Inside the Making of Hector Gannet's The Great Shakedown

Hector Gannet are holding a masterclass at Polestar Studios on Sunday 18 October, a behind-the-scenes look at how their album The Great Shakedown came together. It's not a gig, but a session with the people who actually built the record: frontman and songwriter Aaron Duff, producer and engineer Alex Blamire, and Grammy Award-winning mix engineer Eduardo De La Paz. Having all three in the same room is the whole point — you get to hear about the songwriting, the recording, and the final mix from the people who did them.

The session is part of the 2026 Mercury Prize Fringe, which runs from 15 to 22 October and brings together more than 30 events across Newcastle celebrating the North East's emerging musical talent. Powered by Generator, the region's leading music development organisation, the fringe programme is mostly free and ranges from live showcases and lyric and album-producing masterclasses with music legends to workshops, listening parties, in-conversations and creative experiences. All of it builds towards the main Mercury Prize event at Utilita Arena on 22 October.

The prize returns to Newcastle for the second year running, following local hero Sam Fender taking it in 2025. The shortlist is chosen by an independent judging team of music industry professionals led by Jeff Smith. The Fringe is the lead-up to that, so this masterclass sits right in the middle of a week when the city is focusing on the music coming out of the region. If you're into the making of records rather than just the finished thing, this is the one to keep an eye on. It's on Sunday 18 October at Polestar Studios.