Every Sunday the Surf Café in Tynemouth plays host to a night of excellent music. Playing there on a Sunday has become a rite of passage for local artists, you know you're good if you get a spot on the bill. On top of the usual hype, there was a 'surprise headliner'...
The first act of the night was an acoustic set by Karl Douthwaite, who combined sweet and melodic guitar with sentimental lyrics, characterised by his Geordie twang. Douthwaite's strongest original song was ''The way it goes'. The emotive track really resonated and the line: 'like the kiss she gives when she stands on her toes' was particularly poignant.
The local lad balanced good music and chatter well, confessing why he loved performing first on a Sunday. "I don't work Mondays, so this is perfect. Play for half an hour and then get absolutely trollied!" The most entertaining part of his set was his cover of 'Sheila take a bow' by The Smiths. The room was united in makeshift lyrics and the 'la la las' of the track when the actual words slipped his mind. Instead of being a tragic turn, it actually enabled Douthwaite to have a bit of friendly banter with the already packed room.
The busy room highlighted the close knit community of the Surf Café, which is welcoming no matter how much of a regular you are. So much so that the charismatic host of the night, Philip Mitchell, rescued me with a glass of water when I nearly passed out. (Reviewing a busy gig when you're ill is never a good idea!) Thanks once again Phil!
Next up was Dan Hodgson, a singer-pianist with apparent technical flair and an oh so soulful voice. The highlight of his set was the "Surf Café Classic", 'Running from Lightning'. A track fuelled by Hodgson's bluesy undertone and catchy keyboard riffs. His sound balances raw emotion and easy listening and would please a wide and varied audience.
The third act of the night was The Shaw-Clark Project - a.k.a.: Pete and Jackqui. These two are absolutely hysterical. They're the stereotypical bickering old married couple with buckets of tongue and cheek Northern humour. Their music channels folk and bluesy vibes but is really brought to life by their dynamic personalities. I really hope I'm as much fun as they are when I'm their age. Sunday was also Jacqui's birthday and the whole room sang to her. She then announced that her gifts from Pete had included: fairy wings, stick on tattoos and a picture of her arse drawn from memory.
Following the dynamic duo was the happy-go-lucky indie sound of Deep.Sleep. The four-piece specialise in catchy riffs, ebullient drums and quirky lyrics, evoking an upbeat atmosphere. Front man Dan Frend won the hearts of the room when introducing their new track, 'You and I'. The song was dedicated to his girlfriend who will be shortly moving away to go to University, with Frend's full support. This caused the older lady behind me to coo: "Eee isn't he an absolute dear!".
Furthermore, I wsa impressed by Frend's vocals, as they have drastically improved since I last saw Deep.Sleep perform. They sound less forced and the whole band seems to be interacting and playing better. The group look for comfortable on stage and have found out what works well during their set and how to balance banter and playing.
Their best track is '1994', which tells the tale of fancying an older lass - a staple indie song. The best line in the song is: 'You're 21 and f*cked off a fiver" ( usually followed by a "Sorry Mam!"). The song is cemented as the group's upbeat anthem through it's fusion of catchy riffs and punchy beats and never fails to get the crowds singing and dancing along.
Finally the 'surprise headliner' took to the stage...
The amazing Sunset Sons were playing the Surf Café. The group are the support for Imagine Dragons' when they tour later in the year. I've been a fan of this group for a while and was ecstatic to see them live in my favourite venue. Their performance was a spur of the moment decision and the amiable Deep.Sleep kindly agreed to lend them their instruments. Sunset Sons opened up with a rocked-up cover of 'Come together'. The group did the legendary Beatles justice, whilst making the song their own by really going to town on bold and gritty bass. They then moved onto their own fantastic music, uniting the room through fast paced riffs, beefy bass, hearty beats and suave lilting vocals. Their sound is infectiously catchy and the epitome of feel-good indie.
The highlight of their set was when they incorporated longer bridges and jammed together, filling the room with herculean riffs that got everyone moving. The guitarist from Deep.Sleep used said jams to take a selfie on top of his mates shoulders, before returning to dancing.
Gigs of this sort are the reason why I adore the Newcastle music scene. It's packed with incredibly talented and friendly people. This spontaneous night is etched into my memory as one of the best gigs I've had the pleasure of attending.
If you haven't been to the magical Surf Café, you really are missing out.
To see more from the Surf Café and the performers, follow the links below:
https://www.facebook.com/surfcafe.Tynemouth
https://www.facebook.com/deep.sleepUK
https://www.facebook.com/SunsetSons
The first act of the night was an acoustic set by Karl Douthwaite, who combined sweet and melodic guitar with sentimental lyrics, characterised by his Geordie twang. Douthwaite's strongest original song was ''The way it goes'. The emotive track really resonated and the line: 'like the kiss she gives when she stands on her toes' was particularly poignant.
The local lad balanced good music and chatter well, confessing why he loved performing first on a Sunday. "I don't work Mondays, so this is perfect. Play for half an hour and then get absolutely trollied!" The most entertaining part of his set was his cover of 'Sheila take a bow' by The Smiths. The room was united in makeshift lyrics and the 'la la las' of the track when the actual words slipped his mind. Instead of being a tragic turn, it actually enabled Douthwaite to have a bit of friendly banter with the already packed room.
The busy room highlighted the close knit community of the Surf Café, which is welcoming no matter how much of a regular you are. So much so that the charismatic host of the night, Philip Mitchell, rescued me with a glass of water when I nearly passed out. (Reviewing a busy gig when you're ill is never a good idea!) Thanks once again Phil!
Next up was Dan Hodgson, a singer-pianist with apparent technical flair and an oh so soulful voice. The highlight of his set was the "Surf Café Classic", 'Running from Lightning'. A track fuelled by Hodgson's bluesy undertone and catchy keyboard riffs. His sound balances raw emotion and easy listening and would please a wide and varied audience.
The third act of the night was The Shaw-Clark Project - a.k.a.: Pete and Jackqui. These two are absolutely hysterical. They're the stereotypical bickering old married couple with buckets of tongue and cheek Northern humour. Their music channels folk and bluesy vibes but is really brought to life by their dynamic personalities. I really hope I'm as much fun as they are when I'm their age. Sunday was also Jacqui's birthday and the whole room sang to her. She then announced that her gifts from Pete had included: fairy wings, stick on tattoos and a picture of her arse drawn from memory.
Following the dynamic duo was the happy-go-lucky indie sound of Deep.Sleep. The four-piece specialise in catchy riffs, ebullient drums and quirky lyrics, evoking an upbeat atmosphere. Front man Dan Frend won the hearts of the room when introducing their new track, 'You and I'. The song was dedicated to his girlfriend who will be shortly moving away to go to University, with Frend's full support. This caused the older lady behind me to coo: "Eee isn't he an absolute dear!".
Furthermore, I wsa impressed by Frend's vocals, as they have drastically improved since I last saw Deep.Sleep perform. They sound less forced and the whole band seems to be interacting and playing better. The group look for comfortable on stage and have found out what works well during their set and how to balance banter and playing.
Their best track is '1994', which tells the tale of fancying an older lass - a staple indie song. The best line in the song is: 'You're 21 and f*cked off a fiver" ( usually followed by a "Sorry Mam!"). The song is cemented as the group's upbeat anthem through it's fusion of catchy riffs and punchy beats and never fails to get the crowds singing and dancing along.
Finally the 'surprise headliner' took to the stage...
The amazing Sunset Sons were playing the Surf Café. The group are the support for Imagine Dragons' when they tour later in the year. I've been a fan of this group for a while and was ecstatic to see them live in my favourite venue. Their performance was a spur of the moment decision and the amiable Deep.Sleep kindly agreed to lend them their instruments. Sunset Sons opened up with a rocked-up cover of 'Come together'. The group did the legendary Beatles justice, whilst making the song their own by really going to town on bold and gritty bass. They then moved onto their own fantastic music, uniting the room through fast paced riffs, beefy bass, hearty beats and suave lilting vocals. Their sound is infectiously catchy and the epitome of feel-good indie.
The highlight of their set was when they incorporated longer bridges and jammed together, filling the room with herculean riffs that got everyone moving. The guitarist from Deep.Sleep used said jams to take a selfie on top of his mates shoulders, before returning to dancing.
Gigs of this sort are the reason why I adore the Newcastle music scene. It's packed with incredibly talented and friendly people. This spontaneous night is etched into my memory as one of the best gigs I've had the pleasure of attending.
If you haven't been to the magical Surf Café, you really are missing out.
To see more from the Surf Café and the performers, follow the links below:
https://www.facebook.com/surfcafe.Tynemouth
https://www.facebook.com/deep.sleepUK
https://www.facebook.com/SunsetSons
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