Welcome to this week’s Cool As Leicester Weekly Music News, which is brought to you every week in partnership with PPL PRS Ltd. Stay in the know and be the first in line. Every week. 
••••••
NEWS
Forgotten Futures – Attenborough Arts Centre
Saturday 30 May 2020
A new all day event from The Robot Needs Home Collective taking over all of the Attenborough Arts Centre, and filling them with music and art – often simultaneously. Expect exciting acts, interesting music, intriguing art and more. Early bird tickets on sale now with first acts announced in the new year. TICKETS.
Battles – The Y Theatre
Tuesday 5 May 2020
From Brooklyn, New York, Battles are an angular and highly experimental band who have garnered a reputation as some of the most skilled and innovative musicians of their time, helping them to garner a worldwide audience. Pushing the sonic limits of how conventional instruments and electronics meld, they’re coming to Leicester off the back of a tour support slot with Foals. TICKETS.
110 Above Festival – Gopsall Farm
13 – 17 August 2020
What a killer first announcement from 110 Above Festival as they grow yet again for their 2020 event. Saturday night will be headlined by The Amazons, whilst Sundara Karma lead the line-up on Sunday. Sports Team will co-headline The Commune Stage on Friday, whilst elsewhere you can catch Gengahr, Bloxx and The Pale White. One of indie’s best kept secrets! TICKETS.
••••••
THIS WEEK
Open Mic – The Soundhouse
Tuesday 17 December (and every Tuesday)
The weekly open mic happens at The Soundhouse every Tuesday night from 7.30pm. The night is hosted by Rhett Barrow and acts are encouraged to arrive early if hoping to get a slot. Each week there’ll be a featured artist play from 9.30 – 10pm, so if you’re wanting to play a longer set then get your name down. Discover some brilliant new acts. The Soundhouse is on Southampton Street in the Cultural Quarter.
Get Cape Wear Cape Fly – Firebug
Tuesday 17 December
Get Cape Wear Cape Fly will be at Firebug in December for a headline slot in the series of shows supporting the Robot Needs Home Collective’s 15th birthday. Aka Sam Duckworth, the Southend troubadour released his 10th album last year. Support from Charlotte Carpenter. TICKETS.
Made of Candy – The Haymarket
Tuesday 17 December
This December, Leicester Haymarket Theatre will be turning into party central with live music from ‘Made of Candy: The Robbie Williams Show’ followed by a chance to dance the night away to music from Funktion Junction party band. TICKETS.
Carols in the Pub – Black Horse Aylestone
Tuesday 17 December
Gather your pals and head to the pub to get festive as you all sing some carols around a few pints. 6.30pm, FREE ENTRY.
Haiku Salut / The Buster Keaton Picture Show – The Y Theatre
Wednesday 18 December
Leicester’s Robot Needs Home Collective is celebrating a big 15th birthday this year with a number of unique and special shows. This one will see acclaimed instrumental group Haiku Salut perform an original, contemporary live score to Buster Keaton¹s 1926 comedy classicThe General. Described by Orson Welles as “the greatest comedy ever made, the greatest Civil War film ever made, and perhaps the greatest film ever made”, Haiku Salut’s accompanying score combines electronica, folk, post rock, and neo-classical elements to cast The General in a new dramatic light. TICKETS.
Swingaree – The Shed
Wednesday 18 December
Swingaree is a regular swing and jazz social that happens monthly on a Wednesday. On the night there is a free taster dance class followed by a live band. Arrive from 7pm to grab a drink and catch up, then from 8pm – 9pm there’s a taster dance class for all levels of skill, which is ran by the wonderful folk at Leicester University Swing Society (LUSS), who also run regular dance classes should you get the (jitter)bug! No dance partner needed. 14+, with under 16s accompanied by an adult. £3 on the door.
Son Of and The Serious Moonlights – The Haymarket Studio
Thursday 19 December
Originally formed 30 years ago, join Son Of for a night of PyschoAcousticSoul. They’re joined by The Serous Moonlights who celebrate Bowie’s music with an emphasis on some of the tracks that get less attention. TICKETS.
Beer & Carols – The Western
Thursday 19 December
Have a few pints, sing a few carols. Free entry for 8pm.
Christmas With Cilla – The Musician
Thursday 19 December
Celebrate Christmas with Cilla’s Christmas songs and many of Cilla’s hits plus lorra lorra fun and cheer! Plus fancy dress, mince pies and mulled wine and more. TICKETS.
The Sounds of Christmas – The Soundhouse
Thursday 19 December
Enjoy live acoustic festive music from 6pm – 11pm with free entry and a full Christmas grotto in the pub! If you go down in festive clothing you’ll even get a free shot!
Diesel Park West – The Musician
Friday 20 December
Leicester’s answer to U2. DPW were blood and thunder poets of rock’s mercurial terrains in the late 1980s and early 1990s. TICKETS.
Bellatones – The Donkey
Friday 20 December
Bellatones and Code Switch Theory play a festive double header at our favourite Leicester venue! Expect lots of festive cheer, plenty of old faves, and some seasonal surprises! Just a fiver on the door!
Christmas Live Lounge – Brick & Beam
Friday 20 November
Get in the Christmas spirit with soulful festive covers. Free entry. Music from 8.30pm.
Take Off That – The Haymarket
Friday 20 December
This weekend the Haymarket Theatre will be turning into party central with live music from ‘Take Off That’ followed by a chance to dance the night away to music from Funktion Junction party band.Featuring a host of your favourite Take That tracks and songs to get you on your feet are packed into an evening of festive entertainment. TICKETS.
Pop Will Eat Itself – O2 Academy Leicester
Friday 20 December
In 1987, Pop Will Eat Itself surprised the independent music world by morphing overnight from two minute, three chord indie pop wonders into hip-hop rock crossover pioneers. Years ahead of their time, PWEI produced “Box Frenzy”, a furious mix of beatboxes, metal riffs, MC’ing and pop songs. The album brought the band a whole new audience and opened them up to as much praise as it did ridicule amongst a perplexed music press. The band has maintained a large fan base, as well as being noted as influencing acts such as The Prodigy and Nine Inch Nails. TICKETS.
Nordic Giants – The Y Theatre
Friday 20 December
Hidden behind feathered masks and effortlessly changing between instruments, this post-rock duo performs live original soundtracks to a backdrop of award winning short films. This gig is part of The Robot Needs Home Collective’s 15th anniversary celebrations and the audience can expect to experience dreamy ambient swells, epic builds and huge moments of power to a combination of dark, funny and beautiful short films. TICKETS.
Gladness – The Shed
Friday 20 December
The Mighty Gladness, your favourite Madness tribute band, return for their annual Christmas shindig. TICKETS.
Soul & Motown – Lily’s Live Lounge
Friday 20 December
Soul Songstress Lydia Lutudi will be performing some Soul & Motown for you lovely lot at Lily’s Live Lounge on the 20th Dec From 8.30pm. £8 on arrival including a free drink on arrival and soul food intermission.
Internal Conflict – Firebug
Friday 20 December
Enjoy a festive night of mental as Internal Conflict are joined by Dawn of Anubis and Recall The Remains. From 8pm and tickets are £5 on the door.
Resurrection Indie Anthems – The Soundhouse
Saturday 20 December
The indie club night returns to The Soundhouse. Get your dancing shoes on to the likes of Oasis, Kasabian, Blur, Arctic Monkeys and loads more. 9pm – 2am, FREE ENTRY.
Gazelle – O2 Academy
Saturday 21 December
Leicester indie rock ‘n’ roll foursome head up the O2 Academy for a Christmas party to mark the end of a brilliant year. TICKETS.
Dr Feelgood – The Musician
Saturday 21 December
Touring pretty much continuously since 1973, Dr Feelgood always give 100% of the finest British rhythm and blues to make you feel good. Performing such hits as including Milk And Alcohol, Down At The Doctors and Roxette, the Doctors will see you now! TICKETS.
Chambers – Grand Union
Saturday 21 December
Chambers hit Grand Union on Saturday night for an evening of festive live music and cheer. Free entry.
Santa & Sounds – The Soundhouse
Saturday 21 December
The Soundhouse has been transformed into a festive haven and Santa has set up his grotto to get you and your kids in the mood for Christmas! Bring them down from 1pm to meet Santa and get a present, before enjoying Christmas themed music thanks to the incredible barbershop quartet The Simpletones. TICKETS.
Let’s Play… The Beatles – The Donkey
Saturday 21 December
Join Gaz Birtles as he hosts this event made up of talented local musicians performing some of the songs from the monstrous catalogue of hits and classics from the Fab Four.
Robot Needs Home 15thBirthday Party – The Cookie
Saturday 21 December
Robot Needs Home celebrate 15 years on the Leicester music scene with a brilliant line-up of local talent including These Furrows, Speaking in Italic, Waking Aida and many more. TICKETS.
Spacetoast – The Shed
Saturday 21 December
Leicestershire’s Spacetoast fuse punk guitar sounds with early indie style riffs and grungy, gritty vocals. Join them on Saturday for their new single launch party. TICKETS.
Kingsize – The Donkey
Sunday 22 December
Leicester’s top ranking ska band Kingsize play foot-stompin’, house rocking arrangements of the finest original Jamaican ska sounds. Their style draws heavily on the classic Studio One song catalogue and traditional big band sounds of ’60s ska. TICKETS.
Multimorph – The Musician
Sunday 22 December
The current vehicle for Maureen Anderson’s poetry and general creativity, Multimorph rose from the ashes of Shapeshifter when the latter’s long-standing guitarist Dave Johnson passed in 2009. The band’s line-up stabilised in mid-2010 with Maureen complimented by dual guitarists Kevin Hewick and Rizz James, dual bassists Dave Dhonau and Darren Baxter and cajon drummer Jim Tetlow. TICKETS.
Groove & The Bathtub Pings – The Donkey
Monday 23 December
Groove & The Bathtub Pings is a 7 piece Funk/Soul/Motown/Disco/all round bangers band based in Leicester. Their infectious groove and brassy riffs are sure to get the floor filled and your feet tapping. Expect plenty of Christmas fun!
••••••
DIARY DATES
Amy – A Tribute presents The Story of Amy Winehouse – The Y Theatre
Monday 23 December
Amy Winehouse was one of, if not the finest female jazz and soul singer the UK has produced in a generation, whose career was all too tragically short. A legendary figure in popular music, her three albums, collaborations and self-penned hits touched the world, and this theatre show tells that story through performance, narration, imagery and video, featuring a fantastic 8 piece live band with full horn section and backing vocals, styledon the infamous ‘BBC Sessions’. TICKETS.
…And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead – The Cookie
Saturday 7 March 2020
Known for their wild, energetic concerts, the American alternative rock band hail from Austin, Texas. The chief members of the band are Jason Reece and Conrad Keely, who both alternate between drumming, guitar and lead vocals, both on recordings and live shows. TICKETS.
ROAM – The Vault at The Shed
Tuesday 4 February 2020
ROAM are in Leicester for Independent Venue Week as part of their tour playing some smaller than usual rooms. The five piece from Brighton deliver performances fizzing with energy and melodic pop punk brilliance. The band take their cues from the likes of New Found Glory, Blink-182, Sum 41 and Simple Plan, and will be celebrating their most recent record Smile Wide. TICKETS.
••••••
SPOTLIGHT
Spacetoast celebrate new single launch
Local indie lads, Spacetoast have built up quite a following since they formed together at school. Their last single even gathered up 50k streams! This weekend they’re at The Shed for the launch of their latest single and we caught up with them to hear more about them and their plans for the band.
How would you describe Spacetoast’s sound?
We tend to aim for an alternative, indie-rock/punk sort of vibe with the music we write. Early influences like Arctic Monkeys and The Strokes probably have a lot to answer for with that one. As we have all grown and expanded our music tastes, the band’s sound has developed. For example, Matt is big on classic drum and bass, Eleanor is a sucker for 90s Britpop, Joe loves his 90s grunge and 70s classics, whereas Dan will happily listen to alternative 80s and Shoegaze for hours! All of these sounds have an influence on us.
How did the band form?
It all started off at school when we were about 15, just messing around in practice rooms. We had a drummer (Dom, who later left and was replaced by Joe) and then Dan and Eleanor on guitar. We didn’t have a bass player, so we got Dan’s mate Matt, to start learning bass for us. He had to work quickly but he still didn’t even own his own bass after the first year of us all playing together!
It was all just a bit of a laugh really and it wasn’t until the start of this year that we began to take it more seriously. It was like some sort of inside joke, trying to see how far we could take it. We were really surprised (in the best kind of way) when people started to enjoy our music. We were really excited when people started turning up to gigs we had been asked to play at or had set up ourselves or listening to the tunes we had whacked onto Spotify after recording them in our front room.
It’s crazy – looking back at the earlier days now because our last single has over 50k streams – which, although in the grand scheme of the music business is a small number, means a great deal to us!
What’s been your highlight since forming?
I think for us, our last headline at The Shed back in April has been our highlight so far. It was the first headline show we played as a band and the reception we got from the crowd was incredible. On top of the really energetic and lively crowd, The Shed is a cool local venue and we loved playing there so much that we have also booked our next headline there for this Saturday 21st December – a single release for our song ‘Bedroom Song’ .
However, I think a time that could rival this, was our co-headline at the Leicester O2 Academy. Once again the crowd were amazing, and we loved every second. I think it’s definitely the people that are out there listening to our songs and actively enjoying our music and content we produce that makes it all worthwhile and engages us to want to continue creating and performing.
Who would you most want to share a stage with?
A core inspiration for our sound, as well as our enthusiasm for performance, comes from Slaves. Although we are inspired by a wide variety of bands and genres, I think when we (Dan and Matt) went to see Slaves live on their Take Control tour at Leicester O2, we were inspired by how much of an impression a band could have on an audience and I think there are a really big inspiration for us so to share a stage with them would definitely be a dream come true.
Who is your biggest inspiration from the Leicester scene?
I think out biggest inspiration from the Leicester scene would probably have to be the punk two-piece Earls who released their album earlier this year. We played support for these guys on our first gig on the Leicester scene at The Cookie and as well as having some really good tunes, these guys are really genuine people and seem to fully enjoy their time on stage, creating and performing music. This just highlighted to us what it is all really about!
What does 2020 hold for the band?
We have been in contact with a few out of town promoters and a few bands sorting out some upcoming gigs early next year. These will be out and about across the Midlands in order to help promote the new single ‘Bedroom Song’ which comes out on Saturday 21st December. As well as this, we have also been confirmed for a few local festivals this year – one of which is Glastonbudget which we are really excited for! Just a lot more of the same as this year really – continuing to try and make a positive name for ourselves and get our music out there to people that will love the stuff we are creating as much as we do!
What can people expect at the single launch party?
Well we are hosting this event in order to promote our new song which is out on the same day called ‘Bedroom Song’. It will be our 5th song available on all major streaming platforms and we felt like we wanted to put on an extra special show for it. We wanted to celebrate our amazing year, as it is only in the last twelve months that we released our first song and started gigging in Leicester.
We have been organising the event for several weeks and have got our own lighting tech and a brilliant bill of young local bands like ourselves to support us. This includes Leicester bands Factory Girls and The Webs along with Nottingham band Velvet Blush – all to ensure an energetic night with some great memories for our audience to take home with them for Christmas.
Our set is just under an hour and includes a majority of originals and one or two covers – with our own Spacetoast twist on them of course! Needless to say, the whole audience will be jumping and it will be a brilliant show!
MORE MUSIC NEWS NEXT WEEK
