'Inspire new generations' - event set to celebrate gigs of the past on South Tyneside

A special meet up will be held for young South Tyneside musicians as part of a project celebrating the borough’s musical heritage.

The free meet-up will be hosted by The Garage Studios, Mitre Place, South Shields on Friday, June 21, from 7pm to 9pm. The event is for musicians in any genre between the ages of 14 to 25 and is part of The Cultural Spring Charity’s Gig Culture project.

Catherine Scott, Development Worker at The Cultural Spring Charity, explained: “Gig Culture is about celebrating 50 years of gigs in South Tyneside. We’re looking to collect people’s stories and memories of gigs in the borough between 1950 and 2000. 

“This could be local or regional bands, or it could be memories of seeing people like Jimi Hendrix, Tom Jones or Eric Clapton, all of whom performed in the borough. 

“We’re also looking for memorabilia such as programmes, ticket stubs or photographs for an exhibition at The Word.”

Several workshops have already been hosted in community venues and libraries across South Tyneside to collate and collect people’s memories of music in the area.

Catherine added: “As part of the project we want to help put young musicians together, getting them playing together and perhaps creating new music or even new bands. 

“We’ll be putting together a performance by the young musicians at The Word in December and the meet-up on Friday is a step towards that. Another aim of the Gig Culture project is to bring the generations together, particularly through music. 

“We hope the stories and memories from those who attended gigs throughout South Tyneside over the last few decades can inspire and inform a new generation of young musicians.” 

To book a place at the workshop, email [email protected]