Leeds Lifestyle
Leeds is regarded as one of the UK’s premier party towns. Readers of Condé Nast Traveller magazine voted it as their favourite UK city in 2003. Leeds law firms cite its reputation as a place to play as well as work as one of the key factors in their recruitment success of recent years.
One of Leeds’ strengths as an entertainment mecca is the compactness of its city centre. Bars and restaurants are clustered together, creating a party atmosphere most nights of the week and Leeds city centre can only improve as an entertainment centre as residential development increases the population of the city centre, according to Dan Jeffrey, editor of listings magazine Leeds Guide.
clubs
Leeds has a combination of warehouse-sized clubs such as the fairly new Creation, the Majestyk, Base and Rehab (new home to legendary Leeds club night Back2Basics) and slightly more intimate venues such as jazz/funk venues The HiFi Club and Wardrobe and underground venues ThinkTank for drum ‘n’ bass and the Basement for indie kids.
bars
The city is probably best known for the diversity of its bar scene and, while some are the usual chain store suspects – All Bar One, The Living Room, Pitcher and Piano and Henry’s – the city has a plethora of cool, independent bars such as Mojo, Mook, North Bar and the Arts Café all within stumbling range of each other. Most have late licenses and are increasingly taking their music seriously, hiring up-and-coming DJs.
comedy
The big recent development has been comedy, with the Comedy Store and the McDonalds of comedy, Jongleurs, both setting up Leeds branches during 2003, the latter with a seating capacity of 1,500. More established acts such as Peter Kay, Al Murray and er, Ken Dodd, appear at the City Varieties Music Hall, an historic venue which has provided a stage for the likes of Charlie Chaplin, Marie Lloyd and Houdini during its 140-year history.
theatre
For the more discerning punter, there is more to Leeds than binge-drinking and clubbing. The city is well-served by theatres, most notably the West Yorkshire Playhouse which, in addition to hosting the leading touring productions, is renowned for the plays it produces itself which have starred such luminaries as Patrick Stewart, Christopher Ecclestone and Pete Postlethwaite in recent times.
Classical concerts are held regularly at the Town Hall while the city is also home to Opera North, which performs at the Grand Theatre, as does the Leeds-based Northern Ballet Theatre.
festivals
If there is one thing that Leeds lacks it is a dedicated music venue large enough to attract the big names. This has been a topic of debate for some years now, although the city does host a number of music festivals such as the Carling Festival over the August Bank holiday which attracts the big name bands as well as smaller events such as the ‘new music’ festival FUSELEEDS.
Smaller scale gigs are held at the University and clubs such as the Cockpit, but Leeds singularly lacks a music scene on the scale of Manchester or London. This might explain why the number of famous bands and artistes to emanate from Leeds can be counted on the fingers of one hand (Sisters of Mercy, Chumbawumba, the Wedding Present, Mel B of the Spice Girls...).
sport
Leeds has a better record of producing great sports teams. Although the last year has hardly been a belle époch in this department, with both Leeds United and Bradford City running into severe financial problems and the once mighty Yorkshire County Cricket Club (whose main ground is at Headingley in north Leeds) languishing in the county championship’s second division. However, rugby league team Leeds Rhinos are one of the country’s top sides and union side Leeds Tykes plays in the Zurich Premiership.
restaurants
Finally, the Leeds restaurant scene has developed beyond recognition in the past 5 years. The city is now home to a broad range of international cuisines from Lebanese, Japanese and Asian ‘fusion’ cooking to some fine curry houses. Leeds upmarket eateries include Pool Court, Simply Heathcotes, Leodis and the Calls Grill, although much of the growth in Leeds’ restaurant trade has been in the middle (£30 per head) market rather than at the top end and Leeds remains the only leading UK city without a Conran restaurant. As Dan Jeffrey of Leeds Guide, says “There are some very good restaurants in Leeds, but at the end of the day, this is Yorkshire and people won’t stand for too much expense.”
For further information on what’s happening entertainment-wise in Leeds, why not search the following -
www.leeds-uk.com
www.leeds.gov.uk
www.itchyleeds.co.uk
www.leedsguide.co.uk
www.no-ordinary-city.co.uk
www.bbc.co.uk/leeds
www.vrleeds.co.uk
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