VISIONS FOR THE SCENE
BY BOO, MOUNTAIN CLOUD BOYS, NIAMH INGRAM, NIC COAKER, JORDAN TAYLOR AND INTRA
The North East has seen more cuts to arts funding than anyone. With a poverty level of 26% - the highest in the country - emerging artists have less access to grants, equipment and opportunities. Venues and cultural institutions operate in a state of constant precarity.
As ever, the onus is on the underground to nurture and rebuild. We asked its visionaries for their blueprints:
Ghetec, born out of a desire for more sustainable parties, headlined Boiler Room in December 2022. Image: @shinacollinsphotography | Instagram
BOO - DJ, Founder of Ghetec
‘Emerging artists must be remunerated fairly for their efforts. I envision a scene where they’re valued and receive the same level of care and respect as a headliner. We are all human and there should be no hierarchy to kindness or respect.
When you start, the hours of practice and collecting music builds up an appetite to perform. Most DJs do unpaid work to begin with; unfortunately this hunger to play in front of a crowd is exploited.
Undervaluing local talent has a negative ripple effect throughout the community. It can affect someone’s confidence and sense of self worth, which is particularly crippling at the start of an artist’s career. Promoters often follow the example the people before them set so it’s so important to respect our local creatives as much as we can. Transparency is an important component of this. It’s a case by case thing but for DJs to end up out of pocket (paying for their own drinks, taxis home and music) after a sold out show simply isn’t right.’
HideOut, the clothing arm of Cloud Rap collective MCB, released its first drop in 2021. Image: @marcohns | Instagram
MOUNTAIN CLOUD BOYS - Rap and Fashion Collective
'We need to have more artists who represent Newcastle in different cities like Manchester & London making waves. By doing that, we show the UK that Newcastle has a great quantity of talent and send that signal to local kids that they can be both creative and successful. HideOut embodies Newcastle’s fashion scene and we want more of our photographers and painters in the industry working in partnership with brands and high-profile artists. They should be able to express their talents on a global scale.’
During her time as a student Niamh has written for Mixmag, DJ Mag, Pioneer DJ and Defected Records' Faith. Image: @niamhingram | Instagram
NIAMH INGRAM - DJ, Weekend Editor at Mixmag
‘I'd like the North East's creative and underground scene to be more widely recognised and appreciated by the big names within the music industry. We have such ripe, diverse and expressive talent up here and sometimes I feel that because we aren't so close to the capital there is a lack of focus on our part of the world. I often wonder whether this is because much of the music media is indeed focused down South, and because of that there is an absence of folk with knowledge about areas such as ours. I believe that the industry needs to work on representing areas such as the North East both in terms of its content, but also its workforce. There should be a conscious effort to get folk involved who come from lesser represented backgrounds.’
Founded in 2021, Nrthrn Baby has partnered with Kickgame and LinkUpTV. Image: @nrthrnbaby | Instagram
NICOLA COAKER - Founder of NRTHRN BABY RECORDS
‘I would love for Newcastle to be considered a creative hub, not just by us as people who reside in the North East, but from those who are looking from the outside in. I think that this will come from a number of different factors such as; collaborations within the scene, collaboration with other major cities and cultural organisations, funding into the city which no doubt will come as a result of the football club’s growth and grants which I think are already starting to happen more regularly as the government identifies the north east as somewhere which requires an increased cash flow, which is amazing to see.
I also see the need for outsiders to view Newcastle as a cultural hub not just for indie music, but for other genres such as rap, R&B, Afrobeats and amapiano. It’ll take time, but the progress that I’ve seen in the past few years shows that it’s possible and we just need to keep pushing. Oh and let’s pay credit where credit’s due! Behind the artists themselves, we’re home to so many phenomenal industry standard producers, songwriters, engineers, photographers, managers… I could go on forever. If we all remember to tag each other, shout out people’s work, and recommend for appropriate jobs it’ll all come together in good time.’
Known for its pop-ups and free parties, Avant Sector’s anti-commercial ethos is a revitalising force. Image: @3flavourscornetto | Instagram
INTRA - DJ, 3D artist, Co-founder of Avant Sector
‘I honestly think what's special about this city is how differently it’s structured from the rest of the UK. If anything other cities should be taking notes, as in recent years the UK has settled into one homogenised clubbing experience and Newcastle is a direct protest to that.
The music scene up here feels like this organic collective project that anyone can have access to. Anyone passionate enough can directly influence and benefit their little section of this bizarre and wonderful ecosystem.
Newcastle is a petri-dish of every walk of music you could search for all within a 100km radius.
I am part of a label called Avant Sector and like other organisers we wanted a platform to present the music that we love, and exactly that we did. We started with free parties in abandoned moat surrounded castles and we have kept this raw and uncompromising attitude in everything we do.
As my time in Newcastle comes to a close, I'm certain the scene is left in the right hands and will continue to surprise those who venture up North in search of what it has to offer.’
Since 2020, Tough Luck has grown from a lockdown project into a global photography collective. Image: @jweston | Instagram
JORDAN TAYLOR - Founder of Tough Luck UK
‘I’d personally like the North East’s creative scene to keep growing and growing in the next few years with more crossovers between arts, for example music events collaborating with visual artists.’
