Alternative Mackem Glastonbury announced at Sunderland's Pop Recs

Haven’t managed to get tickets for Britain’s biggest music festival this year?

There’s still a chance to soak up some great live music that weekend, with two nights of local acts on June 28 and 29.

First up is Sunderland based singer / songwriter Chris Hair who will make his Pop Recs headline debut on Friday June, 28th, playing songs from his new EP as well as an extensive back catalogue of solo material.

Having recently emerged back onto the local scene after a break of several years from performing live, Chris is now backed by Wild Circle, which features acclaimed musicians from several other Wearside acts.

Despite being a relatively prominent figure on the local scene in the 2000s, Chris has taken a long break from playing live, though he has been steadily releasing solo material online over the last decade.

He has recently returned to the gig circuit in Sunderland with a batch of fresh songs and a renewed approach to writing. 

The gig will also act as a celebration of the EP, ‘Chris Hair & Wild Circle’, which will be released a week earlier on 21st June.

Comprising three already released singles as well as three brand new tracks, the songs on the EP stem from a point at which Chris was exploring his changing relationship with music: “During the pandemic period I wasn’t writing songs, for the first time in my adult life, and I’d become more interested in exploring other art forms, mainly film and writing short stories.

“However about a year and a half ago I picked up an electric guitar again and found it more exciting than ever as I felt I was approaching songwriting in a different way, after spending some time away from the form. 

“Pretty quickly I decided that these new songs needed to be brought to life by a full band and played live rather that the solo recording and releasing formula I’d become more accustomed to.

“Fortunately, when I went out looking for people to play with, I found this amazing new community of young musicians in Sunderland, mainly concentrated around The Bunker, which is where I spent most of my teens and early 20s.

“I’m in my 40s now and it’s strange as when I started to write the lyrics for these songs a lot of them were reflections on that period.”

Chris also found that the writing the songs from the EP provided an opportunity to explore his feelings towards his hometown of Sunderland. 

“Having lived somewhere your whole life, as I have in Sunderland, it becomes a kind of eternal companion, whether you like it or not! Sometimes it feels like the changes in the city, some for better and some for worse, can mirror your own personal journey."

Book tickets for Chris’ gig, with support from Patrick Gosling & House Proud, priced £5, at: https://www.musicglue.com/pop-recs-ltd/ 

The following night, June 29, will see Sunderland’s very own ‘Witch Pop’ Shannon Pearl take to the stage for a headline show.

Shannon Pearl, from Southwick, found her ethereal sound, rooted in heritage and ancestry, didn't quite fit with regular genres of music, so coined her own phrase 'Witch Pop.'

Shannon, who will also be playing this year’s Lindisfarne Festival, will be performing on her home city stage with a seven-piece band and support from Philip Jonathan.

It’s set to be a night of magical music and sacred sounds.

Tickets are £10 from EventBrite.