Saturday morning. Leeds City Centre. T-Minus 15 minutes until the first acts of the day begin. The city centre is packed, crowds of eager fans and avid gig-goers fill the streets. The city thrums with anticipation; everyone is ready for a day filled with basslines, beers, and barricades.
After having braved the hellishly jam-packed buses from Headingly to the bus station (a journey not for the faint-hearted) to pick up my wristband for the day, I begin the dash back up to Key Club to see my first act. Armed with my own personal sword and shield: my walking boots (I take festivals very seriously) and a ridiculously overpriced water from Greggs (I seriously think a pint would have been cheaper; an excuse I employed later in the day) I descended into the dimly lit depths of Key Club. With bated breath, I awaited my first live performance of the day.
Soft Launch
Despite most of my view being obscured by a massive brick pillar and being wholly surrounded by a crowd of middle-aged men who refused to acknowledge my existence whenever I tried to shift my position to see more than the chips in the pillar’s paint work – seriously, what’s not to love about gigging? – I caught the set of Soft Launch. With a sound that sets them apart from other new acts whilst still honouring their indie forefathers (unfortunately still a very male-dominated genre I must admit), Soft Launch delivered a tight set. Swerving between clipped, funky rhythms with experimental guitar, keyboard, and crooning vocals, and a typical indie sleaze vocal fry with fast-paced basslines that are easy to dance to, Soft Launch could be considered the love child of Fontaines DC and The Wombats. An element of the band that was arguably the most impressive is each members skill with a range of instruments, with the lead vocalist, lead guitarist, and the bassist swapping roles multiple times throughout the set.
Talia Rae
Shortly after Soft Launch I headed over to one of Leeds’s staple venues: Headrow House. Arriving 30 minutes early – I was absolutely not going to be stuck behind a pillar again – I stepped into a smoke-filled room, with blue and purple lights deepening the atmosphere. Despite the bright sunlight of the day flooding through the windows, an ultimately very off-putting element for someone who has exclusively been to gigs at 9pm or in slightly dank basements, it felt as though I had stepped into another time and place altogether. Talia Rae began her set with little fanfare, she simply stepped onto the stage, tambourine in hand, and let her vocals and lyrics do the rest. Bathed in purple hues, surrounded by clouds of smoke, and with nothing but a backing keyboardist and guitarist, her performance was nothing short of ethereal. The set was raw and emotional, her lyrics cleverly cutting deep into the audience’s psyche, but her vocals were clear and strong, every word sang with purpose and clarity. When watching Talia Rae, you have a feeling that you are witnessing the birth of true legend. This was only further emphasised by the hypnotic tambourine employed in some of her more upbeat tracks. I imagine everyone in the 1969 Woodstock crowd must have felt a similar way, watching Janis Joplin dance and twist across the stage.
Overpass
After a brief respite with Talia Rae’s beautiful ballads, it was time to get stuck back into old fashioned, salt of the earth indie music, and what better way to do that than with Birmingham based band Overpass? On the scene since 2020, I was admittedly already a fan of this quartet but seeing them live was another level entirely. With my brother Dan at my side – who has of late become my ultimate indie music guru and guide – we fought our way to a spot in the pit where we would have a clear view of the magic that was about to unfold. Not so difficult for him, standing at 6’4”, but seeing as I spent most of the day peeking over shoulders and round bucket hats, I was pretty determined to get a good spot. After a soundcheck that felt like an eternity, Overpass launched into a set that was in my opinion the best of the day. Song after song, Max Newbold’s voice washed over the crowd, kept in check by India Armstrong’s classic basslines and Jake Bishop’s impeccable drumming, embellished by Elliot Rawling’s infectious guitar riffs. Each and every song makes you want to get up and move, throw your arms about wildly, clap your hands, nod your head so emphatically that you genuinely fear you’ll give yourself a concussion (if you’re planning on seeing them anytime soon, this writer suggests you bring paracetamol. This is said in a completely complementary manner) and jump as high as you can. This last one is because the music is so good, not because you can’t see. Mostly. Not only do Overpass have songs so catchy you want to scream them until your voice is gone – I swear I was having fun, the near concussion and vocal cord irritation are part of the experience – the band themselves are clearly having fun on stage, creating a connection between performer and audience that blurs the usual line of separation between act and viewer; this is as much our show as theirs. Several narrowly avoided mosh pits later, with several more acts to go we were not about to risk injury, Overpass concluded their set, having given a performance that was nothing short of incredible.
It was at this point that we took a quick pitstop at Bella’s house, the third member of our party who was photographing the gigs. (If you want to see some absolutely insane photos from the day, check out @bellawphoto on Instagram, she is ridiculously talented). Feeling somewhat revived and full of adrenaline after sitting down for 20 minutes, we headed off to the wonderful Brudenell Social Club. Those considering attending LaL next year should seriously consider training for it ahead of time, an indie fanatics own personal Ironman, if you will.
The Guest List
In the community room of Brude, The Guest List delivered a classic, well put-together set. Throughout their performance, the 5-piece from Manchester created a vibe different from anything we had seen that day. Getting back to basics, their music is classic British indie-rock – simple but effective lyrics that are supported by electric guitar riffs you can really sink your teeth into. I felt many of their tracks – particularly 161 – was reminiscent of the infamous Northern soft rock of their hometown. Overall, it was a solid set, and with their supporting slot on The Royston Club’s current tour, they undoubtedly have big things to come.
The Royston Club
After narrowly avoiding having to support the body weight of the Stone’s frontman as he crowd surfed his way through Stylus (images of the possibility of me dropping a scouse icon due to lack of arm strength were definitely plaguing my mind) it was time for my current favourite band. Much like Overpass, Royston is a band that has been at the top of my most listened to for quite some time, ever since – again, courtesy of my brother – it was one of 3 CDs I was able to listen to in our car. There really is only so much Phoebe Bridgers and The Guardians of the Galaxy 2 soundtrack one can listen to. Their set began with a rendition of their latest track: “The Patch Where Nothing Grows”. The atmosphere of the crowd was immediately electric. Our shouts echoed through the packed room, emotions overflowing and ricocheting in the small space. If it weren’t for being basically in the basement of the Student Union, the roof would have been blown off, as the saying goes. Each band member’s musical prowess carried us through the rest of their set, taking us through heart wrenching classics of theirs such as Cherophobe and Believe it or Not to absolute indie bangers such as Mrs Narcissistic and Cold Sweats. After having made my way to the barricade and escaping the clutches of several mosh pits (it was to those mosh pits I lost my friends and didn’t find them until the end of the set, but I could not have cared less. Sorry guys.) one of the most magical moments of the night occurred. Tom Faithful, in what can only be described as a stroke of genius, performed Disco 2000 by Pulp before blending it into I’m A Liar. In a not at all dramatic fashion, I think I died and went to heaven. My first time watching TRC could not have been more perfect, and Tom Faithful, Ben Matthias, Sam Jones, and Dave Tute are all outstanding in their field.
If you haven’t A) listened to them, or B) seen them live, what are you still doing here? Read the rest of the article later and go listen to their entire discography on Spotify or buy tickets for one of their upcoming shows. I’ll be very disappointed if you don’t and assume I have failed, meaning my very short-lived career as a gig reviewer must come to an end.
Lime Garden
With aching feet and very sleepy eyes, Dan, Bella, and I made our way through the city centre to our final gig of the incredibly long day. Spirits were high, but cheesy chips and my bed were starting to look incredibly tempting. That was until I was informed that our final act of the day, Lime Garden, were a 4-piece alternative indie band comprised entirely of women. My energy was absolutely renewed to say the least. As previously stated, the indie music genre has for a long time been dominated by men, so a chance to discover a new entirely female band was a must, and they did not disappoint. In the pit of the wardrobe basement, surrounded by what was definitely the coolest crowd of the day, I was introduced to Lime Garden’s indie-electro sound. Their cleverly crafted lyrics overlayed with groovy beats and beguiling basslines was enthralling, and despite how tired I was I could not help but dance. Lime Garden gives you the sense you are taking part in a 21st Century bacchanal – complete with frenzy, fun, synth, and an ascending feeling that you’re in the presence of something truly magical. Frontwoman Chloe Howard joked with the crowd, keeping the audience present and engaged, along with dancing and truly performing in a way that proved her skill as a charismatic lead. My favourite track by the band was definitely Clockwork, a song that has been on repeat since. After seeing them perform I was unbelievably glad to have caught their set, and can tell you that they are well worth the watch,
It was with this that we concluded the night with well deserved pints and a catch up with the seriously stellar Eszter Vida and band, who also performed at LaL (definitely add this indie quintet to your listening rotation. You won’t regret it.) If you’ve made it this far, I hope you’re already preparing for your own trip to Live at Leeds next year. With a festival set up like no other, it’s combination of multiple grassroots venues and underground and popular artists alike make it worth every single penny.
Written by: Eve Brown