Close your eyes and think back to mid-November. What were you doing on a Saturday? Most likely sleeping in? Shielding from the cold? Resting up from a weary week? Not me. I was striding from venue to venue, catching 10 different live music acts across a 12-hour span whilst furiously taking notes on all and proving to myself just how unfit I’ve gotten with every 15-minute sprint between sets. You’re probably wondering why I was undertaking such an adventure; I’m wondering how you read that paragraph with your eyes closed, you freak of nature?!?!? Either you have supremely thin eyelids or failed to follow my directions, either way, your attitude stinks and you can leave it at the door of this article. For I was doing this for Live at Leeds in the City, the wonderful one-day marathon of a music festival which I had the honour of covering with Head of Photography Bella Wright. Albeit exhausting, Live at Leeds in the City was a spectacle, a true celebration of the talent pool that is the rising music scene across the UK, and as such I intend to regurgitate my thoughts of the day onto this article with all the glitz and glamour that made up the festival. For that I need you to imagine (eyes open of course this time) and attempt to feel every strobe light, every guitar strum and every shoulder tackle from a gentleman who has just lobbed his pint into the air, liberated by his favourite indie-rock bands distorted riffs. This was Live at Leeds in the City.

The day began with intimate and vulnerable sets from Oliver Pinder and Talia Rae. Our humble beginnings at the Doghouse and Headrow House tapered our appetites and eased us into the fray of ringing ears and aching achilles. The passionate vocal beauty on display lit the musical fire in our bellies, driving us on in our quest for festival immortality. Our hunger led us to The Key Club for a midday set from a new band on the scene, Soft Launch. Their set had it all; catchy key riffs, band members swapping instruments like a game of hot potato and passionately free dance moves that the compact Key Club stage could hardly handle. Whilst their early set seemed tough to top, the best was yet to come.

By now the line between hunger for music and sustenance had been blurred. Due to dangerously bloated queues and overwhelming time pressure, our dreams of nourishment in the form of Belgrave pizza were snuffed out (haunted, harrowed and ultimately hangry relieving this trauma). We pushed on in the spirit of hometown pride to see Leeds’ own L’Objectif, who despite recent changes to their lineup gave a seamless post-punk-infused masterclass. Boasting a live crispness most bands travel far and wide to obtain, the hometown four-piece displayed a variety of great tunes rather early into their career that left me hungry for more (no pun not intended… I still yearn for that pizza). Several binge-listens later and I can proudly call myself a L’Objectif fan post Live at Leeds.

No pizza? No problem. As any self-respecting university student will understand, Greggs was there for us in our darkest hour. Fueled by the spirit of the north, we arrived at The Gryphon’s home turf: Stylus Leeds University Union. Rising indie starlets Overpass were next in our sights. Contrary to popular belief, this article being released a month after the festival not out of journalistic laziness, but because I was waiting for my Spotify Wrapped to reveal Overpass’ ‘Beautiful’ as my top song of the year. With this blatant favouritism in mind, I can tell you the Birmingham band gave a performance of pure indie bliss to a clamouring fan base. Frontman Max Newbold’s longing voice was reflected by countless adoring followers, and the buzz in the room was telling of the bright future that the Midlands four-piece are on the road towards.

We next began the march out west to Brudenell. Young band The Guest List was our objective, and whilst their technical prowess was evident, their lesser experience failed to match some of the brilliance on show at this festival. They have the makings of something special, and I still eagerly await to see what the future holds for them, but they have a little way to go. Still, they are grafting and paying their dues on support slots as all young bands must and it is clear they will return soon much higher on the bill should they continue on their path.

Back to the city centre, rife with exhaustion. The special sets we’d dreamed of seeing were right ahead of us, in anticipation I could see the lights (upon further review this could just have been hallucinations from the lack of oxygen courtesy of our hasty speed walking).  Mercury Prize winners, and Leeds homecomers, English Teacher were set to be a spectacle after toppling the regime of London-exclusive winners that has spanned a decade. The spirit of the Leeds music scene was packed into the Beckett Student Union, feverishly fervid as the crowd brimmed. The punchy bass riffs ebbed and flowed amongst both heavy guitars and tender percussion, and the ever-present crowd played a big part in raising frontman Lily Fontaines’ poetic lyrics upon the shoulders of Yorkshire pride. Potentially the epitome of what support for grassroots music can create, English Teacher’s brilliance really represented what this festival is all about and I’ll be damned if I don’t express my excitement for what they come up with next.

Another 15-minute jog 8 hours into the day now (thank God we’re passionate about live music otherwise my hamstrings would’ve given way by now). Act 8 of the day was a brief yet divine view of Stone’s frontman crowd surfing their final track and whilst we didn’t catch their full set, my heart was contempt with this holy visual. Our actual reason for returning to Stylus once more was The Royston Club, a personal favourite band of mine and for all intents and purposes THE rising stars in the indie guitar scene. Playing to a rowdy and rambunctious crowd, The Royston Club rattled off unreleased tracks and fan favourites alike (along with a supremely well-received ‘Disco 2000’ cover). The tight guitar riffs and gut-wrenching harmonies had even the most stoic of dark fruits music enjoyers swooning for the Welsh wonders. The Wrexham quartet are the next big thing, that I can say unequivocally, and despite this being my sixth viewing of them, my excitement never wavers. See them before the crowds become masses, the ticket prices become extortionate, and the bandwagon is overburdened with diehard indie fans. 

Exhausted, we reached The Wardrobe where Lime Garden’s immaculate stage presence and wonderfully vibrant tunes breathed new life into our night.  They exuded confidence and pride in their music which was second to none throughout the day. Their gorgeous blend of indie pop, disco and surf melodies almost took a form of their own and jived around the room on my behalf (my legs had now given way, but my soul had never been more at ease). Their infectious performance drew a day of music mastery to a close.

Many festivals often are forced to choose between quality or quantity for their lineups. Live at Leeds in the City 2024 refused to play this cruel gauntlet the music overlords throw down. At any moment it felt as though we were to be thrown off our planned schedule, we could seek refuge in the nearest venue and find a hidden gem. Whilst this did not occur, due to mine and Bella’s supreme cardiovascular ability, sheer determination and a good chunk of luck, the acts we handpicked to catch in advance did not disappoint in the slightest. Live at Leeds in the City 2024 was a true depiction of how magnificent the upcoming music scene in the UK is today and my calendar will be marked for next year’s marathon.

Words by Dan Brown