It was born out of the blessed poetry of Lipps Inc. Had they known when they wrote ‘Funkytown’ back in 1970, that they actually proposed a culturally, spiritually, enlightened definitive question in their pulsating chorus: ‘oh won’t you take me to Regtown 2025?’ Little did they know of their influence on independent Leeds based record label Private Regcords, taking on their grandest gesture yet and booking out the entirety of Hyde Park Book Club to celebrate DIY small festivals and local talent galore.
Mr James Vardy, CEO of Private Regcords, and the puppeteer behind the 15 acts on his lineup proposed such a musical coup on the beloved student hotspot this past Independent Venue Week, in effort to celebrate a variation of local experimental, indie, art-pop, jazz and everything in between. This special day of collaboration could not have been met with a more sanctimonious response, selling out on general admission tickets and flogging T-shirts like evangelical pedlars in the freezing cold to raise funds for an awesome night. These days not many startup festivals can financially upkeep themselves, and the struggle to meet the nail biting margin for a necessary profit to continue consumes most creative projects with inaccessibility, bankruptcy and the fearful reminder of the state live music is in. So the fact that we have events like this means that our community has struck gold on its legacy for culture.
It’s within these third spaces that musicians are not only playing to one another, but praising each other’s work in recognition of being equals on a lineup, curated by people who love local music. And not only did they party until Leeds’ City Councils temporary 2am curfew extension – oh no. If you want to get involved and continue spreading the message of DIY events, head on down every Sunday at 10am to the new Hangover Sessions in the Snug Room of Hyde Park Book Club, where the record label hosts stripped back performances as cures for your post-Saturday shenanigans. I know it cured my post-Regtown festival blues.
Adult DVD. Sold out. 1am start time. In the round.
Adult DVD’s hometown gig at the Belgrave Music Hall was as chaotically energetic as anyone who is even vaguely familiar with their music could expect. ‘Yacht Money’ and ‘Hot Set’ provided the ideal start, an unapologetic blend of punchy vocals from lead singer Harry Hanson, strong riffs and as much influence from the synths as could be imagined with no less than four on stage, encapsulating in microcosm the band’s distinctive sound. Often made comparisons to LCD Soundsystem are not without merit, but only by listening to their classification defying acid/electronic/dance rock can one begin to grasp what Adult DVD are about.
Simply put, the ‘in the round’ aspect of the gig – where the band stood in a circle essentially amongst the crowd, in an intimate ‘boiler room’ style – worked brilliantly. Perhaps the main beneficiary (apart from the crowd) was drummer Jonathan Newell; no longer relegated to the back of the stage behind a wall of equipment, the pulse Newell provided not only provided the perfect complement to the synths but deservedly took the spotlight at times.
‘7 foot 1’ and ‘Dogs In the Sun’ were both well crafted and compiled without losing the jazzy electricity that makes the band unique. They provided the perfect build up to the highlight of the night, ‘Do something’. A cacophonous soundscape as full of relentless dynamism as the rest of their music, ‘Do something’ retains lyrical sardonicism whilst being undeniably catchy. This combines to give a sense of forward motion – surely emblematic of the band’s trajectory in the coming years.
The remainder of the set basked in the playful peculiarity of the moment. It is not every day at 2AM you are stood, essentially engulfed by a dance/rock band, above an (albeit excellent) canteen in Leeds’s Northern Quarter, but as the industrious ‘Sadman Mancave’ faded into the joyfully crazy ‘Bill Murray’, it became apparent it’s something that should happen more often.
The Brian Jonestown Massacre have long had a divisive reputation as a live act. The more than thirty members who have come and gone over the last thirty-five years are testimony to the internal frictions that have given Anton Newcombe and co. such notoriety. In 2023, they made headlines for an onstage brawl culminating in Newcombe’s wielding of a guitar against one of his bandmates. It was with some trepidation, therefore, that I crossed to the other side of the tracks and ventured to the Leeds Beckett Student Union.
I have never been at a gig quite like it. The band take to the stage, denim-clad, feather-hat-sporting, and with heavily tinted sunglasses, no doubt to hide the countless nervous glances fired Newcombe’s way. He takes his place and flicks over the first page of his laminated lyric book. We wait with bated breath. The band waits for their leader’s cue. A subtle nod of the head, and this psychedelic steam train heaves into motion. For the next two hours, we ride tracks of hypnotic guitar noise, layers of tambourine and head-jerking percussion, and the cool vocals of this hazy locomotive’s crackpot conductor.
We plunge through musical landscapes. At times, more concrete forms of a pop riff or vocal hook swim into view before plunging back into the foggy horizon, all the while punctuated by a steady tambourine groove that reminds you that you haven’t yet derailed. Among these landmarks are the likes of ‘Anemone’, the band’s most famous and accessible tune, that washes over the spectator in an effortless wave of rhythm and jangling guitar lines. ‘When Jokers Attack’ and ‘Pish’ stand out too, but all blend into a backdrop of blissful psychedelic groove, a ride so smooth that it does sometimes leave passengers slipping into a lethargic doze, though never ceasing in gently nodding their heads.
Songs begin to feel amorphous, and I do find myself seeking some auditory refreshment. Moments later, and a slick bassline or guitar line pulls me back in. There’s a kind of musical game of cat and mouse at play here, where Anton Newcombe lounges in his own brilliant, startling, divine genius and at the point where you want to shout something at him just to snap yourself out of his spell, in another masterful stroke he beats you to it and says, “look at this!” and blows your mind.
As the train rounds the final bend, the Brian Jonestown Massacre vista is wide open for all to see. They are self-indulgent, their songs do kind of sound the same, but it doesn’t matter. You can’t help but be drawn in by their hypnotic rhythms and softly spoken rhymes. And as I am about to be lulled into a deep sleep, the final track proves a final twist in the tale. The sitar backed melody of ‘Super – Sonic’ evokes The Beatles’ ‘Tomorrow Never Knows’. It’s swirling and disarming, thoroughly enchanting. Now, this I could listen to forever.
I think I’m about to attain nirvana. I’m on the brink of the abyss. I’m flying, floating, endlessly, blissfully…
Then the song finishes and the lights come on in the Beckett Student Union, where this service terminates.
Van Houten graced the stage at Hyde Park Book Club last month, providing a shoegaze masterclass to a packed-out basement. After the success of their highly anticipated album, The Tallest Room (2024), which followed their self-titled record in 2019, the Leeds six-piece set out to raise vital funds for the recording of their upcoming projects. Showcasing exclusive new material to the sold-out room, their next record will undeniably be an amalgamation of swirling distorted guitar riffs with driving bass lines, tied together with Sadler’s brooding vocals. The sextet are ones to watch as they climb through the festival ranks and can be found next playing The Victoria Dalston in London on the 29th of March.
Van Houten are Louis Sadler (Vocals/Guitar), Henry Beaumont (Bass), Jake Ribton (Guitar), Jake Wrigglesworth (Keys), Ewan Barr (Guitar) and Lachlan Banner (Drums).
Content warning: the following article mentions sensitive topics including sexual harassment and violence. Support is available from the links at the bottom.
On Friday the 9th February, a pop-up dance floor was set up to conclude the University of Leeds’ Sexual Violence Awareness Week.
Dancing in the rain didn’t seem so appealing on a dark, damp February day in West Yorkshire. Despite this, creative projects company Bolshee brightened up the LUU foyer with flashing lights and pop music. Bordering their black and white tiled dance floor were whiteboards inviting students to write under headings: “What makes you feel safe?” and “Tell us your demands!”.
The Gryphon spoke with Bolshee’s creative director Paula Clark. On the aims of the project, Clark said: “The Dancefloor project is really about a vibrant, engaging way of getting a conversation started about sexual harm in public spaces, particularly to women and girls, but to everybody. A general conversation where everybody can start to take responsibility, and also ask for, you know, for the basic needs, to be safe when you go out.”
“We felt really strongly that we wanted it to be a dancefloor. We wanted it to be somewhere that reminds people of going out, where girls can get dressed how they want to, take up some space, and have some fun really”
Clark said the best conversations had happened in environments when people were already out, “Lots of people encountered it while they were already out having fun with their friends, having a pint, having a good time. They were much more interested and curious.”
“Actually, what that meant was that quite a lot of men were in the space. A few would come up to me and say “I’m not supposed to go in there. This is a space for women to say what they want to say…
..we were very much like ‘no, this is a space for everyone to say what they want to say’. What that meant was that quite a lot of men in the space were taking a step back and actually reading what the demands of the women were, and what lengths women have to go through to make sure their mates and themselves get home safe.”
Clark said the reception of the project had not been uniformly as progressive as nights like these. She spoke about the challenges of taking the project to sixth form colleges, “there was so much misogyny, there was a lot of misogyny written on the walls.”.
She also shared concerns about how social media and phone use amongst children and teens is increasing sexual harm, “I think young people are dealing with a lot more sexual harm and harassment than we know.“.
Data from the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) reveals the shocking rise in online abuse, publishing an investigation which found a 66% increase in child abuse images in the 5 years between 2017 and 2022.
This is only those reported to police. Executive Chief of the NSPCC, Sir Peter Wanless, said of the report, “these new figures are incredibly alarming, but reflect just the tip of the iceberg of what children are experiencing online”. Largely unregulated apps like Snapchat have contributed to an environment where “online sexual abuse risks being normalised for a generation of children”.
These rising numbers reflect how an increase in conversations around sexual violence is only one step in what is needed to prevent sexual violence. In terms of online harm, the UK parliament passed the Online Safety Act last autumn, which places new, stronger demands on social media companies to regulate content. This bill was celebrated by the NSPCC as a “momentous day for children”.
However, protections for over 18s in terms of online sexual harm are limited. There remain unanswered problems around online pornography, including the emerging use of deepfake technology and AI-generated content, which the law is slow to address.
In discussing what still needed to be done to combat sexual violence, we spoke about a concerning unintended consequence of some campaigns and conversations in promoting sex-negative attitudes. Clark said, “women are already having issues around the fact they’re not allowed to be overtly sexual”. This shed light on how conversations around sex and consent must navigate carefully to steer clear of accidental ‘slut-shaming’ tactics or promote a regressive culture of fear around sex.
Bolshee’s projects, spanning from inclusive club nights to theatre, can be followed on their instagram page @bolsheecreativeprojects
Available support:
The University of Leeds’ website’s Harassment and Misconduct section details available avenues of support for anyone affected by topics discussed and can be accessed from the following link: https://students.leeds.ac.uk/info/1000101/harassment-and-misconduct
Students against Sexual Harassment and Assault (SASHA) Resources page lists available support and can be accessed from the following link: https://sashaleedsuni.wixsite.com/sashaluu/resources
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.
Image: Josh Igoe
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.
Image: Leeds City Council
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!”.
Image: Sheaf St. website
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.
Loyle Carner, made an incredible mark on Manchester on Saturday, performing a masterfully curated set of tracks, including poignant cuts from his incisive album, hugo.
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!
