Friday January 31st – 7:30pm to 11pm
A Festival, A Parade have only been together for a short period, but in that time the 4 piece from Newcastle Upon Tyne, who take their name from a lyric by The National, have been heavily championed by the people of the North who have taken a shine to their unique blend of alternative rock, boasting an eclectic mix of brooding vocals, enigmatic lyrics, erratic guitar work and ballistic percussion.
2018 saw A Festival, A Parade reach euphoric heights both locally and nationally, kickstarting with the release of critically acclaimed single ‘Cold Shower’ and a slew of festival appearances, most notable of which being a special performance at Brighton’s tastemaker weekender ‘The Great Escape’.
In October 2018, the band also released their sophomore EP ‘Stay Away From Me’; an autobiographical body of work which evoked immediate comparisons to the likes of Mogwai, The Twilight Sad, The Cure and The National. The EP, released digitally and on 12” vinyl via Tipping Point Records, received an array of widespread press attention, including online coverage from the likes of DIY, Dork and The Line Of Best Fit, alongside airtime on BBC Radio 6 Music via DJs Tom Robinson and Huw Stephens.
To bookend the year, AFAP embarked upon a fourteen date sold out UK tour in support of rising star Sam Fender, culminating in three nights at London’s Omeara venue and a performance for 1500 people at Newcastle University.
Kickstarting 2019 with a bang, AFAP delivered their biggest headline show to date at the prestigious Sage Gateshead. The band then continued their run of impressive, frenetic live performances with a run of support shows throughout Spring 2019 alongside artists such as Suede, Sam Fender and The Cult, stopping off at venues such as London’s Shepherd’s Bush Empire (twice) , the O2 Ritz in Manchester and O2 Academy Newcastle. After a Summer of writing and recording new material, the band return with a new live set in tow for their first ever London headline show at the impressive creative hub, House Of Vans London.
“A sonic platter of equally pleasing and unnerving textures that bleed effortlessly into one another, as drums pummel along and guitars soar to an abrupt and satisfyingly destructive climax” – The Line of Best Fit
“The band swell from elegant gloominess to hyperactive, twitching math rock. Nothing’s off the agenda.” – DIY
“A hefty burst of guitar-led sombreness, all flashes of dense guitar and pulsating percussion” – GoldFlakePaint