The project aims to preserve the musical heritage of the city by amassing a collection of visual memories in the form of concert tickets, thereby allowing both us in the present and those in future generations to resonate with and relive live music performances by some of the world’s greatest artists.

One of these is Bruce Springsteen, whose performance with The E Street Band in July 2013 inaugurated the First Direct Arena. Such a massive moment in the musical history of Leeds is now documented, visually in the form of an actual physical ticket, in the archive for others to enjoy and celebrate. A show by the iconic Irish rock band U2 is another among the remarkable performances recorded on the platform. They played Elland Road on July 1st 1987, where tickets were £14 and Special Guests were promised.

The archive also remembers Sir Elton John’s 1984 gig at The Queens Hall during his European Express Tour. The ticket reminded a commenter on the archive post about their experience at the gig as they stated, “I was at this gig! Elton played at the now demolished Queens Hall (tram shed) and it was truly one of the best gigs I’ve ever been to!“.

Louise Birch, the senior librarian at Leeds Libraries, recounts how the project came to be, saying, “The project came about as I was going through some of my own ticket stubs that I’d collected over the years, and I realised that many venues don’t actually issue physical tickets anymore.

“Leeds has hosted some of the biggest names in music over the years along with a thriving local gig scene and some incredible venues that have become a huge part of the city’s story.

“Every single one of these tickets also represents a unique memory for the person who went to that gig and what we really want is for people to share those memories and experiences and help us build a living, constantly evolving archive of live music in Leeds.”

The librarians who run the archive are actively trying to increase the collection and are on the lookout for particular gigs, including Jimi Hendrix at The Odeon in 1967, The Sex Pistols at Leeds Polytechnic in 1976, Nirvana at The Duchess in 1989 and Oasis at The Duchess in 1994.

The Leodis archive can be accessed here: https://www.leodis.net/.

The V&A East shared, “This landmark exhibition will reveal how Black British music has shaped British culture. Spanning four continents and 12 decades, this is a story of excellence and struggle, resilience and joy,” with it focusing on “125 years of Black music-making in Britain.”

We’re excited to announce our first exhibition, The Music Is Black: A British Story, opening at V&A East Museum, East Bank, in 2025.
You can read more about it here: https://t.co/mIhqroEiE9 #vameast #TMIB

— V&A East (@vam_east) November 1, 2023

The Music Is Black will celebrate pioneers of black music including icons such as Janet Kay, Winifred Atwell and Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, as well as modern day stars including Stormzy, Little Simz and Jorja Smith. The exhibition will also explore how musical greats including The Beatles and Fleetwood Mac were influenced by black music, drawing on its rich history to produce their now iconic works.

Promising an immersive experience, V&A East will draw on BBC archives, playbills, films, paintings and prints, amongst much more to provide an expansive walk-through of eras and stories. The curators are putting together “immersive AV and large-scale installations” to create a multi-sensory exhibition that will celebrate black music in all its glory.

Jaqueline Springer, curator of The Music Is Black, shared, “Music is the soundtrack to our lives, and one of the most powerful tools of unification. It brings collective and individual joy as we recite song lyrics at festivals and gigs, recall dance moves perfected in childhood bedrooms, and mime to guitar breaks, bassline drops and instrumental flourishes with glee.”

Springer continued, “Set against a backdrop of British colonialism and evolving social, political, and cultural landscapes, we will celebrate the richness and versatility of Black and Black British music as instruments of protest, affirmation, and creativity, and reveal the untold stories behind some of the world’s most popular music of all time.”

Hear more from Springer and her thoughts on music here:  

Continuing the BPI’s #BlackHistoryMonth ‘Saluting our Sisters’ project is Jacqueline Springer, Curator of Africa & Diaspora: Performance at @V_and_A, speaking about her experience of and hopes for the future of our industry. pic.twitter.com/2X1VkiCqM8

— BPI (@bpi_music) November 1, 2023

The Music Is Black will also delve into the impact that migration has had on music, highlighting the importance of the Windrush movement bringing new sounds from the Caribbean to the UK. The exhibition will take us on a journey from the Windrush era all the way through to the current chart-topping tracks that hold Afr0-Caribbean influence.

The exhibition is set to open in Spring 2025.

Tickets will be available to purchase here.