🎶 The Ticket Stub – Music in Leeds this February

We have welcomed back with open arms some music recommendations from I Like Trains frontman David Martin for February’s edition of Ticket Stub.

A little something for everyone. Still cold. Still wet. But the days are getting longer. Time to drag ourselves out to witness some pop music I reckon. Here are a few things you’d probably enjoy.

TV Priest are one of the finer examples of the whole sprechgesang post-punk thing that took the UK by storm for good couple of minutes. Lovely decayed guitar tones, rich baritone vocals and a sharp turn of phrase sounds alright to me! However, what really turns me on about TV Priest is the fact their bass player has a nifty side-hustle in making guitar pedals. Good ones too from what I can make out on geeky YouTube channels I rarely frequent. Anyway, you should check TV Priest out at Headrow House on February 6th, and check out Empty Head Effects on the internet if you’re that way inclined.

Speaking of sprechgesang, it isn’t every day that a member of the Wu-Tang Clan rocks up in Leeds. Don’t miss GZA aka The Genius at Project House on February 15th. His influence on hip-hop over the last 30 years really can’t be overstated.

JOHN are pretty hard to find on Spotify and I respect that a lot. They’re noisy and seem to occupy similar places on the internet that I do, so I suspect they’re good people too. There’s only one way to find out, and that’s at the mighty Brudenell Social Club on February 16th.

GIG OF THE MONTH 

From (some of) the people who brought you the likes of Bloc Party, Young Legionnaire, Blue Ruth, Youth Man, Cassels and Frauds comes a brand-new band called The None. They say it might be your thing if you’re into Unwound, The Jesus Lizard, Shellac and Silverfish, although it’s hard to say for sure since I can only find a 12 second clip of music on Instagram. So why do they make this hallowed gig guide I hear you ask? Well, through friends I ended up doing a couple of online music quizzes with one of the members during lockdown. He’s a lovely guy and very knowledgeable on rock and pop. Proof, if proof were necessary, that this kind of favouritism is still alive and well in the music industry. The None are my PICK OF THE MONTH and play at Mabgate Bleach on February 17th. Sue me.

Brooklyn based experimentalist L’Rain brings her show to The Brudenell Social Club on February 20th. She’s touring her critically acclaimed I Killed Your Dog album. The ghost of Charli will not be pleased.

Almost 20 years on from THAT bossa nova cover of ‘Making Plans For Nigel’ and I’m still willing to put you in the gig guide Nouvelle Vague. Don’t ever change. The Old Woollen keep the good times rolling in Farsley. February 21st is the date for your diary.

O. are a big riffing baritone sax and drums duo. It’s maximum skronk, punk rock energy and really quite good. They released the SLICE EP on very excellent Speedy Wunderground label last year, and that is well worth investigating. For fans of The Comet Is Coming and Morphine because saxophones. Get ye to Hyde Park Book Club on February 21st.

Hey! It’s Rick Astley at The First Direct Arena on February 24th. Spoiler alert: he does drum solos and plays covers of The Smiths now. Whatever next?!

If it’s Chilean/German minimal techno you’re after, you should probably head straight for the master really. Chilean/German minimal techno legend Ricardo Villalobos is at Mint Warehouse on February 25th.

Half a lifetime ago, my pop group supported Editors in Europe. They travelled with a ping-pong table which they’d get set up in the middle of the arenas while we all sound checked. Peak touring goals as far as I’m concerned. If that isn’t reason enough to see them at the O2 Academy on February 27th, perhaps the prospect of bouncing around to ‘Munich’ and ‘Papillon’ is.