Leeds Guide (Issue 258) by Leeds Guide

O N

• OZ CLARKE

FOOD/DRINK/SHOPPING/NIGHTLIFE/MUSIC/CULTURE

WED 13TH OCT - THU 28TH OCT 2010 LEEDSGUIDE.CO.UK

From climbing to secret tea parties and barging, we find some alternative weekend plans

ISSUE 258 £1.50

INTERVIEWED: • WILL SELF • JOHN SIMPSON

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Contents

Wed 13 Oct - Thu 28 Oct 2010

This image and cover image © tom arber www.tomarber.co.uk

12 DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT THIS WEEKEND

10 FEATURE: HALLOWEEN

16 FOOD & DRINK: OZ CLARKE INTERVIEW

38 LIFESTYLE: LEEDS INDEPENDENT MAP

42 BOOKS: JOHN SIMPSON INTERVIEW

49 ARTS: WILLIAM NICHOLSON

52 COMEDY: PAUL ZERDIN

54 MUSIC: WIN TICKETS TO CHROME HOOF

56 NIGHTLIFE: NEW NIGHT PARLIAMENT

58 LAST WORD: WILL SELF

Wed 13 Oct - Thu 28 Oct 2010

The Leeds Guide 3

Editor’s Letter

Upfront LEEDS

14 T

his fortnight, we have been mostly interviewing celebrities. It’s a hard life. These celebrities come from a number of different walks of life, and are all fascinating. And a good half of them have been at the Ilkley Literature Festival – arguably one of the best literature shows in the country. So who have we been chatting to? Well, first off I spoke to Pete Brown, a well respected beer writer, author of three books and currently the holder of the ‘Best Writer’ tankard from the British Guild of Beer Writers. Which is pretty cool. Sticking on the food and drink theme, we have celebrity chef James Martin, who was good enough to call in to Alea casino for a cooking demonstration. We also have the one and only Oz Clarke, the famous wine and beer expert. And we’re not done yet: the BBC’s John Simpson has been chatting to us about being a war correspondent and ‘free press’, and then there’s the infamous Will Self, journalist, author and all round controversial guy. Oh, and we’ve also interviewed a chap called William Nicholson, who’s twice been nominated for Oscars for the screenplay of his award winning play Shadowlands and his work on Gladiator. He’s written Crash, a new play showing at the West Yorkshire Playhouse. Amongst all that, we’ve also found room for loads more interesting stuff: some alternative ideas for your weekend, rather than, y’know, getting pissed and spending the next day watching T4, we’ve looked at what’s going on around Leeds for Halloween, met two ladies who have created a map of Leeds’ independent businesses (our kind of thing, that). If you still want more, well, we’ve got that too. Previews, reviews and pretty much all you need to get through this next fortnight in Leeds. We are good to you. Tom Goodhand Editor

TWO WEEKS TO LIVE

YOUR NEXT 14 DAYS IN LEEDS FRIDAY 15TH OCTOBER Mr Scruff — The Faversham Another equally respected don of heavy sounds is the mildmannered Manc Mr Scruff who returns to Leeds for another stomping five hour set, complete with his own travelling pop-up tea shop and animations. Playing his instantly recognisable blend of nu-jazz, broken beat, soul, Motown, hip-hop and anything else which takes his fancy. 11pm-4am, £8 (£7 adv, £10 after midnight)

WEDNESDAY 13TH OCTOBER Oktoberfest — Further North The team at Further North in Chapel Allerton kick off a season celebrating the best of German alcoholic beverages. Head on up to sample an eclecarray. tic Zum Whol! 5-11pm, free

THURSDAY 14TH OCTOBER Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry — Leeds University Union The legend of reggae, dub and roots that is Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry, now in his 70s, arrives in Leeds tonight as part of his Revelation tour. Watch out for cracked paintwork, a packed out dance floor and plenty of perforated eardrums as the bass will pack a crunchy punch. 7pm, £14

SATURDAY 16TH OCTOBER Vintage Fair & Tea Party — The Methodist Centre, Chapel Allerton Wind down and bag a bargain this weekend at the Methodist Centre with their vintage fair. There’ll also be tea and various refreshments served throughout the day in the 50s inspired retro tea room. 10am-4pm

SUNDAY 17TH OCTOBER Metropolis — Hyde Park Picture House Fritz Lang’s expressionist masterpiece was originally aired back in 1927 when it premiered in Weimar Germany, with around 30 minutes cut from its intended run time. In 2008 the lost 30 minutes were found.This screening gives you the chance to experience the film as it should be. 2.30pm, (£4 kids, £4.50 Concessions, £5.80 Adult)

MONDAY 18TH OCTOBER Verbalized — Theatre In the Mill, Bradford Bringing powerful poetry and lyricism direct from the streets of Johannesburg and Cape Town to here in West Yorkshire, don’t miss this chance to get involved and hear performances that are both soulful and volatile in equal measure from an array of South African and UK poets. 8.30-11pm, £5

TUESDAY 19TH OCTOBER Dress Me Beautiful 2010 — Leeds City Museum As part of Leeds Loves Shopping, the Leeds Fashion Show returns for its fifth year. With independent designers, boutique collections and a variety of high street stores all in attendance and airing their new collections, this is the flagship fashion event of the season. Main Event: 7pm, Revolution Electric Press Aftershow: 10pm, £10-25

WEDNESDAY 20TH OCTOBER The Merry Widow — Grand Theatre & Opera House In this classic of 20th century operettas, sumptuous period costumes, a dazzling cast and voluptuous music combine in the latest work to be overseen by leading UK choreographer Stuart Hopps. Make sure you don’t miss this one-off performance. 7.30pm, £10

THURSDAY 21ST OCTOBER Hybrid X — Magna Science Adventure Centre Billed as Europe’s largest indoor scare attraction, Hybrid X comes to Magna. Combining science that alludes to a Terminator film and ‘fright levels’ for those under seven to those over 18, this enthralling and intriguing attraction will have both kids, their parents, students and OAPs utterly thrilled and frightened in equal measure.

FRIDAY 22ND OCTOBER Oxjam & Sound Clash Sessions — Burley Liberal Club Part of the nationwide Oxjam music festival and fundraising initiative, this night promises to be a good one. Symbiosis Sound System, High Pressure Sound System and Inspiration Sound play a selection of dub, roots, reggae and jungle. Sound good? And the bar prices aren’t too bad either… 9pm-2.30am, £3 (£4 after 11pm)

SATURDAY 23RD OCTOBER The Innocents — Howard Assembly Room Based on Henry James’ The Turn of the Screw, don’t miss this chance to see Jack Clayton’s masterpiece in psychological suspense and ambiguity in the wonderfully atmosHoward pheric Assembly Rooms. 8pm, £5

SUNDAY 24TH OCTOBER Kenny Wheeler 80th Birthday Big Band Tour — Leeds College of Music One of the world’s most enduringly creative trumpeters and jazz composers has handpicked a big band of the UK’s finest musicians to mark his 80th birthday year. See this idiosyncratic pioneer of jazz playing his own cherished favourites and new compositions. 7.30pm, £16

MONDAY 25TH OCTOBER Undone: Making and Unmaking in Contemporary Structure Exhibition — Henry Moore Institute Showcasing art which is at the forefront of the contemporary scene, the exhibition could be a comment on the new, more constrained economic times we’re now living in. An interesting take on the current economic outlook zeitgeist. 10am-5pm, free

TUESDAY 26TH OCTOBER Salsa Cusan — Angel’s Share Now a Chapel Allerton institution, why not take up salsa classes with Tanya and Sergio from Cali-Colombia over a cocktail or two? Classes start at 7pm. Beginners classes 910pm. 7-10pm, £5 per class Wed 13 Oct - Thu 28 Oct 2010

E N E SC

Wed 13 Oct - Thu 28 Oct 2010

Fundraisers and celebrities alike donned their killer shoes for Leedsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; annual High Heelathon on Sunday 26th September, in aid of Yorkshire Cancer Research. The 1.5 mile route took in much of Leeds city centre, including a pink carpeted Victoria Quarter.

The Leeds Guide 5

Upfront

Leeds Eye View What If Leeds...

lot of debating seems to be going on in Leeds at the moment. The Leeds blogosphere is positively heaving with keen writers wanting to share their views and opinions on where the city is, what they love about it, what they hate about it and where they want the city to go. To really get a feel of the talk, you need to hop around between blogs and websites, delve into Twitter and soak up all the chat, but a couple of good starting points would be the ‘speakers’ corner’ on the Culture Vulture blog (see www.theculturevulture.co.uk), the various posters on the Guardian Leeds website (www.guardian.co.uk/ leeds) or the politicised talk on Leeds Community Development (www.leedscd.wordpress.com). This is just the tip of the iceberg though. 6 The Leeds Guide

Why are we all talking? Well, pinning it down to one cause would be difficult, not to mention misleading. Certainly the rise of social media has encouraged disparate groups of people to share opinions, as well as giving a public voice to people who may well have made eloquent arguments in the pub, but seldom had them aired to a wider group of listeners. Leeds also seems to be going through something of a change. Residents are making more noise about what they would like to see in their community – be it the people of Chapel Allerton pushing for a ban on takeaways in their area, the impressive work going on in Armley by the Armley Tourist Board (www.thearmleytouristboard.com) and at the I Love West Leeds Festival (www.ilovewestleeds.

co.uk), and the good work being done in LS6 by the Hyde Park Source and Headingley Development Trust (www. headingleydevelopmenttrust.org.uk) – and people are pushing for positive change. The Leeds City Council-run Leeds Initiative seems to have taken inspiration from this surge in Leeds-related chatter and has launched the website What If Leeds... (www.whatifleeds.org) to gauge the opinions, thoughts and wants of the people of Leeds (well, those with access to the internet, at least) and give them a say in how the city might be by 2030. It is, they say, “your chance to share views on how, between now and 2030, Leeds can become a better place for us all to live and work”. The somewhat ambitious goal of

the project is: “By 2030, Leeds will be internationally recognised as the best city in Britain – a city that is fair, open and welcoming with a prosperous and sustainable economy, a place where everyone can lead safe, healthy and successful lives.” The website certainly seems to have got people talking. While calling it busy would perhaps be over-stating the number of posters, there are posts and replies springing up regularly, covering a range of topics from the specific (‘What if Leeds had cheaper bus fares’) to the near-philosophical (‘What if Leeds was brave?’). For visitors with an interest in where Leeds is going and what might happen to the city, it makes fascinating reading, and also gets you thinking about elements of the city you may Wed 13 Oct - Thu 28 Oct 2010

The Leeds Initiative wants to get the city’s residents to join in a RATE IT debate about where they want Leeds to be in 20 years time. Is it good to talk, asks Tom Goodhand

Light Night Yet another great night of exciting and intriguing art across the whole of Leeds city centre, and all for free. We were proud to be Loiners on the night of 8th October. Look out for it next year.

‘The Apprentice’ It’s back, and much as we try not to get sucked in, it’s just impossible. Completely compelling, cringe-worthy and good entertainment too. We recommend getting on YouTube and searching for “Cassette Boy vs The Apprentice” for a good laugh. Scarves, hats & gloves Absolute life-savers, no? Hell, we’re typing this wearing all three right now. Just for the hell of it. Hooray for autumn.

First Leeds, again A candidate for our most regular appearance in ‘Hate It’. Just a matter of months after their “new simple” fares were launched, prices have gone up again, with £1.70 fares now coming in at the princely sum of £1.90. How long till all our wage goes on getting to work and back?

never have considered before – how will Leeds adapt to climate change? Does Leeds need a science park? Is Leeds an age-friendly city? While much of the debate seems centred around city centre residents, the What If Leeds... project aims to cover the whole of the Leeds Metropolitan District, an area covering 217 square miles. The eventual goal of the project is the Vision for Leeds 2011 to 2030, a document that will set out how the city can achieve its goals, and indeed, what the goals can be. Obviously, actively using social media is a way of gathering information, but it ignores huge swathes of the population of Leeds without access to the internet – including the elderly and most vulnerable people

7 The Leeds Guide

in the city. To make sure the vision is inclusive, The Leeds Initiative will also be holding face-to-face meetings with groups across the whole district, aiming to reflect the needs and desires of the whole population of Leeds. As one of the debates on the What If Leeds... website asks, “What If Leeds... ...had a vision that energised and engaged all of us”. The poster, Mike Chitty, says: “The reason for having a vision is that it serves to energise and engage people in its pursuit. It provides a sense of direction and prioritisation. It is relevant to day to day work and life. “There is a real challenge in crafting a vision that works for many in such a diverse city, with different interests and needs. There is a real

danger that any vision will serve the interests of a few, but seen as distant and remote to most of us.” Chitty certainly has reason to be wary, and a number of posters on What If Leeds... do seem to question the current direction that Leeds has taken as a city, with posters accusing the council of focusing too much on tourists, rather than residents, of focusing too much on shopping, pulling down old buildings and placing too much emphasis on the economy. The challenge for the Vision for Leeds 2011 to 2030 will be to unite the disparate cultures, races and religions of the city behind a shared vision that the whole city can agree upon and want to help make concrete. No mean feat. www.whatifleeds.org

Chris Moyles Ok, the man may be from Leeds, but get some bloody perspective. Yep, it’s probably quite annoying that you’ve not been paid for two months, but as one of the BBC’s best paid employees, you’re probably doing alright. A 30 minute rant on your Breakfast Show isn’t going to gain much sympathy. Star Wars 3D Potentially a good idea, but why release the prequels first? Surely no-one really wants to see them again, do they?

HATE IT Wed 13 Oct - Thu 28 Oct 2010

Upfront RADIO AIRE’S RESIDENT DJS

Ballot Box

Aireheads

This fortnight, Larry & Paul are egocentric

The End is the Beginning is the End

ell then, now that the hoo-ha has passed, we’re left with Ed Miliband MP settling in as leader of the Labour Party. Rachel Reeves, MP for Leeds West, is delighted at his appointment, saying “he is someone who has the values, vision, leadership qualities and listening skills to lead the party forward”. Speaking on BBC news, Ed Balls was very gracious in defeat, playing down the policy differences between himself and the new leader and emphasising the need to move on from the leadership elections to the real business of running the party successfully. Presumably Hilary Benn, who was present at the Ed Miliband campaign event in Leeds in June, is also reasonably pleased, although he has yet to

make an official comment. As yet there is also no comment from Leeds North East MP Fabian Hamilton, who decisively backed the other Miliband. Despite his resignation from frontline politics, David Miliband has said that he will continue to serve his constituency of South Shields as best he can, so it’s not a complete bow-out. However, the resolution of the Miliband versus Miliband conflict has opened the way for another internal Labour power struggle: Ed Balls versus wife. Sources close to Ed Miliband have said that the new king of the Reds is leaning towards Yvette Cooper, MP for Normanton, Pontefract & Castleford and Ed Balls’ wife of 12 years, in his consideration for his party’s new Shadow

LEEDS SPEAKS

Chancellor. This flies in the face of Ed Balls, MP for Morley and Outwood, who has been making moves towards the position himself after finishing third in the Labour leadership elections. Despite speaking in his capacity as Shadow Education Secretary at the recent Labour conference, the fact that the majority of his speech concerned the economy, many feel, is indicative of his ambitions in that direction. However, it is known that Cooper put aside her own aspirations of Labour leadership in order to support her husband, so there’s every chance that she may do so again with the Shadow Chancellor position. PW

SPONSORED BY

What’s your ideal weekend in Leeds?

Freddy, musician

“I like to chill out and play my music. Then take the dog for a long walk round Kirkstall Abbey.”

Lisa, sales rep

“Probably go for something nice to eat, then a few bars, then a club. So Bibis, Rock Bar and then Basics.”

Nick, sales assistant

“After work on a Friday, go to the pub for a few drinks. Then some shopping in town and maybe a club. Sunday, I just like to sleep.” 8 The Leeds Guide

Si, sales supervisor

“I usually spend the weekend in bars and I like cocktails so in Chapel Allerton where I live, I usually spend my time in Angel’s Share. In town, I make sure I get to Verve.”

Jessie, fundraiser

“Fundraising obviously! Then just enjoying Leeds’ vibe – it’s really diverse. Everyone’s really smiley, so it’s good for fundraising. I like a good jazz bar like Sela. But a night at Wire and Oporto is always good.”

e’re on the cusp of achieving a dream; an ambition long espoused by both of us since birth. This fortnight we came one step closer to achieving that dream. You see, our shows are now sponsored by those lovely folks at The Hop (we’re contractually obliged to say they’re lovely, by the way. They could be terribly unkind. You know – the sort who leave the toilet seat up or leave the top loose on the salt cellar so you pour an arseload of salt over the meal you’ve been dreaming about all day and they sit back and laugh like a drain while you cry pathetically onto your chips). What? Oh. Anyway, where were we? Oh yes. We went to a meeting with them. We were told to act all adult and business-like during the meeting, which Larry managed because he reads the news during the week and does a great serious news voice. Paul, on the other hand, didn’t. He put forward the idea of naming a beer after ourselves in honour of how amazing we are. It was a semi-joke. Turns out it might actually happen. If it does, we might both do a little wee (not because we’re excited, but because we’ll have drunk so much of our own beer that we’ll be slumped in the corner, incontinent). In other less offensive news we had Aly Gillani from Leeds-centric record label First Word in the studio. He gave us a new track from his label by Jack and Juke: a cover of ‘Ain’t Nobody’ by Rufus and Chaka Khan. It’s a killer track. You need to hear it. Now, we’re off to make more egocentric demands of local businesses. Toodles! Larry and Paul, 96.3 Radio Aire. Saturday afternoons 2-6pm and Sunday nights 7-10pm. Listen again at www.radioaire.com/larry andpaul

Wed 13 Oct - Thu 28 Oct 2010

Get ready

to celebrate

At our Cosmetic Surgery Open Evenings our expert Consultant Cosmetic and Plastic Surgeon will explain how we can help you achieve a new look for the party season. Open Evenings Wednesday 27 October Speaker: Professor Simon Kay

Thursday 18 November Events start at 6.30pm at Spire Leeds Hospital

Come along to hear our consultant discuss the many procedures carried out in the hospital and talk to previous patients and our cosmetic surgery nurses. Free car parking and light refreshments To book your place(s), call or email

0113 218 5977

cservice-ld@spirehealthcare.com www.spirehealthcare.com/leeds

Jackson Avenue, Roundhay, Leeds, LS8 1NT

halloween

Take your pick of downright spooky events to chill your bones

ep, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s that time already; the world will soon celebrate all things macabre as Halloween descends upon us once again. For most people, this means apple-bobbing, begging for change (if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re a child) and dressing as Amy Winehouse. Leeds can always be trusted to get into the swing of things when it comes to the morbid festivities, so feast your eyes on the weird and wonderful assortment of events hitting our city at the end of October Words: Rebecca Ryder

photos from Temple HospitHell

10 The Leeds Guide

Wed 13 Oct - Thu 28 Oct 2010

MOJO Halloween Party © Cris Matthews, www.crismatthews.com

Enter the Mojo Voodoo Lounge where a mass homage to deceased rockstars will take place. Party with a roomful of the living dead, and be a departed celebrity for the night! Get artistic and conjure up your best Jimi Hendrix, Kurt Cobain, Janis Joplin or Dusty Springfield outfits. The regular event always guarantees a great night out. October 30th, 5pm-3am, Mojo, Merrion Street, free, www.mojobar.co.uk

Filth-CR2 Records Halloween Party

DJs Mync Project and Paolo Mojo take to the decks for the monthly club night, which will of course be themed with all things blood-curdling for October’s edition. Expect the usual underground electronica and techno house guaranteed to keep the crowds going until the early hours. October 30, 10.30pm-6am, Mint Club, Harrison Street, £12, www.themintclub.com

Temple HospitHELL Live!

Temple Works takes on the form of the Egyptian Temple of Edfu for a weekend of creepy fun (pictured right and above). The story goes that a medical research hospital was erected on the site in the 19th century, where human guinea pigs were subjected to unspeakable torture. The Egyptian fixation runs deep, as below the grounds the tomb of an ancient pharaoh has laid in peace for over 150 years…until now. See what happens when human cloning goes horribly wrong, as the pharaoh’s DNA infects the deranged patients and turns them into the living dead! Follow your host through fog-filled passageways for a terrifying 20 minute journey. Those lucky enough to survive will emerge in the Fright Club, where drinks, entertainment and music await! October 29, 30 and 31, 5pm-12am, Temple Works, Holbeck, £12.50, www.templehospithell.co.uk

From Dusk Til Dawn

Could you brave a whole night in one of Leeds’ most haunted pubs? Show how charitable you are and experience the night of your life at The Abbey Inn, in aid of The Stroke Association. Hear all about the pub’s chilling history with lots of ghost stories; see the clairvoyant for your own reading; and ghost-watch if you dare! The annual Halloween party will also take place, so don your most ghoulish garb and tuck into the free buffet and live music too. The pub used to be a mortuary, so it is understandable that live-in landlord Martin Lockett hears strange noises (a girl laughing in the cellar – eek!) on a nightly basis. More than 11 people per week die from a stroke in Leeds, and figures are expected to rise by almost half this amount by 2030. So help a seriously worthwhile cause and channel your inner Yvette Fielding! October 30, 8pm-6am, The Abbey Inn, Newlay, £10, plus £70 minimum sponsorship, www.stroke.org.uk

The Spooktacular! FunFamily Halloween Concert

Metropolis and Wax On: Annie Mac

One of the biggest nights in Leeds once again has Annie Mac taking the helm. Four whole rooms of raving will also include DJ sets from Chase and Status, Doorly, Eskimo Twins, Scratch Perverts, Beardyman, Ms Dynamite, Caspa, The Others, Jaymo & Andy George and more to be announced. If you fancy some frightening fancy dressing, be prepared to get very hot and sweaty! October 30, 10pm-5.30am, Leeds University Union, £19.25 advance, www.leedsuniversityunion.org.uk

Cuckoos Fest Halloween Special

See The Adelphi pub transformed into a haunted house for a weekend of musical, frightful frolics. Some of Leeds’ best underground acts will provide the entertainment, including Hannah Trigwell, Johnny the Firth, Silverlode, Gary Stewart, Hope and Social, Middleman, The Bacchae, Heart Ships and Ben Pike. DJs Danny Pig and Joe Gill will be present to keep those fancy dress-clad bodies doing the monster mash until you drop! There are still many more acts to be confirmed; see the website for details. ELFM will cover the whole extravaganza, and tarot readings will also be on offer from Mystic Lisa. October 30th and 31st, 1-11pm, The Adelphi, Hunslet Road, £5 day, £8 weekend, www.theadelphi.co.uk

The Discount Comedy Checkout Halloween Special

The monthly comedy night gets festive and promises a night of Halloweenbased laughs. You will certainly get your money’s worth and more, with several comedians lined up for the Yorkshire-based event. Names include James Beck, Sean Wilkinson, Peter Marshall and the Lomos, Michael Sterrett, Peter Brush, James Tilburn and Kyle Barrett. A caption competition will take place too and there will be live improv from regular Comedy Checkout players Chris Lumb, Matthew Jackson, Natalie Smeaton and Terri Shaw. October 31st, 7.30-10.30pm, The Packhorse, Woodhouse Lane, £3, www.comedycheckout.com/leeds/leeds.htm

The Yorkshire Wind Orchestra promise an evening of eerie music for all the family. Pieces will include ‘Ghost Train’, the ‘Jonathan Creek’ theme ‘Danse Macabre’, and sounds from the Harry Potter score. Eternal favourite ‘The Sorcerer’s Apprentice’ from Fantasia will be performed too, along with the film’s sinister ‘A Night on Bald Mountain’. Woodwind, brass and percussion sections will form the powerful ensemble who are collectively set to impress with their dramatic playing. The event comes to Leeds after a hugely successful showing in South Yorkshire last year, and promises to be a regular Halloween treat for Leeds trick-or-treaters. There will also be a fancy dress competition, so get creepily creative for your chance to win! October 30, 7pm, Leeds City Museum, £10, £8 concs (under 10s free), www.leeds. gov.uk/citymuseum

Halloween Hauntings

Enter the darkened Temple Newsam House and Farm for an evening of nervejangling merriment. Put on your most imaginative menacing costumes and win some spooky prizes. 30 October, 7.30-9pm, Temple Newsam House and Farm, £6 adults, £4 children, £15 family, www.leeds.gov.uk/templenewsam

Wed 13 Oct - Thu 28 Oct 2010

The Leeds Guide 11

Paul Whitehead ďŹ nds some out of the ordinary ways to spend your days off in Leeds

A Leeds Less Ordinary: Do Something Different This Weekend ÂŠ tom arber www.tomarber.co.uk

here’s no doubt that Leeds has an excellent selection of bars, pubs and clubs in which to wile away your free time and pennies. But everybody at some point reaches a saturation point, when the lure of heading out at two in the afternoon for nine pints of Guinness and a lurching stumble home in the rain begins to seem a bit stale. You want a little more excitement, a little more culture, a little more indulgence. Something a little bit different. What then? ADRENALINE JUNKIES

Hit Your Terminal Velocity

Fancy throwing yourself out of a moving aeroplane strapped to another person, trusting both your lives to a giant clown’s handkerchief? Target Skysports in Rawdon is the place to go. It’s £230 for a single-jump introduction session, but the more friends you bring along, the less it costs per person. They also run a variety of courses should you get the freefalling buzz. Target Skysports, Woodleigh Hall Farm, Rawdon, LS19 6JT, www.skydiving.co.uk, 0113 250 5600

Cool Off

You don’t have to head for the Himalayas to get some snow beneath your board. SNO!zone, part of Castleford’s Xscape complex, has 1,700 tonnes of snow to sink your skis into, including a 200m long main slope. There are lessons and workshops to cater for all skill levels, from beginner to professional, on both snowboards and skis. They also liven things up with a schedule of special themed nights, live music and open mic events. SNO!zone, Xscape, Colorado Way, Castleford, WF10 4TA, www.snozonecastleford.com, 0871 222 5671

it down the straights of Yorkshire’s longest indoor go karting track. The track can be hired for private parties, and all formats of race are catered for, from Grand Prix knockouts to three hour endurance races, but unfortunately, there’s no lobbing red tortoise shells at your mates. Pole Position Indoor Karting, South Accommodation Road, LS10 1NQ, www.ppik.net, 0845 126 0613

Rock Out

Leeds has two excellent climbing centres: The Climbing Depot and The Leeds Wall, both of which can offer taster/ party sessions, climbing coaching at all levels and bouldering. Or if the weather’s nice, join one of Leeds Wall’s outdoor climbing days and head up to the Dales to get your paws on some real grit. Safely supervised of course. The Climbing Depot, 173 Richardshaw Lane, Stanningley, Pudsey, LS28 6AA, www.theclimbingdepot.com, 0113 345 9295 The Leeds Wall, 100a Gelderd Road, LS12 6BY, www. theleedswall.co.uk, 0113 234 1554

Bounce

As well as running a mobile outdoor bungee jumping service and organising jumps from the Middlesbrough Transporter Bridge, the UK Bungee Club also operate the world’s only permanent indoor bungee jump, based at their headquarters in Rotherham. Priced at £50 per person, unlike outdoor jumps it’s not subject to weather conditions at all, meaning it’s a safe bet for a trip out however hard the winter gets. UK Bungee Club, Magna Science Adventure Centre, Sheffield Road, Templeborough, Rotherham, S60 1DX, www.ukbungee. co.uk, 0700 286 433

Monkey About

Go Ape! defines itself as “a high-wire forest adventure”: basically, it’s an outdoor version of Pat Sharp’s ‘Fun House’ for grown-ups. Which is, of course, awesome. The nearest course to Leeds is in Dalby Forest, in the lush North York Moors, north east of York along the A64. The course has several zip wires (the longest of which is 250m) and approximately 880m of Ewok Village wooden-bridgery to scramble around. Go Ape! Dalby, Low Dalby, Thornton-Le-Dale, Pickering, North Yorkshire, YO18 7LT, www.goape.co.uk DAYS OUT

Yorkshire Sculpture Park Get High

Head for the clouds with a personal flying lesson at Leeds Bradford Airport. Multiflight offers a taster session in a helicopter and small airplane flights (during which you will be able to take control of the aircraft) for £98 upwards. If you like it enough, and have the wallet for it, you can take regular lessons and earn your own pilot licence. Their ‘Introduction to Aviation’ evening, held every Monday night, is a good place to start. Multiflight, South Side Aviation Centre, Leeds Bradford Inetnational Airport, LS19 7UG, www.multiflight.com, 0113 2387130

Situated in West Bretton near Wakeﬁeld, the Yorkshire Sculpture Park has no permanent collections, meaning you’ll see something different pretty much every time you go. It hosts sculpture from every era and nationality, and its mostly outdoors site means that many of them are impressively large. It also hosts many short-term specialist or themed exhibitions, and offers classes in sculpture and dry stone walling, among other things. It’s wonderfully family orientated, with its wide open spaces providing plenty of room for the young ‘uns to go bonkers whilst mams and dads attempt to contemplate the artwork. Yorkshire Sculpture Park, West Bretton, Wakefield, WF4 4LG, www.ysp.co.uk, 01924 832 631

Button It

Get your inner Mario on at Pole Position Indoor Karting. Race over bridges, through tunnels, ﬂy round hairpin bends and ﬂoor Wed 13 Oct - Thu 28 Oct 2010

Trains, Ales and the Odd Pork Pie

Try a pub crawl with a difference. The Transpennine Real Ale Trail follows the Huddersﬁeld train line out of Leeds. There are The Leeds Guide 13

Get Your Skates On

Highlight (formerly Jongleurs) hold a regular roller disco night every Wednesday, right next door to The Light shopping centre. Skate hire is available, but you are encouraged to bring your own pink afro and legwarmers. And should you happen to fall over and break your face, they’ll look after you pretty well too. Don’t ask me how I know. I just do. Highlight Leeds, The Cube, Albion Street, LS2 8PN, www.skatefever.co.uk

Dine In Secret

Mill Around Saltaire

Built by Sir Titus Salt in 1853 to provide a good standard of living for his mill workers, the beautiful village of Saltaire is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is effectively one large tourist destination. At its heart lies the old mill, now refurbished and home to shops, restaurants and an art gallery which specialises in (though is not restricted to) the work of Bradford-born David Hockney. Salt’s Mill, Shipley, Saltaire, DD18 3LA, www.saltsmill. org.uk, 01274 531 163

Mess About on a Boat

The leisurely pace of a canal boat is perfect for frittering away a few idle hours. Hire out a canal boat and you and your friends can navigate as much (or as little) of the Leeds-Liverpool Canal as you like. Pennine Boat Trips will rent you a canal boat, and show you how to use it, for £110 a day, which if you bring along the maximum of 10 people equates to only £11 each. They also put on shorter trips, themed nights and seasonal events. Pennine Boat Trips, Wharf Office, Waterside Court, Coach Street, Skipton, BD23 1LH, www.canaltrips. co.uk, 01756 790 829

See The Sights

eight important stops along the way. At each station, a pub. At each pub, quality ales, and grub if you want it. A trip to be languished in, incorporating trains and ale, this is a drinking trip for the proper old-fashioned Englishman (or woman). www.realaletrail.net

Slink your way into a secret afternoon tea party. Taking place monthly at an undisclosed Leeds location and organised by a ﬁgure known only as ‘Bakelady’, it’s part Betty’s and part James Bond. All the food is homemade, fresh from the ﬁnest locally-sourced ingredients, such as Yorkshire-made chorizo. The kitchen is registered and the chef/organiser is well-trained, so there’s no worries there. It’s proving so popular that the current waiting list for a place at one of the parties is very, very long. www.thesecrettearoom.co.uk

Leeds recently joined the same league as New York, Rome and Paris when it gained its own sightseeing tour bus. The big red open top bus takes a cruise through the city, stopping off at various points (such as the Royal Armouries or City Square), and its route is accompanied by an onboard commentary of facts and anecdotes. Tickets are available from Leeds Visitor Centre, and are valid for unlimited riding within a 24 hour period, so you can hop on and off all day, should the mood take you. www.yorkshire.com/features/2010/may/leeds-citysightseeing

Get Poetic

Take the Caldervale line train a few stops west of the city centre and you’ll find the quiet town of Mytholmroyd, birthplace of former Poet Laureate Ted Hughes. If you can find it, there’s a blue plaque on his house, and the train station is decorated with snippets from The Iron Man. Hop back on the train a bit further, and you’ll find yourself in Hebden Bridge, in itself an excellent little shopping village. It’s also the drop-off point for a (steep) walk up to the adjacent village of Heptonstall, in whose small churchyard sits the grave of Hughes’ former wife, Sylvia Plath. www.mytholmroyd.net, www.hebdenbridge.co.uk

MORE STUFF STILL...

Be Sceptical

In The Living Room on Greek Street, on the third Saturday of the month, you’ll ﬁnd a group of selfprofessed “friendly group of rationalists and freethinkers” debating some topic or other, possibly in a wobbly manner, depending on how late in the afternoon it is. The Leeds Skeptics meet once a month to listen to a short talk by a notable speaker followed by much discussion and drinking. www.leedsskeptics.org

Do Battle

Hour or two to kill in the city centre? Head over to the Central Library and challenge a stranger to a duel on the giant outdoor chess set. At busy times it can be difﬁcult to get in on a game, but watching the wizened old veterans going about their ponderous combat also provides ample entertainment. Leeds Central Library, Municipal Buildings, Calverley Street, LS1 3AB, 0113 247 6016

Go Birdspotting

Compare the Meerkats

Not just the meerkats, but the zebras, the lions, the lemurs, and any of the many other exotic species which call Yorkshire Wildlife Park their home. There’s plenty to ﬁll the day, including educational talks, bird ﬂying displays and the Jungle Play Barn. For a more hands-on experience, you can even try the ‘Ranger for a Day’ VIP tour. Brockholes Lane, Branton, Doncaster, DN3 3NH, www. yorkshirewildlifepark.net, 01302 535 057

Pamper Yourself

Ranging from standard spa treatments such as aromatherapy, massage and facials to more exotic luxuries like hot stone therapy and a mud chamber, Waterfall Spa at Brewery Wharf will make you feel like an Egyptian goddess for an hour or two. There’s even a special range of treatments available for pregnant ladies, and they also have their own range of spa products on sale, so you can take a little slice of decadence home with you. Waterfall Spa, 3 Brewery Wharf, Dock Street, LS10 1JF, www.waterfallspa.co.uk, 0845 634 1399 14 The Leeds Guide

Find Your Own Food

Wild food guru Mina Said-Allsopp runs regular Wild Food Walks, Preserving Classes and foraging workshops at various locations around Leeds. She will teach you how to ﬁnd food for free in the forest, what’s edible and what isn’t, and how to prepare what you’ve found. www.msitu.co.uk NIGHT TIME

Learn Something

With two universities and a host of local colleges, there are literally hundreds of evening classes on offer in Leeds and the surrounding area. Hable Espanol at the Cervantes Institute on Woodhouse Lane, reenact Ghost in the pottery course at The Swarthmore Centre, or learn how to shake shake shake your bootie properly at the Northern School of Contemporary Dance. So little time, so much to know. Take your pick. Cervantes Leeds, 169 Woodhouse Lane, LS2 3AR, 0113 246 1741 Swarthmore Education Centre, 2-7 Woodhouse Square, LS3 1AD, 0113 243 2210, www.swarthmore.org.uk Northern School of Contemporary Dance, 98 Chapeltown Road, LS7 4BH, www.nscd.ac.uk, 0113 219 3005

Leeds is owl country. The golden birds perching about the civic hall are just a small part of a ﬂock of architectural owls which adorn the city. Go along to one of the Leeds Owl Trail events and learn the history of the city’s buildings, or download the Leeds Owl Trail map and see if you can ﬁnd them all yourself. www.leedsowltrail.com

Indulge

Live like royalty for a day or two with a Michelin Star Experience. Sample some of Yorkshire’s finest cuisine, stay in luxury accommodation, languish in the comfort of a spa, visit a fine cheesemaker’s, make the most of your own personal chauffeur, and generally flaunt your opulence in the dirty faces of the little people. Two, three and six night experiences are available, organised by Welcome To Yorkshire. www.yorkshire.com/michelinstarexperience

See Things More Clearly

A long-time jewel in Yorkshire’s tourist crown, Bradford’s National Media Museum just got even better. Opening on 20th October, the ‘Experience 3D’ trail leads visitors around the history of 3D technology and includes photography, TV, ﬁlm and computer games. Plus there are regularly changing exhibitions to keep it all interesting. Round off the trip with a visit to the giant inhouse IMAX cinema to see the latest 3D feature Legends of the Guardians, from 22nd October. National Media Museum, Bradford, BD1 1NQ, www.nationalmediamuseum.org.uk, 0844 856 3797 Wed 13 Oct - Thu 28 Oct 2010

FOOD & DRINK GRAPE COMPANY

Interview Oz Clarke

Simon O’Hare ﬁnds the wine expert bang on form ahead of his appearance at Harrogate’s Love Cooking Festival

ou might expect one of the world’s top wine experts to be a bit of a snob; to turn his nose up at any bottle that costs less than the price of a small car. You’d be wrong. Oz Clarke is living proof that you can become a leading authority in a particular field without losing touch with the man on the street. Yes, he has a passion for quality drinks and little time for sub-standard ones, but what comes through most strongly is his sheer love of drinking, of the fascinating flavours it provides, of its roots in local communities, of its adhesive role in the fabric of society. As long as a drink delivers on flavour and it’s been lovingly made, Oz will be happy. And it also becomes clear that wine is not his only passion. “There’s a tremendous revival of interest in beer and cider in this country,” he says. “We’ve got lots of really good bottle conditioned beers, from black dark to really pale gold, in the shops. Give ‘em a go, because they’re really tremendously good to drink around

Christmas time.” Oz mentions Christmas, because he’ll be visiting Yorkshire in early December for the Love Cooking Festival in Harrogate, where he’ll be appearing alongside TV chef Antony Worrall Thompson to demonstrate some tempting seasonal food and drink pairings. What are Oz’s top tips for festive tipples? “We’re making some wonderful cider nowadays,” he says. “I don’t know if you’ve ever tasted Ampleforth Abbey cider? Absolutely brilliant, you can get it at Harvey Nics in Leeds, and it’s absolutely delicious. It’s slightly cloudy and absolutely pumped up with flavour.”

“Garnacha from Spain is the kind of stuff you slap into a glass and say ‘here fellas, let’s have a glass of this’” What about his top Christmas wine tips? “2010 is a really good year in the southern hemisphere for things like sauvignon blancs – New Zealand sauvignon blancs are really spanking again in 2010,” he says enthusiastically. “I would say to people, don’t buy the cheapest New Zealand sauvignon blanc – buy a French wine or something if you want to pay at the cheaper end – buy the more expensive stuff.” All well and good, you may say, but what does he mean by “the more expensive stuff”? I ask Oz what price point offers best value on the wine shelf, and his response comes as a welcome surprise. “I would think sort of £6 to £8, probably,” he says. “You could always get a lot of good stuff at £4 to £5, but it’s getting more difficult every time the tax goes up and the VAT’s

16 Leeds Guide

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Wed 13 Oct - Thu 28 Oct 2010

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gonna go up and the pound’s been weak, so it’s difficult to buy the stuff in. But there’s loads of good stuff.” Wines from Argentina, Chile and France offer good value in this category, Oz says, but he suggests Australia and New Zealand are best avoided unless you’re willing to pay a bit more. I ask Oz for his personal favourites – is he a red or white wine man at heart? Old world or new? “It depends on my mood. Probably my most traditional pleasure would be red Bordeaux,” he says. “But that’s when I’m in a particular red Bordeaux mood – if I was rather more contemplative, quiet, you know, mellow, wintry kind of mood actually. In December I’ll be in a red Bordeaux mood. But I’ll also wanna drink things like garnacha from Spain – bright and chunky, nice and fresh and crunchy fruit. That’s the kind of stuff you slap into a glass and say ‘here fellas, let’s have a glass of this’, as against sitting around quietly and pouring out the Bordeaux and thinking hey, let’s talk about this. The garnacha you don’t talk about, you just say bloody hell that’s good, basically, let’s have some more. Chilean carmeneres and cabernets – bloody good. Argentine malbecs in winter – bloody good winter wine. “So those are the kind of reds that I would probably be thinking about at the moment. And the Rhone in France is bloody good at the moment as well, so that’s worth going to. But in whites I still really like proper sauvignon blancs from New Zealand, from Chile. Chile and South Africa are now making really good sauvignon blancs, because they’ve both got a very cold coast. You’ve gotta have cold conditions for sauvignon blanc. But I also think that Italy’s making some bloody gorgeous white wines now. They’re quite neutral but they’re really satisfying and fresh and nothing over-done in them. Very food friendly and very glug friendly as well. But they’re really interesting, and frankly if I wanted one of the most glug friendly wines of all – Portuguese vinho verde. Noone ever drinks it. White vinho verde – Waitrose have got a really good one and Majestic actually, they’ve got the same one – absolutely spanking stuff. It’s really wonderful. And it’s low in alcohol. Do you want low in alcohol? Of course Germany does it brilliantly, and England’s not bad. 2009 vintage in England was gorgeous, really a lovely vintage. The bacchus grape, you can put that there instead of the sauvignon blanc, it’s got a lovely elderflowery kind of scent. As you can tell, anything goes with me.” Is Oz looking forward to his trip up to Harrogate for the Love Cooking Festival? “Very much, I love Harrogate. I used to have a girlfriend up in Knaresborough, which was always a good old schlep up to see her, and I’ve hung around Harrogate a lot. It’s just one of those towns that’s absolutely bursting with character. I do think Harrogate’s a town which has reinv… Wed 13 Oct - Thu 28 Oct 2010

let me say, it’s preserved itself remarkably well, and it’s got some wonderful features – its enormous open spaces, its rather palladian buildings, and I just think it works really well. And it’s become a good drinking town. I mean there was a time around the centre of Harrogate when it was difficult to find a decent pint of beer, but you know, that’s really silly when you look at the kind of brewing that’s going on. I mean, obviously Rooster’s – I get Rooster’s in my local down in London. It’s lovely, very interesting. Sean Franklin’s a really imaginative brewer. And Daleside, I know the blokes at Daleside reasonably well, and they do some extremely good stuff, and just over the way in places like Thirsk, I think Hambleton is a fantastic brewery.”

“Tetley’s will leave a vacuum, and basically the vacuum is filled by Rooster’s and Daleside and Hambleton

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Brewery” We get on to the subject of Tetley’s moving out of Leeds. “Leeds Brewery’s gonna have an awful lot on its shoulders,” Oz says. “Tetley’s arseing about and… there are hardly any big breweries left. Tetley’s is one of the last. Boddington’s has gone, it’s brewed in Wales; Tetley’s is gonna be brewed in Wolverhampton. It will leave a vacuum, and basically the vacuum is filled by Rooster’s and Daleside and Hambleton and Leeds Brewery. Leeds will pick up. It’s already got several small breweries around there; there’ll be twice as many in five years time.” If Oz provides such thrilling and engaging company for his audience at the Love Cooking Festival, they’re in for a treat. 5 December, Harrogate International Centre, King’s Road, HG1 5LA, 0871 230 7143, 9.30am9.30pm, tickets from £20 for individual presentations. See www. lovecookingfestival.com for more information

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Leeds Guide 17

LEEDSGUIDE.CO.UK/FOOD FOOD HEAVEN

Interview James Martin

Yorkshire’s celebrity chef came to Leeds for a special dinner at The Bird at Alea Casino. We caught up with him before he took to the kitchen

ames Martin is one of Yorkshire’s biggest culinary exports. The host of Saturday morning cookery staple ‘Saturday Kitchen’ returned to his home county to cook up a special demonstration meal at Alea Casino’s The Bird restaurant, alongside Michelin-starred chef Vineet Bhatia. We gave him a grilling before he took to the stove. Do you ever get bored of talking about food? I never get bored. If you’re talking about food and you don’t like it, then you need to get out of it as a job. It’s all I’ve ever done, it’s taken me to some great places over the years. You can’t stop learning about food, it’s a massive industry and the world’s a big place, you get to travel all over it and see stuff, it’s great. Do you like or dislike any other celebrity chefs? I’m not saying a word. For me, you should never forget where you come from. It’s one of those jobs where you can believe in your hype and other people can hype you up. You come from the kitchen and you’ll end up back in the kitchen and the bit inbetween is great, but never forget that you need to get back in the kitchen.

and growing, and it’s getting better and better. What do you like best about Leeds? That feeling that you’ve almost come home. Everybody’s friendly. I’ve lived down south for 15, 20 years now, and you don’t even know the people next door to you – up here they know everything about you! But they’re all friendly and very supportive and I’ve always talked about that on the show. You never ever forget your northern roots. Is there any food you’d never eat? I’d try anything really. I like street food, and that kind of stuff. Not McDonald’s, but simple stuff. One of the best meals I’ve ever had was when Michel Roux Senior, a three star Michelin chef, just got a bit of raw steak, chopped it up with a bit of onion and we sat there at three in the morning and had some frozen chips with it. No joke. Because that’s what it is, steak tartare should be eaten with frozen chips.

What’s the weirdest food you’ve ever eaten? Roast baby camel in Egypt. It was horrific. It smells like soiled underwear that’s been roasted on a barbecue. It tastes about the same as well. What’s your favourite ever meal? My mother’s roast potatoes. My grandmother’s bacon sandwiches used to be the best, she passed away, but they were the best in the world. My mother’s roast dinners – she gets the Bisto out and the Bovril, and I’m reducing stuff for jus! What would be your food heaven and food hell? Heaven would be crab from Whitby, freshly picked with a bit of lemon. Hell would be horseradish and wasabi, I hate it and it’s bloody everywhere. We spoke to James Martin at The Bird at Alea Casino, 4 The Boulevard, Clarence Dock, LS10 1PZ, 0113 341 3200, www.aleacasinos.com

What would you cook for a date? I wouldn’t. I’d go out for pizza. And a cheap one in case it didn’t last very long – that’s the Yorkshireman in me.

What do you think of the Leeds restaurant scene? I think it’s growing. Particularly this place. I keep coming to Leeds, my parents live near York, it’s growing 18 Leeds Guide

Hungry? Visit www.leedsguide.co.uk/food for restaurant reviews, recipes and reports.

If you had to pick between working in the kitchen or doing TV, which would you do? Working in the kitchen. Television is great and it’s been a great rollercoaster ride, I’ve been doing it for 14 years. I remember in 1996 my agent saying, ‘we’ll take you on a two week trial’. I’m still bloody here. She got the best deal out of it, she’s in St Tropez and I’m still in England. You should never lose the fact of where you’ve come from. The camaraderie of cooking is where I come from, I did it as a job, and I love it. Now I can afford to duck in and dive out of it, but my release is working in the kitchen with my team. I love it. There’s no cameras there, you’re just all chefs, all mucking in. When the shit hits the fan you’re all in it together. I don’t get my red carpet out and stomp off.

Wed 13 Oct - Thu 28 Oct 2010

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Leeds Guide 19

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s the colder days of October roll in, it’s good to know Maker’s Mark are out there, warming our cockles with their bourbon and putting on a competition to win a trip for two to Kentucky! The lucky winner can catch the distiller’s ambassadors in participating Leeds bars until 6th November and enjoy a complimentary cocktail on them. Meanwhile, in Ilkley, the Leeds born Michelin chef, Marco Pierre White, is returning home to Yorkshire through a gastronomic partnership with Simon and Rena Gueller at the Michelin starred The Box Tree. I’d book your table now if I were you… The ever popular World Beer Club at Lounge Bar & Grill continues to attract both the beer and culinary connoisseurs. Taking place on Wednesday 13th October, dinner with paired beers is £25 per person and takes place at 7pm prompt. Over in the cultural quarter, Leeds Best Restaurant 2010, Kendells Bistro, are gearing up for Christmas already. Take a peek at the seasonal menu on their website and just try not to salivate! If you’re over in Horsforth, pop in to the new Sixty Too Bar throughout the week for offers on pool and cocktails. The musical styling of Cleve Freckleton at the chic (and newly refurbished) Living Room over on Greek Street deserves your attention (catch him on a Wednesday from 8.30pm), while congratulations should go to Mojo bar and its manager Sam Fish who’re contesting the 2010 CLASS Awards for ‘Best Classic Bar’ and ‘Best Bar Manager’ and also to Zulfi’s in Hyde Park, officially recognised as the doyens of doner at the WKD Golden Kebab Awards, winning the grand prize of officially being the nation’s best. Commiserations should go to Salt’s Delicatessen whose tiles are still in Tangier, delaying their opening in The Light. You can still sample their ‘All Day Deal’ at their Swinegate locale however, and hopefully we’ll be seeing them open later this month. Finally, get some free bottomless coffee at North Bar this month: the first 10 people in the bar to say ‘I need coffee!’ and jiggle will have their dignity restored with a steaming mug of the stuff. Make sure you catch their Oktoberfest at Chapel Alerton’s Further North too and keep you eyes peeled for their Meanwood bar opening soon. Jack Drummond 20 Leeds Guide

PUB LOVE

Pub Review The Red Lion Tom Goodhand heads out to Shadwell to visit CAMRA Leeds’ pub of the season

here’s something very uniquely British about a good ‘local’ pub. These pubs, situated in the city suburbs, make no attempt to become a ‘destination bar’ but just exist for the local community – staffed by locals, frequented by locals and completely without pretension. The Red Lion pub, out in the north Leeds suburb of Shadwell, is just one such pub. It’s a simple pub doing simple things, and doing it well. It’s a Yorkshire pub, and promotes its range of Yorkshire ales – Black Sheep, Timothy Taylor’s Landlord and Tetley’s – alongside a changing guest ale. Their ale offering and general nice atmosphere prompted the Leeds branch of the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) to name the Red Lion their ‘pub of the season’ for the summer. That’s not to say that it’s some kind of real ale enthusiast’s heaven. Rather, they sell a small number of quality ales and keep them properly, achieving a Cask Marque status, but also cater for just about anyone else in Shadwell – selling a range of lagers, bitters and bottled beverages. The pub has a long history – dating back to around 1361 – though presumably not much of the original 14th century building still exists. Although it’s always been called the Red Lion, a rather poorly illustrated sign meant that for a long time it was known as “The Cat” or “The

Red Cat”, a problem that’s now been rectified. More recently, The Red Lion was taken over by Joshua Tetley & Son in the 60s, and became one of the premier Tetley houses in Leeds. Since 2005 the pub has been under the control of Richard Hicks, who is the man behind pushing the Yorkshire cask ales, and setting up a home-cooked food menu which, while we don’t try any on the evening we visit, smells great and seems to be popular with the people of Shadwell, judging by the amount coming out of the kitchen. While The Red Lion is in no way a specialist destination pub – there’s no ancient relics or old stone walls here, the drinks selection won’t blow away a beer enthusiast – it’s a thriving, friendly community pub, and the type we should all be celebrating. Main Street, Shadwell, LS17 8HH, 0113 273 7463, www.theredlion atshadwell.com

Hungry? Visit www.leedsguide.co.uk/food for restaurant reviews, recipes and reports.

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LEEDSGUIDE.CO.UK/FOOD EVERY FORTNIGHT, THE REGION’S TOP CHEFS SHARE THEIR CULINARY SECRETS WITH A RECIPE FOR YOU TO TRY AT HOME

SEAN KELLY’S

Trio of lamb (pistachio and pretzel crusted rack of lamb with noisette and lamb offal fagottini, served with pepper tuile lavender dauphinoise and a warm blackberry and beetroot jelly) INGREDIENTS

Chef ’s

SPECIAL Sean Kelly has been senior sous chef at Blackhouse for nearly six months, after returning from three years working as senior sous chef at fine dining restaurant Leonardo’s in Malta. He has been in the industry for 15 years, and has previously been sous chef at Bibis for three years and senior sous chef at the Hilton in the Isle of Man for five years. Lamb is a particular favourite of Sean’s, because of its beautiful flavour, and he is an advocate of using locally sourced produce and using every part of the lamb.

For the pistachio crusted lamb and noisette 200g pistachios 100g pretzels 100ml melted butter Noisette of lamb Three bone lamb rack, trimmed free of all fat with the bones cleaned free of tissue For the lamb offal fagottini 100g lamb kidneys 100g lamb heart 100g lamb livers 3 banana shallots 6 unpeeled garlic cloves 2 fresh bay leaves 1 ltr vegetable oil 2 large blanched savoy cabbage leaves 2 pinches of breadcrumbs Pinch of freshly chopped parsley For the pepper tuile 100g plain flour 100g salted butter (melted) 30g icing sugar 3 egg whites 5 turns of pepper mill For the lavender dauphinoise 1 ltr double cream 2 banana shallots 5 garlic cloves, peeled 1 sprig of thyme 3 large fresh lavender sprigs ½ kilo potatoes Salt and black pepper For the warm beetroot and blackberry jelly 200g blackberries 400g cooked beetroot, chopped 30g demerara sugar Pinch of salt 1 pint of water 8g agar-agar 1 sprig rosemary 1 sprig thyme

METHOD For the pistachio crusted lamb and noisette Blitz the pistachio and pretzels together, then add the melted butter and mix well, tip the mixture out on a tray, roll flat and refrigerate for a couple of hours. In a hot pan seal the noisette fat side down. As the fat renders out, add the rack. Season with salt, pepper and add one sprig of rosemary and two sprigs of thyme. Place the pan in a preheated oven at 180C for approximately six minutes so the lamb is pink. Remove the lamb from the oven and allow to rest for three minutes. While the lamb rack is resting, cut out the pistachio and pretzel crust enough to cover the lamb. Cover the lamb with the pistachio and pretzel crust and lightly grill for 45 seconds. For the lamb offal fagottini Place all ingredients except the cabbage, breadcrumbs and parsley into an oven dish and make sure the oil is covering the offal (you might need to add more oil), cover with tin foil and slow braise for 2 hrs at 125C. Once the offal is cooked and cooled, chop the offal, onions and garlic, add some of the oil into a bowl and add the breadcrumbs, mix well, the mixture should pliable. Roll the mix into 15g balls, cut the cabbage into 4x4cm square and wrap round the offal mix. Wrap the faggotini in cling film and poach in boiling water for two minutes. For the pepper tuile Add the sugar and egg whites together and whisk slowly, then add the melted butter and sieve in the flour. While mixing, add the pepper. Allow to rest in a fridge overnight. You can create a stencil by cutting an ice cream lid with a stanley knife. Spread the mix onto a non-stick mat and place in the oven at 180C for approximately eight minutes, or until they turn golden brown. For the lavender dauphinoise Place all ingredients except potatoes into a saucepan and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes to infuse the flavours, and set aside. Meanwhile peel and thinly slice the potatoes. Once the cream is cooled, strain it and add the potatoes to the cream, mix well and season. Pour the potatoes and cream into a lined deep baking tray and bake for 1½ hrs at 125C. For the last 10 minutes of baking turn up the oven to 160C. The dauphinoise must be cold before cutting to required shape. Once the dauphinoise are cut, oven bake for around six minutes. They can be oven baked at the same time as the lamb using the same pan. For the warm beetroot and blackberry jelly Put all the ingredients except the agar-agar into a saucepan and bring to boil. While still warm liquidise and then pass it through a fine sieve. While liquid is still warm add the agaragar, mix well and pour into a container and leave to set in fridge for a couple of hours. Cut the jelly cubes and put under grill for around 30 seconds. To serve Combine all elements onto a plate and enjoy.

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22 Leeds Guide

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48 Harrogate Road, Chapel Allerton, Leeds, LS7 4LA Tel: 0113 237 4035 Fully airconditioned premises Open 6-11.30pm

Wed 13 Oct - Thu 28 Oct 2010

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LEEDSGUIDE.CO.UK/FOOD IN HIS ALE-EMENT

Interview Pete Brown

The current Beer Writer of the Year visited Ilkley Literature Festival to give a reading from his book, Hops & Glory and also conducted a tasting of a special Ilkley Brewery IPA

t will probably come as some surprise to a lot of readers to learn that there is a British Guild of Beer Writers – but there is. The group have an annual gathering over dinner and, predictably, beer, and celebrate the best writing of the past 12 months. At last year’s ceremony Pete Brown, author of three books on beer – Man Walks Into A Pub, Three Sheets to the Wind and Hops and Glory – was named Beer Writer of the Year by the group, in honour of the success of his most recent work, Hops and Glory. Before the publication of Hops and Glory, Brown’s previous books had looked both historically and internationally at the social side of beer. His third book was quite a different beast. 24 Leeds Guide

In it, Brown takes on the foolish task of recreating the journey of traditional India Pale Ales (IPAs) from their birthplace in Burton-on-Trent to India, mainly by sea, via Brazil. In the course of the journey, Brown faces mishaps – exploding casks, falling into canals, a minor breakdown – and delves deep in to the history of the British empire, including the troubled British leaders, the deeds of the East India Trading Company, and uncovers previously unknown facts about this historic and currently very popular style of beer. Since publishing the book, Brown’s hosted a number of readings-cum-tastings, but his trip to Ilkley was his first time at the festival. “I think last time

I was in Ilkley was years ago,” says Brown, “and I walked in to a pub after walking for about five miles, and it’s just one of those moments when you walk into a pub, and you’re cold and you’re wet, you have a pint of beer, and it’s one of the best pints you’ve ever had.” He says that he’s looking forward to the talk though, having picked up a trick to keep punters interested. “Something I learned quite quickly is that you do have to punctuate your talk with tastings and sampling some beer is incredibly popular – it’s much more popular than I am on my own,” he says. Suitably enough, Brown’s talk was accompanied by a tasting from the local Ilkley Brewery. “They’re doing really

Hungry? Visit www.leedsguide.co.uk/food for restaurant reviews, recipes and reports.

well at the moment,” says Brown, “you keep seeing their beers as guest ales at some of the really good real ale and specialist pubs in the south where I live, it’s great to try the full range of them. What’s interesting is that they’ve brewed a traditional strength IPA, which is the kind I took on my voyage to India with me, and it’s a style which has seen a real revival, which is brilliant. A lot of people for a long time thought that beer shouldn’t be very strong, because on a night you drink four or five pints of it, and if it was too strong you’d get absolutely rat-arsed. But you don’t have to drink that quantity of it, you can have stronger beers that you drink smaller quantities of, and when you get them strong, complex and challenging, they’re just as good as wine really. I drink beer like that from wine glasses with a meal, and it’s trying to get that across – that beer’s got a much wider range.” It’s not just beer that has a wider range than you might expect. Brown’s book, while principally about beer, certainly could appeal to a fan of travel writing, or indeed the history of the British empire. “I started off from a point of view of not being a real beer geek,” says Brown, “but just wanting to learn more about it. It’s great that beer lovers buy the books and like them, and they’ve done really well, but you don’t have to be really really into beer to enjoy it. In fact, if you thought you weren’t into beer I’d rather your read it, because it’s not just about beer. The thing about beer is that it’s such an integral part of our lives that if you’re going to write about it properly, you have to write about our history, society and culture and travel and all these different things. I used it, in a way, to right about much bigger things, the best thing is when people get that and say. ‘well I don’t really like beer, but I loved your book’. That’s great. “This book was a big achievement both in terms of the actual journey and the nightmare at times that that involved, and also it was the first book that I did some actual research for, and I’ve got things in there about the history of IPA that no-one else in our time has known about. Things from documents and newspapers that I was the first person to read for 100 years – things like that. That was definitely the biggest achievement, and I think it’s the best writing I’ve done as well.” Pete Brown’s reading and beer tasting was on 8th October at the Ilkley Literature Festival. The festival runs until 17th October, www. ilkleyliteraturefestival.org.uk TG Wed 13 Oct - Thu 28 Oct 2010

Thai Erawan

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Wed 13 Oct - Thu 28 Oct 2010

Leeds Guide 25

LEEDSGUIDE.CO.UK/FOOD

BARTENDER’S

CHOICE

Where the stars behind the bars reveal their favourite drinks

Ed Harrison

ENIGMA BAR & GRILL

GINGER ESPECIAL

ollowing a smart refurb and the introduction of food, Enigma Bar & Grill has opened on the site that used to be Suburban Style Bar and is going down well with local punters. The bar’s deputy manager Ed Harrison has worked in the catering industry his whole life, and worked in Suburban for several years, so he knows the area and the customers well. “There are lots of different bars in the area but we have created something that is very ‘Horsforth’,” he says. “It is a bar for everyone, a safe environment.” The bar is certainly stocked with drinks for every taste, with an exten-

26 Leeds Guide

sive back bar of spirits, an array of bottled beers and wines and more unusual drinks such as the Japanese beer Kirin and the Spanish lager Estrella, both on draught. Ed tells us: “Because our customers range from 18 to 80 years old, we need to provide a good range of drinks. On the whole, the cocktails go down better with the younger crowd and the lagers, bitters and wine with the older crowd.” So what does Ed normally drink? “It depends what the situation is – if I’m out for Sunday dinner I’ll have a pint of bitter but my favourite spirits are rum and bourbon. That’s why I

chose this drink – its main spirit is rum. It also contains ginger, which is an ingredient I feel goes very well in drinks and with rum especially.” The cocktail, the Ginger Especial, is made by combining the rum, lime juice and ginger syrup and shaking then straining into a glass, topping with ginger beer and then the ginger foam. “Another reason I chose this drink is because it uses molecular mixology,” Ed says, referring to the combination of chemistry and bartending. “This adds some theatre to the drink and is made by combining ginger syrup, fresh ginger and xantham gum, bought from a molecular

Hungry? Visit www.leedsguide.co.uk/food for restaurant reviews, recipes and reports.

mixology company, and charging in a gas canister overnight.” So is the foam all for show? It seems not – it tastes delicious, with the fresh ginger adding a bit of heat and sharpness, while the drink itself is refreshing, with sweetness coming from the golden rum and the ginger syrup. All in all, a well thought out and very quaffable drink. Enigma’s head bartender Paul Dockerty created the drink as well as writing the entire cocktail menu with input from Ed. “This cocktail goes down well with the punters and is pretty reasonable at £4.50. We also sell all the usual cocktails such as Mojitos and Daiquiris and there are also seasonal specials such as our Lemon Brulee or our Lady Marmalade, made with homemade seasonal marmalade.” Apart from the drinks on offer, Ed is also very passionate about the food, which is what really sets it apart from the site’s previous incarnation. “To launch the food menu here was something pretty exciting; we went for good quality English food, ranging from sandwiches, salads and burgers to rump steaks and a cote de boeuf. So far it has been about changing people’s perceptions about what the bar is about and so far the response has been good – and once people try our food they are coming back.” Lucy Adlard Drink: Ginger Especial Price: £4.50 Ingredients: 50ml Pampero Especial rum, 35ml lime juice, 15ml ginger syrup, 75ml ginger beer, topped with ginger foam. 143-145 New Road Side, LS18 4QD, 0113 239 0110

Wed 13 Oct - Thu 28 Oct 2010

Good Ale Good

Good

Now taking Christmas party bookings

6 St Peterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Square, Quarry Hill, LS9 8AH 0113 383 8800 www.facebook.com/wardrobeleeds www.thewardrobe.co.uk

Wed 13 Oct - Thu 28 Oct 2010

Leeds Guide 27

LEEDSGUIDE.CO.UK/FOOD YULE LOVE IT

Christmas Parties

Yep, it’s time to start thinking about your ofﬁce Christmas do already

TOP TEN YOUR PUBS, BARS & RESTAURANTS FOR THE FORTNIGHT

Your one stop guide to Leeds’ best places to eat, drink and be merry

en you know your food is being cooked to perfection while you sit in the contemporary stylish surroundings, and all for a very reasonable price! St Peter’s Square, LS9 8AH, 0113 245 5667

JAKE’S BAR

LAS IGUANAS Lively Latino

Latin American food will never leave you unsatisfied. With authentic flavours and a fusion of Indian, Spanish, Portuguese and African influences the menu is bound to provide something you’ll want to sink your teeth into. A great place to dine without damaging your bank balance, especially if you look out for their cheaper offers. Cloth Hall Street, LS1 2HD, 0113 243 9533

y the time this edition reaches the shelves, there’ll be exactly 80 days until Christmas. A lot of people get excited at that, others mourn the passing of (yet another) damp summer and others still find themselves panicking at the prospect of present purchasing and... the dreaded Christmas party. You can picture the scene now: a stale, musty venue with segments of the last company shindig still stuck in the carpet, overpriced drinks, sloppy, tasteless food and far too much Shakin’ Stevens as a soundtrack than is good for anyone’s eardrums. The thing is, it doesn’t have to be like that. At a time of year when everything becomes saturated by the Christmas label, it’s refreshing to see that a lot of Leeds’ best venues are offering their services for parties with a difference. Of course, Flares have always been leaders in this field and have perfected a range of special packs and bespoke party features (such as a VIP room for upwards of 40 people, personal cocktail waiter and all mince pies and mulled wine on arrival) to make you wish a time-warp of Ashes to Ashes proportions was possible. Oh, and of course your own Santa’s grotto to the tune of some suitably 70s Christmas hits! The folks over at The Wardrobe are putting some serious effort into making Christmas 2010 just that bit more different. On the musical menu, gone is Shakin’ Stevens to be replaced by our own guest columnist, Radio Aire and resident Wardrobe DJ Paul 28 Leeds Guide

Dunphy. Spinning the choicest cuts in soul, funk, Motown and everything in between from Thursday through to Saturday, Dunphy will be running the evening’s festivities until 2am after a big live funk and soul band have got you in the mood beforehand. From Monday to Wednesday, jazz is being served up until midnight so be sure to check out the website for listings nearer the time. From food metaphors to the actual fare itself, acclaimed head chef Jonathan Westwick has designed a special series of festive (and, indeed, just plain appetising) options for buffets, lunch and dinners which will prove popular whether it’s family, friends or colleagues in attendance. There’s a broad series of options available in terms of venue too, with the Live Basement Club available for exclusive hire (holding up to 460 people) as well as the mezzanine upstairs available for drinks receptions. A particular favourite, and something quite different too, is the addition of the cocktail master-classes available to book (£20 per person stand-alone, £17 per person if booked with a meal). So is this the end of the shabby Christmas do? It’s definitely tailor-made festive partying with a difference. Flares, 40 Boar Lane, City Square, LS1 5DA, 0113 245 8063, www. flaresbars.co.uk The Wardrobe, 6 St Peter’s Buildings, St Peter ’s Square, LS9 8AH, 0113 383 8800, www. thewardrobe.co.uk Jack Drummond

LIVEBAIT Scrumptious seafood

Livebait is where fish goes to be famous. Sourced from around the globe, the food you choose can be as adventurous or as traditional as you like. Suitable for evenings, lunchtimes and winding down after a long day. Shears Yard, The Calls, LS2 7EH, 0113 244 4144

HARVEY NICHOLS FOURTH FLOOR Food for fashionistas

Refuel your shopping batteries at the Fourth Floor. With food from all over the world and a wine list to match, it’s the perfect spot for friends who fancy something different. Pass the time absorbing the wonderful cityscape or people-watching from the bar. 107-111 Briggate, LS1 6AZ, 0113 204 8000

SMOKESTACK Cocktails a-plenty

Any place named after a Howlin’ Wolf song is bound to be full of soul. Experienced bar staff will shake you the sweetest cocktails or the deadliest mixes. Pick your tipple from an extensive selection and cosy up in one of their little booths. 159a Lower Briggate, LS1 6LY, 0113 245 2222

AAGRAH Eastern delight

Award-winning restaurant with international accolades. With an open kitch-

Hungry? Visit www.leedsguide.co.uk/food for restaurant reviews, recipes and reports.

Pig out

Jake’s Bar and Grill serves top barbecues, burgers and platters to share among many other delicious delights. Before 7.30pm you can ‘pig out for a fiver’ so get there early to make the most of your money. Don’t miss out on the flowing cocktails either – vodka fans will love the Raspberry Marciano. 27-33 Call Lane, LS1 7BT, 0113 243 1110

VERVE Cool cocktail creations

First class service with American-style indulgences. The chilled out evenings here bring you a spectacular array of cocktails including the bar staff’s own concoctions! On most nights you could also head down to their basement bar to find live music, DJs or comedy. 16 Merrion Street, LS1 6PQ, 0113 244 2272

LUIGI’S Perfect pizza

Charming Italian with charming waiting staff just waiting to share a joke. The food is authentic, fresh and faultlessly seasoned with that pleasing presentation that makes it a shame to stick your fork in. 194 New Road Side, Horsforth, LS18 4DP, 0113 258 6336

HANSA’S Visionary veg

Experience the Gujarati way of life with the fantastic selection of Indian vegetarian food. At Hansa’s, vegetarian cooking is an art form that they believe to have perfected. Explore the difference and enjoy a meat-free menu. 72/74 North Street, LS2 7PN, 0113 244 4408

THE FOUNDRY Comforting cuisine

It’s hard to achieve down-to-earth and chic at the same time but The Foundry Wine Bar has achieved it. With modern twists on traditional dishes and an always welcoming environment, it’s a place you’ll be happy to have dined in. 1 Saw Mill Yard, LS11 5WH, 0113 245 0390 Lisa Parhad Wed 13 Oct - Thu 28 Oct 2010

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Leeds Guide 29

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LIFESTYLE

My Favourite

OUTFIT Photo: James P Lester, www.jamesplester.com Words: AS

ctober marks the Meadowhall shopping centre’s Fashion Month. Within this, the Sheffield centre is offering shoppers the chance to get their hands on designer items straight from their favourite celebrities’ wardrobes with the launch of ‘Charity Chicks’, a new take on the charity shop, running till 17th October. On behalf of Yorkshire based charity SAFE@LAST, who work with young people at risk of running away, Meadowhall is asking a number of celebrities to raid their wardrobes for this good cause. The likes of Sienna Miller, Fearne Cotton, Eliza Dolittle, Jamie Oliver, JLS, Tinchy Strider, Tuliza from N-Dubz and Dave Berry are just some of the high profile names that have already donated pieces. Bethanie Lunn, Meadowhall’s fashion & beauty expert

SCARF “This Fendi scarf was donated by Tamzin Outhwaite and I absolutely love it! I chose to wear it in a neckerchief style, but you could also wear it as a head scarf or as a loose scarf with chunky knitwear – it’s really versatile! This classic Fendi piece will be sold for just £40.” 34 Leeds Guide

SUNGLASSES “Roberto Cavalli is my lust have label! These sunglasses donated by Sienna Miller are a real wardrobe essential as this large frame comes back onto the catwalk season after season. Sienna has become one of the style icons of the noughties and so I expect that these sunglasses will prove a huge hit with stylish Meadowhall shoppers; at Meadowhall’s Charity Chicks event customers can bid for them in a live auction and hopefully walk away with a bargain – I might get in the queue myself!”

Need pampering? Visit www.leedsguide.co.uk/lifestyle for product reviews, photo galleries and beauty tips.

Wed 13 Oct - Thu 28 Oct 2010

LEEDS’

BEST

LEEDSGUIDE.CO.UK/LIFESTYLE

WORD ON THE

HIGHSTREET

PINK PRODUCTS As businesses launch products to raise funds during Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we choose some of our favourite pink picks for October and beyond. AS

GREEN AND HEARD Emmerdale star Rokhsaneh Ghawam-Shahidi took to the streets of Leeds recently covered only in lettuce leaves. The vegan actor, who plays Leyla Harding, was making a point for Vegetarian Awareness Month this October, promoting the health and environmental benefits of shunning meat. PETA members were on hand to give startled shoppers vegan sausages. www.peta.org.uk

WATER PARTY Cool boutique Aqua in the Victoria Quarter had a massive bash last month to celebrate their refurbishment by London design agency Dog and Wardrobe. The event, held on 30th September, saw guests enjoy music from DJs, goody bags and 30% off on the night.

RENEGADE MASTER A new cutting edge salon has opened in Leeds. Renegade Hair Studio opened on Cookridge Street last month with a hair and fashion show and party with cocktails from Jake’s Bar and entertainment from the Julia Turner Jazz Trio and Sicky the Magician. The salon boasts stylists who have previously gained experience at big name salons. Visit the salon at 23 Cookridge Street, www.renegadehairstudio.com

MEDICAL MARVEL

Clockwise from bottom left: Limited edition Hand Relief, £16.50, Aveda Spot balcony bra, £10, and shorts, £5, BHS Skechers Awareness Shape-Ups, £90, Barratts Betty Jackson T-shirt, £22, Debenhams Fashion Targets Breast Cancer dogtooth mug, £3.50, Marks & Spencer Purse, £12, Evans Estee Lauder jewelled pink ribbon pin, £10, Harvey Nichols Lisa Snowdon models bra, £14, and brief, £12, Marks & Spencer Heart sequin cushion, £22, Debenhams Centre: Red Roses cologne, £68, Jo Malone Wed 13 Oct - Thu 28 Oct 2010

The Leeds Screening Centre now boasts pioneering ultrasound scans and screening services. The Centre recently united the highly specialised ‘genome screening’ and the ‘ultrasound screening service’, to offer a superlative pre-natal screening faculty. Utilising the most hitech pioneering techniques, the unique centre offers a comprehensive range of pregnancy ultrasound imaging and genetic screening options. For more information visit www.leedsscreeningcentre.co.uk, 3 Gemini Park, LS7 3JB, 0113 262 1675. AS

Need pampering? Visit www.leedsguide.co.uk/lifestyle for product reviews, photo galleries and beauty tips.

Leeds Guide 35

LEEDSGUIDE.CO.UK/LIFESTYLE THAI SOCIETY

RECOMMENDED

LEEDS

» Lifestyle 14 Until Sun 17 Oct

Books Ilkley Literature Festival 2010 Ilkley Literature Festival, The Manor House, Ilkley, 01943 816 714 • Fiction fans and biography buffs are in for a treat at this year’s Ilkley Literature Festival as the first names attending the 37th annual event are announced. The spa town of Ilkley will be buzzing with literary aficionados this October when the Festival invites the cream of writers across fiction, journalism, poetry and non-fiction to West Yorkshire.

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Preview Lady Boys of Bangkok

Experience evening of cross-dressing Thai treats from 15th-30th October

ow if you’re feeling a bit frumpy, for the love of god don’t go along to the spectacular show by the Lady Boys of Bangkok. You just won’t be able to get over the fact that the troop of stunning ‘women’, with their glossy locks, legs up to their armpits, and cheekbones to die for, are actually men. This thought will plague you and leave you feeling about as attractive as a squashed slug. But really, you have to be prepared to get over this feeling, because the Lady Boys of Bangkok is about the most exciting all-singing all-dancing cabaret-style show to hit the Leeds cultural calendar this year. Sixteen of the world’s most glamorous lady boys, in hot pants and feather boas, are just wonderful; the music is catchy (Lady Gaga, The Saturdays, Bryan Adams and Latin rhythms); and the stage show is out of this world. The Lady Boys of Bangkok Fantasy and Feathers tour will light up Millennium Square once again from 15th-30th October, in a specially built marquee, the Sabai Pavilion. There will be authentic treats that take you to the heart of Bangkok’s backstreets, like freshly prepared Thai food, cold

beer and saucy dancers. Two licensed bars are stocked with a wide range of beers, spirits, wines and soft drinks. Some will certainly find it hard to believe the beauties in front of their eyes were ever men. But it’s true. All of the showgirls were born male, but as teenagers they all adopted female personas, grew their hair and nails and experimented with makeup and female clothing. In some cases they have had sex-change operations. This year, the girls will be performing their show-stopping acts in weird and wonderful costumes: ranging from Starship Troopers to hot–blooded Latino; from stylised casual summer wear to fantastic feathers and from the historical to the hysterical. Show spokesperson Tony Wilkie-Millar, says: “Lady Boys of Bangkok is pure entertainment – fun and sexy, but never vulgar. You could definitely bring your granny.” 15-30 October, The Sabai Pavilion, Millennium Square, LS2 3AD, 0871 705 0705, www.ladyboysofbang kok.co.uk, Sun-Wed 8pm; Thu-Sat 7pm & 9.15pm, £17-26 (£10 students), except all seats £14 on 15 & 16 October SH

Wed 13 Oct Events Guided City Walks Leeds Railway Station, Leeds City Centre, Leeds, 0113 247 9024 • 7.30pm • £3 • That’s Entertainment - Cinemas and Theatres of Leeds. Booking essential, call 0113252 6807.

Wed 13 Oct-Wed 20 Oct Food & Drink Oktoberfest Further North, 194 Harrogate Road, Chapel Allerton, Leeds, 0113 320 0202 • Normal opening hours • Free entry • A week of German beers, steins, lederhosen and oom-pah music.

Fri 15 Oct Events Cool Voices ‘Words’ Club Night Otley Courthouse Arts & Community Centre, Courthouse Street, Otley, 01943 467 466 • 7.30-10pm • £3 • Young people perform their own work: songs, bands, poetry, rap, stand-up, short stories. A brilliant night!

Tue 19 Oct Football Leeds United v Leicester City (nPower Championship) Leeds United FC, Elland Road, Leeds, 0871 334 1992 • 7.45pm

Sat 23 Oct Events The Arts Factory Arts Market Riddings Hall, Riddings Road, Ilkley, 01943 603 348 • 10am-4pm • Free • What makes this market so different? It’s not a craft fair but a Selling Exhibition showcasing the work of local artists and artisans. There will be painters, photographers, silver smiths, textile artists, ceramic artists and jewellers displaying their art. There will also be a tea room at the venue serving home made cakes and scones.

Mon 25 Oct Football Leeds United v Cardiff City (nPower Championship) Leeds United FC, Elland Road, Leeds, 0871 334 1992 • 7.45pm

Thu 28 Oct-Fri 29 Oct

�� 36 Leeds Guide

Events Pumpkin Carving Demonstration Stockeld Park, The Estate Office, Stockeld Park, Wetherby, 01937 586 101 • 11.30am-1.30pm • Free • Pumpkin carving demonstrations and free templated to get you started. More listings at www.leedsguide.co.uk/listings

Need pampering? Visit www.leedsguide.co.uk/lifestyle for product reviews, photo galleries and beauty tips.

Wed 13 Oct - Thu 28 Oct 2010

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Lee A STYLE-OVER Lov ds Sho es If you fancy strutting your stuff at our winter fashion show and ppin would like to win a hair and beauty make-over, a gorgeous outﬁt from your favourite retailer at The Light and a Venture g Photography experience including £500 to spend on images – then ©

why not enter our ‘Leeds Best Dressed’ competition! We are looking for boys and girls of all shapes and sizes who have a real passion for fashion. Visit www.thelightleeds.co.uk for more information and to enter.

�� Pick up your FREE uber-stylish and reusable shopping bag from the centre. Designed by Hollie Revell our ‘Design a bag’ competition winner.

Fashion Fair 18–23 October

Leeds Art College’s BA (Hons) fashion students will be demonstrating their creative talents through an ingenious collection of bespoke garments and accessories on display for you to enjoy. Plus fashionistas can purchase the items at the fashion auction being held at 2pm on Saturday 23rd October. The fashion garments are being created as part of the students design module and the two winning students will receive £100 to spend at The Light.

Style House

16 October: 10am-11am Watch Kate Lawler help to showcase The Light’s retailers Autumn/Winter collections in the Style House on Briggate.

Plus pick tasty trea up some free ts courte sy of

Blood Masterz Breakdance Crew

14–16/22–23 October Take some time out from shopping to watch one of three daily ten minute break-dance routine performances at the centre, brought to you by a wonderfully talented team of performers, who have performed with the likes of Rev Run from Run DMC.

Show Times 12.30pm/1.30pm/ 2.30pm

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Leeds Guide 37

LEEDSGUIDE.CO.UK/LIFESTYLE STATE OF INDEPENDENTS

SOLE LOTTA LOVE

Fivefingers Shoes Leeds Ali Schofield goes back to barefoot with the Independent Map latest trainer craze Mapping the independent spirit of Leeds

reating an independent map of Leeds is an ambitious project – but for Louise Atkinson and Katie Brown, it wasn’t a project they were afraid to take on. At the start of August this year, they set about documenting (on a simple Google map) all the things, places and shops that makes Leeds unique. The result was the Leeds Independent Map, an open-source document which anybody can add suggestions to – and already it is a huge success. Lou and Katie come from different career backgrounds – Lou is a Leeds-based artist and Katie has worked in a not-for-profit community development – but their ideas and methods of working complement each other perfectly. They set up the Independent Map as a way of harnessing their interest in Leeds’ subcultures. They understood that the parkour (or free running) kids, for example, were experiencing a different version of Leeds than they were. And they also realised that a lot of independent things in the city were like closely-guarded secrets: not enough people were aware of projects like Leeds Urban Harvest, which annually collects, processes and redistributes unclaimed wild fruit 38 Leeds Guide

in the area. “There’s a lot of great information about the city out there,” they say. “But it’s spread out over lots of places, which makes it difficult to access.” On the Independent Map it’s possible to browse according to different criteria like arts, community, food and drink, retail and wellbeing. A big question the duo faced was the question of what constitutes ‘independent’. What if there’s a local poetry reading at Starbucks, would they include that? “It’s a difficult line to draw,” they admit. “For example, we know someone who runs independent salsa classes at Bar Risa. Even though Bar Risa isn’t independent, the classes are. It’s complicated and hard to define.” “We’ve had to think about what it means to be independent in a different way – it doesn’t necessarily mean going it alone. And we want to engage others to be part of that debate.” They admit they never want the map to be about ‘how-to-spendmoney-in-Leeds’. They say, “There is so much possibility and scope for something different. We’re not antimoney, we just don’t think it’s the only way to define our city.” www.independentfullstop.com SH

hat have climbers, tri-athletes, cavers, sailors, surfers, yoga practitioners, capoeria dancers and free runners got in common? Apart from a much more dedicated attitude to fitness than me, they have all reported benefits from wearing Vibram Fivefingers shoes. Already massive in America, the trainers, which are designed to emulate the experience of running barefoot, have been launched here in the UK. There are four styles to choose from, depending on your discipline. I plumped for a bright red pair of the Sprint ones (wishful thinking, really) and headed to my local park. I confess, I don’t do a lot of running; a cursory jog around the block, taking in the woods opposite my house every once in a while, is my usual nod to fitness and I have recently reinstated my childhood obsession with skipping (obviously with a rope, and generally indoors, I’m 27 for God’s sake). In fact, I don’t really even own any proper workout gear, but as it turned out taking to the park in what is essentially my nightwear – washed out T-shirt and joggers – didn’t feel so perverse considering the slipper-like oddities on my feet. While having to direct each toe into the ends of them felt strange at first, there’s no denying Fivefingers are incredibly comfortable. When I leave the house I feel like I have nothing but socks on my feet; it’s a bit like those dreams where you realise you’ve turned up to work with no trousers on, only these cost £98.99. Before now I have experienced a pins and needles type feeling in my feet after running but there was none of this with the Fivefingers and I soon got into

my stride. I had worried that running in the woods might prove the flimsy feeling trainers’ downfall, but I soon got used to the feeling of twigs underfoot. In fact, one of Fivefingers’ many selling points is their ability to increase bloodflow around the body as the foot is allowed to roll over the naturally convex heel. My heavy-soled, pins and needles-inducing trainers clearly don’t enjoy this benefit. The manufacturers, Vibram, already well-known for their high-quality walking boots, also purport benefits including a reduction in the risk of ankle sprains, back pain, shin splints, deep vein thrombosis, varicose veins and even bunions. My Fivefingers stand up similarly well with the skipping. I actually feel I have more agility with the rope since I don’t have great hunking trainers getting in the way. The Fivefingers’ only possible downfall, in my view, is their appearance. Unless you’re the kind of person who buys all the newest gym kit and revels in the attention – I refer you to the previous appraisal of my workout gear – they are likely to make you feel a little self-conscious. Choosing the bright red ones is probably not the finest idea, looking back. But since the shoes were named one of the ‘Best Inventions’ in a recent Time magazine feature, and they really do feel like running without restrictions, I’m inclined to overlook my froglike toes and embrace my Fivefingers. Fivefingers shoes start from £84.99 at www.primallifestyle.com

KATIE AND LOU’S BEST OF INDEPENDENT LEEDS Bird’s Yard – new place to find vintage clothes on Kirkgate Boules – enjoy a game of the French classic behind HSBC in the city centre La Bottega Milanese – a great little Italian coffee shop on the Calls. Drag and Drop – a fundraiser, part of Cops and Robbers DIY gigs Knit a Bear Face – a guerrilla knitting group

Need pampering? Visit www.leedsguide.co.uk/lifestyle for product reviews, photo galleries and beauty tips.

Wed 13 Oct - Thu 28 Oct 2010

Leeds Guide 39

LEEDSGUIDE.CO.UK/LIFESTYLE SHOP, LOOK & LISTEN

Preview Retail Therapy Awards

Leeds’ biggest retail awards show is this fortnight – who will win? © Barnaby Aldrick: info@barnabyaldrick.com

oll up, roll up! Ladies and gentlemen, we’ve been kept on our toes for just about long enough now. So it’s with excitement we can reveal there are but two weeks to go until the winners of the prestigious 2010 Leeds Retail Awards are finally revealed. Bring out the red carpets, strike a pose and prepare to be momentarily blinded by the flashing light bulbs of hounding paparazzi. Well, this year’s Retail Therapy Awards may not be the Oscars, but we like to think they’re kinda in the same vein! We might not have Brad and Angelina, but rest assured we do have the charismatic compere talents of Rich Williams, Radio Aire’s drivetime presenter. So put on your best glitzy frocks and skyscraper heels (and gents, dig out your most dapper tuxedo) for a night of drama. All the top retailers in the city will be brought together in one room on Sunday 24th October, vying to see whether they will scoop this year’s top accolades, including Best Independent, Best High Street and Best Beauty Salon. On top of that, we’ve all got a theory about who is going to win the Retail Legend Award – in past years we’ve had Marks & Sparks and OK Comics and now the

40 Leeds Guide

doors are open to find a new pearl of the Leeds shopping scene. Once again, this year the Retail Therapy Awards will be an exclusive, industry-only night of decadence at the suitably atmospheric Royal Armouries. We just hope there aren’t any Gwyneth Paltrow-style tears during the acceptance speeches. Keep an eye on www.leedsguide. co.uk for all the winners and gossip from the night SH

Leeds Loves Shopping The Retail Awards mark the end of Leeds Loves Shopping, a festival celebrating the city’s amazing shops, running from 14th-24th October. The roundup of events, organised by Leeds City Council and Marketing Leeds, includes the VQ’s Shopping Affair opening the festivities on 14th, a Style House marquee on Briggate offering key looks and fashion advice on Friday 15th, Saturday 16th and Sunday 17th, as well as catwalk dates, Leeds Rocks on 15th and Leeds Fashion Show on 19th and various shop-based events throughout. www.leedslovesshopping.com

Need pampering? Visit www.leedsguide.co.uk/lifestyle for product reviews, photo galleries and beauty tips.

Wed 13 Oct - Thu 28 Oct 2010

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‘Wonderfully and ﬁlthily funny.’ Daily Telegraph

Tue 9 – Sat 13 November Box Ofﬁce 0844 848 2703

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PLAY: BOOKS

Ilkley Literature Festival

Sophie Haydock looks over this year’s festival, which runs until 17th October, and speaks to the festival’s opening guest, broadcaster John Simpson Now the Ilkley Literature Festival is the biggest literature festival in the north, attracting more than 22,000 bookworms to its 200 events: including residencies, literary walks, discussions, commissions, workshops, exhibitions and performances. As J B Priestley said, when he wrote in support of the very first Festival: “Ilkley is the right size for a festival town…large enough to provide various amenities and small enough to stroll around and run into everybody.”

“We’ve got to get over that rather sort of juvenile feeling that there’s no need to pay for anything” John Simpson

ou think of festivals, you imagine the big name music ones, like Glastonbury, the Big Chill, and Leeds fest. Perhaps your mind wanders a little further afield to the sweaty shores of Spain’s Benicassim. But Ilkley? A festival with books and reading and stuff?! In West Yorkshire?! That doesn’t sound very rock’n’roll! But you’d be mistaken. Ilkley may appear to be a charming Victorian spa town surrounded by countryside. But underneath all those prim collars and hanging baskets full of Trailing Verbenas, there’s a seething world of words, famous authors and literary happenings – okay, okay, it still doesn’t sound cool, more geek chic, admittedly, but it really is a gem in our cultural calendar. This year, the annual Ilkley Literature Festival has been taking place over a two-week period, from 1st to 17th of October. Each year it attracts some seriously impressive names, including international figures, Nobel prize winners, and poets (like Ted Hughes and Benjamin Zephaniah). This year was no exception: it 42 Leeds Guide

saw John Simpson address the audience about his experiences as a BBC war reporter; Will Self talk about his new book, Walking to Hollywood; Peter Hain discuss Nelson Mandela; and Simon Armitage work on a speciallycommissioned poetry project. There were also appearances from Polly Toynbee, Terry Eagleton, Carol Ann Duffy, Brian Patten, Peter Snow, Helen Simpson and Gervase Phinn. There are still plenty of talks to come, including Simon Hoggart (13th October), Alastair Campbell (16th October) and Roddy Doyle (17th October). The Ilkley Literature Festival has been going since 1973. It was the brainchild of a man called Michael Dawson, the first director of the newly formed Yorkshire Arts Association. He set up the festival in his hometown, after discovering – much to his disdain – that there was nothing of its kind in the north of England. The poet W H Auden officially launched the first festival in 1973, and since then it has gained in popularity and a band of dedicated followers. By 1988, the festival was a yearly event.

This year, BBC journalist John Simpson opened the festival on Friday 1st October, speaking about the future of media. We took up a small amount of time in his hectic schedule to talk war zones, his most hair-raising experience and hallucinogenic drugs… Speaking about the media, he said: “I think I’m right in saying that 19 million people every day in Britain come into contact with some form of news. That’s quite a large proportion of the country who wants to know what’s going on. At the moment, I just don’t think that the newspapers have the right kind of technology for selling people their wares. The notion that newspapers should provide it for free just seems absolutely absurd. One of the worst things about the internet is that it has somehow persuaded people that they can get things for nothing all the time. We’ve got to get over that rather sort of juvenile feeling that there’s no need to pay for anything.” Simpson’s job takes him to some dangerous places, including war zones like Iraq and Afghanistan. There must be hair raising moments? “I try not to dwell on the less attractive side of things. I’m rather glad to have got away with that sort of stuff. A lot of it sticks in my mind. But I don’t have bad dreams about things. I sometimes get a little bit of a flashback about something

Stuck for a read? Find something on www.leedsguide.co.uk/books to get your teeth into.

that happened to me 25 years ago: something in Lebanon. I was stopped and kind of arrested by a group of lunatics, political lunatics. They didn’t like what I was doing, they said I was a spy and made me kneel down and put a gun to the back of my neck. Then they pulled the trigger. And of course – ha ha – there was no bullet in the gun. So they let me go. But sometimes I think about that: I wasn’t very scared, I couldn’t believe that it was all over as I knelt there. I thought I was going to be shot through the back of the neck. But anyway, it didn’t happen. But that’s the only thing that does come back to me. But all the others, the bombings, the shootings, the mines, all of that, I’ve just kind of dealt with it somehow.” And what was Simpson’s experience of taking hallucinogenic drugs in the Amazon? Is that an experience he’d like to try again? “I only tried the drugs once. Mind you, when I go back this time, I shall certainly try and do it again. It’s definitely an experience I’d like to repeat, absolutely! I’m sure they’re not illegal – very natural, parts of trees, bushes, roots and things that I don’t think people in Britain could get hold of. It was a very interesting experience and what was lovely about it was that you were in complete control of it. If you thought, I’ve had enough of this now, it would stop immediately. If you then thought, after a while, as happened to me, oh I rather miss those bright lights and the visions and things, they’d come back again. But you had to will it somehow. I’m not sure how it works. And at the end, when you thought, I’ve had enough now, and I’d like to go to bed now, then it all sort of went away. Very appealing indeed...”

“They said I was a spy and made me kneel down and put a gun to the back of my neck” The grey-haired 66 year-old BBC correspondent John Simpson advocating mind-altering drugs? Now that is rock’n’roll! Ilkley Literature Festival, until 17th October, www.ilkleyliteraturefesti val.org.uk Wed 13 Oct - Thu 28 Oct 2010

PLAY: BOOKS

ÂŠ Jonty Wilde

Gervase Phinn

Simon Armitage

Wed 13 Oct - Thu 28 Oct 2010

Stuck for a read? Find something on www.leedsguide.co.uk/books to get your teeth into.

Leeds Guide 43

PLAY: BOOKS YOUR FORTNIGHTLY READING MATERIAL

Book of the Fortnight Noah Barleywater Runs Away by John Boyne ★★★★★ David Fickling Books, hb, £10.99, Fiction

oyne created a beautiful and unforgettable story in The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas. He’s done it again with Noah Barleywater..., yet this is an entirely different tale. This delightful book tackles difficult issues which can affect children with an enchantingly delicate touch. Eight-year-old Noah has difficult problems at home, which he finds it easier to run away from than face.

The Financial Lives of the Poets

by Jess Walter ★★★★★ Penguin, pb, £8.99, Fiction few years ago a bunch of silly boys in pin-striped suits ruined capitalism for everyone, and since then teeth have been gnashed and garments rent in many

The Clinton Tapes

by Taylor Branch ★★★★★ Pocket Books, pb, £9.99, Politics ill Clinton’s 1,000page autobiography, My Life, was widely panned upon publication in 2004. Interminable, rambling, packed with tedious lists of functionaries met and social events attended, it was an utterly unenlightening account

Man with a Blue Scarf; On Sitting for a Portrait by Lucian Freud

by Martin Gayford ★★★★★ Thames and Hudson, hb, £18.95, Art thoroughly intriguing and engaging insight into the mind and methods of Lucian Freud, one of the most uniquely gifted figura-

Red Plenty

by Francis Spufford ★★★★★ Faber & Faber, hb, £16.99, History ed Plenty is a book that seems to be about one thing, but is actually about another. It appears on the surface to be a fictional story

44 Leeds Guide

He leaves very early one morning and walks his way through unfamiliar villages until he reaches the forest where he discovers the most amazing, unusual toyshop. Brimming with charm, beautifully crafted wooden toys and bucketsful of magic, only the peculiar old man who owns it can provide more fascination than the shop itself. Boyne writes with an impressive imagination and the cleverness of his ideas will make you laugh out loud. He has captured the solemnity of childhood so perfectly in Noah that you will be instantly transported to your own and the old man will also appear strangely familiar... Nikki Mason

a worthy, serious and important book about how and why all the cash we thought we had suddenly vanished into the ether. This is yet another book which takes moneygeddon as its jumping-off point, but thankfully Jess Walter takes it in a completely different and very welcome direction. The Financial Lives of the Poets is a brilliantly comic novel about Matt Prior, who quit his journalism job to start poetfolio.com, a website which dispensed financial advice in verse and

quickly crashed and burned. We find him on the edge of losing his house and his wife (she’s been spending an awful lot of time chatting to an ex on Facebook) but a chance encounter leads to a possible alternative career selling drugs to the middle classes. We follow Matt as he explores his new job options, makes some “interesting” new friends and his mind begins to unravel from lack of sleep. Jon Horner

of the presidency of a fascinating, complex man. The Clinton Tapes, written by historian Taylor Branch, who interviewed Clinton regularly during his administration to gather material for My Life, is a far more revealing work, which paints Clinton not just as a perceptive and talented politician but also captures the flaws – temper, cynicism, self-pity – that were ruthlessly culled from Clinton’s own book. It’s gripping stuff. Every dramatic event of the presidency is brought to

life, and although Clinton’s impeachment – and his slippery, dishonest and finally combative response – overshadows the book’s second half, there’s a wealth of evidence here of a serious political thinker and a brilliant strategic mind. Branch’s style is precise yet unobtrusive, and the author only occasionally intrudes on proceedings. This is the real, unexpurgated Clinton, and this excellent book will prove a key text for future historians. Pete Sykes

tive artists of modern times. The book demonstrates with depth and intelligence the constant dynamic between painter and subject, and the unavoidable effects that one can have on the other. Gayford is disarmingly honest and self-deprecating throughout, discussing his hopes and fears for the project, and the difficulty in reconciling one’s vanity with the way that Freud perceives and paints the material world. It is an exploration of the psychology of sitting for a portrait, from the

first preliminary meetings, through sketches and up to the final brush stroke. The author, however, reverses the situation delightfully to provide a fascinating portrait of Freud himself, detailing his fascinating and thought-provoking approach to art, artists and life which run throughout this book. Gayford is an excellent and interesting guide through the process providing a sitting-by-sitting narrative that seems to invariably end up in top London restaurants. Simply a delight. Alistair Brooks

based on facts, real people and real anecdotes that Spufford has collected during his research. But, as seems to be the case with all things related to socialism or communism, it is actually a propaganda piece. The story, which is made up of smaller stories joined together, deals with why the very idea of a country that is run like a business is bound to fail. It’s a fitting book for the times

we are currently in, where nothing appears to be what it is, and the care and welfare of a community is worked out in spreadsheets by private companies. It may be too much to call this book a parable, but such are the parallels between now and then, it’s difficult not to feel as though we should be learning a lesson, or at the very least taking notes. Anton Krasauskas

Stuck for a read? Find something on www.leedsguide.co.uk/books to get your teeth into.

COMIC EFFECT Recent releases from the world of graphic novels

L i N T (£3.99) came from the brain of Mark Millar, the writer behind Wanted and Kick-Ass. He’s one of the biggest names in comics right now, and he’s taken advantage of that to try and get comics back onto high street magazine racks with a very male-centric comics magazine. The material stands up very well. Millar’s included his own Kick-Ass 2 and Nemesis. The former is the follow-up to Millar’s series with penciller John Romita Jr about a kid who decides to become the world’s first superhero and does a pretty bad job of it. Nemesis, drawn by Steve McNiven, is about the world’s first and only supervillain, who happens to be incredibly good at his trade. Both pack a slick punch, even if they fall a bit flat when it comes to characterisation. Jonathan Ross (yes, him) and artist Tommy Lee Edwards have contributed Turf, their 1920s period drama about aliens and vampires. It’s as mad and intriguing as it sounds. Rounding out the comics offering is Rex Royd from Frankie Boyle and artist Michael Dowling. It’s a corporate sci-fi action strip which features some sharp ideas and shows promise. Unfortunately, the features included leave a lot to be desired. Barring a decent Jimmy Carr interview in the first issue, they read like someone looked at a lads’ mag from a distance in 1996 then tried to copy the formula. Hot Mums? Really? Mark Johnson

Recommend

A Week in December by Sebastian Faulks Faulks’ latest novel comments on greed, the dehumanising effects of the electronic age and the fragmentation of society by following the lives of seven overtly different characters whose lives are interlinked one way or another. Wed 13 Oct - Thu 28 Oct 2010

PLAY: FILM A FREIGHT SUCCESS

Leeds Action Film Arrives in Cinemas Hard-hitting action movie wins critical acclaim

Director Stuart St Paul

Wed 13 Oct - Thu 28 Oct 2010

new movie that was filmed in Leeds and has earned critical acclaim in the US has gone on general release, including at the city’s two Vue cinemas. Freight – directed by Stuart St Paul and starring Craig Fairbrass, Danny Midwinter and Billy Murray – is a gritty, hard-hitting action thriller focusing on the desperate issue of people-trafficking. A group of Eastern European gangsters is smuggling families into the UK on the promise of a better life, only to force them into appalling slave labour conditions when they get here. Husbands and wives are separated from one another – and their children – with the women taken to seedy sex clubs while the men are forced to take part in illegal bare-knuckle cage fights. It’s literally a fight to the death, as a British family gets caught up in the inner workings of the gang, leading to tense standoffs, hostage taking and cold-blooded murders as the drama unfolds.

Freight is a brutal film that’s certainly not for the faint hearted – it doesn’t hold back on the violence – but the issue being tackled is a horrific one, which draws in a number of victims, not least the ordinary Eastern Europeans who came to the country in the simple hope of a better life for themselves and their families. Director St Paul is an experienced stunt co-ordinator, and it shows in a number of dramatic set pieces and fight scenes, while arguably the standout feature of the film is a chilling performance from Danny Midwinter, who stars as the frighteningly cold and violent gang leader Cristi. If you’re a fan of Hollywood blockbusters, why not take the chance to support this local film? It’s a rare occasion when a predominantly Leedsbased crew has been used, and it’s not often that you get to see familiar parts of Leeds in the backdrop to a movie. As a resident of the city it only adds to the entertainment as you find yourself saying “that’s Granary Wharf... that’s City Square…!” Freight was nominated for Best Foreign Film and Best Special Effects at the Action on Film Los Angeles 2010 festival, and it was a Silver Palm winner at the Mexico International Film Festival 2010. Freight (18 certificate) opened at Vue The Light and Vue Kirkstall Road on 8 October. Check www. myvue.com for the latest screening times or call 08712 240 240. For more information on the film, visit www.freight2010.co.uk SO’H

RECOMMENDED LEEDS

» Film

The Social Network (12a, 120mins) Like the online social phenomenon it depicts, The Social Network is drawing attention across the wires. Directed by David Fincher and with a script from ‘The West Wing’’s Aaron Sorkin, cinema goers can expect great things from this, which dissects the rise and rise of Mark Zuckerberg and his “holyshit, once-in-a-generation moment” invention Facebook as he soars up the Forbes rich list. It’s sure-footed and compelling. A ‘must see’ as they say. 15-28 October, Hyde Park Picture House, 73 Brudenell Road, LS6 1JD, 0113 275 2045, www.hydeparkpicturehouse. co.uk The Arbor (15, 94mins) An interesting and poignant merging of dramatisation, documentary and interview which blends ‘real’ audio with ‘fake’ acting. Clio Barnard’s The Arbor recants the tumultuous and frenzied life of Bradford born playwright Andrea Dunbar before her untimely death at 29 in 1990. Born in the city’s Buttershaw estate, the genius behind Rita, Sue and Bob Too! left a daughter who becomes the subject of this film as she rediscovers her mother’s work and reflects on her own childhood. On mainstream release from 22nd October, but try to catch it on the 17th, where the director and actors Natalie Gavin and Gary Whitaker will introduce a special preview showing and then participate in a Q&A. 17 October & 22 October–4 November, National Media Museum, Bradford, BD1 1NQ, 0870 701 0200, www. nationalmediamuseum.org.uk Leeds International Film Festival This fantastic annual event is now into its 24th year and, as ever, film fans are in for a real treat. An eclectic selection of movies is showing across an equally varied set of venues, making for an unmissable event. A major highlight this year is sure to be The King’s Speech, a film starring Colin Firth and hotly tipped for an Oscar, which is being shown in the magnificent setting of the Town Hall. 4-21 November, various venues, full single pass £80 (until 23 Oct), £95 (after 23 Oct); double pass £140/£170; www.leedsfilm.com More listings at www.leedsguide.co.uk/listings

No idea what to see? Find out at www.leedsguide.co.uk/ﬁlm with reviews, ﬁlm times and cinema locations.

Leeds Guide 45

PLAY: GAMES JOYSTICKS AT THE READY

Games Spotlight

Murphy Simmonds casts his eyes over the latest gaming releases

Enslaved: Odyssey to the West

good story is hard to find. In games, at least, where the typical plot rarely strays beyond “village boy becomes great warrior” or “rookie soldier prevents nuclear war”. Enslaved: Odyssey to the West (★★★★★, PS3/X360, £35-50, Namco Bandai) hopes to prove otherwise, drawing on the writing talents of Alex Garland (The Beach) and the digital acting skills of Andy Serkis (Gollum, King Kong) to paint a futuristic tale of

escape, revenge and friendship in the brightest colours possible. It succeeds, giving a strong narrative pull to your progress across an unusually verdent post apocalypse America. To play, it borrows heavily from Prince of Persia’s landscape puzzles – essentially “how do I get to the top of that building” – 100 times over, punctuated by combat. But it’s good; Monkey’s incessant clambering animated with charismatic agility and the story keeping things largely fresh. Plus the ending’s worth waiting for – and you can’t say that about many games. Halo: Reach (★★★★★, X360, £35-60, Microsoft) is the swansong of the franchise on which the Xbox was built. Microsoft will still make Halo games, but original developer Bungie will not, so this is its parting shot. And a potent one it is too. Though

In The

Shed e’ve got a lot of gadgets nowadays. You probably haven’t noticed. You’ve probably been ambling empty-headed around your house, blindly prodding buttons and eyeballing screens without a clue about what they actually do. You probably don’t even know what a microwave is. You’ve probably never been loved and you’re probably going to die alone. We pity you, reader. We pity you from the confines of our dusty, isolated shed, where our muscles have wasted away to mere strings and our only friend is a broken rake. So, we’ve got a lot of gadgets nowadays. This dramatic recent revelation, of which you would have had no inclination whatsoever, has come at the result of some painstaking research by the Institute of Engineering and 46 Leeds Guide

Darksiders

Latest entry to the canon, Worms Reloaded (★★★★★, PC, £18, Team 17) boasts a huge and varied arsenal of pretty balanced weapons and the ability to make your own levels by dropping image files into a folder. That new addition – and some new play modes – are merely diversions, though, to the game proper. And that, as ever, is worth the price of admission.

Worms Reloaded

Halo: Reach

the story and characters can’t support its ambitions of grandeur, the game offers the best refinement of Halo’s core mechanics yet, plus long-awaited additions like proper four player co-op, sprinting and jet packs. A must buy, and a multiplayer package that will keep on giving long after the campaign is over. PC owners get fewer chances to hit things with huge swords than console types, so the arrival of Darksiders (★★★★★, PC, £25-35, THQ) is a relief. In it, actual horseman of the apocalypse War beats the not-exactlyliving daylights out of a large portion of the underworld. Think God of War with a little less polish, a few more more puzzles and a magpie-like approach to cool bits from other people’s games. Not much wrong with that. Blowing worms up has been an enjoyable hobby for the past 15 years.

This fortnight, Murphy Simmonds is studying

Technology and is published in its latest magazine. There’s more to the announcement. It emerges that the average consumer (whose name, we’ve decided, is Alf) owned 17 gadgets back in 2000. Here in 2010, that number has rocketed, or rather climbed a bit, to 25. Greedy old Alf. He loves robots, the weird perv. Meanwhile, the number of webenabled gizmos has increased by an incredible 500%, from just one to an astounding six. Largely, we presume, because in 2000 the web was incredibly rubbish and could only be accessed with a computer, and these days it’s a lot less rubbish and can be accessed by everything from an alarm clock to a cat’s brain. Although that may just be to do with the way we’ve wired our

cat. Either way, we’re blown away by these stats. We can’t quite believe it’s changed so much and we’re glad that there’s somebody out there to tell us all about it. We wonder what the study involved. The researchers must, at the very least, have had to enter one person’s house, looked around a bit, then had a think about what things were like a decade ago. The Leeds Guide doesn’t have the resources of the Institute of Technology and Engineering, but we can make some similarly exciting outbursts about the state of modern life, at a fraction of the cost and manpower. Here are

Annoy the neighbours with gadgets and goodies at www.leedsguide.co.uk/giftsandgadgets

some: TV screens are massive now. Music players are really small, but were once quite big. Licking the toaster is a bad idea, but not quite as bad as swallowing the fridge. Never wire a cat up to your PC unless you have obtained its written consent beforehand. People drive a lot, don’t they? There are tons of channels on telly. Apples still don’t have the internet on them. An average block of cheese contains nearly 14,000 microchips. Our best friend’s a rake. There you go. Stick them in a study, why don’t you? Or tell us something we don’t know. Wed 13 Oct - Thu 28 Oct 2010

PLAY: MUSIC WE GIVE THE LATEST RELEASES A SPIN

Album of the Fortnight

LOCAL FOCAL

Carl Barât — Carl Barât (Arcady) ★★★★★

ou can almost hear the footsteps of the eager indie kids running to get their grubby hands on Carl Barât’s debut solo album. It has been a long time coming but it was worth every second of the wait. Those expecting fast guitars and struggling lyrics will be surprised to hear the new musical ventures that Barât has taken for his latest project, departing from his usual style and finding himself caught in a frenzy of theatricals and wonderfully composed words.

The opening track ‘The Magus’ has a magical music box feel to it, whereas a sincere approach is taken to articulate the feelings of regret in ‘What Have I Done’. The captivating melodies will make a fiend out of you and you’ll find yourself playing the album on repeat and singing along to the lyrics before you even realised you knew them. All in all, Barât has come back as a raconteur of lost love; charming, entertaining yet somewhat deceiving. Lisa Parhad

Paul Smith – Margins (Billingham)

Gold Panda – Lucky Shiner (NoTown)

★★★★★

Badly Drawn Boy – It’s What I’m Thinking Part 1: Photographing Snowflakes (Twisted Nerve)

his month, after two years of fervent writing and recording, Insect Guide have released a new album, Dark Days and Nights. A part of the Squirrel Records family – which used to include The Cribs and counts Downdime amongst its number – the tracks pull off the stripped down rock’n’roll we’ve come to love from the label. This release also includes a DVD focusing on the band recording the album over the last couple of years, described as “a dark visual journey through the legendary venues, dark bars and dirty dance club floors of the city” – which we can only assume is Leeds. We’re optimistic. Tip Toe Records have sent us something that, on paper at least, has taken our attention. Ten are an ambient, experimental band that they’re describing as a crossover of “electronic keys, shoegaze noise and percussion, with a glockenspiel and a string quartet to create a beautiful soundscape that moves from slow, eerie and melancholic to pulsating and optimistic”. And it is indeed eerie winter music; expanses of moor land and sunrises come to mind and you’re imaging a David Lynch film in the back of your mind. It’s pretty intense stuff but neat, which explains why they’ve so far toured with Vessels, Codes in Clouds and Declining Winter. Their EP Lowlands is out on Monday 18th October ahead of a tour. After a fall out in 2004, The Bazaars have finally organised themselves into a space where they’re happy to work together, and get a single out. ‘L’Attention’ is an upbeat foot-tapper of a track that was mixed by Richard Woodcraft, who has also worked with Radiohead, The Last Shadow Puppets, Arctic Monkeys and Broken Social Scene. Take a listen at www.thebazaars.co.uk. CA

ore than a hint of Maximo Park in this record, but what would you expect from Paul Smith, front man of the north eastern indie upstarts? Margins – released on his own label, Billingham Records – is Paul Smith’s first foray into a solo career and tracks like ‘North Atlantic Drift’ and ‘Strange Friction’ borrow from the tried and tested indie formula which has given Maximo Park their success. Don’t start thinking that this is just Smith chucking away some spare Maximo Park songs. This album is far from a quickly put together project and is in fact the result of several years of writing and producing. Stand out track ‘Dare Not Dive’ hinges on being classic rock at times and a track already surfing the mainstream radio waves, ‘Our Lady of Lourdes’, is haunting and lined with an elegant sliding guitar, although this does overwhelm Smith’s vocal. The record is packed full of clever little acoustic riffs coated in a thick layer of reverb – which at times can be too much, but through all the echo and reverb, you can still hear whispers of Maximo. Stevie Kilgour

old Panda’s debut LP is a beguiling soundscape of audio origami that wraps itself around your ears, folds your brain into a paper crane, then disappears as quickly as it arrived without so much as a sayonara. There are no lyrics except for a small sampled snippet of spoken word and the output is overtly ambient and distinctly influenced by Asia – specifically Japan. You can presume that portmanteaux-loving music hacks everywhere will be labelling it orientronica before long. If you imagine the sound of a tense, tantric, techno party in a Tokyo Metro station (for the sake of alliteration we’ll choose Takadanobaba) and the associated tumult and chaos, then you’ll be halfway to understanding this record. Think blips, bleeps, swooshes and the sort of forwardthinking electronica which is perhaps too far ahead of its time to be fully appreciated yet. Though it may take a few listens to penetrate the sleek, sheeny shell, those who persevere with this album will find reward in the neon loneliness it fosters. Ewan Jamieson

Laetitia Sadier – The Trip (Drag City)

The Woe Betides – Never Sleep (Songs In The Dark)

Ash – A-Z Vol. 2 (Atomic Hearts)

War Paint – The Fool (Rough Trade)

★★★★★

The front woman of Stereolab takes a break from her highlyrespected krautrockinfluenced electro-pioneers (they are currently on hiatus). The results are stripped back, melodic and pretty damn gorgeous. More subdued than Stereolab, it’s at times simple, but always smart. TG

Loud distorted melody; the London based band serve you grungy, lo-fi, experimental pop in the most aggressive way they could find. Surprisingly pleasing to hear; this is something new and exciting. Lisa Parhad

They’ve been going forever and are well past their peak, but Tim Wheeler and co still know how to write a catchy pop-punk song. There’s just nothing to match the majesty of 1977 here. TG

Competent record from hotly tipped Los Angeles allgirl four-piece. Nirvana-esque bass lines are overlaid with Bat For Lashes-style vocals, but it never quite gets out of third gear. SO’H

Wed 13 Oct - Thu 28 Oct 2010

★★★★★

t’s been 10 years since Damien Gough quietly swooped in, stole our attention from the Brit-poppers and scampered off clutching his Mercury prize. He’s been quiet for the past four years (although, did you know he wrote the soundtrack for Caroline Aherne’s film The Fattest Man in Britain last year?) so his new album, part one of a trilogy is well overdue. Whatever you’re expecting of his new material, it’s probably wrong. His unmistakable vocals have softened, and, at first listen, it sounds as though he has a heavier heart. For much of the 10 track album, the songs are slow, quiet, considered and even bluesy in parts. There are strong Americana influences on long and rambling title track ‘It’s What I’m Thinking’ as a pedal steel guitar wails behind his diffident lyrics. ‘You Lied’ is definitely (and rather surprisingly) inspired by Fleetwood Mac. It’s a pleasant listen, but lacks pop tracks to rival ‘The Shining’ or any of his About a Boy hits. It’s a slow burner, but keep an open mind, don’t expect cheery pop and you might just enjoy it. Annie Moss

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Leeds Guide 47

ARTS

RECOMMENDED LEEDS

» Art

Until Sun 02 Jan 2011 Museum Hair Splitting Images Thackray Museum, 131 Beckett Street, Leeds, 0113 244 4343 • 10am-5pm • £6.50 / £5.50concs / £19 family ticket • William Astbury’s x-ray photographs of wet wool were truly amazing; they led to our modern day understanding of living things. New treatments for diseases like Alzheimer’s are possible because of his pioneering work. This exciting exhibition pays tribute to this Leeds based scientist whose observations led to the discovery of the double-helix, the structure of DNA.

THEATRE

Interview William Nicholson

Simon Walker talks to the Oscar-nominated playwright whose latest work, Crash, is coming to the West Yorkshire Playhouse this fortnight ultimately responsible because we’ve more or less abandoned all value systems except that of money.” It’s this monopoly of avarice, and the hallowing of the super-heeled, that Nicholson sees as the underlying cultural ailment. He tells me about the impact on his thinking of a book by Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett named The Spirit Level, which contends that a steep rich-poor divide fosters misery in the majority peering up. The problems, he argues, emerged fairly recently. “When I was coming out of university in 1970, nobody among my contemporaries who was clever, ambitious and creative wanted to go into the City,” he laments. “That was where you went if you didn’t know what to do and were slightly stupid.”

Sat 16 Oct Classical Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra Leeds Town Hall, The Headrow, Leeds, 0113 247 7989 • 7.30pm • £9.50-£27.50 • Conducted by Kirill Karabits and featuring Mozart’s Symphony No. 29 and Tchaikovsky’s Variations on a Rococo Theme.

Wed 20 Oct Classical Finzi Quartet The Venue, Leeds College of Music, 3 Quarry Hill, Leeds, 0113 222 3400 • 1.05-1.55pm • Free • First Prize Winners in the 2010 Royal Over Seas League Competition, the Finzi Quartet was formed under the guidance of Dr Christopher Rowland at the Royal Northern College of Music. The 2009/10 season saw the Quartet’s debut at both the Wigmore Hall and the Purcell Room.

“When I started working on it, I

Wed 20 Oct Opera The Merry Widow Grand Theatre & Opera House, 46 New Briggate, Leeds, 0113 222 6222 • 7.30pm • Tickets from £10 • The Merry Widow is a timeless classic, infused with Parisian sensuality and Viennese sophistication. In this the most popular of 20th century operettas, a wealthy widow, Hanna ‘deliberates’ over taking a second husband. Will her heart be broken again or will she give her former love, the dashing Count Danilo another chance?

Sun 24 Oct Classical The Gurkha Military Music Spectacular Leeds Town Hall, The Headrow, Leeds, 0113 247 7989 • 7.30pm • £16.50, £15.50, £14.50 • Featuring the world famous Band of the Brigade of Gurkhas and special guests The Yorkshire Massed Male Voice Choir.

Thu 28 Oct Opera In the Penal Colony Howard Assembly Room, Grand Theatre, 46 New Briggate, Leeds, 0113 243 9999 • 8pm • £12.50 • Music Theatre Wales makes its first visit to the Howard Assembly Room with the UK premiere of this Philip Glass piece. Based on the powerful short story by Franz Kafka, this dark and unsettling opera is a searing study of man’s inhumanity and intolerance, of authority and cruelty and the process of execution. More listings at www.leedsguide.co.uk/listings 48 Leeds Guide

thought it was going to be an attack on

“I

wasn’t intending to write a play at all,” William Nicholson explains, “but I saw a headline in the Financial Times which said something like, ‘Bankers’ fury at “witchhunt”’. The story was about how bankers were angry at being blamed. This, in turn, made me very angry, that not only had a number of bankers produced an unprecedented crisis and not taken responsibility, but they were even feeling that they were the victims. I thought, ‘The only way I can express this anger is by creating a character on a stage and having that character shout all the things that I want to shout’.” Via his new play Crash, which opens at West Yorkshire Playhouse this fortnight, Nicholson has bestowed this privilege on the larynx of Humphrey, an artist. When Humphrey is commissioned by Nick, a securities trader with whom he shares a dormant friendship, a volatile clash of perspectives ensues. Nicholson – who has received two Oscar nominations, Best Adapted

excessive greed Screenplay for his play-turned-film Shadowlands and Best Screenplay for his work on Gladiator – was concentrating on his work as a novelist and screenwriter when first moved to write the piece, but knew instantly which form it should take. “If you want something to come on quickly, it’s really got to be staged: films and books take forever,” he reasons. “It’s also very strongly a piece that contains something I wanted to say. If you want to issue a call to arms then a speech from the stage is more immediate and powerful than any other form.” As he wrote Crash, it absorbed themes outside the cluster that he originally envisaged. “When I started working on it, I thought it was going to be an attack on excessive greed by bankers. In fact, it very quickly became clear to me that it’s about something else, which is how we decide what anybody is worth and what we value. It’s not merely the bankers who have caused the crisis that we’re in: we’re all

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by bankers” Nicholson suggests that the nation must make a choice to determine its future. This involves evaluating the City’s rationale “that mankind is a sort of jungle animal that has to be bribed all the time” alongside that of those advocating regulation and a wider departure from the monotheistic pursuit of pay. Like every tragicomic play Crash will relay and reflect, but Nicholson hopes that the insight it offers will not be confined to what has already happened. “There are lots of people saying we cannot allow this naked, uncontrolled capitalism, but we haven’t yet won the argument within the City,” he admits. “We’re at a very interesting point in a discourse to which my play is one little contribution.” 16 October – 13 November, West Yorkshire Playhouse, Playhouse Square, Quarry Hill, LS2 7UP, 0113 213 7800, £16–26 (concs available) Wed 13 Oct - Thu 28 Oct 2010

LEEDSGUIDE.CO.UK/ARTS ART

Preview The Continuing Story of Toby Triumph

The Leeds College of Art & Design graduate shows off his cartoon-style works in Thirsk

he bold, cartoon-style drawings by the wonderfully-named illustrator Toby Triumph are indeed triumphant: his designs are engaging and witty; and what’s more, they rebelliously-but-subtly ask questions about our society and culture. Toby Triumph, 24, doodles images of guys with moustaches and skinny arms, animals in top hats, men on mobility scooters pimped up to the nines with horns, lights and mirrors, and shy girls embarrassed by their mothers gossiping outside supermarkets. The Yorkshire-born artist developed his taste for illustration at Leeds College of Art and Design during a foundation year. After that he studied illustration at Bath School of Art and has been enjoying his blossoming career since graduating from there just 18 months ago. He has since been commissioned by the likes of Dazed & Confused, Time Out, the Guardian and the Big Chill festival. One of his proudest moments was when he recently illustrated posters for the Hop Farm Festival, which this year provided the backdrop for musical legends including Bob Dylan, Paul Weller and Ray Davies. “I’m a huge Bob Dylan fan,” says Toby, “and to see him performing with my work in the background was a great feeling.” And now it’s your chance to see this artist in action. Toby, who is now based in east London, will be exhibiting his first solo exhibition in his hometown of Thirsk, North Yorkshire, from 1st to 29th October at the Old Courthouse. “After I graduated,” he says, “I spent six months at home, trying to decide how I wanted my work to look. “I think my work is exciting, fun, engaging and inspires people to look at things differently and take pleasure in the mundane and the normal. “I get inspiration from everywhere,” he adds. “Whatever bizarre thoughts enter my tiny little mind throughout the day are processed and come out as illustrations. Everything I see goes into my work – I particularly like mundane situations. I highlight them and make them seem a little bizarre and exciting.” Wed 13 Oct - Thu 28 Oct 2010

��

Toby’s plans for the future are simply to carry on doing exactly what he’s doing now: “The last 18 months have been an exciting rollercoaster – I’ve had some big commissions,” he says. “It’s exciting being in this industry. I just hope to stick with what I’m doing and to keep growing as an illustrator.” Disappointingly, Triumph isn’t Toby’s real surname. It was inspired by a make of car (of all things), and Toby says he chose it because it had a certain ring to it, and he didn’t want to disappear into the homogenous mass of recently-graduated illustrators. We certainly think he’s standing out from the crowd. Until 29 October at the Old Courthouse, 4 Westgate, Thirsk, YO7 1QS, www.ruralarts.org, www.tobytriumph.co.uk SH Figure out where to go in Leeds on www.leedsguide.co.uk with our nifty event ﬁnder.

Leeds Guide 49

LEEDSGUIDE.CO.UK/ARTS OPERA

Preview Lehar: The Merry Widow It is only her millions and his pride that keep them apart

ne of the many true bonuses of Leeds-based Opera North, and their Grand Theatre stagings, is the keenness to put on musicals

and operettas in addition to classical opera. Further, revivals of works by the likes of Stephen Sondheim and Kurt Weill have new productions bestowed

upon them with the same meticulous care as the company’s treatment of Mozart or Verdi. Here, the company takes a fresh look at the 20th century’s most popular operetta, Franz Lehár’s The Merry Widow, for the first time in two decades. Lehár’s piece premiered in Vienna in 1905. Based on an 1861 play by Meilhac (he and Halevy wrote the libretti for Carmen and several Offenbach works) the story involves a rich widow and the various attempts by her countrymen to keep her fortune – she is the biggest tax payer, after all – within the confines of the principality by finding her a fitting husband. ‘You’ll Find Me At Maxim’s’ from Act I together with the ‘Vilja Song’ from Act II are among the big hits and there are the two wonderful Valencienne-Camille duets, ‘A Highly-Respectable Wife’ (Act I) and ‘Red As The Rose in Maytime’ (Act II), despite these characters being only subsidiary roles. It was said that Lehár claimed that the melody to his greatest waltz came to him on a walk in the wood and, by necessity, got notated on his detachable collar, there being no paper to hand. The collar was laundered, despite the composer’s late efforts to retrieve it,

and the music lost. The famous ‘Merry Widow Waltz’ must surely have come close to it. Director Giles Havergahal comments: “[The operetta] manages to combine wonderful music with an engaging story. Also, it’s a very human tale, one to which we might all relate. The production will be ‘in period’ with the original early 20th century setting, but it’s going to have an edginess to it. The emphasis will be firmly on the love story, the central relationship, between Hanna and Danilo. These are two people with negative past experiences and we’ll see them trying to work through their emotional baggage and discover how to love and trust again. Musically memorable, there are, nevertheless, plenty of opportunity for great acting, with anger and humour in turns.” Opera North lavishes the production with a fresh new translation by Kit Hesketh-Harvey. Leslie Travers designs both set and costumes, ‘Strictly Come Dancing’’s Craig Revel Horwood choreographs and Wyn Davies conducts. Sung in English. 16, 20, 22 October, Grand Theatre, 46 New Briggate, LS1 6NZ, 0113 222 6222, 7.30pm, £10-£58 TT

DANCE

Preview Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Ali Schoﬁeld looks forward to the return of the high energy New Yorkers

ith the presence of some of the world’s finest dance companies right here in Leeds, one could be forgiven for assuming touring performances would provide a nice aside but ultimately nothing more. Then you see Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Established 50 years ago in New York, the African-American company could well be the most exciting company to watch on the dance circuit. Every few years they return to the Alhambra and cause gasps of adulation with their high energy pieces and spotless choreography. Their latest Bradford stop-off on 15th and 16th October will be an even more seminal one than usual, as long-time artistic director and onetime AAADT dancer, Judith Jamison departs the company next year, making way for Robert Battle. Those who caught AAADT’s most recent stint at the Alhambra in 2007 will be pleased to experience ‘Revelations’ again, one of the longest established pieces in the repertoire, created by Ailey in 1960. Addressing the themes of emancipation from slavery and devotion to Christianity, the work consists of three main sections, employing blues and gospel in a performance which gives much more religious persuasion than any church sermon arguably could. Accompanying ‘Revelations’ in the 50 Leeds Guide

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programme are Jamison’s own ‘Hymn’ and the world premiere of Christopher Huggins’ ‘Anointed’. Huggins’ work is set to fellow New Yorker Moby’s music, while Jamison’s tribute to late company founder and friend Ailey won an Emmy award in 1993. The opportunity to see AAADT doesn’t come around that often; here’s your chance. 15-16 October, The Alhambra, Morley Street, Bradford, BD7 1AJ, 01274 432 000, www.bradford-the atres.co.uk, 7.30pm, £15.50-£29 Wed 13 Oct - Thu 28 Oct 2010

LEEDSGUIDE.CO.UK/ARTS

“DAZZLING” Telegraph

“PHYSICALLY THRILLING” Sunday Times

“DARING ARIEL THEATRE” Independent

Saturday 30 October

Wednesday 17 November

Saturday 20 November

Box Office: 0113 224 3801

Box Office: 01484 430528

Box Office: 01904 623568

The Electric Press, Millennium Square Leeds, LS2 3AD

Queen Street, Huddersﬁeld, HD1 2SP

St Leonard’s Place, York, YO1 7HD

7.30pm

www.thecarriageworkstheatre.org.uk

Wed 13 Oct - Thu 28 Oct 2010

7.30pm

www.thelbt.org

2.30pm & 7.30pm

www.yorktheatreroyal.co.uk

Leeds Guide 51

COMEDY PUPPET MASTER

Interview Paul Zerdin

The ventriloquist comedian talks Muppets, Copperﬁeld and Monkhouse before his Leeds gig

entriloquism may be a rare art form these days, but here’s your chance to see a leading exponent in action, as Paul Zerdin brings his Sponge Fest show to the city. You have quite an unusual name, is it a stage name? It’s my own name and it’s from Russia. My grandfather on my father’s side was Russian and he came over during the revolution. It was a useful name at school because you could sneak in late and they would still be calling the register. How do you find doing ventriloquism in the stand-up world? I feel I sit in that world quite comfortably because I can work any audience. Some still see it as an old fashioned art and have the preconceived notion of an old bloke with a dummy. I mix using puppets with talking about ventriloquism in everyday life and twists like ‘hearing people’s thoughts’ and animatronics to give ventriloquism an edge, it’s all about making it cool. There is a traditional element to the show, yes, but the puppets aren’t old scary dolls but Muppety-type friendly-looking characters who people instantly warm to. Who do you admire in ventriloquism? The book I learnt from (A Gottle of Geer) was written by a man called Ray Alan, who sadly died recently. He had an aristocratic character called Lord Charles and was the best ventriloquist ever, his lips didn’t move at all. I was also influenced by ventriloquist-comedian Ronn Lucas and comedian-magician Wayne Dobson, together they represented everything I wanted to do. I like David

Copperfield too. He gets terrible press in this country for being schmaltzy and over the top, but he is brilliant live. The comedy stuff he does with the audience is like watching a master at work, it’s a shame people don’t see him in the same light as I do. You cite Bob Monkhouse as an influence too? Bob was so slick. He was accused of being too smarmy, particularly as a gameshow host, but when you saw him live that’s what he was best at. He was a comedian’s comedian and is respected by comics young and old. I remember rehearsing for the 2002 Royal Variety Show with Jimmy Carr and Lee Mack, and Bob came over and tapped me on the shoulder and told me this was the best spot I’d ever done. It’s a great feeling when someone you respect knows you and knows what you have done. 26 October, The Library, 229 Woodhouse Lane, LS2 3AP, 0113 244 0794 SO’H

DARK COMIC

Preview Andrew O’Neill ‘Saxondale’ star brings stand-up show to Yorkshire

n the mood for an alternative brand of stand-up? Andrew O’Neill could be your man, as he’s bringing his new show Occult Comedian to Leeds this fortnight. O’Neill is an interesting character with an interest in all things dark – a vegan and heterosexual transvestite, he describes himself as a metalhead and amateur occultist, but emphatically not a goth – so you should be in for a genuinely unique performance. Billed as a show where ‘whimsy meets the mysterious side of life’, Occult Comedian covers a range of thought-provoking issues while taking some genuinely surprising twists and turns, the Scotsman newspaper suggesting it is “original and leftfield to the 52 Leeds Guide

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point of bumping into the perimeter fence”. It’s a great chance to see an unusual show that’s already attracted critical acclaim after a run at Edinburgh and several summer festivals. O’Neill also has some TV and radio experience under his belt (most notably alongside Steve Coogan in the underrated ‘Saxondale’), but stand-up provides the best opportunity for him to be at his most creative. 18 October, The Library, 229 Woodhouse Lane, LS2 3AP, 0113 244 0794 22 October, Harrogate Theatre, Oxford Street, HG1 1QF, 01423 502 116 SO’H Wed 13 Oct - Thu 28 Oct 2010

WHAT THE JUFF

Meet the Band Juffage

We meet a solo artist who’s a little more than your standard singer-songwriter

olo artists are often so predictable, clinging on to the well tried and tested stool sitting, guitar playing, singer-songwriter mould – so sometimes it’s hard to imagine anything else will ever present itself. The odd few do though, and this is where Jeff Smith, aka Juffage, surfaces. He’s been experimenting with music since he was 13, making “crappy techno” in his bedroom and accumulating gear to experiment recording his own music and friends’ bands too. “When I was 17, I got one of these Roland eighttrack things that recorded to 250mb zip disks which today is such a hilarious joke! But I did a whole record on it,” he says. Today though, all the tinkering around has created a startling oneman show. Smith’s writing, recording and playing is all solo but the sound he creates is layered in so many directions you’d expect to see a 10 piece band, rather than a man nestled amongst a mountain of musical artillery – guitars, keys, drums, pedals, mics, leads. His music lands on the side of a more acoustically influenced Caribou, than a whiney guitarist. “Doing things myself has just kind of come out of necessity,” says Smith. “I actually was putting together a sevenpiece band for my second tour of the States, but it slowly ended up falling apart due to other people having to go to college. I had two really amazing drummers that both dropped out for

PLAY

MUSIC

Billy Mason Woods, of Leeds noise merchants Blacklisters, tells us the songs he plays when he’s

Happy...

this reason.” Even with seven members Juffage couldn’t recreate live the arrangements he lays down on record. Playing what can only be called noise pop, Juffage moves from ambient wisps and whirrs of synths, combined with meandering piano parts and string melodies, with intricate drums that seem to skip in and build in and out of the pieces, to dropping in samples, buzzing bass lines that both haunt and drive, jaunty racing keylines and subtle harmonies across

the vocals. There’s a lot going on here, which is reflected in other areas of the Juffage project – a MySpace laden with videos and he’s also working on a multi-channel sound art installation in a bench for the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, and eventually a fulllength record. In the meantime though, you can catch Juffage playing Brainwash Festival this October (see below). Listen at www.myspace.com/juffage CA

Preview Brainwash V

The annual festival of post-rock, post-punk and other noise returns

rainwash Festival is entering its fifth year. The festival has built a reputation for promoting the best new bands – from I Like Trains, Vessels, Sky Larkin (all of whom who have experienced success), to out of town bands to spice things up, like Foals, Oceansize and We Vs Death. And all this is done for charity. “The music ethos is loosely based around rock, metal and indie music, but we like to keep it diverse, so we’ve Wed 13 Oct - Thu 28 Oct 2010

had so many sub-genres as well as folk, electronica, jazz and much more,” says Brainwash promoter Haydn Britland. “Basically, I’ve never really been into just one type of music and I feel that this is how a lot of people approach music, so a diversity of taste is what drives things.” With several successful Brainwash Festivals under his belt – in the first year it raised over £3,000 for charity – he’s set his sights high for this year’s charitable contribution. “This year we’re planning on using the money to set something up locally to provide free music lessons to young people who might otherwise struggle to access them,” says Britland. “I’ve been working in a school the last couple of weeks that has really good facilities for music and it’s so good for children to get the opportunity to get into playing.” The line-up for 2010 is rich with high quality live acts and local heavy weights. The Plight, Chickenhawk, Cowtown, Humanfly, Plank! and Dosh

‘Mouth Breather’ – The Jesus Lizard “It’s a song about a really nice idiot and knowing what that feels like it always makes me happy. The Jesus Lizard just always get this great balance between total mania and controlled aggression and this song is a prime example of that.”

Sad...

‘End of Radio’ – Shellac “It’s a song which seems to be about the end of everything, let alone just radio. But even if it was just radio, imagine a world without Steve Wright? God I don’t want to think about it. Far too scary.”

Excited…

CHARITY FESTIVAL

Chickenhawk

it in a g a

are all taking to the stages of the Brudenell Social Club and the Royal Park Cellars. There’ll also be an international agenda with acts such as Melt Banana all the way from Japan, Mimas from Denmark and a secret headliner from LA. With so much going on, who should you make sure you see? “Argh! We have 50 bands playing,” say Britland, “but... just watch Shining. I’ve been watching a video of them playing this massive gig in Norway for A-Ha, lots of young girls look confused, so to see that particular rock show scaled down to the Brudenell is going to be ace. They also do a mighty fine cover of King Crimson’s ‘21st’.” 22-24 October, Brudenell Social Club, 33 Queens Road, Hyde Park, LS6 1NY, 0113 275 2411, and Royal Park Cellar, 39 Queens Road, Hyde Park, LS6, 0113 275 7494, weekend tickets £20, Friday ticket £5, Saturday ticket £10, Sunday ticket £10, for more information visit www.brainwashleeds.co.uk CA

‘Sandy’ – Shield Your Eyes “I am not all that bothered about the first half of this tune, it’s alright, like, don’t get me wrong, but the end riff of this tune is probably the best thing that has ever been written by a human being in any medium. It makes me want to bite off my own face, which can only be a good thing.”

Angry…

‘Steel Worker’ – Big Black “It is such a tune. It’s such a dark sarcastic song and so bleak. It makes hating stuff and being angry an all the more enjoyable experience for all involved.”

Nostalgic…

‘Young Americans’ – David Bowie “It’s just my favourite song, so I would listen to it no matter what I was doing: baking, cleaning, murdering, doing origami, it’s a song for all occasions.” Blacklisters are currently writing an album and will be playing Brainwash Festival (see opposite) later this month. Find out more at www. wearelowculture.com

Wired for sound? Get electriﬁed at www.leedsguide.co.uk/music with album reviews, band interviews and gig listings.

Leeds Guide 53

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RECOMMENDED LEEDS

» Music

CHARITY FESTIVAL

Preview Oxjam at The Well A full day of local music comes to The Well, all in aid of Oxfam

Thu 14 Oct Free Jazz & Experimental Murcef and Francesco Tristano Howard Assembly Room, Grand Theatre, 46 New Briggate, Leeds, 0113 243 9999 • 7.30pm • £10 • A unique and atmospheric collaboration between Mexican electronic composer Fernando Corona (aka Murcof) and classical pianist Francesco Tristano, as part a new UK tour. The gig blends two musical genres, acoustic improvisation and electronica to make epic, inspiring suites of music that move the mind and heart.

Fri 15 Oct Rock & Indie Darwin Deez The Cockpit, Swinegate, Leeds, 0113 244 1573 • 7pm • £8 • Writer and producer Darwin Smith uses a 4-string electric guitar in his own invented tuning. His New York based band perform electronic and indie rock. Support from Naïve New Beaters and Arron and the Hummingbird. Free Jazz & Experimental People In Jars, Master and the Mule Left Bank Leeds, St Margaret Of Antioch Church, Cardigan Road, Leeds • 810pm • Free • This will be a captivating evening showcasing two of Leeds’ most exciting, rising post progressive rock bands in a beautiful converted church come arts centre. Bring your own booze!

xjam started off back in October 2006 as a month-long music festival aimed at raising money for the various causes that Oxfam supports. The festival has remained a mainstay on the Leeds musical calendar ever since. In those four years, the festival has already raised over £1.2m towards

Oxfam’s good work – enough to buy 10,619 emergency shelters, 48,000 goats or 705 classrooms. Obviously the aim for this year is to raise even more cash. There have been numerous events happening across the city, including buskathons, a battle of the band, gigs and clubnights. One of the biggest events this year is Oxjam @ The Well, a 10 hour, 26 band, two stage gig taking place at The Well (formerly Joseph’s Well) just on the edge of Leeds city centre. The premise is pretty simple: there’s a main stage, boasting a number of Leeds and Yorkshire’s best local bands, including rave-influenced rockers Secret Sirens, proggy odd-balls Silverlode and lush indie-folkers March of the Dimes. On the second acoustic

WIN! Chrome Hoof tickets & a meal at The Wardrobe

To celebrate the launch of Band on the Wall in Leeds, we have a pair of tickets to see space jazz rockers Chrome Hoof at The Wardrobe, plus a meal for two guitars, bass and drums. Their music combines metal, funk, jazz, prog, disco and chamber music and has drawn comparisons to such diverse acts as Mars Volta, Parliament, Sun Ra Arkestra and The Mothers Of Invention. Their stage outfits – cloaks, capes, afros, goggles and mountains of shiny silver lycra – are equally off the wall. The Mighty Diamonds, 15 October, The Wardrobe, 9pm, £12.50 (plus club night afterwards)

Sat 16 Oct Pop Kate Nash Leeds Met Student Union, Calverley Street, Leeds, 0113 812 8400 • 7pm • £14 • After platinum selling album Made of Bricks, the singer/songwriter returns with the follow up My Best Friend is You.

Wed 20 Oct Eclectic Dan Le Sac Vs Scroobius Pip, Kid A & Misty’s Big Adventure Leeds University Union, Woodhouse Lane, University Of Leeds, Leeds, 0113 3801 400 • 7pm • £14.50 advance • The hip-hop/electro duo whose name has been on the tip of everyone’s tongues, since the release of their 2007 single Thou Shalt Always Kill. Sounding like a head on collision between The Streets, Goldie Lookin’ Chain and Fourtet, they manage to mix coolness, humour and wry commentry with some highly original material.

Chrome Hoof, 29 October, The Wardrobe, 8pm, £11 The Wardrobe, 6 St. Peter’s Square, LS9 8AH, 0113 383 8800, www.thewardrobe.co.uk, www. bandonthewall.org TG

Thu 21 Oct Rock & Indie Plan B O2 Academy Music - Leeds, 55 Cookridge Street, Leeds, 0113 242 7272 • 7pm • £15 • One of the most incredible reinventions these shores have seen for some time, Plan B follows up the success of his recent shows and retro soul album with a UK tour.

Fri 22 Oct Dance & Electronica Belleruche Elbow Room, 64 Call Lane, Leeds, 0113 245 7011 • 9pm • £5 • The Tru Thought-signed band create a mix of blissed out summer melodies and hip-hop inspired beats. Support from SoulDeliq, DJ Ben Echo and more. More listings at www.leedsguide.co.uk/listings

54 Leeds Guide

stage it’s all about local singer-songwriters, including powerfully voiced soulful songstress Hayley Gaftarnick, the great Hannah Trigwell and Jasmine Kennedy, playing one of her first gigs since winning a competition to take to the stage at Bingley Music Live and open up for the likes of John Lydon’s Public Image Limited and 90s indie legends James. If you turn up early (before 5pm) all the organisers ask is that you pay want you want for your musical entertainment (but be generous, it’s all for a good cause, after all), and after 5pm it’s still a mere snip at £3. 17 October, The Well, Chorley Lane, LS3 1AB, 0113 244 0474, 111pm; 1-5pm pay what you want, 5-11pm £3, www.thewellleeds. com, www.oxfam.org.uk

Chrome Hoof & The Mighty Diamonds (inset)

aving re-established themselves in their hometown, legendary Manchester venue Band on the Wall are taking to the road and spreading their promotions further afield. This is good news for the people of Leeds, because it means that this not-for-profit venue run by registered charity Inner City Music will be bringing their gigs to The Wardrobe in Leeds, giving punters a diverse range of acts to enjoy. Their first two gigs are a great

example of their diversity. The first gig, on 15th October, features The Mighty Diamonds – one of Jamaica’s original roots reggae bands – followed by a reggae club night. In stark contrast, their second gig on 29th October features the somewhat bizarre Chrome Hoof. For those not familiar with the work of Chrome Hoof, they are a 10-piece ‘space jazz’ band whose instrumentation includes saxophone, trumpet, bassoon, violin,

We have a pair of tickets to give away to see Chrome Hoof, plus a two course meal for the winners, including a bottle of house wine. To be in with a chance of winning, just tell us which of the following animals has hooves: a) Horse b) Dolphin c) Squid Competition closes 25 October

Wired for sound? Get electriﬁed at www.leedsguide.co.uk/music with album reviews, band interviews and gig listings.

Wed 13 Oct - Thu 28 Oct 2010

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Leeds Guide 55

NIGHTLIFE

PICK 'N'

MIX

Every fortnight, the best local DJs give us their top five tunes

PARLIAMENTARY COALITION

Clubs Quiz Alex Simmons, Ray Chan and Rob Tissera, promoters of Parliament We meet the men behind Space’s new house night

idda is a well known Leeds spin doctor with a particular penchant for house and techno tunes. He is a resident DJ at Glasshouse, held every Saturday at Gatecrasher and this issue he tells us about his top tunes to play in Leeds clubs at the moment. ‘Sound Kicking Smile’ (club edit) – Kidda “It’s my own worked up magic.” ‘Knas’ – Steve Angello “This is a big main room tune, Swede special and I love the fizz throughout.” ‘XTC’ – Riva Starr “I’ve chosen this because Riva Starr one of my favourite producers on the planet.” ‘Silvia’ – Seb Ingrosso & Dirty South “This tune has a big, big lyric and I love the original but this re-work is a real biggy in clubs at the moment.” ‘Phazing’ featuring Rudy – Dirty South “This is a really deep feeling track. I heard it at Space Ibiza this summer on the terrace and had a right bounce with the Spanish.” Glasshouse, Every Saturday, Gatecrasher, New Briggate, LS1 6NU, 0113 245 4577, £10/£8 NUS SJTB

Rob Tissera

arliament is a brand new house night from three huge names in dance music: Alex Simmons (Habit), Ray Chan (Candypants) and Rob Tissera (Kissdafunk). This exciting night is to be held every other week at the newly refurbished Space nightclub and from what the promoters tell us it should be something special. Why have you all come together for this new night? Ray: Individually we run three of the most fun brands in the city so we thought we’d bash our heads together and try to deliver a great quality weekly Saturday night. We are out and out workaholics with bags of energy and enthusiasm. It really is a perfect combo. How did you all meet? Alex: The three of us have collaborated on several occasions over the past couple of years. Firstly, on all of the ‘Love Leeds’ events, then most recently at the Swedish House Mafia gig at Magna. What does each of you bring to the table? Rob: Ray is the sensible voice of reason in the team whereas Simmo and I specialise in music. Between the three of us, we know every mover and shaker in the industry. We’re really confident that Parliament will be a fantastic Saturday night experience.

56 Leeds Guide

Is there a story behind the name? Ray: We decided to pick a name that represented an institution for people to go to. Parliament was the perfect choice. Tell us about the new Space venue – why does it suit you? Ray: Its location is great and the refit looks amazing. We’re very lucky to have such a great looking venue at the busiest end of town. Habit is rammed all year round and my relationship with the club had a big influence on us moving there. We’re sure everyone will be pleased with how it looks inside. Rob: Space has long been known as a leading light in Leeds’ rich and colourful history. Everyone has a favourite ‘Space moment’; it’s part of the clubbing DNA of the city. What’s your booking policy? Alex: We’re looking to fuse the freshest talent with a pool of the world’s best DJs. We won’t book the big names every week, as we feel we’ve got an excellent team of the north’s finest residents. But we certainly will look to get in the big hitters a couple of times a month. The last Saturday of the month with Kissdafunk will nearly always have a big DJ, but we’re really keen to look at breaking new acts all the time too. What are your proudest moments as promoters? Alex & Ray: The Swedish House Mafia

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at Magna was our pinnacle so far. It was unbelievable to see 3,700 of our closest friends going that mental!! Rob: Kissdafunk at the Academy in Leeds with David Guetta last summer was ridiculous. He had back to back number one singles in England and America the week before our gig. The words fucking and roadblock spring to mind. From who do you take influence? We take influence from everyone. After all, everyday’s a school day; Simon Oates (Gatecrasher), Dave Beer [Back2Basics] (legend) to name but two. What plans have you for Parliament in the future? We’d love to take it to other cities in the UK and also to other countries just like we have with Habit, Candypants and Kissadfunk. But for the time being we’d be really happy to make Parliament at Space the place to be on a Saturday night. Why should people come to Parliament? To have the time of their lives; we just want to make it fun, it’s as simple as that. Saturdays, The Space, Duncan Street, LS1 6NJ, 0113 246 1030, 10pm-6am, £10 SJTB Wed 13 Oct - Thu 28 Oct 2010

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RECOMMENDED

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14 » Nightlife Wed 13 Oct Funk, Soul, Reggae & Ska MoveOnUp HiFi Club, 2 Central Road, Leeds, 0113 242 7353 • 10.30pm2.30am • £4 (£3.50 mems) • With its 14th Anniversary this month, MoveOnUp continues to pack them into The HiFi Club every Wednesday with their blend of northern soul, Tamla Motown, Stax, Atlantic & sixties beat.

Thu 14 Oct Funk, Soul, Reggae & Ska Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry Leeds University Union, Woodhouse Lane, University Of Leeds, Leeds, 0113 3801 400 • Call for times • £14 advance • The godfather of dub and the high priest of reggae. Bob Marley’s producer and a truly original musical innovator. From 1970s Jamaica to the present day his music has been consistently excellent and his influence consistently enormous.

Fri 15 Oct Dance & Electronica Mr Scruff The Faversham, 1-5 Springfield Mount, Leeds, 0113 243 1481 • 11pm-4am • £8 (£7 adv, £10 after midnight) • Performing a five hour set, Mr Scruff is coming to Leeds as part of his Keep it Unreal tour. DJ-ing since 1994, Mr Scruff is known for his marathon sets, eclectic musical taste and his drawings and animations which often accompany his sets.

Sat 16 Oct Jazz & World Cuba Libre 4th Birthday Azucar, 5 Brewery Place, Leeds, 0113 243 5761 • 11pm4am • £3 (Free before 12am) • Resident DJs Lubi, Fabio Bahia and Silvao known as La Combinacion Perfecta (the perfect combination) will be playing their usual mix of Latino and Hispanic inspired music. Those who attend before midnight will receive a free Cuba Libre cocktail. Rock & Indie Love Spreads The Stone Roses Bar, 9 Lower Briggate, Leeds, 0113 234 6704 • 6pm-5am • Playing indie and Britpop classics until late.

Tue 19 Oct Dance & Electronica Modulate Wire, 2A Call Lane, Leeds, 0113 234 0980 • 10:30 pm • £4 before 11/ £5 after • This brand spanking new club night brings you the sounds of house, UK funky and garage from a host of fresh new artists plus support from residents Louis Saville and Jamie Grind. Opening night welcomes Hackman and UK bass scene newcomer Pariah, who has already mixed for Mary Anne Hobbs and remixed The xx. Expect it to be a big one!

DANCE & ELECTRONICA

FUNK, SOUL, REGGAE & SKA

Preview Preview Higher Ground Modulate at Wire Aandnewsoulstudent night comes to Smokestack packed full of funk Every third Tuesday enjoy a new night of funky house and garage

o here comes another Leeds winter; dark northern nights, windy evenings and drenched days. However, one consolation will be Modulate, the new UK funky/house/garage night at Wire, on Call Lane. The night launches on Tuesday 19th October, will be held every third Tuesday of the month, and it promises to be great. When asked about this new night, co-founder and resident DJ Jamie Grinds told us: “I think we felt there was a need for a night like this to come about, there’s a bunch of talented upand-coming DJs and producers that haven’t yet been to Leeds so we wanted to bring them over and put them in the spotlight.” One of the new talents who will be appearing at the launch of Modulate is Pariah; he is a young London DJ/producer, recently highlighted as ‘Act of the Week’ by the Guardian, he sounds at times like an atmospheric blend of The xx and Artful Dodger. Hackman is another skilled youth who will be playing. He strikes a little closer to the core of garage, twisting strong rhythms and he really knows how a dance floor works. Modulate is set to be a forwardthinking night with original, quality tunes from acts such as those mentioned above, as well as Grinds and his resident partner in crime, Louis Saville. The summer mix made by these residents proves that they are no slouches on the decks, providing a catchy soundtrack to the last few months and they are certainly looking forward to playing to Leeds’ party people: “Leeds has always been at the forefront for new music and is definitely up there as one of the best places to be for this sort of thing – people here are in-the-know musically, so Modulate is definitely a night for the heads who appreciate good music.” These guys have got their ears to the streets and can spot the difference between a flash in the pan trend and a genuine surge in UK musical talent, so get down to Wire and check it out for yourself. Every third Tuesday, Wire, Call Lane, LS1 6DN, 0113 243 1481, 10.30pm-3am, £5, £4 before 11pm Adam Hutcheson

n the last few weeks you will no doubt have noticed that Leeds has become somewhat busier as the students have returned. This yearly migration brings about a number of reactions: some people find the injection of youth refreshing, some complain about the extra traffic on Otley Road and some shake their fists at the influx of ‘bloody students’ who they think spend their days drinking, playing computer games and moulding their hair into the perfect just out of bed look. However little or much truth there is in this, and whatever your opinion of Leeds’ students, they do contribute to the city’s fantastic nightlife scene. Leeds is home to loads of great nights aimed at students, including Higher Ground, the latest event to be launched by the good people at Smokestack. Higher Ground is held every Wednesday at the Lower Briggatebased venue and it was launched on 6th October, giving students just enough time to settle back into their tricky balance of education and inebriation. The night is aimed at students, but is equally welcoming to anyone who fancies a bit of a midweek party in a groovy venue. But what of the music – how remiss of us! Higher Ground is a night that’s all about funk, soul and motown, hence the name inspired by

a Stevie Wonder song. If you do dig Stevie, Marvin Gaye, Otis Redding, Ray Charles, Martha Reeves, The Supremes and all the other inevitable names connected to these genres of music then this could be the night for you. Higher Ground is held on the upper floor of Smokestack in The Roost and if you want to strut your stuff down there it’s free entry too – hear that students? Resident DJs Chico Malo and Paul Dunphy will be on hand to take your funky requests so get out those glad rags and start practising your moves. Wednesdays, Smokestack, Lower Briggate, LS1 6LY, 0113 225 2222, 10pm-3am, free entry SJTB

Thu 28 Oct Eclectic Silver Hips Halloween Special HiFi Club, 2 Central Road, Leeds, 0113 242 7353 • 10.30pm-3am • £5 (£2 adv, £3 fancy dress) • Come in fancy dress for cheap entry and the chance to win prizes for the best dressed, there will also be goody bags, cut-throat cup cakes and the usual mix of pop, rock and soul music. More listings at www.leedsguide.co.uk/listings

Wed 13 Oct - Thu 28 Oct 2010

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Will Self

Sophie Haydock speaks to the authour about his addiction to heroin, mountains made of gold, being a jaded writer and his passion for walking – all the way to Hollywood be discussed as if it was some kind of stunt that I wanted to pull. From my point of view, it was just another average day in the life of a heroin addict. At the time, when I was using drugs like that, one day I might have been covering an election campaign, and the next day I might have been dealing with the plumber. It wasn’t particularly relevant for me. “I think people understand intuitively that if you have a readership, then you’re independent in a way that very few people are in life. But I have to say, I think that a lot of people want to write for the wrong reasons: for money, for public acclaim, I think those are fairly ignoble motives for doing anything, really.

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“And now I am fantastically

“W

alking has been a passion of mine over the years. So I thought it would be an interesting idea to walk to Hollywood and write a book about it. The book is in three sections, and the Hollywood bit is about the death of film. In the past, film was one of the only kinds of entertainment we could experience collectively. And now, because of so many things, we’ve lost that. Walking is such an un-cinematic process: it can’t be edited, it’s a continuous take. “The walking was an enjoyable process. But since I wrote Walking to Hollywood I’ve slightly… I obviously haven’t stopped walking because then I’d have to get a mobility scooter, but I haven’t been walking in quite the way I was when I started work on that book. “I wrote Walking to Hollywood backwards – I wrote the last piece, about walking along the east Yorkshire coastline, first – and then the central section about Los Angeles, and then the first section. The east Yorkshire piece I wrote before I even did the journey. “I thought it would be interesting, as an imaginative exercise, to write about a walk that you hadn’t yet done – and then to do it and see to what extent it was as you’d imagined. It well surpassed my expectations! It was the most astonishing place. It wasn’t a long walk, only about 35 miles, but it is a weird coastline, this kind of mud cliff, constantly falling into the sea, it’s very odd. 58 The Leeds Guide

“I always wanted to be a writer. My career has exceeded all my expectations. When I was writing my first book, my only ambition was to have a book accepted for publication. That was it. Just knowing there was going to be a book on the shelf with my name on the spine... And now I am fantastically jaded. Incredibly jaded. I’m as jaded as a bit of jade. “The philosopher Hume said that creativity is simply the combination and re-combination of ideas. There’s nothing intrinsically interesting about the idea of a mountain, or the idea of gold. But if you put them together you have a golden mountain. “I think that creative people tend to have that kind of combinatorial mind, where we constantly are joining together things to see if they work or throw interesting light on the world. That’s just what we do all the time. It’s not a process I find difficult. “A low point was before I gave up drink and drugs 10 years ago. I was working on a book, which I couldn’t, in all honesty, finish. There’s something very spiritually and morally sapping about addiction in that way. What made me want to kick in booze and drugs was I really knew I couldn’t go on writing. And when I did get sober, I wrote like a demon immediately again. “Yes, it’s mostly true [that he was fired from the Observer for taking heroin on the Prime Ministerial jet when going to interview John Major]. The thing that bothers me about it, is that it tends to

jaded. Incredibly jaded. I’m as jaded as a bit of jade” “What I would say, and do say to young people who want to write, is think long and hard about whether you want a life that basically involves solitary confinement for many, many years. It is one of the most isolated occupations there is. It’s like being a lighthousekeeper of society. And I think very few people have the necessary temperament for it, actually. “I’ve spent my entire life in London, give or take a few little sojourns here and there. But you can’t not have a connection to Yorkshire, can you? It’s got everything, major cities, all sorts of countryside, coastline. I think if I had my time again, the north is exactly where I’d like to have been: somewhere in Manchester or Leeds. You’ve got it all. But no, I’m stuck in London, and that’s that.” Walking to Hollywood by Will Self is out now, published by Bloomsbury (£17.99). Self appeared on 11th October at the Ilkley Literature Festival. The festival runs until 17th October, www.ilkleyliteraturefesti val.org.uk Wed 13 Oct - Thu 28 Oct 2010

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