The Cribs

New Year, new cultural delights appear on the horizon.

The North East is looking forward to host of great gigs, art and plays. The live gigs due in the first few months of the year include Paloma Faith, BRMC, The Noisettes, Lady Gaga, Future of the Left, Marina and the Diamonds and Hot Chip. To accompany the live gigs, an appealing list of artists are due to release new albums in the coming months, including Paul Weller, Mark Ronson, Massive Attack, Arcade Fire, Amy Winehouse, Gorillaz and BRMC.

As well as albums and gigs from TNP's top tips for 2010 The Drums and The Soft Pack, Liam Gallagher has announced that he, and the remaining members of Oasis are in the studio and plan to have material ready for release around July.

On the stage, there are plays to look forward at The Nothern Stage (Oh! What a lovely war), the Theatre Royal, Newcastle (The Woman in Black) and two plays by Alan Ayckburn at the Royalty Theatre, Sunderland.

If books are your thing, there will be new work by the likes of Andrea Levy, Ian McEwan, Martin Amis, Helen Dunmore Roddy Doyle and Jonathon Coe to enjoy, plus a new book and major new TV series from David Dimbleby, charting the history of British Art and Culture.

The major galleries in the North East are also playing host to some mouthwatering exhibitions in the coming months, the Baltic hosting an exhibition by Jonny Holzer, opening on 5th March, The Laing hosting work from the Great British Art Debate, opening 16th January and The Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art hosting and exhibition called Semiconductor: Heliocentric, opening 5 March.

Make 2010 a cultural year to revel in.

If you are planning a visit to Leeds to do some Christmas shopping, then you can take the opportunity to view a unique piece of art.

As part of the 'Art in unusual places' project, One Minute (Volume 3) will be screened at the Merrion Centre in Leeds, featuring a series of one minute films by various artists, including a submission by TNP contributor Matthew Rowe.

The collection of films has been assembled by Kerry Baldry, and is in Leeds as part of its journey through the UK and Europe.

Art and shopping... it doesn't get much better.

Despite the deep recession in the North East, live comedy appears to be flourishing. A number of 'big names' have announced some shows for next year, and there have been some new comedy venues opened across the region. Some of the names who have announced shows for next year include:

Laura Solon

Sat 13th February 2010 - Maltings Theatre, Berwick Upon Tweed

Tues 9th March 2010 - Gala Theatre, Durham

Richard Herring

Sunday 18th April 2010 - Inside Out, Darlington

Chris Addison

Thursday 11th February 2010 - Whitley Bay Playhouse

Friday 12th February 2010 - Gala Theatre, Durham

Sunday 21st March 2010 - Newcastle Theatre Royal

Tim Vine

Saturday 6th March 2010 - Gala Theatre, Durham

Lucy Porter

Friday 21st May 2010 - Gala Theatre, Durham

Jimmy Carr

Thursday 14th January 2010 - Middlesbrough Town Hall

Sunday 17th January 2010 - Sunderland Empire

Stephen K Amos

Friday 22nd January 2010 - Middlesbrough Town Hall

Saturday 23rd January 2010 - Journal Tyne Theatre, Newcastle

Rhod Gilbert

Friday 16th April 2010 - Middlesbrough Town Hall

Frankie Boyle

Friday 14th and Saturday 15th May 2010 - Newcastle City Hall

Monday 17th and Tuesday 18th May 2010 - Middlesbrough Town Hall

Lee Mack

Sunday 28th February 2010 - Newcastle City Hall

Sunday 16th May 2010 - Newcastle City Hall

Dave Gorman

Sunday 7th March 2010 - Newcastle City Hall

Jo Caulfield

Wednesday 17th February 2010 - Stockton Arc

Count Arthur Strong

Thursday 21st January 2010 - Gala Theare, Durham

Noel Fielding

Tuesday 9th March 2010 - Newcastle City Hall

There are numerous smaller comedy venues which host nights every weekend, so check them out. After all, they say it's the best medicine...

If you are a regular Guardian reader, or even if you're not, along with all the usual wonderfulness of the Guide this Saturday (24th) there will be an opportunity to obtain a printed URL which will allow you to download the new single by Fever Ray.

For those who don't know Fever Ray, it is the solo project of Karen Dreijer, the lovely vocalist from The Knife (she is, ahem, a cut above the rest). For those who don't know The Knife, they delight music fans with their Scandanavian electronica.

Sound good? Get yourself along to the newsagents this Saturday and scan those pages...