The Common Room

Candlelight: A Tribute to Queen
2024-01-13 18:30 (Europe/London) | The Common Room, Westgate Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 1SE, United Kingdom
⭐ Candlelight concerts bring the magic of a live, multi-sensory musical experience to awe-inspiring locations never before used for this purpose in Newcastle upon Tyne. Buy your tickets now to discover the music of Queen at The Common Room at Wood Hall under the gentle glow of candlelight.

Add-on: Snapshot by Candlelight
📸 Personalize your Candlelight experience and make it unforgettable! Snapshot by Candlelight is an enchanting photo service that makes the most of the beautiful glow of the candles. Strike a pose and our photographers will print an instant photo for you to take home as a lovely keepsake.
General Info
📍 Venue: The Common Room at Wood Hall
📅 Dates and times: select your dates/times directly in the ticket selector
⏳ Duration: 60 minutes (doors open 45 mins prior to the start time and late entry is not permitted)
👤 Age requirement: 8+. Anyone under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult
♿ Accessibility: this venue is wheelchair accessible
❓ View the FAQs for this event here
🪑 Seating is assigned on a first come first served basis in each zone
🕯️ If you would like to book a private concert (min 40+ people), please click here
🎻 Check out all the Candlelight concerts in Newcastle upon Tyne
🎁 To treat your friends and family to a Candlelight gift card, click here
Programme

Love of My Life
Under Pressure (ft. David Bowie)
You’re My Best Friend
Don’t Stop Me Now
Who Wants to Live Forever
We Will Rock You
I Want to Break Free
Bohemian Rhapsody
Crazy Little Thing Called Love
We Are the Champions
Somebody to Love
Another One Bites the Dust

Performers

String quartet – Aurora Strings

Vice Killer plus support from Citrus
2024-01-27 19:00 - 22:30 | The Common Room, Westgate Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 1SE, United Kingdom
Alternative Indie band Vice Killer begin 2024 by playing their first headline show at the unique venue ‘The Common Room Of The Great North’ in Newcastle.
Supported by Newcastle based band ‘Citrus’

Relaxed LEGO Sessions
2024-02-20 10:00 - 17:00 | The Common Room, Westgate Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 1SE, United Kingdom
Join us at The Common Room for a relaxed LEGO session, with low lighting and less noise.
There are 2 sessions available, 10:30 and 13:00. Each session is 90 minutes but you can stay longer and enjoy the visit at The Common Room.
Booking information
Each person attending, including adults accompanying children and carers, must have their own ticket.
If you have any access needs please email: events@thecommonroom.org.uk when you make your booking.
Arriving early, or fancy sticking around? Our café bar, 5|Quarter will be serving hot and cold food & drinks from 10:00-18:00.
Additional information
Location: The Common Room, Westgate Road, Newcastle NE1 1SE
Children must be supervised at all times by a responsible adult.
Age recommendation: 5+
About The Common Room
The Common Room is a charity formed in 2017 to restore the Grade II* listed Neville Hall in Newcastle upon Tyne (home to The Mining Institute since 1872), and its significant archive and collections documenting centuries of engineering, mining, and wider scientific innovation.
Thanks to National Lottery players, an £8.9m grant has enabled us to spend over £7 million restoring the building, and around £2m to support our running costs, preserve our collections, and to drive our mission: to use our unique heritage to inspire the next generation of innovators and engineers.
Complete with its own café bar, 5|Quarter, The Common Room is also available for hire for private events, including conferences, lectures, weddings, and gigs.
Find out more at thecommonroom.org.uk

Mini Mariners!
2024-02-21 10:00 - 15:00, 2024-02-22 10:00 - 15:00 | The Common Room, Westgate Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 1SE, United Kingdom
Ahoy, Mini Mariners! Get ready to set sail on a thrilling adventure in our Boat Material Testing Workshop. In this hands-on craft session, young shipbuilders will explore the fascinating world of boat construction by experimenting with various materials to find out which ones make the sturdiest and most buoyant boats.
Kids will have the chance to unleash their creativity as they design and build miniature boats, testing materials such as cardboard, plastic, foil, and more. Through trial and error, they’ll discover the secrets to creating vessels that can brave the high seas (or a water basin) without springing a leak.
Join us for a nautical journey of discovery, where imagination meets experimentation! Let’s chart a course for fun and learning with Mini Mariners!
Booking information
Each person attending, including adults accompanying children, must have their own ticket
If you have any access needs please email: events@thecommonroom.org.uk when you make your booking.
Arriving early, or fancy sticking around? Our café bar, 5|Quarter will be serving hot and cold food & drinks from 09:00-17:00.
Additional information
Location: The Common Room, Westgate Road, Newcastle NE1 1SE
Children must be supervised at all times by a responsible adult.
About The Common Room
The Common Room is a charity formed in 2017 to restore the Grade II* listed Neville Hall in Newcastle upon Tyne (home to The Mining Institute since 1872), and its significant archive and collections documenting centuries of engineering, mining, and wider scientific innovation.
Thanks to National Lottery players, an £8.9m grant has enabled us to spend over £7 million restoring the building, and around £2m to support our running costs, preserve our collections, and to drive our mission: to use our unique heritage to inspire the next generation of innovators and engineers.
Complete with its own café bar, 5|Quarter, The Common Room is also available for hire for private events, including conferences, lectures, weddings, and gigs.
Find out more at thecommonroom.org.uk

Mini Mariners!
2024-02-23 10:00 - 15:00 | The Common Room, Westgate Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 1SE, United Kingdom
Ahoy, Mini Mariners! Get ready to set sail on a thrilling adventure in our Boat Material Testing Workshop. In this hands-on craft session, young shipbuilders will explore the fascinating world of boat construction by experimenting with various materials to find out which ones make the sturdiest and most buoyant boats.
Kids will have the chance to unleash their creativity as they design and build miniature boats, testing materials such as cardboard, plastic, foil, and more. Through trial and error, they’ll discover the secrets to creating vessels that can brave the high seas (or a water basin) without springing a leak.
Join us for a nautical journey of discovery, where imagination meets experimentation! Let’s chart a course for fun and learning with Mini Mariners!
Booking information
Each person attending, including adults accompanying children, must have their own ticket
If you have any access needs please email: events@thecommonroom.org.uk when you make your booking.
Arriving early, or fancy sticking around? Our café bar, 5|Quarter will be serving hot and cold food & drinks from 9:00-17:00.
Additional information
Location: The Common Room, Westgate Road, Newcastle NE1 1SE
Children must be supervised at all times by a responsible adult.
About The Common Room
The Common Room is a charity formed in 2017 to restore the Grade II* listed Neville Hall in Newcastle upon Tyne (home to The Mining Institute since 1872), and its significant archive and collections documenting centuries of engineering, mining, and wider scientific innovation.
Thanks to National Lottery players, an £8.9m grant has enabled us to spend over £7 million restoring the building, and around £2m to support our running costs, preserve our collections, and to drive our mission: to use our unique heritage to inspire the next generation of innovators and engineers.
Complete with its own café bar, 5|Quarter, The Common Room is also available for hire for private events, including conferences, lectures, weddings, and gigs.
Find out more at thecommonroom.org.uk

Local film classics at The Common Room: Get Carter (1971), 18+
2024-03-01 19:00 - 21:00 | The Common Room, Westgate Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 1SE, United Kingdom
Join us on 1st March for a gripping cinematic experience as we present “Get Carter” in The Common Room’s Lecture Theatre. Immerse yourself in the suspense, drama, and intrigue of this iconic local film.
📅 Date: 1 March, 2024
🕕 Time: Doors open at 6:00 pm, film starts at 7:00 pm
🏠 Venue: Lecture Theatre, The Common Room
🎟️ Ticket Price: £9 (includes a complimentary cocktail)
✨ Year: 1971 | Duration: 112 min
Please note the screening is in our lecture theatre which includes fixed tiered seating. Seating location is allocated on a first come first serve basis. If you have any access needs please email: events@thecommonroom.org.uk when you make your booking.
Every ticket sold will help secure the future of The Common Room charity.
Arriving early, or fancy sticking around?
Our café bar, 5|Quarter will be serving hot & cold drinks, nibbles and some fantastic offers on wine and cocktails, until late.
Refund Policy
Contact the organiser to request a refund. Eventbrite’s fee is non-refundable.
Additional information
Location: Lecture Theatre, The Common Room, Westgate Road, Newcastle, NE1 1SE
Our building is fully accessible – the Lecture Theatre has one space available for a wheelchair. If you have any queries about accessibility, please contact events@thecommonroom.org.uk

Sound Of The Sirens: Vinyl Release Tour 2024
2024-03-02 19:00 - 21:00 | The Common Room, Westgate Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 1SE, United Kingdom
Eastside events present Sound of The Sirens plus support Newcastle The Common Room.
Saturday 2nd March 2024
Doors 7pm
Tickets £15.00
Sound of the Sirens are a singer-songwriting duo based in Exeter, Devon comprising of Abbe Martin & Hannah Wood. Honing their craft over the past decade, Martin & Wood have cemented themselves as firm favourites as “one of the UK’s finest folk acts” not only on the Westcountry scene, but nationally, and internationally too. Their status, and fast-growing fan-base is not only testament to the pair’s prowess as songwriters and musicians, but as people too. Find out more below.
CHANNELS
Website
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
YouTube
Spotify

Magnificent Women: Pioneering Engineers Past and Present
2024-03-07 18:00 - 20:00 | The Common Room, Westgate Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 1SE, United Kingdom
Who were the pioneers who built local power stations in the 1930s to bring electricity into the home? What role do female engineers have today in the transition to clean energy? How can women secure exciting new jobs in the digital industries? Graeme Gooday and Laura Brown of Northern Powergrid talk to author Henrietta Heald at The Common Room about women and electricity, past and present. Featuring a special performance by the spectactular Howay the Lasses!
Graeme Gooday is Professor of the History of Science and Technology at the University of Leeds. He has published extensively on science and technology in Victorian and Edwardian Britain, especially on the histories of electricity, energy, and women’s participation in technology. In addition to winning prizes for research and education, he led the AHRC-funded Electrifying Women project in 2019-20 to mark the centenary of the Women’s Engineering Society founding in 1919.
Laura Brown is a commercial manager at Northern Powergrid, the body in charge of the electricity network that powers everyday life for more than 8 million people across 3.9 million homes and businesses in the northeast region. She works with generators and users of electricity to enable them to accelerate their delivery of Net Zero.
Henrietta Heald is the author of Magnificent Women and Their Revolutionary Machines, about the extraordinary individuals who set up the Women’s Engineering Society a century ago, and Magician of the North, a biography of Lord Armstrong of Cragside. Her many media appearances have included BBC Woman’s Hour, Michael Portillo’s Great Railway Journeys, Inside the Factory, and interviews with BBC Radio Newcastle, Look North and Tyne Tees.
Magnificent Women: Pioneering Engineers, Past and Present is an event in the series Electric Dreams, celebrating the centenary of the Electrical Association for Women.
Arriving early, or fancy sticking around?
Our café bar, 5|Quarter will be serving hot & cold drinks, nibbles and some fantastic offers on wine and cocktails, until late.
Refund Policy
Contact the organiser to request a refund. Eventbrite’s fee is non-refundable.
Additional information
Location: The Common Room, Westgate Road, Newcastle, NE1 1SE
Our building is fully accessible – the Lecture Theatre has one space available for a wheelchair. If you have any queries about accessibility, please contact events@thecommonroom.org.uk
About The Common Room
The Common Room is a charity and venue based in Newcastle Upon Tyne. Home to the Mining Institute since 1872, The Common Room aims to use its unique heritage to inspire the next generation of innovators and engineers, with an ongoing free science and heritage programme for the public, schools, youth groups, communities and more.
Complete with its own café bar, 5|Quarter, The Common Room is also available for hire for private events including conferences, lectures, weddings, and gigs. Thanks to National Lottery players, an £8.9m grant has enabled us to spend over £7 million restoring the building, and around £2m to support our running costs, preserve our collections, and to drive our mission. Find how you can support us here.
Visit our website to find out more about The Common Room: thecommonroom.org.uk

Faber Members Welcome Evening: Richard T. Kelly and Joey Connelly in conversation
2024-03-16 19:00 - 20:00 | The Common Room, Westgate Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 1SE, United Kingdom
Join us for our exciting inaugural Members Event in The Common Room as part of our Faber Welcome Day, in partnership with Faber Academy. Richard T. Kelly will join Faber Members to delve into his latest novel, The Black Eden, in conversation with Joey Connolly, Director of Faber Academy, discussing in particular why the theme of friendship informed the structure of this story of the discovery of oil under the North Sea.

Everything you need to know about this Faber Members event:

The event will start at 6:30 p.m. with a welcome drink and then the event itself will start at 7 p.m. A welcome drink is included in the ticket price.
This event is taking place in the Stephenson Room of The Common Room, Neville Hall, Westgate Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 1SE.
Signed copies of books will be available to purchase using contactless payment.
People eligible for concessionary rates (anyone needing financial assistance to attend) can get free tickets by emailing members@faber.co.uk

BBC Academy: Production Unlocked
2024-04-24 10:00 - 20:00 | The Common Room, Westgate Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 1SE, United Kingdom
Production Unlocked is coming to Newcastle to bring you a packed schedule of free masterclasses, discussions and expert advice for people who work in, or want to work in, the creative industries! We’re teaming up with top UK media organisations to deliver a varied schedule.
Go behind the scenes at one of the BBC’s longest running children’s drama series – The Dumping Ground – and find out how Children’s TV made in the North East continues to be a fantastic training ground for anyone wanting to work in TV Drama.
Jen Corcoran will share her experience of producing Tish, one of the most successful feature-length documentaries of 2023. Award-winning stand up, actor, screenwriter and executive producer Jason Cook will give you a masterclass in Writing for Broadcast Comedy. Meet the makers of hit reality shows Charlotte in Sunderland, Scarlett’s Driving School, and Angels of the North.
Discover the opportunities on offer if you want to get into the screen industries in the North East. A panel of commissioners from BBC and Channel 5 will discuss what they’re looking for, and North East Screen Chief Executive Alison Gwynn will share her insights on growing the industry and how production in the region has trebled in 2024.

TISH: Screening & Q&A with Ella Murtha
2024-05-02 18:00 - 20:30 | The Common Room, Westgate Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 1SE, United Kingdom
TISH: Documentary Screening and Q&A with Ella Murtha at The Common Room
A film by Paul Sng
BBFC Feature: 15 +
Documentary | English | 90 mins
Starring Tish Murtha, Ella Murtha
Narrated by Maxine Peake
TISH is a lovingly realised documentary of Tish Murtha’s life, family, and exceptional talent as a social documentary photographer. A result of remarkable archival efforts by various individuals, including her daughter, Ella Murtha, to establish her mother’s legacy.
Tish was committed to highlighting and challenging the inequality of the working-class communities that she grew up with in the North East. Her brilliant eye, unswerving ethics and constant empathy are present in her images, artefacts, letters, and diaries explored within this documentary.
The Common Room are incredibly proud to present TISH, and to have Ella join us for a discussion after the screening. Join us in a celebration of our region’s archival heritage and Tish Murtha’s invaluable dedication to documenting working-class communities in the North East and beyond.
Event Details:
Date: 2 May 2024
Time: Doors open at 6:00 pm, film starts at 6:30 pm
Venue: Lecture Theatre, The Common Room
Q&A Session:
Following the screening, Ella Murtha will lead a tribute to her mother’s legacy, offering personal insights and reflections on Tish Murtha’s life and work. The audience will have the opportunity to ask Ella questions, as she shares stories about her mother’s life as a photographer and activist.
Tickets:
General Admission: £8 (Includes screening and Q&A)
Accessibility
Please note the screening is in our Lecture Theatre, which includes fixed tiered seating. Level access seating spans across our back row, with one space available for a wheelchair. Seating is allocated on a first come first serve basis, however, if you have any access needs, please email: events@thecommonroom.org.uk when you make your booking to reserve a level-access seat or contact us with any queries regarding your visit.
About The Common Room
The Common Room is a charity, archive and heritage venue based in Newcastle Upon Tyne. Home to the Mining Institute since 1872, The Common Room aims to use its unique building as a space for the common good.
Thanks to National Lottery players, an £8.9m grant has enabled us to spend over £7 million restoring the building, and around £2m to support our running costs, preserve our collections, and to drive our mission.
Complete with its own café bar, 5|Quarter, The Common Room is also available for hire for private events including conferences, lectures, weddings, screenings and gigs.

Sanctum Sanctorium: The Darkside of the 80's
2024-05-10 19:00 - 22:00 | The Common Room, Westgate Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 1SE, United Kingdom
Formed through a mutual love of 80’s goth and alternative rock music. Sanctum Santorium are a live 6-piece band that faithfully recreate classic hits by artists such as The Cult, Killing Joke, Sisters of Mercy, Siouxsie & The Banshees, The Cure, Bauhaus and more. Smoke machines at the ready with the clothes and the attitude. Visually and musically, they are startlingly accurate. SS deliver a blistering live set from She Sells Sanctuary and Love like Blood through to Bela Lugosi’s Dead & This Corrosion. Dust down your leather jacket and paint your nails and get ready to be transported to The Dark Side of the 80’s.
Event details:
JS Promotions present Sanctum Sanctorium-Darkside of The 80’s
Venue: Wood Hall, The Common Room
Date: Friday 10th May 2024
Time: Doors 7pm
Tickets: £15.00
Please note this show has been moved from Newcastle University, all tickets remain valid, current sales are around 120

Discovering New Worlds: An evening with Kielder Observatory at The Common Room
2024-05-15 18:00 - 20:00 | The Common Room, Westgate Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 1SE, United Kingdom
In collaboration with Kielder Observatory, The Common Room invites you to discuss a question which has perplexed humans for eons: Is there life outside of earth?
We now creep ever closer to uncovering the answer to that very question. Every year more and more planets surrounding other star systems are being discovered, but could they sustain life? How would we know? And how may worlds are there?
Join us in Discovering New Worlds as we explore Exoplanets and the latest scientific discoveries in our universe, presented by Adam Shore from Kielder Observatory at The Common Room.
Event Details:
Date: Wednesday, 15th May 2024
Time: Doors open at 6:00 pm, begins at 6:30 pm
Venue: Lecture Theatre, The Common Room
Tickets:
General Admission: £10
Accessibility
Please note the screening is in our Lecture Theatre, which includes fixed tiered seating. Level access seating spans across our back row, with one space available for a wheelchair. Seating is allocated on a first come first serve basis, however, if you have any access needs, please email: events@thecommonroom.org.uk when you make your booking to reserve a level-access seat or contact us with any queries regarding your visit.
About The Common Room
The Common Room is a charity, archive and heritage venue based in Newcastle Upon Tyne. Home to the Mining Institute since 1872, The Common Room aims to use its unique building as a space for the common good.
Thanks to National Lottery players, an £8.9m grant has enabled us to spend over £7 million restoring the building, and around £2m to support our running costs, preserve our collections, and to drive our mission.
Complete with its own café bar, 5|Quarter, The Common Room is also available for hire for private events including conferences, lectures, weddings, screenings and gigs.

Wandering Oak presents Dana Gavanski plus Bingo Fury and Ladakee
2024-06-01 19:00 - 21:00 | The Common Room, Westgate Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 1SE, United Kingdom
Born in Vancouver to a Serbian family, but relocating to Montreal to attend university, Dana Gavanski originally planned to pursue a career in film. However, she shifted her attention back to music when her then ex-partner left her his guitar before moving to NYC. Having known only how to play ‘Diamonds and Rust’ by Joan Baez, Dana picked up a Travis Picking technique book and started re-learning how to play. When in the Summer of 2016, she took a job with her father as a producer’s assistant on a horror film in the Laurentians, she made enough to focus solely on developing her music for a year. With that came her first EP, Spring Demos.
In 2019, Dana signed with Full Time Hobby and released two 7″ singles (“One By One”, “Catch”) and announced her debut album “Yesterday Is Gone”, a co-production between Sam Gleason, Tunng’s Mike Lindsay and Dana herself. The critically acclaimed album was released in March 2020, followed by an EP of covers titled “Wind Songs”, released in August of the same year. Dana’s second album “When It Comes” was released in April 2022, followed by headline tours around UK, Europe and north America, and is followed by third album LATE SLAP, due for release in April 2024.
Artist Site: https://www.danagavanski.co.uk/
Bingo Fury conjures a glitzy – altogether seedy – Broadway sheen. Although very much a solo songwriter, Bingo’s compositional process relies on contributions from his entire band – bassist Megan Jenkins, and drummer Henry Terrett have been playing together since their teens. In one of their various incarnations, they recruited local avant-jazz legend, cornet player Harry ‘Iceman’ Furniss, with guitarist and percussionist Rafi Cohen later completing the line-up.
Influenced by classic songwriters as much as pioneers of alternative experimentation, the songs can often land like a jazz standard that got lost multiple times on its journey to the present day. Some pit stops are obvious: the haunting balladry of Nina Simone and Leonard Cohen, and the arresting no-wave of James Chance and The Lounge Lizards.

Artist Site: https://bingofury.bandcamp.com/album/bats-feet-for-a-widow

Ladakee is the solo project of Sarah Suri of Nano Kino. Inspired by the likes of Melodys Echo Chamber, Panda Bear and Antelope, she blends psychedelic shoe gaze with rhythmic guitar hooks and dreamy harmonies. Joined by Andrew Jones of Pit Pony and Cheap lunch, Ladakee performs atmospheric and immersive live shows for the senses.
Artist Site: https://ladakee.bandcamp.com/
Tickets:
£12.50 advance
Ages 18+ only
Doors open 7:00pm
For ages 18+ only
Ticket Links:
See Tickets (MAIN OUTLET, USE THIS) – Wandering Oak account – https://www.seetickets.com/event/dana-gavanski/the-common-room-of-the-great-north/2929865
DICE – Wandering Oak account – https://dice.fm/event/qqyw9-dana-gavanski-1st-jun-the-common-room-of-the-great-north-newcastle-tickets
Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmT5SrNNEZM

The Old Oak (2023): Screening and Q&A with cast members at The Common Room
2024-06-10 18:00 - 20:30 | The Common Room, Westgate Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 1SE, United Kingdom
The Old Oak (2023): Screening and Q&A with cast members Claire Rodgerson and Dave Turner at The Common Room
Directed by Ken Loach
15+ | English | 113 mins
The Old Oak is a special place. Not only is it the last pub standing, but it’s also the only remaining public space where people can meet in a once thriving mining community in the North East, that has now fallen on hard times after 30 years of decline.
TJ Ballantyne (Dave Turner) the landlord, hangs on to The Old Oak by his fingertips. His predicament is endangered even more when the pub becomes contested territory after the arrival of Syrian refugees who are placed in the village without any notice.
Can they find a way for the two communities to understand each other? So unfolds a deeply moving drama about their fragilities and hopes.
The Common Room are incredibly proud to present The Old Oak, and to have Claire and Dave join us for a discussion after the screening. Join us in a celebration of our region’s resilience and Ken Loach’s invaluable dedication to documenting working-class communities in the North East and beyond.
Event Details:
Date: 10th June 2024
Time: Doors open at 6:00 pm, film starts at 6:30 pm
Venue: Lecture Theatre, The Common Room
Q&A Session:
Following the screening, the audience will have the opportunity to ask Claire and Dave questions, as they share insight into the making of the film.
Tickets:
General Admission: £8 (Includes screening and Q&A)
Accessibility
Please note the screening is in our Lecture Theatre, which includes fixed tiered seating. Level access seating spans across our back row, with one space available for a wheelchair. Seating is allocated on a first come first serve basis, however, if you have any access needs, please email: events@thecommonroom.org.uk when you make your booking to reserve a level-access seat or contact us with any queries regarding your visit.
Arriving early, or fancy sticking around?
Our café bar, 5|Quarter will be available to serve hot & cold drinks during and after the screening.

Hapless Museum Worker Presents Robyn Hitchcock
2024-09-03 19:00 - 23:00 | The Common Room, Westgate Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 1SE, United Kingdom
With a career now spanning six decades, Robyn Hitchcock remains a truly one-of-a-kind artist: surrealist rock ’n’ roller, acoustic troubadour, poet, painter, and writer . From The Soft Boys’ art-rock and The Egyptians’ Dadaist pop to solo masterpieces like 1984’s milestone I Often Dream of Trains and 1990’s Eye, Hitchcock has crafted a striking oeuvre rife with recurring marine life, obsolete electric transport, ghosts, cheese and what one writer has described as ‘morbid eroticism’.
Born in London in 1953, Hitchcock attended Winchester College and the City & Guilds Art School before moving to Cambridge in 1974. There he worked his way up from the folk clubs to found Dennis & The Experts who metamorphosed into The Soft Boys in 1976. Though light years away from first wave punk’s revolutionary clatter, the band still manifested the era’s spirit of DIY independence with their breakneck reimagining of British psychedelia. During their original lifetime, The Soft Boys released but two albums, among them 1980’s landmark LP, Underwater Moonlight. “The term ‘classic’ is almost as overused as ‘genius’ and ‘influential,’” declared Rolling Stone upon the album’s 2001 reissue. “But Underwater Moonlight remains all three of those descriptions.”
Hitchcock launched his solo career with 1981’s Black Snake Diamond Röle, affirming his knack for idiosyncratic insight and surrealist hijinks. 1984’s I Often Dream Of Trains fused that approach with autumnal acoustic arrangements which served to deepen the emotional range of his songcraft. Robyn Hitchcock and The Egyptians were launched that same year and immediately lit up US college rock playlists with albums like 1986’s Element of Light. Cited as an influence by REM and The Replacements, he signed to A&M Records in 1987 and scored early ‘alternative’ hits with “Balloon Man” and “Madonna of the Wasps.” Hitchcock returned to his dark acoustic palette with 1990’s equally masterful Eye before joining the Warner Bros. label for a succession of acclaimed albums including 1996’s Moss Elixir and 1999’s Jewels For Sophia.
The Soft Boys came together for a second go-around in 2001, releasing Nextdoorland on Matador Records to critical applause. Hitchcock joined the Yep Roc label in 2004, releasing collaborations with like-minded friends Gillian Welch and Dave Rawlings (2004’s Spooked) and legendary producer Joe Boyd (2014’s The Man Upstairs). Beginning in 2006, Hitchcock released a trio of albums backed by The Venus 3, featuring Peter Buck, Scott McCaughey, and the late Bill Rieflin.
Robyn moved to Nashville in 2015 and gravitated to the Music City community, recording 2017’s Robyn Hitchcock with an array of local talent including co-producer Brendan Benson. In 2019, he joined forces with XTC’s Andy Partridge for the four-song EP, Planet England.
Music aside, Hitchcock has appeared in a number of films, three of them by the late Jonathan Demme: 1998’s concert documentary Storefront Hitchcock as well as roles in 2004’s The Manchurian Candidate 2008’s Rachel’s Getting Married.

YOGA and Sound Therapy Day Retreat- Healing Hatha Yoga
2024-09-28 10:00 - 16:00 | The Common Room, Westgate Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 1SE, United Kingdom
Embark on a rejuvenating journey at our Yoga and Sound Therapy Day Retreat on September 28th, 2024, from 10 am to 4 pm.
Learn about and practice Yoga Nidra (one morning session) and Yoga Nidra for sleep (afternoon session).
Ticket includes:
A revitalising morning Hatha Yoga session
Deep relaxation with a Sound Therapy session.
Lunch and refreshments
Total £77 per person
For full schedule and booking-
Website https://www.healinghathayoga.co.uk/book-a-yoga-retreat/
Bookwhen: https://bookwhen.com/healinghathayoga/e/ev-s3ab-20240928100000Healing Hatha Yoga – Booking by Bookwhen
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/healinghathayoga/
Or email HealingHathaYoga1@gmail.com or Facebook Healing Hatha Yoga

Emma Smith Music with Strictly Smokin' Big Band
2024-09-29 17:00 - 22:00 | The Common Room, Westgate Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 1SE, United Kingdom
Emma Smith is not only a rising jazz star in her own right, but is also one third of the vocal group Puppini Sisters who shot to fame after recordings with Michael Bublé – we can’t wait to have her guest with the Strictly Smokin Big Band in September.
“Reinventing the big band…” – Jazzwise (Strictly Smokin’)
“…the most stylish and original interpreters of Songbook classics on the scene.” – All About Jazz (Emma Smith)
“…effortlessly fluent…” – Jazz Alert (Strictly Smokin’)
With diverse and extensive experience performing everywhere from the 02 Arena to the leading jazz clubs of New York City, collaborating and recording with the likes of Robbie Williams, Georgie Fame and Seal along the way, Emma has created a formidable reputation as a powerful and expressive vocalist.
This show will feature music from Emma’s new solo album: Meshuga Baby, as well as a rage of other arrangements performed by Emma on her engagements with the stand-out big bands of Europe.
We’re also excited to bring you this show in a brand new venue: The Common Rooom in Newcastle – a beautiful room, fully accessible, great acoustics, an excellent cafe/ bar and great transport links.
🗓️ Sunday 29th September 2024
📍 The Common Room, Newcastle
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Emma’s many accolades to date includes the widespread success of the long established vocal harmony group The Puppini Sisters, as well as a stint as a broadcaster on BBC Radio 3, not to mention a range of awards and compliments from organisations and critics alike, including winning the prestigious ‘Worshipful Company Of Musicians Medal’. Now with the release of the new album and a series of live dates throughout the UK, Emma Smith will continue her rise to prominence as a multifaceted singer-songwriter with outstanding vocal ability.

COCO’s Spanish Night
2024-10-04 18:00 - 23:00 | The Common Room, Westgate Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 1SE, United Kingdom
Date: Friday 4th October 2024
Time: 6pm welcome drink, 6:30pm event start
Location: The Common Room, Neville Hall, Westgate Road, NE1 1SE
What’s included: Join us for an unforgettable evening of Spanish wine, food, and entertainment in aid of brighter futures across the globe! Savour the rich flavours of Spain with a selection of exquisite wines, paired perfectly with delicious food, followed by live performances of dance and music, all in the stunning surroundings of one of Newcastle’s most unique heritage venues, The Common Room.
Ticket price: £45
More info and book tickets online at: https://www.coco.org.uk/spanish-night

Electric Dreams at The Common Room
2024-11-16 11:00 - 15:00
An electrifying day for all the family!
Join us for a family day at the Common Room as part of the Electric Dreams festival and try your hand at building a model wind-turbine or hydrogen-powered racing car or our interactive energy grid balancing simulation. Discover what’s going on in the North East in response to climate change … Lego, games, model-making, book readings, hands-on activities and more – all related to electricity and energy generation.
Presented in association with Northern Powergrid, Newcastle University, Northern Gas Networks, NESO, the Women’s Engineering Society, the IET, and the Ministry for Eco Education.
11:00am – 3:00pm
Drop in, no booking or tickets required
(please ignore “Get tickets” button)
Free of charge, most suitable for ages 5+ but all welcome. All children must be accompanied by an adult.

Full details of Exhibits (PDF)
Part of the national Electric Dreams festival celebrating the centenary of the formation of the Electrical Association for Women

MARGINAL GAINS headline The Common Room in Newcastle
2024-11-16 19:00 - 23:00 | The Common Room, Westgate Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 1SE, United Kingdom
Join Marginal Gains at The Common Room on Saturday, 16th November.
Supporting them is the talented Tight Collar.
Event Details:

Date: Saturday, 16th November
Venue: The Common Room, Newcastle
Doors open: 19:00
Tickets: £7 in advance (+booking fee) / £10 on the door

Secure your tickets now and prepare for an unforgettable evening of music, drinks and so much more!

4o

Christmas at The Common Room: Charm making workshop
2024-12-06 18:00 - 20:00 | The Common Room, Westgate Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 1SE, United Kingdom
Join us for a relaxed Friday evening of charm making, cocktails, and festive fun! Gather with friends or come solo to make unique charms, perfect as gifts or a personal holiday keepsake.

What’s Included:

All materials to create your own custom charm
A complimentary mince pie with each ticket
Access to our full menu of cocktails, seasonal drinks, and hot beverages available for purchase

Christmas at The Common Room: Afternoon Tea and Festive Film screening
2024-12-07 13:00 - 16:00 | The Common Room, Westgate Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 1SE, United Kingdom
Enjoy afternoon tea whilst soaking in the beautiful atmosphere of the Wood Hall, dressed for Christmas! Followed by a screening of Love Actually in our Lecture theatre.
Join us for a memorable experience that promises laughter, delicious treats and festive cheer.

£30 per person with a glass of Prosecco
£26 per person without Prosecco

Christmas at The Common Room: Glass Bottle painting
2024-12-12 18:00 - 20:00 | The Common Room, Westgate Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 1SE, United Kingdom
An evening of relaxed bottle painting and drinks in our 5|Quarter café bar, inspired by the beautiful stained glass windows in the Wood Hall.
Create a Christmas decoration or gift, lit up with fairy lights, to take home.

Christmas at The Common Room: Family screening of Stick Man
2024-12-21 11:00 - 12:45
Join us for a family screening of Stick Man in the Lecture Theatre. With children’s activities and a festive reading corner to enjoy in the Wood Hall beforehand.
£10 – admits one child and accompanying adult
£5 – additional tickets

Enjoy festive goodies served in the cafe, including a tuck shop (and mulled wine for the grown ups!)

Vice Killer return to the Common Room in Newcastle with support from Risco!
2025-01-25 19:00 - 23:00 | The Common Room, Westgate Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 1SE, United Kingdom
Join us for Vice Killer live with support from Risco at The Common Room on Saturday, January 25, 2025, from 7 PM to 11 PM.
Enjoy the music and grab a drink at the 5IQuarter Cafe & Bar, open throughout the event. Don’t miss this unforgettable night in the heart of Newcastle!

John Bramwell live at The Common Room
2025-02-01 13:30 - 16:00
Join us for an unforgettable matinee performance with the captivating voice of John Bramwell, the renowned singer of I Am Kloot. Set against the intimate backdrop of The Common Room, this special live event on promises an afternoon filled with soulful melodies, evocative lyrics, and the raw, acoustic charm that has made Bramwell a celebrated name in British indie music. Whether you’re a long-time fan or new to his work, this is a unique opportunity to experience one of the most distinctive voices in modern music up close.
Enjoy the show with a pint or one of our amazing cocktails from the in-house 5Quarter Café Bar, perfect for unwinding before or after the performance.
Doors open: 13:00
Starts: 13:30
Don’t miss out on this exclusive performance – buy your tickets now and secure your spot for an extraordinary afternoon of live music!

An evening with Cameron Mcgeachy
2025-02-21 19:00 - 21:00 | The Common Room, Westgate Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 1SE, United Kingdom
Join us on Friday 21st Feb for an evening of exquisite whiskies and chat with Cameron Mcgeachy. The man at the helm of Cadenheads, Scotlands oldest independent bottler. A chance to taste six of their most recent releases and quiz Cameron on exactly how he approaches the task of upholding standards in one of the most revered positions in Scotch Whisky.
Whiskies to be confirmed.

Passengers and Pioneers - Album Launch (2 sessions - 12:00 and 19:30)
2025-03-14 12:00 - 13:00
“Passengers & Pioneers” created by Sam Slatcher of Citizen Songwriters along with award winning Northeast poets, celebrates the birth of the Stockton & Darlington Railway and what it means to us today as it approaches its 200th anniversary. The album incorporates stories of passengers travelling today and archive history from the first journey in 1825.
The show will run twice on Friday 14th March – once at 12 noon and again at 7:30pm. Both performances are free of charge but tickets must be booked via EventBrite. Both showings will be in the Lecture Theatre on the ground floor. Bookings to guarantee a place via the link will close on Wednesday 12th but drop in attendees are very welcome on the day!
