23rd February 2026

Our Musical City.

The social history of Leicester as seen through its live music.

by Trevor Locke and Thomas Needham.

In this article, we look back at the popular music of Leicester between the years 2007 and 2017. That’s ten years during which Trevor Locke was going out to see bands on a regular basis. By the start of that period, he had already been writing about popular music for some three to four years. So, as a music journalist, Trevor had his feet firmly under the desk. It was also a period during which Trevor was writing about the history of Leicester, as seen through its buildings, streets and open spaces. Few people have written anything about the history of music in our city.

Thomas Needham, born 2005, got involved in Music in Leicester magazine after a chance driving lessons with our illustrious photographer and editor, Kevin Gaughan in December 2024. Thomas commented, ‘Before then I knew absolutely nothing about Leicester’s local scene, as far as I was concerned there was the Corn Exchange, Mosh and Firebug. Take it from me; there’s a lot more to Leicester than meets the eye.’

He added, ‘My own ignorance is why I’m now so insistent that those with even a passing interest in music take a peek under the hood of our city’s scene. And if one person could be considered an expert on our oft-overlooked musical history, it’d be our own Trevor Locke. Taking his knowledge of our history, especially of the indie era of the noughties, for granted would be a fool’s errand. I’m a noise-rock poser, so while it may not be my scene, one has to remember that this is the passion, energy and money of people who give for the bare minimum in return. I came for the music, I stayed for the people; it is our job at Music in Leicester to catalogue and preserve these people and I hope we will continue to do so long into the future.

‘One friend of mine described this entire effort as futile. I’ll echo their words in this: futile struggles are funny and despite everything against us, they should continue in the face of almost insurmountable odds, there’s something uniquely human about that. That ‘almost’ is the wicked part; even today I continue to wing upon the thought and prayer that those with the power will happen upon the groundswell of talent Leicester has. But more on that later… All this is really a roundabout way of saying my involvement is all Kevin’s fault.

‘I’m writing a piece on the current (and future) state of Leicester’s scene to accompany Trevor’s shortly so keep your eyes locked to your abyss-bricks more than usual. The algorithm requires your retention metrics! Until then all I can add is the classic mantra; support local bands, support local venues and support the scene.’

Why Music?

Well, from a social history point of view, music tells us a lot about a community. Looking at how people were entertained gives us insights into the life and times of an era just as much as what people were eating, the clothes they wore, the films they watched, their politics and other aspects of life which were characteristic of the time. In Leicester, music has always been an important part of the life of this city. In the early years of the current millennium, there was a period when the most popular type of music was called ‘indie.’

The Golden Age of Indie

The popular music scene, in this city, was a vibrant one in 2007. By then, Trevor Locke had started to write about music on a more or less daily basis. Most of what he wrote was published in the magazine Arts in Leicestershire. That year saw the start of what Trevor called the ‘great golden age of indie.’ It was never very clear what ‘indie’ was but we all assumed it to be a certain style of music that combined pop with rock, so to speak. The popularity of indie, at this time, was evidenced by the large numbers of fans who bought tickets to go to its gigs and the large number of bands that played that style of music. Not only were there numerous bands in the city but also bands were coming here to play from all over Britain and even from North America and Japan. Leicester had established a reputation for live music that was well above its pay grade.

Notable Gigs

The most notable gig of 2007 was when one of the biggest USA rock bands of the time decided to play at The Shed, then the city’s longest-running live music venue. The band, called Boy Hits Car came over from Los Angeles to tour the small venues of the UK. They thought that would put them back in touch with their fans, after having played huge festivals and arena-level concerts for so many years. They wanted to get back to the coal-face of real music by playing in tiny venues. That event took place on the 3rd December. By then, they were, for Trevor Locke, one of his favourite bands. Trevor worshipped and adored them and played their recordings constantly. So, to have them standing in front of him, just inches away, was an incredible experience for him. Imagine yourself standing next to the Beatles or the Rolling Stones. It was an exhilarating experience. That was one gig he will never forget.

As a city, Leicester has always been under-rated for its music scene. Allied with this, there are those that have celebrated the contribution made by musicians from Leicester to the national music scene. In particular, the contributions of artists from Leicester’s African and Caribbean communities have been of national importance. Several Leicester-based bands have had a profound impact on the national music scene. Except that Leicester’s black community of African and Caribbean artists made a considerable impact not only on Leicester but also on the music development of the United Kingdom as a whole. This point comes through very clearly in the podcast interview with Carol Leeming (see below under ‘References.’).

Is It All About the Venues?

Music is often based on venues – places where music is performed on a regular basis – which were able to sustain a reputation that attracted large numbers of people to their shows. Leicester has, for a long time, benefited from having a large number of long-running music venues. Some of these much-loved venues have now been lost. The one that readily comes to the mind was The Attik. It was a small property situated down a little side road called Free Lane, off Halford Street. Another one was Lock42 which was part of the building still occupied by Stayfree, overlooking the banks of the canal, in Frog Island. Some might also remember Sub 91 opening in Granby Street, above what was then the Walkabout bar. There were many others during the period covered by this article.

Here are some of the venues that most people will remember, some of which are still running. The Shed was Trevor Locke’s ‘home’ venue at the time. The small property, in Yeoman Street, was where he spent most of his evenings. It was, until the end of 2025, the longest-serving music venue in Leicester, having opened in 1994. Trevor also frequented most of the other venues in the city. The Musician started in the year 2000 which saw Darren Nockles take over the Bakers Arms in Wharf Street South, a public house that had been active since the 1970s, turning it into the venue that became known as The Musician. The Musician closed its doors on 31st December 2004 only to re-opened in 2005. In 2025, it ceased to operate and moved its music programme to the International Arts Centre, in Garden Street. In its time, the Charlotte was the city’s main venue for touring bands and some of the most important bands played there. It began putting on live music when it was called The Princess Charlotte. The last full year of the venue was 2006. It closed in 2009. Many rock fans still remember gigs at The Charlotte and bands that played there recall it with great affection.

The Firebug, a large pub in Millstone Lane, was originally called The Firefly but was forced to change its name in 2004; even then it put on live music on a regular basis. Gigs continue to this day mainly in the large hall upstairs and many local and national bands have graced its ample stage.

The Donkey, a pub in Welford Road, became a music venue in 2005. In the following year, Gaz Birtles began working there as a promoter. Some might remember Gaz as a member of the popular band called The Swinging Laurels.

These were the city’s permanent live music venues. Gigs also took place at The Criterion, in Millstone Lane, and at a venue in Wellington Street called The Basement Bar, where Trevor Locke sometimes put on shows. He also put on gigs at a pub in Churchgate called The Sun. There were a few gigs at a little bar called Maddisons, not far from The Shed. Several pubs would put on live bands from time to time. Occasionally, big music shows were held at the YMCA Theatre in East Street. Apart from the venues, live music was also put on for customers at a wide variety of pubs which offered live bands once or twice a week, usually on a Friday night. For a while, Trevor helped to organise shows at the Pavilion, the cafe on Victoria Park. Many places offered live music from time to time but only certain nights of the week. Pub gigs offered an alternative to the programmes of the permanent live music venues but very often they were limited to covers bands, although some original-music acts also got to join in.

The Bands

There were venues and there were bands. One was essential for the other. During the time of this article, there were very large numbers of bands, most of which lasted for a short period of time but there were a few who were playing then that are still performing today.

The thing that stands out about Leicester, during this so-called ‘golden era’, was that it had many bands. Many, many bands. In fact, Trevor Locke once wrote, ‘Leicester has more bands, per head of population than most other cities of comparable size.’ Trevor collected bands like other people collect stamps. He kept lists of bands. In those days, there were hundreds of them. There were so many bands that competition, between them, for gig bookings, was intense. Even with so many venues and pubs putting on gigs, bands sometimes struggled to find a place to play.

The majority of the groups Trevor Locke went to see comprised teenage musicians. He sometimes joked that there must be something in Leicester’s water supply that engendered musicality in the youthful population. More seriously, he suspected that our schools were a lot better at teaching music in those days. A lot of the young musicians came from the same schools. Names like Beauchamp, Bosworth, Countesthorpe, Guthlaxton, Wigston, even Leicester Grammar School, cropped up continually. There was a time when you could walk through the city centre and every other kid you saw had a guitar case slung over his back. Many of the musicians were at the colleges and, when they played at gigs, they brought their fans with them, in large numbers. Look at the audiences, at any gig in the city, back then, and you would mostly see kids aged 17 to 20. Not true of today’s shows. Most audiences, these days, are older.

The bands Trevor most remembers from this period include The Heroes, Set in Stone, Aikon, The Chairmen, M48, The Codes, The Displacements, Freefall Felix, The Lowreys and Autohype. The Heroes broke up only to be replaced by Midnight Wire, with its lead singer Alex Van Roose. All of these have disappeared now. A few of the musicians that were in them are still around, performing with new groups. But, many have disappeared from the local scene. Take Set in Stone, for example. The lead singer of that band was Steve Faulkner. He is still performing, as a soloist, at venues or private parties in many parts of the country. Many bands ceased to play but the most notable exceptions are Skam, The Fazed and Ferris. These are bands that have a track record of twenty years or more. Many of the younger bands were short-lived as their members turned eighteen and most of them left Leicester to take up places at other universities. Few returned to our city to continue their musical activities. There are always some for whom music is in their blood. These are the ones who cannot give up the thrill of the public performance.

They were all local lads playing home-grown music. To our ears, most of their music was every bit as good as what you heard on Top of the Pops, or on the radio’s rundown of the top 40. Trevor Locke knew all the band members personally and wrote about them. But, like hundreds of other people, he loved their music. Most of these bands had a knack of writing catchy tunes and memorable melodies. Trevor would often go home, from a gig, humming the tunes he had heard that night or whistling them as he walked. Songs like Wakeup Radio and Blue Rave, both by The Heroes, achieved national success both on the radio and at nationally important live music events. Other bands also achieved national recognition.

When it came to indie bands, it was youth that predominated. Musicians as young as fifteen could be seen on the city’s stages. Because Leicester had so many bands, there were numerous rehearsal rooms and recording studios. An industry grew up to serve the interests of the thriving music scene. Shops that sold guitar strings did a roaring trade. Printers were kept busy catering for the demand for flyers, posters and album sleeves. Some of the recording studios that served the bands back then are still in use today. For the fans of popular music, there were quite a few music shops selling records. Ainsley is one that many people will remember. Some of them sold CDs produced by the local bands. The musician and writer John Barrow remembers a music shop called Humbuckers where he purchased his first saxophone, in 1974.

Most of these local bands recorded music they had composed. Trevor Locke has a collection of several hundred CDs made by Leicester bands. These have been painstakingly classified and catalogued and Trevor hopes to donate the collection to a library that can curate them. Much of that valuable archive would have been lost had Trevor simply thrown them away once that band disappeared from the scene. People keep records for many years but they are mainly in private collections, not accessible to researchers and the public. Some recordings have been lost forever; they were uploaded to the Internet, to platforms that have now gone. MySpace is one example. Local music is often ephemeral but, in our view, it has interest for historians or music enthusiasts and should be preserved. Music is part of our city’s heritage.

Leicester Bands Going On Tour

From time to time, bands from Leicester would play at out-of-town gigs. London’s Camden was a favourite destination for local bands that wanted to get gigs out of the city. Leicester bands played at Tommy Flynns, Bar Monsta, Bar Fly, Koko, Underworld and The Dublin Castle. They also performed at The Fly, in New Oxford Street. Some popular bands were able to book one or more coaches to take people to their shows in London. There was a time when large parties of fans left Humberstone Gate for a show in London with the musicians on board.

Birmingham was another destination for Leicester bands when they went on tour. A Birmingham venue that played host to our bands on a regular basis was Scruffy Murphys. Other than long trips away, city bands also played in Hinckley, Coalville, Melton Mowbray and sometimes Loughborough.

Going back further in time, many readers will also remember the part played in the music life of Leicester by The Palais (in Humberstone Gate), The Bear Cage, a night club on the High Street, The Il Rondo (Silver Street), Baileys (in the Haymarket centre), Helsinki (a club in Rutland Street) and even further back than that The Alhambra Music Hall and the Opera House in Silver Street. Not all of these places were permanent live music venues but there was a time when musical tastes gravitated towards the work of singers and music-hall variety acts. Why some of these venues closed, we might never know, but we must not forget the many shows and concerts held at the De Montfort Hall and the Granby Halls (demolished in 2001.) The Who played there on the opening night of their tour on 25th January 1981. Many gigs at these places are still the stuff of legend in the minds of Leicester people. Music was also a main feature of the night clubs that people attended every weekend.

People Who Went To Gigs

When Trevor Locke looks at the photos that were taken in the period 2007 to around 2009, he sees a lot of young faces. Audiences during the noughties were composed mainly of teenagers and people in their early twenties, although this varied according to the style of music. Older fans tended to like punk, some preferred metal and the line-ups of bands that played cover songs (the hit tunes of well-known groups and singers.) Weekend gigs, at the pubs, tended to offer bands that played songs from the time when the older customers were young. The youngsters were more interested in contemporary styles of music, in particular, the bands that played their own music, rather than covers of classic tunes from the great bands of the past. Most of the young bands, from that time, were unsigned and they usually wrote their own music, which they played at the gigs. Several bands began life at local colleges, such as the one in Countesthorpe or Lancaster Boys. Music indoors was not the only thing that Leicester had to offer.

Music Of the Fields

Not all music was played inside buildings. During the decade, covered by this article, festivals were also an important part of the city’s and county’s music offerings. As they still are today. The Summer Sundae festival attracted music fans from all over the country. Established in 2001, the festival was held in the grounds of the De Montfort Hall and was a key part of the city’s annual music programme. It offered stage-time not only to the big national names but also to the new, up-and-coming groups including those from the local area. It grew from a one-day event to being a weekender running from Friday to Sunday. The last event was held in 2012. In its place, a new festival was established – Simon Says – which began in 2013.

In the same year, the Hand Made festival began, based at Leicester University and then at the O2 Academy building. Leicester’s O2 Arena had its first show in 2010, the headline act being the singer and hip-hop artist Professor Green. Originally, the Hand Made event took place in the city centre venues. In 2013, it was held at The Firebug, The Peoples’ Photographic Gallery, Duffy’s Bar, The Cookie Jar and The Guildhall. In May 2015, the festival moved to the University of Leicester campus.

Abbey Park also played host to a cycle of outdoor events and the Abbey Park Festival became an important staging post for many of the city’s bands. Founded in 1981, the festival, held in Abbey Park, went on for another twenty years as a key part of the city’s annual music programme. In 2009, Leicester band Autohype played to a crowd of over 20,000 at Abbey Park’s bonfire night. A similar-sized crowd was present, in 2014, when rising pop stars The Vamps were the headline act, supported by local artists Jonezy and Curtis Clacey. Many music fans will have happy memories of those events. For many local bands, playing at this festival gave them the recognition that otherwise might have taken years to achieve. Carol Leeming talks about the importance of the Abbey Park music festivals in our Podcast interview with her (see below).

In 2005, a new festival was founded, in the Leicestershire village of Wymeswold. Glastonbudget began as a programme of tribute bands and rapidly grew to also include what it called ‘original bands’, those playing their own music. It is still going today but only as a tribute festival. The Glastonbudget festival has grown into one of the county’s premier music events and attracts thousands of people from all over the country.

Strawberry Fields festival, held at a fruit farm near Coalville, also attracted national acts as well as the small, unsigned groups from the local area and further afield. Download became established as the big national event for the metal crowd, although it was just over the border of Leicestershire in Castle Donnington. There were many smaller festivals held within the city boundaries. We saw the rise of Oxjam, a national series of festivals held to raise money for the Oxfam charity. Leicester’s Oxjam became one of the biggest in the country and continued for many years.

Music has always been an important part of the Leicester Caribbean carnival. After the parade through the city, a stage on Victoria Park provided a range of music acts during the afternoon. Many of the floats that wound their way through the streets of the city centre had mobile sound systems, providing music for the dancers that followed them. Another park-based festival that has been part of the city’s annual celebrations is Gay Pride. Also held on Victoria Park, Pride has always featured musical acts on its main stage. Recently, the headline act was X-Factor winner Sam Bailey. More recently, the City Festival has seen a live music stage set up in Jubilee Square. Annual music festivals were held in many parts of Leicestershire. These county events provided opportunities for bands and singers to get their work to entirely new audiences.

Why Music Is Important

‘If you want to understand a community,’ Trevor Locke once wrote, ‘find out what music its people listened to. Plotting the course of musical history has never been easy. Even when people kept written records and when we had printed newspapers and magazines, music was often neglected unless it was seen to be newsworthy.’ Very often musical entertainment was regarded as being unimportant unless it featured international artists.

Today, it is even harder to keep track of popular music, simply because it is so volatile. Since the rise of the Internet, and, in particular, social media, keeping track of what has been going on has become more difficult. The ten years, studied in this article, were chosen because Trevor kept detailed records of what he saw, heard and went to. During that decade, bands and artists made use of MySpace (a forerunner of Facebook.) All of what they wrote and uploaded has now disappeared from that platform.

Popular music events do not always leave behind documentary evidence, such as programmes and tickets. These are rare for small gigs in small venues. You pay to get in and the most you get is a stamp on one of your hands. Programmes are only for big concerts at places like the De Montfort Hall and concerts of classical music. Once the gig in the small venue had finished and the audience had gone home, nothing was left as evidence that it took place. Unless, someone like Trevor, was there with a notebook and pen, writing down details of what happened, and taking photos which he has kept in their tens of hundreds.

Music Evaporates

Thousands of photos, videos and comments are now put on Facebook every week to mark what gigs people go to. Which bands they have seen. What they thought about them. This material is short-lived. Eventually, it evaporates and is lost. Future social historians will not be able to go back to social media, in decades to come, and see what musical life was like, in Leicester, unless someone keeps an account of it now – as it happens. Musical life is something that needs to be preserved. What this decade taught Trevor Locke, is that Leicester is a fantastic place for music.

Trevor wrote an article once with the title ‘Leicester – the indie capital of the UK.’ In it, he claimed that our city outstripped most others for its bands and its music. Trevor’s aim was to establish Leicester as a city with a proud tradition of music, going back for centuries. If you really want to understand our city, you must understand its music, he said. Much of what is happening now is being lost to the historians of the future.

What Of the Future?

Our conclusion is that Leicester was, is and will continue to be a musical city. In this article, we have dwelt on the past but Music in Leicester’s resident whipper-snapper, Thomas Needham, will write an accompanying article detailing the current and future state of Leicester’s music scene. Stay tuned for part two. We both hope that Leicester will continue to play an important part in this nation’s musical history.Authors: Trevor Locke is News Editor with Music in Leicester magazine and Thomas Needham is one of its a regular reviewers.

References

See The Golden Age of Indie’ by Trevor Locke
The podcast interview with Carol Leeming