Everything is Brilliant in Leeds shouts the Kaiser Chiefs
subTOURING isn’t about mainstream sightseeing. It is travelling inspired by music. A hand-picked guide from passionate music lovers for enthusiasts of Rock, Indie, Metal, and Punk tunes. Offering a unique music travel experience in Leeds.
Get your authentic music experience in and around Leeds.
EXPLORE THE MUSIC MAPSUp for a weekend trip with concert in Leeds? Check out the venue city guides focussing on before and after the concert. Get our best tips for accommodation and day activities including record stores as well as bars and restaurants.
Get the most music out of your trip. Hit the road. Follow your band.
GET YOUR GUIDESightseeing inspired by music
In Leeds, be prepared to be spoiled for the choice of live music nights. With small and intimate venues placed within throwing distance of each other, this city’s music scene favours the local over commercial. Take a glance around - it’s totally fine to wear your favourite band shirt when going out. Luckily, there’s even a good chance to hear these tunes when entering the next shop or restaurant. When attending Leeds Festival, why not stay here for one or two nights?
Explore hidden music gems when on tour. Discover music stories beyond the common sightseeing spots. Where history of Rock is revealed and brought to life again.
The name says it all: get the best of central Leeds with this condensed walk. It's about sightseeing as well as shopping. It's about record stores as well as venue hopping. Along the way, discover some legendary spots in Rock history or the city's other hidden gems.
EXPLOREChoose the bike on a sunny morning and take a ride to historical place Kirkstall Abbey. Have the Kaiser Chiefs on your playlist for this subTOUR. Afterwards, time for antiques shopping before discovering Woodhouse Moore on the way to The Library. Put The Who on your earphones at the The Refectory, then visit Brudenell Social Club or The Faversham.
EXPLOREGet your authentic music experience
Leeds is one of the top UK destinations in numbers of live music venues. With major as well as intimate venues placed within walking distance of each other, the pulsing live music scene attracts not only world-class stars, but also creates an atmosphere for supporting local newcomers. It’s this D.I.Y. creative music culture that continually generates an inspiring and authentic counterpart to mainstream commercial music. Leeds is also host to huge Leeds Festival, northern twin to Reading Festival.
Check out the venue and festival guide below to get our best tips for accomodation, day activities as well as bars and restaurants before and after the gig.
Get your authentic music experience in and around Leeds with subTOURING.
Use the map to discover the venues in Leeds with surrounding places to enjoy before and after the gig.
Leeds is all about live music and and independent underground scene.
To see world-class acts, join Leeds Festival in August. If you’re more into something special, head to Brudenell Social Club with its D.I.Y. atmosphere. For intimate evenings, The Wardrobe offers small but yet incomparable live acts.
For more live music experiences, explore our full list of venues and festivals.
Tainted love and more: Leeds’ pioneers of Synthpop
One of the most popular English Indie bands
Formed in 1980 with roots in Gothic Rock and Post Punk
Indie and Alternative Rock from Leeds since early 2008
British Indie Rock from the Jarman brothers
One of England’s most important music cities
Leeds is one of England’s most important and influential music cities, having seen a broad range of bands and artists from genres as diverse as Rock, Punk, Indie, Hardcore, and Electronic. The city in West Yorkshire offers an immensely high standard of local bands, breeding a dynamic and creative music culture. Strongly identifying with the concept of local music, Leeds is home to a massive D.I.Y. phenomenon. Respective record labels and venues create a fresh counterpart to commercial music industry by hosting non-profit gigs encouraging authentic music growth party from financial motives.
Post Punk collective Gang Of Four came out of the city’s 70s Punk movement. The band plays a mix of Punk Rock, Funk, and Dub, focussing on the social and political ills of society. Gang Of Four are considered one of the leading bands of the late 70s Post Punk movement.
British-American The Mekons have also proved influential. Formed in 1977 by a group of University of Leeds art students, they are one of the longest-running and most prolific of the first-wave British Punk Rock bands. Their musical style has evolved through the years, including elements of Country or Folk. The band is currently based in Chicago, USA, still renowned for their raucous live shows.
Goth Rock was a popular movement in the city of Leeds during the early 1980s, but electronica pioneers Soft Cell brought Electro Pop on the city’s music scene. In the 90s Chumbawaba emerged into public consciousness, having a major chart hit throughout Europe with Tubthumping. The anarchist band constantly shifted in musical style, drawing on genres such as Punk, Pop, Folk, and Experimental before dissolving in 2012.
The 2010s saw the emergence of a number of second-wave Grunge bands, notably Pulled Apart by Horses, Dinosaur Pile-Up, and Holy State. In recent years Leeds has seen several of its bands rise to national and international success, none bigger than Alt-J or the Britpop revivalists Kaiser Chiefs, who bothered the top of the charts. Wild Beasts and The Pigeon Detectives have also achieved commercial success since.
Since 1999, Leeds has been the home of the hugely popular annual Leeds Festival, northern sibling to Reading Festival, where the biggest acts from the UK and around the world arrive to rock the city over the late August Bank Holiday.