Music & Gigs - What's On

Sunday Sun Stereo

LEONA LEWIS — SPIRIT: So what does the debut album from last year’s X Factor winner Leona Lewis have to offer? As you might expect from her performances on the show . . . epic ballads galore.Read

ATHLETE — BEYOND THE NEIGHBOURHOOD (Parlophone): Athlete picked up an Ivor Novello award for best contemporary song in 2006, for the haunting Wires, inspired by the near-death of frontman Joel Potts’ prematurely-born baby.Read

Sunday Sun Stereo

ALI CAMPBELL — RUNNING FREE (Crumbs): Although this is technically a solo album from the UB40 front-man, only six of the 14 songs collected here feature Ali singing on his own.Read

Sunday Sun Stereo

JEANS GOES POP! — IN GLORIOUS TECHNICOLOUR (LARR): Jeans Goes POP! is perhaps better known to his parents as Paul Jeans, a Northumberland-born singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who plays, well, pretty much every instrument on this album.Read

Stereophonics are back to their best

“THIS is the best album we’ve ever made,” coos Kelly Jones, describing Stereophonics’ forthcoming sixth LP.Read

Sunday Sun Stereo

O’Death — Head Home (City Slang): Imagine Neil Young and Nick Cave whacked out of their respective gourds on moonshine whiskey.Read

When all the young dudes grow older

IF you’re planning on going to see former Mott the Hoople frontman Ian Hunter playing the Newcastle Academy next month, I’ve got a top tip for you . . . get there early and check out the support act.Read

Sohodolls are Lords of glam rock

HANDS up if you remember a band called The Lords of the New Church . . . anyone?Read

Sunday Sun Stereo

Status Quo — In search of the fourth chord (Fourth Chord): Looking at the knowing title and the Raiders of the Lost Ark-style sleeve art, it’s clear that Status Quo have entered the 21st century with their wry sense of humour very much intact.Read

Proclaiming their Soul credentials

THE recent resurgence of interest in the Proclaimers just goes to show that you can’t keep a good band down.Read

Erasure back at pop best

Entertainment Editor GORDON BARR catches up with Erasure singer Andy Bell for an EXCLUSIVE interviewRead

Steady flow of folk talent

GIVEN the record-breaking amount of rain we have seen this year, it is entirely appropriate that a band whose name translates as “water” should wash up on the banks of the Tyne.Read

Tonight

Gateshead: Flamenco Fusion, Sage Hall 1, 7.30pmRead

Long live the Lizzy

IT MAY be 21 years since Thin Lizzy frontman Phil Lynott died, but the music lives on in the shape of one of the best tribute bands going.Read

Chart hit comes out of the Blue for Feeny

BEING in a turbulent relationship is never much fun but, if you happen to be a singer/songwriter, then at least your troubles could have an upside . . . you often get some great material out of it.Read