Although it may seem that festival season has truly come to a close for this year, the eleventh edition of Middlesbrough’s Twisterella has other plans. This annual event, held at various venues around the town, is known for featuring remarkable artists ahead of their time, having previously hosted acts like Prima Queen, The Royston Club, and Sam Fender. Kicking off the festivities on the main stage at Teesside University’s Students’ Union is the Scottish band swim school, who set a memorable tone with their captivating afternoon performance. As they prepare to release their highly anticipated debut album later this month, Edinburgh's top guitar band combines their newest material with prior hits, skillfully merging shoegaze's instrumental qualities with poignant songwriting. Starting with their latest single ‘Alone With You’, the band's Twisterella performance exemplifies their ability to merge a lively stage presence with a carefully crafted sound, resulting in a live experience that echoes the indie rock of recent years alongside the influences of '90s grunge and garage rock.
Following them is Champ, a band that should definitely be on any music lover's radar. Performing what is technically their debut gig, this Hartlepool-based indie quartet brings their small yet impactful releases to life with a diverse sound that ranges from introspective lyrics and uplifting energy (like their debut single ‘Taste To Run’) to tracks that hint at darker soundscapes (such as ‘Future’). Moving to the building's most intimate venue, The Lounge, the North East’s emerging folk duo takes the stage for a 30-minute set filled with warmth. Comprising songwriting talents Jodie Nicholson and Joe Ramsey -- both Twisterella veterans -- they transform the festival atmosphere into a cozy, autumnal retreat, evoking images of firesides and pumpkin spice lattes. “This is our first performance live together as a duo,” says Nicholson before seamlessly transitioning into their debut single ‘thank god’. Their sound resonates with influences from indie-folk artists like Daughter and Laura Marling, as they layer rich vocal harmonies with gentle acoustic guitar. It feels personal, homemade, and raw, earning them enthusiastic applause from an audience captivated in silence.
Adding more diversity to the day's genres, Middlesbrough’s own indie-pop star Loren Heat takes the main stage. As the crowd celebrates her recent graduation, Heat delivers an electrifying performance, translating her DIY queer-pop into a potent comeback to her hometown. Supported by her dynamic live band, she epitomizes what pop music should strive to be: an exhilarating and danceable experience. With anthems filled with desperation and longing ('Be Ur Baby'), she has the audience completely engaged: “Are you ready?” she exclaims, encouraging the crowd to clap along to her debut single ‘Curiosity’. Though her set concludes too soon, an enthusiastic and captivated crowd soon gathers at The Terrace, one of the venues inside the Students’ Union, to witness genre-defying four-piece PISS. Originating from Vancouver, they blend their music with spoken word poetry, visual art, and experimental performance, creating a show that intertwines complex interpersonal and political issues with a human touch. Their style is feminist, explicit, and distinctly punk.
As night approaches, prepare for the noisy, progressive chaos reminiscent of recent favorites like Fat Dog, Home Counties, and Getdown Services. Enter the London-based band Y (apologies for the challenging Google search). Their live performances feature mind-bending guitar riffs, looping synth lines, and wobbly saxophone melodies, delivering an unmatched level of energy that transforms the festival's main stage into their own domain. Closing out Twisterella 2025, and following a long drive from Glasgow to play their second festival of the day, Leeds’ lively group Adult DVD proves their worth for staying all day. With their trademark high-energy style, they turn the venue into Twisterella’s very own disco, with a stage full of synthesizers and unique guitar pedals. Their music merges digital and analog sounds, with each intricate layer crafted in real-time before an audience hanging on every note. Throughout their set, expect to hear catchy hooks and singalongs ('Dogs In the Sun'), massive synth sequences ('Because I Like It'), and funk-inspired guitar segments ('Doomsday Prepper'). Adult DVD are seasoned festival performers, and it's only a matter of time before they are headlining larger stages with their energetic, chaotic performances.
Discover more about Twisterella at twisterella.co.uk.
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