live at leeds – and so she thinks

Live At Leeds 2013

admin — Sun, 05 May 2013 19:06:12 +0000

Leeds is a city brimming with musical talent and enthusiasm, every northern street oozing some kind of inspiration and output, and the annual Live At Leeds festival sees a whole host of bands join the homegrown musicians to celebrate and showcase the best in new music. This year, the city slicking festival’s seventh year, saw over 120 artists performing across the city, from native and highly successful Yorkshire lads The Pigeon Detectives to new and emerging Witch Hunt, local legends Sky Larkin to New York newbies MS MR, and straight up swilling rock’n’roll band The Struts to soulful synths courtesy of Lulu James. Determined to see as many bands as possible, without running around the city like a relentless parking attendant on speed, we spent Saturday 4th May discovering some new favourites.
Kicking off at uber cool Nation Of Shopkeepers was young Georgia Thursting. Soulful and skittish, Georgia and her band played a funk and bluesy melange, all short songs about love and heartbreak. For those keen to find out more, the helpful lass has made it easier to hunt her down amongst the devilishly densely populated world wide web, stressing to the titters of captivated gentlemen the doe eyed songstress stressed that her name is not Thrusting but Thursting. Told.
Menace Beach have been something of a buzz band of late, and their short (15 mins max) set revealed why. Pivoting around the boy girl dynamic duo of Ryan and Liza and supplemented with members of Sky Larkin and Hookworms, their scuzzy grunge riffs and furiously grooving melodies have been turning heads.
Live music in a church is always a winner, especially when accompanied by a pint, and today was no different. Leeds’ Holy Trinity Church is one of the county’s most eminent art spaces, and we arrived in time to catch the end of George Ezra‘s set. The shifting strains of this young songsmith resonated through the rafters of the church, his vocals and notes blossoming into inspired and invigorating tunes. After his final notes died away and we were left with chills, we ran to Mill’s, the least practical venue ever imagined, to cTxh the bluesy swing of Liverpool born David Broad, all toe tapping eccentricity.
DH Lawrence’s Sons And Lovers is one of my favourite books of all time, its detailed and delicate dissection of the complexities of relationships and resolutions so striking and powerful, subtle in their sophistication. The band of the same name are more immediately brash and accessible, like a version of White Lies meets Vampire Weekend, or something similar. Soaring choruses and simple melodies, they make good, yet somewhat entry level indie.
Next up was a sprint up to the Uni to see what Post War Glamour Girls had to offer. Straddling pendulum style between glorious soaring strings and harmonies and angst driven roars and rumbles, this home grown band sent shivering and colossal shifts through the crowd as they captivated via their intimidating and heavy ambience. Australian indie rockers Deep Sea Aracde were up me their raucous and furious rock crackling with punishing thrills on the stage.
I can’t remember a time in my life when my aural excitement hasn’t been fuelled by guitar wielding bands, but apparently guitar music has been dead for a while, and Savages are the band to bring it back. The following statement may have me vilified and marginalised by small music press, but, really? Not nearly as tantalising and the reviews and hyperbole would have you believe, the set was frustrating and limited, failing to set me alight. I seemed to be alone however, as the crowd rocked and swayed with adulation. Wolf Alice have been making waves on the airwaves with their stupefyingly youthful melodies and crackling hooks, and today’s gig reassured early fans that their faith was not misplaced. Poppy 90s influenced grunge flecked with thrillingly steadfast riffs, they could well be one of the new waves of bands to last longer than a few months.
By this point the Cockpit was already operating a one in one out system as the queue snaked multiple streets from the venue. The crowd lined up in anticipation of something of a buzz line up, with Peace and their fellow B town buzz band Swim Deep on the bill, punctuated by the gritty and soaring Unknown Mortal Orchestra. The latter are seductively sincere, their grubby tumbling songs instinctive and invigorating. Particularly potent and thrilling onstage, their vivid and resonant melodies were delivered in a somewhat seismic fashion. With both Swim Deep and Peace you know what you are getting, and they rarely disappoint. Sunny grunge, soaring choruses, languid and defiant lyrics and entrancing guitars, both bands banged out tune after tune. Even in the dark and wintry tunnel of the Cockpit Swim Deep’s summer tune King City warmed and welcomed with spirit. Despite Peace lead singer Harry’s best attempt to distract from the musical output of his band, by rocking a sartorial ensemble put together by cutting up his grandmother’s curtains, tablecloth, and carpet, all in one outfit, he was unable to detract from what are some absolute belters of songs, Lovesick and Float Forever being particularly riotous.
As the final notes of played and the crowd descended into indie disco, the overwhelming feeling was one of success. Sore feet, followed by an even sorer head the next morning, hut a whole host of newly discovered bands to further investigate, and even more that I could not fit into the day but have added to the list to find. Another year and yet further proof that this northern city has a lot to offer.

Charlie Thurston

admin — Sat, 04 May 2013 11:46:12 +0000

Soulful rhythms from Charlie Thurston, not Charlie Thrusting, at the Nation of Shopkeepers. Live At Leeds is on!

Live At Leeds 2013

admin — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 17:19:26 +0000

It’s important to know (and I say this as someone who lives in London and grew up dreaming of doing so) that the capital is not always where it is at. Cities across the UK are bubbling with creativity and musical delight, and in fact the more succinct style of many cities means that as a genuine hub and collective for musical creativity they function better than the expansive and competitive London. Leeds is one such example, and Live At Leeds, an annual festival since 2007, celebrates the local whilst not being so narrow minded as to presume that the rest of the UK is devoid of talent, uniting the best upcoming local bands alongside more established national acts.
Taking place over May Bank Holiday, this year the weekend kicks off with The Unconference , a schedule of seminars and talks on the music business. Curated by whiskas (¡Forward, Russia!, Dance To The Radio, IMGNTN) and supported by Leeds Metropolitan University, the focus this year will be around networking and the landscape of music consumption in the digital landscape, a pertinent issue for creators, consumers, and everyone in between.
It’s this that I like about Live At Leeds ; it’s not just about stumbling from bar to bar lagered up (although I love that too), but about a genuine love for music and how to make it sustainable and exciting for everyone involved. Oh yeah, and the fact that it is only £22.50 for over a hundred bands, including Little Comets, Tribes, Maybe She Will, Sons & Lovers, Theme Park, Wolf Alice, Darwin Deez, The 1975 and Yorkshire favourites Pigeon Detectives.

Eyes On Film – Something Wicked This Way Comes

admin — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 21:55:48 +0000

Dirty, thrilling, scuzzy, get dawwwwn music, the debut EP from London four piece Eyes On Film Something Wicked (This Way Comes) is out on May 7th, and this is the awesome lead track. Sonic distorted fuzz rumbling with eyebrow arching vocals and strutting guitar undulations, it rises to a climatic chorus before being stripped back to the essential electro components. Expect to hear it played by an It’s All Happening DJ very soon.
Eyes On Film release debut EP Something Wicked (This Way Comes) on May 7th and are currently touring with Boots Electric, before playing Live At Leeds in May.

Wild Beasts

admin — Tue, 05 May 2009 18:33:36 +0000

Joseph’s Well
Sat 2nd May, 3pm
Live At Leeds is packed with great bands, but one of the highlights is surely going to be 3pm at Josephs Well when Wild Beasts take to the stage.
I was lucky enough to be at the Brudenell Social Club on the 11th March for their amazing set, and I think their afternoon tea slot this weekend will offer much the same. Wild Beasts are full of melodic indie pop songs.
Some bands find it difficult to translate their sound from record to stage, but lead singer Hayden Thorpe hits everyone of those impossibly high notes perfectly.
This four piece are different from most other bands coming out of Leeds at the moment, and indeed anywhere else in the country (although three of them are from Kendal before they moved to Leeds – perhaps Kendal is the hotbed for perfect indie pop as well as perfect mint cake?), and they excel at what they do.
They may be a ‘Marmite’ type band and not to everyone‟s taste, but for me that says it all – I love Marmite.

Musical Mates

admin — Fri, 01 May 2009 18:44:06 +0000

If you’re stuck as to who you’d rather watch on stage, why not see which one you’d rather hang out with? To help you decide who could be your potential new best friends, we’ve devised a personality test. It’s kind of like Blind Date, except with weirder questions, no red haired Scouse woman, and way way less humiliation. Potentially.
Ten Bears
Elbow Rooms
Sat 2nd May @ 4pm
What are your top three Shakespeare plays?
Midsummer Nights Dream, Titus Andronicus (Mmmm kids in a pie!), Macbeth.
What is the best biscuit to dunk in tea?
Ginger Snaps or Butternut Crunch, they’re firm enough to take a lengthy dunk but soft enough to soak up plenty of tea. And they get chewy when wet.
Fancy dress – Batman or Superman?
Superman would stand out a bit more than Batman, who would just hide in the shadows…
Give the following marks out of ten –
Games 10; Geisha girls 10; Gloves 10; Grandmas 10;
Gymnastics 11 these people are incredible, not sure how they do it. I wonder if it’s all just camera trickery sometimes.
Would you rather have heavy rain or heavy snow?
Snow, no question. surely everyone prefers snow. With luck you’ll be snowed in and won’t have to go to school, or work or band practice.
Which is the most effective method of communication – shrieking or streaking?
Definately streaking. It’s something i think more people should do more of. I’m happy to promote it as both an effective way of communicating and good for your health.
What is the best train journey?
The journey where the person opposite you knows intuitively whether you’re in the mood to chat or not.
If you are taken out by someone else, should you order a starter?
YES
Complete the equation: ?? + ?? = Perfect Pair
I was never good at balancing equations in school, but I’d go for… Pert and Firm.
Pick a song for us to put on our Live At Leeds mixtape.
Push it to the Limit – from the Scarface soundtrack. Good motivational song. Or do you mean one of our songs? If so Braces. It’s our favourite at the moment
Jonjo Feather
Holy Trinity
Sat 2nd May @ 12pm
What are your top three Shakespeare plays?
‘Macbeth’, ‘The Comedy Of Errors’ and ‘Romeo and Juliet’, I’m always up for a bit of where art thou.
What is the best biscuit to dunk in tea?
Ginger biscuit, also works well with milk.
Fancy dress – Batman or Superman?
Definitely Batman, Superman’s a bit of a drip
Give the following marks out of ten –
Games I like poker, so i’ll give games an 8.
Geisha girls I dig those shoes geishas wear. 10
Gloves My hands go blue in the cold, a good pair of leather gloves sort that out. 9
Grandmas I’m giving my Grandma a 10. I don’t know any others.
Gymnastics I once bust my wrist on one of those horse things. 1
Would you rather have heavy rain or heavy snow?
I love snow, rain can get a bit messy.
Which is the most effective method of communication – shrieking or streaking?
Postcards.
What is the best train journey?
One’s with a smoking carriage.
If you are taken out by someone else, should you order a starter?
Depends on how hungry you are, I like to pace myself when i’m bagging out.
Complete the equation:
?? + ?? = Perfect Pair
Dog + lead = perfect pair.
Pick a song for us to put on our Live At Leeds mixtape.
‘When Will I Be Loved’ by The Everly Brothers
The ABC Club
Leeds Met SU
Sat 2nd May @ 5pm
What are your top three Shakespeare plays?
Die hard 1,2 & 3
What is the best biscuit to dunk in tea?
Chocolate Digestives any day!!!
Fancy dress – Batman or Superman?
Batman, superman has gay tendencies
Give the following marks out of ten –
Games – Scrabble for the win 8/10
Gloves – Good for warmth shit for fash-ion 7/10
Grandmas – Not a nice scene in the windows of Amsterdam 3/10
Gymnastics – Anything Matt Baker from Blue Peter likes gets a 10/10
Would you rather have heavy rain or heavy snow?
Heavy snow!!!
Which is the most effective method of communication – shrieking or streak-ing?
Who writes these questions?
What is the best train journey?
One that doesn‟t stop in Bradford!
If you are taken out by someone else, should you order a starter?
As long as they are paying
Complete the equation:
1 coconut + 1 coconut = A lovely pair of coconuts
Pick a song for us to put on our Live At Leeds mixtape.
The ABC Club – Tinkering Teacups, one for every occasion!

My Name Is

admin — Fri, 01 May 2009 18:42:39 +0000

If you can’t decide who to see, why not just judge a book by its cover, or a band by its name, and check out the best named bands.
Two Minute Noodles
Infinitely more palatable and less processed than the food they are named after, Two Minute Noodles sound like the feet of Morris Dancers running up and down a Hammond Organ. If you can imagine that.
Mountain Goat Frenzy
I just want to know where these guys got in a frenzy with mountain goats in Hull. Especially goats that inspire such punky wails and swirling percussion.
Jon Jones and the Beatnik Movement
Not as jolly as their name suggests, Jon Jones and the Beatnik Movement are an intense five piece with enough reverb and snarl to scare off any wanna be „punk‟ boy bands. Deranged and dangerous.

Arts @ Trinity

admin — Fri, 01 May 2009 18:41:00 +0000

An unconventional idea, arts@trinity began as an arts chaplaincy, aiming to use art as a focus for the activities of its community. Over time the Holy Trinity Church has ceased to have a permanent minister but successive people have undertaken overseeing the arts programme, with an output as diverse as the talent that exists in Leeds. We chat with Bruce Davies, the Arts Adminstrator about the venue and the concept.
It seems to me that staging gigs in a church can be a little blasphemous: a lot of people do idolise bands, and certainly choose their Saturday night at a gig rather than their Sunday morning at church. However, Bruce argues that the awe inspiring building itself is the focus of the attention. Regardless of religious views it is impossible not to appreciate the architectural brilliance and atmosphere of many churches and ensuring the building remains in use ensures that it stays standing.
‘Anything as far as I am concerned that opens such buildings up and allows people of all persuasions access for whatever reason can only be a good thing. I think it is impossible not to have some thoughts and feelings towards such buildings and their original purpose anyway even if you are only here to see a rock band or an art exhibition.’
Rock stars are hardly known for their clean living habits and angelic lyrics, and strict censorship of this would leave very few acts being able to perform. Whilst being sensitive to the needs of everyone else who uses the building arts@trinity do so without being censorial. It seems that this has not really been an issue for the arts administrators, as the artists are respectful of the fact that they are playing in a church.
‘On the whole artists and musicians who use the space do so because they want to utilise the ambience and architecture as a positive which means working with the building and it‟s meanings rather than against it. ‘
It seems that there is in fact more cross over than you may think between the worshippers and gig goers. Although the crowd isn‟t full of the same people as the congregation, both are there to focus on something, gaze in wonderment, and be inspired.
‘A lot of people do come in during the week just to look at the space and sit in it regardless of whether things are happening here or not.’
Trinity is not a supporting venue to the main act of the band, like many spaces can be. Like all the best venues, the ambience and experience of Trinity is as much part of the event as the art and music itself. The experience of seeing a band in Trinity often compels people to come back during the week to submerge themselves in the aura of the area. Having been stimulated by a gig or event, the church becomes one of the repertoire of places important to someone in Leeds.
One of the special venues indeed, Holy Trinity Church ‘is a resonant space, as opposed to a dead space as some gig spaces can be and the bands tend to play to this using the acoustics of the building for their own benefit. As far as art is concerned it is a highly adaptable venue that has played host to some brilliant and very unusual exhibitions the likes of which you just wouldn’t be able to see anywhere else in Leeds.’
Live At Leeds will be using HTC to showcase 2007 Mercury Prize nominee Fionn Regan, James Yuill, Paul Marshall, who played a gig here at Christmas last year and Marina and the Diamonds.
A testimony to the success of Holy Trinity is the emergence of St John’s the Evangelist on New Briggate, which is just at the beginning of what they hope will become another arts project. Although Trinity is still a working church and the dynamic is completely different, Bruce sees St John’s as an ‘ally’ in his mission to bring art to more people in Leeds. Keep your eyes peeled for a collaborative visual art event between the two being staged later this year.

1990s

admin — Fri, 01 May 2009 18:37:48 +0000

Brudenell Social Club
Sat 2nd May, 1pm
I’m going to be the first writer to not mention Franz Ferdinand once in their review of the 1990s. Ah shit. Well it’s tough not to. Having battled it out with Alex and the guys back in 2007, the new album ‘Kicks’ promises more comparisons. A danceable clash of sassy rhythms and tongue in cheek quirkiness, the 1990s are ridiculously good fun, but lack any of the depth and darkness of Glasgow’s other glam pop rockers.
‘The Box’ is instant instinctual hip shaking, the sing a long melody perfectly fusing with the 4/4 drum beat. ’59’ is a stomper of a tune, springy rhythms propelling it through. A stylish succession of energetic sounds and rhythms, 1990s are not drowning in dimensions, but after 3 minutes and 51 seconds of hip shimmying to „Kickstrausse‟, who will care?
For superficial fun times, the 1990s are a perfect soundtrack, and ‘Sparks’ could make it as one of the summer’s tunes. Recent show at the Water Rats in London showed the boys at their rough and rugged best. Like their name, they won’t last forever, but also like their name, it‟s a bloody good experience.

The Grammatics

admin — Fri, 01 May 2009 18:34:11 +0000

Leeds Met SU
Sat 1st May @ 9pm
Ever wondered what would happen if you took a random selection of records, peeled them apart layer by layer then and threw them all in together? Say Brendan Butler‟s Suede vocals mashed together with QOTSA beats, or Pulp’s satirical lyrics delivered with Jarvis Cocker’s audacity, merged with Hot Chip‟s electronic repetitions. Such equations are what Grammatics are made of.
The band have been around for a couple of years, but only this year started to gain recognition, having streamlined their melting pot of sounds and cymbals into a more accessible yet equally as complex offering.
Describing themselves as Owen on Squeal, Jangle, Noise Box, Nana’s Keyboard, Dominic banging the Big Tangerine Barrels, Rory on Grime Bass, accompanying with Mutter and Emilia slicing up the Cut-Throat Cello, and providing some Murmers, it’s clear that Grammatics are not your run of the mill indie band.
‘DILEMMA’ sees some of these disparate elements being brought together in an architecturally strong sound, and The Vague Archive is anything but, the direct gear shifts in fact more crisp than on other offerings.
‘Rosa Flood’ is an explosion of energy representative of the disparate elements of Grammatics’ catalogue: a high pitched bridge, stabbing guitars, the undercurrents of The Foals, and a vocal that at times sounds like, er, Lost Prophets.
The delivery gets to work on your nervous system immediately, but the frenetic pace sometimes lacks direction, leaving me feeling frustrated rather than invigorated. Grammatics have certainly challenged the expected limits of music at the moment, but their musical curiosity does at times lead them down paths self indulgent.
Confidence boosted from having made waves across the country supporting Red Light Company last month and being asked to support Bloc Party this Bloctober, combined with the thrill of being home favourites should ensure that Grammatics provide Leeds Met with an intelligent and innovative treat.