Geordie jazz act Knats, featuring Trinity Laban students Stan Woodward, King David Ike-Elechi, Ferg Kilsby, and Sandro Shar performed ‘Never Gonna Be A Boxer’ from their new album A Great Day in Newcastle.
Knats performed on the Jools Holland show last week alongside: five-time Grammy-winning country artist Shania Twain; Grammy, BRIT, Golden Globe and Oscar-winning artist Sam Smith; London poet, singer-songwriter and Mercury Prize winner Arlo Parks, and Canadian cardboard duo Angine de Poitrine.
Utilising their signature style, coined ‘Geordie Jazz’, Knats’ performance featured brilliant musical arrangements combined with spoken word passages chronicling the bands North East’s working-class roots. Their dynamic debut album A Great Day in Newcastle blends genre bending innovation with infectious optimism, exploring complex themes such as toxic masculinity, working-class culture, and local pride.
Speaking to the Guardian earlier this year, producer Geordie Greep described their attitude to making music: “They know what they want and where they’re going […] They don’t want to make music that’s just for dancing and vibing out. They want to do music which is comparable to great works of more intellectual jazz and classical music.”
In April 2026 they signed with Fontana Records releasing their new album A Great Day In Newcastle on 1 May. Earlier this week, Knats announced a UK wide tour for the Autumn, more information and how to buy tickets can be found here.