Generator Teams Up With Local Music Legends To Give Up And Coming Artists A Boost

Generator Live, the only festival to champion North East talent exclusively, today announced the line ups for a series of warm up gigs in Sunderland, Stockton and the Ouseburn taking place throughout August – as it gears up for an all day showcase at Boiler Shop in September, featuring legendary indie rockers Little Comets.  

Drawn from an overwhelming response to an open call to play the festival, the line ups for the gigs at Newcastle’s Tyne Bar, Sunderland’s Pop Recs and Stockton’s Georgian Theatre feature some of the region’s most hotly tipped new talent. 

The talent development agency, which has been helping artists like Sam Fender and Nadine Shah over its 30 year history break into the music business opened applications last year following the inaugural Generator Live which played to a packed house of music fans lin June 2022. The response was overwhelming with hundreds of artists and musicians applying for one of the slots.  

The gigs all take place in the month prior to the main festival day, kicking off at the Tyne Bar on 12th August, before Pop Recs in Sunderland plays host on the 18th August. The frimge is rounded off in Stockton at the Georgian Theatre on 26th August before the main festival all-dayer kicks off on 16th September.  

Enlisting the help of the region’s successful music talents to curate the three stages has provided an opportunity for these music legends to give back to the burgeoning music industry in the area.  

Members of Newcastle based rock band Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs, Sunderland quartet The Futureheads and Teesside indie legend Paul Smith from Maximo Park have been working diligently to whittle down the applicants into an eclectic line up for each stage, with acts ranging from ranging from electronic showstoppers to experimental rock, catchy indie-pop to harmonic hip hop. 

The full line ups can be viewed at www.generatorlive.org.uk.  

Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs said 

“The North East music scene is such a good community to be a part of. We’re constantly getting excited about new and old artists alike, and the music that’s coming out of the region has a real sense of originality and identity. On top of that there’s a genuine feeling of support and appreciation between artists which, I think, helps push the confidence and creativity forward. We’re definitely lucky to have grown up as a band here.” 

The Futureheads added 

“The NE music scene is the most eclectic it’s ever been, and we’re pleased to be involved in bringing some great bands to Pop Recs as part of the Generator Live Fringe. We’re in a region with a strong culture of artists doing their own thing – not getting caught up in the industry rat-race. It means that the bands usually sound unique and have some proper personality,” 

And Paul Smith from Maximo Park said 

“As a Newcastle-based Teessider, I’m interested in the whole North-East music scene, and it’s great to see Generator helping to bring new musicians to a wider audience. I’m happy to be involved in that endeavour by curating a line-up at the Georgian Theatre, a venue I know and love.” 

For more than 30 years Generator has been at the forefront of growing and nurturing music talent across the region and ensuring that the industry is sustainable for the future.  

The festival has grown out of two previous events – Evolution Emerging and Tipping Point – with the former giving a then relatively unknown Sam Fender one of his first live performance opportunities back in 2014.  

Generator Live has been created not just to show the vast amount of musical ability that exists in the region, but to also ensure that it represents diversity and gender balance through its commitment to the Keychange pledge.  

Along with the main event, the festival will also see a conference attended by hundreds of key players in the music industry the day before, giving the region’s musicians unprecedented access to movers and shakers through a series of workshops, masterclasses and seminars.  

The festival’s lead producer and Generator’s Head of Creative Development, Helen Walkinshaw said; 

“We are really excited to share this year’s line-up of incredible North East artists, who represent such a wide range of genres and influences, from across the region.,” Helen said. 

“Generator Live Festival is our annual opportunity to shout about some of the North East talent we’re working with through our multiple ongoing talent development programmes, we also discover new talent through artist submissions and curated stages and platform artists who we feel are at a tipping point in their career trajectory.” 

Full price general admission is £15 plus fees and tickets include access to the mainstage at Boiler Shop, all three fringe gigs and the WHQ electronic stage afterparty. Tickets for individual fringe gigs can also be purchased on a ‘pay what you can’ basis.

Tickets are available from official ticketing partners See Tickets and Eventim at www.generatorlive.org.uk.   

Tickets are also available for free for registered NHS users of Tickets For Good and via charities who are part of the Tickets For Good platform.