RIVALRIES between Sunderland and Newcastle are legendary, but tomorrow night (June 20) the cities stage their own battle of the bands.

While pop diva Rihanna appears at the Stadium of Light, rock legends, The Who perform at Newcastles Metro Radio Arena.

Barbadian singing sensation Rihanna will perform to tens of thousands as part of her 'Diamonds World Tour', while The Who are playing their seventies rock opera, Quadrophenia, to an army of dedicated fans just a few miles up the road.

The Tyneside gig is expected to attract 11,000 people to see original members, Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend, with Ringo Starr's son, Zak Starkey, on drums, and Pino Palladino playing bass.

Sections of show are dedicated to the memory of former members Keith Moon and John Entwistle.

Quadrophenia tells the story of Mods and Rockers clashing at Brighton and was made into a film six years later, featuring tracks such as The Real Me, 5:15 and Love Reign o'er Me.

An Arena spokesman said: "It's great to be welcoming such a legendary band to the Metro Radio Arena.

"We are expecting a fantastic performance when The Who take the stage with music from the iconic Quadrophenia album.

"We will be opening the doors to a capacity audience"

Around 12 miles away, around 55,000 fans will be watching 25-year-old Rihanna perform after sets from French house superstar DJ David Guetta and rising song duo GTA.

The stadium opens at 2pm and the crowd is expected to be one of the largest ever at the home of Sunderland Football Club.

It comes hot on the heels of last Thursday's gig by American rockers Bon Jovi and will be followed on Saturday by the North-East Live! music festival featuring JLS, The Wanted, Rita Ora, Little Mix, Lawson, Conor Maynard, Stooshe, Union J, Amelia Lily and James Arthur.

Commercial director Gary Hutchinson said: "We are proud of the stadium's growing reputation for delivering world class concerts, but even more proud of the impact this has had on the city as a whole.

"Sunderland is now firmly established as a leading destination on the music circuit and it's great that businesses across Sunderland and the wider North-East region can benefit from that."

Blob Let us know what you think of the gigs by commenting at www.thenorthernecho.co.uk