Leeds brewery Northern Monk has collaborated with Leeds metal band Blood Youth on its darkest black IPA ever ahead of an exclusive gig that takes place this week.
The contemporary metal four-piece will appear at the brewery on November 25 for an intimate homecoming show to coincide with the launch of their new album, Visions of Another Hell.
As part of the build-up to the show, they have worked alongside local brewers to create the darkest black IPA Northern Monk has ever released, which has been aptly named Visions of Another Ale.
Blood Youth has just released their new album, Visions of Another Hell. / Image: Blood Youth
Promising an IPA that manages to "find a little bit of lightness in the dark", the new beer combines de-husked Carafa Special III malt, Idaho 7 and Sabro hops, bringing tropical flavours of pineapple, young coconut and lime into the mix.
Additional pineapple, meanwhile, serves to amp up the hops; tropical notes - adding an extra hint of fruitiness to the new beer.
A Northern Monk representative said: "Northern Monk and Blood Youth were born at a similar time in a similar place.
"We made beer, Blood Youth made music… In 2021 our journeys have been given the opportunity to unite again.
"Building on a history of celebrating the best of the North’s rock and metal scene, we’re delighted to welcome them to the Patrons Projects series, taking the gold edition of our Northern sounds project.
Blood Youth will appear at the brewery for an intimate show on November 25 / Image: Stephen Craven via Geograph
"The resulting beer is a heavily hopped, tropical, Imperial Black IPA. A fitting tribute. Not just celebrating with a beer, we’re stoked to welcome the band to play at our home and original brewery on the 25th of November."
Blood Youth will play a small show to launch their new album at the Brewery on November 25, joined by DJs from Slam Dunk Festival who will also play a set on the night.
Tickets for the show are on sale now for £8. Entry to the gig is free for anyone who's pre-ordered a physical copy of Blood Youth's new album.
The Reliance, a much missed North Street site, is being brought back to life as The Smithfield.
The Smithfield is set to be a new social eatery and pub focused on seasonal, produce-led dining.
Set to open its doors to the people of Leeds in early April, The Smithfield will pay homage to the local area through both its produce and people.
The venue will focus on proper plates of seasonal ingredients, pairing a relaxed dining style with a strong sense of community. Sounds pretty brilliant if you ask us.
Building on the legacy of North Street, The Smithfield is a collaborative project between Yorkshire brewery Crooked Brewing and chef James Donovan.
Images: Supplied
Steve Dawson, co-founder of Crooked Brewing, has long admired The Reliance and want to build on its established legacy.
“What The Reliance was doing was cutting edge for its time,” says Donovan. “We want to bring that same vision and energy into Leeds in 2026. Our aim is to pick up the culinary torch that The Reliance left behind and continue its legacy of great food in Leeds,” adds Dawson.
The Smithfield takes its name from Church Street’s historic connection to the Smithfield cattle market of the early 1800s, once located on what is now Lovell Park.
“We really want the people around us to feel that The Smithfield is their space,” says Dawson. “We want to give them a place at our table.”
We'll keep you updated with an opening date as and when we know, but we're very excited indeed.
Jungle are back and have announced a huge Leeds gig for later this year
Daisy Jackson
Modern funk and soul band Jungle are officially heading back to Leeds.
The Mercury Prize-nominated group will be performing at the First Direct Bank Arena this November, following their blistering summer on the festival circuit last year.
They'll be heading to Leeds on Saturday 21 November 2026.
Jungle was formed back in 2013 by producers and friends Josh Lloyd-Watson and Tom McFarland.
While they technically worked as a duo for years (until 2023, when touring member Lydia Kitto became an official member of the band), Jungle are known for their huge live performances.
They always fill stages with musicians and vocalists, for incredible funk n soul live shows.
The bands huge hits include Back on 74, Casio, and Busy Earnin’, from four top-10 albums including 2023’s groundbreaking Volcano.
The upcoming Leeds date forms part of the band’s upcoming world tour, which arrives in the UK in November 2026 following a string of international performances across Europe, North America, and beyond.
Fans can expect a setlist jam packed with standout tracks, including fan favourites such as ‘Volcano’ and ‘Back On 74’ and newer material from their upcoming album ‘Sunshine’, released on 14 August that continues to push the band’s signature sound forward.
With over 3.4 billion streams to their name, Jungle’s Leeds show is set to be one of the hottest tickets of 2026 so we wouldn't mess about if we were you.
Tickets for Jungle in Manchester will go on general sale from 10am on Friday 27 March, with pre-sale from 10am on Thursday 26 March.
Georgina Pellant -
22nd November 2021 
