Spirit Power Unveiled: Exploring the Best of Johnny Marr

Poppi Andelin on 11 November 2023

Written by Poppi Andelin
Edited by Eve Moat

Johnny Marr, the legendary guitarist and songwriter, has gifted the music world with a retrospective masterpiece in the form of Spirit Power: The best of Johnny Marr (2023). This album is a sonic journey through Marr’s illustrious career, showcasing his unparalleled guitar expertise and his undeniable impact on the alternative music scene.

With the release of this album, I had the opportunity to attend an intimate Q&A session on Tuesday 7^th November; hosted in the Riley Smith theatre at Leeds University Union. Moderated by journalist and author, John Robb, it was a privilege to watch Marr field questions about his career and musical journey through many enlightening discussions. Immersing oneself in the personal anecdotes and background of a musical icon, provides a fresh perspective on their persona. Marr truly enriched the evening with his witty and enlightening narratives, infusing the atmosphere with immense joy and humour.

The album’s release commemorates a decade of Johnny Marr’s solo career, but it’s evident that his impact on the music scene is deep rooted in his earlier band experiences and collaborations. This act was delved into during the Q&A session, where Marr, reflecting on his time with The Smiths, disclosed his inclination to engage with multiple bands concurrently. He recounted instances such as working on a record for Mike Pickering, produced by Bernard Sumner, whilst simultaneously contributing to The Smiths’ debut album in 1984. Furthermore, during the second Smiths album, Marr collaborated with Everything But the Girl on one of their singles, whilst also joining forces with Billy Bragg for his second album; describing these opportunities as “a real privilege.” Marr shared that in many of these collaborative endeavors, he preferred to stay in the background, sometimes going unnoticed on certain tracks. He disclosed that it was only recently, during his collaboration with Noel Gallagher on the latest release, ‘Pretty Boy,’ that Gallagher urged him to do something “really Johnny Marr.” And with such musical elevation, Marr elucidated how he has become comfortable in maintaining his distinctive sound, even when contributing to other artists’ records.

In the course of the conversation, Marr delved into his lifelong passion for the guitar and lyric writing, a love that dates back to his early childhood. John Robb raised the question of why Marr spent many years as the guitarist rather than taking on the role of a frontman. In response, Marr recounted a humorous exchange with Roy Keane, drawing parallels to football team dynamics in a changing room. He likened the scenario to people having specific positions they prefer, emphasising that not everyone aspires to be the leader. Marr clarified that in bands like Modest Mouse and The Pretender, he simply just wanted to be the cool guitar player.

With a solo career now boasting an array of remarkable songs, Marr’s best-of album reaffirms his distinct musical identity and style. An intriguing revelation from the interview was Marr’s admission that some of his most famous solo songs were written during his time with The Cribs; including tracks like ‘Dynamo’, and ‘The Messenger.’ He explained that part of the motivation for his solo career stemmed from the desire to retain control over his creations. When he wrote these songs, he didn’t want to hand them over to others, like the Jarman brothers, only to have them altered. Marr found a new sense of satisfaction in crafting songs that were novel and unconventional, paired with a fresh voice that people weren’t used to. This, he noted, played to his advantage, allowing him to introduce something entirely fresh to the music landscape.

Marr’s compilation isn’t merely a nostalgic journey for longtime fans; it stands as a testament to his ongoing innovation. The carefully crafted tracklist enhances the listening experience, seamlessly connecting the various phases of Marr’s illustrious career. Fans might be curious about the rationale behind the album’s running order, a question that Marr did address in his discussion with John Robb. Marr explained that he opted against arranging the tracks chronologically, emphasising that fans had already embarked on that journey with him. Instead, he aimed for a more dynamic feel. Marr then shared a light-hearted anecdote about Kirsty MacColl’s role in organising the track order for U2’s The Joshua Tree (1987), humorously noting her preference for placing her favourite track first and her second favourite second. This anecdote mirrored Marr’s own approach in constructing the album, ultimately resulting in a compilation he takes immense pride in: “they’re all bangers!”

The Q&A with Johnny Marr was a pleasure to witness. His album, Spirit Power: The Best of Johnny Marr (2023), is a celebration of musical virtuoso. Whether you’re a devoted fan or a newcomer of Johnny Marr’s music, this compilation is a must listen, offering a comprehensive journey through the evolution of one of the most influential guitarists of all time.

BBC SOUNDS: THE FUTURE OF LISTENING?

Ria Sharma on 11 November 2023

Written by Ria Sharma
Edited by Eve Moat

Created in 2018 and eventually replacing the iPlayer radio app, BBC Sounds is the number 1 place to find BBC Live radio, podcasts and on-demand audio.

But is it the future of BBC listening?

As of 2023, BBC Sounds is drawing in a record number of listeners – up 50% from the last year. Weekly, the platform has an audience of 4.8 million people.

The Artists Icon Collection particularly caught my attention. The episodes are either hosted by artists or presenters playing songs by their own favourite artists (like Griff playing her favourite Taylor Swift tracks). Or, a presenter will find rare performances dug out of the BBC archives. Even better, there are episodes where the artists themselves play the songs that inspired them throughout their careers. The 6 Music Artist Collection is also a highlight. BBC Radio 6 says they are “Celebrating the music and career of artists and exploring their influences and those they have in turn inspired”. The artists celebrated range in genre, from Blur to Phoebe Bridgers.

Sounds is also a capsule for the many defining Radio 1 events that go on throughout the year. Radio 1’s Live Lounge Month was in October and all the tracks have been uploaded to Sounds for anyone who didn’t manage to catch them live – including the likes of Olivia Rodrigo, Doja Cat and Troye Sivan. Similarly, you can access behind-the-scenes content from Glastonbury and a 32-episode Eurovision podcast series. The BBC also uses Sounds to capture their own events, like Big Weekend.

Regarding podcasts, BBC Sounds had 237 million podcast downloads in the 2nd quarter of 2023. Of course, BBC Sounds lacks a lot of independent podcasts that can be found on other platforms such as Spotify. The BBC tends to commission podcasts from already established podcasting companies or pick up podcasts after they have already gained traction. In the music genre of podcasts, Sounds has succeeded in having big names as hosts. This includes Dua Lipa’s At Your Service Podcast which is on its third season. There is also the Eras Podcast which includes episodes in which Martin Freeman narrates the history of the Beatles.

Beyond music, there is also a wide selection of audiobooks on BBC Sounds, from classics like The Great Gatsby to recent releases such as Yellow Face by R.F Kuang. Similarly, there are series of BBC Bitesize content for English Literature, Biology and general study support.

Just by looking at the app, you can see that Sounds is aimed at the younger generation who are perhaps unlikely to tune into Live Radio. Yet, many young people are likely to be surprised at just how much Sounds has to offer – especially the content of their favourite artists.

As a streaming platform, BBC Sounds is in many ways a success. With big competitors like Spotify, BBC Sounds still has far to grow but with its original content and famed hosts, it is definitely ticking the boxes for a great listening experience. So will BBC Sounds take over regular BBC radio? Probably not anytime soon as traditional BBC radio still racks in a large number of viewers with the BBC stating that nearly 1 in 4 of all UK adults are tuning into Radio 2 live.

But with people wanting more content on demand, we can definitely say that BBC Sounds is on the rise and whether you’re into classical music, pop music or even podcasts about music, there is something for everyone!

Sources

BBC Sounds sees huge digital growth in a record quarter and is up nearly 50% from last year, whilst music and sport boost listener growth for BBC Radio 1, Asian Network and 5 Sports Extra

bbc-sounds-q2-2023.pdf

LIVE: Turning the Page – The Streets Rock the O2 on Their Triumphant Return to Leeds

Thomas Dent on 11 November 2023

Written by Thomas Dent
Edited by Eve Moat

When Mike Skinner of The Streets took to the stage in Leeds’ O2 academy, his 9th gig in scarcely under two weeks, you’d forgive him for being low on energy but from the first couplet of 2002s ‘Turn the Page’ it was clear that this was going to be a night without conceivable equal.

Of course the night had built up wonderfully to this moment. The first support act was Master Peace, a London based artist. An early technical issue almost derailed the performance but this was swiftly overcome and Master Peace strode onto the stage confidently, clearly at ease with himself as a performer, despite his apparent youth. He goaded the steadily growing crowd with his infectious energy, saying “I like to have it Leeds and want you to all have it as well”. His music captured the vibe perfectly, not least when he sang the chorus of Arctic Monkeys’ 2006 mega-hit ‘I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor’, prompting the nights first sing along. After exhausting his repertoire, he left the stage, with the crowd clearly in the mood for a good night.

The second of the night’s support acts, Joy Anonymous came on to provide the now swelling crowd with a highly danceable and engaging DJ set, further whetting appetites for the main event. Their set went by without as much incident or crowd participation but they are clearly a very accomplished and respected duo who would probably be more suited to a smaller venue, festival tent or clubnight.

After an interval of around half an hour, in which the expectant buzz of the sold out crowd was palpable, the lights dimmed for the third and final time. A short snippet of ‘Money isn’t Everything’ from new album The Darker the Shadow the Brighter the Light sprang abruptly from the speakers and it slowly segued into the now immortal instrumental motif of ‘Turn the Page’, which the crowd gleefully chanted along to. As Skinner’s band readied themselves, he walked on lackidaciously, mic in one hand, the final third of a golden pint sloshing around in the other. The energy of the crowd scarcely subsided from this moment as Skinner approached the barriers and, not for the last time, entered the crowd for second song ‘Who’s Got the Bag?’ The song is Skinner’s celebration of the easing of lockdown restrictions in the summer of 2020 and while it is not one of my favourites to listen to, the energy it is delivered with live takes it to a different level entirely. Pints flew around the room like foaming missiles and Skinner immediately complained of “being wet” in his deadpan way. Surely a good sign only two songs into a gig. The next two songs, ’Lets Push Things Forward’ and the eternally funny ‘Don’t Mug Yourself’, both from the now canonised debut album Original Pirate Material began with Skinner proclaiming, “its a Saturday night Leeds and we don’t usually do Saturday nights so lets have a good time”. The energy and pace of the gig at this point was seriously impressive with Skinner trading lines and dancing with who I believe was longtime collaborator Kevin Mark Trail.

The show also included many poignant moments. Skinner got sentimental as he played the ode to his father, the beautiful ‘Never Went to Church’, dedicated on the night to his ‘best friend from Leeds’. He also comedically sellotaped a “Jesus Loves UK Garage” t-shirt to the kick drum during the instrumental section. At this point, Skinner, clearly in a good mood, was handed a phone from a fan in the crowd and gave a small gift in return. Mike again entered the crowd and sat atop a mans shoulders, holding his hand and asking for a two pint cup of lager to be given to the stranger for “helping him out”. From this position Mike gave a speech relating to mental health over the song ‘On the Edge of a Cliff’. He then held on to a lady for dear life as they crowd surfed, bobbing slowly over the sea of people. Unfortunately the lady was dropped, much to the distaste of Mike, which he made clear, comparing the surreal scene to “being like the Titanic movie”.

All too quickly, the final act of the main set was finally upon us as the doom laden riff to Black Sabbath’s ‘Iron Man’ came ringing from the guitarists fingers, he then launched into a great solo while Skinner silently hyped up the crowd. When the riff to 2004s hit single ‘Fit but You Know It’ came rushing from the PA, the crowd went wild and Skinner leapt into the air from a speaker, shouting the opening lines. The chorus provided possibly the biggest singalong of a triumphant night and the energy did not subside when the band left the stage as the incessant chant for “one more song” began. As it turned out, The Streets were going to exceed our demands and play four more songs. With the first being the live debut of new track ‘Bright Sunny Day’ featuring a guest vocal from former touring member and collaborator Rob Harvey. This was followed by The Streets’ only number one single, 2004s ‘Dry Your Eyes’, in which Skinner asked an audience member to pick a card from his hand then asked for everyone to stare into a strangers eyes for 20 seconds. During 2004s classic, ’Blinded by the Lights’, Skinner joyously crowd surfed with around four or five lucky people whilst rapping. An impressive multitask. The gig then ended on a massive high with The Streets performing the Chris Lorenzo collaboration ‘Take Me as I Am’, the chorus of which the crowd sang over and over as they left the O2.

The Streets delivered a monumental set that mixed old favourites and new songs into a seamless whole. It was one of the best gigs I have been to and if you get the chance you should definitely see them the next time they are in Leeds.

Full Setlist:
• Turn the Page
• Who’s Got the Bag
• Lets Push Things Forward
• Don’t Mug Yourself
• Could Well Be In
• Everything is Borrowed
• Has it Come to This
• I Wish You Loved You as Much As You Love Him
• Wrong Answers Only feat. Master Peace
• Never Went to Church
• It’s too Late
• The Escapist
• On the Edge of a Cliff
• Troubled Waters
• Weak Become Heroes Incl. Pranging Out
• Too Much Yayo
• Mike (Desert Island Duvet) - Fred Again cover
• Fit But You Know It
Encore:
• Bright Sunny Day feat. Rob Harvey
• Dry Your Eyes
• Blinded By the Lights
• Take Me As I Am

LIVE: Squid at Project House

Mia Stapleton on 11 November 2023

Written by Mia Stapleton
Edited by Eve Moat

Late October, Leeds’ newest concept space, Project House, hosted band Squid on the second leg of their EU tour. Showcasing tracks from their recently released second album, O Monolith, Squid were supported by London post-punk band Blue Bendy, bringing the South up to the North, to compliment and preface the main act.

There is only one way to truly describe Brighton post-punk band Squid’s style of music- something that we have never heard before. Whilst the main descriptor used to describe their music is ‘experimental,’ their tracks feel somewhat more connected to labels, such as ‘dystopian’ and ‘space-like.’ Most experimental artists often slide toward a signature futuristic feel, which Squid narrowly avoids, creating what we know as their unique sound.

Easy listening, intense, and uniquely upbeat: Squid’s music is generationally diverse and ever evolving. Discreetly moving from slow-paced synths to intense warbles of power, they create a melodic mix of sounds, transforming them into tracks that translate extremely well onto a live audience. Alike to their name: Squid, the band is something different.

The band, originally set to play at the O2 Academy, instead performed at a packed-out Project House. Project House, described as a “new cultural concept”, is the collaborative product of Brudenell Social Club, Welcome Skate Store, and Super Friendz. On this night, Squid turned the venue lovechild into a booming space. Despite O2 Academy boasting a capacity over 1000 larger than Project House, the more-intimate feel that was offered for Squid’s performance created an inexplicable intimacy between the band and the visitors. What some may see as a venue ‘downgrade’ or a ‘loss’ for the band, turned into one of Leeds’ most exciting and elevated evenings of the 2023 calendar.

The crowd’s response to ‘Documentary Filmmaker’ (featured on 2021 album Bright Green Field) was untameable. The acoustics of Project House enabled for a perfect echo of shouts of “snowy in February”. Even for those who perhaps were accompanying friends or family, caught on to the track, and joined in with an enthusiastic response to lead singer – drummer, and the “main man”, Ollie Judge.

Simply, Squid’s exploratory nature, and unique way of encapsulating the moment through the crowd, is what continues to keep their name and brand growing in the music scene.

After the gig, I caught up with a few enthusiastic fans. Here’s what they had to say about their experience of Squid, at Project House:

“I enjoyed the Leeds gig, Project House is a really nice venue, and I thought that they played very well. I like their sound because it’s a bit different and funky. I don’t think they sound similar to anyone I’ve heard before, they were entertaining live, and they make very fun music! The album called Right Green Field is very funky.” – Molly Flavell, Leeds

“I like the electronic parts of Squid’s sound a lot. I like music that can be a little bit hard to dance to.” – Nat, Leeds

Squid concluded their EU tour on November 1, closing off at Troxy, London.

Socials: @SquidBandUK

Lucy Rose Returns Asking “Could You Help Me?”

Millie Cain on 11 November 2023

Written by Millie Cain
Edited by Eve Moat

We’ve missed her sultry tones and punch-in-the-heart lyrics, so nearly five years after her last album No Words Left, Lucy Rose releasing the new single ‘Could You Help Me’ this October had her fans in a frenzy.

Fast-paced, jazz-influenced piano sets the tone for the song from the get-go: she’s affected, dreamy yet exasperated. This beginning of jazz-pop piano drifts into a more ethereal sequence, which is punctuated by careering, electric guitar solos. With a full band behind her, she confidently controls the song with such alluring ease, almost like spinning the tale through her sound. With the addition of spattering drums, echoing vocals, and hints of electronic production – it gives a chaotic beat which can only be reflective of her own vaguely scattered mind, as she swings between her punchy lyrics, and finds a cathartic end in crooning, almost lullaby-like notes.

Channelling frustrations from parenthood, she discusses the intense back pain that came from it which made living her day-to-day life almost impossible. She even remarked recently: “I sought medical help but was dismissed repeatedly.” But, never one to be swayed, Lucy Rose explained in her press release how she’s listening to different influences, the likes of “Erroll Garner, Duke Ellington, Kiefer, Debussy, Little Simz, and finding myself drawn so much more to writing at a piano.”

After previously singing and working on records by Bombay Bicycle Club, Manic Street Preachers,
and Paul Weller, she’s got real poise and experience that brings a true masterfulness to her works. This single was co-produced and composed by artist Kwes, who has produced for the likes of Loyle Carner, Solange Knowles & Damon Albarn. Especially after launching her own independent label – Real Kind Records – in 2020, I sincerely hope that a fourth album of hers is to come, as this is “the beginning of a new chapter” as she transcends into further maturity and parenthood.

Lucy Rose will be playing an intimate one-off sold out at Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club in London on 6th
January 2024. Her new single (and previous albums and singles) are available on all streaming platforms!

The Last Shadow Puppets: To Three or Not to Three?

Millie Cain on 11 November 2023

Written by Millie Cain
Edited by Eve Moat

All anybody in indie music ever seems to want is more Arctic Monkeys. More, more, more, leeching the essence right out of Alex Turner. More AM, more Humbug, more Suck It and See, even gagging for more Tranquility Base Hotel and Casino. More shows, more tours, more music, more demos. New bands are chasing their sound, recreating their looks, singing their covers. O2 Academy’s Indie Thursday must play more AM in one night than sell overpriced vodka-lemonades. To top it all off, we eat it up every week. We want to swallow them whole. Finally though, Matt Helders recently announced, after their recent (slog of a) tour that “Arctic Monkeys need a break”.

But how, you may ask, are these rockstars taking a break? How does Alex Turner walk off a stage in front of thousands to sit in his mum’s living room? To live and breathe in a way that appears to transcend normal life, and suddenly give it all up?

There aren’t any days off. When minds are whirring and your whole career is built on writing and singing material that you’ve thought up, how do you turn off? For the rest of the band, it’s back to America; Helders to his new wife, kids, and their home, but for Turner, is he leaping right back into the loving arms of Miles Kane?

2007: indie sleaze is in full swing, Miles Kane’s band The Rascals are supporting Arctic Monkeys’ tour, and something is blossoming. A whispering of ideas, bonding over David Bowie and Scott Walker, a shared love for that 60s and 70s inspired orchestrated sound that Turner just can’t escape. The Last Shadow Puppets formed and released their first album The Age of the Understatement in April 2008. Double the songwriters, half the work right? The baroque-pop album released to critical acclaim, a debut number one, and earned a mercury prize nomination. The co-frontmen went on a world tour as TLSP, in a move described as “ambitious, intimate, and profound”. It held a real difference in songwriting, an old school romance flowing throughout, and leaning into an older, pre-psychedelic sound.

An 8-year hiatus followed, Turner was busy releasing three more Arctic Monkeys albums (Humbug, Suck It and See, and AM) as well as delving into creating a movie soundtrack with Submarine. Kane also released two huge albums, and front-manned another supergroup, Jaded Hearts Club, with more of a rock turned northern soul sound, made up with Graham Coxon (Blur), Nic Cester (Jet), Matt Bellamy (Muse), and Sean Payne (The Zutons). Everybody wondered whether they’d ever be back. Nevertheless, Everything You’ve Come to Expect hit with a bang in December 2016, as another number 1 album, with a smooth, sophisticated Californian flair.

With a second album came the question: where is the third? In an interview with NME in 2016, Turner revealed “We always wanted it to be a trilogy […] We wanted to write the second and third parts before we released the second”. A third album, written somewhere, perhaps stashed in the secret box of their minds, deep in the LA countryside. Kane, as recently as this year, admitted to Radio X “We always talk about it mate […] before this lifetime is done, a trilogy will definitely be put in place”.

With the buzz surrounding Kane joining Arctic Monkeys on stage in Dublin for ‘505’ (a song which he originally collaborated on), him recently playing huge fan favourite TLSP songs ‘Aviation’ and ‘Standing Next to Me’ on his most recent tour, it doesn’t seem like TLSP have been forgotten. Still with 1.8 million monthly listeners, it would be a huge moment for Miles Kane as he’s powering through his solo career, and for Turner, a welcome rest bite from the nearly 50 million eyes on Arctic Monkeys. While their music has undoubtably strayed, there’s huge hints of them moving in similar directions: Kane’s single ‘My Death’ from his new album One Man Band and ‘Tears are Falling’ from its predecessor could in theory be found easily on The Car. Kane is definitely exploring new sounds and experimenting more. Could we expect a more 80s synth influenced album, or a punkier push from Kane’s side for their grand finale? And the fanbase, well now its nearing the 8-year anniversary of Everything You’ve Come to Expect in 2024, they are only going to be screaming more, more, more.

Freshers Scaries

Lola Cook on 10 November 2023

On the 23rd of September 2022, my Mum moved me into my first-year halls. My mind raced for the
three and a half hour drive up to Leeds, anticipating the amazing nights out I was due to experience
and all the friends for life I was definitely going to meet in the first few days of freshers. With my room set up and my fridge shelf full, I waved my mum off as tears glazed my cheeks. Life as an adult had begun.

I hurled myself into fresher-life with an undying social battery, talking as much as possible to as
many people as I could, going clubbing and exploring the city. But as the end of the week crept
nearer, a cloud began to linger over me. The endless Instagram posts of other people’s idyllically
constructed freshers weeks bewitched me, and I began to question whether I had done freshers
week ‘well enough’. But my time was up, freshers week was over, and the realities of university life were becoming apparent. Suddenly, the tasks of everyday living hit me smack in the face. As I lugged my washing down flights of stairs, and the kitchen started to look a little bit grimmer than it had when I arrived, my freshers high began to crumble, and reality dawned.

As I reminisce about the very beginning of first year, I am amazed at how we all get through it. Only
this time last year, I was living the antithesis of my life now. Today, I am sat in my cosy front room
with five other girls that I will love and know for the rest of my life, secure and happy, a far cry from
the overwhelmed version of me that sat in her first-year kitchen.

Most of us come to university knowing how to cook, clean and take care of ourselves, but the
challenge is then doing this when you feel lonely or low, irritated by a flatmate, or just absolutely
exhausted. Then when everything seems like too much anyway, you’ve got to make your way round
campus, entering buildings that feel like rabbit warrens and engaging with your lectures (or not).
Tired, you trawl back to your accommodation where your flatmates await. I was lucky to have a
lovely group of people to live with, but still, the reality of living with strangers was something of a
shock. The atmosphere of the space that you come back to is incredibly important for your well-
being, especially when you are so far away from home, and managing your relationships with the
people you live with can be challenging sometimes.

As the leaves fall from the trees and the cold becomes even more biting, it’s only natural for the
homesickness to creep in. Missing your mum has got to be one of the most dejected states a person can endure, especially when you’re a week or two into university life. You are yet to form a bond with anyone which matches the deep and consolidated relationships you share with friends at home, a feeling I really struggled with, as my friends are incredibly important to me.

But as the days passed, I spent more and more time with a girl who today, I call my best friend. We
sat in each other’s rooms cackling and talking about our lives before each other. We went clubbing together, including a time when I got so drunk and sick that I cried to her in fear she wouldn’t want to be my friend anymore…

The friendship grew and so did my confidence in myself and my new life, and then everything else followed. It takes great courage to put yourself out there, but the more you do the more you grow, and I think that is how we transform from teenagers into adults.

The weeks leading up to Christmas felt so slow in my first year, but then I blinked and now I’m nearly halfway through my degree. I began my life here wishing away the weeks of feeling uncomfortable, but now I would do anything to stop time.

Poundland opens new store in former Headingley Wilko

Josh Elgin on 8 November 2023

Poundland has sought to rapidly convert the former Wilko retail units, with some opening as little as one week after they closed

Winter Wishlist

Isabella Dias on 8 November 2023

After years of living on the Persian Gulf, Isabella is learning how to dress warm for the first time – and these are her tips this season!

Sheaf St. closure: “Thank you and Goodnight!”

Em O'Riley on 8 November 2023

Last week, independent bar, café and music venue Sheaf St. announced it was closing its doors.

The venue, which opened in 2017, was a core part of the vibrant music scene in Leeds.

The Gryphon spoke to Josh Igoe, an events manager for the University of Leeds BPM electronic music and DJ society. He said Sheaf St would be “dearly missed by all who went and all those they supported”.

Josh, who DJs under the name Anop, paid credit to the venue for facilitating society events so enthusiastically, “few clubs in Leeds supported the local scene as much as Sheaf”.

Despite the oft-repeated joke of the unavoidable number of aspiring DJs in Leeds, new talent can have a difficult time raising their profile.

It’s a competitive scene, and many clubs are unwilling to take the risk of new, less experienced DJs.

Instead, and with several key exceptions, much of the highly commercialised nightlife in the city exhibits a predictable, homogenous mix.

Conversely Sheaf St provided a place for up-and-coming artists, including students, hosting open deck nights with BPM as well as events including a workshop with DJ Adam Pits.

Venues are facing disastrously perfect storm of conditions, outlined by the owners of Sheaf St. in a statement on their website, “low attendance, rising costs, increasing fees, significantly reduced spend per head, and skyrocketing utilities and stock costs”

The continuing Cost of Living Crisis, means millions in the UK are having to make incredibly difficult decisions about spending. Outdated perceptions of students living rich off of their maintenance loans hides the reality, as loan increases stagnate versus rising inflation.

According to Unipol, a housing charity, the average cost of rent in England is only £24 below the average maintenance loan. This means a majority of students have little to no excess maintenance loan left after they’ve paid for accommodation.

Data from the National Union of Students found that 96% of students are ‘cutting back’ on expenses, with a third of those in the study were living on less than £50 a month after rent and bills.

Nightlife is thus an expensive luxury, and one of the first things go.

However, the closure of Sheaf St draws in additional, more localised considerations.

Sheaf St. said: “The nightlife industry is a vital economic driver for our city…We believe Leeds doesn’t fully recognise this asset”.

Similarly to the Tetley building, the closure of which The Gryphon covered last month, Sheaf St cited the Aire Park Development as a significant factor in their closure.

Aire Park, a 3-hectare development project in the Southbank area (across the river below Call Lane), aims to ‘regenerate’ a previously industrial area of Holbeck. It raises concerns about gentrification and the damage to pre-existing businesses and residents in the pursuit of constructed communities.

The Gryphon is awaiting a response from the developers and council in regards to these concerns around Aire Park.

Accompanying the announcement, Sheaf St. updated their website to say:

“THANK YOU AND GOODNIGHT! YOU LOVELY PEOPLE!”.

Their upbeat farewell cements the underlying rallying cry of “Support your Local!”, passed down for decades. A prompt, for those who financially can, to ditch the Spoons and put your money where it matters.