Prior to my last visit, it must have been over a year since I last came to Rock and Roll Circus,…read morebut I'm hoping it won't be nearly as long before my next jaunt over to Armley. Of course, the primary element of this place is the rehearsal space -which I've not utilised, so I sadly can't comment. I can, however, comment on what a fantastic underground hub it is for a decent night out.
So, it's an old rustic building just before you get to Armley -hardly the expected venue for a night of drinking, dancing and all out music fest. However, it turns out it's the perfect place for a ruddy decent night of it. I came for one of their events about a month or so ago, and it was a corker.
They've a lounge area, where there's a bar in the corner, though you can happily BYO if you wish to save on pennies. The main room where all the music happened might have been somewhat small, given the crowds that showed, but this only went towards making it a more intimate gig.
With tons of bodies packed in, all bouncing in time together, whilst the coolest duo to ever knock out the funk (without a bassist) performed, it was certainly a special night. Of course, you get the odd plank who's had one too many and tries to grab the microphone, but when the rest of the party are on board to guide him away from the stage to the back of the room, it's all good. Just don't be that plank, if you happen to trot along to the next do.
Essentially, as a venue for some seriously underground and indie grooves here in Leeds, this is one not to miss. But bring some solid shoes -the carpets are as sticky as the toilets are wet -it's got that festival vibe going on. In a nutshell: cool posters, friendly folk, rustic building, excellent music. Surely you don't need anything more?
