I'll echo much of what others say about this excellent little club…read more It's unassuming and small, but is efficiently run with really nice people - both punters and staff alike - filling the place. A well priced bar with one quality draught ale available - it was the superb Roosters Yankee when I went but is likely to change at any given point - and a relaxed room in which to meet friends, chat and catch up. Connected by a small corridor is the venue itself. Not too large again but comfortable and with a half decent sound system too. I've seen 2 shows here and both both were very enjoyable with a casual approach on the door and enough space to move about. One thing - if you see something heavy in here it'll be pretty intense as people are very close to the stage. I saw local Leeds heroes Hookworms here and 2 of the guitarists had to stand in the audience as the stage simply wasn't large enough! But no matter - it just felt more cosy and laid back! Very conveniently sited by the bus station it's dead easy to get home after too. As others have said this is a members club, but membership is a quid or something so fantastic value. Just make sure you are a member before turning up and expecting to get in!

So much good has already been written about this place (and well deserved i feel). But still i'll…read moreadd my penny's worth. I think its rare to find this kind of place in a city. An almost town hall vibe (if that makes sense to the country folk). You know the place. The bars bussed in from some friend of a farmers, the seating's all handed down and its manned by the local PTA. Basically what i'm trying to say, in the same way any village without a pub manages to put together a sort of community bar, the chambers manages to fashion a real atmosphere of here but for the grace of good people. You feel like everything is built on goodwill and i think the vibe tells. As soon as i entered on my first visit i was asked what i wanted to drink, on uming and ahhring i was suggested a beverage (tick the box for effort). I clocked the table football in the corner (tick the box for free to all fun) and then i was charged a pound for my drink and 20p for space raiders (tick the box for affordable and tick the box for space raiders - yes there's a space raiders box, every bar in Leeds knows it and that's why they all fail!). They were friendly, it was cheap, it was nice space just to be, not overcrowded, not full of people who "just love the cultural aspects that are soo..." (whatever hipsters these days say). It might feel a little out of the way but i can quickly see it being first stop before the calls if i ever have to show my face at parties with less "local savy". A proper little find i feel and well worth dropping in!

Having just enjoyed a few hours geeking up at the new GetIntoGaming event at the Adelphi my…read morecompadres and I decided to stay out for one more beer. We would have happily supped away at the Adelphi, but the quiz was in full swing by then and the upstairs room was to be closed. Hmm. Where to go on and drink? Well, it was getting reasonably late, and the Old Red Lion was inexplicably closed (much to our dismay) so we popped into Empire, being as it was right there, new and open. From the front it looks ma-hoo-sive, but once we entered into the fold a really cosy little surround greeted us. It's all done up in a rustic grey, so it's pretty cool, and the bar is super miniature. We chose the sofa seat to the back of the room and, although I didn't explore, I figure there must be a bigger venue space downstairs as I'm aware these guys hold regular live music gigs. (Which surely can't be upstairs... ) I ended up quizzing the bar man about their beers, who had only been working there for two days bless him, so decided to take the plunge and try something new. They had an array of Belgian fruit beers, which I'm told the owners discovered on their travels, but being as they were only halves, reasonably high percentage and a touch on the pricey side I opted for a Saltaire Brewery bottle of Pale Blond. (Or something along those lines.) I think on another night I'll have to give the others a go, as I don't mind paying a bit more for a nice drink, but on this occasion I wasn't feeling thrifty. Only one real ale on tap, Deuchars, which was off sadly. But, there are plenty of intriguing bottles and a number of lagers to choose from. The Saltaire blond was lovely, and just under a pint from the bottle for about £3.50. My friend commented that it tasted similar to lager, but I really enjoyed it regardless. It was sort of mid-way between lager and ale, a bit like a Sierra Nevada pale ale in my opinion. His Saltaire Hazelnut Porter was just as delicious. The atmosphere wasn't booming, but to be fair it was a Tuesday night, and if I'm honest I loved that you could sit and hear your conversation. The staff were lovely and friendly and the music was great - not a pop tune in sight - so all in all this bar is one to watch. I'll have to come back for a gig sometime soon, as I'm sure that is where the personality of the place will kick in. All in all, it's worth a visit, so pop in and check it out!

Went here for rock of ages on saturday night and I was quite impressed, immediately as you walk in…read moreyou could tell they look after this place and don't let it get wrecked as the floor wasn't sticky or anything ok so down stairs there were a few broken bottles but what do you expect when you've got a load of metal heads rocking out? at least everyone tried to clear it all into 1 corner where it wouldn't do any harm, as with the rest of peoples empties end up in the same corner which makes it easier for the staff to clean up and nobody is kicking it around the room. For me there wasn't a great selection of drink as I normally prefer Newcastle brown or Kopperberg but they did have something similar, Rekorderlig, which to me tasted more like out of date yoghurt, but I had had a few drinks in other places earlier that night so wasn't too fussed bout a drink. There are booths just to the side for anybody wanting to sit down for a rest but looking at them I don't think you would be able to see the stage very well so wouldn't be good on a gig night. Overall it feels like a mini version of the cockpit but cleaner and I would recommend giving it a visit.

They host some really cracking events, it's worth noting that it isn't just music- I've seen some…read morereally quality cabaret here. The drinks are decent, full bar and reasonable prices too- it's worth checking out what they have on.

We came here for a friend's birthday last night and although I knew where it was, I'd never been…read morebefore. It reminds me a bit of Bradford's Love Apple in its set-up, in that it's a bar, restaurant, music venue and club all rolled into one. Our table was set up in a bit of an awkward place, along the side of the bar, beside the small booths, which meant that initially we got a great view of the stage (and the music provided by the Jen Low Band - very Dave Matthews they were), but from about 9pm people kept eyeing us up because clearly we were in their way, and so they simply stood in front of us, banged into our seats to get to the bar, and generally made us feel a bit like we were imposing. Hot Steve and I had already had a massive lunch so we passed on the starters, but did have a small bowl of olives for £2. For my main I had courgettes stuffed with ratatouille and Ribblesdale cheese for £10, and Steve had the sea bream with fries (£13.50). A bit pricier than I'd usually pay, particularly given the conservative portions, but then it did mean that we had room for puddings Mine was the prettiest pudding I've ever eaten (pistachio meringue with chantilly cream and strawberries - £4), and Steve's rubarb crumble and custard was very tasty too - also £4. So without drinks it was just over £30, and we got to listen to live music. We headed downstairs for the free Chichino gig (I had never heard of them, as I am not down with the kids, but it was a lady in leopard print leggings and a sweatband playing the funk out of a keyboard with a backing band - 'live house' apparently), but only stayed for one drink as it was a bit busy and we were full of food and also it was all a bit too surreal for almost-sober people like us. I'd like to come back - it's a nice place for a relaxed, long evening over a tasty meal and a bottle of wine, and less so much for a big party of people I think.

Places like these are such fantastic little finds, and make up a part of what I adore about Leeds…read more Scratch beyond the surface, wander a little off the beaten path, and you'll unearth a little wonder. So, what is Holbeck Underground Ballroom? It's an event space, of sorts, and I've heard that many a magical happening has occurred within their walls; Sneaky Experience and theatre performances, to name a few. The reason I knew about it? Andrew Weatherall and Sean Johnston. Yes, anyone who knows me a tiny bit will know that his set at Beacons Fest changed my world. (Sounds dramatic, but it was an incredible set. P.s. if anyone finds a recording of that set - do me a biggy, send it over!) Their night is called A Love From Outer Space (Yelpers in Glasgow, they do a regular there from what I gather) and it's just incredible. Electronica and dance like you've never understood before, but better than you can imagine. I'm an eclectic sort, and I'm well rooted in beat-orientated aurals, so this was my calling. And they played here, in this venue, in this city. The reception area out front is large enough to bung up a few gazebos, for smokers during events, and an array of portoloos. It's all fenced in, so managing ticketed events is easy, and the entrance room had a make shift bar selling a variety of drinks. In there, there was space for Joe's Bakery to set the tone with their skills, and through into the main room a decent light show shone out above the crowd, with the headliners themselves at the far end. The building is basically an old warehouse in Holbeck. Inside there's rustic hints at what once was its pupose, but now, much like Temple Works, it acts as an awesome underground space for artistic and musical events. Having only been the once, I can't quite give a more overall feel for the place, but it's promising and I'm certainly looking forward to an excuse to head back here. It feels, at the risk of sounding pretentious, like it's a place where cool things happen. Just a note: it's hard to spot. If you're headed over, grab a cab or go with a few mates. It's not exactly dangerous, but it's a little out of town.

This is how i want all theaters to be. Take note rest of the world!…read more It might not look like a million dollars when you arrive, the walk through Holbeck could be most optimistically labelled a development prospect. But once your in any concerns you may have had will wash away. The staff are uber friendly. If you've time before your show you'll find yourself nattering away with them for an age. Being a bit out of the way and secret and honestly "cool" in the proper use of the word (without guile), its one of those places where you'll end up taking to everyone. That might be a "my kind of people" statement but the place does have a friendly feel to it. Furnish yourself with a free cup of tea or coffee. Just grab the kettle and work away. Then head in to the "front room". Its not called that but with a mad array of sofas, chairs and stools it looks just like it. For large performances this is just the ante-room but for the smaller gigs (like the recent show Babylon) this is the home of the magic. In one corner you'll find an aga with some kind of delicious stew or soup bubbling (this is also free). Settle yourself down wherever you fancy and await the show. If you get cold (in winter particularly as it is a bit of a warehouse) avail yourself of the free to borrow blankets and hot water bottles! Are you reading this? Is it sinking in? Free tea/free food/blankets and hot water bottles. All just for the sake of being nice! The shows they have on tend to be of the original and crazy variety. Your bound to have an experience and be entertained. The last two i've seen (Babylon being the one that still sticks in my mind) were grand musical affairs that even gave you the chance for a bit of a dance and some participation in the story. I was bowled away by it and will happily trek out that way again for whatever they had to offer. The night in question was a pay how you feel night. We all paid £10 for our tickets, it seemed only fair, we even threw an extra £10 into the venue. I know this defeats the point of free food and tea but it was so overwhelming (and still added to two pounds each between us). So yes, it was great, i love it and so will you: To Holbeck!

I've been to Sela a couple of times now (both with Leeds-based colleagues on a night out) and it…read morehasn't let us down as a great place to finish off an evening in the city. The fact that it's down a flight of stairs from street level really helps to emphasise the 'intimate' atmosphere - there are no windows so your senses are focused on the sounds of live music instead. On my first visit there was a reggae band playing, the second time it was a jazz-influenced band. We really liked the down-to-earth vibe in here; they don't take themselves too seriously which is always refreshing. The bar offerings are also pretty impressive, they have literally dozens of beers from the UK and abroad (draught, cans and bottles). For non-beer lovers they have an ever-changing cocktail menu (expect to pay £6.50-£7). They also offer stone-baked pizzas, it's just a shame that by the time we've gone there we're already full from eating elsewhere!

Handily placed alongside one of the city's top bars; North Bar - Sela tends to always seem to find…read moreitself amidst a list of my regulars on a night on the city's finer tiles. It's just so handy to walk out of North Bar, fresh from an organic cider, to find myself tottering down the steps into Sela and ordering a Modelo. Thank you barman. A cool fresh funky bar, I don't know why it doesn't feature among my own personal favourites. Perhaps it's that, while it's a nice little bar, there's simply nothing to distinguish it from a lot of other trendy city centre nightspots. For me, it's lacking a bit of character and charisma. They do do a nice pizza though.

What a terrific venue Belgrave is - I'm jealous that Leeds has them and Manchester lacks one like…read morethem! The three storey building is used for events such as gigs, comedy nights, film showings and art installations, but at the weekend it was all about the food at their 'Belgrave Feast'. Every second Saturday of the month a small selection of the north's street food vendors set up here alongside permanent residents Patty Smith's (burgers) and Dough Boys (pizza). There's a full bar serving some very decent cask ales, craft beers and cocktails, and seating on all levels (though the ground floor gets very busy from noon onwards). You're able to explore each floor including their roof terrace which will no doubt be extremely popular when the weather's good - they also had a small arts and crafts market on the first floor when we were there. Free entry and free wifi to boot - the owner-operators certainly know how to run somewhere that seemingly ticks all the boxes. A great afternoon was had and I can't wait to go back.

As I wandered through the swathes of party goers on Saturday night, I felt heady on the vibes. Some…read morecool off-kilter electronica sounded out from the DJ, and I felt distinctly Gen Y - the lead in a scene from my own rave movie, or something. It's a place to be seen and scene. Perhaps I'm being overly poetic, I do that sometimes. This grand experience is Leeds' latest live music venue, and it's been a long time coming. Having opened briefly under the guise of simply 'The Belgrave', it was short-lived and you could tell there was potential in the space. Now, it's fully opened and raring to go, with so much going on. The first thing that greets you as you ascend the stairs are the bright neon signs, proclaiming the 'slice bar' (Doughboys Pizza) and the now-infamous roof terrace. There's two areas of seating right in front of the large windows at the entrance, for the cool kids to show off, and great long beer hall style tables in the main ground floor room. It's rustic, it's got the too-cool-to-be-finished unfinished feel, and you'll spot more intriguing facial hair here than at the World Beard And Moustache Championships. Probably. The menu of drinks offers up what I've come to expect from most new and hip venues in Leeds: a selection of craft beers and cocktails, all at a premium price, but (depending on your opinion) worth the spend for a decent drink. The staff have often been stressed and busy on my visits, but not unfriendly. They seem a solid bunch. Further to the excellent pizza, freshly made on sight, you've your choice of fish and chips from the fantastic Fish& as well - although I'm not sure about the hours they're open. On the first floor is where the music happens, and for that, you'll have to wait until I've gone to see Múm on the 21st for some thoughts. (Or go to a gig yourself!) I've heard it's a fantastic space, though, so I expect good things. The roof terrace is something of a marvel though. This is a fairly unheard of concept in Leeds, with only Sky Lounge, Angelica, and Crafthouse offering such delights elsewhere. (As far as I know.) However, this one has to be the coolest of the lot. It's got a distinctly festival vibe, and if I'm right in thinking the chaps that bring you Beacons fest are involved here, you'll see exactly why when you climb to the top - faux grass lawns, drinking sheds, deck chairs, and chimneys that seem to amplify the live music from the floor below. Now that's frackin' cool. But can you get a chilled beverage without having to go all the way back downstairs? Yes you can, from the Brooklyn Lager shed. It's pricey, but it's worth not having to go down and back up. So, the conclusion: It's absolutely worth heading over and checking out. It's so damned cool. Even in this wintry weather, grabbing a can and reclining almost horizontally in the deck chairs, whilst looking over Leeds, has a charm of its own.

The Venue is a theatre style auditorium for holding concerts in Leeds College of Music. Jazz,…read moreclassical and world music are the main genres for The Venue which is used for touring artists as well as show casing work from students as well as ensembles with students and established artists. There are various themes held at The Venue including lunch time sessions during the week and the international concert series showcasing particular styles from particular periods from certain parts of the world. This time round it is covering French chamber music from the 1870s.

Quite an odd place to attend a 'gig'…read more This is part of Leeds College of Music so is a more formal set up than a beery, sweaty venue one might expect for guitars and the like. There are endless stairs to climb to find the place, but once in your seat it's comfortable and spacious, with a well set out auditorium. What makes it a success is the terrific sound quality. Good sound might go hand in hand at such an establishment, but sound is what can make a place work. So many venues suffer from poor mixing or just a poor PA in general, but the sound for the Mark Lanegan show I saw in November 2013 was immaculate. You could hear every instrument, every warble in the great man's voice, and the audience remained silent throughout which made it better. Not quite the ***** review though. Getting in and out once the music started wasn't easy as you weren't permitted to go in during a song and had to wait in a sort of stair area until the right moment. That's OK in a more formal setting but when in any sort of rock and roll environment things like visiting the toilets or bar became quite a process. I'm not trying to say endless bladder trips are all that matters, but even a single trip to get a drink or whatever was a little awkward. Once seated it was a lot easier just to stay there. And the bar itself. Goodness me - despite the friendly approach of the staff the sheer level of mediocrity in the way it was run was startling. Very badly organised, a poor selection of drinks of any kind, and an apparently universal lack of basic knowledge of how to use the till. I went to the bar twice and on both occasions the staff present were unable to work the till in any way bar making it emit one long complaining bleep. Much discussion took place, and then calculators were used to total my bill up and a key used to open the till to get change. Amazing. Having said that it's a decent enough place and superbly situated for those using public transport as it's slap bang next to the bus station. And there's The Wardrobe next door for a sneaky nightcap on the way home...

Before the refit, I'd never been to the City Varieties, though I'd often heard folks wax lyrical…read moreabout the space and programme of events they hosted. With the fantastic annual Leeds International Film Festival fully in swing I had the opportunity to visit their newly re-decorated and reinvigorated halls to watch one of the films being shown in the Fanomenon section of the festival, linked with Thought Bubble. (At least I believe this was so.) The film of choice was Exit Humanity, and before I get on with the review, I've got to say I highly recommend you watch it. In any case, City Varieties is an absolute gem of a performance space. (From an audience point of view, that is.) The layout is utterly beautiful; it's set in an antiquated building to begin with, down one of the cobbled ginnels in the centre of town, with two lovely staircases leading up to the theatre spaces. There's at least one bar (I suspect a mini bar per theatre space) with actually reasonable prices from what I could tell. E.g. I think a bottle of water was only £1.50, and I'm sure I've been charged more elsewhere. It's also worth mentioning the lady serving was a delight! The theatre we were in was huge, complete with decadent upper stalls (private boxes) and tons of comfy seats facing the stage. The walls are lined with seating as well, which I've never known before, but this turned out to be a blessing since the chap in front of my original seat had an abnormally gargantuan head and so I had to move. (You do sustain a little neck ache though, being as you need to turn to face the correct direction.) However, two hours later and my posterior would usually be complaining, but not in these cushioned beauts. Sound was perfect and the whole thing was really impressive. As for their programme, I've yet to explore what else they're putting on, but I expect it to be much along the lines of comedy, theatre and a host of other cultural treats to get your teeth into. The best news of all is that the fantastic Swan pub has re-opened next door (I'm not sure it's still called that anymore) and is accessible via the City Varieties as well, so you can pop in for a decent pint post-performance! The whole set up is fab and I can't wait to come back again.

This venue is surprisingly well hidden away for its size! I was amazed to find a full theatre…read moreinside when I first went to see a play there a few years ago. It is located down an alley off Briggate in Leeds city centre. It was delightfully old fashioned with the red seating still in place. It is currently undergoing some £9.2 million refurbishment! What a lot of money indeed. So there are no shows on at the moment but I hope it continues to host a similar variety as it did before the refurbishment began. There were comedy shows, gigs, plays and pantomimes. I saw an amazing live band called Iron and Wine there a few years ago. It was a bit surreal seeing a live band whilst sitting down but after an hour I was glad of it. The music was so chilled and psychedelic I might have fallen backwards if I weren't sitting!

It's an ok venue, but the sound is bad often, the security are arseholes, the place lacks soul and…read morethe drinks are crap. Maybe it's an OK place for gigs but not for club nights, but I guess thats how they make money. Again I was not very happy with my treatment I experienced by the security staff. They shoud take a few tips from the guys who do security at Sela Bar and Smokestack. Would not come here again unless an artist I was REALLY desperate to see live played here. The place just sucks. I have attended a gig and while I was in a conversation with the artist the security staff were really pushing and annoying me to get out and when I attended their Propaganda night the security are just so rude. It's basically just a pile in as much as possible like cattle job. For students who don't give a toss this place is acceptable, but not for the rest of us.

What used to be Town and Country in Leeds has had a facelift and is now part of the Acedemy chain…read morewhich can found all over the country. I saw Spiritualized here recently and thought the place was well set out and there were enough bars to prevent major queues. The beer was Ok too although real ale fans won't have too much to choose from - typically high music venue prices. The sound was pretty good but when the volume went up it felt rather muddy. The Ducth venues have this sewn up as they are so well designed - in the UK we like a box shaped room with a stage at one end so the acoustics are rarely right. All in all for a larger sized venue this is a good place and if your favourite band are playing here you'll find the experience satisfying.

There are much better clubs than Oceana in Leeds, but, unfortunately, there are few that are…read morebigger, or busier, than this sprawling establishment on the corner of the Merrion Centre. Sprawling was the only word I could think of to describe Oceana Leeds; there must be dozens of rooms in this place, all decorated differently - dancefloors, boudoirs, ski lodges - but rather than endearing you to the club, this just annoys you as you spend half your night on the move, or trying to find friends you've lost in the labyrinth. They do have a student night where some drinks are ridiculously priced (80p), but this gets overcrowded, meaning that the mazy interior becomes even more hazardous. The real gripe most people have with this place, however, is the way it can up its prices with no notice for one random evening. For example, on Easter bank holiday Monday, the entry fee went up to £9, and you struggled to find drinks cheaper than £3.50, which, for Leeds, is a bit shocking.

Ok, so essentially Oceana, in theory, when all rooms are open for the offering, provides the client…read morewith seven themed rooms, separate spaces, clubbing/bar experiences. Due to size and central location this was my buddy's reason for organising his birthday bash up here. Granted, it's definitely got size on it's side, it's easy to get to, there's plenty of dance space, and once inside and all gathered together in collective buddy solidarity, there's an actual properly DJ for you to get your groove thing on. Or down. Or jiggy with. That sounds wrong. I got change from a tenner for paying to get in, and compared to some of the places I've been to in Manchester, for a large city centre club, I didn't find that too unreasonable. Some of my Yorkshire counterparts tended to disagree, but c'est la vie right? Also, if you can grab a flyer off one of the promotions people, and you get there before 10pm, entry's fiver. So I didn't think it was too bad at all. Inside it's absolutely massive, and depending on what night you go in, you can have access to up to seven different spaces. Oceana seems to have taken some influence from the bigger clubs in Ibiza like Pacha, that have separate themed spaces for patrons to dive into and enjoy, rooms I remember were the Ski Lodge, the New York Disco, the Venetian Ballroom, and Secret Garden. Drinks weren't too hard on the wallet either, a nice bogof incentive before the night hit the midnight hour. Once you do hit the midnight hour you've got three hours of partying left, as kickout time is decent 3am. Good times were had by all, not marvellous, but not hideous either.