Why is Johnny Depp in Newcastle? Actor seen with Sam Fender at Bridge Tavern pub - will he play with Jeff Beck

Hollywood actor Johnny Depp surprised his Geordie fans when he was spotted at popular  Quayside pub, The Bridge Tavern.

Social media was flooded with videos of the actor leaving the Newcastle pub on the evening of Wednesday 1 June, just minutes before the verdict of his defamation trial was announced.

So, why was Johnny Depp in our neck of the woods?

Here’s everything we know about the actors’ night out on the toon.

Why was Johnny Depp in Newcastle?

While it is unconfirmed why Johnny Depp was in Newcastle, it’s assumed that he will be performing at the Sage in Gateshead  onThursday 2 June alongside frequent collaborator Jeff Beck.

You can find out more about how to get tickets to the upcoming show at our NewcastleWorld breakdown of the Jeff Beck event.

The actor has been spotted joining Beck on stage throughout his recent UK tour dates.

He performed multiple songs alongside Beck on 29 May at his Sheffield gig.

Depp later went on to join the English rockstar again at his Royal Albert Hall gig in London on 30 May, where the actor covered songs including ‘Little Wing’ by Jimi Hendrix, ‘What’s Going On’ by Marvin Gaye, and ‘The Death and Resurrection Show’ by Killing Joke, alongside Beck.

At each concert  Depp has performed for around 20 minutes and returned for an encore, so people who are heading to the Gateshead Jeff Beck gig on 2 June may be in for a treat.

The two first collaborated on a cover of John Lennon’s Isolation which was released during the Covid pandemic in 2020.

Who was Johnny Depp with in Newcastle?

The actor was with musician Jeff Beck, and local musician Sam Fender along with Fender’s manager, Owen Davies and other friends.

Sam Fender took to his instagram stories to post selfies with the actor, and Beck.

The general manager of The Bridge Tavern spoke on the surprise pairing. She said, "I don’t think Sam has met Johnny before.”

“Johnny is doing a show tomorrow at The Sage. It must have been everyone who knew Sam Fender so they arranged to meet. Sam Fender came about half an hour later when the balcony was closed.”

“It was unbelievable for a pub, I had never seen anything like it before. It was the most surreal day of my life without a doubt! It’s crazy," she added.

Why has Depp been performing with Jeff Beck?

It’s no secret that Johnny Depp is  an avid fan of music and has been  prevalent on the rock scene for most of his career.

In 2012, he formed a band named ‘Hollywood Vampires’ alongside rock legends Alice Cooper and Joe Perry of Aerosmith.

What was the verdict of the Amber Heard trial?

Just minutes after Twitter went into a frenzy after spotting the actor, it was announced that Johnny Depp had won £15 million in damages in his defamation case against ex-wife Amber Heard.

Depp sued Heard for $50 million over a piece she wrote for The Washington Post entitled ‘I spoke up against sexual violence - faced out culture’s wrath. That has to change’.

The article did not mention Johnny Depp by name but Depp’s lawyers said it falsely implied that Depp had physically and sexually abused Heard during their relationship.

The case went on for six weeks and after 13 hours of deliberation the jurors voted in favour of Depp.

Ms Heard was also awarded $2 million in damages for her counterclaim against Mr Depp over comments made by his lawyer Adam Waldman.