With Sam Fender tickets having gone on presale this week and about to go on general sale tomorrow through Ticketmaster, it seems fitting to take a look at the North East music scene.
While Fender continues to blaze a trail for other songwriters of his generation, that path has previously been tread by a number of luminaries from the area, all of which offering their own indelible influence across the spectrum of music genres.
Metal heads will no doubt point to the mayhem of Venom and how Black Metal influenced many metal bands ahead of them, or how a certain lead singer of Roxy Music helped blend glamour with touches of art-rock.
We’ve selected 23 artists from the North East area that we felt helped shape a wide range of genres after their successes, along with which part of the North East can proudly say they’re sons or daughters of the area.
Were you a fan of any of these acts growing up and did they help shape your music tastes growing up?
1. The Animals (Newcastle)
The Animals were pioneers of British rhythm and blues, achieving worldwide fame in the 1960s with their deep, gritty sound. Their haunting rendition of House of the Rising Sun became a defining moment in rock history, influencing bands like The Rolling Stones, The Doors, and countless blues-rock acts. | Provided
2. Sting (Wallsend)
Sting and The Police revolutionized rock by fusing reggae, punk, and new wave, creating anthems like Roxanne, Every Breath You Take, and Message in a Bottle. Their sound became a cornerstone of the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, influencing generations of artists. | Frame
3. Brian Johnson (Dunston)
Brian Johnson, formerly of Geordie, cemented his place in rock history when he joined AC/DC in 1980, replacing the late Bon Scott. His first album with the band, Back in Black, became one of the best-selling albums ever, with Johnson’s gravelly, powerful vocals defining AC/DC’s signature hard rock sound. | Getty Images
4. Venom (Newcastle)
Venom practically invented black metal with their 1982 album Black Metal, giving the extreme metal subgenre its name and attitude. Their raw, chaotic sound and occult themes influenced thrash metal icons like Metallica and Slayer, as well as the Scandinavian black metal scene. | Getty Images