Day one of the 2025 two-day This Feeling By The Sea, which launched in 2023 at the stunning Art Deco 3,800 capacity venue Bridlington Spa on the sea front.
The debut year saw headliners Red Rum Club and The Lathums, and last year The Royston Club and The K’s topped the bill. This year for the third edition it’s the turn of Lottery Winners as Friday’s headliner and Stone the main act on Saturday.
Three acoustic acts each day on the second stage, and eight bands on the main stage, so a total of 22 acts across the event. Terrific value at £65 for the two days or £35 a day ticket.
All of the bands and artists appearing have come up through grass roots gigs run by respected and established promoters This Feeling, and some have been booked for stages curated by This Feeling at festivals such as The Isle of Wight and Y Not?
This Feeling stage more than 300 shows in circa 40 UK cities and towns each year and they always give local bands a leg up and a chance to play support to bigger names.
They work with more than 1,000 bands and artists and many who have gone on to big things are vocally grateful for the early exposure they got with This Feeling. Noel Gallagher, Carl Barat and Serge Pizzorno are among the stars who praise the work This Feeling do to support new bands and artists.
Lots of Lottery Winner T-shirts on fans throughout the day on Friday. For the headline slot, the band came out to the Vengaboys track, “We Like To Party” and received a rousing reception. But after their first song, bassist and singer Katie Lloyd kept getting shocks from the microphone, and led to them having to stop the set while the techs sorted it out.
Frontman Thom Rylance, as the pro’ entertainer that he is, filled the gap by playing Oasis songs and inciting a mass singalong while the crew rectified the tech issue. Bravo. They played a faultless set after that and were worthy headliners for sure.
MC Fenners introduced Tom A Smith as wearing “the best trousers in Bridlington.” Sunderland’s Tom A. Smith has been tipped for greatness by Sir Elton John.
The weekend is hosted by ex-Soccer AM presenter Fenners.
BBC Introducing’s Jericho Keys and Radio X’s John Kennedy DJ on Friday and Saturday respectively.
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This Feeling ran a national and regional contest for a few hand-selected acts to win the chance to appear at This Feeling By The Sea 2025 – and the winners were: [National] Lizzie Esau and Alice SK, and [Regional] Masi Masi and Pablo Carrizo.
One of the ‘forgotten stars’ of this event is most definitely the venue itself. Bridlington Spa is an art deco dance hall, theatre and conference centre, and popular wedding venue which opened in 1896.
The ballroom has a stunning glass dome and ornate, circular frieze in the ceiling, It is a popular venue on the UK touring circuit for concerts, with a capacity of 3,800 [including the balconies which were not in use for this festival].
It was here at Bridlington Spa that Oasis played their final indoor concert in August 2009, as a warm up for the V Festival, before splitting up. The beauty of this event; the weather – wet on Friday – is irrelevant as both stages are inside.
Stanleys, a much talked about Wigan band, are said to be the north-west’s next wave hopes.
Finn Forster gets a main stage slot, often compared to Paolo Nutini, he is the first signing to EMI North label Interval Records.
Like Lottery Winners, Finn Forster is also stepping up to stadiums with a series of shows with Stereophonics. His previous This Feeling By The Sea set in 2024 was on the acoustic stage.
Rising local heroes Sunbeam from Whitby put in a good shift…
Sheffield lads CRUZ were a very good choice for the main stage on day one…
Bradford’s Masi Masi opened the main stage.
The acoustic Stage offered a classy triple-bill on Friday from Michael Gallagher, Harriet Rose and the very popular Pablo Carrizo from Hull.
Talented indie meets Americana singer and songwriter who has been performing live since she was 12. The young multi-instrumental has been in the studio recording with Ed Cosens (Reverend And The Makers) and has supported Peter Doherty (The Libertines), Andrew Cushin, Jon McClure, Lottery Winners, Joe Carnell Jr, James Walsh, and The Sherlocks. She gave a good account of herself at This Feeling By The Sea.
He came out looking kind of like a timid young lad, but then he really gave it some welly and delivered a super set. His song, “Bit Of Me”, is a very decent single and he is one to watch out for. “For fans of Sam Fender, The K’s, Jamie Webster and Louis Dunford”.
Hartlepool artist Michael Gallagher, now Manchester-based, seamlessly merges indie, pop and rock, and earned his spot on the acoustic stage in Bridlington on Friday.
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Check out Saturday’s coverage in our “Live Zone”…
Photos by Liam Battersby
Words by Liam Battersby & Steve Best
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