Sunday Showcase at Three Tanners Bank – supporting emerging artists and inspiring audiences

Photo credit: Wayne Bordoli Photography

In her review of the August Sunday Showcase at Three Tanners Bank, young musician Charlotte Bracken explains why such events are so important, for artists and audiences alike.

Review by Charlotte Bracken

Date: Sunday 16th of August 2026

Venue: Three Tanners Bank, North Shields

Event: Sunday Showcase

Presented by: X MusicBoomManagement

Host: Neave Farry

Acts: Rosie Larada, Ben Harwood, Hannah Robinson

Special Guest Speaker: L. Devine

Sound: Lyndon Philliskirk

THE EVENT

There was a real sense of community at Three Tanners Bank on Sunday afternoon as music fans, friends, fellow musicians, supporters of the North East’s emerging talent, and simply people who happened to be in the right place at the right time gathered for the latest Sunday Showcase. The Sunday Showcase is designed to put emerging artists in front of an audience whilst also creating space for conversation, advice and insight into the music industry through interviews between acts, hosted by Neave Farry. After spending the evening there, it was clear that it does exactly that.

A PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE

From the moment the first act began, there was a feeling of support from the audience. Everyone seemed to know how to behave and, most importantly, how to be respectful, which is becoming increasingly rare in an age where phones often cover the faces of half the audience and someone always seems to forget how loudly a crisp packet crinkles! People genuinely cared about hearing these artists perform and, for me, that was one of the things that stood out most. This is what makes smaller, more intimate, community-focused gigs so great. You can actually see and hear the performers. There are no masses of phones blocking your view, no one trying to outshine the artists, just a genuine love for the music and respect for the people performing it. Three Tanners Bank was also a great spot for the event. The showcase was completely free, with no entry fee or tickets required, meaning anyone could come along and enjoy the music. That accessibility is not only great for the audience, but also for the artists. People who may never have heard their names before, and therefore may not have considered buying a ticket to see them, were given the chance to listen to their music for free. Hopefully, this means some of those people will go on to attend future gigs, buy tickets and continue supporting these artists as they grow, increasing their engagement. It gives emerging musicians a chance to reach new audiences, grow their following and build connections within their local community.

Rosie Larada

The first act, Rosie Larada, delivered a really stripped-back and intimate set, having a proper live-lounge feel to it. The songs were very vocal-led, with the accompaniment sitting underneath rather than competing with the vocals. The use of reverb worked particularly well. Stripped-back performances can sometimes fall into slightly empty-sounding territory, but that wasn’t the case here. Rosie’s strong vocals were more than capable of filling the space. The set was made up entirely of original songs written by Rosie and her writing partner and accompanist, Guy Robertson, giving the performance a personal feel. Guy is a great guitarist, the pieces were incredibly tight, and you could tell that the communication between the two was strong. They clearly knew the songs just as well as each other. An interview hosted by Neave also gave some useful context around the music. Rosie spoke about the transition of moving from being part of a band into working on her solo project, Rosie Larada, as well as returning to the North East after living away. She talked about the stronger sense of community she has found since coming back to the North East, which felt particularly relevant to the whole idea behind the showcase.

Ben Harwood

The second act changed things up, with a six-piece band bringing a much bigger sound to the room. The band also featured both a synth player and a violinist at different points, which added something really interesting to their sound and something you don’t see as often. There was a strong vocal range at the centre of the set, with lead male vocals and female harmonies adding a really nice extra layer to the songs. Once again, the set focused primarily on original material, with Ben also sharing little snippets about the stories behind some of the songs throughout. They also played a cover of Fontaines D.C.’s “Favourite”. As a Fontaines D.C. fan myself, I really enjoyed this, and I wasn’t the only one, it was definitely a crowd-pleaser. I think the odd cover can work really well in showcases like this. People might not know all of an artist’s original songs yet, so having something familiar gives the audience something they can potentially connect with and sing along to, which can lift the energy of the set further. However, it definitely isn’t necessary, just a nice touch. The band switched between instruments throughout the set, swapping what they were playing between each other for different songs. However, it never felt messy or like they were losing cohesion, which can easily happen with a six-piece band on a smaller stage, and they remained really tight throughout.

Hannah Robertson

During her interview with Neave ahead of her performance, Hannah spoke about a song inspired by a previous gig at the same venue. At the time, she had felt that the gig hadn’t gone well and had even questioned herself, asking, “Why am I even doing this?” However, after some time away from performing, she was able to look back on the experience differently. She realised that it had actually helped her grow into a much more confident performer and had inspired her to write a song about what happened, which she then went on to perform in the very venue that inspired it, Three Tanners Bank. As someone who has played gigs and felt underwhelmed and almost disappointed afterwards, I think it’s something that a lot of musicians can relate to. You don’t have to be perfect every time, and sometimes the gigs that feel like failures at the time end up being the ones you learn the most from. It was a really important message for Hannah to share, especially in a room where emerging musicians who are likely to experience similar moments themselves are present.

Hannah and her band brought a completely different energy and sound to the showcase, the lights going down to build the mood for a mesmerising closing set, displaying amazing stage presence and just the right amount of confidence. Their sound blended shoegaze, grunge and heavier alternative influences, creating something atmospheric while still being incredibly energetic. Their use of guitar pedals was super effective, and the band were exceptionally tight throughout – you could tell they loved to perform and that they were good at it! How the band handled Hannah’s guitar changes stood out. Rather than having awkward pauses while Hannah, who was leading the performance, changed guitars, the changes were worked into the songs themselves. The rest of the band simply carried on, meaning the momentum never dropped. Once again, as with the other artists, the set was made up of Hannah’s original music with the exception of a cover of ‘I Wanna Be Adored’ by The Stone Roses. Like when Ben played ‘Favourite’, the crowd all sang along, with pretty much everyone getting involved. The reaction to Hannah’s set overall from the audience actually led to an unplanned encore, where the band played a Wolf Alice cover – a great choice! A lot of the audience already knew the song, but some people didn’t, and judging by the reaction, I wouldn’t be surprised if some of them went away and discovered more Wolf Alice afterwards.

L. Devine

Alongside the performances, the showcase also welcomed L. Devine as a special guest speaker, offering up-and-coming artists an insight into the realities of the music industry, live performance and touring. L. Devine spoke about her experience of being signed to a record label at such a young age and the challenges that came with navigating an industry she was still learning to understand. She reflected on how naive she felt at the time, having to figure out the industry while she was already in it and relying heavily on the people around her to guide her. Now working independently, Devine has found a greater sense of freedom and control. She spoke about how being independent has allowed her to make music on her own terms and reinforced how important it is for artists to write about what they genuinely want to write about and stay true to their own creative identity. As a queer artist, self-expression was another important part of Devine’s discussion. She spoke about the importance of being able to express different parts of her identity through her music and experiences, with travelling as a musician giving her opportunities to explore this further. She highlighted places such as London, where there is a huge and visible queer scene, while also talking about her love of coming back home to where it all began and that familiar sense of community. As she put it, “You just can’t beat it, can you?” Having Devine involved really helped bring the showcase together. It gave the emerging artists the opportunity to hear directly from someone further along in their own industry journey, while also leaving plenty of space for questions and discussion. Rather than simply offering advice from a distance, Devine gave the artists an honest look at her own experiences and encouraged them to find their own voices and remain connected to what they actually want to say as artists.

IMPACT

As a singer myself and having studied music at both college and university, hoping to build a career within the music business industry, events like the Sunday Showcase feel particularly important to me. The music industry can often seem incredibly competitive and, at times, quite daunting, especially for emerging artists trying to find their place within it. There can be so much pressure to stand out, build an audience and understand how the industry works that taking those first steps can feel overwhelming. That is why opportunities like this showcase are so valuable. A place where, in particular, original material can be shared, promoted and even trialled to an audience without huge pressure. Seeing emerging artists perform in a supportive environment, while also having the opportunity to hear directly from someone with industry experience, makes the music business feel a little less distant and intimidating. It brings it home, quite literally for most of us there. Go North Shields! It’s a reminder that behind the finished records, packed venues and established careers are artists who started somewhere too. Events like this can provide not only exposure, but confidence, connection and a sense of community – all things that can make the journey into the industry feel much more achievable. In a world that can sometimes feel defined by competition, the Sunday Showcase demonstrated the importance of creating spaces where emerging artists can support one another, learn from people with experience and, most importantly, feel confident enough to put themselves and their music out there. Above all, it was a really enjoyable evening. I certainly hope to attend future Sunday Showcases and I would encourage you to go along if you can!

For information on future events, follow @threetannersbank