Knats Release 'A Great Day in Newcastle' After Proms
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- Knats released their second album “A Great Day in Newcastle,” featuring the lead single “Wor Jackie” and the track “Carpet Doctor” with Geordie Greep.
- Knats performed at the BBC Proms, marking their first high‑profile national stage appearance.
- Geordie Greep produced the album pro bono and previously toured with Knats as a supporting act and as backing band for Eddie Chacon.
- Knats expanded their lineup with trumpeter Ferg Kilsby, saxophonist George Johnson, pianist Sandro Shar, and poet Cooper Robson, all studying at Trinity Laban.
- Knats announced a spring tour that will include a stop at SXSW in March before the album’s release.
- Knats plan to launch a free youth jazz program in Newcastle modeled on Tomorrow’s Warriors, aiming to address regional disparity in the UK jazz scene.
- Knats originated after a school music club conflict where a teacher told them they weren’t good enough to cover Arctic Monkeys, prompting them to go DIY.
Why it matters: The album and spring tour give Knats a platform to break the London‑centric bias of the UK jazz revival, offering northern audiences fresh representation while challenging the dominance of southern‑based festivals and venues. It also signals that regional arts programmes can thrive when artists secure high‑profile gigs and pro‑bono production support, potentially encouraging funding bodies to invest beyond the capital.
