ONE of Sunderland’s most successful music acts have announced a home town gig.
It’s been more than a year since Frankie & The Heartstrings last played Sunderland.
So their latest gig, at Pure in Olive Street, on Saturday, February 16, is set to be music to their fans’ ears.
The five-piece, whose debut album Hunger reached the top 40, are set to perform their more well-known songs as well as new material from their forthcoming second album, which was recorded in Newcastle and London.
Drummer Dave Harper, who plays alongside lead singer Frankie Francis, guitarists Mick Ross and Michael McKnight and bass player Steve Dennis, said: “The last time we played Sunderland was over a year ago in Independent and we wanted to put a gig on for fans.
“There are so many local bands charging non-local prices for gigs at the minute, and we wanted to do a gig at home that people could afford.”
The band have been hard at work making hand-made tickets for the gig which are on sale now for £5, from Hot Rats, in Stockton Road.
The band have advertised under the tongue-in-cheek anagram Fair Ken & The Strange Shirt.
Dave added: “We’ll also have tickets on the door to say thanks to people who make the effort to come along.”
The performance will be the latest in a series of live gigs set to take place upstairs in the newly-re-opened Pure.
Dave said: “It’s such a shame that Sunderland doesn’t have a designated live music venue, it’s something it’s really missing.
“We asked to play Pure and we’ll probably play until we get booed off.”
The band’s second album is a much-anticipated record from the Mackem minstrels, who have enjoyed scores of festival appearances.
They have played support slots with Primal Scream, Kaiser Chiefs and The Vaccines.
Doors for Frankie & the Heartstrings at Pure, which will also feature a DJ slot, open at 8pm.
Twitter: @sunechokaty
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