Held in the unique surroundings of the Play Brew Taproom in Middlesbrough, this was the perfect way to spend a Saturday; an eclectic mix of bands, a wide and varied selection of craft beers and pizza, THIS was Heelapalooza 2022.
Picnic
First to grace the indoor stage are Sunderland natives Picnic, with their upbeat jazz-tinged indie pop.
They make their way through a gorgeous & lively 20-minute set featuring new songs ‘I Can’t Stop’ and ‘Famous’ as well as the absolute earworm that is penultimate song ‘I Need Everybody’.
Picnic finish with 2019’s ‘Wishful Drinking’ in front of a steadily growing crowd and are a perfect example of why getting down to a festival early is ALWAYS a good decision.
What they said: “We loved the festival! We were buzzing for this one as we had so many good mates on the line up, it was a good chance to catch a lot of our favourite bands all in one place too. It was a bit of a whirlwind, we hardly had time to catch our breath before another great act was on!”
Check out Picnic on Instagram.
Motel Carnation
Newcastle’s electro indie powerhouse Motel Carnation are next up inside, opening with the ever catchy ‘Sweet Separation.
There appeared to perhaps be some sound related difficulties prior to the band taking to the stage, but they weren’t noticeable in the slightest. The trio sounding tighter than ever, as they delivered their patented groove filled sound with a set comprising of fan favourites ‘Saul’, ‘Baby You’re a Nightmare’ and ‘West Side’.
Sadly, the week following Heelapalooza, the band announced they are going to be calling it a day. Their final farewell on July 9th is now sold out.
You can check out Motel Carnation (RIP) on Instagram.
Kkett
If you haven’t before, then I highly recommend that you try Kkett…..(the band that is!)
Straight after Motel Carnation finished up inside, the courtyard stage saw them deliver the most entertaining set of the day, bringing their diverse sound to a packed crowd with an unrivaled enthusiasm that culminated in lead singer Gee bounding around the car park as if he were possessed.
Kkett on Heelapalooza: “”We had an absolute blast at the festival. It was our first time ever playing in Middlesbrough and Play Brew was a fantastic venue to be doing that in! The staff were all really canny. We met loads of mint people from the bands and crowd alike and caught up with a fair few familiar faces.
Our fav sets of the day were Motel Carnation, The Lulas and Regal Cheer (we didn’t make it in time to see Picnic unfortunately but hear they were class as always!). A belter of a day was had.”
Drink of the Day: Moon Wax Lager // Pink Crush
What’s next for the band: “We will be recording and releasing our new single “Milk Rash” soon. We’ve also recently recorded a live set for NARC Magazine at the Fire Station, Sunderland, which features two new songs “Sad Anne” and “Hinny”.
Head on over to Instagram to follow Kkett.
Club Paradise
Club Paradise showcased most recent single ‘Collette’ during their 20-minute set of infectious synth infused indie, as well as ‘Closer’ and final song ‘Do You Feel the Same?”.
Club Paradise on Heelapalooza: “The festival was sick; we’ve never been to venue before and it’s one we’ve been wanting to get to for a while so to be on a lovely line up like yesterday’s just made it all the better too! We absolutely love gigging in Teesside and have been so fortunate to have crowds that are up for a laugh with us and genuinely love live local music, so it was an absolute 10/10”.
Drink of the Day: Pink Crush // Blue Eyes Blueberry Lemonade Sour
You can check out Club Paradise on Instagram.
Zela
Back inside Brat-pop duo ZELA are up next, a week removed from arguably their biggest show to date, which saw them open for The Libertines at Newcastle’s Rock N Roll Circus, as they dive into their most recent single ‘Chaos Queen’.
Prior to their final song, the anthemic ‘I’m Healing’, ZELA debut an unreleased number, titled ‘High Wasted Genes’, and it absolutely SLAPS!
The performance was as fiery and energetic as ever, if ZELA continue as they have been this year then the sky is the limit for this band.
You can check out ZELA on Instagram.
The Lulas
Heelapalooza continues outside with Middlesbrough pop-funk band The Lulas, who begin their set with bassist Ashley Deane wandering around the crowd during opening number ‘Down Nook Road’.
The Lulas on Heelapalooza: “The festival was a melting pot of exciting local artists, all of whom added something different and special to the day. The day itself was very well organised ensuring people were kept entertained by the music and lubricated by the vast array of beverages. We had the best time dancing, socialising and performing”.
Drink of the Day: Moon Wax Lager
The Lulas are hoping to release an as yet untitled album by September. To keep up to date with that and all things The Lulas, you can find them on Instagram.
Regal Cheer
Brighton duo Regal Cheer are definitely a band worth checking out, here they fly through a set full of short and snappy indie-punk songs including ‘Skip Intro’, ‘Dull Pain’ & final song ‘Bare Teeth’ from 2021’s “Side Hustle” EP.
Here’s what they had to say about the festival: “We thought the festival was wholesome, had a nice mix of artists and the place had a good vibe about it.”
Drink of the Day: Moon Wax Lager
Regal Cheer recently recorded an as yet to be released album, stay up to date with them on Instagram.