Tens of thousands will have the chance to enjoy top national and regional performers as Middlesbrough Music Live swings into its fifth year. Viv Hardwick talks to event organiser Graham Ramsay about the £100,000 show.

THE fifth year of Middlesbrough Music Live's massive live event on Bank Holiday Monday is probably the most entertaining £100,000 ever spent in the North-East, according to event organiser Graham Ramsay.

His Teesside-based Ten Feet Tall music promotions business, which runs major venues like Middlesbrough's Empire, have spent the last four months ensuring that the free five-stage festival is going to wow ten of thousands of fans this year.

Ramsay says: "Last year we got The Darkness for £1,000 and now they are playing the major festivals for £500,000. We also booked Keane when they didn't have a record deal and now the band has a No 1 album, so I think we are establishing a reputation for selecting tomorrow's stars today.

"We don't have masses of cash to spend, but this year the bands creating a stir on the circuit want to come and play. And our success is down to the vision of Middlesbrough Borough Council who has given Music Live its support and allowed us the artistic leeway to keep improving the event year on year."

Thanks to Ten Feet Tall's ability to stage a range of music at its Middlesbrough venues, Ramsay and fellow booker Bryan Stubbs can assess the potential of new acts touring the region.

As a result the five headline bands on the day are: top ten hit-makers Electric Six, the unpredictable 80s Matchbox B-Line Disaster, mod-punk rising stars The Ordinary Boys, North Yorkshire Fame Academy favourite Alistair Griffin and signed Teesside band Mercedes.

According to Ramsay, the other acts to look out for are Goldie Lookin' Chain, playing at 5.20pm on the Central Gardens stage and the outrageous hip-hop Youngblood Brass Band from New Orleans, playing on the same stage at 3pm.

Ramsay says: "Goldie Lookin' Chain went down really well in Middlesbrough recently and we held a spot open for the Youngblood Brass Band right to the last minute because they are completely different and we wanted to get them here."

The free all-day festival kicks off from 11am and you can see full details on all acts by logging on to www.middlesbroughmusiclive.co.uk

Published: 27/05/2004