Leaving City Square and passing the city rail station, a ten minute walk will find you at “The Grove” public house, now surrounded by high-rise building developments. This
venue is where Mark Knopfler played while working in Leeds - the pub sign illustrates
his Grove connection.
Today, the artist playing in the music room at the back of the pub is Kwame. D, a singer-songwriter from Ghana, now based in Leeds. Performing songs the audience can relate to, Kwame starts our musical day off well.
A twenty minute walk takes us to the New Roscoe which, with the influence of legendary
Leeds music promoter John Keenan, has live music every evening plus Sunday afternoons. The pub showcases local bands plus many excellent tribute bands, as well as
1960s icons such as Chris Farlowe.
This Sunday afternoon, the place rocks with Wakefield-based “The Welsh T Band”. You can see why this band took the 2005 Colne Blues Festival by storm with their high powered blues / rock renditions.
Another ten minute stroll takes us to a quieter gig, at the Duck and Drake, close to the famous Leeds Kirkgate Market. The “Duck” is a throw back to the old days of a
city center pub, where regulars gather. Image-wise, it is as far from the glitzy wine bars and restaurants of city center Leeds you could find, but is now becoming one of Leeds' most popular music venues.
Yorkshire's answer to James Blunt is playing in the form of Shaun T Hunter, a singer-songwriter who gives his audience a performance in a homely, friendly atmosphere that leaves the punter feeling guilty, for not having to pay an entrance fee. This is grass roots entertainment that surely deserves a wider audience.
To finish a musical Sunday, we visit the HI-FI Club. Situated towards the Corn Exchange, it is a venue easily missed due to its innocuous frontage - a simple door takes you downstairs to a club which is frequented by all races and creeds, giving a multi-cultural feel to an inspiring venue which proves that music can overcome any type of boundaries or prejudice.
The return of sax legend Snake Davis to Leeds ensures a full venue. Snakie, who has toured the world with M. People, Pet Shop Boys and Jim Diamond, to name but a few, returns on a regular basis to the city where he studied music at the Leeds College of Music. I for one can remember him busking in the Leeds city center while he was a student.
As usual, Snake Davis gives a stunning performance, including an incredible version of Elvis's “Suspicious Minds”, which brings the house down. Truly fantastic end at midnight, which concludes a ten-hour day of live music brilliance.
