By Suzanne Coulson
If you’ve ever been to Coast Fest, you’ll know the man behind the madness — John Milton Peacock, better known as Peasy.
You won’t need to search hard to find him; just look for the six-foot-nowt bloke in a bucket hat, racking up more steps than a Great North Runner as he darts between venues, solving problems, checking line-ups, and making sure the whole thing runs like a dream.
When he’s not orchestrating organised chaos across North Shields, you’ll find him trailblazing across social media — turning promotion into performance art with coast fest updates, wisecrack, and the occasional parody of well-known bedtime story shows (of which he has just enough experience to stay out of legal bother… mostly).
With Coast Fest 25 bringing a killer mix of local legends, national artists, and dancefloor fillers to North Shields over three mighty days, I caught up with the man behind the hat to talk about what it takes to keep a grassroots festival growing year on year.
From the Pub to the People
Like many great ideas, Coast Fest was born over a pint.
“Coast Fest came from, just like all the best ideas, down the pub,” John laughs. “We were chatting and thought – wouldn’t it be great to have our own music festival in North Shields? There are hundreds of bands and fantastic singers from the area.” Originally imagined as a modest outdoor gathering for 100–200 people, the project was initially interrupted by the pandemic. But rather than pack it in, the team kept the idea alive, determined to make something happen once restrictions lifted.
“We had some grant funding in place just before Covid hit,” he explains. “Obviously, Covid put the blockers on. But as soon as we were allowed back out, we decided we were going to build a music festival, and the next thing you know, we had national touring headliners and the event we see today!”
Three years later, what started as a wild idea in the boozer has grown into one of the most eclectic and anticipated weekends on the local music calendar.
Rapid Growth, Real Community
“It’s gone from 0 to 100 really quickly,” John admits, recognising how support from local bands and the wider community has snowballed year on year. What began as a small-scale event with just a couple of stages has grown into a multi-venue festival spread across North Shields, now proudly boasting five stages. But it’s not just the scale that’s evolved – it’s the spirit.
For anyone who’s been part of Coast Fest – whether as one of its many dedicated volunteers or a punter soaking up the atmosphere out front – it’s clear that the festival has blossomed into a vibrant, inclusive celebration of creativity, culture, and community. It doesn’t just add to North Shields’ cultural identity – it’s leading the charge in putting the town firmly on the music map.
Alongside the stellar live music line-up, festivalgoers young and old can now enjoy interactive activities, family-friendly entertainment, and a diverse array of food vendors. With every passing year, Coast Fest continues to grow – not just in size, but in soul.
Local Legends, Big Names & Hidden Gems
With more than 160 artists performing across the weekend, John admits, “It’s so difficult to choose,” when asked who he’s most looking forward to seeing.
“They’re all handpicked by our team or have been recommended by other promoters or festival-goers, so it’s really difficult. But as far as headliners go, I think we’ve got a really strong line-up. On the Friday, we’ve got Laidback Luke and grime artist Window Kid joining us on the Friday night, which covers the dance side of it,” recognising that Friday night is ‘party night.’ Looking ahead to the rest of the weekend, John continues: “Glasvegas and Liam Fender are headlining on the Saturday, and I love both of those artists. James Allan from Glasvegas is probably one of the best songwriters in the UK, so I’m really, really excited for that.”
“And then on the Sunday, we’ve got The Lindisfarne Story Band, which is amazing because Ray from Lindisfarne and the rest of the guys support us quite a lot through Sunday for Sammy, as they’re one of our main sponsors. So it’s nice to have them come and actually headline the festival and see it from a different kind of standpoint – and obviously, they’re local legends, so it’s going to be a good sing-along on the Sunday.”
When it comes to local talent, John finds it even harder to pin down a favourite: “It’s really difficult to choose which one, but there are a few standouts. Craig Redpath’s new material is absolutely fantastic, and I can’t wait for him to release it – I’ve heard his early demos and they sound really good, so I’m looking forward to seeing him live.”
“There’s a band who have played all three Coast Fests called Bear Park – they’re always fantastic, we always have them back. They’re signed to Gary Powell from The Libertines’ label and they’re making really good headway in the area at the moment – and nationally.”
Acknowledging the challenge, he laughs: “There’s absolutely stacks. It’s really difficult. There’s so much talent and such an eclectic line-up – there’s loads going on. But I think the best thing to do is come down to Coast Fest for yourself, and hopefully you’ll find your new favourite band and uncover some gems from the local area.”
Cease, Desist and Carry On
Ask any festival organiser for a weird or wild moment, and you’ll usually get a good story. Ask John or anyone else within the band of brothers supporting Coast Fest, and you’ll get a great one.
“The weirdest, most unexpected problem was when Coachella sent us a cease and desist letter one day before the festival, telling us to change our name,” John recalls. “We were called ‘Coastella’ – kind of a tongue-in-cheek parody of Coachella over in America, because we’re only a small festival, you know, and we thought it’d be a bit of a laugh to call it that. It was actually one of the community who came up with the name, so I can’t really take any credit for it.”
With the festival set up, ready to open its gates, the timing couldn’t have been worse.
“With one day to go before the festival started… we received a cease and desist letter telling us that if we didn’t shut the festival down, they would shut it down for us.”
What followed was a long, tense night.
“I had a contact through a friend of ours – a music lawyer over in Hong Kong – who worked through the night with me because I stayed awake all night that night. I was advised not to send this email, but I wrote it and sent it across anyway, and they allowed us to keep our name for ten days.”
The result? A scramble to rename the festival – fast.
“We had to change the name to Coast Fest, and if I’m honest with you, it was a name we had to make up on the spot, there and then. I wish I’d been more creative with it, but yeah – here we are with Coast Fest. People don’t come for the name – they come for the music and the atmosphere and all the great things that go on onsite.”
Looking back, John acknowledges it as one of the more hair-raising moments in the festival’s journey.
“That was definitely one of the more hairy moments of the festival organisation process, especially for our close team who had to keep it quiet for 24 hours – which was quite difficult.”
But despite the drama, the festival didn’t falter – it thrived. If anything, the unexpected spotlight only fuelled the buzz, with curious crowds turning up just to find out who this underdog festival was that had managed to rattle the pants off a global giant like Coachella. Coast Fest had arrived – and made damn sure everyone knew it.
So, You Want to Play Coast Fest?
Coast Fest is proudly built on showcasing talent from the ground up, and whilst their line-up might be in the bag for this year, they’re always looking for new acts to feature.
“If you’re an artist and you want to get on the bill, just send us your stuff,” John says. “We keep the submissions inbox open all year: [email protected]. Send your bio, links, press kit — whatever you’ve got. We listen to everything. It’s probably my favourite part of the job — discovering someone totally new who ends up absolutely smashing it.”
First Timer? Here’s What You Need to Know
If you’ve never been before, Peasy says it’s the perfect year to start.
“Bring the family. Try a bit of everything. Even if you think something’s not your style, give it a go — you might just love it.’ and with its laid-back atmosphere, loads to explore, there is really is something for everyone – with interactive activities, food vendors and a stellar line up, you won’t be lost for things to do or see.
Coast Fest wouldn’t be Coast Fest without…
When asked what Coast Fest wouldn’t be Coast Fest without, John doesn’t miss a beat. “The community. The North Shields community has been absolutely fantastic, and those are the people that have made the festival what it is today. Our festival organisation team is made up solely of volunteers, including myself, and we all rally together for the good of the community. And then we have our amazing supporters who come along every single year and support the bands and have a great weekend, so yeah definitely, Coast Fest wouldn’t be Coast Fest without the North Shields community.”
And he’s not wrong. You have to have been living under a rock to not know how vibrant and active the North Shields community is right now – especially when it comes to music – the grafters behind the scenes, the fans dancing in the crowd, the artists bringing the noise – that make Coast Fest what it is.
Watch This Space…
While some things are still under wraps, John teases a new collaboration with the ever-popular I Love North Shields. “We always look into working alongside local organisations like I Love North Shields. I think it’s brilliant what they’ve achieved over the past year, and yeah, we’ve done a little bit of filming with some people at I Love North Shields and we’re really excited to see what the final outcome is.”
So, whether you’re looking to dance your socks off, sip on something strong, or just bask in the good vibes, don’t miss out. Grab your tickets before they fly out, bring your mates, bring your family – and make sure you’re ready for an epic weekend of Coast Fest magic and that unbeatable North Shields energy.
🎟️ Tickets: Available at WeGotTickets / Coast Fest 25
📸 Instagram: @coast.festival
📘 Facebook: @Coast Fest – North Shields Music Festival
🎤 Band Submissions: [email protected]
