![Mogwai - Friday, O2 Newcastle Academy: The Scottish kings of instrumental rock already had seven brilliant albums under their belt when they blew their own back-catalogue out of the water with Rave Tapes last year.]()
Mogwai - Friday, O2 Newcastle Academy: The Scottish kings of instrumental rock already had seven brilliant albums under their belt when they blew their own back-catalogue out of the water with Rave Tapes last year.
![Royal Blood - Saturday, Hall 1: After enjoying the best festival season of 2014, this year looks to be even bigger for the fearsome rock duo.]()
Royal Blood - Saturday, Hall 1: After enjoying the best festival season of 2014, this year looks to be even bigger for the fearsome rock duo.
![Sleater-Kinney - Friday, O2 Newcastle Academy: Surely the most exciting booking of the whole weekend, this will be one of Sleater-Kinney's first shows since their reunion at the end of last year after nearly a decade apart. Showcasing songs from their brilliant new album, No Cities To Love, expect big, raucous things from one of the most important bands in the '90s riot grrrl movement.]()
Sleater-Kinney - Friday, O2 Newcastle Academy: Surely the most exciting booking of the whole weekend, this will be one of Sleater-Kinney's first shows since their reunion at the end of last year after nearly a decade apart. Showcasing songs from their brilliant new album, No Cities To Love, expect big, raucous things from one of the most important bands in the '90s riot grrrl movement.
![Jamie T - Sunday, Hall 1: When Jamie T burst back onto the scene at the end of last year after five years of silence, it was with a reassuringly mature offering, lighter on the speak-singing and beer-soaked balladry of previous offerings, but plenty heavy on the euphoric, toe-tapping numbers he's known for. Expect plenty of those, including the brilliant 'Zombie'.]()
Jamie T - Sunday, Hall 1: When Jamie T burst back onto the scene at the end of last year after five years of silence, it was with a reassuringly mature offering, lighter on the speak-singing and beer-soaked balladry of previous offerings, but plenty heavy on the euphoric, toe-tapping numbers he's known for. Expect plenty of those, including the brilliant 'Zombie'.
![Unknown Mortal Orchestra - Sunday, Hall 2: UMO's brilliant, lo-fi psych-rock took on a new, introspective lease of life with their second album II in 2013. 'Multi-Love', the first track taken from their forthcoming third album of the same name, is more electronic and synthy, but it's an exciting progression.]()
Unknown Mortal Orchestra - Sunday, Hall 2: UMO's brilliant, lo-fi psych-rock took on a new, introspective lease of life with their second album II in 2013. 'Multi-Love', the first track taken from their forthcoming third album of the same name, is more electronic and synthy, but it's an exciting progression.
![Kate Tempest - Saturday, Concourse: Tempest was previously better known as a spoken-word poet than a musician, but her recent foray into the world of hip-hop with debut album Everybody Down was far from unprecedented - she spent her teenage years taking part in rap-battles. That's probably why she's so bloody good at it.]()
Kate Tempest - Saturday, Concourse: Tempest was previously better known as a spoken-word poet than a musician, but her recent foray into the world of hip-hop with debut album Everybody Down was far from unprecedented - she spent her teenage years taking part in rap-battles. That's probably why she's so bloody good at it.
![Father John Misty - Saturday, Hall 2: Josh Tillman was a little worried about playing the songs from his recent second album, I Love You, Honeybear, live because of personal nature.]()
Father John Misty - Saturday, Hall 2: Josh Tillman was a little worried about playing the songs from his recent second album, I Love You, Honeybear, live because of personal nature. "Personal" is no exaggeration. It's brimming with bizarre, shocking, lyrics which are both faintly beautiful and a little bit disgusting: 'I've got nothing to hide from you. Kissing my brother in my dreams, or finding God knows in my jeans'. Live, though, is where Father John Misty excels, and it's sure to be an unmissable set.
![Interpol - Friday, O2 Newcastle Academy: During a recent gig at London's Roundhouse, Interpol professed their love for London, their]()
Interpol - Friday, O2 Newcastle Academy: During a recent gig at London's Roundhouse, Interpol professed their love for London, their "home away from home." The feeling was mutual. We have little doubt this homecoming-style reception will translate further up North too, despite the fact that they're technically from NYC.
![Jungle - Saturday, Concourse: Both live and on record, this modern soul collective are a sheer, funk-filled delight. Though they prefer for the aesthetic emphasis to focus on the artwork and videos rather than their own identities, they've still got an infectiously powerful presence onstage.]()
Jungle - Saturday, Concourse: Both live and on record, this modern soul collective are a sheer, funk-filled delight. Though they prefer for the aesthetic emphasis to focus on the artwork and videos rather than their own identities, they've still got an infectiously powerful presence onstage.
![Young Fathers - Sunday, Concourse: It might only be a few months since Young Fathers won the coveted Mercury prize for their debut album, Dead, but they've already announced details of their second offering - White Men Are Black Men Too. They played over 140 shows in 2014, and their 2015 is looking equally busy.]()
Young Fathers - Sunday, Concourse: It might only be a few months since Young Fathers won the coveted Mercury prize for their debut album, Dead, but they've already announced details of their second offering - White Men Are Black Men Too. They played over 140 shows in 2014, and their 2015 is looking equally busy.
