WGR Community Forum

# MC Banks – Middlesbrough / North East Makina MC **MC Banks** is a long-running Makina MC from **Middlesbrough, Teesside**, and one of the names associated with the North East rave scene from the 2000s through to today. Banks was already established on the scene by the time he was interviewed by Teesside Tunes in 2014. In that interview he said he was **born and bred in Middlesbrough** and talked about building his name by handing out tapes and CDs and getting himself heard around the local rave scene. ## The Middlesbrough Makina Scene Banks came through a Teesside MC scene that included names such as: **MC Hyper MC Tempo MC Rocking MC Glocky MC Jester** Banks described **MC Tempo** as his back-to-back partner and spoke about how Middlesbrough and the wider Teesside scene helped him become known as an MC. For Banks, Makina wasn't simply imported Spanish music. He described how North East DJs and producers took the sound and developed what he called **North East Makina** – giving it its own regional identity. ## The New Monkey MC Banks also became associated with Sunderland's legendary **New Monkey**. A photograph accompanying his 2014 interview shows **MC Banks at The New Monkey in 2006**. There are also surviving recordings connecting Banks directly with the New Monkey sound. One archived mix is: **DJ Rob St & MC Banks – New Monkey Vibes 2003** Another official New Monkey upload features: **DJ Irish ft. MC Banks & MC Tempo** These surviving recordings help document Banks' place in the wider North East Makina scene. ## Banks & Tempo One combination that older Teesside ravers may particularly remember is: **MC Banks & MC Tempo** Banks himself described Tempo as his B2B partner. The pair are another example of the MC partnerships that became such an important part of North East Makina. Rather than simply introducing records, North East MCs developed their own lyrics, flows and performance styles over the fast Makina beats. ## Teesside Tearout Banks has continued appearing alongside other Teesside MCs. A surviving **Teesside Tearout** session brings together: **MC Banks MC Tempo MC Jester MC Rocking MC Kicking** with DJ Crank. Recordings like this are particularly useful for the WGR archive because they preserve some of the names involved in the **Middlesbrough and Teesside side of the North East rave scene**. ## Still Active in 2026 MC Banks isn't simply an old name from New Monkey recordings. **He's still MCing in 2026.** In March 2026 he appeared alongside **MC Simpson** for DJ Murphy's *Mancave Sessions*. The session was a vinyl Makina set featuring new material from Glasgow producers, while Banks and Simpson represented the North East on the microphones. Banks had also appeared on DJ Murphy's Mancave Sessions in 2025 alongside **MC Amense**. More than two decades after the early recordings, he's therefore still involved with Makina. ## Keeping the Teesside Sound Alive When people talk about North East Makina history, Newcastle and Sunderland understandably receive a lot of attention. But **Middlesbrough and Teesside had their own DJs, MCs, ravers and events**. MC Banks is an important name when documenting that side of the story. From handing out tapes and CDs around Middlesbrough, through the New Monkey era and his partnership with MC Tempo, to performing on new Makina sessions in 2026, Banks has remained connected with the music for more than two decades. --- ## Do You Remember MC Banks? Did you see **MC Banks around Middlesbrough, Teesside or at The New Monkey**? Do you remember **Banks & Tempo**? Have you still got any old Banks tapes, CDs, flyers, photographs or recordings? Post your memories and links below and help us document the **Teesside Makina scene**. **Weedy Garage Radio – Keeping North East Rave History Alive.**