Folk-pop perfection: Katy J Pearson transcends genre boundaries at Leeds Irish Centre

Francesca Lynes on 10 February 2025

If you haven’t made it to Leeds Irish Centre yet, you have to take a look at their What’s On page and head on over. The very least you can expect is to enjoy the 1970s living room decor with a perfect pint of Guinness in hand. Pair that with a feel-good gig like Katy J Pearson, and it’s a perfect evening. I arrived knowing a few of her tracks but by the time I left, I felt like I’d just been to one of the best gigs of my life so far. Since I got back to my flat that night, her new album Someday, Now (2024) is one I played repeatedly until the end of term.

Glancing at the merch table as I entered the venue, I was surprised to spot beautifully handmade brooches and trinkets with the label: ‘ALL JEWELLERY HANDMADE BY DANA GAVANSKI’ written in black Sharpie. I turned to face the stage to see Gavanski perched on a chair, acoustic guitar on lap, singing to an audience surprisingly quiet for a support act (a respectful hush which is, unfortunately, all too rare). I moved closer and enjoyed her final few songs of the evening. Looking around at the crowd – a mix of older and younger people, friends and families, it was clear that Gavanski’s synthy indie pop and almost mournful vocals was enough to charm those awaiting Pearson.

Katy J Pearson and band impressed with a set list that encompassed her discography so far, interspersed with songs from the newest release Someday, Now (2024). They began with the album opener ‘Those Goodbyes’ followed by two tracks from earlier records, by which time Pearson and her band had established an atmosphere of joy. They all seemed chuffed to be there and I wondered if this was the feeling they create and share every evening? It felt unique to the room that night, though the on-stage rapport was familiar and extended to the rest of the room. This mutual enjoyment between musicians and crowd made for a night of unexpected comedy. With jokes being shared and shouted across the room (a particular mention goes to witty guitarist Benjamin Saunders and Katy herself) meant that at one point, the friend I was with whispered to me, ‘Is this a gig or a stand-up set?’.

Despite a strong pop influence in Katy J Pearson’s music, the depth to her tone and lyrical ability amplified as she manipulated her voice and setlist to direct the gig toward a more melancholic, contemplative state. Pearson signposted this shift with a cover of Vashti Bunyan’s ‘Winter is Blue’. The themes of Bunyan’s music, along with the finger-plucking guitar led her perfectly into ‘Return’, from Pearson’s 2020 album of the same name. This was the most heart-touching moment; a rumination on personal change, relationships and a journeying through life. A tear in my eye, and in many of those of the people around me, the warmth of Pearson’s gig was a comfort in the cold of a Leeds December.

The set ended with the most dance-y of Pearson’s singles ‘Take Back the Radio’, a fan favourite from 2020. Focus on the crowd’s experience was sustained through a joyous encore and I left Leeds Irish Centre feeling a genuine connection to the breadth of emotion in Pearson’s music as well as a desire to return to this special venue. For anyone who hasn’t seen Katy J Pearson live, I hope you too get to see her and her band someday, now.

Written by Francesca Lynes

Kneecap at Leeds Irish Centre: an explosive night of party and protest

Ruby Smith on 5 December 2024

The Belfast hip-hop trio bring a raucous, riotous, rowdy night of infectious energy to Leeds Irish Centre.

Pint of gorgeously creamy Guinness in hand, I weave through a sea of GAA jerseys and tricolour flags. A melodic mosaic of different Irish accents hang in the air, bubbling in anticipation of what we are about to witness. There is no venue in this city more appropriate for a Kneecap gig than Leeds Irish Centre.

DJ Provai, sporting his trademark tricolour balaclava and custom boilersuit, is the first to emerge onto stage and take his place behind the decks amidst the atmospheric ‘3CAG’ – the opening track to the group’s latest album Fine Art. Hushed excitement simmers throughout the room, fizzing with expectation and then erupting into boiling point when the throbbing beat of ‘Its Been Ages’ explodes through the soundsystem. Mo Chara and Moglai Bap bounce onto stage and jump straight into a confident flow. The final night of a sold out two-night stand is off to a strong start.

A high energy riot ensues as the trio bulldoze through banger after banger. ‘Sick in the Head’ sees a pit half the size of the venue open up and subsequently implode under the weight of fervent moshing. The intensity of ‘I bhFiacha Linne’ and unrelenting throb of ‘Your Sniffer Dogs are Shite’ have the crowd leaping with unbounded energy, ‘Fenian Cunts’ obliges the audience to sway and sing as one, and ‘C.E.A.R.T.A’ sees friends, lovers, and strangers on each other’s shoulders shouting along in unison.

A deeply political atmosphere of resistance permeates the crowd and stage alike: most notably in support for Palestine. Amongst the fans are Palestine flags, T-shirts, and frequent impassioned chants of “Free Free Palestine”. The show itself starts with a graphic on the screen behind the stage stating “Israel is committing a genocide against Palestine” followed by a series of harrowing facts and figures. The Palestinian cause is important to the group: Moglai Bap has been running 10km everyday of the tour to raise funds for Food Parcels for Gaza – a feat he encourages the audience to join in with, donate to, and be impressed by given the extra challenge of “the hangovers and the cocaine”.

This is unsurprising given the political nature of Kneecap. Their lyrics blend both Irish with English and the sharply political with the deeply funny. Vocal in their support for a united Ireland, and of course advocates for the Irish language, they are simultaneously thoughtfully unapologetic and hedonistically fun: rapping as much about civil rights as about drugs. Throughout the show they encourage the crowd to sing the anti-Thatcher tune “In a box, in a box, Maggie’s in a box!” – a task we take up enthusiastically. On brand for a Kneecap audience I spot a fan wearing a Che Guevara t-shirt, and one man even shouts out for an independent Yorkshire (Moglai Bap responds by admitting the band know shit all about British geography). Kneecap are divisive and offensive in the most inclusive and loving way. Their track ‘Parful’ celebrates how nightlife culture brings together historically divided Catholic and Protestant communities in the North of Ireland. Such an atmosphere of protest and party is in full force tonight. The colourful strobe lighting, contagious energy, pulsating bass, and hypnotic beats, elicit the euphoria of a really fucking good rave, and something else too.

The gig hurtles on at breakneck speed. Fans barely have time to catch their breath before launching back into the mosh pit to ‘Rhino Ket’ – a song Mo Chara declares is his granny’s favourite (anyone else’s nan love to yell “I’m k-holed off my head, this shit puts rhinos to bed”?). It certainly seems a favourite of the crowd who threaten to blow the roof when the end of the track crescendos into chaos. My personal favourite ‘I’m Flush’ does not disappoint; I’m actively giddy from the stellar performance and surprisingly lush sound system which does the blaring bassline justice. There is not a soul in sight who does not dance to ‘Get Your Brits Out’ – the punchy tune featuring the BBC news theme song and tongue in cheek lyrics that envision a messy night out with the DUP. By the time Kneecap reach their final song, the electrifying ‘H.O.O.D’, the room is dripping with enough sweat to fill the Irish Sea.

Each person lucky enough to be here will undoubtedly look back with gratitude at experiencing Kneecap perform in such an intimate setting: the band are already snowballing to mainstream fame and balance on the precipice of commercial success. Their self-titled semi-fictionalised biopic, which was met with both critical acclaim and a triumphant theatre release earlier this year, is now available on Amazon Prime (Mo Chara encourages the audience to watch it on dodgy boxes or illegal websites – “fuck Jeff Bezos”). The band already have their sights set on some immense performances, having booked international festival appearances including Coachella and a headline slot at Wide Awake, as well as supporting fellow Irishmen Fontaines DC at their huge Finsbury Park show next summer. There is no denying that Kneecap are on the upside of the see-saw. They will not be coming down anytime soon.

Words by Ruby Smith

Dundalk outfit The Mary Wallopers head to Leeds Irish Centre

Benjamin Forrest on 2 May 2023

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 27^th 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 6^th 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.