Tickets are selling fast for a show celebrating the life and music of one of the North East’s most successful musicians, Chris Rea.
The Chris Rea Experience comes to the Arc in Stockton on Friday, October 23, and is close to selling out.
The show has a special Teesside connection: Rea grew up there and found local fame before becoming an international star.
The Chris Rhea experience (Image: Supplied by Goffy Media)
Paul Casey, the musician behind the tribute show, said: "Chris achieved worldwide success, but he never lost that connection with where he came from.
"That is something we really want to capture with the show.
"Our set list will reflect the area that was super special to Chris.
"We know from the long association with him and exactly what made him tick and the songs that will have an added layer or two when we perform them on his much-loved patch.
"People remember the music, of course, but they also remember the man.
"The Middlesbrough lad who worked in the family business, followed Boro with pride and went on to become one of Britain’s most distinctive and successful singer-songwriters.
"That connection to Teesside never left him."
Casey’s connection to Rea runs deep.
As a young fan, Casey watched Rea perform on the Road To Hell tour in Belfast in 1990, never imagining he would later join the band and become his close friend.
He said: "I remember Chris finishing the concert with Looking For A Rainbow.
"It was just epic.
"It was massive and it blew me away.
"My mam gave me a fiver for the day and I really wanted the programme, but it was £6."
The show also features Eoghan O’Neill, who played with Rea during a hugely successful period, from Shamrock Diaries to The Road To Hell.
But Rea’s Teesside roots give the Stockton show its special meaning.
His father, Camillo Rea, built Rea’s Creamy Ices, which grew to include an ice-cream factory, coffee bars and parlours across Teesside.
Chris Rea worked in the family business, so many Teessiders knew his name long before he became famous as a musician.
A lifelong Middlesbrough FC supporter, Rea checked the latest Boro results wherever he was performing around the world.
Alan Fearnley Records, a popular Linthorpe Road record shop, also helped launch his career.
Casey believes those personal connections make the show more than a standard tribute.
This is not just a collection of Chris Rea songs played by strangers.
It celebrates the music through people who know Rea’s story first-hand.
Casey described the show as a deeply personal tribute to his close friend.
After years performing alongside Rea, Casey saw first-hand what made the Middlesbrough-born artist so admired.
He believes the show’s strong response proves Rea’s lasting impact.
Mr Casey said: "Chris’s music touched people across generations and across the world.
"But on Teesside there has always been an extra connection because people saw him as one of their own.
"They lived through his rise from the small local venues and witnessed that he forever remained one of their very own through the incredible heights he would achieve around the globe.
"That is why this show means so much.
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"It is a celebration of an extraordinary artist, a truly great friend and a proud Teessider whose legacy continues to inspire people every single day.
"What a night we have in prospect to remember him."
The Chris Rea Experience starts at 8pm at the Arc in Stockton on Friday, October 23.
A limited number of tickets are still available through the Arc’s website.