Record Weekly’s MO is very much attending and reviewing gigs, but on Saturday 16th September, the site took its first dive into hosting them…

When B12 Entertainment pitched me the idea of bringing The Gathering, their hugely successful, multi-artist, emerging talent showcase, down to Leeds, I jumped at the chance to run it in association with them. And with a dreamy line-up made up of bands RW is all too keen to continue promoting and championing, the stage was well and truly set for greatness at Belgrave.

The air con was blasting, the lights were pulsating kaleidoscopically and you could detect a faint aroma of pizza courtesy of Dough Boys downstairs. The ultimate recipe for pure gigging joy. But the best part? The very immediate flock of fans that entered right from the opening of doors.

It didn’t take long for the room to fill for the grungy goodness that Bradford boys and soon-to-be Live at Leeds performers, Drella, brought by the bucketload. Being a trio, they might be modest in formation but they don’t scrimp on sound; heavy riffs through one guitar and one bass do just enough talking as the thudding drums seal it all up. They pumped their setlist with everything from unreleased material to the whopping ‘Divide’. They’re a trio going places for a reason.

Next up: an injection of unadulterated funk from Flat Moon. Their usual dynamic of sax-infused guitars was elevated by a cameo from Bob Brazill on the bongos. Every second delivered full-on fun, and everyone in the room was grooving. As finales go, this outfit wasn’t one to go quietly, so of course they biblically parted the crowd like waves and were down on the floor among us to play themselves out.

All the way from Glasgow, Strange Dimensions enjoyed the mid-line-up slot for their first ever Leeds gig. They served us hit after indie-rock hit, so it’s hardly surprising they’re careering towards a bright future on the B12 Entertainment roster. Rated what you heard? You could make the journey up to the iconic King Tut’s in December for their headliner.

Explosive yet refined in everything they do, Wolforna were electric. If they’ve somehow gone undetected on your radar, it needs a reboot, because you have to listen to these lads ASAP. They’re BBC Radio 1’s Rock Show-approved, after all. Their set was a masterclass in crisp, sure-of-itself rock, while their engagement with the crowd was modest yet fun and absolutely captivating. You couldn’t blink for fear of missing a slice of the action. Although they debuted their upcoming new single, the massive ‘Reset’ and ‘Break You’ remained the big-energy numbers, and completely enthralling. The cherry on top? The frenzied Limp Bizkit cover that had the venue in raptures.

If all those accomplished acts hadn’t already done the trick, the night’s fabulous headliner was Leeds’ Astoria. With an acoustic guitar also among their arsenal, they gifted us much more of an indie style, but the room didn’t stop bouncing throughout. They offered an outstanding crescendo to The Gathering via a handful of covers, originals including ‘The Half Of It’, and an encore in tribute.

It was a truly humbling experience to be associated with B12’s Leeds instalment of The Gathering, so watch this space for what Record Weekly hosts next…