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Here’s to many more years of this much-needed musical celebration on the North East coast.
Words: Finlay Holden.
Photos: Storm Walker.
Returning after a smashing debut in 2022, A Stone’s Throw Festival has made its long-awaited comeback to the North East Coast, turning Tynemouth into a vibrant music haven. The picturesque coastal town plays host to an eclectic mix of acts from the region and beyond, transforming underrated venues into buzzing stages. The toughest choice for festival-goers? Deciding which sets to catch.
After grabbing the festival wristband at North Shield’s Saltmarket, Geordie rockers The Peevie Wonders quickly get the celebrations rolling, bringing a grungy atmosphere to the large hall and its gradually increasing occupancy. They may have seen the sights of Austin during this year’s SXSW, but they don’t forget to bring the energy for their hometown crowd and the favour is returned. Hammering home their signature hefty rock with time for some can-crushing antics, this intro serves as a solid teaser for their own headline shows.
Just up the road, Cat Ryan’s groovy art-pop-rock musings have room to breathe within the cosy King Street Social. These guys are no newbies on the scene and have been through a few line-up changes since their inception, but the vibrancy of their sound very much remains. A staple of the local circuit and having recently broken out with performances at Y Not and Truck festivals, the quartet’s distinct sonic fingerprint shows on old favourites and cuts from last year’s project ‘King of the World’; the band are once again worth catching amidst the flurry of talent on show here.
In the small room above Barca, Tynemouth’s premiere indie bar, punters lean in to get a look at India Arkin. After her debut album release on HMV label 1921 Records, the now independent artist has been searching for new sounds; unreleased track ‘Matilda’ gives us a taste, exploring the feeling of “being lost in the world, and that world bring a mess”. Pulling in an emergency bassist for her set, India’s band make it work with a consistent rhythm that lets the singer thrive with a joyful performance at the forefront, embellished by fine shredding and harmonies from guitarist Adam. Having just concluded her university studies the day before, ‘143’ concludes with a suitably chaotic explosion of energy.
Tynemouth Social Club sits just across the road, a very unsuspecting building that perhaps harbours the finest gems of the day. Leeds four-piece L’objectif summon the first full room – just a couple of years into their careers and still yet to graduate from their teens, the initial excitement instigated by their signing to Chess Club Records remains intact. Continuing to put out intriguing and increasingly mature releases such as their spring EP ‘The Left Side’, their vision only grows. Recent offering ‘Puppy’ opens with an immediately addictive hook, ‘Drive In Mind’ proves as cathartic as it was upon release, and ‘The Dance You Sell’ has the crowd roaring in unison. A finely tuned record output is usually where the band shine, but the raw approach mandated in this room brings out a different side to their craft; when a chisel doesn’t work, they can whack out a hammer instead.
Next, Fiona-Lee brings her acoustic for a solo performance that cements her status as a rising star. Hailing from Yorkshire, the singer-songwriter is making the Toon her second home by recording with the production team behind Sam Fender – debut single ‘Mother’ definitely echoes the textures of Sam’s early work while unveiling an amazing voice and razor-sharp writer in her own right. That first offering discusses her experience of power abuse in the industry, while ‘Lavender’ yearns for innocence and ‘Victim’ stares at those who get away with everything by playing the victim card. Very personal and descriptive storytelling casts an eerie silence over the working men’s bar, leaving a lasting impact with resonant themes and a desperation in her voice that is hard to ignore.
In the cavernous hall of The Exchange, Sipho. Gives a welcome break from the guitar-heavy agenda with a subtle but powerful set mainly consisting of a belting voice backed by just bass and keys. A first-timer to the Northern region, the Birmingham native’s suave show makes fans of an appreciative room with which he engages wholeheartedly. With Dirty Hit backing him, Sipho.’s passion is bound to take him far – and he’s already building up the catalogue to accomplish that ambition.
Colourful Aussies Teenage Dads take us back into the world of indie-rock, albeit with off-kilter sensibilities. Jordan Finlay’s Strokes-esque vocal delivery (see ‘Weaponz’) lays a smooth foundation for the outfit’s soundscapes, but everything else in their environment gleefully abandons self-seriousness. Fun riffs, catchy choruses, bright outfits – the disco lights of the social club match this set perfectly. Fuzzy synths, bongo effects and pink guitars heighten the lightness of their act, but they can summon instrumental weight when it feels right. Most importantly, an unrelenting arsenal of fast-paced tunes ignites the dancefloor for a turbo-charge half-hour of goofiness before the headliner spots begin.
Speaking of which, Sundara Karma are the most notable name on this year’s bill; their show is certainly well attended, but it doesn’t quite reignite the passionate flames of 2010s indie as you might expect – and you shouldn’t be so sure that it was aiming to, either. ‘She Said’ dives straight into the big tunes and recent third album track ‘Baby Blue’ shows a renewed interest in the same vein, but otherwise, some more extra-terrestrial songs bulk out the set list – ‘Kill Me’ and ‘Illusions’, for example. A dry, guitar-heavy sound permeates throughout, which is surprising considering the vast time they spent exploring more subtle, diverse pools of music. Their name still brings in numbers, but not necessarily the passion to excite or inspire them – although the back catalogue is tried and tested, it’s hard to tell who or what exactly this set was in service of.
Fortunately, the noise doesn’t stop there, and rowdy fun rolls over into the evening. Back at Tynemouth Social, the night-time trajectory is shaken up by Maxwell Varley’s propulsive pop-rock, instilled with sincere and surprising grit in a live setting. Downtown Kayoto’s genreless discography lends itself to the perfect conclusion, though. Known for his world-building abilities and ownership of aesthetic, a bare room tests his ability to turn things up when all of that is stripped back – and he over-delivers. ‘Run from you’ has the crowd vibing to a poppy chorus, rap verse and rock instrumental undertones all within one song, and that precedent defines the attitude of the evening’s final set – the festival ends on a high note just as the noise curfew kicks in.
A Stones Throw’s second iteration allows attendees to curate their own musical journey whilst supporting the creative industry at its very roots, a fusion that is more than welcome in a local scene often deprived of such opportunities. Here’s to many more years of this much-needed musical celebration on the North East coast.
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