Artist: The Smyths
Venue: Brudenell Social Club, Leeds
Date: 23.9.21
Meat is Murder, 35th Anniversary Tour. Once again, The Smyths ‘unite and take over’ Brudenell Social Club for their annual three night residency. This time performing my favourite album by The Smiths. A rare chance to hear this collection of songs performed with such panache and authenticity.
Artist: Johnny Marr
Venue: Leeds University Stylus
Date: 20.9.21
Johnny takes to the stage and tells the crowd that this is the first time he’s played live since before lockdown. Some of us have already braved the return to live music but for many others it’s also their first gig in a long time. But this is Johnny Fuckin’ Marr, masterfully delivering a set of solo sounds, The Smiths and Electronic classics, so everything is going to be alright.
Setlist: Hideaway Girl / Panic / Spirit Power and Soul / Tenemant Time / New Town Velocity / Rubicon / Night and Day / Get the Message / Getting Away with It / The Headmaster Ritual / Sensory Street / This Charming Man / Walk into the Sea / Hi Hello / How Soon is Now? / Armatopia / There is a Light that Never Goes Out / Easy Money // Counter Clock World / Some Girls are Bigger than Others / Bigmouth Strikes Again
Artist: Skylights
Support: Narrow Margin
Venue: Leeds University Stylus
Date: 11.9.21
It’s a sports casual cacophony as the Leeds lads and ladettes venture beyond Elland Road for an away fixture at the Uni. It’s unusual to hear the chants of the terraces bellowing around the students’ union.
Skylights are an accomplished band, somewhat eclipsed by their casual football following and Leodian leaning. This was the most laddish gig I’d been to since the demise of The Bridewell Taxis.
Setlist: Britannia / What You Are / Nothing Left to Say / Lifeline / Take Me Somewhere / Outlaw / Driving Me Away / YRA / Darkness Falls / Enemies
Artist: New Order
Support: DJ Tintin [DJ Set]
Venue: The Piece Hall, Halifax
Date: 8.9.21
A superheated summer’s evening, the music of New Order (and Joy Division), lights, lasers and the beautiful backdrop of the Piece Hall. The Haçienda meets the Happy Valley. My only regret was arriving too late to see Lonelady’s support set.
Setlist: Regret / Age of Consent / Restless / Ultraviolence / Ceremony / Your Silent Face / Tutti Frutti / Be a Rebel / Guilt is a Useless Emotion / Sub-culture / Bizarre Love Triangle / Vanishing Point / Plastic / True Faith / Blue Monday / Temptation // Atmosphere / Transmission / Love Will Tear Us Apart
Artist: IDLES
Venue: Leeds Beckett University
Date: 7.9.21
Through a combination of missed opportunites or COVID cancellations, IDLES had evaded me as a live act up untl this point. But it was worth the wait.
Hot, sweaty and intense; the long overdue ‘Ultra Mono’ album launch gig was all I had hoped it would be. As a frontman, Joe Talbot is menacing and mesmerising in equal measure – he looks like he’d blow your house down and then give you a hug.
Setlist: Colossus / Grounds / Mr. Motivator / Mother / Anxiety / 1049 Gotho / Samaritans / Divide and Conquer / War / Reigns / Faith in the City / Television / Kill Them with Kindness / Love Song / Never Fight a Man with a Perm / Danke
Artist: The Cribs
Venue: Brudenell Social Club
Date: 2.9 21 [Originally scheduled: 15.11.20]
Another much dealyed and belated album launch show for the band’s ‘Night Network’ album, which was released during the COVID lockdown. Originally planned as an acoustic set, The Cribs decided that a long awaited return to their spritual home should be a full-on gig, and rightly so!
Setlist: Goodbye / Running Into You / I’m a Realist / Our Bovine Public / Never Thought I’d Feel Again / Diamond Girl / I Don’t Know Who I Am / Siren Sing-Along / My Life Flashed Before My Eyes / Come On, Be a No-One / Shoot the Poets / Screaming in Suburbia / Swinging at Shadows / Be Safe / Mirror Kissers / Men’s Needs / Pink Snow
My Gigography 