Maximo Brown Ale

Scottish & Newcastle brewery has asked rapidly emerging band Maximo Park to design a beer bottle label to celebrate their homecoming show at the local 10,000-capacity Metro Radio Arena.

Tens of thousands of bottles of "Maximo Brown Ale" have been produced for the Newcastle date and will be available in a select number of bars around the country on the day of the December 15 show.

This is a huge honour in Geordieland. The only person previously feted in this way was local soccer hero Alan Shearer, who had special bottles designed to mark his retirement from football.