Did you know the world-famous Bay City Rollers are coming to North Shields next week?
The pop-rock sensations from Scotland who sparked a wave of tartan mania among 1970s teens will provide an unexpected yet fitting twist to the finale of the 3rd Tyneside Americana Blues Festival, which happens to fall on Burns Night. The event will take over King Street Social Club over the whole weekend from 23rd to 25th January, featuring a variety of artists from the world of blues, rock, Americana and beyond. We met up with Festival Director, Jonny Clegg, to learn about the origins of the event and his future plans in North Shields.
Jonny came up with the idea together with Stephen Donnelly when he was treasurer of Cullercoats Crescent Club in 2023. As he explains: ‘A similar sort of event had just come to an end in Butlins in Skegness. Five thousand people would go to see festivals with bands of this type – acts from the 70s and 80s that are still going strong.’ And so the first Tyneside Americana Blues Festival was held in the Crescent Club concert room in 2024: ‘Some members weren’t very happy about us taking over the club all weekend, that they had to watch their sport in the main bar’, remembers Jonny. Nevertheless, the event proved popular with music fans. ‘It was very successful, so we thought we’d do it again the following year.’ Such a success, in fact, that Jonny and Stephen knew they definitely needed to find a bigger venue.
That is how in 2025 the Tyneside Americana Blues Festival came to Shields. It was held at the Exchange and again, was a great success with music fans. However, to make the event even bigger and better in 2026, Jonny and Stephen decided on King Street Club: ‘I’ve always been involved in social clubs and I knew the committee quite well.They were quite open to putting on this event.’ Jonny states. ‘Geoff Kirkwood (AKA Manpower) has been doing interesting things at King Street with his own type of music and North Tyneside Council want to help make it a viable venue for the future. We want to be part of that.’ Jonny helped to turn around the Crescent Club with his promotion of bands and programme of events but he remains realistic about the challenges that such venues are facing: ‘A lot of these places aren’t in a great financial situation. The increase in business rates won’t help. Thankfully King Street has the support of the Local Authority. Social clubs need to adapt with the times and appeal to a wider demographic – that is where we can help.’
Manpower’s musical set-up at the club has been advantageous: ‘We’ve been working together a bit and using some of Geoff’s kit.’ They have also resurrected King Street’s kitchen to provide a variety of reasonably priced festival food and drink, both indoors and out, with the ‘American Blues Feast’ menu promising a range of burgers, pizzas and sides. Those with VIP tickets will be treated to a special lunch from a different menu in the VIP area, where there will be the opportunity to mingle with the bands and get pictures and autographs. In the back bar there will be stunning artwork on display and on sale by artist and musician Steve Pablo Jones, who specialises in portraits of contemporary and legendary blues and rock musicians: ‘He’s doing special cartoons of the Bay City Rollers and will be selling some prints to the fans.’ There will be charity raffles held on Saturday and Sunday with some top quality prizes including various merch and a signed acoustic guitar.
Jonny and Stephen are obviously passionate about music and saw many of the event’s big acts live back in their heyday: ‘Collectively, all the artists we have this year have sold around 130 million albums!’ There is an essence of nostalgia at the heart of the festival but Jonny is keen to point out the fact that many longstanding bands still put on a great show to this day and they will also be performing alongside new and up-and-coming artists: ‘There’s a real mix, something for everyone.’
The event kicks off on Friday 23rd January at 5:30pm with Martin Turner, the founder member of 1970s British rock legends Wishbone Ash. He is supported by the emerging Tom Killner Band, bringing a blend of blues, southern rock and country alongside Newcastle’s own rock/power-pop outfit Stan the Band. Joining them on the Friday are the powerful and energetic Gerry Jablonski Band and Andy J Fraser & the Tunstallachia Upland Boys, an Americana folk trio from Sunderland. On Saturday the entertainment starts at 12:30pm, providing the only opportunity this year to see award-winning Irish guitarist Dom Martin with his full band. They will be in good company with the acoustic melodies of the Chris Jagger Trio (brother of Mick) and Davey Pattison Band fronted by the highly successful veteran rhythm & blues rocker. Whisky Flowers will bring some vintage soul and soaring harmonies to Saturday’s proceedings, and accompanied by the authentic Terraplanes Blues Band and Ash Lynch, a local artist from Hexham playing a mix of originals and covers. Sunday starts at 2pm with the multitalented Steve Pablo, Yorkshire-based blues act Jed Thomas Band, sensational Scottish rockers Stormchaser and Zac Schulze Gang, who have recently been voted as UK Emerging Blues Artist by the UK Blues Federation. Finally, headliners Bay City Rollers can expect the club to be awash with their army of tartan-clad fans as they put on their trademark spectacular show for a Burns Night to remember: ‘They weren’t sure about the idea of playing in a social club at first, they’re used to playing big concert halls!’ explains Jonny.
It is hoped that the success of this year’s Tyneside Americana Blues Festival can be repeated in the future, bringing in folk from far and wide to North Shields. Jonny points out that the town’s great transport links are another bonus: ‘Some people travel around to different events like this – there’s a similar one in Blackpool the week after.’ At the same time, Jonny is modest and matter-of-fact about what the Tyneside Americana Blues Festival is all about: ‘We’re not going to try and be a Glastonbury or anything like that – we just want people to enjoy a mix of good music.’ After all, who needs Glasto when you’ve got Shields?
Tickets for the Tyneside Americana Blues Festival are still available from: tynefest.co.uk
