On Friday, Patrick Topping was supported by Jaguar and Sally C for the UK's first arena-sized socially distanced dance event on Newcastle's outer reaches. While across Europe, illegal and legal parties, including tonight's headliner playing in Italy last month, have sparked criticism about unsafe conditions (Topping's team says they “are only doing legal shows that are in line with any local restrictions and regulations”), Newcastle has found itself as a somewhat unlikely pioneer of gigging and clubbing in the COVID age with the launch of the 2,500-capacity Virgin Money Unity Arena.