Following Manic Street Preachers longest enforced break from the stage, the Welsh alternative rock band will be heading to Leeds later this year with some brand new material.
To whet our appetites, the band teased out the first clip of 'Orwellian', the new single from their forthcoming 14th LP The Ultra Vivid Lament on Friday, 14th May.
The track is classic Manic Street Preachers, calling upon the futuristic sounds of the band's Futology era, and gives us an early taste of what to expect from the forthcoming release and gig.
O2 Academy Leeds
The LP was recorded during the winter lockdown at the legendary Rockfield studios and the bands’ Door to the River studio in Newport with longtime collaborator Dave Eringa - featuring Julia Cumming of Sunflower Bean on 'The Secret He Had Missed' and Mark Lanegan on 'Blank Diary Entry'.
The band has also revealed the release date for the new album, which draws musical inspiration from the likes of ABBA, Bowie, post-Eno Roxy, the Bunnymen and Fables-era REM.
Even better, we can confirm they'll be coming to Leeds later this year - giving fans the chance to hear the new material up close and personal.
The follow-up to 2018's acclaimed Resistance is Futile is due to drop on 3rd September, with the corresponding Leeds gig set for 7th October.
It will take place at Leeds O2 Academy, with tickets going on sale Friday 21st May at 10am.
Leeds
‘It wasn’t its time’ – Mediterranean Leeds cafe closes just two months after opening
A new street food spot has sadly closed its doors just two months after opening.
Back in May, a beautiful taste of the Mediterranean was was brought to us by Shvaan, a very talented chef who previously worked alongside his family at Eastern Oven in Kirkgate Market.
An absolute gem of a spot, Eastern Oven is known for its fresh breads, aromatic meats and plates bursting with colour - and this is exactly what Shvaan set up with FenerBar.
This new venture opened up inside The Attic, a multidisciplinary arts and events space just on the outskirts of the city centre by The Tetley and the new Aire Park development.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Serving up Eastern Mediterranean dishes like mackerel, lamb and beef kebabs, as well as various colourful vegan plates, everything at Fenerbar was homemade and you could really tell the amount of love put into each and every dish.
Unfortunately, Fenerbar has now closed its doors with owner Shvaan stating 'it wasn't it's time'.
Announcing the sad news to Instagram, Fenerbar said: "fenerBar has been closed. It wasn’t its time, whether it’s from the past or in the future, we’ll have to find out.
"Many thanks to @theatticleeds for hosting me and giving me the space to give it a shot. Wish them all the best. And thanks to everyone who came."
Of course in true Leeds fashion, fellow independents flocked to the comments showing their support and wishing Fenerbar all the luck in the next chapter.
We're sure this isn't the end for Shvaan's talents, and we can't wait to see what he does next.
The Maccabees at Kirkstall Abbey, Leeds – stage times, lineup, setlist and tickets
Daisy Jackson
It's finally time - indie heroes The Maccabees will be performing a huge headline gig at Kirkstall Abbey this week, with a lineup of fellow indie heavyweights.
The renowned quintet reunited for a comeback tour last year, and have spent this summer performing at some of the UK's finest open-air venues.
Now, it's Leeds' turn, as The Maccabees take to the Kirkstall Abbey stage on Friday 31 July, along with Maxïmo Park, Everything Everything, Mystery Jets, and Fiona Lee.
The Maccabees guitarist Felix White said at the time they announced their summer gigs: "The year we’ve just had was so special to all of us, and so unexpected, that it has put some momentum in everyone collectively …. and who wouldn’t want to do all that again?"
If you're going along to The Maccabees at Kirkstall Abbey, we've rounded up everything you need to know.
Are there still tickets for The Maccabees in Leeds?
At the time of writing, there are still tickets available to see The Maccabees at Kirkstall Abbey.
General admission tickets are priced at £64.45, with premium admission standing priced at £97.45.
You can see the latest availability and grab your tickets HERE.
Who else is on the lineup?
The Maccabees perform at Kirkstall Abbey in Leeds this week. Credit: Supplied
The main support act for The Maccabees in Leeds will be the brilliant Maxïmo Park, a Newcastle group who absolutely dominated the indie-alternative scene in the 2000s with their breakthrough debut album, A Certain Trigger.
But there's a lot more to this stacked lineup than that - The Maccabees have pulled together an almighty night of legendary indie bands to support them at Kirkstall Abbey.
Also performing will be Salford's finest art rock export, Everything Everything, who'll be performing their earworm hits like No Reptiles, Distant Past, and Cough Cough.
Before that, it will be Mystery Jets on the Kirkstall Abbey stage, who return with new album A Hole To See The Sky Through next month.
And opening the stage for the night is East Yorkshire lass Fiona Lee, who release EP Every Woman earlier this year.
Stage times for The Maccabees
Gates - 4pm
Fiona Lee - 4.45pm - 5.15pm
Mystery Jets - 5.45pm - 6.15pm
Everything Everything - 6.45pm - 7.30pm
Maxïmo Park - 8pm - 8.45pm
The Maccabees - 9.15pm - 10.30pm
Last entry will be 8.30pm.
The Maccabees expected setlist
The Maccabees have had a busy summer on the festival circuit, but based on their headline gig at The Eden Project earlier this month, this is likely to be their setlist:
Love You Better
Latchmere
Lego
Feel to Follow
Kamakura
Wall of Arms
First Love
Precious Time
Can You Give It
Spit It Out
Toothpaste Kisses
X-Ray
Marks to Prove It
Ballad Of So Long
Something Like Happiness
Encore:
Something Like Happiness
No Kind Words
Pelican
What does a Premium ticket get you?
If you're thinking of making your night a little fancier, there's a Premium area in Kirkstall Abbey that includes all of this:
Premium Entrance (please note this opens at the same time as all gates)
Premium Hang Out Area located in the Historic Abbey’s Cloister with Private bar and toilets.
Live at Kirkstall Abbey map
Getting to Kirkstall Abbey
You can pre-book parking, which will open at 3.30pm for The Maccabees. g.
Entry to Kirkstall Abbey Car park is located next to Abbey House Museum on Abbey Walk in Kirkstall (LS5 3EJ).
But fans are urged to use public transport or travel on foot wherever possible.
Kirkstall Abbey has two local train stations nearby; Kirkstall Forge is located approximately 1.3 miles from Kirkstall Abbey and Headingley Station is approximately 0.7 miles.
There are several bus stops near Kirkstall Abbey too, for more information visit here.
Georgina Pellant -
14th May 2021 
