I often find the consumption of live music to be quite perverse. People are quite happy to pay hundreds of pounds and withstand the exploitation of dynamic pricing to watch their favourite band play their hits while their fans are reduced to watching them on a big TV screen parked at the end of a football stadium. On the flipside, you have Twisterella and one of the undoubted highlights of the Middlesbrough music calendar and a chance to choose from an eclectic range of nearly 40 bands. No contest for me. For the 10th anniversary, the organisers had pulled out all the stops from Middlesbrough’s rising stars like Amelia Coburn and Finn Forster to Norway’s favourite combo Pom Poko so it was only right that I would take a deep dive from the very beginning to the close of the day.

The special guest festival opening artist was local boy Finn Forster. He kicked off the festival in the intimate confines of the Bottled Note venue. His wonderful soulful voice recounted tales of life in Middlesbrough (‘Grey Skies’) and late nights walking home to Haddon St (‘Stay Right Til The End’ - with added backing vocals from the assembled Bottled Note choir).

At Teesside Uni SU Hub, Howl and the Hum were no strangers to Middlesbrough and their passionate, pounding set included the very sublime ‘Hostages’.

As the early afternoon storm clouds gathered, Merina Josephine brought her instant sunshine to The Townhouse with her heartfelt positivity and soulful songs, ‘Don’t Cost Nothing To Be Kind’, ‘Potential’ and a great version of Estelle’s ‘American Boy’.

Back to the Teesside Uni SU Hub and Low Girl’s Sarah Cosgrove immediately won me over, resplendent in her woolly hat just like godlike Michael Nesmith from my childhood idols The Monkees. I loved ‘So Cool’ and ‘Icarus’ and their lovely melodicism reminded me so much of the masterful Camera Obscura.

It was worth braving the rain to get to see Amelia Coburn (pictured) in the Town Hall Crypt.  Her folky ‘Between The Moon And The Milkman’ album was produced by the legendary Bill Ryder Jones and her blissful late afternoon rendition of that album went down so well with the crowd (and much better than the hecklers that greeted her album launch this year at the HMV as she recounted). The magical Nick Drake-esque ode to the dangers of Tinder ‘Nodding Dog’ and ‘Perfect Storm’ were real sublime highlights.

If you want to understand the true magic and eclectic nature of Twisterella, then following Amelia was Perfect Chicken. Although it is nigh on impossible to describe them, my best attempt is punk rock performative theatrics in boiler suits and woolly hats with cut out eye and mouth holes! It is impossible not to love songs called ‘Scotch Eggs’ and ‘What Are You Doing To Me Noel Edmonds’. They said that their new album will be called ‘Pecking Order’.  They might be lying but I can’t wait.

Still at the Town Hall Crypt, Nottingham’s The Chase had ska at breakneck speed on the agenda. A brilliant energetic set featuring the brilliant single ‘Unbreakable’ and a great cover of ‘Night Boat To Cairo’ too.

Finally, it was Pom Poko performing at Teesside Uni SU Venue Bar (exactly five years to the day when they played Twisterella in the legendary much missed Westgarth Social Club). At the time, they had just released their debut ‘Birthday’ album on Bella Union Records. This tour sees them hot on the heels of their third album ‘Champion’ and their set featured the very best cuts of the three albums. From the frenzied beauty of ‘My Blood’ and ‘Follow The Lights’ from that debut album, to the more restrained and melodic ‘Growing Story’ and ‘My Family’ from ‘Champion’. Pom Poko were the perfect final act in the intimate Terrace Bar.

Congratulations to Twisterella and in particular Henry Carden and Andy Carr who work so hard to produce such an amazing festival. Here is to the next ten years!

Chris Bartley