This month we have a real treat for you. A full interview and session from Yorkshire based “Living Bluesman” Tom Attah!
Listen in to hear how this ridiculously talented guitarist got started, and hear an exclusive Foxes and Convicts Session track of the first song he wrote: “How Long Has It Been?”
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It’s all about the cuts today. Just in case you’re wondering about the lineup for this months Foxes, well, it’s been cut. We’re having a month off to get ourselves sorted out for the next, frankly wonderful, set of gigs.
If you’re heading to Milo anyway tonight, they’ll still have some bands on – always good value from them!
Next month we’ll have a bumper Foxes of exceptional quality, and you’ll get a nice invite about it very soon. I’m TRES excited about it. And you should be too.
I’ve got lots of music goings on this week… The big things are:
Water Tower Bucket Boys @ Milo, Wed 18th
We’re putting on this amazing ol’ time band at Milo as part of Foxes and Convicts tomorrow night in Leeds – it’s free in, at Milo (opposite Blue Rinse next to the Corn Exchange) and going to be a really busy one, so get down early! The fun starts at 8!
March of Dimes @ Elbow Rooms & Nation of Shopkeepers
Tom’s off on holiday this month, so we’ve rearranged the songs into a good ol’ bit of footstompin’ fun. We’ll be playing them at Elbow Rooms on Friday night, then over in York on Saturday, then back to play Nation of Shopkeepers on Sunday night.
If you’re around, pop down. If only to see me sweat through trying to play 4am:division and Cracks in the Floor and a kick drum at the same time.
When I started running the monthly Milo night with Jon from the Dimes, we started recording a monthly podcast with some live sessions from the people playing at the night.
The first run was brilliant fun, and we had some amazing sets – so great, in fact, that I’m going to put together a pay-what-you-want compliation album of the tracks in aid of Cancer Research UK.
Not only that, but we’ve recorded another one! We’ve got three acts in we’ve wanted to record with for ages, so that’s very exciting, and they are:
All of whom have played Foxes over the last year or so. We’re going to start doing these more regularly, so do subscribe in iTunes to keep getting them, and in the meantime, enjoy the show!
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Hot town, summer in the city, it’s July’s Foxes and whether the sun holds out or not we’re putting on some bands that’ll keep you feeling sunny!
This month, old friend Chris Selman will be popping back across the pennines to treat us to another heartfelt acoustic set, playing amongst other things his new single “Headlights”.
There are a distinct lack of venues, less gigs and when there is a gig the attendance is shocking.”
Now, whether he was just trolling, or genuinely thought this, it couldn’t be further from the truth.
I’ve lived and worked in cities all over the UK, and can hand-on-heart say nowhere has a music scene quite like Leeds.
Venues & Gigs
I’ve been in March of Dimes for about two years now, and in that time the places we’ve had the opportunity to play has done nothing but grow – as has the competition for other nights. Running the Foxes and Convicts night in Milo simply wouldn’t have been possible two years ago because a small venue like Milo wouldn’t be able to take the risk of a monthly night putting on local acts. look at a gig listing for this week and you’ll see small nights like ours on all over the place.
Bigger acts get good homes here too – with dance club Creation giving way to live venue O2 Academy Leeds and checked-ben-sherman-shirt-no-trainers townie venue The Courtyard being taken over by achingly cool Nation of Shopkeepers, and even the Holy Trinity Church handing itself over to the odd band (some odder than others), it finally feels like live music in Leeds has everything in place to be one of the main forms of night out entertainment.
Of course, there are a finite number of people that are going to come to gigs. Turn a townie venue into a music venue and you’re not going to get townies realising the error of their ways, putting down their stella and stripping off their shirts, to replace them with Herman Dune t-shirts and picking up a nice cider, but the fact that there are so many venues out there, and they seem to be doing WELL, suggests that the audience is there, it just needs to be treated a bit nicer. Great though it can be to see a gig in a sweaty room with sticky floors, sometimes you want something a little less intense. Leeds now offers that.
Acts
Obviously the most amazing band in the whole of Leeds right now is March of Dimes, but that aside in running Foxes and Convicts for the past year or so I’ve been totally bowled over by the sheer number, variety and quality of bands on the scene at the moment.
Strumming, boring acts are ten a penny. They always have been and they are in every city. Especially in Manchester, oddly. But, take a wee look at what else is out there and you’ll be as stunned as I am by the incredible creativity and talent on offer.
Pairing up incredible vocalists and guitarists has given rise to people like Jack, and Gill’s Daughter:
And while it’s not strictly Leeds, Charlie Barnes is just up the road in Barnsley – and what a magnificent talent he is. If you ever get the chance to see him live, do, for one of the most intense but easy going shows you’ll see.
People are getting smarter about how to get their music out there too. Aside from the YouTube videos that more and more people are getting more and more creative with, local starlet-to-be Hannah Trigwell has been knocking out tunes on Briggate, and it sure has an impact – barely a week goes by without someone asking either on a forum or directly “Who’s that busker on Brigate?”. She’s also got the hang of web-cam bedroom broadcasts. Not like that. But hopefully that’ll bump up the search engine results for this article. Take a look here to see her in action. NOT LIKE THAT.
I could easily mention over a hundred acts that have caught my ear over the past year, but the best thing to do is tell you about…
Leeds Indie Radio
One of the most amazing things to come out of Leeds in the past 6 months is Leeds Indie Radio. Started by Adam Williams after popping along to one of our nights, he gives an opportunity for bands in Leeds to get their music heard. Any band in, or around, Leeds can get their music played on this online station, just by dropping him a line. The system is genius, giving more frequent plays to newer tracks, there’s always something great to listen to. I’m told avarage listening time is 2 hours, which shows that once you’re tuned in, people generally find something they like.
So, if you want to hear some of the amazing results of this brilliant musical environment, just tune in to Leeds Indie Radio for an hour. You will find something that makes you go “Ooh! That’s good.”
Sean Murricane is a Leeds based blogger, web marketer and musician.
