Peter Mann reveals the important history behind Aycliffe’s new music festival

A number of bands, including Black Nevada and Durham's Twister, will appear at the upcoming Royal Ordinance Factory Music Festival, at the Aycliffe Business Park, on October 1, in what promises to be a fun-packed day for all the family.

The venue was initially used during the war years as a munitions factory and started life as part of a 867-acre group of buildings built during the 1940s, now transformed to its present status. With the original complex retaining historical features, it’s now part of Aycliffe’s proud history and sees John Finley, whose grandmother Olive, mother Dorothy, and aunts Winnie and Teresa all worked at the factories during the war, keen to bring it's use into the modern day.

“It wasn’t something the family talked about,” admits John. “People didn’t make a big deal about what they did in the war. My uncle Tom used to tell me about mornings before school when he’d sit on the step waiting my gran to come home from her nightshift and seeing that her hair had gone a funny colour, because the chemicals in the explosive compounds which dyed workers’ skin and hair yellow.

“I had no idea where that work was. It was only when someone in the family told Uncle Tom what I was doing that he dug out some old photos and it all came too light.”

The venue will now play host to almost 12 hours of music and fun.

The event consists of military vehicles, climbing walls, trampolines and children's rides and music, plus performances from around a dozen acts scheduled to appear throughout the day and night – Fu Fighters, One Eyed Jack, Twister, Black Nevada, Fire Lady Luck, Metis, Craig Roddam Band, The Norgaards, The Last Fakers and The Gas Works.

The Norgaards are a triumvirate formed in late-2014 originally as a punk band before gradually shifting their focus to the indie sounds produced today. The band consists of Darren Banner (vocals/guitar), Welshman Jamie Davies (drummer) and Peter Robinson (bassist). Fire Lady Luck are an alt-rock band from Wearside and were formed in 2007 under their previous name of The Blitz before undergoing a name change last year when Fire Lady Luck was unleashed. Lewis Naylor Thubron founded the band that has gone on to support the like of The Stranglers and the Future Heads. They are rock veterans on the regional scene and opened The Willowman Festival last year. They’re preparing to breakout on a UK tour following the release of their third album this year.

The Gasworks are a quartet playing heavy rock/blues covers and one of the new kids on the block consisting of brother Joe (vocals/guitar) and Jamie Hyam (bassist), Josh Carr (vocals/guitar) and Will Shaw (drummer). They will be opening this year’s ROF 59 while the event headliners Fu Fighters are a quartet of Foo Fighters' fans consisting of founders John Saunders and Karl Cranswick alongside bassist Ian Craggs and frontman Adam Barnes.

Craig Roddam is an acoustic singer-songwriter from County Durham whose style has that easy listening vibe with catchy melodies that anyone can, and will, sing along to. His Debut EP Believe in What You Want explores different genres relating to his influences. Craig will be accompanied by his band, which consists of Jak Moore (drums), Daniel Genner (bassist) and Joe Hyam (lead guitar/backing vocals) as they look to bring something special to ROF 59's music festival. This band recently won TFM’s Big Audition.

One Eyed Jack provide very energetic rock covers with fast-paced tunes, big riffs, sweet melodies and lots of crowd participation. The heavy hitters are Black Nevada and Twister, both of whom have added more to their arsenal this year.

The former, consisting of female drummer Sarah Davies alongside Jordan Bailey (vocals), George Tait (guitar/vocals), Joe Metcalfe (guitar) and Jonny Moor (bassist/vocals) recently released their Fragments EP and the latter, County Durham rockers Twister, led by the unmistakable lead vocalist Stevie Stoker will release Trees on single, on September 5, and the first half of their third album, entitled Designed State of Mind, is available immediately after their O2 Academy launch in October. Stoker is ably supported by Matt Whitaker (bassist), Jake Grimes (guitar) and Joe Major (drums).

The Royal Ordinance Factory Music Festival (ROF59) takes place on Saturday, October 1, at noon until 11pm with tickets of £13 adults, £8 children (U15) available from the bands and via https://checkout.wescantickets.com