The Leeds Music Scene

From your old-school classic pop, rock and R&B, to metal, bassline and drum and bass; Leeds has somewhere playing every sort of music you could wish for, on any night of the week. Leeds is famous for producing bands such as the Kaiser Chiefs, alt-J and The Pigeon Detectives, and many bars and clubs dedicate themselves to keeping this Leeds music heritage alive. Whether you’re into 80s/90s Oasis and Stone Roses, modern chart music, heavy metal or techno and bassline, Leeds has such a variety to choose from. With three Universities, plus a College of Art and Music, you’ll always find lots of students around in Leeds from all over the world. This eclectic mix of people contribute to the varied music scene in Leeds.

If big clubs and busy places aren’t really your thing, Leeds has plenty of intimate venues such as The Brudnell Social Club, Hyde Park Book Club, Verve, The Wardrobe, Belgrave Music Hall and more. These places host cheap concerts, making them ideal venues for student budgets, and they always attract big names. Becky Hill, Royal Blood, The XX, Catfish and the Bottlemen and The Last Shadow Puppets have played since I have been here. Hyde Park Book Club, The Brudnell and The Wardrobe are also well known for hosting up and coming bands, so whether you want to get a name out there for your band, sing at an acoustic night or just listen to some students sing, these are the ideal places to visit.

Bigger venues such as The Warehouse, Mint Warehouse, Mint Club, Tiger Tiger, Wire, The Key Club, Space and the 02 Academy host student nights every week, with genres of music for everyone. They also have big-name performances, and well known DJs hosting themed evenings. Music genres like drum and bass, garage and techno are super popular in Leeds, and venues such as Mint Warehouse, Mission, Mint Club, Canal Mills, Church and Beaverworks and renowned for their events that fit these categories. Take a look online at some of these events, for example; ‘Cirque du Soul’, ‘Soul Jam’, ‘Distortion’, ‘Detonate’ or ‘Solardo Sessions’ – these events are always planned months in advanced and tickets almost always sell out!

Whether you’re studying music, you’re in a band or you just love a certain genre - Leeds has something for you, so you’ll never be stuck for choice. Here at Leeds Beckett, if you’re on a budget and looking for a night out, many events are run by the University’s Union and they provide cheap tickets to big names. Look out for events happening in Freshers and Refreshers (the first weeks of uni) as these nights usually have cheaper tickets to big events and well-known bands / artists. Local venues are also a great opportunity to go for a quiet drink, meet new people, chat to friends and listen to free music - these venues help bands and singers just starting out, so it’s great to support the local community wherever you can.