live dates challenging, I’m against the electronic approach that works with pre-recorded loops and is effectively only live mixing rather than a live show. In the case of this album a live show would mean running several old Windows 98 computers at once, working over the top of them and hoping the results resembled the album, but would in fact be a re-creation.”
“There’s certainly a half way house and I’ve done a few small scale live experiments with other material to test the waters which proved effective musically – which is the main thing, so you can expect more live works in the future.”
Produced by Ciarán Cahill (Van Morrison, Elvis Costello) and John Pilgrim and featuring an appreciation by writer and filmmaker Iain Sinclair ‘Through Lands of Ghosts’ will be released 16th January 2026 on Subexotic.
A lot is made of being in the right place at the right time to help bring success. But you can’t get past the sheer amount of hard work put in, every time giving 100% and never complaining. There is no substitute for rehearsal and when the opportunity presents itself you’ve got to be ready to take it. A snapshot of a story taken from Sting’s autobiography Broken Music hits the mark. This all happened within a few heady months during 1978.
The Police went out on a UK tour to open for Spirit led by guitarist Randy California. They won over a hippy audience and released their single Roxanne. Their record company A&M fully supported the record but money wasn’t rolling in yet.
To pay rent on his London flat Wallsend born Sting was still filming a few adverts and bit part in films. The Great Rock n Roll Swindle was one, although his scene ended up on the cutting room floor. ‘I was grateful, however, for the 125 quid at the end of the day’ said Sting.
He also went for a part in Quadrophenia filmed in Brighton. ‘I know that they’re seeing half of London for this role, but somehow I know it’s mine’.
After finishing on the film set in Brighton the record company hired a private car to whisk Sting off to Gatwick airport and jump on a flight to Manchester, finally arriving at the BBC TV studios where The Police were due to appear on the Old Grey Whistle Test. Sting remembers ‘It’s still raining when we land in Manchester. Yet another car and driver waiting to take me to the studio, where we have a sound check. The performance tonight is live’.
After a successful TV appearance a tour of the east coast of America was booked. Second night of the tour The Police are in Poughkeepsie theatre with only six people in the audience. Do they cancel? No. Sting brings the audience down to the front and introduces each other. Then ‘give a blistering set we will ever manage, encore after encore’.
The audience are invited back stage where it turns out three of them are DJ’s. The next day Roxanne makes its debut on USA radio. Within a couple years The Police are one of the biggest bands in the world. Now how did fellow Tynesider Mark Knopfler and Dire Straits knock them off their perch?
Singer/songwriter Terry Gorman Nov.25 pic. Alikivi
Now based in North Shields, Terry Gorman was born in Colne, Lancashire and has been playing guitar for over 50 years. Music has taken the 66 year old around the UK and Europe including Ireland, Amsterdam and Lanzarote.
I’ve done thousands of gigs maybe more than anyone you’ve met! said Terry after he had taken a short ferry journey over the river Tyne from North Shields to South Shields. We met in The Customs House for a cuppa and talked about music.
In North Shields there’s a nice music scene going on. We currently run a monthly ‘Songwriter Circle’ event every month in The Engine Room on Tanners Bank. It’s ran by myself and a few friends Steve McVay, Larry Page, Steve Rudd and Lyndon Phyliskirk.
You see live performance of singer songwriters all playing original songs. We encourage all levels of talent leading to paid gigs and possible festival spots. It’s been very successful so far and has been going since June said Terry.
Have I ever held down a proper job? I tried working 20 hours a week but found it hard working for idiotic managers. I thought I could earn enough money playing guitar and singing. I wasn’t interested in chasing fame.
I liked Ralph McTell, Alan Hull, James Taylor people like that telling a story. I watched Lindisfarne who were ordinary blokes, really down to earth but well known at the same time – that was for me. It was all about the music.
My introduction to music was my grandparents who had a piano in the front room. A lot of people did. I was around 10 year old when I picked up a guitar. It was a Hofner with a scratch plate. A Catholic priest who was a friend of the family knew I loved singing and writing poetry so he gave me his acoustic as he was off to the missions in Africa.
I lived in Brampton, Cumbria until I was 8 year old that’s where I saw the first singer who made an impact on me. It was Elvis when he sang on our black and white TV although I couldn’t make out the words or what he was singing about. The Beatles and Stones were good but I really liked storytellers, folk music where you could hear the words. I love lyrics.
Then I heard Lindisfarne and Isaac Guillory who made a G chord sound interesting. My first public gig performing was as a teenager in Durham I think, I was nervous and pretended to be confident.
Terry supporting the Devan Allman band at Newcastle Cluny.
North East venues Terry has played over the years include Bents Park and Amphitheatre in South Shields, Sunderland Empire, in Newcastle he performed at the Live Theatre, Journal Tyne Theatre and The Cluny. He also played in Durham City Hall and Gala Theatre, Washington Arts Centre and Darlington Arts Centre.
I won a songwriting competition in 1990 and thought it would lead to bigger things. A lot of radio play came off the back of that and a slot at the Cambridge Folk Festival and a headline at Dungeon Ghylls Music Festival in Cumbria. Again, I thought that would lead to more so I kept plodding along.
I played support to the Levellers at Tan Hill, Yorkshire, the highest venue in England. It went great playing my own songs, really grabbed the crowd by the scruff of the neck and went down well with an encore. The Levellers didn’t like that so I wasn’t asked back! Opening for Ralph McTell was a good gig and I’ve worked with Prelude a lot, I liked your interview with the singer Brian Hume earlier this year.
Terry supporting The Levellers at Tan Hill, Yorkshire.
I remember I played at a festival on the Isle of Bute, Scotland. I was the only one who wasn’t signed to a record company or connected to a famous band. There was Steve Daggett from Lindisfarne, Baz Warne out of the Stranglers, Martin Stephenson who was popular in the 1980s and others out of bands like The Pogues. I thought what am I doing here? I didn’t get signed but really, I never felt out of my depth.
I’ve wrote a few songs about getting knocked down and fighting back. When on stage I wouldn’t introduce the songs as if they were about depression or mental health. They are more about the power inside of you. It’s about dusting yourself off and going again.
I’ve recorded in Newcastle studios like The Cluny. Archie Brown from the Young Bucks was sound engineer. Then I went to Trinity Heights ran by Fred Purser. He was great, a really good lad, he used to be in North East bands Penetration and Tygers of Pan Tang.
What am I doing now? Well, it’s keeping the work rate up. In the last 12 months I released a single, ‘Only News Today,’ two albums and six professional music videos.
For 2026 I’ve got a folk album ready. One of the songs is ‘The Silent Shipyard’ about the closing of the shipyards and mines, all of the industry we have lost. I want a male voice choir on that one with a brass band and violins. Another song is ‘Beacon in the Dark’ about the whaling ships we had on the Tyne.
An idea floating about is a rock opera about John Lennon who was shot and killed in New York in 1980. In ‘Sgt Pepper Survived’ John Lennon gets shot and survives, lies in a coma for many years, wakes up and reveals his thoughts about world events today.
One scene is him sitting in a bar talking to Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix – yes, he lives as well. Lennon is also interviewed on stage where he is asked what he thinks about today’s shows like X-Factor, bands like Oasis and social media Spotify, Facebook and Instagram. I’m always thinking of these ideas.
If I have any advice to young musicians, it’s that if you enjoy your music, you’ve made it. If you don’t best just pack in and go do something else.
Emma at BBC Radio 2 with Cerys Mathews December 2023
Magazine front covers, BBC Radio 2, awards, tours, record releases – this past few year Emma has been prolific. In 2023 she released ‘Memphis Calling’ recorded in Sam Phillips studio in Memphis, USA, earlier this year she talked about her third album ‘A Spoonful of Willie Dixon’. Recently she got in touch about her latest single…
I’m stablemates with American band Chris Wyze and the Tellers. We’re both signed for distribution with ‘Select-O-Hits’ in Memphis. Chris found out I was in Tennessee for a few days in September so asked me to co-write and sing a duet with him. We recorded ‘Hearts Blue Christmas’ at Royal Studios in Memphis with the Hi Rhythm Section.
At the end of the recording session producer Boo Mitchell said ‘We have an hour left“. Chris turned to me and said ‘Do you want to do anything?’ I’ve previously recorded with pianist Charles Hodges (who is part of the Hi Rhythm Section) on my record ‘Memphis Calling’ and we have a good friendship and work well together.
I asked Charles if he knew the song “What are you doing New Years Eve”? The track was written by Frank Loesser in 1947. I think I must have first heard the Lena Horne’s 1966 version as my Mum played a lot of her music when I was little.
Charles strolled over and started playing it so beautifully on the grand piano. That piano has been in the same position at Royal studios for decades. Goodness knows how many iconic songs it has featured on!
Charles and I spent about ten minutes getting a key to suit and having a run through, then he called Steve Potts to play some lovely light drums and then we taped it.
L to R – Charles Hodges, Steve Potts, Hubbie Turner, Emma Wilson, BooMitchell, Lina Beach, Chris Wyze and Leroy Hodges at Royal Studio, Willie Mitchell Boulevard, Memphis on 25 September 2025.
Along with promoting the singlenowEmma is already looking forward to 2026…Recently I won the UK Blues Challenge at Marshall Studios which means I go to Memphis in January to represent the UK in the International Blues Challenge and for the European Blues Challenge I go to Poland.
‘What Are You Doing New Years Eve’ is out on 21st November 2025 as digital download and a very limited run of CDs which are available from the official website >>>
Follow up to debut album ‘All the Rage’, post punk three piece Heed Case release new album ‘Mongo’ on Friday 31st October 2025.
Heed Case are former Angelic Upstart guitarist on vocals Newts Newton, bass Si Cadelik and drums Mr Dusty. They squeeze between the bubbling volcanic crack where The Fall and Killing Joke lie.
And who doesn’t love a solid thunderous drum intro? Infectious album track ‘ADHD’ crunches and buzzes in yer ear…. ‘Impulsive can’t sit still, Destructive, too many pills, Can’t sit still for meditation, too much pressure and medication’.
The sheer anthemic guitar calls out…. ‘Cast adrift in a sea of challenges with a feeling of being left to drown. Frantically waving to be rescued. But all the lifeboats have run aground’.
Where did the album title come from?
‘The title ‘Mongo’ comes from a phrase the three of us use to describe our autism and adhd. Example, I have to everything in order. You open a cupboard in my kitchen and all the tins face forward and stacked alphabetically. Instead of saying “Oh that’s just a trait of autism, I’m neurodivergent don’t you know”. I’d simply say that’s just my mongo!’
‘However, it’s original source came from Si’s bass audition. I’d asked people to learn two tracks video themselves playing them and send it within 5 days. Si was the only one who followed the instructions to the letter – his mongo made sure of that.’
‘But when I watched the video he was concentrating so hard he was quite stiff and cumbersome. So much so that he reminded me of Mongo from the film ‘Blazing Saddles’. Hence Mongo became a word our traits and mannerisms associated with being neurodivergent.’
You are open about various medical conditions within the band….
’The broad theme of ‘All the Rage’ was about narcissism and entitlement in modern society. For ‘Mongo’ we chose to write about our experiences of living with autism and adhd whilst using different samples and FX to create soundscapes that reflected what the inside of our head often feels like – at times fecking scary!’
‘The song ‘Manic’ for example, is about how dealing with everyday tasks often feels like being hit with a tornado. A visual representation would be the swirl of colours you see when Henry the mild mannered janitors car, turns him into Hong Kong Phooey in the TV cartoon – and that’s what we tried to recreate with the audio.’
‘You may notice that the guitar isn’t as prominent through the tracks, its being used more as a texture rather than a traditional role in a guitar band. ‘All the Rage’ was a transitional album, ‘Mongo’ goes further down that road towards our aim of broadening our horizons beyond the punk genre.’
With the album in the bag are any live dates planned?
‘Yes, we’ve already played about 17 gigs thus far, including Rebellion Festival, Punk on the Peninsula, Punk & Disorderly Festivals and our last gig was at the Dublin Castle in Camden a few weeks ago. We’ve got a few more coming up and adding dates all the time as we want to keep busy’.
New 10 track album ‘Mongo’ release date Friday 31st October on all platforms, vinyl & CD format.
Sitting in the Littlehaven Hotel on a sunny autumn day in South Shields I’m listening to a familiar story which I’ve heard a lot since starting this site in 2017.
59 year old Durham musician Stuart Willis told me ‘I was in a band for a short space of time and got a taste of the music business. Although we weren’t a success commercially, we played gigs and got attention from record labels but didn’t quite get it over the line’. This is Stuart’s story.
(Stuart Willis outside Littlehaven Hotel, South Shields September 2025. pic. Alikivi).
Older generations of the family originally came down from Scotland to the North East to work in chemical factories and the mines. My father was first in the family to go to grammar school and became an accountant. He was the one who bucked the trend.
I remember my mam brought a classical guitar record into the house. I absolutely loved it. I was around 11 year old when I got a cheap guitar and music book for Christmas. I picked it up very quickly. There wasn’t anyone else in the family who played and the school I went to didn’t even do music lessons.
My first influences were The Jam and Specials the whole Two-Tone and post punk scene with bands like Television, Magazine and Gang of Four who I saw at the Gateshead Festival in 1982(The Police headlined with U2, The Beat and Lords of the New Church on the bill).
On the North East music scene was a band I liked called Neon. Tim Jones was in them and he went on to play fascinating music. I first played in a punk band in the local community centre when I was 16. Then I met Michael Salmon in 1985.
(Michael Salmon in rehearsal 1980s)
He was a drummer in Prefab Sprout with Paddy McAloon the main songwriter. When Michael left Prefab it was purely amicable. He wanted to realise his ambition of being a songwriter.
I was 18 playing in a duo in a pub in Witton Gilbert, County Durham. Michael was there that night. He liked what we were playing. I was playing classical guitar with Mark Wiles on bass.
Michael was a charismatic guy, excellent guitarist, singer and songwriter almost a teacher to me. Michael had a phenomenal record collection and I was introduced to all these amazing sounds.
We got in a drummer who was playing on the Durham scene and we called ourselves Swimmer Leon. Rehearsals were in Fowler’s Yard in Durham a lot of bands rehearsed there. We practised in there every week. The room itself almost became another member of the band. The sound was born in that room. We had about three albums worth of great songs that Michael had written.
The first place we recorded in was Consett Music project. We were all nervous. We recorded three tracks live and added a few overdubs. We took the songs out to play a few gigs.
(Swimmer Leon 1985)
We were mainly playing live around 1985 we got on well and had a cracking time. We supported a few big bands mainly playing University gigs. One night we supported the Ronnie Scott Quartet, he had a jazz group who had the club in London. Then there was ex Waterboy Karl Wallinger and World Party.
There were loads of times we met different musicians at these gigs who knew Michael from his Prefab days. There was the drummer from The Ruts who gave us some insightful advice about the record industry. He told us not be in a band because you can get lumbered with huge debts. Best to play for other people and get paid. Wise words.
For me the quality of any live work or recording we done was so important. Sometimes playing smaller gigs is a cacophony of sound but when we played the Students Union in Durham that gig was recorded straight off the mixing desk and we loved that sound.
After gigs other guitar players want to speak to you. That’s really great we appreciated all the attention but we thought where’s the women! We didn’t play ordinary chords so a few times they’d ask ‘At the beginning of that song what’s that chord’? and ‘Can I look at yer Gretch’. We were a quirky band and got a lot of press.
(Swimmer Leon 1986)
We also recorded in the Cluny Warehouse in Newcastle with John Silvester. Michael’s songs had jazzy elements too them, complicated chord progressions with complicated lyrics – it was like post punk jazz. With all the obscure influences we weren’t your run of the mill band. We were an arty band. We thought yeah, we’re great we’ll get a record deal!
Did you know we ended up with a development deal with CBS? Thing was we never sent a tape to them, strangely Michael thought it should come to us! The only thing we did was send tapes with the band name and telephone number to the local press to get reviewed.
All the major labels had regional scouts who would pick up on the music section in the local papers then come to gigs and take it from there. This is what happened to us and led us to recording in Guardian studio in a little village called Pity Me in County Durham. It was a really good studio.
Guardian was two houses knocked together with a large console and a piano at the side. The owner Terry Gavaghan was very professional about the work and we got on well with him. He wanted to know the structure of the songs, so we played them through sitting near the console.
Michael played drums on that recording his first time since leaving the Sprouts. I played guitars, bass and all the keyboards. Terry recorded it separately with a guide vocal, guitar, drums, bass and put stuff on top. He produced both tracks which still sound good today.
I was working in Windows musical instruments and record shop in Newcastle so I put their telephone number on our demo tape. A local reporter wrote a review of the tape. At work I got a call telling me it was Simon Potts at Capital Records and he was phoning from L.A. Yes Los Angeles! He asked if we had many songs so I told him about three albums worth. ‘OK I’m sending someone up to see you.’
Research has found an interesting story about Simon. He was originally from Newcastle and lives in Hawaii now. With a great pedigree within the music industry he signed The Beat, Simply Red, Thompson Twins, Stray Cats, all selling in huge numbers having massive hits. Last band he reportedly signed were Radiohead.
This guy came up to Witton Gilbert from London and liked what he heard. We quickly arranged a showcase gig in Newcastle pub Slones. Actually, Brian Mawson, my manager at Windows music shop arranged the gig for us.
I loved working in Windows. It was a great place surrounded by people with aspirations to become musicians. There were new instruments on sale, latest records, local releases also a wall full of wanted musicians and bands advertising gigs – a great atmosphere. Darren Stewart who played bass for a few years in Swimmer Leon worked there. Dave Brewis also worked there he was in The Kane Gang.
The night of our gig London record label were having a promotion so a lot of artists were there and ended up at our gig. It was mad. Simon Potts from Capital flew in from L.A. We had Bananarama dancing down at the front, I think the Kane Gang were there. The head of A&R at Capital records told us ‘We’re giving you some money to record, just as long as you don’t go to Montserrat with George Martin!’ So, we went back to Pity Me and Terry Gavaghan!
We were in Guardian for three days and recorded three songs. By then GO Discs were interested in us, Warners were interested in us, Phonogram were interested in us. We were going up and down to London for meetings but we couldn’t get it over the line. It was just two kids really, me and Michael Salmon. The thing was we didn’t have a manager.
(Swimmer Leon promo shot 1987)
I remember going to CBS for a meeting. We were in a lift and there was Mick Jones from The Clash. I thought what’s going on here? From being a 16 year old punk playing gigs in Grindon Community Centre to meetings, gigs, studios and all this record label stuff without us really trying.
But life caught up with us. There was a time we thought is this gonna work? We didn’t want to move from Durham. I was from Sunderland so was Terence the drummer, Michael was from Witton Gilbert, Mark was living in Durham. The irony is when the band split up in 1989 we all moved.
I lived in London in the early 90s and worked in marketing for Virgin records. It wasn’t a glamorous lifestyle. I was living in a dingy flat in Blackheath. I saw the inner workings of the record business and couldn’t wait to leave. Richard Branson had sold the label by then to EMI and everybody was losing their jobs. I handed my car keys in went to Kings Cross train station and couldn’t wait to get back to Sunderland.
What am I doing now? My ambition was to study music properly so I done a music degree at Newcastle University from 1993-95 and ever since then I’ve been a teacher at Durham University in the music department, performer in classical guitar and specialise in historical music performance where I play the lute. I’ve also got a publishing deal for Schott, publishing guitar books.
Don’t want to come across like a moaning old bloke but young people today don’t understand what a band is. To get four or five like minded people trying to evolve a sound and make it into something special for you – that happened for us. We were lucky to be able to do what we done in the 80s. Today I still listen to all the bands I listened to back then. I’m still passionate about music.
(pic. Gavin Webster, Centurion bar, Newcastle. Alikivi Sept. 2025)
I first met Gavin back in 2021 where we are today in the Centurion bar in Newcastle Central Station. He talked about being brought up in Blaydon during the 1960s and breaking into alternative comedy in the early 90s.
I missed out on the workingmen’s club circuit. But there was still a buzz for the whole comedy scene. I’ve been doing this for 33 years, I’m 56 now.
We talked about TV shows we watched as kids – Wheeltappers and Shunters Club, The Comedians and Minder.
It was great. It seemed there was chaos and a caper everyday down London. I wanted to move down there and get to know these types of people, hustling and bustling during the days, loved it.
Scene from Sunday for Sammy in 2018.
In 2004 I was at Newcastle City Hall watching an afternoon of Geordie entertainment. Sunday for Sammy concert was organised by Auf Wiedersehen Pet stars Jimmy Nail, Tim Healy and Lindisfarne drummer Ray Laidlaw.
Among the TV, theatre and music talent on stage was AC/DC vocalist Brian Johnson ripping into Nutbush City Limits. A great afternoon. Played to packed houses the show returns to Newcastle every two years.
Yeah about 20 years ago I done a Sunday for Sammy show at Newcastle City Hall. Originally, I think Ray Laidlaw phoned me up about it. I really enjoyed it. In fact, I done it twice, the first time was with the lads from Viz. There was myself, Simon Donald, Simon Collier plus a couple of actors and I think the boxer Glenn McCrory done a part. We done a Sid the Sexist sketch. The next time I done my stand-up routine.
There were two shows. A matinee and a show in the evening. The matinee went well and at the later show I went on early because I had another show to do at The Stand in Newcastle. I had played the City Hall with 2,500 people there, a full house, but only about a dozen people turned up at The Stand. That has happened twice in my career.
At the Edinburgh Fringe in 2003. It was a benefit gig for an HIV/AIDS charity at the 3,000 seater Festival Theatre on Nicholson Street. It was a star studded line up and I did a 10 minute slot. My parents came up for the day. After the show I took them down to my other gig where only 11 people turned up. You get brought down to earth with a bump.
My agent at the time told me to go to the Oranji Boom Boom Club in London as it’s a good place to go, people get down there. I played the club on a Wednesday night and did a good decent job, worked hard, took it seriously. But in front of only a dozen people. However, a few year later I done some TV work on Channel Four and the producer came up to me and told me that he saw me at the Oranji Boom Boom Club.
During the past few interviews I’ve asked how do you survive in the arts?
Sometimes it’s been tough. I met a shock jock type of comedian from Australia his father was very rich. He was well supported. He would tell wild stories about how people walked out of his gigs. Now if I done that, I wouldn’t be able to pay my rent. It’s alright if you have unlimited funds coming in.
There has been times without work but I get by. I’ve done some voice over work, small comedy/drama parts. I’ve been in two Ken Loach films. I had speaking parts in I, Daniel Blake and Sorry I Missed You.
I done some of the animal voices on a children’s TV show called Walk on the Wild Side with Jason Mamford. We recorded that in a studio in Wardour Street, London. The set up is you watch the video on the big screen and read through the script. I got to write some of season three. Sarah Millican done it, Jon Richardson, Rob Gilbert, Mark Benton – loads of comics done voices on it.
I totally understand when some actors can end up working in shops and restaurants cos you need a regular income or you can end up skint. Actors need TV shows like Eastenders and Emmerdale. The films and voice overs don’t happen all the time – stand up has kept me going.
What am I doing now? I do a pod cast called Bazookaaah, small stand-up tours, regular gigs at Edinburgh Fringe and the Tyne Theatre in Newcastle. This new show on 21 November is called Glory Be its Gavin Webster. It’s stuff from Edinburgh with some new stuff that I’ve added. I always write a new show every 18 months or so.
Last time at Tyne Theatre was January 2024. For this show I arranged it and done a deal with them just for the one night so it’s not a massive commitment for them. Really looking forward to it.
We’re sitting in the Centurion bar at Newcastle’s Central Station where I first met Leah back in 2021 where she talked about learning her craft in North East workingmen’s clubs from the age of 15, working with Bobby Thompson, touring with Ken Dodd in the ‘70s and appearing in panto with David Jason.
Now, after nearly 60 years in the business I was interested to find out just how did you survive in the arts?
This industry has always been tough for working class. I do promotion and acting, I’ve been writing with Alison (Stanley who featured in previous post) I’m busy all the time. When you’ve asked me is there weeks when I have nothing on, well no, I’m always busy.
Like when I started a production company in Jersey about 30 year ago. We would do plays or musicals but if we went on tour I would always play a role in it keeping an eye on things making sure there were no issues. You take on a couple of roles. That’s how I survive.
You can never say I’ll be working 52 weeks a year. But there was a time you’d wonder where you’ll be for summer season. I remember going to Jersey in March and not coming back till October. Whereas now it’s I wonder if I’ll get a summer season.
Some people take shows out to Europe. My niece Hariet has her own production company and she does a lot of work abroad. Although you’ve got to be careful who you work for.
In the 1970s I took a contract for South Africa when apartheid was in full flight. When I look back, I didn’t understand what apartheid was all about then. You couldn’t pick your phone up and read about it.
It was a total culture shock at 19 year old – like wow here we are in Durban. Then I ended up working in Rhodesia – it’s not called that now. The agent asked me to drive from Rhodesia to Cape Town – a very long way and I did it by myself. My mother didn’t know. I look back and think how did I do that and why!
Comedy and singing musical theatre was what I was doing on the Crazy Horse saloon circuit. It was quite unique for a female to be performing on stage, plus there were plenty other English acts going out. I think some British guys had bought into the Crazy Horse clubs and subsequently tapped into the UK club market.
Back then there were hundreds of entertainers plus it was a real show it wasn’t just a few singers getting up we had all the costumes and gear for a proper show.But as I’ve said back then you couldn’t pick your phone up and read about apartheid. I mean, I lived in Benwell all me life.
I remember flying back home and me ma’ and da’ met me at Newcastle airport. ‘I’m home at last’ I said as I flung myself at them ‘You must be the only lass who’s happy to be in Benwell’ said me Da.
I travelled a fair bit. I went to Australia twice a year for six years in the 80s. I just loved their lifestyle. I also performed at the American military bases in Germany. I remember the agent John Rae from Spennymoor here in the North East organised one tour. There were a few of us and he drove us around in a mini bus. He had all the responsibility and the things we done he must have wanted to kill us sometimes.
All this experience of understanding an audience has helped when I’m putting a show together. You see the show differently from actors who only see it from their point of view.
I remember doing Catherine Cookson’s ‘The Cinder Path’. I had Nicky Cochrane in it who played Steve McDonalds brother in Coronation Street. He was playing Ginger Slater, essentially the baddie. I gave myself a character called the fishwife who kept the story going and throwing a few laughs in as it was heavy going.
One show we were doing a matinee at Billingham Forum. I was waiting with Nicky to go on stage for our scene when he turned to me ‘Leah, this is a tough crowd’. I replied ‘Farringdon Social Club was a tough crowd this is a walk over’. A bunch of pensioners on the front row who might nod off would not present a problem.
Club audiences had a reputation for being tough but that was only because they weren’t there prepared to put up with anything. You had to be good. You had to know your stuff. That’s been a great backbone for work that I do now. How to read an audience. They’ve paid their money and tickets can be pricey for a whole family so you have a responsibility. That crowd need to be entertained.
I was brought up in variety but now I only do one variety show a year that’s the Silver Bells Christmas variety show for three nights at the Phoenix Theatre in Blyth. Looking around there were a lot of young people coming up but their take on variety was different from mine. I was old school. I’m not saying it was better in my day just different. So, I thought to keep working I’d just change what I’m doing. I’m going to step up. I went and done panto as well that led me to acting which I really enjoyed.
For the Blyth variety show we do sketches and a few gags a typical show I really enjoy it. I use the pantomime cast so there’s a lot of us on stage and this year it’s with Tommy Cannon who is a good friend. The poster said Cannon & Bell but when it was done large the Bell looked like Ball!
Tommy and his wife were up recently and we got watching some of the old TV shows like Wheeltappers and Shunters Club and yes it was a laugh but we were saying we wouldn’t dare say that type of joke now. Time has moved on. And so it should.
What am I doing now? ‘Dirty Dusting’ written by Ed Waugh is on tour in October. We’ve got my good friend Chrissy Rock (Benidorm) in it with Vanessa Karon and Paul Dunn. Can you believe the show still sells out. It was originally performed over 20 years ago. First time I did it was 12 years ago and it’s been on tour at least twice a year every year.
From late November through December, we have ‘Sleeping Beauty’ panto at Consett Empire with Marcus Collins from X Factor then next year Alison Stanley and I have ‘Tit’s Up’ going out on tour. That play is about the relationship between three ladies as they wait in the Oncology department in hospital.
It’s sharp, it’s funny, we wrote it together. Some of the shows funnier bits are added on the spur of the moment and Alison tells me to write them down for the next show cos ‘you might forget it’. My character is nosey she wants to know everybody’s business, she thinks she’s gone for a day out.
We’ve just done a short tour and it’s done well at the box office. On the first performance me and Alison were nervous because some ladies from the Cancer Society were in the audience.
Mentally and physicaly I feel better now than when I was 40. I’m 72 now but I’ve always been energetic and kept busy and turn up early for work. I’m happy to have made the move from variety to acting. The world has moved on and so it should. Would I ever retire? No chance.
ALIKIVI : NORTH EAST UK CULTURE 