On the eve of the release of the new Halloween movie, the ‘Master of Horror’ John Carpenter arrives in the North East of England for an eagerly anticipated show at the Tyne Theatre and Opera House.

This majestic 151-year-old grade I listed building is the perfect setting for tonight’s audio-visual extravaganza. Such was the unprecedented demand for tonight’s John Carpenter show on Tyneside that it has long since been sold out.

Widely regarded as one of the greatest filmmakers in modern history, along with one of the most influential musicians, John Carpenter’s impressive body of work is unparalleled. The beauty of tonight’s show is that Carpenter will be performing live on stage many of the timeless compositions which have accompanied his movies throughout his illustrious career.

Accompanied by his five-piece band, Carpenter takes centre stage where he receives a hero’s welcome. Frequent outbursts of “We love you John” resonate around the room throughout the course of the evening.

The show gets underway with the unmistakable title track to “Escape From New York”, “Assault on Precinct 13” and the masterpiece that is “The Fog”. At the rear of the stage, excerpts from each corresponding movie play behind the man himself, and acts as somewhat of an impressive backdrop throughout.

These incredible synthesiser based themes are instantly recognisable having been interwoven into popular culture since the 1970’s. Each of these film scores are as equally impressive and held in as high regard as the movies in which they originated from.

Back in 2015, John Carpenter released his debut studio album in the shape of the Lost Themes. Subsequently mid-set he takes the opportunity to showcase tracks from the release. This includes “Vortex” with its heavy rhythm and atmospheric synth arrangements through to “Mystery” which ebbs and flows, from eerie orchestral keyboard licks through to crunchy guitar riffs.

Donning his shades Carpenter looks the epitome of cool as he takes the crowd through the jazz-tinged “Coming To LA” from the 1988 They Live soundtrack.

Carpenter’s soundtracks and films cover a vast audio-visual landscape. He grapples with the Jack Nitzsche penned “Starman” from his one and only love story before returning to regular programming with Ennio Morricone’s dark and brooding theme to “The Thing”.

Quoting a line from Big Trouble in Little China, Carpenter proclaims that ‘One dark and stormy night I said to my best friend, I said have you paid your dues Jack and he said yes sir, the check is in the mail’. A subsequent crowd-pleasing airing of the somewhat funky “Pork Chop Express” follows.

Joining Carpenter on stage this evening is son Cody Carpenter on lead synth and godson Daniel Davies on lead guitar, who each, in turn, play a pivotal role in bringing to life the scores of the legendary horror auteur. Cody, in particular, showcases his chops during an incredible rendition of the theme to “Halloween”. With its sinister undertones and atmospheric synth riffs, it’s enough to get anyone’s heart racing.

A hard rocking rendition of “In The Mouth of Madness” brings the main set to its explosive conclusion before a four-song encore that culminates with “Christine Attacks” rounds out a unique celebration of both music and film from this much-celebrated pioneer of the Horror genre.

As an accomplished filmmaker, screenwriter, musician and composer John Carpenter is an artist of the highest calibre whose work transcends both multiple genres and mediums. Whether you are a music fan or a film buff, this show is simply unmissable.

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John Carpenter
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Event Date: 19-Oct-2018

About The Author

Adam Kennedy is an experienced music photographer based in northeast England. He has been shooting concerts for several years, predominantly with the band Vintage Trouble. In 2013, he was one of their tour photographers, covering the UK and Ireland tour including the headline shows and as opening act for The Who. As an accomplished concert photographer, Adam's work has been featured in print such as, Classic Rock Blues Magazine, Guitarist Magazine, Blues in Britain magazine, broadcast on the MDA Telethon on ABC Television in the US, used in billboard advertising for Renaissance Hotels in the US, and featured online via music blogs such as Uber Rock and Guitar Planet. He is also the official photographer at Newcastle Rock and Blues Club.