By Carron Stacey, A Humdrum Mum

WHEN?: Friday 30 October 2026, tour runs through 23 March 2027

Some six months ago, having heard Knats on 6Music, I booked these tickets for Mr H, as a bit of a surprise really.

• Read on for reasons including how the commitment to their performance is equal to the commitment to the fun they have performing

Usually he books the unknown ones, he finds them and converts me. This time I did it! It also coincided with our mid-life start-to-like-jazz movement, so that was all good as well.

Fast forward six months, past a well-deserved Mercury Prize nomination and a second album, A Great Day in Newcastle, I’m pretty excited to see them and to go to the MOTH Club in Hackney too.

A sign of age – we both entered the venue when the support band Muntanja were playing and both took out our hearing aids! They really were loud. And pretty good.

Knats – describe themselves as Geordie jazz. Now jazz is an odd thing. I read an article by someone the other day saying that liking the old Fast Show ‘jazz’ sketches (you have to say it in a certain way) was considered rude nowadays. I’m not sure I agree.

I think it refers to an age when perhaps jazz was seen as inaccessible to most people. It was to me. I’m not sure if it is because I was too young, but I’m certainly starting to investigate jazz now. Herbie Hancock wasn’t ‘jazz’ enough; however, we loved The Herbaliser and Hackney Colliery Band and now we love Knats!

What comes across more than the music is the fun Knats have on stage. The commitment to their performance is equal to the commitment to the fun they have performing. Stan Woodward, named “the best bassist to come out of Newcastle since Sting” by his own (awesome) drummer, King David-Ike Elechi, seems to run the show and has the charisma of a boy band favourite (and I don’t mean that negatively).

He charms the audience with his Geordie banter and is at ease with all of us. Sandro Shar plays keyboards akin to Riders in the Storm beautifully, and the horn selection, Ferg Kilsby on trumpet and George Johnson (who had his own fan club in the audience) on sax, along with Cooper Robinson who adds in his Georgie poetry just amaze us.

They borrowed the guitarist Max from the support band which really added depth to the music I thought. Luckily for us, we had a lovely chat with Max’s parents and aunt on the tube afterwards, proudly (and rightly so) raving about Max, his own group and Knats.

How to describe Knats? Following my usual format – like the bastard sons of – well except I can’t. They are a first for me. Luckily Stan has jazz punk tattooed on his arm, so that helps. You need to see them. You need to just stand and take it all in. Mr H described it as one of the most exhausting gigs he’s been to and I concur.

I didn’t know how my jazz journey was going to pan out when we started it, but I certainly didn’t expect to be having so much fun.

Highlights: Never Gonna Be A Boxer and Wor Jackie. But all of it really!

• Main picture by Carron videoes via Facebook courtesy Knats
• Read more from Carron at her blog A Humdrum Mum
• Have you seen Knats before? Let us know what you thought in the comments below
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