Last night I was asked along to the Wardrobe by Leeds College of Music to photograph their ‘Music Happens Here‘ Album Launch
Basically, LCM students enter their creations and are vetted & trimmed down by industry experts; eventually becoming a highlights compilation to give the mass market at a snapshot of the fresh & tasty student sounds at the College.
Try saying that in one breath.
It was downstairs at the Wardrobe, one of Leeds’ best funk, jazz & soul clubs, just over the road from LCM.
I generally recruit acts from LCM for my Sunday Service band night, as they’re all such talented musicians.
I believe you need to be grade 8 in your instrument to enroll, and they run some great courses on pop music / jazz & production
The finish on the Music Happens Here album (which is ace & can be bought here) is beautiful, not just sonically. They had a photographer with a cool triple-barrelly name join them to photograph the bands & I found the sleeve art quite inspiring.
Anyhoos – after some champs and an introduction had been consumed, the night started its showcase for 4 of the bands on the album
Here we have Matt Belmont & his band. Anything with double bass in is good with me. Apart from perhaps a primary school orchestra.
[I’ve photographed the bass dude for his wedding function band Rhythmatic, who are a simply amazing wedding covers band if you looking]
Matt’s on the LCM production course.
I quite like this one. Man looks smooth in his weird hat
Next up we had a 10-piece extravaganza from Sam Reck. On the LCM Jazz course, Sam’s got an acid jazz, James Taylor quartet/Jamiroquai flavour.
They had a great time on stage
Third on were Young Ideas. The band are Daniel McDougall, Henry Guy, Bruno Major and James Thompson, in their final years of popular music & jazz. The track they put on the album, Neverland, has a beautiful John Mayer quality to it.
Dan’s played the Sunday Service in various incantations and has some serious skills.
At this stage in the night I was growing a bit tired of the pinky red murk, so started bouncing flash. I generally don’t flash at gigs (take that how you will), but it really picks him out.
Same with this one, popped with a bit of on camera flash off a black wall (“not the ideal surface to bounce flash off” wined mr flashgun).
From stage right, sans flash. Pinky murk
Finally, to close the acts, Tom Excell (doing music production) stepped up with his macBook Pro & magic gagetry & spread about some blips & peeps.
Described on the site as: A bass heavy wonk served with bleepy, cheesy bits and a chunky beat garnish.
It was sweet.
So! You’d be a fool not to get yourself an album here to see what the college kids really can do, or learn more about the acts that made the cut by clicking here.