The Friday Night Club With The Unthanks
Discover. Enthuse. A proper Friday night out.
Hosted and curated by Tyneside music pioneers The Unthanks, this new series brings together unexpected lineups, from local legends to the best touring artists. Don’t be surprised to find singers alongside poets, comedy followed by classical music or short films next to jazz sets.
Think of it like heading round to a friend’s on a Friday night – good company and music you didn’t expect but won’t forget. A space for discovery, conversation, and shared experience.
There’ll be surprises, singalongs, and even the playlist in the bar will be put together by the artists behind the evening.
Come curious – leave inspired!
This edition’s lineup features “one of the most captivating new voices on the Irish folk scene” Niamh Bury, Newcastle-based balladeers Powtes, award winning Geordie comedian and poet Cooper Robson, and the Royal Northern Sinfonia ensemble playing ‘Six Bagatelles’ by modernist composer György Ligeti. All this and more at an intimate, soul-stirring night of music, stories, and new discoveries, hosted by The Unthanks.
Need to know
Venue: Sage Two (cabaret with bleachers seating)
Price: £11.30 (under 30s) – £22.50
Stage times: Announced closer to show time
Age: Ages 14 and under must be accompanied by an adult.
Lead image illustration by Jon Mackay .
Who's on the lineup
Niamh Bury
Niamh Bury is one of the most captivating new voices on the Irish folk scene. Her debut album, Yellow Roses, earned #3 on Mojo’s Best Folk Albums of 2024. With a rich textured folk sound and singular vocals, Niamh has shared stages with acts like Flyte, Maddison Cunningham, Ye Vagabonds and Dermot Kennedy.
She’s one of the chief organisers of the iconic traditional singing session, The Night Before Larry Got Stretched, which famously happens in The Cobblestone pub and whose founders include members of Lankum and Landless. Nominated for Best Emerging Artist at the 2025 RTE Folk Awards, she’s one of the first new artists in almost two decades to be signed to Ireland’s most culturally important record label, Claddagh Records.
Powtes
Powtes are a six-piece collective which brings together musicians from Newcastle’s folk and improvised music scene. They share an interest in drones, acoustic textures and unusual approaches to folk songs. They perform sensitive ballads which draw from the rich history of radical resistance to enclosure in these islands. The music of Powtes is at once gentle and overwhelming. The group regularly performs in an intimate, acoustic context, often playing in the round.
Cooper Robson
In 2008, a Spike Milligan anthology and a tiny book of Che Guevara sat beneath a Christmas tree. At that moment, a little left-wing, left-field loudmouth was born: the Heaton-based Cooper Robson.
Cooper is the winner of multiple comedy and poetry titles, including Geet Muckle Slam Champion and Felt Nowt’s New Act of the Year. He’s supported leading artists, toured nationally, and released a debut poetry collection that sold out its first run. His work has been praised for its “fervour and colloquial beauty” (NARC), for having “just the right mix of acerbic wit, dazzling wordplay, machine-gun delivery and stand-up comedy timing” (Vic Galloway), and for “winning over poetry nonbelievers and captivating anyone lucky enough to listen” (Antony Szmierek).
Expect confidence beyond logic, whimsy and brimming Geordie pride.
Royal Northern Sinfonia Ensemble
Six Bagatelles by modernist composer György Ligeti has more twists than your favourite drama. One of the 20th century’s greatest and most innovative composers, this is a great entry point to his work.
A quintet from our home orchestra, Royal Northern Sinfonia, takes on this exciting piece. In the intimate setting of Sage Two, you’ll be close enough to catch every breath. The music selection for this series has been chosen by violinist and The Glasshouse’s Artistic Partner Maria Włoszczowska.
The Glasshouse Artistic Partners - The Unthanks
A group that have become one of the essential voices of our region over the last 20 years, The Unthanks excel in bringing new ears to traditional songs. The band inspire fans to learn more about the folk music and how it continues to evolve and reflect modern as well as traditional music in the North East.
