Live At Leeds : In The City Festival 2022
in Leeds, UK
photos and words by Dylan Maggs

Live at Leeds: In The City 2022 made its comeback on October 15th with a staggering 150+ artists taking over the city across all of the main venues. With performances covering various levels in the industry and venue sizes, there was sure to be something for everyone.

My first stop of the day was to catch the incredible The Hara at The Wardrobe, who are no stranger to putting on incredible sets in the city centre. It was clear from the get go that the day was going to be action packed, with passionate fans filling up the venue at 12pm. The Manchester based band made sure to cover all bases with their setlist including their most popular songs such as ‘We All Wear Black’ and ‘Fool & The Thief’, as well as giving a live debut for ‘Talk To The Manager’. A powerful and engaging opening set, which made sure to wake me up.

Whilst walking up to Beckett Student Union I decided to quickly stop off at Mill Hill Chapel to catch Sophie May, an artist that I haven’t listened to before but was instantly gripped by. No band wand needed, just Sophie, her guitar and a beautiful-and-incredibly soothing voice which echoed around the chapel giving that extra atmospheric punch. Instant goose bumps.

Manchester singer-songwriter Jaxn was the second artist to take on Beckett SU 2 accompanied by his band to provide punchy pop-rock tunes that made you want to get off your feet. I think the set deserved more love as there weren't a lot of people in attendance.. Maybe it was too early for Leeds. Nevertheless, Jaxn brought the energy and is definitely a future must watch.

Originally scheduled to play at The Wardrobe, Brighton-formed band Lovejoy brought their devout fanbase to the main room of Beckett Student Union. 1000+ passionate fans all waiting to catch a glimpse of their beloved favourites. It was a good decision by Live at Leeds to move the band to this stage as The Wardrobe would have filled up before even half the fans made it inside. Wilbur Soot, Ash Kabosu, Joe Goldsmith and Mark Boardman took to the stage and the crowd erupted, fans screaming and jumping from left to right throughout the set. The accompanied brass section brought something different to this performance, and every song had that extra punch. They might still be a new band, but they have the passion, stage presence and following of a band with extreme industry experience.. Maybe that’s with help from a YouTube background. I’d say they’re the ones to watch, but it seems the world has all eyes on them and are going to incredibly big heights.

My first trip to the O2 Academy of the day was to catch London alt/indie-rock 3-piece, Palace, a band who are well known in the music scene and for very good reason. Their beautiful mix of indie-rock with a hint of blues is one to stop you in your tracks to appreciate the talent that Leo Wyndham, Rupert Turner and Matt Hodges showcase in their music.

I was very excited to see Ellie Dixon play at Beckett SU 2, and my excitement was equally met and her set was incredible. Fans flooded in and filled up the room quickly, all looking forward to watch the Cambridge-born artist perform. Songs like ‘Green Grass’ and ‘Swing!’ made sure to get the crowd dancing around and singing. The energy in the room was immaculate, nothing but smiles and positivity. This was my last time at this venue and despite it being a nice layout - the purple lighting used throughout the day was very much an eyesore.

I was looking forward to catching Dinosaur Pile-Up again at the O2 Academy after finding them in support of Enter Shikari last year. They’re a band that never fails to put on an incredible show, and this set proved it. Starting off their set with the energetic and rowdy ‘Thrash Metal Cassette’, it took a lot of strength to suppress my impulse to jump up and down the photo-pit. Being from Leeds, DPU had the most local support, and it was clear to see from the crowd's energy how loved and respected they were in the area. The yorkshire band haven’t released an album since their 2019 ‘Celebrity Mansions’, so I’m patiently awaiting more rock anthems and a UK tour.

Thomas Headon was an artist that I had never seen perform before, but was taken aback by the incredible performance. You can tell that Thomas loves every second on stage by the huge smile on his face, dancing up and down the stage non-stop. With dance-worthy indie tunes like ‘Strawberry Kisses’ and ‘Nobody Has To Know’, there was no reason to be standing still.

Merseyside-misfits Crawlers were on next to provide a powerful display of what's in store for the alt-rock genre as they aimed to cement their place in the scene. With their debut album ‘Loud Without Noise’ set to release not long after, you knew we were in for a treat. Powerful and energetic, the set kicked off with ‘Too Soon’ from the new album, followed by ‘Statues’ and ‘MONROE’ from their prior EP, making sure all bases of their discography were covered.

I had heard of Sundara Karma before but I had never heard or seen them before, so I was intrigued as to what was in store. What I was met with was a beautiful collection of relaxing indie-tunes.’Loveblood’ and ‘A Young Understanding’ were highlight tracks for me as they brought the energy which made everyone want to jump around. Fans at the front barrier screaming every word back to the frontman Oscar Pollock.

Despite the building fire situation happening down the street which caused most entry points to the venue to be closed off, it didn’t stop the immense turnout for Manchester indie-royalty, Pale Waves. A band who have acquired a devout and passionate following over the past few years, and it's clear to see why. This was their last UK show before heading over to tour in Japan, before coming back to the UK for a homeland tour. The crowd screamed from the get go as the band kicked off their set with ‘Lies’ from their latest album - which was very well received and made me want to move non-stop. With a setlist full of undisputable bangers such as ‘Television Romance’, ‘She’s My Religion’, ‘Jealousy’ and even fan-requested ‘Red’, there was something for everyone. I had never seen Pale Waves live before, but this set made me want to catch them again.

White Lies played the closing set for Beckett SU, and once again.. I had never listened to this band before (maybe I need to listen to more music), but was greatly impressed by the stage presence and energy. The crowd rocking the barrier and a sea of people off their feet. Despite not listening to them before, they were up there with one of the bands that impressed me most. Songs like ‘Farewell To The Fairground’ and ‘Hurt My Heart’ being standouts for me.

Another great event for Live at Leeds after the success of their first Live at Leeds: In The Park earlier in the year, which makes a comeback on the 27th May 2023, which already has an incredible starting roster with bands such as Two Door Cinema Club, The Lathums, Tom Walker, Lime Cordiale and many more. If you haven’t been to a Live at Leeds event yet, make sure that you tick it off your list in 2023.

LIVE AT LEEDS: IN THE CITY FESTIVAL 2022

THE HARA

SOPHIE MAY

JAXN

LOVEJOY

KIDS

PALACE

ELLIE DIXON

W H LUNG

DINOSAUR PILE-UP

THOMAS HEADON

CRAWLERS

SUNDARA KARMA

SEA POWER

PALE WAVES

WHITE LIES