This May, A Stone’s Throw Festival, Newcastle’s flagship taste-maker event, returns for its third run and is set to be the best yet, bringing the country’s most promising emerging creative talent to the North East for a day of unmissable performances. Since making its debut in 2022, the festival has rapidly grown, drawing international attention and showcasing over 150 incredible artists including the likes of Sundara Karma, Sam Hopkins, Pip Blom, Berwyn and Heidi Curtis. A Stone’s Throw are excited to announce that headlining this May will be the South London post-punk powerhouses, Shame, performing alongside an incredible line up including the likes of Katy J Pearson, Psychedelic Porn Crumpets, Deadletter, Man/Woman/Chainsaw, Swim Deep and many more of the country’s hottest talent.
This year the festival will be taking place in the coastal town of North Shields, and is working in collaboration with NS800, a council led initiative, which celebrates 800 years of the town’s rich heritage. Whilst much of the North Shield’s history is rooted in maritime, mining and railway industry, it also boasts a vibrant arts and cultural scene that NS800 aims to celebrate through a yearlong run of community events, arts installations, film, photography, exhibitions and music performances. This year’s A Stone’s Throw venues include The Exchange 1956, King Street Social Club, Salt Market Social, Three Tanners Bank and The Engine Room, all of which will be connected via the Go North East bus service to provide ease throughout the day (included in ticket price).
New to this year’s festival weekend, A Stone’s Throw has partnered with Generator North East to bring audiences the chance to catch some brilliant emerging artists free of charge! What’s more, A Stone’s Throw have announced two official opening parties… This year, none other than The Horrors are set to bring their dark, electrifying energy to kick off the festival weekend at The Exchange 1856 on the 23rd May! Renowned for their ability to defy genres, there are few bands who’ve created a canon as determinedly innovative and consistently critically-acclaimed as The Horrors. Their set takes place ahead of Saturday’s opening night, featuring Newcastle’s very own, Mercury nominated, Lanterns on the Lake! Set to be their first show in the North East for two years, and to be one of the only performances the band will make this year before heading to the studios to record, this is not a night to miss. With the promise to get you in the mood for the best A Stone’s Throw festival yet, be sure to kick off the celebrations early!
There are so many artists that we can’t wait to welcome to North Shields this May, and with the final line-up well under-way, we’ve curated a list of our Future Icons who we know you absolutely won’t want to miss at A Stone’s Throw Festival 2025.
Man/Woman/Chainsaw
The first group on our list is an exciting and innovative five-piece known collectively as Man/Woman/Chainsaw. Influenced by the contemporary post-punk, DIY experimental scene, pioneered by the likes of Black Midi, Black Country, New Road and Squid, the group have, since their debut album release in 2022, produced a refreshingly original and often unpredictable discography. From cinematic arrangements that evoke a certain theatrical beauty, to moments of pure sonic chaos, it is evident that Man/Woman/Chainsaw are a band who have been allowed to experiment and develop their own sound. “We thrive on a thin line between pretty and noisy, often trying to jump between the two”, explains their lead singer, Billy Ward, “it’s that chaos that excites us”. The five-piece have received attention from the likes of The Quietus, NME, The Line Of Best Fit, So Young, BBC 6 Music and more, and have been touring the UK since the release of their latest album, Eazy Peazy, last November. We are beyond excited to welcome them to A Stone’s Throw Festival, so be sure to catch them in North Shields this May!
Brògeal
Our next future icon is known as Brògeal (pronounced “Bro-gale”), a five-piece hailing from Falkirk in the Scottish Lowlands. A folk-punk band heavily influenced by their Celtic folk heritage and a strong determination to keep it alive and thriving, the band has firmly established itself within an emerging contemporary folk revival, led by bands such as the Irish Lankum. By introducing the traditional sounds of the mandolin and the banjo to electric guitars, Brògeal have created a unique sound, drawing together a certain nostalgia reminiscent of folk-rock icons, the Pogues, and a more contemporary punk attitude.
For those of you wondering what their Celtic name refers to, lead singer, Aidan, explains, “My grandparents used to tell me stories about the ancient days, when the clans ran Scotland and there were wars every other week - new friends, new enemies and all that carry on. There was a group of mercenaries with no permanent homes and no wives. They only followed the money, be it through fighting, labouring or stealing. But during the winters when it was too cold to be outside they had to find other forms of income and shelter, so they’d go from town to town and play music for food.” “And drink!”, other lead singer, Daniel, interjects. “Aye. And they called themselves the Brògeal.”
Touring with the likes of The Mary Wallopers, Spector and The Lathums, Brògeal have emerged as one of the best live bands in the UK, and we are incredibly excited to welcome them to the North East this May. Be sure to join Brògeal at A Stone’s Throw for whats set to be a lively and dynamic performance!
Humour
Our third band, a punk group from Glasgow, formed during the lockdowns of 2021 and have since created a name for themselves, receiving critical acclimation from NME, Clash Magazine, DIY, Dork and more. Having met at university, the group have previously played together several times before, under multiple different guises and combinations of band members. Under their current formation, however, Humour has, without doubt, struck the right cord and reached a new level of success. With the combination of intense, often chaotic instrumentation, and lead singer, Andreas Christodoulidis’s witty and ironic lyrics that address a wide range of relatable topics, from letting people down, to pets dying, to trying to say something when you don’t have anything worth saying, Humour exudes a raw post-punk attitude that makes them one of the hottest bands in scene. Be sure to fit the five-piece into your A Stone’s Throw schedule this year, they are not one to miss!
The Manatees
Now, it wouldn’t be A Stone’s Throw festival without the countries best up and coming indie rock bands, and The Manatees, originally from the south coast of England, do not disappoint! Whilst firmly establishing their name within the modern indie rock scene, the band have set themselves apart by developing their own unique soundscape, combining hip-hop samples, funk inspired bass lines, thrashing guitars and candid lyrics. The three school friends, Jay, Tyler and Miller, have come far since their debut single back in 2018, having supported the indie rock icons, Sundara Karma, throughout their 2023 UK tour dates, and with 2024 seeing the release of their second EP, Different State of Mind, and a headline tour of the UK and a performance at SXSW Festival in Texas. We can’t wait to see what The Manatees will do next and are very excited to welcome them to A Stone’s Throw this year!
White Flowers
Last but certainly not least we welcome the ethereal sounds of dream-pop, post-rock duo, White Flowers, created by two ex-art students, Joey Cobb and Katie Drew. Originally from the North, but having attended art school in London, Cobb and Drew have developed an intricately crafted sound and aesthetic, drawing on the contrasting urban and rural landscapes of their previous and current surroundings. Since returning to the North in recent years, they have taken an old textile mill near Preston as their artistic base, and it is from the often bleak yet beautiful environment they are surrounded by from which they take inspiration. Katie's delicate, airy vocals are paired with a soul-stirring, carefully constructed soundscape, resulting in a hauntingly elegant effect. Since releasing their debut album in 2021 the White Flowers have gained recognition and support from the likes of Radio 6, MOJO and CLASH. Selling out headlines and touring with the likes of Beach House and Just Mustard, White Flowers have built a strong and growing cult following. The duo is known for carefully selecting their appearances, so we are honoured to have them perform at A Stone’s Throw this year and are certain you won’t want to miss two exceptional musicians who are crafting a name for themselves in the UK’s live scene.
