A mammoth month of music will see musicians from a pioneering Horsforth music school perform an incredible 400 live songs to mark the city’s 400th anniversary.
The young rockers from LS18Rocks have a jam-packed schedule of gigs throughout July and have worked out that by the time the final curtain drops on their final show they will have thrilled audiences with a staggering 400 songs.
The music school is currently home to nine bands, with musicians aged from eight to 17, and among a string of high-profile shows scheduled for July are the Thor’s Tipi Birthday event in Leeds City Square on Sunday, July 12.
The event comes as Leeds commemorates the remarkable milestone of 400 years since receiving its first Royal Charter from King Charles I. This historic moment marked the beginning of Leeds’ journey towards self-governance and city status.
LS18 Rocks birthday performance comes 24 hours after Kirkstall Festival on July 11 – where the bands will be performing throughout the day on the dedicated LS18 Rocks stage in the magnificent church nave setting.
The rockers will also be performing their annual showcase evening on the prestigious Courtyard Stage of Leeds Playhouse on Wednesday, July 8 – in what has become a highlight of the theatre’s Open Season programme.
Their schedule saw the school throwing open its doors to allow people to get a unique glimpse of rehearsals for the Horsforth Walk of Art festival yesterday (Saturday, July 4), while individual bands will be performing at an array of festivals throughout the month.
Multi-instrumentalist 10-year-old Sid, from the band Solar Jets, said: “It’s really exciting to have so many gigs coming up in amazing venues and to be part of performing 400 songs is just awesome. We’re going to rock your socks off!”
LS18 Rocks Music Director Jonnie Khan said: “July is always our busiest month of the year for shows and this year is going to be busier than ever. All the bands have been working extremely hard in rehearsals and I now they are going to smash it out of the park when they hit the various stages.
“It’s quite incredible to think that as Leeds celebrates its 400th birthday our musicians can mark it in such a unique way by achieving 400 separate performances of our songs. It’s a big number but with all the rehearsals, soundchecks and shows I’m confident we will hit the 400 song mark. I’m so excited to get started.”
LS18 Rocks is a community-focused organisation providing opportunities for musicians of all ages to expand their learning by performing with a live band. They have created worldwide headlines and numerous accolades include a Child Friendly Leeds Award for Inspiring Creativity Through Arts and Culture and Yorkshire Prestige Awards’ Performing Arts School of the Year.
Tickets for Leeds Playhouse are on sale now.
LS18Rocks can be found across social media platforms @ls18rocks.
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