Legendary Sunderland music promoter to be honoured at special gig
The legendary music promoter will be honoured with a fitting night of live music.
A special one-off night of live music and memories will honour Geoff Docherty, the Sunderland promoter who helped put the city on the national music map.
Geoff Docherty, who passed away earlier this year, played a major role in shaping Sunderland’s live music scene, helping bring some of the world’s biggest artists to Wearside during the 1960s and 70s.
Through his work at venues including The Bay Hotel and Sunderland Locarno (The Mecca), Geoff helped put Sunderland firmly on the national music map, hosting acts including Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, The Who, Free and Rod Stewart.
Now, friends, musicians and music fans will come together at The Fire Station on Thursday 10 September for a unique evening of live music, stories and celebration in his honour.
The event will feature special performances from Dave Taggart (Dance Class) and Baz Warne (The Stranglers), who will reunite their acoustic duo for one night only.
Terry Slesser, former frontman of Beckett and Back Street Crawler, will also perform alongside guitarist John Buckton (Freeway), taking audiences through some Fillmore North favourites before sharing stories from Sunderland’s influential live music scene and the rise of legendary rock band Free.
Widely regarded by fans for his remarkable likeness in style and sound to Free guitarist Paul Kossoff, Buckton is a special addition to the evening.
More special guests are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
Organisers said: “The Fire Station is the perfect venue to celebrate Geoff’s life and legacy. This will be a very special night for the Sunderland music community and for everyone who remembers those incredible gigs.”
The event is being supported by Sunderland Music City, who recognised Geoff’s lasting impact on the city’s cultural identity.
A spokesperson for Sunderland Music City said: “We deeply value Geoff Docherty’s monumental legacy; his work is fundamental to Sunderland’s identity as a music city. We want to ensure Geoff’s contribution is honoured and his impact officially recognised.”
Tributes have continued to pour in from across the music industry following Geoff’s passing.
Simon Kirke of Free and Bad Company said: “Without Geoff’s support and backing Free would never have achieved the heights it did.”
The event takes place on Thursday 10 September at The Fire Station in Sunderland. Tickets are on sale now via thefirestation.org.uk.