SOUTH SHIELDS

TYNESIDE VEGAN & MUSIC FESTIVAL – in conversation with North East Animal Rights founder, Anna Malia

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Anna Malia, Ocean Rd, South Shields. pic. Alikivi Feb 2026

Anna set up North East Animal Rights (N.E.A.R) to campaign and educate about veganism and animal rights. They have around 30 members with branches in Newcastle and Teesside.

On 16th May N.E.A.R are hosting a Tyneside Vegan and Music Festival from 11am-3.30pm at Northumbria University Student Union, Newcastle.

‘We’re expecting the event to be busy. It seems the more we do the bigger and busier we get. We create a family vibe so we get all ages coming along’ explained Anna.

‘This is the seventh Tyneside Vegan festival which first started in Gateshead where the music was so popular that we decided to have live music playing as a regular feature. A lot of the music is original and it will be on through the day, all of the performers are vegan. They will be up on the stage and the main traders will be arranged around the hall.’

‘We try to offer an equal balance between food, ethical traders, music and social justice. It’s all aspects of animal rights as well as the environment – for example we have Climate Action Newcastle coming along as well as lots of charities and animal rights groups.’

‘We hope to attract new vegans who can come and meet others. It’s also a place where long term vegans like myself can safely come to and know there is going to be plant based food stalls with no animal products. Some festivals don’t offer that.’  

‘People can bring their dogs have a browse of the stalls, eat some food and listen to music. A great day out. We also have a few stalls encouraging people to get involved in activism which can be scary for people if they look on-line, but we offer face to face contact which is important so they can meet the people they may end up doing activism with.’

‘I’ve been vegetarian since I was 14 and went vegan about 20 year ago. If people are interested in being vegan, I’d say research it first. Some say veganism is extreme – but there’s nothing extreme about not wanting to use or eat animals. Over the years I’ve seen a big difference in attitudes to veganism and the availability of plant based food.’

‘Veganism is a lifestyle, it’s what you wear and where you shop. A vegan wouldn’t have a leather settee or leather shoes. It’s as far as practical you can go with it – it can be hard living in a (currently) non-vegan world seeing constant adverts everywhere for animal body parts but being vegan itself is actually very easy. It’s not about eating free range this or grass fed that or buying locally. Whether you’ve bought locally or not I’m sure it doesn’t make any difference to the animal when they are on the kill floor.’

‘We actively promote veganism others might call it preaching – and they do. But when you think something is wrong you are morally obliged to do something about it. You act against it or for it. There is a lot of research which shows that if you are going to be violent towards animals you will be violent towards humans.’

‘We are an educational campaigning and pressure group so do not get involved in direct actions although we do support and attend protests and actions by other groups. We are non-violent and non-violence and peace is at the core of veganism – it’s the ultimate peace movement.’

Link to Anna’s interview (2021) with Ronnie Lee co founder of the Animal Liberation Front. Ronnie is a lifelong animal rights campaigner.

NEAR Interview with Ronnie Lee

Anna explained ‘Before social media, groups were forced to take more direct action to raise awareness of cruelty to animals and sometimes this led to them being put in prison. But activists are still being criminalised for animal right actions (and social justice actions) and while we would never condone violence towards an individual, we do support challenging the laws where they need to be. And there are many current cases of where the laws should be and are being challenged.’

‘A classic example of this is the fox hunting laws which are now being reviewed again as they have not worked in the way they were intended and sabs are still being assaulted on a weekly basis. And another is the reclassification of animal testing facilities as life sciences infrastructure in an attempt to stop protests – this is currently being challenged in the courts.’

‘What is our aim? We want to end all animal use. It’s not just about not eating animals it’s about not testing on them, not wearing them, not using them for entertainment, it’s about not seeing them for our benefit.’

To join N.E.A.R contact @northeastanimalrights on social media or contact @tynesideveganandmusicfestival

Links to previous interviews >>>

MEAT IS MURDER – with North East Animal Rights founder Anna Malia | ALIKIVI UK : NORTH EAST MUSIC & CULTURE

BAD EGGS – with Anna Malia founder of North East Animal Rights | ALIKIVI UK : NORTH EAST MUSIC & CULTURE

Alikivi   March 2026

NUTS & BOLTS in conversation with Tyneside songwriter John Heston

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(John Heston in the Littlehaven Hotel, South Shields Feb. 2026. Pic. Alikivi.)

I’ve known John since 1970s living in South Shields and going to Tyne Dock youth club where rock music was blasted out of the disco.

‘Yeah, I was a bit of a rocker then. The first band I got a ticket for was Scorpions at Newcastle City Hall. I went on my own, I was only 11 – I’m 57 now. I had no concept of what a gig would be like’ said John.

‘When the band were on stage, I noticed something different. Was it an extra member? I didn’t recognise some of the songs. When they finished, I walked out when a bouncer on the doors stopped me “Hey son you not hanging around for the main band?” ‘I’d only watched the support band who happened to be Tygers of Pan Tang from Whitley Bay!’

‘Harry Hill the drummer of rock band Fist, his mother lived near me when I was a kid. When he used to come to see her, he’d drive into the street. A few times I would run over to get his autograph cos the band had just released a single. I met him years later he was really nice. We had a laugh when I told him about it. “What! You were that little squirt who used to come over all the time?”

‘Buddys nightclub in the town had an under 18’s disco and what caught me ear was bands like Stiff Little Fingers, The Jam and The Clash. Alternative Ulster from the Fingers blew us away. Unfortunately, as I was just getting into them these bands were starting to split up! I was a curse, too late for the party’.

One day in 1985 I was in Newcastle record shopping when I was surprised coming across a band busking at the Grey’s Monument. I wasn’t sure at first but it was The Clash.

‘Yeah, I’d been up Newcastle that day but missed them. The busking dates and locations were unannounced. I did meet Mick Jones’ band Big Audio Dynamite at the Mayfair – they handed out cans of Red Stripe. But we missed the last bus so had to walk home afterwards. About 10 mile!’

‘I’ve met Joe Strummer when he was on his solo tour. Had a smoke and drink with him backstage at Newcastle Uni. They say never meet your heroes but glad I did cos he talked patiently to us and answered our questions. I like that, open and relaxed not like now paying for a meet and greet.’

Since being a teenager John has been attracted to music.

‘I was never one who wanted to sound like Jimi Hendrix. The guitar was a songwriting tool for me. I remember when I was around 12 walking in the West Park, South Shields and this loud noise was coming from a distance. I followed the sound which led to a hut. I opened the door and there was a band inside rehearsing. It just hit me. I immediately thought I wouldn’t mind doing that.’

‘It was songs I was interested in, not just the guitar, I wondered how did they put them together? I was interested in the nuts and bolts of the song.’

We talked about great 80s music TV programmes like The Tube which I was lucky to get free tickets for to be in the studio audience. Watching rock bands like Thin Lizzy, Judas Priest and Gary Moore was great but this was the time that The Alarm, The Cult, Killing Joke and Big Country were making a different noise.

‘The first Big Country album really helped me learning guitar. It was a big influence.’

Previous interviews have revealed a family member who used to sing in the clubs or a granny who had a piano in the front room – but not in John’s case.

‘Me mam says I don’t know where it has come from cos there is no history in our family of any musical talent. I think it was just the generation I grew up in. I thought being in a band was beyond me. The punk attitude of going out to just do it made it more possible.’

‘Thing was there was no money around. I only had a cheap guitar from a shop in South Shields called Second Hand Rose. The scratch plate was made from the perspex from a bus shelter window. I don’t know what the strings were made of – possibly chicken wire – but they toughened my fingers up.’

‘It was just getting the feel of playing guitar along to records. I got a book out the library which showed me a few chords. I never got a proper guitar until I was 18. As I say writing songs was what I wanted to do and I started looking around to work on this with somebody.’

(Cloud 10, Laygate 1995 with John on the left pic. Alikivi)

‘I had a mate, Paul Stephenson, who wrote lyrics so we worked on them with some music for about two years. His brothers were a guitarist and drummer and we contacted Neil Newton to come in on bass so formed a band called Cloud 10. We found rehearsal rooms in South Shields this was around ’94.’

‘There was a good scene in Shields then. Plenty of bands like The Calm, January Blue, The Fad, Lemongrass and Nosh at venues like The Vic, the Amphitheatre and I remember playing a showcase gig for community radio station Seven FM at Temple Park Leisure Centre.’

‘After a few gigs we were getting noticed and a guy called Danilo Moscardini, who had a music page in the Sunday Sun newspaper, got in touch after hearing our demo tape. He managed Sunderland band Kenickie at the time who had a few hits. The singer/guitarist Lauren Lavern works on the BBC TV One show now. But after initial interest from record companies it faded away and me and Neil went our own way, forming a band called Speedster’

‘Pre-internet it was adverts in local music shops ‘looking for drummer’ that took ages. Then Neil left to join The Chasers with ex Wildheart Danny Mccormack and I joined The Last Men on Earth with Chris Wraith, Martin Payton and Wayne Burgess. We played around the pubs doing a mix of our own songs with a few covers which earned us enough money to buy new equipment and book in studio time.’

(The Last Men on Earth with Chris Wraith, John Heston, Martin Payton, Wayne Burgess).

‘We were playing a few days a week around the North East and we got down to Camden in London. Again, this band fizzled out and me and drummer Martin Payton talked about getting something together.’

‘As Panic Report (Richy Harbison – keyboards, guitar & vocals, Steve Moore – bass & vocals) we went a similar route as Last Men on Earth by playing originals mixed with covers. From this we got ourselves a decent recorder where we got a few tracks down on CD. Obviously not as good a sound as studio but we spent more time on the tracks and didn’t worry about looking at the clock ticking. Studios are expensive.’

‘We did eventually book into a pro studio and have recorded two CD’s with our new one ‘Kingston to Coventry’ (pic below) which we are releasing on vinyl in a few months. The master tracks are sent away and the wheels are in motion. We will be arranging a launch party in the summer.’

‘For gigging the Panic Report have supported Toyah and Bad Manners at Newcastle Academy. We have played at Stone Valley festival (Bad Manners, From the Jam, Cast, The Professionals with Paul Cook, Bob Geldof). When I was 16 and people said you would have been in a band playing gigs alongside these people I wouldn’t have believed them.’

‘Although not long ago we done a gig down Bishop Aukland with only ten people in the audience, but you still play and just get on with it and enjoy it. We love what we are doing.’

‘A gig I enjoyed was when Angelic Upstarts supported us at Mensi’s 60th birthday at his pub the Alexandria in Jarrow. It was unbelievable. We couldn’t believe it when the big man asked us. Mensi wanted to go on before us then relax before the whole gig finished. It was a great night. The place was rammed’.

‘We’re playing on the Mensifest soon. The organisers are looking to get a festival in remembrance of the Upstarts singer who sadly died a couple of year ago. The gig will be at the Unionist Club, South Shields. There will be about seven bands on with Crashed Out headlining. The tickets are going well the organiser is hoping to make it an annual event.’

‘We’re more or less busy through the year with festival dates and there’s promoters still getting in touch to arrange more.’

Since he was a teenager playing music has been in John’s blood and being able to still be doing what he love’s for over 40 years, he says is a privilege.

‘I’ve done around 700 gigs since starting and I’m ready to keep going’.

‘Kingston to Coventry’ available on vinyl this summer. Check The Panic Report social media for details.

Southside Promotions present ‘Mensifest’ on 21st February 2026 at The Unionist Club, South Shields. Line up featuring Crashed Out, Red London, The Fauves, The Panic Report and more. Tickets £15. On the door £20.

Alikivi   February 2026

FUGUE STATE debut single from South Shields band Class Gymnast

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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.

Alikivi   January 2026

BAD EGGS – with Anna Malia founder of North East Animal Rights

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Sadly, some schools are still using egg-hatching programmes as a misguided way to educate children on life cycles of animals or using them as a treat to the children in their care explained Anna.

As more and more schools realise the problems these awful programmes cause, the companies who exploit these live young animals have extended their business model to include care homes where they aim to use them in so-called enrichment activities for residents.

Anna added…Despite the companies saying they will take back and home all unwanted chicks and ducklings produced from these programmes, the reality is very different. Even in the small print of the contracts they say that hirers have to be realistic about the fact that ‘some’ will end up as food and males will be culled.

Male chicks turn into very noisy cockerels and every year rescues are swamped with both male and female chicks and ducklings who are abandoned once they grow out of their useful ‘cute’ stage.

Our local wildlife and domestic animal rescue centre ‘Pawz For Thought’ who are based in Sunderland, are inundated every year with abandoned chicks from egg-hatching programmes.  

A spokesperson for Pawz said “Every year we are inundated with calls from concerned parents of pupils who aredoing hatching projects. School hatching projects are often presented as education, but the reality is far from kind.”

“Chicks are hatched in the name of learning, yet the process has become a form of lazy teaching. For a few weeks, children view these animals as entertainment—then the chicks are handed away, this teaches young people that living beings are disposable and exist for our pleasure.”

“Every year, we are asked to take in chicks to save them from being culled. Around half of all chicks hatched are cockerels, and there are simply no homes for them. They face a terrible fate.”

“Schools often believe they are rehoming them to willing parents, but with no follow-up, many unwanted cockerels eventually end up dumped once they mature. This cycle of suffering must stop.” 

Anna said…As part of their Animal Protection Charter, South Tyneside Council have contacted all of their schools and asked them not to use these programmes. They confirmed recently that none of their primary schools will book these programmes again making them an ‘egg-hatching programme free borough’!

Cllr Judith Taylor Chair of the Animal Protection Charter Working Group at South Tyneside Council said “South Tyneside Council is committed to the highest standards of animal welfare. We have taken decisive action by contacting all our schools to urge them not to use egg-hatching programmes.”

“We believe there are far more compassionate and educational ways to teach children about life cycles, and we encourage all educational settings to consider the welfare of animals in their care.”

Anna added…These programmes bear no resemblance to the actual life cycle of chicks and ducklings – they are not hatched in sterile metal and plastic incubators for a start. They do not have the warmth and love from their mother and of course they don’t show students where the birds end up and how they are slaughtered for food. 

What are we doing now? We are currently campaigning across the North East and also have a group working in the North West and a group in the West Midlands coming on board. We want schools and care homes to know the misery these programmes cause.

We are also encouraging people to contact their MP and the Education Secretary to ask them to update the curriculum to remove the suggestion of egg-hatching programmes as an educational tool.  

Thank you to South Shields artist Sheila Graber for the animation.

For further information about the work of North East Animal Rights contact >>>

Facebook @northeastanimalrights

Instagram @northeastanimalrights

TikTok @northeastanimalrights 

Bluesky @neanimalrights.bsky.social

Threads @northeastanimalrights

North East Animal Rights – YouTube

https://linktr.ee/northeastanimalrights

Alikivi   November 2025

SHIELDS CLOSEST ENCOUNTER

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As requested, readers of this site have contributed stories featuring supernatural phenomena. Researcher & Historian, and regular contributor to the site Dan Green, got in touch to pass on an interesting story he came across.

Report in The Shields Gazette 2013.

A visit to South Shields by three unexplained lights in the sky in October 1967 seemed to be very convincing as it was witnessed and recorded by policemen. But what occurred the previous year might be an even better UFO episode.

It began when a Shields resident agreed to tell her story to local newspaper The Shields Gazette in 2013 on the proviso that her identity was kept anonymous.

It was a cold night in late autumn, a black starless sky between 10-10.30pm when she and half a dozen of her girlfriends, all teens, were walking home from Harton village past Harton cemetery when they noticed a huge circular ‘flying saucer’ hovering approximately 20’ above the ground, coloured lights pulsated underneath with a humming noise.

It suddenly shot up into the air to a height of about 60-70’ staying stationary for a while then swooping down over the cemetery. Three times it repeated this climbing and ascending motion until it finally shot up into the sky disappearing in an instant.

The shaken girls stood there motionless and speechless and never said a word as they continued home. Little did they know that it appears that on the same night the unidentified aerial phenomena was also seen and witnessed by a Mr Alton, then aged 20, and his wife.

The object was first spotted as they were walking to their home near the old Westoe Colliery. It wandered slowly around the sky towards Tyne Dock where the following year the three lights above the flats were witnessed.

Disappearing from their view it was next seen 10 minutes later suddenly flying almost directly over Mr Alton. They could hear a soft humming sound as the black circular shaped craft blocked out the stars. A circular white light was centrally located on the underbelly of the craft, around the circumference was an aurora of soft, colourful light. It then flew off towards South Shields Town Hall nearby.

Mr Alton estimated it to be travelling at about 15mph and was at least 40’ diameter. They watched for about two minutes as it skimmed above the Westoe Road rooftops.

I recently contacted Mr Alton now 79 and living in Whitburn, to see if he was still clear with his story and indeed he is – there is no doubt in my mind that he is telling the absolute truth and in accurate detail.

Was this the same UFO witnessed on the same night as seen by the girls in Harton? Two remarkable close encounters begging the question, why was South Shields being visited by UFO’s during 1966 and 1967?

More revelations of supernatural phenomena will feature on this site. If you want to share your experience don’t hesitate to get in touch.

October 2025

CREEPING DEATH

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As requested, readers of this site have contributed stories featuring supernatural phenomena. 60 year old Jeff Anderson from Washington, County Durham, talked of his experiences.

The paranormal equates to something or some activity that is unknown now but is likely to be known and possibly understood in the future. So, a good example of paranormal activity would include ghost sightings and other spiritual activity of that nature.

It’s the stuff of sixth sense, which we are all aware of in situations when somebody is staring at us from behind, we look around and sure enough someone is. And vice-versa when we stare at someone suddenly they become aware of our stare.

I have over the last few years been equally fortunate and unfortunate to have been exposed to very real paranormal activity.

It was the very height of the Covid-19 pandemic I had been to Lidl one Saturday morning, nothing unusual there. Bonnie my German Shepherd was eagerly awaiting my return to the car. No sooner had I done so when quite inexplicably the car radio started playing and this despite being most definitely being switched off. I had the presence of mind to video the occurrence for future reference.

It sounded like Metallica playing but I wasn’t sure of the song. It turned out to be Creeping Death. I learned later it’s a song about the Biblical pass over featuring the Angel of Death. Creepy right?

On my weekly visit to my elderly parents house I explained to them the car radio occurrence and showed them the video I made that day. I felt someone somewhere was trying to communicate something.

In an instant a powerful gust of wind blew in through the upstairs front bedroom window, it came down the stairs twisting and turning and blew into the living room with such force that it actually blasted open the living room doors. It then turned back on itself and blew out of a small living room window. I mentioned it to my parents but they didn’t want to discuss it.

Unfortunately, my mother suffered a stroke a few year later. One afternoon I visited her in hospital with my Auntie. My mother occupied a room with three other stroke patients. There were just the six of us in the room on this occasion with no medical staff in attendance.

Of the four stroke patients three were asleep including my mam. The other patient was awake lying on her back, staring at the ceiling and occasionally crying out for her mother every few minutes or so, even though she was in her 70s herself. She was unaware of anything going on around her due to a possible dementia diagnosis.

The next thing it started raining mixed with hail and with such force and intensity I thought the window nearest to her might be blown in. After a short while things settled down.

However, the woman in the bed nearest the window was like someone possessed, she no longer cried out for her mother and was now fully aware. She turned her head and looked directly at me in the eye, diverting her gaze away from the ceiling. She even attempted to get out of bed at one point and come over to me. It was then I decided it was a goodtime to leave.

Sadly, my mother died a few months later. Two nights before her funeral I had left my bedroom window open only to be awoken at 3am by a strong gust of wind, so powerful it took every ounce of my physical strength to slam the window shut. Before I managed to close it the wind blasted me directly in the face, at which point an image of mother’s face unexpectedly appeared in my mind’s eye.

More revelations of supernatural phenomena will feature on this site. If you want to share your experience don’t hesitate to get in touch.

October 2025

THE FALLING ANGEL

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As requested, readers of this site have contributed stories featuring supernatural phenomena. A regular reader from South Shields shares her experience.

My ghostly event, and I can call it an event, happened thirty years ago at my late husband’s private memorial service. This account of the super natural happening is not only true it’s also factual. There are still people alive who witnessed the spectacle to tell the tale. There were other remarkable incidents before and after my late husband’s death but I have chosen to share with your readers ‘The Falling Angel’ episode.

Before the service I had spent some hours at the local church arranging floral displays. Andrew, the Reverend, popped in to admire the colourful stage set. There were several pedestals of white roses amongst autumn foliage, all linked with strings of white simulated pearls. A complete stranger had run her fingers along the strings remarking they were many tears of love.

The Reverend had asked me why the central pedestal was standing empty. I let him know I was intending to place my late husband’s photograph on top of it. It was the last one taken of him only weeks ago when we were touring the eastern seaboard of Canada. However, the Reverend offered me an alternative to the pedestal.

Hours later, a congregation of about thirty people sat in church in total silence with their heads bowed as the coffin was respectfully placed in front of the altar draped with a purple velvet cloth.

The Reverend began the service of love by welcoming the rows of tearful mourners. Then he walked over and took the photograph of my late husband from me and placed it firmly on the brass eagle lectern. Tears filled my eyes as I looked at my late husband’s image smiling back at me, resting on the eagle’s outstretched wings. The romantic scene was complete.

As he started to speak something unexpected happened causing a murmuring from the congregation. The photo fell to the floor. The Reverend returned it to the stand. He continued his soliloquy but not for long as the photo fell from the stand again. Visibly shaken he returned it for a second time.

As he replaced it, he mumbled some inaudible words before turning towards the shocked mourners. Everyone watched as the photograph moved forward and crashed to the floor for a third time. The glass in the frame shattered.

The service of love came to an abrupt end. I felt a deep urge to walk across and rescue the mischievous culprits image announcing with a smile ‘My husband is determined that he doesn’t want to be put on a pedestal’.

More revelations of supernatural phenomena will feature on this site. If you want to share your experience don’t hesitate to get in touch.

October 2025

MONGO – new album from Heed Case

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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.

Contact the official website >>> www.heedcase.com

Link to previous interview >>>

HEED CASE release debut album ‘All the Rage’ | ALIKIVI : NORTH EAST UK CULTURE

Alikivi  October 2025

STROKE OF LUCK in conversation with Durham musician Stuart Willis

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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.  

Alikivi   October 2025

HANDS OFF – with former South Shields singer & songwriter Vincent J.Edwards

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Now living in Ulm southern Germany, Vinny Edwards (Back Where We Started From, Love Hit Me, I Can’t Turn Back Time) spends time watching the sunset over the river Danube while recalling his youth living in South Shields.

In the music video for his song Hands Off are photographs of Vinny and his mates heading home after a night out at local club The Majestic, South Shields.

“They were fun nights listening to great dance music. We’d also pop in for a couple of pints in The Marine pub on Ocean Road near to where I was born. Most of the lads in the picture were around 17 year old and worked in the shipyards.” recalls Vinny.

The single was recorded by Vinny and the Survivors however a previous band he was in called The Invictors are pictured in the video playing in La Strada club, South Shields in 1963.

“The Invictors played every Sunday lunchtime. The atmosphere was like a posh workingmen’s club”.

Hands Off is a change from Vinny Edwards usual output of pop and Northern soul. 

“It was a sort of protest song – the Government, war, politics, the same rubbish news as people are protesting about today really. I wrote and recorded the song in the late 70s at PYE studios. The single was released in the UK on PYE records. It also got a European release on the Hans label and was in Germany, Belgium and Holland. Yeh happy days, loved that time. I’ve still got roots in South Shields. My brother has an allotment in Westoe. He sends me photos. They have great sunsets as well”.

Link to ‘Hands Off’ >>> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYluCqVg4wA

Alikivi   September 2025