MUSIC, art and spectacular motorcycling action - there's something for everyone in Darlington and the North-East this weekend.
Here's our pick of the events taken from our new What's On section - and don't forget you can find hundreds more at:
What? Elkie Brooks in concert
Where? The Sage, Gateshead.
When? Saturday, 7.30pm
Elkie Brooks is one of the most successful and popular singers the UK has ever produced.
Now in the fifth decade of her career, she is still proving to be one of the most powerful and versatile vocal talents of our generation.
With numerous hit singles, million selling albums and awards, her annual tours are treat for fans old and new.
Performing some of her classic hits, blues and jazz, an electric evening with Elkie is guaranteed to leave you begging for more. 2012 saw the release of Elkie’s much anticipated autobiography ‘Finding My Voice’ and a re-release of her highly acclaimed album ‘Powerless’. Elkie is a stunning performer and whatever she does, she does it best live.
What? Ornulf Opdahl: Paintings and prints exhibition
Where? University Gallery, Northumbria University, Newcastle.
When? runs until March 28.
Anyone familiar with Ornulf Opdahl’s work from his earlier exhibitions in Newcastle and London will recall his disturbing images of the threatening power of nature in his Nordic landscapes.
Indeed when Robert Rosenblum, in discussing Edvard Munch, wrote of his sensitivity to the extremes of nature’s forces, “first the extinction of light in the long, dark and cold winter, and then the dramatic resurrection of the sun which reigns during the summer months, deep into the night” he could equally have been invoking Opdahl.
His intense, lyrically charged work projects the sort of enkindled presence of the elements – earth and fire, wind and water – which is only to be encountered in the Far North.
What? ArenaCross
Where? MetroRadio Arena, Newcastle.
When? Sunday, 3pm.
With its killer mix of all-action indoor dirt bike racing and gravity-defying Freestyle Motocross – set to a pumping soundtrack and laser show - Arenacross is a non-stop, three-hour white-knuckle ride.
Arenacross takes the most spectacular elements of outdoor Motocross racing, boils them down into a concentrated cocktail and then shoehorns them into arenas onto purpose-built dirt tracks.
Racing is short, sharp and shockingly spectacular with huge triple jumps, murderous mogul sections and fast, banked corners all designed to provide a high-octane sensory feast.
With Freestyle Motocross the competition takes place 40 feet above the track with riders hitting purpose-built ramps and then attempting to out-do each other as they whip and back-flip 100kg motorcycles in a jaw-dropping display of aerial gymnastics.
Once considered MX mavericks, freestylers are now highly-paid sporting stars who compete in year-round world tour events such as the X Games.
What? Chinese New Year
Where? Newcastle City Centre
When? Sunday
Join the celebrations in and around Newcastle's Stowell Street as we usher in the Year of the Horse with Chinese-inspired events, performances and activities for all the family, marking Chinese New Year. Enjoy traditional crafts, dance, martial arts, food and drink, games and much more with a vibrant and colourful party. Watch the spectacular dragon, lion and unicorn dances under the ornate Ceremonial Arch.
What? Rumours of Fleetwood Mac
Where? Darlington Civic Theatre
When? Sunday, Feb 9, 7.30pm
Having performed 500 major concert shows to over a half a million fans around the world since they formed over a decade ago, Rumours of Fleetwood Mac return to the UK to present a spectacular new stage production celebrating the music of the legendary rock supergroup Fleetwood Mac.
Their new show 'Fleetwood Mac Forever' will showcase and celebrate in meticulous note-for-note detail, all the classic hits from one of the most outstanding and enduring catalogues in the history of recorded music, and a legacy of blues, rock & pop classics that made Fleetwood Mac the icons of the music industry they are today.
Recognised internationally as the leading tribute to Fleetwood Mac in their various incarnations, and with founding member Mick Fleetwood's golden seal of approval, this stunning show reflects on an epic journey of lasting relationships through changing eras and musical styles, from the exciting hub of the sixties London blues scene to staggering commercial success in the seventies and eighties, and beyond.
Replicating perfectly the power and subtlety of Fleetwood Mac at their brilliant best, let timeless classics such as ‘Black Magic Woman’, ‘Albatross’, ‘Go Your Own Way’, ‘Dreams’, ‘Gypsy’ ‘Say You Love Me’, ‘Sara’, ‘Oh Diane’, ‘Little Lies’, ‘Everywhere’ and many more, take you on a nostalgic evening of breathtakingly outstanding musicianship; and all performed in the context where the songs work best – a live stage.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here