Darling Buds – The Soundhouse, Leicester

Another new venue for me. Leicester is about 2 hours’ drive on a good day, so it’s at the limit of how far I should reasonably travel to go to a gig on a Saturday night (or any night). After all I’m only 20 miles east of London and it can take 2 hours to get to Shepherd’s Bush.
Along with the usual crazy crap you find on venue walls, there’s also a “dove from above”. That has to be a genuine one, right?
Always looking for an opportunity to “create some content”, I managed to have a chat with the band in their van before the show, the second time I’d interviewed them after meeting them at Indietracks last year.
But wait, what’s this? The Lovely Eggs in another van?
They were playing around the corner, so I asked them if they fancied an interview too, and they said yes. So there we go, two different bands in two different venues, how’s that for commitment to the cause? I would have loved to have seen the live again too, but sadly they were on at exactly the same time.
It was nice to see Leicester with the Christmas lights out and I also had a fantastic Lebanese meal too. (Not a succulent Chinese meal).
Set? Another winner of course. Love every single performance I’ve ever caught from this band. I didn’t manage to grab a setlist on this occasion.
While walking back, I suddenly realised – I can go to the Richard III exhibition before I go home in the morning! This sign MIGHT have prompted me.
The remains of Richard III, the last English king killed in battle, were discovered within the site of the former Grey Friars Priory in Leicester in September 2012.
Following extensive anthropological and genetic testing, the remains were ultimately reinterred at Leicester Cathedral on 26 March 2015.
I remember watching CNN when they announced they’d found him …

I didn’t manage to get into the cathedral; it was now Sunday morning and it looked like there was a major service going on, which I didn’t want to walk in on. The exhibition – only 100 steps away – was great and the weird rocks under glass bit is the part of the car park where they found his bones, saved forever in the new Richard III Visitor Centre. Good work Leicester!
How it looked when they found him
Saturday 17 December 2016, 930 views
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Gigs
- Aggrasoppar – OY Brewery, Tórshavn
- International Pop Overthrow 2025
- Gigantic Indie All Dayer – Marble Factory, Bristol
- HMS Morris, Pictish Trail – Tŷ Pawb, Wrexham
- The Others – The 100 Club, Soho
- Stray Tracks: White Gates Band, Mystery Team, Basharan, SNM, Monumental – Pink Toothbrush, Rayleigh
- Franz Ferdinand, Master Peace, Great Leslie – Empire, Shepherd’s Bush
- Melys, Yr Anghysur – Neuadd Ogwen, Bethesda
- Ynys, Sybs, Lafant – Y Cwps, Aberystwyth
- Sultans of Ping FC – Saint Luke’s & The Winged Ox, Glasgow
- Franz Ferdinand, Permanent (Joy) – Grand Central Hall, Liverpool
- Half Happy, em koko – Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff
- My Life Story – The Quarry, Liverpool
- Melys, Osgled – Y Cwps, Aberystwyth
- They Might Be Giants – The Roundhouse, Chalk Farm
- Darling Buds, Simon Love and the Loves – 229, Great Portland Street, London
- Fightmilk, Tugboat Captain – Paper Dress Vintage, Hackney
- Bugeye, Lucky Number You – The Victoria, Birmingham
- Art Brut – The Castle & Falcon, Birmingham
- Sultans of Ping FC, Meryl Streek – The Ritz, Manchester
- Chroma, Baby Brave, Lila Zing – Tŷ Pawb, Wrexham
- Melin Melyn, Ynys, Pys Melyn – Town Hall, Llangollen
- Antarctic Monkeys – The Buttermarket, Shrewsbury
- Bloc Party – The Institute, Digbeth, Birmingham
- Urdd Gobaith Cymru: Achlysurol, HMS Morris, Llareggub Brass Band – Mathrafal Field, Meifod
- Echobelly, Camens – Live 45, Kidderminster
- Futureheads, Adult Play – Shrewsbury Castle, Shrewsbury
- Adwaith – Hare & Hounds, Birmingham
- Melys, Pys Melyn, Sophie Kilburn – Neuadd Ogwen, Bethesda
- Sea Power, Callum Easter – Town Hall, Birmingham
- Dydd Miwsig Cymru: Morgan Elwy, Tew Tew Tennau, Mynadd – Y Institwt, Llanfair Caereinion
- Bikini Beach Band – The White Hart, Stoke Newington
- Pacifica, House of Women – Academy 2, Islington
- Fonda 500, Bugeye, Hurtling, Colossus – Amersham Arms, New Cross
- Snow Coats, Toodles and the Hectic Pity – Signature Brew, Haggerston
- Snow Coats – Tunbridge Wells Forum
- Darling Buds, Keeley – The Thunderbolt, Bristol
- Fightmilk, Feeble Strength – Signature Brew, Haggerston
- Thousand Yard Stare – The Lexington, Islington
- Thousand Yard Stare – Prince Albert, Brighton
- Be Your Own Pet – Rough Trade East, Whitechapel
- Brian Butterfield – Bush Hall, Shepherd’s Bush
- Pulp – Apollo, Hammersmith
- Blur, Self Esteem – Wembley Stadium, Wembley
- Blur, Wu Lu – City Hall, Newcastle
- Salad, Repetitive John – Arts Club, West Hampstead, London
- Salad – The Hope and Ruin, Brighton
- The Others – The Garage, Highbury
- Fightmilk – Signature Brew, Haggerston
- Ynys, Gillie – The Victoria, Dalston
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