This May has seen the rise of a new musical celebration based in the breezy coastal towns of Newcastle; A Stone’s Throw Festival sees a range of local and national talent spread across a ragtag group of makeshift venues, putting up shows in bars and businesses across Tynemouth and North Shields. Though the North East sense of chaos doesn’t relinquish its grip with timings being blurred all over, the ambitious event takes advantage of an unusually warm day across two hidden gem locales.
Cortney Dixon brings a delicate and vulnerable but welcomingly bright and warm atmosphere to the upper floor of Karma Coast, a local CBD vendor that was happy to lend its services to the community for a day. Summer sun penetrates the open room as Cortney’s moody groove is overlaid by high reaching vocals, evoking an undeniably fun retro energy throughout a short band performance dominated by unreleased tracks that we hope will see the light of day.
Across the road and inside the sticky doors of Tynemouth CIU, prickly rock trio Motel Carnation jump onstage to a crowd showing in their numbers. A driving rhythm pushes forward a set that seems to have no real destination in mind as the band’s influences are worn on their sleeves, forming a messy impressionist sonic that unsurprisingly contains football-related banter.
After a hop and skip from the picturesque greenery of Tynemouth to the gritty side streets of North Shields, Hector Gannet trot onto the festival’s main stage inside Salt Market Social and bring quite possibly the largest crowd of the entire day. The wizened act utilise the opportunity for a roaring set with plodding rhythm providing a stable foundation for frontman Aaron Duff to test his vocal chops. While the competent band bring a powerful sonic, little of their song writing talent takes the chance to stand out.
A five minute walk up a steep staircase brings punters to The Exchange where Lizzie Esau makes her mark. Already starting her career strong, the native singer-songwriter has clear national potential in terms of gigs and industry support, having recently starred on the cover of Spotify’s Fresh Finds and playing BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend the very day following this charged performance. The small woman belts out powerful vocals but seamlessly transitions into rattling rap-like verses too; it’s an easy sell, particularly with upcoming track ‘Bleak Sublime’ unveiling a path of success ahead. Sweet rocker ‘Crush’ is dedicated to Harry Styles (and who can argue with that) but it’s current single ‘The Enemy’ that dazzles today, a true anthemic highlight that cements Lizzie as the exact kind of discovery this festival revolves around.
Back down those same stairs and Lauran Hibberd throws out a flurry of bold and abrasive tracks from soon-to-arrive debut LP ‘Garageband Superstar’, expanding upon the flamboyant and cheeky indie-rock she established herself with and fleshing it out into a bouncy punk-pop experience. Some of those older tracks like the delightful ‘Old Nudes’ still surface, but new material leans hard into extravagance – as does Lauran’s sparkly pink stage outfit. Watching her grow into a confident performer with the ability to go bright and big with ease has been an enthralling journey to witness, and her first record is sure to be another big step in that direction.
BERWYN follows an extended sound check – not the first of the day – with some appreciated R&B representation. The three-piece live band arrive with a chill vibe packaged in vintage garms, and the crowd has followed suit. A machine fuelled by pure vibes throughout, the rapper’s slow voice and gentle keys prove a hit and bouncing beats soon juxtapose this to equal acclaim. An impromptu jump into the crowd for half a rendition of Kings Of Leon’s ‘Use Somebody’ throws a spanner in works due to an unplugged mic and out-of-tune venue piano, but the London-based musician’s authentic enthusiasm is the lingering taste.
Heidi Curtis is the next musician to pull upon the airy space of The Exchange, making a dramatic entrance with ‘Red Light’, just one of her many excellent songs yet to be released. While she dances between instruments, it’s the key-dominated tension lead by a truly momentous vocal that makes the largest impression, all expressing some tight signwriting that has arisen through many set list reinventions over the past year alone. Heidi is bound to make her mark when she chooses her moment, and the time to soar alone must be near; this cathartic voice has already graced arenas under the wing of local celebrity Sam Fender and 45,000 fans in Finsbury Park are sure to be posing the same question as us: when can we hear these songs at home? This gig in particular is hardly a unique expression of her potential and talent, but it’s nice to her at home and fleshing out a 45-minute set with just one cover moment.
Headliner Sam Tompkins sparks interest later in the evening with his rich and soulful pop style, introducing his purpose with one indicative statement: “my job here is to depress you for the next hour.” With tunes revolving around heartbreak and family love, the sombre energy seems akin to mainstream pop but the live band help bring the style to life in a more genuine way. Pulling on a melting-pot of other sounds – seemingly Justin Bieber and Rex Orange County in particular – the success story from the streets of Brighton must strike a chord as some serious boogying is observed throughout.
A restless day for all, Stone’s Throw has certainly made an interesting impression as a local festival to watch in future. While its ambition and reach may have been extended or exceeded this time around, a tightening of organisational factors and rework of transport logistics could and indeed should see the towns of the North East coast see more successful acts gracing irregular gig spots for years to come.
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Words: Finlay Holden
Photo Credit: Storm H Walker
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