Leeds is cosmopolitan city of music. Whatever you like to listen to, I guarantee that there is something to satisfy your musical taste buds. From nights at Canal Mills to a concert at the beautiful Leeds Town Hall and a few gigs at Brudenell social club to the students union, I’ve tried to see a variety of bands, artists and DJs throughout my time in Leeds and now I’m going to let you in on who’s hot and playing in Leeds in the next month so you don’t miss out!
O2 Academy
Probably the first place you will look at for music listings, the O2 Academy offers a good range of music for you to choose from. If you like acoustic music then Gabrielle Aplin (November 9th) is the girl you want to see, with kitschy lyrics about love and heartbreak you’ll easily find yourself singing along. She has a great voice and I doubt you’ll be disappointed. If that’s not your thing then you may find yourself at Disclosure (November 18th), the electronic duo have had success with recent hits like ‘Latch’ featuring Sam Smith and paired up with AlunaGeorge for ‘White Noise’. I’ve seen the Disclosure brothers live twice in the past six months and they put on a good show – not one to be missed! Also on the map for her cool mix of house, dance, electronic and generally amazing music is Radio 1 DJ Annie Mac with her night ‘Annie Mac Presents’ (November 29th), headlined by the woman herself, guests will include Duke Dumont, Mnek, Cyril Hahn and Lulu James. That’s a night I will not be missing – in fact I should probably buy my ticket ASAP before it sells out!
Leeds University Union
To say the university doesn’t provide a wide range of gigs for its students would be wrong, there is always a great music event around the corner. Next month be sure to check out Gold Panda (November 22nd), an electronic music producer and performer, this is a night you will regret missing. He was nominated in the BBC’s sound of 2010 list and won the Guardian’s First Album Award for his debut album. What more do you need to be convinced? Also gracing the union with their presence are Mount Kimbie (November 12th), made up of electronic producers Dominic Maker and Kai Campos. Their second album was released earlier this year and saw collaborations with artists like King Krule for one of my favourites tracks ‘You Took Your Time’. Mark the date in your diary!
Cockpit Leeds
On the far side of Leeds is the Cockpit, which as well as hosting weekly club nights also puts on a number of live performances and November is shaping up nicely. If you listen to the radio a lot and like your popular chart music then I think this month is the one for you. First up is John Newman (November 3rd) who has had success collaborating with Rudimental for hit single ‘Feel the Love’ and his own single ‘Love Me Again’ reached the No.1 spot in the UK charts. This is sold out but there are often people selling tickets last minute so keep your eyes peeled. Later in the month, is New York duo MS MR, who I had the pleasure of seeing and meeting in May this year. MS MR is made up of Max and Lizzy who are full of energy and perform with a lot of passion. Make sure you get tickets for their show (November 21st) because seeing them play in a more intimate venue like the Cockpit might not happen again as they gain more and more fans daily.
Control
Previously the home of Evolution, this club has had a make-over to become Control and offer you some of the best nights on offer this semester. Known as being quite a ‘hipster’ event, Flux (November 7th) offers a range of house and techno for you to dance to all night long. It may not be the first type of event that comes to mind when you fancy a night out but go along and you might surprise yourself and find that you love it. Also on at Control is All Gone Pete Tong (November 15th) for those of you who want to relive your summer spent in Ibiza this is the perfect night for you. Radio 1 DJ Pete Tong headlines along with Tensnake, Booka Shade and Waif & Strays.
These are just a few suggestions to help guide you on your way to enjoying some of the best music nights Leeds has to offer but you should also check out listings for venues such as Mint Warehouse, Wire, Beaverworks, Beat Bar and Brudenell Social Club. It all depends on what music you are interested in as to what events you are likely to attend but I think it’s good to go to events you wouldn’t usually be interested in to see what else is on offer and like me you might find yourself falling in love with more music than you thought was already possible.
Image Source:
Disclosure – Own Image
Mount Kimbie – http://factmag-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/mount-kimbie21092013.jpg
MS MR – http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/multimedia/dynamic/00322/STA1027MSMR_322590k.jpg
By Helen Kelly