Festival season 2023 kicks off with Live at Leeds: In the Park

The sun is out, the pasty white legs, bucket hats and vintage England shirts are back on the fields… it can mean only one thing: festival season is back! This bank holiday weekend saw the triumphant return of Live at Leeds: In the Park, the sister festival to the long-running Live at Leeds: In the City (which is set to take place on October 14th this year). Admittedly, the line-up this year is somewhat lacklustre, and unfortunately dominated by white male acts, the Temple Newsham all-dayer still boasted the likes of The Hives, Two Door Cinema Club and a host of other acts sure to start off festival season 2023 with a bang!

One of the first acts at the festival were Brighton-based Opus Kink, who have gained notoriety for their explosive live shows – including previous sets at Live at Leeds: In the City 2022 and, more recently, at Belgrave’s Dark Arts Festival. In all honesty, Opus Kink did no favours for the rest of the bands set to play throughout the day; they are an incredibly hard band to follow! Masters of genre hybridity, the group rattled through a set of post-punk-meets-jazz bangers in the midday sunshine. Although the full extent of the raw energy and noise present within the Kink’s smaller shows was somewhat lost within a festival setting, the group still managed to connect with the crowd – which was unfairly sparce, owing to queues at the gates – and get people dancing early on. As was mentioned by frontman Angus Rogers during the set, the band had to shoot off to Bristol for a set at Dot-to-Dot Festival soon after, which likely explains why the band were billed so early at Live at Leeds! 

The Opus Kink set was played at Live at Leeds’s ‘Dork Presents’ stage; dual stages allowing for no gaps in-between sets. This dynamic staging allowed for maximum music consumption, but also some odd juxtaposition. Take, for instance, Belfast noise-punk group Enola Gay. The four-piece featured within their blistering set, the song ‘PTS.DUP’, the lead single taken from their upcoming album. The track is a furious, gut-wrenching indictment of sectarianism and the DUP in the North of Ireland, which was inspired following a sectarian attack on one of the band members. To go from the anger and heartbreak of that track immediately to the bubble-gum-punk of Panic Shack singing about ‘Meal Deals’ and ‘The Ick’ on the other Dork stage, without any time to process Enola’s set, was incredibly jarring – light and shade, I suppose. 

The rest of the day was characterised by dazzling sunshine, good food and a great atmosphere. It would be all too easy to spend all day laying on a bean bag, basking in the heat, were it not for the abundance of great live music occurring from all angles. Notable sets included YouTuber James Marriott, Kate Nash, CMAT and Deadletter – the latter also appearing at the ‘Dork Presents’ stage for a mid-afternoon slot. Deadletter are often compared to Opus Kink, Rogers even introduced their set with ‘Hello, we are Deadletter’, much to the confusion of the audience. Although Deadletter’s set paled in comparison to that of Opus Kink, the group put on a fun, energetic and engaging show. Who knew that post-punk could be made noticeably better with the inclusion of a horn section? X-Ray Spex were ahead of their time. 

Ultimately, however good any other band at the festival were, they were playing for second. As soon as legendary Swedish rock ‘n’ roll band The Hives took to the Rolling Stone big top for a headline set, all other sets fell by the wayside. After their rise to fame in the garage rock revival of the early 00s, The Hives quickly grew a reputation as being one of the finest live bands around. In contrast to their live shows, however, the band have been fairly quiet since the release of their 2012 album, Lex Hives. Although there have been sporadic signs of life within the past eleven years, including the release of the Third Man-released single ‘I’m Alive’ in 2019 and a ‘Live at Third Man Records’ album in 2020, the group are now back on the scene and set to release their sixth studio album, The Death of Randy Fitzsimmons, in August of this year. Launching in to their first song of the set, The Hives demolished any sense of apprehension about their return. They were as loud, chaotic and wonderfully energetic as they have ever been! Their incredible set featured ‘golden hits’ like ‘Main Offender’ and their much beloved single ‘Hate to Say I Told You So’ as well as more recent tracks and a handful of songs from the aforementioned new album. The tunes were interspersed with the chaotic ramblings of frontman Howlin’ Pelle Almqvist, whose stage presence is night and day from his usual personality; as those who attended the group’s signing at the Crash Records tent were able to witness first-hand. With more festival dates planned for the rest of the year, as well as an arena tour with Arctic Monkeys, The Hives are well and truly back! Let us all hope they never leave us again. 

Although the festival officially ended with a main stage headline from Two Door Cinema Club, their set felt more like a cool-down after the rock ‘n’ roll epiphany of The Hives’ set. Overall, though, this year’s Live at Leeds: In the Park was a fantastic success, with the majority of problems which arose at their inaugural festival last year rectified. The festival season is upon us, it is sure to be long and prosperous and, for many, it started at Temple Newsham with Live at Leeds. Roll on next year!

Fortunately, there is not long to wait until the next Live at Leeds festival, with the ‘In the City’ counterpart set to take place on October 14th. Tickets for Live at Leeds: In the City are available now, and the initial line-up announcement includes the likes of Wunderhorse, The Last Dinner Party and The Mysterines.

Yard Act conquer Manchester Albert Hall

Leeds post-punk titans Yard Act have been unavoidable on both a local and national scale since they first started releasing music in September 2020. Their initial singles ‘Fixer Upper’, ‘The Trapper’s Pelts’, ‘Peanuts’ and ‘Dark Days’ received critical acclaim from the likes of BBC 6Music – and the legions of 6Music dads who flocked to Brudenell Social Club like flies around an up-and-coming post-punk outfit. The release of their Mercury-nominated debut album, The Overload, propelled them to a number two spot in the album charts, extensive tours of the UK, Europe and the US (with a quick stop off to perform live on Jimmy Fallon), and even a collaboration with rock royalty Elton John. It has been over a year since the release of The Overload, and its twenty-five different vinyl variants, and the band are working hard on new material. In an interview conducted with The Gryphon last year, bassist Ryan Needham (previously of incredible Leeds-based psych outfit Menace Beach) and guitarist Sam Shipstone (who is also making music with Holodrum) affirmed their commitment to recording new music – also suggesting that these new tracks have more no-wave and disco influences, owing to the influence of a lot of ESG. 

Before this new era of Yard Act begins, though, The Overload deserved a grand send off. After all the countless mosh pits, festivals, Brudenell appearances, fifty pence pieces collected from the audience, and with the infamous golden Rover in the garage; the final Overload gigs were announced. These were five dates in some of the most beautiful and well-regarded independent venues that the UK and Ireland have to offer, accompanied by a stellar line-up of support acts including old friends Baba Ali, rising groups Deadletter and Fat Dog, and Leeds contemporaries English Teacher and Thank. Kicking off at Vicar Street in Dublin on the 26th April, then to Glasgow’s Barrowlands, the Albert Hall in Manchester and finishing with two dates at The Troxy in London. It was at Manchester Albert Hall that I caught the band. It was the eighth time I had seen the band and it was undoubtedly one of their finest performances to date. 

Before Yard Act took to the stage, though, it was the turn of fellow Leeds band, Thank. Those who have been lucky enough to see Thank in action should already be aware that they represent one of the most interesting, innovative and exciting bands to have come out of Leeds in a very long time. Their experimental influences of Theo Gowans – who you may recognise from his experimental projects under the name Territorial Gobbings, or the ‘Heinous Whining’ experimental music nights he hosts at Wharf Chambers – are complimented by the dark yet often humorous lyrics of frontman Freddy Vinehill-Cliffe and the intense, violent performance of drummer Steve Myles, who often appears to be beating the drums into submission, to great effect. Although the group’s unique brand of noise rock is perhaps more well-suited to the small, sweaty rooms of Wharf Chambers of Mabgate Bleach, seeing them shout “Tonight Matthew, I will shit in my own hands and clap” inside a stunning Grade II listed building, was certainly a sight to behold and it seemed to go down well with the sold-out crowd. 

At nine o’clock, it was time for Yard Act to take to the stage. Flanked on either side of the room by huge stained-glass windows and an ornate baroque-inspired ceiling above them, the band entered onto the stage to rapturous applause and cheers before erupting into ‘Rich’. It was immediately apparent that the four-piece was on top form and the audience at the sold-out Albert Hall seemed to be instantaneously enthralled in the performance. Though this was billed as an Overload show, the audience was further treated to some extra tracks, including the early single ‘Dark Days’ as well as two brand new songs early on in the setlist. The new songs, ‘Petroleum’ and ‘The Trenchcoat Museum’ sounded immense, particularly the latter. The Overload will certainly be a difficult album to follow up, but these new tracks seem to confirm that Yard Act are more than up to the task. Frontman James Smith, by this point in the setlist, had the crowd in the palm of his hand and seemed to be controlling them effectively throughout the performance of ‘Tall Poppies’ and into the latter half of the set. Although notable Overload tracks The Incident and Quarantine the Sticks (which featured Billy Nomates) were absent from the setlist, the crowd was not really in a place to complain – the band rattled through a sterling setlist ending with an encore of ‘100% Endurance’ (a version of which was recently released on Record Store Day as a 7”, featuring Elton John) and their first single, ‘The Trapper’s Pelts’ to finish the night off. 

The only remaining 2023 gigs for Yard Act, aside from a handful of festival appearances, comes in the form of their five-day residency as Brudenell Social Club – a venue close to the heart of the band. Afterall, one of their first ever shows took place at Brudenell, supporting fellow Leeds band Mush, the band played there the night before it was announced that their album had reached number two in the charts, and their golden Rover was parked there for months before being moved. Their residency starts on the 8th May and will feature incredible special guests such as Rose Matafeo, Nish Kumar, Lole Adefope, and Harry Hill. Tickets for these dates have long since sold out but, if their Albert Hall performance is anything to go by, they are certain to be unforgettable! 

Wakefield DIY Festival Long Division to go out with a bang!

If you have been a fan of live music in West Yorkshire for a few years, you should already know the score when it comes to Long Division, the award-winning metropolitan festival has been bringing incredible performances to Wakefield for over a decade. Festival alumni include the likes of The Cribs, Fat White Family, The Fall, Big Joanie and The Lovely Eggs among countless others. Unfortunately, Long Division 2023 is said to be the last. One thing that is for sure, though, is that it’s going out with a band! The line-up for this year boasts The Orielles, BDRMM , Opus Kink, Thank, The Lovely Eggs, Folly Group…I could go on! There will be no shortage of incredible bands to see at this year’s festival and, with cheap and quick transport links from Leeds by train or bus, it is surely an excellent way to celebrate the end of the academic year in style!

Long Division are operating a flexible ticket system this year with general sale available at £40 or reduced £30 tickets are available for those unable to cover the whole cost with no proof required and a third tier priced at £50 is available to help the festival cover the cost of reduced ticket sales. Cheap tickets, cheap transport and – as those who have been lucky enough to experience a night-out in Wakefield can attest to – cheap drinks, what’s the best festival in Wakey?

Dundalk outfit The Mary Wallopers head to Leeds Irish Centre

Contemporary Irish folk group The Mary Wallopers have been making waves with their anti-establishment, Jinx Lennon-inspired tunes since their live streamed gigs during the pandemic. The seven-piece band was formed by brothers Charles and Andrew Hendy – who you may recognise from their previous project; the hip-hop act TPM, who’s hits included ‘F*ck RTE’ and  ‘All the Boys on the Dole’. Their self-titled first album, which arrived last year, perfectly encapsulates the energy and chaos which was prevalent on their early recordings and those live streamed lockdown gigs, it is that chaos and humour which make the band so endearing. 

On the 27th April, The Mary Wallopers released their new song ‘The Holy Ground’ –  “a song written about a place in Cobh, County Cork where sailors would stop off on long voyages across the Atlantic.”, according to Charles Hendy, “Despite the name of the place there were little-to-no churches, instead it was the town’s red-light district where all sorts of fantasies could be realised”. The single is thought to be from their upcoming album, set to release later in the year. In May, the group are due to set off on their biggest UK tour to date, including a date at the legendary Leeds Irish Centre on Saturday 6th May, before performing at numerous festivals in the Summer, including Latitude and Truck Festival. 

With a band so famous for putting on energetic and enthralling live performances, The Irish Centre show is sure to be a sight to behold – helped along by a support slot held by rising post-punk outfit Gurriers. Tickets are available for purchase here.

Long Division 2022: Wakefield’s metropolitan music festival returns!

After the triumphant return of Wakefield’s Long Division Festival in 2021, following a pandemic-related break, the excitement that was built up around this year’s incarnation of the festival was undeniable. Having covered Long Division for The Gryphon last year, I was eager to revisit it. Despite what was, in my eyes, a much weaker line-up for Long Division 2022 in comparison to last year, I found myself bombing down the M62 giddy with excitement at the thought of the day ahead.

I arrived at the Art House – this year’s venue for the wristband exchange – early doors, not wanting to miss a moment of this fantastic celebration of Northern grassroots live music. After picking up my wristband from a member of the Long Division team (who were all excellent throughout the day) I was soon on my way into the centre of town to witness some excellent live music!

One of my favourite things about Long Division, and metropolitan festivals in general, is the fantastic opportunity it poses to discover new bands. With this in mind, I made the tough decision to skip out on Low Hummer, a band who I absolutely adore, in favour of up-and-coming Leeds band Fuzz Lightyear, who played an early set at The Vortex – an old-school rock venue reminiscent of the venue from that one episode of The Inbetweeners. After a fairly standard start to the set left me wondering whether to ditch The Vortex and head to Venue 23 for Low Hummer, I found myself enjoying the three-piece more and more as their performance progressed, the bassist in particular had great energy and even better basslines. Fuzz Lightyear and their unique brand of grunge and noise rock seem to be on the up-and-up within the Leeds scene, with a recent single release on Come Play With Me as well as an upcoming gig at the Adelphi in Hull. The trio certainly aren’t one to be missed!

My day in Wakefield only seemed to be getting better, after the delight of Fuzz Lightyear I headed to the Mechanics’ Theatre – for my money, the best venue at Long Division – to see Deep Tan. Previous to the festival, I had heard talk of Deep Tan, but I had never listened to their music. After the festival, I have hardly stopped listening to them. The stylish, moody tones of lead singer Wafah Dufour are perfectly complimented by the rhythm of Melia Beaudoin’s drums and the effortlessly cool Celeste Guinness on bass. The tracks ‘deepfake’ and ‘rudy ya ya ya’ stood out as definite highlights within their set, though it should be noted that the whole set was excellent from start to finish. Although, with ties to the ever-growing scene surround Dan Carey and the Speedy Wunderground label, you should not need me to tell you how great Deep Tan are as a group, I urge you to go and see this band!

Deep Tan rocking the Mechanics’ Theatre. Photo credit: Andrew Benge.

Following Deep Tan was never going to be an easy task, and although I made an effort to be as objective as possible whilst seeing the next act on my watchlist, Ava in the Dark, the band sounded absolutely terrible. This was, however, the fault of the sound mixing at the venue (The Counting House) which was laughably bad. During their opening song, only the drums could be heard – no vocals, no guitar, just drums. Unfortunately, it didn’t get much better (unless you count isolated drums with the occasional sound of guitar feedback as better). After 15 or so minutes I left, because I was hungry and also sick of hearing unaccompanied drums. I have since listened to Ava in the Dark online and, although their indie pop tunes are perhaps not my usual taste, the lead singer has an undeniably fantastic voice – it is a crying shame that the audience was unable to hear it at The Counting House. 

Returning to the Counting House after a brief food break, it appeared the sound problems still persisted as the next group, Household Dogs, were setting up. The group did not appear to be too happy about the competence of the sound man, but they persisted nonetheless with what was a brilliant set. Having previously reviewed ‘Dead Cool’, the recent release by Household Dogs on Come Play With Me, I was eager to see whether the coolness of their post-punk sound translated from the records onto the stage – thankfully, it does! Although their set did not totally blow me away (though this may have been a result of the poor quality of the venue), they still put on a memorable show and I would not at all be surprised if Household Dogs were to become the next big name in the post-punk revival scene, which is becoming increasingly saturated. 

Opening the Town Hall stage at Long Division – the site of The Lovely Eggs’ immense headline set at Long Division 2021 – was Venus Grrrls. Having heard a lot of buzz over this riot grrrl-influenced rock band over the past year or so, Venus Grrrls stood out on the lineup as one of the highlights for me. As seems to be a reoccurring theme within this article, I was not disappointed, their fierce stage presence is reinforced by great tunes – ‘Hate Me’ and ‘Goth Girl’ in particular – and infectious energy. Venus Grrrls are a brilliantly cool group but, unlike some, they have the substance to back it up. Their performance was one of the best I saw throughout the day in Wakefield, and it was especially good to see so many parents with kids in the crowd. Long Division is certainly a family friendly festival and I think that fact was much more abundantly clear this year in comparison to 2021. Either way, I have great confidence in the next generation of music lovers if their early gigs include seeing the likes of Venus Grrrls!

The effortlessly cool performance of Venus Grrrls. Photo credit: Andrew Benge.

Quickly following Venus Grrrls on my watchlist through the day were South London trio Honeyglaze. I had previously seen the group at Brudenell Social Club supporting Wet Leg, and also at the Honeyglaze in-store gig at Jumbo Records in Leeds. Truth be told, though, I am quite conflicted when it comes to Honeyglaze. On one hand, I genuinely enjoy the recorded material. It fills the need for downtempo indie music excellently, and I have found myself listening to them more and more. On the other hand, Long Division provided me with my third opportunity to see the band and every time I have seen them I have not been massively impressed. They perform the songs well enough and the stage persona that bassist Tim Curtis has is pretty funny, but ultimately I think they are quite uninteresting to watch. The songs sound just like the studio versions, which is fine, but it would be nice for there to be more performance involved – otherwise, you might as well stay at home and listen to the band on Spotify. Live music provides an invaluable space to experience music in a different, you would hope better, context and, at the moment, I just do not think Honeyglaze are exploiting that context to its full potential. 

After a quick trip back to the Mechanics’ Theatre for Honeyglaze, it was time once again to make the gruelling 60 yard walk back to the lovely, carpeted, cash-only Wakefield Town Hall. All metropolitan festivals seem to play on the fact that all the venues are within walking distance from each other, but anybody who has had to make the journey from The Wardrobe to Brudenell Social Club during Live at Leeds knows this to be somewhat hyperbolic. When it comes to Long Division, though, every venue is within a 10-minute radius by foot – no need for buses, expensive Ubers, or tired feet. I remained at the Town Hall for the rest of the day, soaking up as much of the friendly atmosphere surrounding Long Division before making the, admittedly short, journey home. LYR were up first, a band I was very excited for after realising that it is fronted by none other than poet laureate, University of Leeds Professor and, most importantly, Northerner Simon Armitage. Having been a fan of his poetry for a number of years, I was slightly embarrassed about my lack of awareness in terms of his band but having now heard them I can safely say that their music will remain on heavy rotation for me for some time. As you would expect from a band fronted by Armitage, they were lyrically incredible and musically beautiful. The lighting, and the intimate nature of the Town Hall stage, really added to the pulchritudinous performance. Musically, the band are quite mellow and atmospheric, totally different to everything else I had seen and heard throughout the day. Although it might be assumed that a group fronted by a poet laureate might be somewhat pretentious, Armitage seemed very down to earth and the audience interaction created a harmonious environment within the Town Hall. 

Simon Armitage fronts LYR at the Town Hall. Photo credit: Andrew Benge.

Suitably chilled out by LYR, I ventured up to the balcony of the Town Hall for the final performance of the day, which came in the form of W.H. Lung. The Mancunian group, who take their name from a Chinese supermarket, have been on my radar since their split release with Working Men’s Club on Golden Lion Sounds in 2021. The flawless and unnaturally energetic dance moves of singer Joe Evans took effect on the crowd very quickly and soon the whole town hall was under the spell of W.H. Lung’s psychedelic, synth-driven dance music. As I watched it unfold from above, on the surprisingly comfortable balcony of Wakefield Town Hall, one thought dominated my thinking: I cannot wait for the next Long Division!

Bluedot Festival returns to Jodrell Bank for 2022!

After 2 years of covid-enduced cancellations, the award-winning Bluedot Festival is set to return to Jodrell Bank Observatory in Cheshire from the 21st to the 24th July 2022. The last festival, held in 2019, featured the likes of Kraftwerk, New Order and Hot Chip – a tough act to follow indeed! With 2022’s headliners including Groove Armada, Metronomy and the one and only Björk, though, the organisers of Bluedot have certainly delivered.

As well as a stellar line-up of both musicians and comedians – including Leeds legends Yard Act – Bluedot also includes Science-based talks and activities for all the family to enjoy, linking to the festival’s location at Jodrell Bank Observatory, which houses a number of telescopes including the Lovell Telescope (the third largest steerable radio telescope in the world)! This year’s science headliners include Brainiac Live and Tim Peake. As if that wasn’t enough, Bluedot Festival 2022 will feature the brand-new VIP Village. The village, in partnership with Bruntwood, will feature award winning restaurants and food brands including Hawksmoor and the Michelin-listed Where the Light Gets In.  

Bluedot’s fantastic lineup for 2022!

With so much to do, so may great artists to see, and so much Science to soak up in such a beautiful location, Bluedot Festival 2022 is sure to be out of this world (pun definitely intended)!

Weekend and individual day tickets are available for purchase here