THE GATHERING SOUNDS FESTIVAL // STOCKTON-ON-TEES
KEO Crown a Day of Discovery at Stockton’s ‘THE Gathering Sounds’
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KEO PERFORMING AT THE GATHERING SOUNDS IN STOCKTON-ON-TEES
PHOTO CREDIT: JOHN HAYHURST
The Gathering Sounds rolled into Stockton-on-Tees on Saturday 27th September and once again turned the town centre into a sprint course for anyone with a wristband, decent shoes and a taste for discovery. Seven venues, over 50 artists and almost 10 hours of music – I made it my mission to catch as many as possible and managed over half. It was chaotic, exhilarating, and at times exhausting, but the sheer variety of what I heard made the day one of the most rewarding in this festival’s short history.
Impossible to list everything I witnessed, but lets pick out some highlights.
The first act I caught was Dictator, opening The Link at 2pm and setting the tone for the day. Their mix of rap and soul had a smooth swagger, and the addition of a live trumpet gave their sound a warmth that instantly lifted the room. It was a fleeting visit for them – they had another gig to play later that night closer to their Edinburgh home – but they made sure Stockton got a full dose of their groove before heading north. It felt like the perfect way to ease into what would become a frantic day.
By 3pm I was squeezed into KU Bar for Swindled, who immediately changed the pace. All suited and booted, they looked like they’d stepped straight out of a post-punk revivalist handbook. Their set was packed with sharp, angular riffs and driving hooks that landed somewhere between The Editors and Franz Ferdinand. It was tight, stylish, and very deliberate – the kind of performance that proves presentation and precision can matter just as much as raw energy at a festival like this.
I also caught Loren Heat, who has been turning heads across the north-east since the release of her debut EP Scarlet Haze last year. Her set was bold and uncompromising, balancing glossy pop hooks with a darker emotional edge. Heat felt tailor-made for bigger stages. Confident, stylish and impossible to ignore and there really should have been more in ARC to see it.
Jam Tub are a band I’ve seen before, they were playing ARC2 so I caught a couple, they are a 3-piece and start with Michael Stott on guitar and lead vocals but later bass player Freddie Dobby takes over for the faster punk/indie numbers like ABIOTIC. I like it and also love that frequently pogo-ing Dobby has his guitar pedals attached to a skateboard.
Back in ARC1, localish (South Shields) favourite Cortney Dixon had less crowd than I expected at the start. She’s one of those rare artists who can switch from raw vulnerability to arena-level energy within a couple of songs. “You Look Good Naked” and “Life Goes On” showed off her knack for sharp guitar pop, while unreleased track “Cry About It” stopped any chatter dead. By the time she closed with “If You Love Somebody, Don’t F*** It Up” there were plenty watching. Stockton knows she’s good – the rest of the country just needs to catch up.
There is a plethora of young lads ‘jingly jangly indie’ bands at any of these day festivals and I usually avoid them like the plague, however I found myself at The Social Room to catch Montello from Wigan who brought a more confident burst of indie-rock swagger. Their sound was tight and melodic, with driving guitar lines and choruses built for singalongs. There was a clear nod to the classic British indie guitar tradition, but with enough freshness in the songwriting to keep things current.
A short dash (next door) and I was in KU Bar, where RISCO brought a totally different vibe. Coolest looking bass player of the day award goes to Maya Hammersley with her red and white combo, 1970 moniker top and matching shades. Giving major mod and glam rock vibes combined, this local 3-piece (Billingham) are clearly part of the strong future of music in the North East. They even threw in a T-Rex cover, Bolan for the win!!
Back at ARC, The Guest List were giving the day a smoother, melodic turn. Their songs breathe in a way a lot of new acts don’t let them – unhurried, confident, like they trust you’ll stick around. There was polish here, the kind that usually takes years of gigs to develop. It doesn’t help though that your lead singer looks the spit of a young Alex Turner. I stayed longer than planned, which is always a good sign.
Manchester duo Vincent’s Last Summer filled out with 2 more band members, played ARC2 and were probably the surprise of the day for me. New band, great post punk/electro sound with plenty of action on stage. ‘Doing It For The Country’ is now played on repeat in my house. Not sure why it said ‘Happy New Year 2008’ as a backdrop or why there was a telephone on stage but it all added to the fun.
A quick dash over to KU brought me to The North, now playing as a four-piece and noticeably benefitting from the expanded line-up. The fuller sound added real weight to their performance, giving the songs more drive and texture than in earlier outings. Hailing from Leeds, they’ve been steadily building momentum, and the set drew heavily from their Blood Orange EP, which landed back in May. Tracks like the title song and “Soundtrack Your Soul” rang out with a sharp, confident edge, perfectly suited to KU’s close walls and lively atmosphere.
Back to ARC for Better Joy shifting gears again. Manchester based Bria Keely plays the kind of guitar pop that deserves to be on much bigger stages, and yet 5 mins before she is due to start there are barely 20 people in the room, not sure where everyone is, but they should have been there, thankfully by the time she gets to mid set there are many more present.
By 7:45 pm ARC 2 was buzzing for Precious Pepala, and she more than delivered. Known for weaving gospel roots into modern pop, here she leaned harder into something darker and heavier – this wasn’t soul, it felt closer to rock. Her voice was immense, the kind that filled every corner of the room and made you wonder how big a stage she could dominate. Dressed in a black T-shirt metal studded in the shape of a cross, fierce sharp fingernails and towering boots, she cut a striking figure before even singing a note. The set drew from her Church Sessions EP in full, with each track carrying a mix of vulnerability and power, and then we get a live debut of “Dream Cheater” a sprawling, emotional performance that suggested she’s already pushing into new territory. At her peak she sounded like she could give Amy Lee of Evanescence a serious run for her money, and the crowd responded in kind, holding on to every note.
I squeezed back into ARC proper for Somebody’s Child, and you could tell instantly that this was a band used to larger rooms. The songwriting felt seasoned – tracks like “We Could Start a War” and “Hold Me Like You Wanna” were delivered with the ease of a group already headlining clubs across Ireland and beyond. Even in a snippet of their set, it was obvious they’ve crossed the threshold from “emerging” to “established.”
Back to KU Bar and the volume spiked again with Dirty Blonde. A few technical hitches at the start and we thought Ailis Mackay was having it out with the soundman at the back – turns out that’s how she starts the show! - in the middle of the crowd singing in the faces of everyone before she gets on stage. ‘Come Over’ is such a tune and ‘Polly’ and ‘Rush’ not far behind. This band at such close quarters are phenomenally loud.
The folk-punk of Brogeal in ARC 2 was one of the more distinctive shifts of the day. Accordion, banjo, traditional flourishes, all slammed into songs with punk urgency. It was chaotic and anthemic in equal measure. A new tune like ‘Draw the Line’ had the room yelling “Na Na Na Na” by the second chorus. Folk can often feel too polite in this context – Brogeal turned it into a drunken street party.
As the evening wound down, the festival funnelled everyone either towards KU for The Covasettes or the Georgian Theatre for KEO. No contest for me!!
At the Georgian Theatre the air was thick, the temperature rising with every body packed into the old building, and the sense was clear: this was the moment the whole day had been building towards. When KEO stepped out, the place erupted.
They opened with Hands, the song that has quickly become their trademark. Finn Keogh, in a white Led Zeppelin T-shirt and shades, locked into the guitar riff as the room instantly surged forward. Beside him, his brother Conor – sporting a Pearl Jam shirt like a badge of honour – thumped the bass line that gave the track its muscular undercurrent. Within minutes the crowd were bellowing the first “KEO… KEO… KEO…” chant of the night, a roar that would return after every song and turn the gig into something resembling a rally.
The set was relentless in its dynamics. Young and Thorn followed, both songs drenched in the grunge-meets-shoegaze textures that make them feel equal parts raw and expansive. Jimmy Lanwern’s guitars cut through the heat, Oli Spackman’s drums snapped with precision, and Finn’s vocal carried both bite and fragility. Midway through, I Lied, Amber slowed the pace just enough to expose the depth in his delivery, the shades still on but the mood turning intimate, almost confessional. Then Kudos snapped the spell and dragged the room back into overdrive, riffs ricocheting around the walls as sweat dripped from the ceiling.
By the final stretch, Finn finally removed his sunglasses, as if signalling that the band were ready to strip things right back before building again. The crowd only grew louder, chanting their name between songs, feeding off every note. It was electric, hot & sweaty, but utterly euphoric.
There’s already talk of KEO being next in line for the best new UK rock band crown (currently worn by Wunderhorse), and on this evidence it’s hard to argue. They have the songs, they have the presence, and they have that intangible force that makes a packed room feel like it’s witnessing something more than just another band on the circuit. Stockton gave them its voice in unison, and KEO gave it back in sweat, feedback, and pure conviction.
By the time I spilled back onto Stockton High Street, ears ringing and legs wrecked, I realised I’d clocked up 29 artists in nine hours. It’s a ridiculous pace, but that’s the joy of The Gathering Sounds – everything is so close you can treat it like a musical obstacle course. You never feel stuck; you’re always one corner away from a different genre, a new discovery, or a set you’ll be telling stories about.
Festivals like this remind you that the future of British music isn’t in stadiums or TV competitions; it’s in small rooms, sweaty bars, and converted theatres where acts cut their teeth in front of people who actually listen.
And if you’ve got the stamina to sprint between them, you’ll come away like I did: exhausted, exhilarated, and already checking your calendar for next year.
ALL WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN HAYHURST
