Time and time again it seems there has been a historical pattern of unwarranted industry attempts to keep the UK music scene a largely London-centric one. It is imperative that the persistent refusal from the North East local community don't allow this to continue. Emerging North-Eastern talent should always be well supported and provided with the necessary opportunities to able to flourish well into the future. The best way to make this happen is for artists and audiences alike to come together and support it.
...Sunday For Sammy serves as an integral force in supporting the future of the North East music...
In late 2025, The 1975 frontman Matty Healy announced his patronship for North East charity, Sunday For Sammy. Co-founded by Healy’s father, actor Tim Healy, and long supported by his mother, actress Denise Welch, Sunday For Sammy serves as an integral force in supporting the future of the North East music and performing arts scene by scouting and supporting young emerging talent across the North East through a range of financial grants and local events.
The announcement of Healy’s patronage shone a spotlight on Sunday For Sammy to new audiences well beyond the North East; intertwining both The 1975’s image and his own with an organisation he has had a lifelong relationship with. As a result of this, and following Healy’s own performance at Sunday For Sammy’s biennial variety show in February of this year, it was announced that a performance from the world’s first The 1975 tribute band, The 9075, would take place at Salt Market Social in North Shields, in collaboration with and in support of the Sunday For Sammy trust.
Billed as ‘The 9075 & Friends’, the performance had a sense of mystery surrounding it, quickly becoming highly anticipated by fans of the band around the world, whether they would be in attendance or not – and it did not disappoint.
The night began with an unexpected video appearance from Denise Welch, introducing The 9075 to the audience as well as the Sunday For Sammy grantee supporting band, Leopard Print, whose energetic performance well justified everything the trust stands for. But while Denise’s appearance was exciting, the virtual appearance which truly lived up to all the chatter preceding the gig came from Matty and Tim Healy themselves.
The video started off strong, with an announcement that sent waves through fans both in the crowd and across social media – a promise from Matty of an upcoming "pretty much finished" The 1975 album. But despite the significance of such an announcement for the fans present, neither Matty nor Tim was willing to let it overshadow the importance and reasoning behind the event. They both swiftly moved on as they thanked everybody for coming, thanked the performers, and implored the crowd to buy merchandise in order to support Sunday For Sammy and allow for more events in aid of the North East music scene to take place in the future.
...the band tore their way through a dynamic and emotional twenty four song set.
After all those exciting celebrity guest appearances, The 9075 had been left with a high standard to meet, but they did not falter. Throughout the remainder of the evening, the band tore their way through a dynamic and emotional twenty four song set. On top of the expected hits from The 1975, the band even included one of their own original songs, as well as paying homage to local North Shields legend Sam Fender, with a cover of his recent viral hit ‘Rein Me In’ (even with a surprise appearance from Joe Atkinson, multi-instrumentalist from Fender’s band).
Amongst all this, the message of Sunday For Sammy was never overlooked for a second. In fact, the band barely ever even went three songs without being joined onstage by a member of a wide array of guests, selected by the Sunday For Sammy trust. Ranging from emerging North-Eastern talent, such as Ashington songwriter Ben Harwood, to several appearances from Sunday For Sammy’s event host, comedian and singer Kelly Rickard, the crowd were barely given a moment to rest.
Attendee Kate Sturrock, one of the Music Sub-Editors for The Courier, stated that “it was an amazing event; there was a great atmosphere the whole time and it was so lovely to see so many people turn up for such an amazing charity,"
"To see local artists get their chance in the spotlight is always so special too." she continued.
There’s no doubt that The 9075’s performance at Salt Market Social marks an exciting and promising moment for the North East music scene. In a time where community within the arts feels more necessary than ever; the work put in by Sunday For Sammy alongside the willingness of local audiences to provide support for North East talent has never been so effective and heard so loudly throughout the area.