• Privacy policy
  • T&C’s
  • About Us
    • FAQ
    • Meet the Team
  • Contact us
TLE ONLINE SHOP!
  • TLE
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Opinion
  • Elevenses
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • Film
    • Lifestyle
      • Horoscopes
    • Lottery Results
      • Lotto
      • Thunderball
      • Set For Life
      • EuroMillions
  • Food
    • All Food
    • Recipes
  • Property
  • Travel
  • Tech/Auto
  • JOBS
No Result
View All Result
The London Economic
SUPPORT THE LONDON ECONOMIC
NEWSLETTER
  • TLE
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Opinion
  • Elevenses
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • Film
    • Lifestyle
      • Horoscopes
    • Lottery Results
      • Lotto
      • Thunderball
      • Set For Life
      • EuroMillions
  • Food
    • All Food
    • Recipes
  • Property
  • Travel
  • Tech/Auto
  • JOBS
No Result
View All Result
The London Economic
No Result
View All Result
Home Entertainment Music

The Cockpit, Leeds – An End of an Era

By Harry Bedford, Music Editor Underneath the arches of the viaduct adjacent to Leeds Railway Station stands the remains of a legendary music venue, Leeds’ own Cavern Club. It may only have been there 20 years and may not have been that well known outside the city, but this dark and dingy building was the […]

Joe Mellor by Joe Mellor
2014-09-23 15:14
in Music
FacebookTwitterLinkedinEmailWhatsapp

By Harry Bedford, Music Editor

Underneath the arches of the viaduct adjacent to Leeds Railway Station stands the remains of a legendary music venue, Leeds’ own Cavern Club. It may only have been there 20 years and may not have been that well known outside the city, but this dark and dingy building was the epicentre of the Leeds music scene.

I remember my first night there, I had just turned 18 and my brother and I went to see a little known band called the Tiny Dancers. They had one song on the then Virgin Radio playlist and their soft indie tones and sixties style attracted us to join the audience. Half way through the gig they called out for volunteers to join them on stage to play percussion, my hand shot up, I climbed onto the stage, I was king of the world and my love affair with The Cockpit began.

The Cockpit, despite its small capacity, had a prime location in the heart of city on Swinegate, a stone’s throw from the train station. Since opening its doors in 1994 The Cockpit hosted such earthmoving acts as Amy Winehouse, The Libertines and The Killers. Almost every indie band in the world worth their salt would have played The Cockpit in its 20-year tenure. The venue was also home to many successful bands from West Yorkshire including The Kaiser Chiefs, The Cribs and The Pigeon Detectives.

The Pigeon Detectives were the locals lads done good. Hailing from the same small town in south Leeds as myself, Rothwell, they epitomised everything that was great about the Leeds Music Scene. Raw guitars, pounding drums, thumping bass, lyrics about working-class adolescence and a singer who gave more than most soldiers in battle. By the time I got to see them at The Cockpit they were already headlining a major open-air gig at Leeds’ Millennium Square, but a week before they came back to the Cockpit for charity gig.

I got there early, stood against the metal railings at the front and drank beer from a plastic cup while the place filled up with excited gig-goers. The atmosphere was electric, this was Leeds at its best. And when they took to stage and strummed the opening chords of their recent hit This Is An Emergency, I felt like I was watching The Beatles at the Cavern. We jumped, we sang, we rocked, we rolled. We all felt the very emotion come from Matt Bowman’s soul and we were all united.

Sadly, six years on from that night, The Cockpit has fallen victim to building regulations and the owners, Futuresound, was forced to close the place down. The lights went out for the last time at The Cockpit and it almost feels like the lights have gone out for the last time on my youth. When I am old, I will remember those days underneath the arches in Leeds City Centre and remember how Leeds once rocked the world.

RelatedPosts

The biggest band you’ve never heard of? Celtic-punkers The Dreadnoughts release new album

Sex Pistols to re-release God Save The Queen to mark platinum jubilee

Watch: Blistering Jamie Webster monologue shows why Tories ‘don’t actually care about us’

UK festivals are set to face ‘perfect storm’ in 2022 thanks to Brexit

 

 

Subscribe to our Newsletter

View our  Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions

Trending on TLE

  • All
  • trending
Abdollah

‘Rescue us’: Afghan teacher begs UK to help him escape Taliban

CHOMSKY: “If Corbyn had been elected, Britain would be pursuing a much more sane course”

What If We Got Rid Of Prisons?

More from TLE

Europeans by far the biggest group of deportations as charter flights triple

Labour: Tory cuts have left London 2012 legacy in tatters

Profit over passengers? Rail users face largest fares rise in a decade

‘We are feeling very proud’ – Ancestral village in India to celebrate Kamala Harris’ rise to vice presidency

Prince Andrew sets up firm with disgraced Coutts banker accused of sexual harassment

EU energy ministers could cut off third countries – ‘like UK’ – crisis worsens

Cows rummaging through rubbish left by careless revellers on ‘Super Saturday’

Tenant applications for London rentals double in the last six months

Hammerson sells Places des Halles in Strasbourg

What is Adobe Flash Player and do I need it?

JOBS

FIND MORE JOBS

About Us

TheLondonEconomic.com – Open, accessible and accountable news, sport, culture and lifestyle.

Read more

© 2019 thelondoneconomic.com - TLE, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN. All Rights Reserved.




No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Lifestyle
  • Food
  • Travel
  • JOBS
  • More…
    • Elevenses
    • Opinion
    • Property
    • Tech & Auto
  • About Us
    • Meet the Team
    • Privacy policy
  • Contact us

© 2019 thelondoneconomic.com - TLE, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN. All Rights Reserved.