Leeds Music Forum

Mainly aimed at Leeds bands for gigging. I can't think of any venues in Bradford.

Gasworks, Love Apple, Georges Hall, 1 in 12 club, The New Beehive for starters

There's alot of stuff going on in Bradford, not just on the same size/scale as Leeds, which I prefer, to be honest with you.. It's a properly lovely, tight-knit DIY scene, and venues are as follows:

The 1 in 12 Club - Amazing punk/anything venue with a voluntary/anarchist ethos. Great sound
The Treehouse - Proper nice little venue for acoustic stuff, but we've played there in full electronics in the past. Like the 1 in 12, it couldn't survive without its Voluntary members.
The Polish Club - Great room upstairs, and lovely Polish beer.
The Playhouse - Just by Little Germany, getting loads busier lately.
Mannville Arms - Just changed hands, generally deals in rock and metal, but been known to put on other stuff.
Zuu Bar - New venue, we've played it twice and it's pretty cool, just needs a better system, but apparently they're looking into this. Got alot of potential.
St George's Hall - Big epic room, used to host BD1 Live.
The Gasworks - Huge 1000 (?) capacity venue on great horton road. Pretty amazing sound and lights, but generally deal in Covers and Tribute bands.
Rafters - On Little Horton Lane, lovely pub that's just finding its feet with Live Music.
The Beehive - Used to be properly busy with bookings, but seems to have slowed a bit. Still pretty cool in the cellar.
The Love Apple - Like the Beehive, used to be busy with gigs, but is proper expensive to book.
The City Vaults - Puts on stuff pretty rarely, but a venue all the same.
The Exchange - Rock, metal and grunge nights under Waterstones.

As you can see, there's plenty going on. Come over and check it out sometime

I don't know if the promoter at The Manville has changed since, but he was a really nice chap.

Nice place to play. Not just rock, either.

I'm playing at the Exchange this Saturday with my horrible tech-grind band.

Rock.

Yeah, he's now in charge up at Zuu Bar, which is just on Sunbridge Road. I agree, it's not just rock, but it's what they specialised in, pretty much.

The old-school grebo is a fine punter. Metal softens their ears.

last gig i put on in bradford was beast day 2 months a go at the polish club.

had loads of leeds bands on including sky larkin, kong, wonderswan, that fucking tank.

we had 141 paying customers plus a silly amount of people on the guestlist.

Bradford can be good for gigs............ watch this space.

thanks folks. I didn't mean to sound like i was having a go. 2/3's of our band are from bradford and i work on leeds road. I know this is leeds music forum but i think bradford can be ace for live music. Especially, as micky kind of says, the fact that it's not as saturated. Call me ignorant if i'm wrong but there just seems to be no coverage of bradford's scene anymore. I think it's unfairly labelled as a city for 'metallers'.

No - I don't think you came across as 'having a go'. The internet is a very limited medium when it comes to levelling intentions at folk.

I think it's an interesting thread.

I have a soft-spot for Bradford. It's (to me) a beautiful city with so much potential - especially for music.

I bet few folk from Leeds will have heard of 'The Mill' for example, although I know most folk on here don't really get the club scene. It's a breath of fresh air - as is the 1 in 12. Only The Common Place comes close in Leeds...and as we know, our leaders would like to see that go the way of the rest of the old 'Calls' alternative scene (Yes, folks, when Leeds was a shit-hole we had all sorts of gems down there - not the endless parade of vacuous bars we have today).

I hope Bradford can make the most of its lack of exposure. It's really a massive opportunity to do stuff that's interesting before the accountants notice its value too.

Where there's less money, more empty buildings and less provided by the mainstream, there's loads of potential for real grass-roots creativity.

theres no more gigs at the polish club as the environmental health have got involved regarding noise pollution

Ah, I always forget to put The Mill in with the venues, cheers Grumbles.

I'm hoping to be putting on some more nights on in the new year, circulating around the best Bradford venues, and giving all the profits back into the Bradford scene. The Mill have said they'd be happy to have us, so we're thinking of maybe sticking on a big alldayer using the different floors sometime in 2010.


You're kind of right... You have to go looking a bit in order to find when things are happening, but with the right Facebook groups/people added, you can generally keep a pretty good thumb on the pulse. While it struggles a bit for members, http://www.cyphermusic.net is a forum dedicated to the Bradford/Keighley scene, and news is kept up with on http://www.bradford-music-collective.co.uk

Some really useful stuff here Micky & co... top work

I'd love to play a solo gig at the 1in12. I played there nearly a year ago as a guest of Random Hand. But I'd like to just do a gig there.

This thread has inspired me to make that happen. If anyone wants to tip me off with a name or contact info, that would be great. I remember a soundman existing and being informative and possibly involved more heavily in the club than just as soundman.

Anyway, I am play at The Theatre In The Mill on Bradford Uni campus on Saturday night
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=1 ... 015&ref=ts

It'd be lovely to have you over here Jon, I'll try and make it down on Saturday if I can get some cash together.

1 in 12-sound-man-wise you're probably talking about either Luke (youthful) or Protag (getting on a little bit, but lovely guy). They're both pretty much part of the furniture at the club, and ace soundguys.

As far as playing there goes, gigs are generally put on by independent promoters, with there being very few regular/in-house things, but pretty diverse nights going on most weekends from all sorts of people. Luke that I mentioned before puts on nights under the name BD7 Punx (http://www.myspace.com/bd7punx) from hardcore, punk, folk, rock, (and us a fair bit). But I think the best people for you to contact are Homemade (http://www.facebook.com/#/group.php?gid ... 915&ref=ts), I'll chat to Joe that runs it next time I see him and put a word in for you.

Otherwise I'll more than likely get a 1 in 12 date in with these nights I'm doing, maybe in March, so I'll keep you in mind for that if you'd like.

what else was there apart from the mucky duck?

the other pubs not bars were by the bus station , smiths , lloyds , railway , waterloo , knocked down for roads

Doc, you have mis-quoted me damn you! You shall be recieving a call from my lawyers. Or just my mum.

Edit - Sorry, didn't realise that poster was so huge.

real shame about the Polish Club, but No Hands has moved down to the Playhouse, which has the potential to be a standout venue. It's an arts centre that used to be a bit desperate and musty, always on the verge of going under, but it's changed hands, been tarted up and completely relaunched and has a new director, it's now loads of fun, kind of like the Common Place poshed up and crossed with Raise The Roof.

I had a word with the main guy from the Polish Club the other day and he says he can't see the noise being a problem on a Friday just before Christmas. Hope he's right, the last thing we need is our equipment seized by Environmental Health.