FOLLOWING a sell-out show last year, Cattle & Cane return to the Arc at Stockton next Thursday for a Christmas special. It’s a real family affair, with several members of the prodigious Hammill brood involved – Joe Hammill provides guitar and lead vocals alongside his sister Helen, who adds an extra layer of lead vocals and keys. Fran Hammill brings powerful dynamism on electric guitar and backing vocals while Paul Wilson and Vinny Hammill constitute the backline with drums and bass guitar.

Following their meteoric rise in 2010, after being selected by the BBC to perform at Scotland’s legendary T In The Park, the band has released two EPs – Sold My Soul and The Waiting – to critical acclaim. Increasingly tipped for big things, the buzz continues to grow after sold-out shows, features from iTunes, BBC 6Music and a Single of the Week award in the News of the World (of all places).

The band’s music is marked by a sepia-tinted, timeless quality that could just as easily have emerged from pre-war America as postmillennium Teesside, the band shifting even the hardest of hearts with their perfect, soaring harmonies.

This year started brightly for the band with a run of shows in Beijing, to celebrate the Chinese New Year.

Much of the year has seen the band locked away recording their debut full-length album, but they return to Arc for a Christmas show that will ring in the festive season in style alongside some special guests and seasonal surprises. Support comes from beatcrazy indie-pop starlets (and Huw Stephens favourites) Vinyl Jacket, and fast-rising Teesside songstress Abi Alton.

If it’s anything like last year’s show then the audience is in for a proper treat. Just leave it too late to try and bag your tickets.

  • Thursday, December 20: Cattle & Cane, Vinyl Jacket and Abi Alton. Tickets from £10. 8pm. ARC, Dovecot Street, Stockton, TS18 1LL. Box Office: 01642-525199