Maximo Park frontman Paul Smith is taking over Sage Gateshead on Saturday 3 December for a one-off afternoon of solo songs and surprises, with special guests and hand-picked support acts. The day will also feature free performances from young North East musicians on the venue concourse.
Teesside-born Paul Smith is one of British guitar music’s most energetic, recognisable and relatable performers. Across seven albums with Maximo Park and four as a solo artist, Smith has blended an ear for perfect pop hooks with a sense for storytelling that blends the personal with the universal.
Always sung with warmth and humour, Paul’s songs and voice are rooted in the North of England.
Joining Paul on stage for this special gig will be friends and collaborators including Mercury prize-nominated “songwriter’s songwriter” Kathryn Williams and composer and founder of acclaimed Sunderland art-pop mavericks Field Music, Peter Brewis.
This solo show, at the start of Sage Gateshead’s Christmas season, also features support slots from ex Wild Beasts frontman Hayden Thorpe and previous Sage Gateshead Artist in Residence Me Lost Me.
As well as choosing collaborators for his own set, Paul was asked to pick support acts for this one-off Gateshead gig, saying “I played with Hayden’s old band, Wild Beasts, back in 2005 and was instantly gripped by his distinctive voice. His solo work is equally beguiling, and I feel very lucky to have him on the bill!”
Jayne Dent (Me Lost Me) also joins the line-up. Jayne has performed at the venue many times and was one of their artists in residence last year.
“Jayne is a great Newcastle-based artist who I first saw supporting Martin Carthy at The Cumberland Arms in Byker. Her music takes lots of unexpected textural turns but is rooted in songcraft, making it perfect for this show.”
From 2pm Voices Of The Rivers’ Edge, the Sage Gateshead-based choir who made their debut performance at the BBC Proms in Gateshead in July 2022, perform a free concert on the venue concourse. The choir have been working with directors Simon Lee and Charlie Gower-Smith to explore folk influences in the choral world, finding music originating from Sweden, America and the North East.
At 6pm Folkestra play another free concourse performance. Folkestra is a vibrant group of young folk musicians, based at Sage Gateshead, playing original music and new arrangements. Founded by Kathryn Tickell, they have learned and performed with a huge number of prominent folk musicians both from the North East and further afield. Recently they have been enjoying working with prolific Northumbrian Piper and composer Andy May.
Tickets for An Afternoon with Paul Smith and special guests are available now, priced £22 or £11 for under 21s, from www.sagegateshead.com.
A £10 discount is available for anyone who also buys tickets for Eliza Carthy & The Restitution in Sage Two on the evening of Saturday 3 December.