Single launch gigs don’t get much better and more value for money than when four acts sit on the billing. And once again, not only did Drella perform a headliner in their home city superbly, they demonstrated their savvy knack of onboarding well-suited bands to support them. It was a deft display of what the music scene here is all about, which was very aptly timed with the event happening to land during the same week Zayn Malik was announced Ambassador for Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture. 

I recently booked Casino Havana for the second instalment of B12 Entertainment’s The Gathering in Leeds, in association with us. I’ve never seen them play before, but they’re another Prospect Studios export. And if they’re good enough to open for Drella, that’s all I needed to know. Their blend of heavy indie-rock delivered a pacy start to the night, which was punctuated with chatter, some stark statistics about how regularly we feature on CCTV and a bit of political banter, too. Although their finale was more of a grungy, slower piece, there was an overall energy that set the tone for the bands to come.

A punk vibe gave the second outfit, Django Jones & The Mystery Men, their edge. Through solid drums, a tight bass undertone and a lone shredding guitar, their tunes — including the odd cover — came through riotously. And as their frontman threw himself around the stage as much as humanly possible, there was a level-up in tempo in the room. They’ve got two tracks on Spotify you can spin (both of which were nice and fierce when played) — and take a good look at the artwork while you’re there, because it’s cool as hell.

It was funny to see ‘Lunch’ so late in the day on the billing, but the punk/almost ska-esque, London-based quad were a welcome addition. If I heard correctly, it was the furthest north they’d ever gigged, and their spoken-word, somewhat IDLES-style dynamic went down very well. In fact, as songs went by, they served up a few never-before-played items and their setlist surged from strength to strength. And their frontman was in the crowd, whacking cowbells and even getting some political spiel out there on occasion.

So you could say the stage was totally oiled for Drella. Their weaving of old amid new was well-received among the crowd as the venue continued to swell with fans. From ‘Hypocrisy’ to ‘In Chains’, it was all very lively with politically motivated, poetically executed lyrics, plus they even wheeled out their classic, ultra-energetic ‘Bonkers’ cover. I can recall hearing them perform that for the first time and, as Jon publicly shared the news of Toby having a baby due soon, it almost felt full-circle in a way. A poignant moment for the band and those, like myself, who have followed their journey for a while. Naturally, towards the very end of the setlist, they unleashed ‘Guillotine’ in celebration of its release, and it was a belter.