Orange WOW

Orange WOW is a FREE music festival now in it’s 16th year (formerly the NORTH SHIELDS FISH QUAY FESTIVAL, then WINDOW ON THE WORLD International Music Festival) which attracts over 500,000 visitors every year over the three days of the late Spring bank holiday.

In 2002 we will be running 4 live music stages from an open air stage amid the trees in Northumberland Park to the main stage on the beach, an open air arena with covered stage and standing (hopefully dancing) audience capacity of around 15 - 20,000.

Previous headline acts have included The Levellers, Jools Holland, Asian Dub Foundation, Nitin Sawhney, Eddi Reader, The Wailers, Osibisa. to name but a few.

Each stage has a headline act each day and in 2002 stages are:

The Main stage with an eclectic Pop, Roots World programme. Plans are in hand to have a Reggae/ Dub theme for one of the three days.

Jumpin’n'Hot Club Stage with a programme of blues, Cajun, soul, gospel and country. Previous headliners include Louisiana Red and The Handsome Family.

The Ice Stage, with room to dance and party to the best world roots sounds and contemporary fusion around. Legendary performers like Jimmy Bosch, Black Umfolosi, Klimax, Sierra Maestra, Santana Mongoley and Sawt El Atlas, have performed here in the past.

Last but not least The Dolphin Stage with a programme of hot touring bands, singer songwriters, new emerging talent and good time Rock’n’roll. Kathryn Williams appeared on this stage in May 2000.

Orange WOW brings together a huge audience for live music. Many who come say that this is the only live music event they have attended all year. The festival aims to be accessible to all regardless of physical or financial status.



This festival on North Shields working quayside has traditionally generated a large amount of regional media and press coverage as well as having a history of headline bands being recorded for broadcast. Nitin Sawhney & Asian Dub Foundation and others went out on World Service broadcasts as part of BBC Music Live in 2000 while Jools Holland’s 1999 performance went out as a BBC Radio 2 in concert programme. Regional radio and TV have broadcast live from the event on many occasions and In 2001 Galaxy Radio showcased on the main stage with traffic stopping performances by Hear'say, Phats & Small, DJ Pied Piper and many others.



Orange WOW’s ‘Window on the World’ theme not only includes the many hours of music and street theatre but extends to the mix of global flavours in the international food court as well as the varied arts and crafts available from the stalls that jostle for position along the quayside.



Orange WOW is a delicious mixture of contradictions and surprises.



Orange WOW 2002, June 1-3 inclusive. No camping, no mud, no tickets.



In 2001 new talent to attract attention included Brighton’s Mella Faye & The Big Band with their own blend of Latino pop jazz. Hot Franco/Moroccan outfit Sawt El Atlas. Devotchka, girl band with a millennium twist and Tyneside’s own Hot Rock House Band mixing gritty vocals with sublimely retro brass, guitar, bass and drums.



Songstress Lucie Idlout flew in from Ottawa, Canada to perform at Orange WOW on Sunday 27th. This 26-yr. old Inuit rock diva managed to mix political controversy, raunchy rhythms and catwalk glamour. She writes about the harsher realities of existence above the tree line. At Orange WOW the audience loved her Lara Croft looks and tight rock line up and begged for more.

Also on Sunday audiences enjoyed the much written about French folk roots band Lojo and Finland’s Gjallarhorn with a wild mix of new folk and world dance sounds.



On Monday 28th May the Orange World Stage became The Galaxy Stage for the day with non-stop music 12 noon till 10pm. Hosted by the station’s cult DJ’s both regional and national and with live national broadcasts planned, Galaxy kept their headliners under wraps only announcing live performances by Soda Club, 3NM, Pav and Masai. But still they brought Tyneside to standstill blocking all the main roads while the ferry terminal saw its biggest crowds ever.



The festival’s only indoor stage was a 1000 seater marquee with cabaret style seating. Up on Toll Square overlooking the quayside in 2001 this was the venue for The Jumpin’Hot Club Festival Stage. Over 27 solid hours of music ranging from American Blues legends to Rockabilly & New Country featuring Canada’s Blue Rodeo, The Handsome Family (USA), James Hunter and the Jokers and The Big Town Playboys. The venue was jumpin in more than name all weekend with three days of glorious sunshine and non stop music.