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My Friday at Leeds Festival 2026
A run through of the acts I saw. The first act which I was aiming to see was the Blossoms at about 4pm, but a surprising lack of traffic and rapid admission meant that I arrived with over an hour to spare. This was certainly no bad thing however, as it enabled me to catch the final few songs of Arthur Hill’s set on the main stage. I did not know anything about this artist beforehand, but warmed to him with little more than a silky cover of George Michael’s Careless Whisper an
abyates05
Sep 23 min read


ROLE MODEL’s New Album, 'Chuck Timely & The Hourglass' Delivers a Country Folk Feast
Released last Friday (7th August), this album serves authentic sounds and an easy-to-follow narrative. In this album, ROLE MODEL incorporates country and folk genres as well as any other American singer-songwriter. Across the album, he provides clear narrative in song titles, while also treating us to rocking cowboy tempos and authentic instrumentation. By ‘authentic’ I mean that each element is identifiable and has a clear purpose. The layering of voice, guitars, piano and
abyates05
Aug 92 min read


My Favourite Bands from Kendal Calling 2026
Here are my picks from this year’s festival There is always so much to discover over 3 days of a festival, and the indie extravaganza that is Kendal Calling is no different. There were difficult choices throughout the weekend when clashes inevitably arose, and I certainly will not attempt to run through everything I saw. Rather, I will briefly discuss my two favourite acts on the main stage and my two favourite acts out on the other stages. The first act I have to discuss fr
abyates05
Aug 42 min read


"You’re Gonna Need A Little Music" to compete with this.
A review of Yard Act’s most recent album. Having achieved much acclaim since the release of their first album in 2022, You’re Gonna Need A Little Music is Yard Act’s third album (released on the 17th July this year). Despite the band being from my home city of Leeds I must admit I have not given them a proper ear, but having now listened to this album I am most certainly a fan. This new album imbues their already strong post-punk indie rock sound with further fascinating voc
abyates05
Jul 243 min read


Day Sleeper: An Emerging Leith Band Worth Following
Day Sleeper performed at The Attic in Leeds on Wednesday, supported by Leeds-based Cherry Seraph and Lines of Flight. For my first visit to The Attic in Leeds, this was a thoroughly enjoyable couple of hours to bring a long mid-week day to an end. The opening support act was the soloist Cherry Seraph, and she opened the night with a lovely ethereal atmosphere. I only arrived to see the very end of the set, but this was long enough to get a sense of the interesting sounds they
abyates05
Jun 253 min read


Fabulous French Folk in Farsley
A relaxing evening with Stanley Brinks and Freschard at The Old Woolen This gig was like nothing else in its truly relaxing and intimate atmosphere. Similar to a pub with some live music on, those of us in the audience sat around a pleasant, casual arrangement of tables. Up on stage, Stanley Brinks, très cool in his green bucket hat and round glasses, began on the acoustic guitar. Meanwhile, his musical partner, Freschard was a picture of contentment with gin in hand between
abyates05
Jun 102 min read


A Review of Yellow Days
Almost a great night at The Brudenell Prior to Yellow Days arriving on stage, there was a bizarre but certainly intriguing support set from Brian Nasty and his friend Isadora. They produce some high-quality vocal interactions over pre-recorded music, presumably created by the band they usually perform with. Nasty provided the majority of lyrics through a combination of rap and spoken word, while Isadora held many of the songs together with well-sung backing vocals. Neverthele
abyates05
May 102 min read


The Battle of the Bands Final 2026
A celebration of student music in York. Wednesday 25th March saw weeks of competition culminate in an enjoyable and varied evening in town at The Crescent Community Venue. All four bands remaining in the competition were certainly talented. They all brought something slightly different and gave it their all in their thirty-minute slots. In running order, The Expression was haunting, Wisteria more rock’n’roll, and B**chcraft more moody. Then the winner, A Man Is Scared gave a
abyates05
May 32 min read
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