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363. Kate Tempest: Belgrave Music Hall, Leeds [12.11.19]

Artist: Kate Tempest

Venue: Belgrave Music Hall, Leeds

Date: 12.11.19

For the first of the evening’s two intimate shows, Kate Tempest walked on stage and made a simple request. In such a small venue she could see right into the faces of the audience and would rather not perform to a crowd of cameras. She therefore asked us to take one shot for social media and then put our phones away, which we…

362. An Evening with Mike Joyce of The Smiths: The Constitutional, Farsley [9.11.19]

Artist: Mike Joyce

Interviewer: Dave Simpson

Venue: The Constitutional, Farsley

Date: 9.11.19

On a Saturday night in Farsley (a small suburb on the edge of Leeds) the one and only drummer from The Smiths sat casually chatting away – like a normal bloke who just happened to be in one of the world’s most renowned indie bands.

Despite Morrissey & Marr’s bittersweet memoirs and the infamous pay…

361. Steve Mason: Brudenell Social Club, Leeds [8.11.19]

Artist: Steve Mason

Support: Pictish Trail

Venue: Brudenell Social Club, Leeds

Date: 8.11.19

The alpha male of The Beta Band exudes cool and charisma with a set of new solo material and a few old favourites.

360. Dead Naked Hippies: Hyde Park Book Club, Leeds [1.11.19]

Artist: Dead Naked Hippies

Support: HAMER

Venue: Hyde Park Book Club, Leeds

The cellar at Hyde Park Book Club really lends itself to up and coming indie bands with attitude. Great to see the space packed-out with a clued up crowd for this gig.

359. CUD: Brudenell Social Club, Leeds [25.10.19]

Artist: CUD

Venue: Brudenell Social Club, Leeds

Date: 25.10.19

When in Rome, Kill Me [30th Anniversary]: Time marches on and the ever-loyal legion of CUD troops fall in line.

No longer do chants of “you fat bastard” come from the crowd, as few of us are the skinny young things that we used to be. However, the music is timeless.

358. Foals: Leeds Beckett University [24.10.19]

Artist: Foals

Venue: Leeds Beckett University

Date: 24.10.19

Just five months after the launch gig for ‘Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost Part 1’, here we were again for ‘Part 2’. Leeds Beckett SU was predictably packed for the earlier of another two album launch shows. As before, pre-ordering the album from Crash Records, Leeds resulted in a ticket to an exclusive gig.

The highlight had to be…

357. Henge: Brudenell Social Club, Leeds [17.10.19]

Artist: Henge

Support: The Evil Usses

Venue: Brudenell Social Club, Leeds

Date: 17.10.19

Earlier this year I’d missed seeing Henge at Bluedot Festival but the enthusiastic sound of the crowd made me think I should have been watching.

On this night, Henge touched/beamed-down to Brudenell for a gig like no other. I’m not a fan of novelty bands but Henge are a truly alien exception. Their never…

356. Working Men’s Club: Brudenell Social Club, Leeds [16.10.19]

Artist: Working Men’s Club

Support: Roxy Girls

Venue: Brudenell Social Club, Leeds

Date: 16.10.19

Working the club into a synth-heavy heavenly frenzy.

355. The Murder Capital: Brudenell Social Club, Leeds [14.10.19]

Artist: The Murder Capital

Support: Happy Couple

Venue: Brudenell Social Club, Leeds

Date: 14.10.19

Elbow were playing in the other room at Brudenell on this night. However, those in the know were elsewhere watching The Murder Capital hold their own in the Main Room. A moody and moving set to launch their much anticipated debut album.

354. Snapped Ankles: The Crescent, York [11.10.19]

Artist: Snapped Ankles

Support: Nuha Ruby Ra / Adrena Adrena

Venue: The Crescent, York

Date: 11.10.19

Never rooted to the stage, the ‘tree men’ roamed the room at regular intervals during a raucous set. At one point, the singer ended up performing from behind the bar.

Solid support slots from the unique audio-visuals of Adrena Adrena and the mesmerisingly outré Nuha Ruby Ra.

This was my first…

353. Richard Hawley: Warehouse 23, Wakefield [27.9.19]

Artist: Richard Hawley

Support: Studio Electrophonique

Venue: Warehouse 23, Wakefield

Date: 27.9.19 (Rescheduled from 19.6.19)

The intimate venue of Warehouse 23 was packed to the rafters for a rare appearance from Richard Hawley. Expectations were high; Hawley and his band didn’t disappoint, with a masterful performance and knowing northern banter.

352. The Smyths: Brudenell Social Club, Leeds [20.9.19]

Artist: The Smyths

Venue: Brudenell Social Club, Leeds

Date: 20.9.19

On the Leeds side streets that you slip down: ‘Mockrrissey’ & co return to Brudenell, and the late ‘80s, with their tributary melancholy mirth.

351. Pixies: O2 Academy, Leeds [17.9.19]

Artist: Pixies

Support: The Big Moon

Venue: O2 Academy, Leeds

Date: 17.9.19

No holding back as Pixies opened with ‘Gouge Away’ and ploughed-on through an epic 38 song set. Some would argue that less is more, but when you’ve waited so long to see a band play live, you take what you can get. Disappointingly, their expansive setlist didn’t include ‘Debaser’.

There’s no ticket for this gig, as in…

350. POZI: Brudenell Social Club, Leeds [15.9.19]

Artist: POZI

Support: Failyer

Venue: Brudenell Social Club, Leeds

Date: 15.9.19

A Sunday evening in September and student season isn’t yet in full swing. So I head down to a free gig at ‘The Brude’. A chance to sink a beer from the quiet bar and see something different.

349. An Evening with Alan McGee: The Constitutional, Farsley [13.9.19]

Artist: Alan McGee

Interviewer: Gavin Puszczalowskyi

Venue: The Constitutional, Farsley

Date: 13.9.19

An Evening with Alan McGeekicks-off with a fairly staged but enlightening interview. Gavin Puszczalowskyi’s questions are well planned and unintrusive, so Alan McGee knows what to expect and responds well. There are interesting insights into the musicians he knew in his youth, many of who became…

348. POW!: Brudenell Social Club, Leeds [9.9.19]

Artist: POW!

Support: Hot Snack / Dixon

Venue: Brudenell Social Club, Leeds

Date: 9.9.19

I was there!

347. Föllakzoid: Brudenell Social Club, Leeds [6.9.19]

Artist: Föllakzoid

Support: Jellyskin

Venue: Brudenell Social Club, Leeds

Date: 6.9.19

Pretty picking up where the last Föllakzoid gig left off, with a cool and continuous groove, played in a pitch black room.