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LIVE REVIEW
IN THE PARK FESTIVAL...NEWCASTLE
TOM GRENNAN
JAMIE WEBSTER, BROOKE COMBE
Photos and review - David Weddle
May Day Bank Holiday Weekend in Newcastle started with an incredible line up for one of the city’s many music festivals. Based in the grounds of historic Leazes Park, which is right next door to St.James’ Park, Newcastle United’s home ground, In The Park Festival created a vibrant and exciting music venue. Complete with a plethora of eateries and even fairground rides, Leazes Park was transformed into a purpose built music venue with one purpose in mind……fun.
The first of three epic nights of music, In The Park boasted a line-up of incredible artists. Kicking off at around 4 p.m., those who got there early were treated to guest DJs who set the mood for the evening, giving the early birds something to move to as they took their places at the barrier, ready for the live music to start.
The first of three epic nights of music, In The Park boasted a line-up of incredible artists. Kicking off at around 4 p.m., those who got there early were treated to guest DJs who set the mood for the evening, giving the early birds something to move to as they took their places at the barrier, ready for the live music to start.
The honour of starting proceedings went to Scottish artist Brooke Combe. The singer songwriter played a decent-sized set, and the crowd loved what Brooke and her band were doing. Brooke’s voice is silky smooth, and her charismatic charm definitely resonated with the crowd. Finding out that there were a large number of Scots in the audience, Brooke joked, ‘Why did nobody tell me?’.
Brooke is a rising star whose rise to fame started back with a viral TikTok video and is now playing on the same bill as big names like Tom Grennan. That is testament to Brooke’s incredible vocal talent, and on Friday, Brooke definitely brought her ‘A-Game’. Seriously good music and an artist that you are sure to hear more of in the future.
As the stage crew set up for the next act, revellers enjoyed the many food and drink stands, and those who were lucky enough to have VIP access were able to enjoy the facilities in the exclusive VIP area. The festival itself seemed to have plenty to keep people refreshed including people walking through the crowd with trays of drinks to save people losing their spot which was a nice touch.
Brooke is a rising star whose rise to fame started back with a viral TikTok video and is now playing on the same bill as big names like Tom Grennan. That is testament to Brooke’s incredible vocal talent, and on Friday, Brooke definitely brought her ‘A-Game’. Seriously good music and an artist that you are sure to hear more of in the future.
As the stage crew set up for the next act, revellers enjoyed the many food and drink stands, and those who were lucky enough to have VIP access were able to enjoy the facilities in the exclusive VIP area. The festival itself seemed to have plenty to keep people refreshed including people walking through the crowd with trays of drinks to save people losing their spot which was a nice touch.
Taking to the stage to a roar of cheers from the crowd, Liverpudlian singer Jamie Webster took his place in front of the mic. Jamie has a massive following on social media, and his debut album made the top 10 in the UK. His spot on the bill was only revealed 24 hours beforehand, so Newcastle were in for an unexpected treat.
This fella is a serious contender in the music world, with a voice that is as powerful as his lyrics, Jamie is the real deal. Playing a set filled with bangers, including ‘Voice of the Voiceless’ and ‘Weekend in Paradise’, Jamie showed Newcastle why his fans love him so much. In fact, one lad in the audience spent most of Jamie’s set on their mate’s shoulders, spinning a Liverpool FC t-shirt around. Jamie’s fans know every word of every song, and the people who didn’t know who he was were definitely fans by the time Jamie left the stage.
Jamie’s storytelling was great, including telling the story of how he met his wife to-be before letting everyone know that this gig was to be his last as a bachelor, which of course got a very loud, very positive reaction from the crowd. There is an authenticity to Jamie’s songs and the on stage banter—something that you just can’t fake, and the audience took him into their hearts because of it. A truly great performance.
This fella is a serious contender in the music world, with a voice that is as powerful as his lyrics, Jamie is the real deal. Playing a set filled with bangers, including ‘Voice of the Voiceless’ and ‘Weekend in Paradise’, Jamie showed Newcastle why his fans love him so much. In fact, one lad in the audience spent most of Jamie’s set on their mate’s shoulders, spinning a Liverpool FC t-shirt around. Jamie’s fans know every word of every song, and the people who didn’t know who he was were definitely fans by the time Jamie left the stage.
Jamie’s storytelling was great, including telling the story of how he met his wife to-be before letting everyone know that this gig was to be his last as a bachelor, which of course got a very loud, very positive reaction from the crowd. There is an authenticity to Jamie’s songs and the on stage banter—something that you just can’t fake, and the audience took him into their hearts because of it. A truly great performance.
The size of the crowd had grown substantially over the course of the evening, and by the time headline act Tom Grennan took to the stage, Leazes Park was absolutely packed. Having been suitably warmed up by Brooke and Jamie, Newcastle were very ready for Tom, who took to the stage to a wave of cheers and screams from the audience.
Tom blew the crowd away with an incredibly powerful performance of his hits, including ‘Remind Me’ and ‘Psychedelic Kisses’, giving Newcastle the show they had hoped for. Plenty of pyro and confetti made for a visually enjoyable show, but the actual performances were top-class. It is so great to see big names playing venues like this and giving so many people the opportunity to see live music at its very best.
Tom blew the crowd away with an incredibly powerful performance of his hits, including ‘Remind Me’ and ‘Psychedelic Kisses’, giving Newcastle the show they had hoped for. Plenty of pyro and confetti made for a visually enjoyable show, but the actual performances were top-class. It is so great to see big names playing venues like this and giving so many people the opportunity to see live music at its very best.