Live at Leeds is this Saturday, with over 200 artists performing all across the city, so we’re sharing our 10 must see acts in case you’re still unsure about who to go check out:
TallSaint – Brudenell Social Club 12PM
She’s rapidly become a favourite here on Velvet and for good reason. The Leeds based electro-pop artist has summer bangers and empowering pop anthems at the ready to kick off the Saturday in sublime style. ‘Warm Skin’ will entice new Tallsaint listeners with it’s upbeat, rapid drum firing, balancing pop, electro and indie all together, while ‘Hard Love’ and ‘I’m A Woman (After All) will secure a lifelong membership to her completely enchanting electro-pop brand.
Ivory Wave – The Lending Room – 1PM
A favourite of The Lending Room, Birmingham’s Ivory Wave return to Leeds to remind everyone why their shows just won’t stop getting bigger. Smashing together indie, dance and elements of ska, Ivory Wave bring a contemporary edge to their classically sounding music, with tracks ‘Gold’ and ‘Cool Kids’ being absolute crowd favourites and reason enough to give this five piece a place on your list.
Patawawa – The Chapel 3PM
Quite honestly, if you don’t go and see Patawawa then you’re doing yourself a complete disservice. The Matlock three piece are complete and utter stars, jiving away on stage to their brand of funk-fuelled, indie, disco-pop like they’re actually stage invaders and not three of the brightest young performers around. ‘Patagonia’ is their biggest single to date, but their recent single ‘Never Been Better’ will pack just as big a punch. Save you’re dancing until ‘Dare To Disco’ and you’ll be in for a real treat.
Swimming Tapes – Brudenell Social Club (Community Room) 3:30PM
London’s Swimming Tapes will provide you with all the chill-pop vibes you need for you Saturday afternoon, serenading you with tracks from their upcoming LP, ‘Morningside’. Swimming Tapes have always been a reliable source for dreamy, chilled out indie pop, whether it be from their earliest work on ‘Souvenirs’, or their most recent track ‘Passing Ships. The likeliness to Real Estate is unavoidable, but Swimming Tapes glazed over dream-pop is simply gorgeous and more than worth a listen in person.
Thyla – Oporto 4PM
If you’re unaware of our love affair with Thyla, give them a search and see how many tracks of theirs we’ve wrote about, almost bloody all of them. The Brighton four piece are fuzzy, indie rock, grunge pop at its absolute finest, with a back catalogue of infinite crowd pleasers and their ‘What’s On Your Mind’ EP which will undoubtedly be being blasted out at full force. Millie’s vocals alone would be enough of a reason to watch Thyla, but tied together with Dan’s guitar work, they’ll be an act that will have you searching for the closest gig they’re playing to your hometown afterwards.
Saltwater Sun – Leeds Beckett SU 4:15PM
Indie at it’s f***ing best. An understatement if ever there was one, this West London group are on the rise and surely will be a name that will be echoing throughout all of Leeds on Saturday. ‘Blood’ ensured that 2019 began with a bang for Saltwater Sun, as this massive single held back nothing and paved the way for their ‘The Great Deceiver’ EP, a collection of three songs that have repeatability written all over them. Dive back further and ‘Hot Mess’, ‘Now or Never’ and ‘Making Eye’s are all waiting to show that Saltwater Sun have always been a force to reckon with.
Dead Naked Hippies – Hifi – 4:30PM
The Leeds three piece are punk in its finest form, channelling Idles and Savages through frontwoman Lucy Jowett’s unstoppable presence. ‘Young Male Rage’ is full, balls to the wall, unapologetic punk, and certainly will be causing absolute scenes of chaos, with mosh-pits more certain than someone falling down the stairs into Hifi. Previously featured track ‘Rare’ will bring a ‘calmer’ moment from DNH, however, the gutsy energy of their punk brand is still fully loaded and ready to get your blood pumping.
Pizzagirl – Oporto 5PM
Liverpool’s Pizzagirl has truly captured the essence of 80’s pop and brings a bizarre charisma to the stage, along with his guitar and laptop setup. If ‘Coffeeshop’ with its singalong chorus of “na na na, na na na na, na na na, na na, na na na na”, or ‘Body Part’ and its, dark synth pop sound aren’t enticing enough for you, then just listen to Liam’s witty sense of humour during song breaks and you’ll completely fall in love with this Liverpudlian.
Ørmstons – Hifi 5:30PM
Their single ‘Mexico City’ secured Ørmstons fans on the other side of the Atlantic, and now it’ll help them secure a spot as one of Live at Leeds best acts. The Leeds group are fairly fresh newcomers, having been performing only since 2016 in and around the city. ‘Don’t Take Your Call’ was the first track we heard from them, a chaotic two and a half minutes that will have you struggling to breathe whether it be through trying to sing along, dance or both.
Le Boom – Headrow House 6PM
Current favourites on Velvet, Dublin’s Le Boom are a duo that produce banger after banger like it’s no big deal. Their recent collaboration with fellow Irish artist, Æ MAK, on ‘Dancing Bug’ and previous single ‘Just Want To’ are two shining examples of how effortlessly their brand of house-electro-pop flows, pumping beats that are far more worthy of more than a simple two-step along. ‘Coma’ is a personal favourite, channelling late 00’s indie-tronica at its finest, giving you all the Passion Pit, Yeasayer vibes that you could possibly ask for.
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