As the nights get longer then so does the list of quality acts appearing at The Glasshouse International Centre for Music in Gateshead. And this year, their late autumn and early winter programme is absolutely fizzing with exciting artists. Here’s the pick of our favourites.

I’m a real programme hound. Whenever a new one lands, I’m always all over it. And perhaps the programme I look forward to most, is The Glasshouse’s. The esteemed Gateshead venue has played host to some of my very favourite nights, and this autumn/winter they’re packing another fabulous line-up that I can’t stop licking my lips at.

I saw Adam Ant on his last tour and he absolutely knocked it out of the park, and I can’t wait to reacquaint myself with this consummate performer once again (2 November). It helps that he has one of those back catalogues that always sounds fresh. ‘Dog Eat Dog’, ‘Prince Charming’, ‘Stand and Deliver’, ‘Antmusic’ and ‘Kings of the Wild Frontier’ are solid gold classics and I’ve also got a soft spot for the likes of ‘Young Parisians’ – which was the debut single of Adam and the Ants. Add in solo hits such as ‘Goody Two Shows’ and ‘Wonderful’ and you’ve got a well that is exceptionally deep.

The Canadian singer/songwriter Ron Sexsmith isn’t as flashy as Adam Ant, but this is another fella who has quality tracks to burn (3 November). Neatly straddling the worlds of folk and pop, he’s now on his eighteenth studio album and to celebrate its release he’s playing three intimate solo shows – one in Dublin, one in Edinburgh, and one in Gateshead. He will be showcasing his most popular tunes alongside some deeper cuts and fan favourites.

The revered Los Angeles artist Jessica Pratt is one of the most singular and exciting performers to emerge in recent years and her live shows always conjure up a special kind of magic (9 November). She first broke through in 2019 with her album ‘Quiet Signs’ but she had the best reviews of her career for ‘Here in the Pitch’, which came out in May. It’s an album that is sure to make most Best Of 2024 lists with its beguiling mix of folk and country. (The likes of Pitchfork were all over it opining: “There is already so much to admire about Jessica Pratt the folk artist: her elliptical lyrics, her nylon-string guitar and voice to match. But the label of folk singer-songwriter doesn’t quite capture the real essence of the Jessica Pratt song. It is difficult to describe, like a dream that doesn’t go anywhere but still feels like you should talk about it in therapy.”)

Videogame composers are getting the recognition they deserve these days and Electric Arcade will be a special night filled with the soundtracks of some truly classic games (14 November). Performing tracks from the likes of ‘The Legend of Zelda’, ‘Assassin’s Creed’, ‘Uncharted’, ‘Castlevania’, ‘Fortnite’ and tonnes more will be Royal Northern Sinfonia who will be joined by legendary videogame composer/conductor

Eímear Noone. (Anyone for Tetris?)

The award-winning GemArts have been responsible for bringing us the best of South Asian culture to the region and their ever-popular Riverside Ragas continue into November with an appearance from Ustad Dharambir Singh (15 November). One of the most prominent sitar players and music educators based in the UK, he was a student of the legendary Ustad Vilayat Khan. Accompanying him will be his son, Kaviraj Singh, a musician known for his mastery of the santoor and Indian vocals; and Pandit Sanju Sahai, one of the finest and most sought after tabla players of his generation.

I adore both Bill Ryder Jones and Gruff Rhys, and if you put the pair together then and I’m in heaven (27 November). Two of Wales’ finest, they both released stunning albums earlier this year: ‘lechyd Da’ from Bill Ryder-Jones and ‘Sadness Sets You Free’ from Super Furry Animals’ frontman Gruff Rhys. Not sure who will be headlining their gig at The Glasshouse (they’re switching each night of their tour), but both will play a full set and both will be brilliant.

Elsewhere in The Glasshouse November programme also look out for the likes of the brilliant Scottish genre mangler James Grant (10 November); France’s Deep Forest (14 November) with their high-tempo electronic jazz sound; folk supergroup Bellowhead (23 November); and jazz supremo Jamie Cullum (29 November).

And it would be remiss of me if I didn’t flag up a couple of concerts taking place in early December that also look particularly enticing. One of these is The Unthanks in Winter (pictured - 3 December). ‘In Winter’ is the latest album from these local heroes, a double-album no less, and it will see the band embracing both the dark and light of this most ritualistic of seasons. This ambitious release features everything from a German Christmas song done in the style of the Beach Boys to a Spanish carol performed in an English folk style through the filter of Tom Waits.

There’s also a newly written tribute to the NHS; an abstract take on ‘A Ceremony of Carols’ by Benjamin Britten; and traditional wassails and old stories coloured with folk noir and traces of Vincent Guaraldi’s ‘Merry Christmas Charlie Brown’. Imagine!

Another unforgettable night is surely in the offing when The Wandering Hearts pay The Glasshouse a visit (6 December). This three-part vocal harmony group are at the forefront of the UK Americana, folk and country music scenes and their ‘Driving Home For Christmas’ gig will be an intimate evening full of festive song, stories and also some laughs. Full details on all the above, as well as the rest of The Glasshouse’s programme, can be gleaned from the website, below. DP

The Glasshouse International Centre for Music, Gateshead. 

theglasshouseicm.org