Dark Arts with The Orielles at Belgrave Music Hall

Philip K Marzouk

Book now

Dark Arts with The Orielles

16 February 2019

Always double check opening hours with the venue before making a special visit.

Neelam Khan Vela
Book now

On 16 February, The Orielles headline a day-long event curated by prolific Leeds based promoters SUPER Friendz. A year to the day since the release of their debut album, Silver Dollar Moment, there’s no better time to catch The Orielles, before they’re all you hear about. Listening to their output, it’s hard to fathom that this Halifax four-piece have an average age of 21. Before this preview continues, here’s their new single ‘Bobbi’s Second World’, officially the best song about a cat since Willy Mason’s ‘Where The Humans Eat’.

Blondie meets Cocteau Twins meets Best Coast: a match made in heaven. Listening to Silver Dollar Moment there’s an inexplicable sense of nostalgia even though the band members are barely out of their teenage years. A big part of this is that they manage to craft guitar music that is never cookie cutter. Taking the chorus laden sounds of eighties guitar bands but layering them with psychedelic instrumentation (Wurlitzer organs and non-descript space sounds), you’ll think you’ve got them figured out by the end of ‘Old Stuff, New Glass’ and ‘Sunflower Seeds’.

Then ‘Let Your Dog Tooth Grow’ plays. Reminiscent of Sonic Youth and The Pixies, you realise you’re listening to a band who understand so much of the world of guitar music that long pre-dated their births. This flows straight into ‘Liminal Spaces’, a mature, harmony laden and expertly crafted tune. It then lulls into a short fusion jam, ‘The Sound Of Liminal Spaces’, that wouldn’t be out of place in the 9th minute of a David Axelrod tune.

Then ‘I Only Bought It For The Bottle’ plays, a song that puts them alongside The Big Moon as some of the best purveyors of guitar-pop currently going, even if the song is merely about a well-dressed but disappointing beverage. There’s a sense that you’re getting a voyeuristic preview of their live show through the record, a rare treat within an industry landscape where post-production rules the roost. This remains true of the rest of the album with their exemplary song-writing on display until there’s one final surprise in the form of ‘Blue Suitcase (Disco Wrist)’.

How about a bit of disco influence to close the album? Sure, why not? It’s this consistent stream of surprise and nostalgia that will speak to any fan of guitar music back from when that term wasn’t derogatory. It remains to be seen who will be joining The Orielles for this day-long event but the headliners are undoubtedly worth the price of admission alone.

Where to go near Dark Arts with The Orielles at Belgrave Music Hall

Stuzzi Leeds
Leeds
Restaurant
Stuzzi Leeds

Stuzzi is a stylish restaurant in Leeds offering high-end Italian cuisine, including pasta and seafood plates.

The Domino Leeds
Leeds
Music venue
The Domino Leeds

Live music isn’t the only attraction at The Domino. It also serves a range of inventive cocktails which are perfect to sip whilst watching the acts.

Leeds Grand Theatre
Leeds
Theatre
Leeds Grand Theatre

The Leeds Grand Theatre brings everything from opera and ballet by resident companies to spectacular West End musicals and drama.

Music venue
Howard Assembly Rooms

The Howard Assembly Room is a performance and rehearsal space at Leeds Grand Theatre

Zaap Leeds
Leeds
Restaurant
Zaap

Zaap is a charming café with a superb range of Thai street food dishes. Thai has taken a snapshot of the street food market of Bangkok and brought it to England.

ibis Styles Leeds City Centre Arena
Leeds
Hotel
Ibis Styles Leeds City Centre Arena

ibis Leeds City Centre Arena is a hotel that’s Yorkshire through and through. Brewed with the very best of Leeds and Yorkshire, this hotel’s bustling and modern like the city.

Leeds
Gallery
SCREW Gallery

SCREW Gallery is a not-for-profit, artist-led exhibition space that showcases bold and revitalising art by local and international artists.

North Bar (C) Mark Newton Photograhy 2
Leeds
North Bar

North Bar is an intimate bar on Leeds’ New Briggate, with a huge range of craft ales and hard-to-find spirits.

Shopping Centre
St John’s Centre, Leeds

With a great mix of retailers over two levels including fashion, gifts and food, plus its own secure car park, St Johns Centre makes shopping in Leeds easy

Jumbo Records
Leeds
Shop
Jumbo Records

Jumbo Records is Leeds’ number one independent record store, with these large premises occasionally featuring in-store events with a bountiful record collection and coffee.

Wax Bar
Leeds
Bar or Pub
Wax Bar and JukeJoint

A tiny, funky dive bar known for its great vinyl collection, Wax Bar pours cocktails and frosty beers until late into the night.

What's on: Music

Culture Guides

Star Nhà Ease
Cinema in the North

July's cinema highlights include spotlights on international cinema, a new cult classic, plus a visit from one of our favourite directors.

Exhibitions in the North

Captivating, urgent and intimate - we bring you our top exhibition picks, with even more art festivals, artist-led shows and new venues.

Theatre in Manchester
Theatre in the North

Summer signals theatre festivals, world premieres and open-air spectacle - from MIF25 to comedy, outdoor circus and beyond, here’s what we’re looking forward to.

European Poetry Festival European Camarade
Literature Events in the North

From tongue-twisters to twisty page-turners, we have all kinds of spoken word surprises in the latest literature round-up.