It was truly joyous to see the bustling crowds at the Cluny, Newcastle, for a Saturday night sold out headline gig by local songstress, Heidi Curtis. Fellow North East musicians, L. Devine and Ben Harwood, were notable among the revellers in the crowd pit. And to top it all, another local superstar, Charlie Floyd, provided the support set with a pared down acoustic performance.
CHARLIE FLOYD – SUPPORT SET
An absolute pleasure as always to see the brilliant Charlie Floyd. On this occasion, rather than his regular full four piece live band, he played all tracks on a glorious sounding acoustic guitar, backed by a cool percussionist. It brightened the vibe of the place and allowed a more intimate engagement with the crowds; many of whom joined in with some of his most well-known tracks.
Among the big hitters in the set were 2000, Pinch Me and Take It Or Leave It. All giving that infectious retro indie rock sensibility that will certainly see Charlie gather in the crowds at the festivals throughout the year (can’t wait for Stockton Calling). There’s a distinct Beatles vibe to his sound. I can also hear a bit of Richard Ashcroft in his vocal.
But it was undoubtedly his utterly gorgeous current single, Stay, that landed best with this stunning chorus line. It’s clear this is the one that others in his fan base are really taking to as well.
HEIDI CURTIS – HEADLINE SET
Heidi’s headline set was truly sensational. She has really built up an impressive fan base over the last few years. Indeed tickets for this gig sold out so quickly that even those of us who usually have a finger on the pulse on the local music scene were hugely grateful for guest list entry; being one of her proud former teachers in attendance helped.
It is clear that Heidi has shaped her own sense of style. Her lead vocal style was both captivating and original. She moved naturally between rhythm guitar and piano at different parts of the set. She also paid meticulous attention to her stage design and her personally crafted outfit designs. This definitely provided an air of mystique to her performance which conjured up visions of Stevie Nicks in her prime.
On this matter, when introducing a track called Lost And Found, Heidi was keen to emphasise (to loud applause) her resistance to the current challenge of AI to the creativity of the music scene. Here she stood proudly as an artist demonstrating real authenticity and integrity through a truly passionate live performance. And added to this, she was backed by a highly skilled and energetic live band.
Heidi’s set was really slick and stylish. She has clearly learned her craft well through a stream of live dates in recent years, including multiple festival performances and support slots for artists including Paul Weller and The Snuts. There was a great track Ghost Behind The Door that appeared very personal and went down a storm with the crowds. Sat at the piano, she also covered Patti Smith’s majestic Because The Night; she recently performed this track on Jo Whiley’s Radio 2 programme to great acclaim.
And then it was her two studio releases to date that she kept for the end of the set that were absolutely thrilling. Siren and Undone both have a certain air of retro glory about them; Fleetwood Mac and PJ Harvey among others definitely come to mind. But both still sounded fresh with a modern sheen that was clearly Heidi’s own creation.
Heidi’s awesome vocals and rhythm guitar mixed nicely with the soundscapes from her superb band. Absolutely brilliant to see awesome drummer Dylan Thompson pounding out some tasty rhythms on the kit… the heavy tom action on Siren was a particular treat. And the mighty Joe Nixon on bass giving his incredible energy to each track. Both of these lads were formerly in an ace local band called Trunk, whose frontman, Connor Noble, was also in the crowds; he is currently working on some other exciting music projects. Plus Josh Thompson, who on lead guitar provided plenty of amazing flashes of sheer brilliance giving a clear edgy cool to the sound.
The loud applause and cheering throughout the gig indicated that Heidi is clearly a star on the rise. She and Charlie Floyd have been recognised as such by BBC Introducing as their “ones to watch” for 2026. Heidi could have played to a larger local venue, which I am sure is within her reach very soon. Meanwhile she has already announced some festival dates for later in the year.
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