Jessie J gives newly weds a big shout-out

One lucky couple got to meet pop sensation Jessie J on their wedding day when she performed at Durham County Cricket Club on Saturday

Thousands of music lovers descended on two major gigs in the North East this weekend.
Around 15,000 danced the night away to pop sensation Jessie J at Durham County Cricket Club, in Chester-le-Street, County Durham, on Saturday night.
And for one lucky couple, the event was extra special.
Sam Slater and Chris Taylor had their wedding reception at the club on the same night Jessie played her headline slot as part of the venue’s Durham Summer Nights programme.
Sam and Chris had to keep quiet for a long time about Jessie being the star name at the evening’s concert.
The singer took time out to meet the couple and even performed for their first dance after they tied the knot.
The singer popped in to see the couple, and their four-year-old daughter Brooke, just before the gig. “It was brilliant,” said Sam, a childminder from Stanley.
“We got to meet her just before she went on stage and we were allowed to take our little girl Brooke.
“Brooke was a little bit shy, but Jessie J gave her a high five and she gave us some signatures.
“She was running a little bit late, but when she got on stage she gave us a big shout-out and we were all out on a balcony to watch the show.”
Other acts performing over the two-day event included Blue, 5ive, Atomic Kitten, Charlie Brown and A.M.E.
Kerry and David Pritchard decided to give their three-year-old daughter Eva a taste of live music early on. The couple, from South Shields, said the venue was perfect for a family trip, and Kerry, 34, also got the chance to see one of her favourite bands, Atomic Kitten.
She said: “We went to the Arena to see them, but this is a better place to come as a family.
“It’s better to come here, just for the children’s ears. It’s the first gig Eva’s been to so we have started her quite early.”
Meanwhile, music fans across the North East found themselves Dancing in the Moonlight as two top bands came together for a special free gig.
Toploader, who have sold over two million copies of songs like Dancing in the Moonlight and Achilles Heel, performed at Bents Park, in South Shields, as part of the South Tyneside Summer Festival 2013.
Although the sun was not have been shining, the rain stayed away as the band shared the bill with former members of the Beautiful South – Dave Hemingway, Alison Wheeler, Damon Butcher, Tony Robinson and Gaz Birtles – who now perform together as The South.
The open-air concert, which was free to attend, formed part of the South Tyneside Summer Festival’s three-month programme of live music and family entertainment, which is running until the end of August.