leeds festival

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Review - Liam McEvoy

Photo Courtesy of Leeds Festival

Leeds Festival 2025 was a weekend of extremes—chaotic, euphoric, messy, magical.By the time the dust had settled over Bramham Park, tens of thousands of fans had been taken on a journey that spanned swaggering hip-hop, glitter-drenched pop theatre, nu-metal nostalgia and the raw electricity of modern heavy rock. It was a weekend where global stars collided with the next generation of festival heroes, proving that Leeds is still one of the UK’s most vital stages.

Friday opened with a pulse. D-Block Europe’s laid-back bravado and Sammy Virji’s garage-infused beats on the Chevron Stage had the fields bouncing from the off. All eyes, though, were on Travis Scott. His only European headline slot of the year came armed with huge production—fireballs, strobes, and his trademark sense of spectacle. And yet, the night ended abruptly: barely 50 minutes in, the music stopped, the lights dropped, and Scott was gone. Since the festival ended it seems a pyrotechnic mishap may have been the cause of the shortened set however. 

Elsewhere in the fields on Friday, magic was happening. Sea Girls delivered sing- along indie for the masses, Leigh-Anne stepped confidently into her solo spotlight, and Lancey Foux and Trippie Redd kept the energy simmering. Yet it was Anthony Szmierek who stole the day. With poetic storytelling, irresistible charisma, and a connection that felt intimate despite the crowd, his set wasn’t just a highlight of Friday—it became a highlight of the entire weekend.

Saturday was pure transformation. Chappell Roan, dressed like a neon fairytale come to life, drew the festival’s biggest crowd with a theatrical performance that blurred the line between pop concert and Broadway spectacle. Glitter cannons, costume changes, and euphoric bangers like Hot to Go! turned Bramham Park into her kingdom. In contrast, Hozier offered something deeper, more soulful. With his honeyed vocals soaring over a politically charged set—culminating in a goosebump- inducing Take Me to Church—he proved himself a master of creating intimacy in the grandest of settings. Beyond the headliners, Saturday was packed with familiar faces and festival staples: The Royston Club’s indie warmth, Bloc Party’s still-fierce energy, The Wallows’ laid-back cool, The Kooks’ nostalgic shimmer, and Rudimental’s euphoric dance beats. Together, they gave the day a lush and varied feel.

If Saturday was about heart and spectacle, Sunday was about pure firepower. Limp Bizkit’s set was a swaggering blast from the past—Fred Durst may be older, but the chaos remains undimmed. Example brought back the rave, Becky Hill owned the Chevron Stage with vocal power that had the whole field belting along, and Enter Shikari fired off their genre-splicing chaos like a sonic Molotov cocktail. Newcomers Mouth Culture added fresh grit, and Glasgow’s VLURE became the weekend’s most exciting discovery, fusing synth-driven drama with post-punk urgency in a way that had the crowd hooked instantly. And then came the finale: Bring Me the Horizon. 

Their headline set wasn’t just a gig, it was an experience—a dystopian video-game world brought to life with crushing riffs, dazzling visuals, and enough pyro to light up the Yorkshire sky. It was a closing statement as theatrical as it was feral, and the perfect end to a festival that thrives on intensity.

Leeds 2025 will be remembered not just for its spectacle, but for its contrasts. Travis Scott’s abrupt exit may have left questions, but Anthony Szmierek’s heartfelt breakthrough answered them with something more profound. Chappell Roan and Hozier gave the festival its emotional core, while Limp Bizkit and Bring Me the Horizon delivered the kind of chaos and catharsis that define Leeds at its best. And somewhere in the middle of all that, new names like VLURE reminded us why this festival remains such an essential proving ground.

Review & photos - Liam McEvoy

Sharon Van Etten’s return to Leeds on August 29th was nothing short of electric. The Leeds O2 Academy pulsed with anticipation even before the lights dimmed, thanks to a stirring opening set from Angie McMahon. Her soul-bearing voice and heartfelt songwriting perfectly set the tone for the night ahead, leaving the crowd quiet but eager for the main event.

When Sharon and her band, The Attachment Theory, finally stepped onto the stage and launched into “Live Forever,” the evening took an unexpected turn. A medical emergency in the crowd brought the show to a halt, and Sharon’s concern was palpable as she perched at the edge of the stage, refusing to continue until she knew the fan was safe. Far from dampening the atmosphere, the moment deepened the connection in the room — a reminder of the empathy that underpins her music.

Once the show resumed, Sharon unleashed a set that merged intimacy with raw power. With The Attachment Theory behind her, the songs bristled with a new urgency. “Idiot Box” became a driving, post-punk slow burn, while “Somethin’ Ain’t Right” throbbed with a David Byrne-like groove. Her voice, rich and commanding, soared on “Afterlife,” drawing cheers as it filled every corner of the venue.

Older favourites felt reborn in this setting. “Seventeen” was a cathartic high point, transformed into a towering anthem, while “Tarifa” cast a dreamlike spell over the audience. “Every Time the Sun Comes Up” was haunting yet oddly hopeful, the perfect blend of melancholy and wry humour that has become Sharon’s signature.

The setlist moved confidently between new material and long-time fan favourites. “Southern Life (What It Must Be Like)” swirled with goth-tinged atmosphere, her vocals carrying a touch of Siouxsie Sioux’s spectral elegance. “No One’s Easy to Love,” “Anything,” and “Serpents” all hit hard, a reminder of Sharon’s gift for turning vulnerability into strength. “I Want You Here” and “Comeback Kid” provided quieter, more personal moments that grounded the set’s intensity.

The encore was where the night turned transcendent. At a fan’s request, Sharon dusted off “I Don’t Want to Let You Down” for the first time since 2015, a moment that felt both intimate and historic. To close, Angie McMahon rejoined her on stage for a glowing duet of “Love More,” the two voices intertwining like a warm embrace.

This was more than just a gig — it was a demonstration of Sharon Van Etten’s evolution as an artist. The combination of vulnerability, reinvention, and sheer sonic power left the audience both exhilarated and deeply moved. In Leeds, 

Setlist:

Live Forever

Afterlife

Idiot Box

Comeback Kid

I Can't Imagine (Why You Feel This Way)

Somethin' Ain't Right

Southern Life (What It Must Be Like)

Trouble

No One's Easy to Love

Anything

Serpents

Every Time the Sun Comes Up

Tarifa

Seventeen

I Want You Here

Encore:

I Don't Want to Let You Down (first play since 2015)

Love More (with Angie McMahon)

Chalkpress Agency

Review & photos - Mikee Downes

Five days of music rolled into town as Sheffield Don Valley Bowl popped up the tent to welcome Queens of the Stone Age for two nights, followed by Bryan Adams, their very own Reverend and the Makers, finishing with indie favourites James.  

I spent Friday to Sunday soaking up what the festival is all about, and see how well it compares to others.  

What I found was one of the best set ups to enjoy nonstop music, be it for a day, or for the weekend.  On arrival the queue was short and fast.   As I exited security there was a warm or a bubbly welcome waiting to greet me from the entertainment team depending on what time I arrived, with fire charmers or jugglers and the bubble lady standing proud on top of spray painted units of which crowds gather around to get their first selfie of the day.  As my eyes soaked in the visual vibe the event promotes, my ear are immediate drawn to the music flowing from either the main stage, or the stage sitting to the right of site.  

The event is well set up, unlike other festivals where my step counter will be through the roof, here I don’t have to walk more than 50 meters to be in front of music.  With the main stage sitting centre under it’s giant tent, two stages sit either side outside of it, as the main stage stops the other two immediately start.  Whichever way you exit you're welcomed by a band you may know, or a new musical experience.    

Outside of the main stage running along from stage to stage there is a wide range of culinary delights to keep you energised throughout, and as festivals go I found the price to be reasonable based on the quality of goods received.   

The Rock n Roll Circus is for all ages, and they were all there, from babies with ear defenders to dancing Grans.   This years event has to be one of the most middle aged festivals I’ve ever attended, most possibly down to the headliners, which was a good thing, as from the outset they danced, they filled the tent out early for the acts they loved, giving each set a near headliner feel.  

The line up across all stages delivered a well rounded variety, delivering the opportunity for you to find new bands to fall in love with.  That’s not to say there wasn’t one or two which were heavily influenced by an era of 90s brit pop rivals, but all in all the majority of rising starts stood proud playing their style of indie, rock, pop.   Over three days of music it’s hard to pick out which acts stood out and all delivered exceptional sets.  My own highlights would be Melanie C, Bryan Adams, The Lottery Winners, Harriet Rose, Arkayla, Sonni Mills, and the two and half hours of Day Fever.

If you’re not the kind who wants to spend all day on your feet in front a stage, and if the sun is shining then this is a great festival for you.  Behind the food stalls sits a hill with multiple levels where you can sit and and soak in the rays as music washes over you.   And if that’s not your bag, you can relax with a drink on a picnic bench, or maybe you’d prefer to try out some circus skills, there’s plenty to keep you entertained.  

This weekend the sun mostly shone on the festival with some heavy rain landing Saturday, and this is where the festival came into its own.  Everyone there could fit into the tent, enjoying the music without getting wet.  I’ve been to other tented events where you’d be struggling to get in for the headliner on a sunny day, never mind just trying to stay out of the rain.  The Rock n Roll Circus  does not exceed its needs, but sells the right number of ticket so all who attend can enjoy their experience, I hope this never changes.  

So if you’d love a full day of rock music and staying dry, this festival is a must, and a bargain at around £60.00 for a day ticket.  

Review & photos - Mikee Downes

After its debut in 2024 Love To Be returns to Harrogate to deliver a full day of House music.  

If you like House music and you’re a fan of dancing for 11 hours solid, this is absolutely the festival for you.   With two tents multiples of DJ’s and live acts, Love To Be is Yorkshires premium house festival.  

This years Love To Be was headlined by the legendary Armand Van Helden.  On the build up to his set crowds partied away with club legends such as Tom Wainwright, The Shapeshifters, K Klass, Jon Pleased Wimmin, along with celebrity DJ Gok Wan, live music from Ultra Nate, and a multiple of local DJ’s spinning the decks the venue was buzzing. 

Love To Be has a fantastic vibe about it, whether you’re on a standard, VIP, or Ultra VIP ticket you’ll still have the best of times.  The VIP tent has it’s own DJ’s running throughout the day, keeping their tent pumping, it certainly feels like there’s advantages to the upgrade with more seating. 

However, with the two main tents a short walk from each other, you’re never missing the action, and unless you want to sit or have quicker access to a toilet, a standard ticket will serve you well.   

If you do require a break from dancing to the pumping house you’ll still be entertained, be it by posing with entertainers and grabs a fun photos, jumping in a bumper cars or on one of their thrill rides, or finding a spot to chill people watch and soak in the music.  There’s enough to keep you going all day.  

The only downfall of the event is that the tent doesn’t accommodate all, and should the weather not be sunny I feel the tent size will impact the event, all of which can be resolved by increasing it’s size, which I expect they will need to.  

Love To Be 2026 is already on sale, and based on the word of mouth from this years I expect it will sell out quickly.  

Tickets for 2026 here: https://www.lovetobeevents.co.uk/festival

Review & photos - Lewis Wolstenholme

Cian Ducrot kicked off his 3rd show of ‘The Dreamship 2025 Tour’ in Bournemouth this Tuesday, celebrating his sophomore studio album Little Dreaming. Featuring slightly more stripped-back versions of songs like ‘The Book Of Love’  and full band arrangements of his hits, Ducrot’s raw and energetic performances throughout gave me a greater experience than the album did on its own. Adding stories in between songs and showing the passion that he put into his work definitely brought a new level to the music he performed.

Ducrot’s show opener for Bournemouth was Pedro Santos, a singer-songwriter from the previous British boyband Here At Last. Now starting his solo career, Santos debuted his upcoming single ‘The Way You Do’ and renditions of his current releases ‘Someone I Don’t Know’ and ‘Lady In Red’.

Once Ducrot’s show had started, it was clear we were in for a fun evening. After his 6 piece band had walked on stage (featuring a trumpet and saxophone section), Cian opened the show with ‘Who’s Making You Feel It’. The band welcomed new additions to the songs and added a new experience for the fans who had only heard his music that’s available for streaming.

Some moments really stood out to me, helping to create that extra layer of connection with the audience. Cian brought a fan on stage to sing a rendition of ‘The Book Of Love’ to, there were moments where he talked to people in the crowd and a point during the set where he ushered everyone to not record as he was filming and sending it to the audience after the show (something I'd never seen done before!).

It's clear that Cian has a strong connection between his music and his fans, and his Leeds show (December 18th) on this tour is yet to come! So if you’re a fan of artists like Dean Lewis or Dermot Kennedy, or want to hear the hits, be sure to check the show out!

Setlist:

1.  Who's Making You Feel It

2.  Little Dreaming

3.  Heaven

4.  Shalalala

5.  The Book Of Love

6.  Kiss And Tell

7.  No Way To Live

8.  Can't Even Hate You

9.  Hallelujah

10.  Rock Bottom

11.  All For You

12.  Part of Me

13.  Your Eyes

14.  See It To Believe it

15.  Thank God You Stayed

16.  I'll Be Waiting

Chuff Media

Review & photos - John McEvoy

It is true you know…

Time really does fly by. 

I can’t believe that it’s 40 years since the masters of Brit Funk Level 42 released one of their finest albums in the shape of ‘World Machine’, but we find ourselves at the Barbican in York celebrating this fact with the band playing the entire album and it still sounds as fresh and relevant as it did back in the heady days of ’85. 

Obviously the lineup has changed since original members Phil and Boone Gould left the band back in ’87, but front and centre stands the king of the bass (no pun intended) Mark King and Mike Lindup along with Nathan King (Mark Kings brother) on guitar, Pete Ray Biggin on one of the largest drum kits I’ve seen in while all backed by a formidable brass section. 

Special mention has to go to tonight’s support ‘Roachford’ who still sounds as good as ever and ‘Cuddly Toy’ is still one of the finest singles ever. (Check out the extended remix of this if you get chance!) It was a short 8 track set from him, but confirmed just how good he still is.  

As mentioned at the top of this review, this gig was primarily a celebration of the 40th anniversary of the 40thyear since the release of World Machine and opening track ‘World Machine’ set the tone for the evening with a near perfect replication of the recorded material. 

Kings thunderous bass lines rumbled along providing the foundation for the rest of the band to do their thing and it was good to see that each member had an opportunity to shine at various times of the night. 

For me this album was always one of those increasingly rare things in music, all killers and no fillers, and it was a real treat to hear it played in its entirety. Whilst Mark King is undoubtedly a supremely talented bass player, the keyboard work of Mike Lindup throughout the set along with his vocal harmonies was always on point.  

In what seemed like a blink of an eye, they had played the entire album, and from that point on, it was full on bangers in the guise of ‘Running In The Family’ and ‘Lessons In Love’, amongst others, and I especially enjoyed ‘The Chinese Way’ taken from one of their earliest albums ‘The Pursuit Of Accidents’ originally released in ’82. 

It could be argued by some that Level 42 are very much a band who have had their moment in the sun, and now simply live on past glories, indeed the last time  they released any new material was back on 2006 with ‘Retroglide’, but you know what…

I don’t care!!

Level 42 for me are still one of THE finest exponents of Brit Funk, and whilst this genre may not be fashionable at the moment, there are still a lot of hardcore fans out there who love this band and frankly more power to them. 

‘Keep slappin’ that bass’!!

Set List:

World Machine

Physical Presence

Something About You

Leaving Me Now

I Sleep On My Heart

It’s Not The Same For Us

Dream Crazy

Coup D’etat

Lying Still

To Be With You Again

Running In The Family

The Sun Goes Down

Love Games

Starchild

Lessons In Love

Heaven In My Hands

The Chinese Way

Hot Water

Chris Hewlett

Review & photos - John McEvoy

If there’s one thing Deacon Blue have proven time and again, it’s their ability to captivate an audience with both their musical prowess and heartfelt connection to their fans. Their “Very Best Of” live gig was a celebration of a career spanning decades, filled with bangers, ballads and rousing anthems.

At the Leeds First Direct Arena, first up it was Turin Brakes with a charmingly low key acoustic set which confirmed again just how good this band are. Featuring a few tracks from their album ‘Spacehopper’ this was a great way to get the crowd nicely warmed up. 

Then it was onto Deacon Blue, who are currently in the midst of the ‘Very Best Of’ UK tour and from the opening bars of ‘Turn Up Your Radio’ this was a performance that was lapped up by the appreciative audience. 

Throughout the gig, Ricky Ross’s vocals were as rich and evocative as ever, effortlessly moving between energetic numbers and poignant moments, and his partner Lorraine McIntosh’s harmonies added a layer of soul that elevated each song, particularly during fan favourites like “Fergus Sings The Blues’ and “Dignity.”

The band’s musicianship was flawless throughout the evening. Each member had their moment to shine, with arrangements which breathed new life into well-loved classics and they had clearly given a lot of thought to the setlist with took the audience on a journey through their extensive back catalogue including material from their first album ‘Raintown’ released way back in ’87, through to their most recent release ‘The Great Western Road’ released earlier this year. 

Included throughout their 2 hour set were also some lesser-known tracks which were good to hear in a live setting, and powering through a total of 25 tracks tonight, Deacon Blue provided a timely reminder of just how good they were, and indeed continue to be as their new material affirms. 

Personally I was delighted that they still play ‘When Will You Make My Phone Ring’, which for me is still their finest moment and never fails to deliver.  

Whether you’ve been following this band band since the 80s or have only recently discovered them, it was a both a nostalgic trip down memory lane for some and an evening of discovery for others. 

But above all else, it was fun, and god knows, in these troubling times, we need that more than ever. 

Deacon Blue are touring through to mid Oct 25 so if you’re quick you can still catch them live. 

Tour dates here

Set list:

Turn Up Your Radio

Up Hope

Bound To Love

Fergus Sings The Blues

The Day That Jackie Jumped The Jail

Raintown

Mid Century Modern

That’s What We Can Do

Love’s Great Fears

How We Remember It

Chocolate Girl

Wages Day

Ashore

Your Town

Loaded

The Believers

The Great Western Road

When Will You (Make My Telephone Ring)

Late ‘88

The Hipsters

Real Gone Kid

Curve Of The Line

Dignity

People Come First

Keep Me In Your Heart

Chris Hewlett

Review & photos - Levi Tubman

Allegaeon strolled onto the stage at Leeds Project House with a casual wave, accompanied by an acoustic backing track. At first glance, they didn’t come across as the ferocious technical death metal masters their reputation suggests. But as soon as that first riff dropped, the illusion was shattered. 

The sound was huge, heavy, and razor-sharp. Guitarists Greg and Michael unleashed a beautifully unholy storm of riffs and solos. What stood out most was the clarity, even at blistering speed and crushing volume, every note and phrase cut through. Where some bands settle for sheer loudness, Allegaeon balance raw power with precision. The two guitar attack shifting sseamlessly between lead and rhythms delivering dynamic, finely crafted passages that elevated the performance beyond brute force helped on by an 8 stringed beast.  

It's not all just noise despite the guttural sounds coming from front man Ezra Haynes, they have a melodic edge to their sound, slipping in clean passages of guitars and vocals, while still keeping up the ferocity and power where all too many melodic metals fail, at times bringing an almost symphonic sound to the stage. 

Towards the back of the stage with the drummer, maybe nodding his head in time to the music, is the bass player, I’ve certainly been guilty of that, but no one seems to have told this particular bass player. Am I more envious of his stellar bass face? The fact he plays a six string bass? No it has to be his playing. At times he’s just pummelling away on an open string for a few bars when his hands almost blur as he seems to be tapping and sweeping lead high up on the fret board with some even a few slapped notes all while screaming with his tongue out glaring at the audience. 

I know, doesn’t sound subtle and unassuming!  

Backing all this up, drummer Jeff stays true to the genre with a lot of double bass, its prevalent throughout the set, but as with the rest of the band, at times it drops away with some off beat hits and some fast but creative single kicks. Up top, its not just blast beats with some 4/4 snare and hi-hat, he makes sure every bit of the kit gets a hammering, running across the toms sprinkling in splashes and rides. 

Between songs and solos, Ezra, who rejoined the band a couple of years ago after taking a break from them, does call out to the crowd for noise and action, but mostly he just grins like he’s the only one getting the joke, or a wry smile, head off to one side as he conducts the crowd with one hand. Between the crowd control his vocals are just at home loud or quiet as the rest of the band, easily toning it down on a quieter section before laying on the power again, his tone and range work so well with the band I cant imagine seeing them with anyone else. 

After seeing a few disappointing metal bands of late Allegaeon where a breath of fresh air. Performance and songwriting where top notch, I was hooked from the first song and left wanting more when they finished their all too short set, they’re entertaining, will get your head going, and most importantly they don’t have to shout between each song to move about because of how good they are, they let their music do the talking,  definitely one to check out!  

Palmer Turner Overdrive

Review & photos - Dave Flerin

Project House provides the venue for wholesome Kiwi indie things, The Beths tonight. They’ve got a rather mixed, genteel audience to keep happy, and from my positivist, very scientific observations I’d describe them as young students, middle-aged indie-goers, and everything in-between. 

Friends of The Beths, Dateline open things up and what a great job they do. In an alternative universe they’re an indie band fronted by Suzanne Vega, and they kindly furnish the appreciative masses with a great 30 minutes of indie pop which, delightfully, verges on shoegazing territory in places. They’re full of guts, melodies and endearing between-song banter. “What Is It Worth” is their standout track, a perfect mash of ethereal whispering and full-on rock-out. Clearly, the alternative scene is STRONG down under.

Then it’s a slightly bizarre 10-minute interlude whilst “The” Beth, Elizabeth, and Jonathon, both wearing “Guitar Tech” hoodies, tune and set up their guitars on stage with their hoods up. Either I’m the only one who’s noticed, or everyone’s being terribly polite and carefully avoiding disturbing them. I love it that they’re doing their own roadie work; no airs, graces or egos here.

Anyhow, there’s not long to wait until they’re “properly” on, kicking off with the title track from their latest album, “Straight Line Was a Lie”. Current single “No Joy” is next, which is like getting an early birthday present this soon in the set. Same with earlier 2018 hit “Future Me Hates Me”. And bugger me if tonight’s performance is nothing less than a blissful experience and a great lesson in how to reproduce what you do on record, whilst actually improving it in a live setting. 

They prove themselves to be effortlessly adept in all the performance arts, including monologuing when they fancy a breather; the best being Jonathon’s about UK fried chicken, or was it Elizabeth’s on swimming against the current in a canal? Anyway, it nearly made up for the heartbreak of not hearing them playing “Happy Unhappy”, which, at the time of writing, I’ve finally forgiven them for. The majority of their set is predictably from the current album, and we get every shade of Beths there is tonight; acoustic numbers, jangle, introspection, and old school indie. I can even hear a bit of C86’s The Siddeleys in there too (look ’em up!), which almost brought a tear to this most hackneyed of hack’s eye. 

This is such a strong set, with lots of room for the band to shine; from three-part harmonies; to a great false ending in Not Getting Excited; Jonathon’s perfectly curated guitaring; the kick-ass drumming; luminous bass-playing; and sitting proudly on top, Elizabeth’s breathy girl-next-door vocals. To paraphrase Happy Unhappy, I could get lost in her voice, and I actually did. When they finally depart stage-right, the deafening applause is continuous and heartfelt;  and there’s no awkward crowd silence before the band embarrassingly shuffle back on. No, their return is rightly triumphant, returning with an in-your-face “Take”, performed with the brakes fully taken off.  They then take their leave, presumably for an early night to conserve energy for their run along the Leeds Liverpool canal in the morning. 

They confirmed they’re going left, towards Saltaire. Good choice. Seriously though, they deserve more success, so do your duty, sign up, catch them live if you still can, dig into their back catalogue, buy their records, put their posters on your wall, and all that stuff. 

The Beths - Kiwi indie perfection, since 2014

Roam Artists

Review & photos - John McEvoy

On a cool autumnal evening the recently refurbished Bradford, St George’s Hall played host to the unique talents of John Grant, who was supported by a scene stealing and electrifying Lynks, who I must confess were a new band to me. 

Lynks, known for their flamboyant stage presence and genre-defying sound, wasted no time in energising the crowd. His set was packed with witty lyricism, pounding beats, and infectious choruses, Lynks along with his 2 backing dancers delivered a performance that was both theatrical and ultimately immensely enjoyable. 

They reminded me of and amped up version of ‘Confidence Man’ and based on this performance they really do deserve mainstream success. 

Oh, and it’s not everyday tennis is played as part of the set.  This is an act that you really ought to go see if you get the chance.  

Set list:

Lynks Thinks

Pedestrian At Best

Use It Ot Lose It

Tennis Song

Abomination

Silly Boy

Bechamel Sauce

I Didn’t Come Here For Art

================

And so from the frenetic beats and performance of Lynks, it was onto John Grant and there was an there was an immediate shift in the atmosphere as he appeared out of the gloom font and centre to open with ‘That’s The Good News’, which set the tone for a set that traversed the full spectrum of emotion. His signature baritone was as powerful as ever—velvety smooth one moment, thunderously commanding the next.

His set list was a masterclass in career-spanning curation and his more recent material from his last album ‘The Art Of Life’ sat comfortably alongside newer material, with each track being delivered with Grant’s trademark blend of vulnerability and sardonic wit. 

A nod to the actual venue itself must be made in that St George’s Hall is regarded as having some of the best acoustics in the land and I can confirm that this was indeed the case with his solo piano pieces being just one of many highlights, that sounded crystal clear within the venue. 

Everyone loves a good funk workout and one of my personal favourites from his new album didn’t disappoint. “All The School For Nothing’ was simply sublime. 

The capacity crowd were clearly loved every minute of this gig, with shouts of appreciation throughout the evening and his 2 hour set seemed to fly by. (Always a good sign!)

All too soon we were staring down the barrel of the obligatory encore and set closer GMF (if you want to know what that means, Google it!!) was beautifully delivered. 

All in all, what an evening, one of the best support bands I’ve seen in a long time, and a main set from an artist who consistently delivers thoughtful, catchy and memorable material that everyone should take a listen to.

Let’s hope it’s not long before John Grant & Lynks are back in this part of the world!!

Set list:

That’s The Good News

Disappointing

Boy From Michigan

It Doesn’t Matter

Meek

Touch And Go

Queen Of Denmark

Is He Strange

All That School

Black Belt

Marz

Substitution

Glacier

Grey Tickles

It’s A Bitch

He’s Got his Mother’s Hips

Chicken Bones

Laura Lou

Bella Union

Review & photos - Anya Weston Shaw

There was a real buzz at the Brudenell on Saturday night as Skeletal Family and Theatre of Hate took to the stage to a sold out Brudenell Main Room. The venue was packed with fans who knew every word, and very much dressed the part too.

Skeletal Family opened with a nostalgic and well-rounded set. The track “Promised Land” got the biggest reaction, the band feeding off the energy of a crowd proud to call them local heroes.

Theatre of Hate followed with pure intensity. Kirk Brandon still commands a stage like few others; every lyric delivered like a call to arms. The saxophone gave the set its signature punch, and “Do You Believe in the Westworld” had the whole room singing alongside “Legion”, which had a big response from the crowd around me. 

At one point someone shouted, “Bet you’re glad to be back in Yorkshire!” Brandon grinned in agreement, a perfect snapshot of the night. No ego, no distance, just connection. Two legendary bands, a great crowd, and that unmistakable Brudenell atmosphere.

Sonic PR

Review & photos - Levi Tubman

A the Wardrobe in Leeds, tonight’s a party, but unfortunately not everyone’s invited. With only a few tickets left for tonight there's only limited spaces left for those who want to enjoy the fun! 

Rose Gray is touring the UK in support of her new album A Little Louder, Please, and if the album lands anywhere near as well as this live show, she’s in for big success. Opening the night is Lilmissguestlist, whose DJ set fires up the crowd from the first beat. I’m usually unsure about DJs warming up for singers, but tonight it works perfectly with the audience devouring every track, setting the tone for what’s to come.  

As the lights dim the usual built up anticipation is loudly let free, and as the vocals start the crowd gets louder, but the stage is still lacking that all important singer! Now Rose is far from a shrinking violet and choosing to start her set at the back of the room walking along the side singing with the LED halo glow of her videographer’s light marking her out in the dark. 

Tonight has the feel of real old school rave, dark, sweaty and electric, it’s the sort of performance that needs to be in a dim underground club, with bodies pressed in tight jumping in unison. Set perfectly against the loud thunderous beat Rose’s voice verges on pure and serene, at times losing out to the volume of the music but that’s aimed more at the venue than Rose. 

Performing her new track, Lotus, she tells the crowd it’s about losing yourself with someone and to lose themselves in the dance music somehow helping their energy reach another level.  As paced as the vocals are, Rose’s dancing matches the music, she just can’t keep still not even for a second. As her arms slowly snake out, releasing her fingers one by one, this small movement feels measured and precise, a way of still moving while taking a slight rest. 

Tonight feels like 4 separate elements coming together. The music is relentless, the bass thumping against your chest barely contained, Rose’s lyrics making the songs as she tells her stories, the wild movements as she releases her energy, the performance and movement feeling an integral part of the music, and the crowd revelling in it all, despite how good the night is you can’t help but feel it would fall a little flat being performed to an empty or quiet room, not that either would stop Rose giving it her all. 

While she’s going to go onto deservedly bigger things, I’m glad I got to see her in the confined space with everyone compressed in close together rather than a larger open venue. There’s an energy and passion that’s infectious, and I’d challenge anyone to not get swept up in the party atmosphere, I left feeling upbeat, wired and wanting to do something, anything!  

Chuff Media

Review & photos - Mo Longfellow

I will literally talk about ‘Hinterland’ by Lisa Knapp and Gerry Diver to anyone who will listen, and actually, even if they won’t!  This, their latest offering was released on 6th March 2025.  I first heard a track from the album on Radio 2, and whilst I can’t actually remember which one it was, I know I immediately went to my phone and downloaded the album.  

I can say, without doubt, that this is the album of the year for me - there’s a couple of months left I know, but I don’t see anything knocking this from the top spot. I know I’m here to review the gig, and I will, but if you haven’t got this album, just go get it, you will not regret it. 

I’m sure you can imagine my excitement when I learned that they were bringing their Hinterland tour to The Howard Assembly Rooms in Leeds. My excitement was just, it was an evening bathed in atmosphere, storytelling, and emotion.

They opened with “I Must Away Love” my favourite track from the album. The performance felt deeply personal and emotionally charged. Opening with such a powerful number set the tone for the night: haunting, heartfelt, and captivating. Lisa’s vocals whilst of course technically brilliant, just draw you in, they’re ethereal, enchanting and warm. 

From that first number, the room was hooked. Her vocal throughout the gig carried a clarity that seemed to float above the audience, drawing everyone into the emotional core of each song. Whether whispering a lament or soaring through a chorus, her delivery was both delicate and commanding — a rare and rather wonderful balance.

Gerry Diver’s musicianship was just as impressive. His fiddle playing was fierce and fluid, weaving intricate textures that moved around each track and Lisa’s voice. The kick drum and stomp pedal adding an extra visceral energy to the performance, a pulse that drove the songs forward with excitement and raw power. 

Shout out to the lighting guy too, the lighting was perfectly judged: dark, moody, and atmospheric and created a sense of intimacy that matched the music’s emotional depth. The room was hushed, filled with quiet admiration, not out of politeness, but reverence. You could feel the collective awe, as if everyone was holding their breath between notes.

Lisa and Gerry shared stories about the origins of the tracks, the people who inspired them, and the landscapes that shaped them. These moments of insight added a layer to the experience, making each song feel even more alive and meaningful. Knowing the why behind the music isn’t necessary of course, but it was really lovely to hear their tales.  

In a world of fleeting attention, this was a performance that commanded you to lean in, listen, and feel. And it delivered in so many ways.

Review & photos - Martha Drake

With this being my first review for Wall of Sound I feel as though I have started strongly with reviewing The Stranglers gig at the 02 Leeds, making the whole experience exciting. 

After a very loud and crowd pleasing Support act from The Buzzcocks, The Stranglers entered to the familiar song Non, je ne regret rien, bringing a buzz into the room. 

They started out strong with ‘Goodbye Toulouse’ and its heavy baseline instantly bringing smiles of excitement across the crowd. As a fellow bassist myself and in a band, I was intrigued to see the bassist, Jean-Jacques Brunel, sing some of the songs, including ‘was it you?’ and ‘5 minutes’. The playing was effortless making the performance all that more fun to watch.

It was obvious which songs were more popular as when they came on the audience would chant the lyrics and raise their pints in the air as if they were at the football. Some included, ‘strange little girl’, ‘golden brown’, ‘Peaches’ and ‘something better change’. 

I very much enjoyed all the lighting and imagery they had on the screens on the backdrop. This Included animated choir men of each of the 4 band members (Baz Warne, Jean-Jacques Brunel, Toby Hounsham and Jim Macaulay). 

There was a striking diversity of age in the audience from older audience members who looked like they might have been at the very first Stranglers gig to younger members who were drawn in by the legendary act. 

Finishing their set with the song ‘something better change’, they then added a classic encore making the audience go absolutely wild, giving me chills for what came next: the last three songs were ‘Always the sun’, ‘mean to me’ and ‘No more heroes’. 

Leaving the gig I felt exhilarated having just witnessed a legendary band pushing their music and playing with passion and commitment. It was definitely worth going and I would do it all again!

Chuff Media

Review & photos - Huw Williams

The Lending Room in Leeds is an intimate room, housed in an old library just on the edge of town. It’s the perfect venue for the brand of music that Newton Faulkner has created for his new record OCTOPUS.

The record itself is a creative journey, full of Newton Faulkner’s playful experimentation, exploring different textures and sounds. What that means though, is that recreating that sound, solo in a live environment presents some significant challenges. That’s part of the joy of a Newton Faulkner show though. Watching him tinker with machines, change guitars, create a fascinating spectacle and in a smaller room, it’s great to see the detail.

Take his MIDI boots. They’ve been on the riser, surrounded by the rest of his gear while the support acts - Marie Naffah and Nati - warmed the crowd up with their contrasting styles. This footwear is a creation all his own. Fashioned from camera lens caps, skateboard grip and a hefty dose of imagination, just the movement of his feet provides the beat to his music delivering a sound that it’s hard to believe comes from a solo artist on the stage.

His trademark humour engages from the outset. He spends a moment of two fiddling with his set up right before he begins, before joking “I’d better play something. Here’s…a song!”. That song is Gone In The Morning from his debut album Hand Built By Robots. It’s a welcome opener, sung enthusiastically, the crowd providing harmonised backing vocals while Faulkner riffs through the end of the song. 

Running through highlights from almost all of his previous studio albums, there are a good few from that debut album - I Need Something, the Massive Attack cover Teardrop, and his biggest success Dream Catch Me. He jokes about the latter, acknowledging that the song is an inevitability in the set. “It must be Dream Catch Me-o-clock” he quips, looking at his watch. 

There’s a twist though. A shout from the crowd results in a rendition of U.F.O bringing the electric guitar into play, sooner than expected. It’s not on the setlist, but Faulkner chooses his weapons, plays with the tech and produces a great version of the song, on the fly.

Don’t Make Me Beg is another highlight. One of the most complex songs on the new record, it has presented Faulkner with a significant challenge. Speaking with me during the summer, he described it as having “the most individual notes I’ve ever had to use in anything! 

Then you add the vocal on the top…it’s a lot!” It’s mesmerising to watch his hand fly along the fretboard and the concentration to sing the song is impressive. It reminds you, that for all the electronics, the science project he’s wearing on his feet, he’s fundamentally an outstanding player. 

A trio of songs from OCTOPUS close out the set, celebrating the new album in style. It doesn’t stop there though. Once the lights come on, Faulkner can be found outside, on the pavement outside The Library, with the crowd willingly lending him their ears for a few more brilliant moments. 

Review & photos - Levi Tubman

25 years of the Sickness. Celebrating the 25th anniversary of their debut album, The Sickness, you might find yourself wondering, a quarter of a century later do Disturbed still have it?  

The short answer, absolutely. The long answer? Well tonight’s venue packs in over twenty thousand fans, and they’ve brought none other than one of the big four, Megadeth along for support. 

It's Megadeth. you know what to expect. Dave doesn’t say much to the audience; his eyes stay half-closed, focused downward, but his playing never wavers from start to finish. The vocals and music are sharp and on point, the songs are the performance. The latest and likely final iteration of the band are as tight and professional as ever, as a support act they’re pretty overkill, Disturbed can’t get on the stage soon enough with the audience feeling like they’re already had their fill.   

As the curtain drops, the band, minus David Draiman, stands silently motionless while the crowd erupts in deafening cheers. Draiman is then wheeled to the front of the stage, clad in DOC overalls, a straitjacket, and a psych ward muzzle, a restrained and slightly unnerving entrance that somehow feels perfectly fitting. 

As he peels the mask from his face they launch into Voices, maybe the ones he’s heard to have him trussed up Hanibal Lecter style? Voices being the opening track to the tour’s namesake, Sickness, with the first 12 songs of the night following the track list of the album. 

Wearing the latest in the department of correction boiler suit fashion, Draiman struts down the catwalk, his swagger more runway than metal show, with a slight hint of model poise at the end where I half expect him to turn and walk back down, before he leans out over the crowd singing. 

It may not be the band’s biggest hit, nor the favourite among the purists, but it’s hard to deny that Down with The Sickness stands as one of their defining anthems. Every band has that one track, the song that manages to break free of fanbase and seeps into everyday culture. Back in my student days, it was a weekly staple in every rock and metal club, that unmistakable tom roll acting like a call to arms for the dance floor. Normally, this would be an encore piece, the one saved for the grand finale, so hearing it just four songs in feels a little disorientating, but the crowd couldn’t care less. They devour it all the same. 

To help set the scene of the night a little, out of the 20 songs played that night, only 2 of them didn’t have any fireworks or pyrotechnics. After a short break before Meaning Of Life, the last track of the album, the band come back on stage, this time in orange DOC boiler suits, maybe I was correct and it is a fashion show? David though is escorted down the end of the runway by someone dressed as a corrections officer where under the cover of darkness an electric chair has appeared. As he’s strapped in a booming voice over, responding with 2 bound middle fingers when it asks if he has anything to say, he’s showered by sparks to the call of “Roll on one” and again on “Roll on two” as he convulses fake blood running down his face covering his overalls.  

Drenched down to his boots, thick and red, the dimmed lights at the end are presumably to quickly get changed, instead the curtain falls again with a message saying we’ll be back in 20 minutes. 

Post covid it’s become the norm to for bands to say this is the bit where we walk off and pretend to leave then come back, let’s say we’ve done that and just carry on? Disturbed have gone the other way opting for a theatre interval. The 20 minutes are used to show video clips, behind the scenes of the studio recording the album, interviews and performances, this it right up my alley! 

It’s also the perfect opportunity for fans to grab an overpriced drink or join the inevitable queue for the toilets. 

Taking back to the stage all in black, the band kick into a collection of greatest hits, all the songs you’d normally get now the albums been played. In this we get another cover, this time Genesis’s Land Of Confusion.

A protest song questioning the wisdom of world leaders, and the mess were leaving the world in. Rather poignant after the recent troubles where Disturbed have been banned from playing in Brussels and Glasgow after frontman Davids recent political comments in support of Isreal.  

There’s one more song everyone’s expecting, and as a string quartet assembles at the side of the stage it’s that time. Down the end of the runway a piano has risen out of the floor, with guitarist Dan Donegan taking the seat, Bassist John Moyer joining the strings with drummer John Moyer on kettle drums. I can count on one hand the number of covers that are better than the original, and sound of silence is certainly on that list. David’s tone matches the song perfectly, the first could of times he sings the light the note is ever so slightly off, but I’m putting this down to after 90 minutes of full volume singing, and first part of the song being quieter and gentler, it’s note perfect from then on.  

This isn’t Simon and Garfunkel though, and in case you forget that, flames erupt from the piano on the second verse.  

As the applause fades and phone torches dim, Draiman kneels at the edge of the stage to speak with two fans in the front row, both holding up the same photo, desperate to catch his attention. It seems security had already briefed him, with two chairs already being brought out as he invites them up. A shy mother and her visibly nervous daughter hand him one of the photos, along with a note to read. 

They are both there to celebrate their son/brothers birthday the following day as he had died young a few years ago, as a fan they had played their version of sound of silence at his funeral and thanking the band for being their light. 

What starts off as an upbeat read Draiman’s voice slows, almost catching by the time he gets to the end with both fans clearly in tears. Dedicating The Light to them and their family, you could be cynical, but as the band come over with long hugs and a few gifts such as sticks and posing for photos its clearly emotional for the crowd as well the two holding each other on the stage it’s a memory neither will forget. 

They make a lot of noise for just four guys. Sure, there are some hefty amps and a few backing tracks to fill out the sound, but 4 people with a scattering of chords and words manage to entertain 20 thousand for a few hours in a shared fiery experience. 

Despite not being a fan of the AO arenas layout it’s been a fantastic nights entertainment that’s flown by in what feels half an hour.  

Setlist. 

1.  Voices 

2.  The Game 

3.  Stupify 

4.  Down With The Sickness 

5.  Violence Fetish 

6.  Fear 

7.  Numb 

8.  Want 

9.  Conflict 

10.  Shout (Tears For Fears Cover) 

11.  Droppin’ Plates 

12.  Meaning Of Life 

Break 

13.  I Will Not Break 

14.  Ten Thousand Fists 

15.  Bad Man 

16.  Land Of Confusion ( Genesis Cover) 

17.  Indestructible 

18.  The Sound OF Silence ( Simon and Garfunkel Cover) 

19.  The Light 

20.  Inside The Fire 

Appetite Publicity

Review & photos - Huw Williams

Brixton's Etta Marcus returned to Leeds’ Hyde Park Book Club on a drizzly Friday night to warm the crowd with her atmospheric, moody brand of aternative-pop. 

The cosy venue was sold out and the Marcus faithful got down early, sitting at the front of the stage, mere feet away from their musical hero. Front and centre, one fan wore a t-shirt bearing the legend “I Love Etta Marcus”. It’s homemade, as Etta hasn’t toured with a merch stand before (she tells us during the show) so this personally crafted outfit stands out as she takes to the stage.

Wearing a long, floaty dress, all in black, it sums up the kind of evening we can expect. Marcus has a varied repertoire, blending genres from the dreamy ethereal numbers from her early career to the more recent, darker guitar driven indie rock. We get some of the former as Marcus revisits some of her earliest work in Hide And Seek, a minimalist, dark folk tune with her trademark haunting vocals. Tracks like Lovesick Boy and Death Grip continue that theme and the crowd lap those up. 

Skin Parade is a real highlight, the atmospheric dream-pop sensibility right on target for the packed room. They’re up for a bit more dancing though, and the lighter, upbeat Girls That Play brings a smile to the room. Slaughterhouse - a new song - leaned into that darker side too and bodes well for the direction that Marcus is headed in next, as we can expect this to drop on Halloween. 

It’s a well crafted set that moves seamlessly between emotional dreamy sounds with shades of Billie Martin to the poetic darkness and atmosphere of PJ Harvey. Etta Marcus is definitely one to watch over the next couple of years. 

Set list:

Girls Are God’s Machines

Pointing at the Moon

Hide And Seek

Lovesick Boy

Mechanical Bull

Death Grip

Skin Parade

Lucky Lady

Girls That Play

Nosebleed

Little Wings

Slaughterhouse

Theatre

Teenage Messiah

Chuff Media

Review & photos - Levi Tubman

I’ve been to the Stylus quite a few times now it’s usually easy enough to find, but tonight it’s impossible to miss. The closer I get the smell the smell of hair spray hangs in the air with backcombed heads sticking above the crowd. 

The Psychedelic Furs kick off the bight with the wonderful Heaven. Over 4 decades old it’s hard to imagine it’s off the already well-established bands fourth album, and tonight it sounds just as good as the record, with Butlers voice warm and effortlessly carrying the refrain “Heaven Is the whole of our hearts And Heaven Don't tear you apart”. 

Tonight isn’t all about the 80’s classics though, were getting the full back catalogue. Wrong Train is off their latest, and underrated 2020 album Made Of Rain. It has the essence of the classic Furs sound, with a slightly modern twist of the more mature band. Live it’s so much rawer and more emotional, with Butler almost on his knees at the edge of the stage, voice on the edge of breaking, you can feel how much they’re butting into the performance.  

This energy and intensity aren’t an isolated incident though. While the Stylus holds just over a thousand the band play as if they’re headlining a 20,000-capacity arena. Once they step on stage, everything else seems to disappear, it’s just them and the music, playing with the passion of a group experiencing both their first and their final show all at once. 

Down at the front sits a music stand holding the night’s lyrics, but Richard barely glances at it, only turning the page after each song. It feels more like a safety net than a necessity, much like R.E.M.’s Michael Stipe, who famously kept lyrics on stage despite never needing them. Instead of reading the words he spends the night exploring the stage, as do the whole band. 

Butler spends most of his time either down the front of the stage or with his arm around a band member while still singing, especially his brother Tim. The rare time the mic is in its stand his arms are up and dancing, he has too much energy to be contained, while behind him drummer Zack Alford matches that intensity, having presumably listened to the band he’s decided to take it up a notch. The fills are more often and longer with the cymbals being hit almost in anger, yet the music retains its steady, dreamlike, almost sombre beauty. 

Like many bands they’ve had a few lineup changes over the years, but as with most bands it’s hard to replace the singer, especially for these guys. Richard Butlers voice is so distinctive it just wouldn’t be the same with anyone else at the helm. With his signature vibrato its theatrical and raspy. At times tonight its felt like it’s on the edge of cracking, the pureness isn’t quite there on all the notes, but if you listen back to early records and live recordings it’s just the same. This isn’t a sound that’s come with age, there’s a lived in quality to his voice that live is wonderful to hear. 

We get a scatter shot of songs tonight, plenty of classics and plenty of the new stuff too, which really is worth a listen! But there is one song that’s bound to be played, and coming up to the encore, there it is, that ever-familiar opening D chord running down to G. The response to Pretty In Pink is there but its more restrained than I expected, it’s not restrained because it’s not liked, its restrained because these are fans, the crowd has enjoyed every song tonight, this popular stand out number that might be the only song someone knows of the group, is just another, if very well received favourite of theirs. Playing the single version, with the longer instrumental intro, I catch a few people singing the first line early as the band originally intended on the 81 album.  

Ending the night with the more upbeat semi punk song India from their debut album its great going out on a bang, there’s something about seeing a band that’s been going so long that not only still have it but still enjoy it too, my only gripe about the night is I’m annoyed I didn’t see them live sooner. 

Setlist:

1.Heaven   

2. President Gas   

3. Wrong Train   

4.The Ghost in You   

5.The Boy That Invented Rock & Roll   

6. Mr. Jones   

7.My Time   

8.No‐One   

9.Love My Way   

10.In My Head  

11.Run and Run  

12.Until She Comes   

13.Pretty in Pink   

14.Heartbreak Beat   

Encore:  

15.It Goes On   

16.India 

Sonic PR

Review & photos - Phil Wright

Can you believe it’s 50 years since The Boomtown Rats first made an appearance in a small classroom in Ireland? But here we are tonight, celebrating 50 years of The Rats.

What better way to celebrate their 50th birthday tour than a night at Sheffield City Hall with a sell-out crowd.

I did not know what to expect in the all-seated City Hall, but as the lights went down, you could feel the anticipation building. A projection was displayed showing a 50th birthday cake slowly being eaten away as more and more rats appeared. This was the start of what was to be a brilliant night.

As the seven-piece band slowly made their way onto the stage, we suddenly heard the distinctive voice of Sir Bob Geldof shouting, “Sheffield are you fu@$ing ready?”, before heading straight into his opening song ‘Rat Trap’. Everyone was absolutely f@$cking ready indeed.  

I have photographed at the Sheffield City Hall several times, but never known a band to command the audience by the fourth line of an opening song.  Everyone was out of their seats. This set the tone for the rest of the night.

74-year-old Geldof, with his frantic stage manner, never showed signs of slowing down as song after song after song just kept coming. Bob looked in his element up there, making his way through his hits. 

We then heard the familiar sound of the start of the piano ballad for ‘I don’t like Mondays’, Now, we all know the story behind this hit, but it is still as prominent today as it was back then. 

As the infamous line, “I want to die”, was sung, the whole band stopped… it was deathly silent… at this point, Bob gave a powerful and emotional reminder that this anthem still rings true today, with many people being killed in Ukraine and Gaza, and many more wars around the world. Sending chills down my spine.

All in all, for a ‘Rats’ fan, or just a music fan, this show was absolutely fantastic and well worth a visit.

Review & photos - Huw Williams

My connection to Counting Crows music goes right back to their debut album August and Everything After. It carried me through my first year at university. It was ever present - it didn't matter whose room you were hanging out in. It was one of perhaps 3 CDs that everyone owned.

20-something years later, they're still on the road, with a long-standing, if not original, line up. It's perhaps a decade or so since they last came to Leeds, and the O2 Academy crowd was ready for them. The venue was packed, from the floor to its impressive high ceiling. They were even peering in through the windows of the balcony bar, causing singer Adam Duritz to wonder exactly where they were. "Is that like somewhere special, or are you just stood in a hallway?" he asked, to laughs from the audience. "Let's say you're special as it’s sad to think you're in a hallway."

Realistically, everywhere in the venue was a special spot. Duritz has a rare ability to tell his stories and connect with the crowd. That means that if you were squeezed tight to the barrier or standing in that balcony bar, you would feel the songs were speaking directly to you. From the brilliant opener Spaceman in Tulsa, the early appearance of arguably their biggest song Mr. Jones, right through to the heartbreaking Colorblind, each number reaches right through the crowd, absorbed and attentive to every word. 

There’s an easy chemistry between a line up that’s been together now for the best part of 20 years. They’re a super tight outfit and take every chance to demonstrate their high quality musicianship. We get banjos, mandolins, pedal steel alongside the guitars, keys and drums that you ordinarily see in a live band. It all adds to the richness of the sound and the way the music affects the crowd in front of them. 

It’s Duritz’s storytelling that really steals the show though. Frequently sitting at the front of the stage, he explains the process of creating, the inspiration, the feelings that have shaped some of the stand out songs of the night. 

In the short acoustic section halfway through the set, he explains “this is my favourite arrangement we’ve ever done” as he introduces God Of Ocean Tides. Whether he means the record or the live arrangement, he describes it as the “magic when the 7 of us get together” and it casts its spell. It reminds me of a stage musical - Working, which has songs by Stephen Schwartz, James Taylor and Lin Manuel Miranda among others. This was created through Studs Terkel’s oral history of working people in America, published in the 1970s. It’s real, raw and affecting. 

Nothing leans into this theatre more than the performance of Round Here, previously described by Duritz as the song that encapsulates his life. The performance is heartfelt, imploring us to listen. Although it’s a staple of 30 years of Counting Crows performances, the frontman delivers it like it’s the first time he’s saying the words. He’s almost pleading with us to listen to this story as he stalks the stage, reaching out to a different part of the audience with each line. He throws Raining In Baltimore in the middle of the song, grabbing a few extra heartstrings on the way. 

I said he previously had Round Here as the song of his life. Earlier in the night, Duritz talks us through the song that superseded that number as the one that sums up his life. From travelling all over the U.S. as adult and child, to his recent relationships, WIth Love from A to Z gives us more insight into the captivating singer.

There are moments of lightness and humour peppered through the show too, including - for some of the younger audience members - a cover of Taylor Swift’s The 1, delivered at an upright piano that’s been wheeled front and centre for a couple of songs. 

It’s an inclusive show from start to finish. Songs from a breadth of their 8 studio albums and a couple of covers keep everyone with them for the duration, and as the crowd dissipates into the cool Leeds night, the glow from such fine musicians and beautiful storytelling will have kept them warm through the rest of the evening. 

Setlist:

Spaceman in Tulsa

Hard Candy

Mr Jones

Virginia Through the Rain

Omaha

Richard Manuel is Dead

With Love from A to Z

Miami

Colorblind

God of Ocean Tides

When I Dream of Michelangelo

Big Yellow Taxi

Round Here

Boxcars

The One / A Long December

Rain King

Under The Aurora

Hanginaround

Holiday in Spain