Three Tyneside bands lifted the spirits on a dreary, wet evening in Darlington on Friday.

Casualkai, The Silence Breaks and South Street gave powerful and energetic performances at the Forum to a large crowd, including homegrown fans from Tyneside and new fans from the Darlington area.

Casualkai opened the gig and drew praise for their impressive songwriting ability and lead singer Nick Gladdish's strong, expressive voice. The other members of Casualkai are Lee Brown, Jon Jarvis and Jon Fortune.

The band captured the crowd's imagination and played tunes from their recent self-titled EP, including Sidewinder and The Tired Line.

Fans called for an encore but the tightly-scheduled evening meant it was time for The Silence Breaks to take the stage.

Hailing from Newcastle, The Silence Breaks are Dave Brierley, Leigh Mason and Sean Thompson. The no-nonsense classic rock three-piece delivered some fantastic heavy rock pieces to an appreciative audience.

South Street finished an excellent evening of rock at the Forum with a mix of abrasive punk rock which the fans loved.

South Street are Ryan Quinn, Micky Brunskill, Jon Sams, Sean Connelly and Anth Gallagher.

The gig was hosted by Mike Nicholson, of Alpha FM.

* For more information about music in the North-East, visit www.thisisrevolution.co.uk