Live at Leeds 2012 Preview

The May Day Holiday is a big one throughout Great Britain, but it was especially big in Leeds in 2007, as it was also the city’s 800th birthday. So the heart of West Yorkshire put together Live at Leeds, a music festival at venues throughout the city – and have kept it Live every May Day since.

This year (the city’s 805th…), Live at Leeds has more music than you can possibly handle on Saturday, May 5th. QRO can’t possibly handle everything, but gives you some highlights along with a schedule of all the bands/times/places – and a handy Google Map of the venues:

View QRO Magazine 2012 Live at Leeds in a larger map

Alkaline Trio Friday, May 4th – ‘The Unconference’

Before the Saturday festivities start, on Friday Live at Leeds holds ‘The Unconference’, where music industry veterans let you know what you need to know about making it in the biz. And King Charles kicks off the festival with a special sshow at The Cockpit, along with a separate tickted event by American punks Alkaline Trio at Leeds Metro, touring behind last year’s Damnesia (QRO review).

Brudenell Social Club, 3 Queen’s Road LS6 1NY

1:00 PM – Hunting Bears

2:00 PM – Team Me

3:00 PM – Just Handshakes

4:00 PM – Being There

5:00 PM – Moody Gowns

6:00 PM – Fossil Collective

7:00 PM – The Night

8:00 PM – Kyla La Grange

9:00 PM – Jamie N Commons

10:00 PM – Dog is Dead

11:00 PM – Ghostpoet

Norway’s Team Me come to Leeds behind debut To The Treetops! (QRO review), a bunch of young, enthusiastic multi-instrumentalists let in the studio and trying out everything in a reach of their hands.

The Cockpit, Swinegate LS1 4AG

1:00 PM – Richard Parker

2:00 PM – Black Moth

3:00 PM – Hooded Fang

4:00 PM – Novella

5:00 PM – Adult Jazz

6:00 PM – Fanzine

7:00 PM – S.C.U.M

8:00 PM – Howler

9:15 PM – The Subways

11:00 PM – official after party

You gotta love a band with a song entitled, “Don’t Believe Ayn Rand”, like Novella (QRO photos in Leeds).

Riding today’s extensive garage-rock wave is Minneapolis’ Howler, who’ve been making waves especially in England (QRO photos in Leeds) with their debut, America Give Up (QRO review).

Indie rock trio The Subways dubbed their first record Young For Eternity, and that’s held true. Admittedly, there’s only been two more LPs since then, most recently last year’s Money and Celebrity – and while they’re not quite that rich and famous yet, The Subways are a strong headliner for Live at Leeds.

The Cockpit 3, Swinegate LS1 4AG

12:30 PM – I Call Shotgun

1:30 PM – Joseph & David

2:30 PM – Garnets

3:30 PM – Simon Pollard Band

4:30 PM – Fun Adults

5:30 PM – Grant K Fennell

6:30 PM – Ryan Keen

7:30 PM – Nina Nesbitt

8:30 PM – Jake Bugg

9:30 PM – Josh Kumra

10:30 PM – Hannah Trigwell

11:00 PM – official after party

After you’re done rockin’, hit up the official Live at Leeds after party in both spaces of The Cockpit.

The Faversham, 1-5 Springfield Mt LS2 9NG

1:00 PM – The Marsicans

2:00 PM – Eyes On Film

3:00 PM – Shields

4:00 PM – Soul Circus

5:00 PM – Escapists

6:00 PM – Folks

7:00 PM – The Heartbreaks

8:00 PM – Hey Sholay

9:00 PM – This Many Boyfriends

10:00 PM – The Chevin

11:00 PM – Reverend & The Makers

Before they head out to support Franz Ferdinand (QRO live review) in Ireland, catch The Chevin (QRO photos in Leeds).

Indie-popsters from nearby Sheffield, Reverend & The Makers hit it big with U.K. Top 10 hit single, “Heavyweight Champion of the World”, including opening for Oasis on the brothers Gallagher’s last-ever tour (for now…). And now, after a two-year hiatus, they return with @Reverend_Makers right after Live at Leeds.

Holy Trinity Church, Boar Lane LS1

2:00 PM – Cave Birds

3:00 PM – Fran Rodgers

4:00 PM – Ellen & The Escapades

5:00 PM – Karima Francis

6:00 PM – Rae Morris

7:00 PM – Dan Mangan

8:00 PM – Lucy Rose

9:00 PM – Alt-J

10:00 PM – Lianne La Havas

Canada has lots of alt-country/folk singer/songwriters who bare their soul – the mix of the cold, sparse expanses of the Great White North and the state support of the Factor program has produced many artists like Dan Mangan (QRO photos at a festival), but he’s Nice, Nice, Very Nice (QRO review) – though his latest, sophomore Oh Fortune (QRO review), was a bit of a step backward.

Leeds Metro, Caverlay Street LS1 3HE

3:45 PM – Bastille

4:45 PM – Gabriel Bruce

5:45 PM – Worship

6:45 PM – Stooshe

7:45 PM – Jess Mills

8:45 PM – Charli XCX

10:00 PM – Lianne La Havas

Leeds Metro Back Room, Caverlay Street LS1 3HE

2:15 PM – Jaymz Dean

3:15 PM – Deaf Club

4:15 PM – Redwire

5:15 PM – Weird Dreams

6:15 PM – Savages

7:15 PM – The History of Apple Pie

8:15 PM – Dead Sons

9:15 PM – We Are Augustines

Swirling between all the swirling genres (chillwave, shoegaze, goth…) is Wales’ Deaf Club (QRO photos).

East London popsters Weird Dreams (QRO live review) have been hitting the right notes, with debut Choreography out right before Live at Leeds. Also from London comes The History of Apple Pie (QRO photos in Leeds), who come to Live at Leeds right after playing their hometown with Blur’s Graham Coxon (QRO review of London gig).

Out of the ashes of Brooklyn’s great Pela (QRO spotlight on) comes We Are Augustines (QRO photos), who sound like Pela on debut Rise, Ye Sunken Ships (QRO review) – and that’s a good thing (QRO photos at a festival).

Leeds University Stylus, Ulton Place LS2 9JT

4:30 PM – Runners

5:30 PM – Lulu James

6:30 PM – Death at Sea

7:30 PM – Peace

8:30 PM – Friends

10:00 PM – Los Campesinos!

No festival is complete without at least one brand-new yet somehow already up-and-coming Brooklyn band, and Live at Leeds has it Bushwick’s Friends (QRO photos in New York).

Los Campesinos! might just be QRO’s favorite band today (QRO spotlight on). From catching their second-ever U.S. show (QRO review) to today’s bigger shows (QRO photos), from debut EP Sticking Fingers Into Sockets (QRO review) to last year’s Hello Sadness (QRO review), we’ve been deeply in love with the Cardiff collective (QRO live review). We’ve interviewed nearly every member of the seven-to-eight person outfit, from lead singer Gareth Campesinos! (QRO interview) to sister & singer Kim (QRO interview), guitarists Neil (QRO interview) & Tom (QRO interview), bassist Ellen (QRO interview), and new drummer Jason (QRO interview) – even former singer Aleks (QRO interview – a favorite among favorites – QRO Tribute to Aleks Campesinos!) and former drummer Ollie (QRO interview).

Oh, and they’re also one of the best live bands out there (QRO live review), thanks to electric songs like classics “We Throw Parties, You Throw Knives” (QRO video), “You! Me! Dancing!” (QRO video), and “My Year In Lists” (QRO video) to “International Tweexcore Underground” (QRO video), “Miserabilia” (QRO video), and “Romance Is Boring” (QRO video) to newest “By Your Hand” – and they’ve grown up into sad songs as well, like the excellent “The Sea Is a Good Place To Think About the Future” (QRO video) and newest “Hello Sadness”. We need more Los Campesinos! – it’s never enough! (QRO photos at a U.K. festival)

Leeds University Mine, Ulton Place LS2 9JT

1:00 PM – Chew Lips

2:00 PM – Swiss Lips

3:00 PM – Citizens!

4:00 PM – Violet

5:00 PM – Karin Park

6:00 PM – A Plastic Rose

7:00 PM – EJ

8:00 PM – Random Impulse

9:15 PM – Dot Rotten

Hopefully Chew Lips and Swiss Lips will engage in a Flame(ing) war (QRO live review).

Joseph Ellis – a.k.a. Dot Rotten – is the newest London grime-rapper to amaze.

Milos Downstairs, 10-12 Call Lane LS1 6DN

12:30 PM – Soulmates Never Die

1:30 PM – Jen Armstrong

2:30 PM – Die Video Die

3:30 PM – Japanese Fighting Fish

4:30 PM – Whispering Dolls

5:30 PM – Kleine Schweine

6:30 PM – Ben Pike

7:30 PM – Serious Sam Barrett

8:30 PM – The Reacharounds

9:30 PM – Troy Faid

10:30 PM – Spirit of John

Milos Upstairs, 10-12 Call Lane LS1 6DN

12:00 PM – British Daylight

1:00 PM – Little Victories

2:00 PM – The Artists

3:00 PM – The French 75s

4:00 PM – Sola Virtus

5:00 PM – MonMen

6:00 PM – Secret Sirens

7:00 PM – Fran Classic

8:00 PM – Evil Regent

9:00 PM – Skint and Demoralised

10:00 PM – Micky P Kerr

11:00 PM – Gaze

12:00 AM – Can’t Kill the Head

1:00 AM – Public Service Broadcasting

Nation of Shopkeepers, 27-37 Cookridge Street LS2

1:00 PM – The Mexanines

2:00 PM – Likely Lads

3:00 PM – Broken Hands

4:00 PM – Pale Seas

5:00 PM – Grass House

6:00 PM – Binary

7:00 PM – TOY

8:00 PM – Devin

9:00 PM – Gross Magic

10:00 PM – Riz MC

11:00 PM – Jakwob

O2 Academy, 55 Cookridge Street LS2 3AW

3:00 PM – I Like Trains

4:15 PM – Jessie Ward

5:15 PM – Niki & The Dove

6:15 PM – Spector

7:30 PM – Ladyhawke

9:15 PM – The Enemy

Leeds’ own I Like Trains come home (QRO live review in England)! The once-and-future iLIKETRAiNS (QRO photos at a festival) bring the past to the future, as their epic post-rock details everything from failed polar expeditions and chess geniuses to, yes, trains.

Right after their tour with Florence & The Machine (QRO album review), Spector (QRO photos) hit Live at Leeds.

Winner of multiple ARIAs (Australian Grammys) a few years back, Ladyhawke blew up in the Old World with her self-titled debut (QRO review) & singles “My Delirium” (QRO video) and “Paris Is Burning” (QRO video), before she heading to the States (and the other Hilton) to headline the Perez Hilton Presents Tour (QRO live review) – and now crosses another ocean, with sophomore Anxiety out right after Live at Leeds.

The biggest band of Live at Leeds is The Enemy! The indie-rock trio has barely been round half-a-decade. Their 2007 debut We’ll Live and Die In These Towns hit #1 in U.K., while the following year’s Music for the People ‘only’ made #2 – and they’ve got a third, Streets In the Sky, coming up for 2012.

Oh, and right before playing O2 Academy, literally earlier in the same day, The Enemy will play the FA Cup Final at Wembley Stadium!

The Wardrobe, Quarry Hill LS9 6AH

1:00 PM – Rupert Stroud

2:00 PM – Seas of Green

3:00 PM – Jasmine Kennedy

4:00 PM – Dear Prudence

5:00 PM – Sound of Guns

6:00 PM – The Barr Brothers

7:00 PM – Cashier No. 9

8:00 PM – Sam Airey

9:00 PM – Ron Harvieu

10:00 PM – Gabrielle Aplin

11:00 PM – Scroobius Pip

Brothers Andrew & Brad Barr have been performing in a variety of bands, including The Slip (QRO live review), Surprise Me Mr. Davis (QRO photos), and Land of Talk (QRO spotlight on), but they’ve since been breaking out all on their own.

The Well, Hanover Walk LS3 1AB

1:00 PM – China Rats

2:00 PM – Unions

3:00 PM – Bearfoot Beware

4:00 PM – Bears Killing Bears

5:00 PM – Wot Gorilla

6:00 PM – Post War Glamour Girls

7:00 PM – Royal Republic

8:00 PM – Hawk Eyes

9:00 PM – Turbowolf

10:00 PM – Blacklisters

11:00 PM – Eagulls

Live at Leeds obviously is stocked with locals you need to hear, such as Eagulls (QRO photos) and Post War Glamour Girls (QRO photos in Leeds).

Dan Sartain Sunday, May 6th – ‘The Hangover’

Have a little hair of the dog as you recover on Sunday, as Dan Sartain, The Matadors, The McGowans and The Reacharounds play Brudenell Social Club starting at 5:30 PM.

Monday, May 7th – Football

You’ve still got Monday off – so are you ready for some football?!? Bands from the festival face off on the pitch for a 5-a-side football tournament.

For festival website, go here: http://www.liveatleeds.com/