Conrad - I saw Whiskey Priests live back in 1989 - VERY high energy and good fun, though for many they're probably an acquired taste in the same way as Jim Moray. Since then have only heard recordings, which according to the individual song and its treatment I either love or loathe (they're that kind of band). Dol-li-a is class in the same way as that B Johnson version of "Byker Hill"!
BigPinkLad - The Davy Lamp is a really well run club - very open-minded to traditional and contemporary floorsingers, good use of the sound system, and a traditional tunes session before the start of the club night, so get there early if you want to play. Used to go there quite often (till moving abroad then having a family hammered the old social life!).
Hope you get to see Jez Lowe - he's great. The Canadian/NorthEastern links run pretty deep. There seem to be loads of Canadian tunes in the repertoire of people like Alistair Anderson, Will Taylor and Will ATkinson, and I recently met a member of the Nova Scotian miners' choir, Men of the Deeps (they include a Johnny Handle song in their repertoire). Right, off to check out that link.