@evolutionemerging - Tumblr Blog

Evolution Emerging 2016 Roundup

Generator’s annual event featuring the most exciting emerging talent from the North East and beyond took place for the eighth consecutive year on Saturday (28th May) and it turned out to be the most successful instalment to date. Taking over 10 venues across the Ouseburn Valley, Newcastle, the region’s annual showcase of musical talent saw over 40 artists playing to a crowd of nearly 1500 festivalgoers who enjoyed every minute.

Teesside headliners Cattle & Cane brought their unique blend of folk-pop to the masses at The Cluny and delivered it in style, whilst Stockton outfit and BBC 6 Music favourites Kingsley Chapman and The Murder delighted those in attendance down at Cluny 2 and Newcastle quartet A Festival, A Parade played to a packed audience at The Tyne Bar, demonstrating why they’re regarded by many as the North East’s next big musical export.

There were also enthralling performances from the likes of EAT FAST, SoShe, Immy Williams, Seeing Hands, Ditte Elly and Heist and the majority of venues across the valley ended up one-in-one-out which can only be a good sign.

But don’t take our word for it! Check out our favourite videos, photos, comments, reviews and videos, keep an eye on our #EvoE16 Storify and read some reviews of the festival below 'The local scene is thriving and this year’s Evolution Emerging , the region’s biggest event for emerging music, is a testament to this.' The Chronicle '...we could only scratch the surface of what is fast becoming the region’s most anticipated annual music event. 2016 was a vintage year.' NE:MM '...the North East’s music scene is very much alive and producing some of the most exciting acts around right now.' Louder Than War

EARLY BIRD TICKETS ON SALE NOW

We're thrilled to announce early bird tickets for our 2017 event are on sale at this year's price, we can't to do it all again. Roll on #EvoE17. BUY TICKETS

EVOLUTION EMERGING 2016

It’s finally here! Today we will open the doors to our biggest event yet and bring you some of the best music from the North East and beyond. We'll be presenting over 40 artists across 10 venues and hosting an official aftershow party! The remaining tickets are available online here and over the bar at The Cluny until 1pm tomorrow (Saturday), then the remaining tickets will be available from Wristband Exchange, Arch 6, Stepney Bank, NE1 2NP (opposite The Cluny). See you in the valley!

Headliner Focus #3 - A Festival, A Parade

Tomorrow is the big day! The North East’s biggest festival for emerging music will be taking over the Ouseburn Valley and over at The Tyne Bar our headliners A Festival, A Parade are sure to put on an incredible show.

With debut EP ‘A Piece Of Meat, An Irregular Heartbeat’ already attracting tons of press in the last few months, the Newcastle outfit are well on their way to success and if you’re a fan of The National or Frightened Rabbit The Tyne Bar is certainly the place for you.

The band have a 45-minute set to fill at Evolution Emerging so we’re expecting to hear plenty of new material along with the outstanding tracks from their first release. It should be some show so make sure you get down to The Tyne Bar early!

Industry Tips #4

It’s now only two days until Evolution Emerging 2016, we hope you’re as excited as us! We’ve got top tips for who to see at our festival from The Great Curve frontman Mick Rolfe below:

A FESTIVAL, A PARADE Put simply, I love this band! It's been great watching them develop from being essentially, a backing band for Joe's stuff, into something so much more! Their debut EP is just under nine minutes of absolute brilliance, their new stuff's sounding great & if you've not caught them live yet then WHY?

CALLUM PITT The first I'd heard of Callum was his Evo Emerging submission & I immediately played it again as soon as it had finished!I then proceeded to check out his Soundcloud for more & put that on repeat too. While not shy of letting his influences shine through, quite brightly at times, the strength of his songs & his voice take those influences & create something very much his own & I can't wait to finally catch him live! BEHOLD A PALE HORSE I was really pleased to see that these had submitted & more so that they'd been selected to play. After taking quite a bit of time out due to other commitments it's great to see them back & also to see their debut release finally finished & out this Friday! Possibly unfamiliar to some... Their driving, bass-heavy, take on reverb drenched psychedelia will be a great way to properly kick off the night ahead!

Also while clashes are inevitable, Life Mechanics, Eat Fast, Drifts, Seeing Hands, Ten Sticks, Ditte Elly, Grey Tapes & umpteen others are all on my must see list!

Plus of course the afterparty at Cobalt!

Headliner Focus #2 - Kingsley Chapman and The Murder

We’re now only two days away from the North East’s biggest festival for emerging music which means it’s only two days until Cluny 2 is inhabited by Boro outfit Kingsley Chapman and The Murder!

Crushing guitars, pounding drums and lush pianos will be the order of the day down in Cluny 2 and with latest track ‘The Children Scream’ having already received airplay on Gideon Coe’s BBC 6 Music show, you can expect that to get an outfit sometime during his set.

We can’t wait to see what Kingsley has in store for us on Saturday night. Will there be any new material? Will there be any special guest appearances? You’ll have to be there to find out!

Headliner Focus #1 - Cattle & Cane

We’re now only three days away from the North East’s biggest festival for emerging artists which means we’re also only three days away from Cattle & Cane’s highly anticipated headline slot at The Cluny!

The Boro folk-pop outfit are sure to showcase plenty of tracks from their debut album ‘Home’ released late last year and have just returned from a trip to Belgium where they’ve started recording their second LP.

Who knows, we might even be treated to some new material on Saturday night, but the only way you’ll find out is if you head down to The Cluny! This one’s sure to be busy so make sure you get down early.

Industry Tips #3

The big event is now only four days away! Find out Cole Gilroy and Ally Morton’s top picks for Evolution Emerging 2016 below:

Cole Gilroy, Little Buildings owner:

My tips are EAT FAST at the Cluny, they played at Little Buildings a couple of weeks ago and blew me away. The other is Bares here at our venue, super energetic and loud, they’re something a bit different on the bill.

Ally Morton, Massa Confusa:

The line-up for this year is as eclectic as ever and there are too many great acts to see. If punk or fuzz is your thing, then check out Casual Threats, Mouses, Bares, Drifts, and Baker Island. If hip-hop or production is your thing, see Outside your House, Grey Tapes, SoShe, Parastatic, and Ceiling Demons. If guitar pedals and reverb are your thing, catch Ten Sticks, Old Prides, Behold A Pale Horse, Eat Fast, and A Festival, A Parade. If singer-songwriters are your thing, check out Kate Edwards. Oh and don't forget Kingsley Chapman and The Murder!

Industry Tips #2

With our event now less than a week away, we spoke to Joe Frankland and Kingsley Chapman to get their top picks for this year’s festival:

Joe Frankland, Senior Grants & Programmes Manager at PRS:

I was lucky enough to catch She Drew The Gun's winning Glastonbury Emerging Talent Competition performance in Pilton last month so those heading to The Cluny for their set are in for a treat. Evo Emerging though is much more about stumbling upon your favourite new North East artist or band. On that front, I'm recommending EAT FAST.

Kingsley Chapman:

This year is a strong line up across the board but apart from all the brilliant acts on the Cluny 2 stage (along with ourselves, ahem...) the acts i'm most excited to see at this year’s Evo are Avalanche Party, Outside Your House and James Leonard Hewitson. Avalanche Party are quite simply the most exciting rock band to come out of Teesside in years - they're noisy, sweaty and the singer wears a pretty suave satin shirt, do not miss. In short, I like the cut of Outside Your House's debonair jib, regardless of the great music and poetry - they dress really, really well and that always works with me. James Leonard Hewitson is our trumpet player but he does a smashing line in his own slackerish anti-folk and I'm chuffed to bits that he's playing in his own right. He's like a fantastic monkey hanging Adam Green.

Industry Tips #1

We spoke to folks in the local music industry past and present and got their top tips for Evolution Emerging 2016. Find out what Steve Davis and Chris McManus had to say below:

Chris McManus, Blank Studios:

All of them! This year’s line up is amazing, but if I had to choose I'd say A Festival, A parade, PLAZA and The Welcome Party. All great, interesting bands and they smash it live!

Steve Davis, Gigs North East:

Soham De

Relatively unknown as he is from outside the region but luckily for us he has ended up here to study. He’s already had some huge support slots and just landed a spot at this years Boardmasters. Think Ben Howard meets Bon Iver with a little bit of rap thrown in for good measure.

SoShe

It promises to be a big year for the urban popsters. Fresh from the release of their debut single ‘Something About The Way’, the band cross all genres indie / RnB / Pop and Hip Hop.

Eve Simpson

Voice of an angel with songs to match, unbelievably talented for her age and a real exciting prospect. One of many great new acts to look out for at this year’s event.

Press Tips #4

Continuing our press tips for Evolution Emerging next week, we spoke to Eugenie Johnson and Scott Hastie who provided us with their top picks below:

Eugenie Johnson, NARC. Magazine, Gigs North East, Spark FM and The Tipping Point:

Ceiling Demons

Hip hop duo Ceiling Demons have always made some really interesting tunes that often have a strong message behind them, but that’s all come to a head on their new EP, Belly of the Hopeless, which is their most challenging – and possibly best – work to date. They worked on the EP with the members of Outside Your House, who are also playing at the Tanners, and the combination is really captivating. Their set should be a great end to the evening at the venue.

EAT FAST

The members of EAT FAST have done a pretty good job of keeping things relatively low key in the run up to Evo, but with all the hype they’ve been getting and a short run of dates around the country that’ll probably all change very soon – I wouldn’t be at all surprised if The Cluny was totally packed out during their set. Their debut EP is a dizzyingly good collection of scuzzy fuzz-rock numbers that’ll have you believing the hype.

SoShe

SoShe make a blend of indie and R&B that works so well you wonder why no-one has tried it before. Frontwoman Dayna Leadbitter probably has one of the most powerful and evocative voices around right now; she can belt them out as well as some of the world’s biggest R&B stars. Their tracks are filled with infectious energy and hooks and, according to them, they’ve got something special planned for their set at Cobalt that’ll be well worth watching.

Ten Sticks

Seeing Ten Sticks live is always a great experience. They take their time to get into the motions, but it all ends in an enveloping and captivating swirl of melodic noise that’s reminiscent of post-rock bands like Tortoise. They have a knack for incorporating ambient, minimalist and even jazz tones into their work, meaning that their songs have plenty of light, shade and intrigue to keep them incredibly interesting and listenable across their long spans. There really isn’t anyone like them at the minute and they’re an absolute must for any post-rock lovers.

Scott Hastie, Spark FM:

One of the best things about going to festivals is exploring sounds you're not familiar with. Evolution Emerging has a lot of variety on offer but perhaps most unique is the alternative hip hop of Ceiling Demons. Combining dark production and percussion with raps spat so raw and powerful, this promises to be one of the most memorable performances at the festival this year.

Press Tips #3

We’re halfway through the week and only ten days away from Evolution Emerging 2016! Time for some more press tips:

Matt Baty, Head of Music at Amazing Radio:

EAT FAST

Eat Fast will serve up some gritty, lo-fi garage-surf party anthems. Their set will be exciting, possibly a little bit scary. Listen to them loud and eat fast!

Life Mechanics

Life Mechanics takes an electronic approach to his compositions which are intensely cinematic. Expect cacophonous soundscapes aplenty.

Heist

Newly formed indie band with a keen eye for melody and punchy rhythms. Blending a classic Strokes-esque indie sound with more contemporary influences their forthcoming new single See You Whenever has gone down a treat on the Amazing Radio airwaves recently.

Lewis Lister, writer for The Tipping Point:

Mouses' sound is lo-fi, scuzzy and abbrasive, but at the heart of it all are fun, accessible pop songs with some seriously catchy melodies. The Billingham duo's live show is filled with a palpable freneticism that's far too exciting to be missed. Expect plenty of nervous energy, and to see the band's equipment taking an absolute battering. Fuck I miss Evo Emerging!

Bruce Tate, Need Music:

Having seen them perform great sets at some of our regular acoustic gig events, I would highly recommend catching Jake Houlsby and Soham De at this year’s event. Jake’s guitar playing is incredible, and his songwriting capabilities leave you relaxed and mesmerised. Soham has some great songs in his songbook, and his soft voice is a pleasure to listen to.

Press Tips #2

We’ve got even more press tips for you today courtesy of Crack In The Road, One Hour One DJ and NARC.

Claire Dupree, editor of NARC. Magazine:

As always at Evo Emerging, I'll be attempting to cram as much as possible into four hours. High on my list are mysterious fuzz rockers EAT FAST, who I'm pretty certain will provide one of the highlights of the event; Ditte Elly's astonishing voice and mesmerising songs will definitely call me to Blast Studios; during the submissions process, I loved the quirky alt. hip-hop of Jay Simian & The Midnight Society, so I'd like to check them out live; James Leonard Hewitson is one of those musicians that seems to be brilliant at everything, I'm really enjoying his track on Soundcloud at the moment; headliner-wise, Kingsley Chapman & The Murder always put on a suitably epic show, so I think they'd be the perfect choice for seeing the night out.

Josh Dalton, editor of Crack In The Road:

Immy Williams - Some really quality songwriting, and if the recent Sofar session is anything to go by, she’s only getting better.

Jake Houlsby - Poignant songwriting and a great stage presence.

She Drew The Gun - There’s a real swagger to their music - certainly going to be a favourite at festivals this summer.

Matthew Scott, editor of One Hour One DJ:

My first tip for 2016's Evolution Emerging is Grey Tapes. The group, composed of a number of longstanding producers and musicians from the fuzzy edges of the North East's music scene, collectively produce a sort of longing, somehow lonely take on leftfield, glitchy electronica that is consequently both danceable and sonically interesting: a difficult combo to achieve. I'd recommend you check out 'French Dressing Room' especially, but their entire Tape 001 (yes, it was an actual cassette release) is well worth a listen to get you in the mood for their set at Cobalt.

My second tip is the singer-songwriter Kate Edwards. Every day there seem to be more singer-songwriters emerge than there are Carry On films, so it's a rare thing when one sticks their guitar above the parapet and grabs your attention. Kate has a gentle, almost hypnotic voice, and combines this with a subtle piano playing style which makes you think she's trying to see how lightly and carefully she can actually press the keys. Together, it's a good mix, and I therefore recommend you check out some of her new (hopefully) material when she headlines Blank Studios.

Finally, I'd stick around Cobalt once the Grey Tapes are finished to see Xaatu. Although I presume the name is not a misspelling of that weird, psychedelic Pokémon Xatu, it would be a good fit if it was. His music is decidedly eclectic, spanning and splicing elements of garage, trap, grime, and other such words. The best way to describe it is maybe XXXY plus four cups of coffee, but however you want to categorise his music it's very good indeed. Not one I would miss.

Press Tips #1

It’s less than two weeks until Evolution Emerging 2016 and we simply can’t wait! Ahead of the festival we spoke to the local press and asked for their top picks from this year’s lineup.

Rob Meddes, editor of The Crack:

This year’s Evolution Emerging contains more goodies that Clough’s sweet shop on Heaton Road, but I’d particularly look out for Immy Williams, a superb singer/songwriter in the mould of Becky Owen (we loved her stuff so much that we put her on the cover this month). She’s playing Cluny 2. Also doing the biz at Cluny 2 is Kingsley Chapman and The Murder. Kingsley Chapman, previously of excellent Stockton outfit, The Chapman Family, imbues his new band with a Nick Cave sense of drama and intrigue and they are a real dark delight. If you like your pop music to let in a bit of light then check out Talk Like Tigers whose synth driven melodic groovers are strictly top-down-on-your-sports-car stuff. They’ll be shifting through the gears at The Tanners.

Lee Allcock, editor of NE Volume:

I have to say, for a small area in the UK Teesside definitely has a thriving music scene. So my top tips are: Thornaby-based folk band Cattle and Cane, Billingham lo-fi duo Mouses and Stockton's neo-gothic band Kingsley Chapman and the Murder.

Sarah Jeffery, The Chronicle:

I’m really excited about this year’s line-up as there is such a diverse line-up to choose from. Since I’m reviewing the festival I’ll be trying to cram in as many acts as possible, so my starting point is going to be Cluny 2 with Immy Williams. Then I’ll head up The Cumberland Arms to catch indie-folkster Jake Houlsby before going to the top of Ouseburn to Cobalt to see alt-pop act Joy Atlas. If I’m quick enough I’m hoping to catch the tail end of SoShe’s set too. Next will be short walk up the road to Ernest to listen to acoustic folk duo YUMA before heading back down into the valley to catch headliners Cattle & Cane at The Cluny.

FOOD AT EVOLUTION EMERGING

Evolution Emerging 2016 will start earlier this year with wristband exchange open from 2pm and venues opening from 4pm, to make sure you don’t go hungry some of our venues will be putting on some mouth watering food to keep you going as you try to catch as much live music as possible! The Cluny will have their infamous Sausage Fest with everything from Bratwurst to Classic Cumberland sausage and Wild Boar & Apple to Kangaroo sausage! Vegan and kids options are available along with recommendations on which drink will be best to wash it all down with. The Tyne Bar will have street food that includes artisan burgers, gourmet hot dogs and crepes and The Cumberland Arms will welcome The Grind who will bring their awesome American Cheeseburgers smashed on the grill and steamed with bakery fresh bread and gooey cheddar! Mmmm. Don’t miss out on the biggest Evolution Emerging yet, grab your tickets here.

More Artist News!

Our second artist news round-up features TRASH, Jake Houlsby and Mouses, find out what they’ve been up below:

First up we have The Cluny performers TRASH who’ve been hard at work promoting their latest single ‘Workout’ following a hugely successfully UK tour with fellow Evolution Emerging act Plaza. The video for their epic new single is out now and you can check it out here.

The Cumberland Arms performer Jake Houlsby has also been very busy recently following the release of his new single ‘Carousel’, with airplay on Lauren Laverne’s 6 Music show last week topping off an impressive campaign. We can’t wait till he returns to our festival in a little over two weeks for his second appearance.

Finally we have Billingham punk rockers Mouses who released their debut single ‘Poison’ via Sister 9 Recordings recently and have been gaining plenty of attention from tastemakers at home and abroad over the last few weeks. Their video premiered on Louder Than War last week and you can check it out here.

Also don’t forget tickets for #EvoE16 are still available via this link.

Trending Blogs

Recently Viewed Blogs