Whether flying solo or working in collaboration with other local live music promoters and concert venues such as the Brudenell Social Club, The Crescent, The Fulford Arms, or Ouroboros, Joe Coates the man behind the York-based Please Please You is always guaranteed to bring some cracking gigs to the good people of his home city, Leeds, and beyond. An established track record of having successfully put on a wide range of musically diverse events over the past 17 years is a firm testament to this. And if further proof were needed, just take a look at some of the shows that Please Please You has in store for us over the coming weeks and months.
The new gig year begins in earnest on Saturday 21st January at the Brudenell Social Club in Leeds when the famous venue plays host to The Surfing Magazines. Comprising members of Slow Club and The Wave Pictures, they can turn their musical hand to all things rock’n’roll, pop, surf, and even classic country. Able support on the night comes courtesy of Trueman & the Indoor League.
Ten nights later and it is over to The Crescent in York. Like the Brudenell, a former working men’s club, on the 31st of January the venue opens its doors to Porridge Radio. A raging success when headlining Friday night at last summer’s Deer Shed: Base Camp Plus festival the Brighton four-piece make a most welcome return to North Yorkshire.
Into February and on the 6th of the month the last night of Independent Venue Week will be celebrated in suitably riotous style at The Fulford Arms in York when Welsh trio The Bug Club hit town. Tremendous support will be provided by a couple of stellar local bands in the form of Cowgirl and Perspex.
The following night it is back across town to The Crescent when John Francis Flynn takes to the venue’s stage. Self-described as “a Dublin man, singer of folk songs and a player of windy instruments”, this show really does promise to be something a bit special.
Staying in York, later on in February the renowned singer-songwriter and hometown legend Benjamin Francis Leftwich will be playing at The Citadel. Opened in 1883 by General Booth, the founder of the Salvation Army, this is a most delightful environment in which to experience live music. Support on the night is from Elanor Moss – whose excellent debut single was recently showcased on these pages – and Wounded Bear.
The Crescent in early March is certainly the place to be. On three consecutive nights – the 8th, 9th, and 10th – this wonderfully atmospheric venue will bear witness to three supreme and markedly diverse creative talents in the respective forms of singer-songwriter Stephen Fretwell, Southeast Asian psych popsters YĪN YĪN, and the maverick American songwriter and multi-instrumentalist BC Camplight.
Having had the immense pleasure of catching both Stephen Fretwell and BC Camplight at last year’s Green Man Festival I can attest to their individual brilliance in concert.
On the 16th of March, Please Please You goes west to Hebden Bridge in the Upper Calder Valley in West Yorkshire and the town’s famous Trades Club. Appearing there that night will be Peggy Seeger & Calum MacColl as part of what will be the legendary folk musician and feminist icon’s ‘The First Farewell Tour’. Now 86 years of age, Seeger shows no sign of slowing down and if her show at The Crescent with her son MacColl back in November 2017 is anything to go we will all be in for another real treat.
The above is just a small selection of shows promoted by Please Please You over the next few weeks. For full details of these shows and how to obtain tickets for them, along with a complete list of upcoming events from Please Please You, go to their website:
