Photo Credit: James Mirfield
Words: Mia-Jo Vickers
Rounding off a brilliant year for the Stockport legends, Inspiral Carpets made their return to Leeds for a night filled with hits, new songs and an all round emphatic performance.
DJ Dave Sweetmore opened the night. He took us back to the heady days of the indie revolution with a classic array of 80s and 90s tunes. From New Order and The Charlatans to The Smiths, Oasis, and The Stone Roses—the stage was perfectly set for Inspiral Carpets.
The atmosphere was building and as the final wave of people poured into the venue, the stage lights erupted, signalling the band’s arrival. A huge surge of excitement swept through the crowd. It had been three years since they’d last headlined the O2 Academy in Leeds, and what a way to come back!
Starting off strong with ‘Real Thing‘, the band slipped back onto the stage like they’d never left—totally in their element.
A constant psychedelic vibe ran throughout the night, perfectly mirrored by the visuals on the screen behind the band—which they explained was essentially their personal scrapbook, an ever-changing slideshow of images.
Throughout the gig, Stephen Holt kept pointing out people in the crowd—most memorably a group of lads in wigs, taking the mick out of the bowl cuts and curtains the band had sported in their early days.
It’s impossible not to have fun when a classic band like this is performing their greatest hits, while bantering with the crowd and sharing genuine laughs along the way. Inspiral Carpets remained effortlessly cool throughout, proudly embracing their Manchester roots with continual subtle nods to their hometown.
They said that there was “a little community forming“, with the crowd that night. There were virtually no phones in sight; everyone was just soaking in the music, it was great to see people just living in the moment.
They then unveiled a brand-new song—their upcoming comeback single, set for release early next year! The crowd was absolutely buzzing; after waiting so long for fresh Inspiral Carpets material, they were finally getting a taste of what’s to come.
“It’s gonna get messy now,” Clint Boon announced, just before the band launched into ‘Saturn 5‘—the final song of their second-to-last tour date. That night, Madchester was truly brought back to life in Leeds.
Taped Magazine 