Mercury rising

It doesn’t feel like the Mercury Music Prize deserves all that much praise for finally lifting its gaze beyond the M25. Yes, it’s nice that the music industry is apparently aware that there’s more to life than London. But it’s taken 33 years to reach that far-from-groundbreaking conclusion.

Then, in a country full of vibrant, exciting venues, it chooses to relocate to a draughty warehouse in a drab corner of Newcastle. There are great places to experience live music beside the Tyne, but the Utilita Arena (even the name feel utilitarian rather than uplifting) really isn’t one of them.

Add in the general air of smug mediocrity that hovers around award ceremonies – something entertainingly lampooned by Sunderland’s 2012 nominees Field Music on their socials this week – and it’s hard to get excited about Mercury heading north.

Except …

It turns out this is more than a schmooze-and-snooze fest.

Away from the faux glitz, there’s a wider programme and a touch of grit on offer. The Mercury Fringe, curated by Generator, put on a fine selection of free gigs across the Northeast, highlighting some of the artists and venues that make up a defiantly independent music scene. And, since a lot of that defiant independence comes form making a virtue out of a necessity in a region marked ‘here be dragons’ on most talent scouts’ maps, there was a solid range of workshops and networking to help musicians build their careers.

So my Mercury Prize started in Sunderland at Pop Recs. That’s the kind of underground venue where our Field Music friends would feel right at home – and indeed at least one of them was spotted in the crowd.

This gig is a showcase for the Music City’s rising stars: The Last Time, teenage indie-poppers with an enjoyably wistful lyrical bent; Ruby Kelly, singer-songwriter whose work included a wry ditty about relocating from Wales to the northeast; Patrick Gosling, a solo writer steadily evolving as part of a four-piece band.

It’s a great opportunity to take the pulse of the Sunderland scene and get a feel for who might be making the headlines in the not-too-distant future. Lots of potential on display and valuable experience for the performers.

The following night the action moved to Durham. Claypath Deli is a popular café by day, but at night it turns into a bijou venue. Gigs here are intimate affairs, space at a premium. Drummers squeeze into the gap between a copper tea urn and a tray of sourdough loaves. Outside, curious passers-by press noses against the glass or pause to see what’s going on.

Inside, we have an acoustic set from Pauline Murray, vocalist with local punk legends Penetration. In contrast with the previous night, this is a performer with years of experience: the stagecraft and songwriting goes up a notch, the range and quality of the material is greater. That’s not a criticism of the Pop Recs crowd so much as an idea of the level that potential can reach.

Then there’s Milky Wimpshake, full of Buzzcocks energy, bringing three-minute blasts of quirky punk. It’s a world where Noam Chomsky encounters the Ramones, and everyone is better for it, where I wanna be seen in public with you carries echoes of Ever fallen in love (with someone you shouldn’t have fallen in love with). The band has been through several incarnations in a 30-year history and tonight features a rare guest appearance from Pete Dale’s wife on bass. Whip-smart lyrics, a neat line in self-deprecation and songs that never outstay their welcome ensure that it’s all a lot of fun. Something, perhaps, that the Mercury Prize proper could learn from.