Sound of Music

North Tees . Stockton . Hartlepool . Darlington . Say these names, and wait for the reaction. Most people think its some kind of post-industrial backwater with nothing going for it than a parmo  on a Friday night. The further down you go, the more visible people’s reactions get, horror mixed with curiosity that people still live there. Cracking sea air. Born in Stockton on Tees, fetched up in Hartlepool , I’ll be first in the line to say it can be a nightmare. A few steps in the wrong direction on West View, and you’re in a race to get out before your wheels are sold for scrap. The headlines write themselves - at least one of the towns will be held up every year for having the worst teenage pregnancy, the highest amount of drug use, the worst life expectancy, the worst/best binge drinkers, the lowest employment rate, the highest amount of council tax dodgers and state funders, the highest illiteracy rates or even the town that voted the monkey mascot as mayor. Beneath...

The billing of this gig is by far the hottest of 2012. For a starter, it took place in a great venue, Middlesbrough's hidden gem known as MIMA where you can enjoy not only sounds but sights of cutting edge artwork, a roof terrace the size of a small town and a giant bottle of steel on arrival. Then, there was the inspirational artwork with a beautiful backdrop masterpiece created by the North East's very own pop-artist, Stella Vine - talented painter of lost souls,who twists the fabric of modern society to paint startling images, tearing up the celebrity fuelled world which we exist in. Finally, and crucially for a gig, there was the act themselves, the Chapman Family. One of the most exciting bands that is out there today, the Chapman Family are a frighteningly talented band that play with such ferocity and belief you can't help but think they are the nations best kept secret. Set of the year. One thing is very clear from the outset, all of the above have been bo...