TikTok star and singer Beth McCarthy back in York for gig

The artist who now lives in London has stacked up millions of streams on Spotify and rose to fame after she appeared on The Voice mentored by Kaiser Chief’s frontman Ricky Wilson.

On Friday, September 1 she will headline ‘Welcome to the North,’ a unique collaboration between Young Thugs studio, the BBC and radio presenter Jericho Keys.

Beth told The Press: “I love coming back to York to play as the energy is always just that bit more magical than anywhere else. Not only is it an amazing line up to be a part of but it’s a sold-out hometown show.”

The event will take place at Young Thugs recording studio in South Bank, built into a series of rooms across a 150-year-old social club.

Jonny Hooker, resident producer, engineer, and mixer at Young Thugs, said: “It’s primarily a recording space so the room looks and feels like a recording studio, it’s full of vintage recording equipment.

“I think it’s a great chance for people to experience live music in a unique setting, it feels like a secret venue.”

Young Thugs studio. Picture: Nathan Luke (Image: Nathan Luke)

He said working with Jericho and the BBC is a great collaboration and a chance to really celebrate the best emerging music in the region.

“Supporting artists at this stage of their career is so exciting and vital really.”

One of the things he loves most about the ‘Welcome to the North’ nights is the diversity of the music, all curated to flow nicely around the room in a full 360 experience.

Jonny and Jericho want the audience to be as much involved as the artists.

Jericho said: “Me and Jonny always talked about putting something on, but I was adamant I wanted it to be something different. I didn't want it to be a normal gig because they're 10 a penny.”

Jericho wanted it to be an immersive experience for people to be able to feel very much a part of the evening because he said these shows, and his radio shows would be nothing without the musicians or the people listening.

Five artists feature on each ‘Welcome to the north’ event with the performers situated in different corners of the room.

“As one performer finishes and people are clapping. I'm saying, ‘Right now you need to turn 180 degrees to watch the next artists!’ It's like a Jools Holland, The Tube, Old Grey Whistle Test sort of thing,” Jericho said.

He is passionate the event is not something people can take or leave, for this reason he and Jonny made the decision to put on one gig every three months.

“You've got to be on the case if you want to come as the tickets sell out immediately.”

Beth is excited to be back in York to headline Friday’s show and said her most recent tour is up there as one of the highlights of her musical career so far.

“It's the first-time people have known every word to every song. The feeling of that many people singing my lyrics back to me is just completely unmatched.”