Some of our favourite festivals for discovering new bands are Multi-Venue set ups, just like Live At Leeds: In The City. With over 80 names announced to perform across the city on Saturday 15th October it can be quite daunting, especially if you’re looking to find some new bands and not just staying at the main stages for the full day. This is our opportunity to step in an help you out with our top picks for the day, and if you do follow these recommendations be sure to say Hi to us as we’ll be singing along!
The festival is spread across 14 venues and 16 stages all within 1 day so there’s plenty to go at if you’re looking to have a walk around Leeds to find some new venues and more importantly find some new band! Here are our top tips:
12:00 – The Hara (The Wardrobe)
The wristband exchange is at The Wardrobe so why not make that your first port of call for music? If you want to start your die with high energy and a chaotic and gritty performance you couldn’t ask for any better than Manchester based band The Hara.
13:15 – The Lottery Winners (The Wardrobe)
Let’s not burn our energy too early on and keep a good spot in The Wardrobe as The Lottery Winners will be next up! Off the back of multiple incredible support tours (and having just been asked by Frank Turner to join on his next tour) The Lottery Winners are sure to be a highlight of the day – it’s a shock they’re on this early so take advantage of that.
14:00 – Big Image (Nation Of Shopkeepers)
Big Image are currently one of my favourite bands, after seeing them perform at NBHD Festival they’ve certainly lived up to the hype from their recorded music. Combining the reverb-drenched piano of house, the propulsive breakbeats of drum and bass and the bubbling buoyancy of baggy, Big Image really pack a punch with their unique sound.
14:00 – Flowvers (The Lending Room)
This one is a clash with Big Image, and for me personally i’m picking Big Image, but that doesn’t make Flowvers any less impressive. Their upbeat indie pop sound and jangly guitars really gets you moving, and having seen them live before I can vouch for their incredible live performance.
15:00 – Tom A. Smith (Nation Of Shopkeepers)
Despite still being a teenager, Sunderland based newcomer Tom A. Smith has already achieved more than most artists do in a lifetime. He’s been picked up by multiple radio stations and performed at some really high profile shows, as well as his own incredible tours. Tom A. Smith is certainly one to watch grow.
16:15 – The Pale White (The Wardrobe)
The Pale White are known for their energetic and impassioned live performances which have been the basis of the growth of their loyal fan base. The Newcastle based brothers Adam and Jack Hope will have you falling for their thunderous and unapologetically anthemic take on rock music.
17:15 – Rats (The Wardrobe)
Rats have a full throttle, infectious sound with a natural flair that will win you over. Anthemic indie riffs and a powerful half spoken / half sung vocal make the Liverpool based band one of out top tips for Live At Leeds: In The City.
18:00 – Working Men’s Club (Leeds 02 Academy)
A deep and dark electronic sound with a hint of Joy Division create the allure around Working Men’s Club. Expect a really powerful live performance to set you up for the headline bands in the evening.
18:30 – Crawlers (Leeds Beckett Student Union – Room 1)
Crawlers seem to have taken to nation (and even USA) by storm in recent years. A very vocal band and championing all the right things fuels their devote fan base, I expect quite a queue for this show so you make you get down early.
19:15 – Sundara Karma (Leeds 02 Academy)
Now we’re starting to get to the cherry on top of all the fantastic new music that you’ve seen all day. Sundara Karma are a well established band, having played many festival, including Live At Leeds in 2015.
21:30 – White Lies (Leeds Beckett Student Union – Room 1)
Since 2008 White Lies have become one of the biggest cult guitar bands in operation, playing to thousands in countless cities around the globe. With personal favourite “Farewell To The Fairground”, “Bigger Than Us” and “Big TV” White Lies are the band i’m most looking forward to at Live At Leeds: In The City.
There are many more bands and venues we’ve not been able to name here and if you’ve got your walking shoes on you’ll be able to dip in and out of plenty of brilliant music all day. Some other bands to look out for that we couldn’t fit into our schedule are: Chappaqua Qrestling, Lovejoy, The Gulps, Wynona, Palace, The Clause, W. H. Lung, Bears In Trees, Calum Bowie, King No-One, Sea Power, Youth Sector, The Skinner Brothers, Trunky Juno, Pale Waves, Will Joseph Cook, Spector, Overpass, False Heads and many many more!
We’ve created a Spotify playlist with music from all our suggestions for you to pick from:
Written by Stuart Daley
