HOWIE PAYNE, PAUL THOMAS SAUNDERS, & ELLEN (from Ellen and the Escapades) Live at Munro House, Leeds, 25th May
Anna Gutridge (@Gatsbypants) caught up with Ellen for a chat about the upcoming gig …
Ellen is excited; she should be, and so should you. Music lovers in Leeds who know their stuff will be charging down to Munro House next Saturday to see Howie Payne the former front man of The Stands performing his only gig North of London this year. An artist with the admiration of so many greats, playing in such an intimate setting is certainly an occasion not to be passed up.
He will be ably supported by Leeds singer-songwriter Pauls Thomas Saunders, assuredly one of the most intriguing and effortlessly brilliant artists to come out of the city over the past five years. Also performing is the aforementioned Ellen Smith, eponymous front woman of Ellen and the Escapades – who is thrilled to have managed to get such a line up together on one night.
Realising a long held ambition to share a stage with Howie, Ellen admits to being something of a fan girl ‘Howie is amazing and it is a real coup for us to have him performing’ she says.
The softly spoken lead singer makes no bones about the idea behind ‘The Saturday sessions’. Set up to provide music lovers in Leeds with a non-grotty gig experience; years of performing in front of fans standing on ‘claggy mats’ in flea pit clubs with no working toilets prompted the idea.
We want people to be able to come out and have a nice night, listen to some quality tunes and experience it all in nice surroundings,
says the 24 –year-old who certainly knows the music scene having performed at major UK festivals and being selected by the BBC’s introducing team as one of their acts.
Ellen’s passion is clear as she talks about the event, someone who knows music as well as she does can’t fail to produce a night that is more than a little bit special.
We are so lucky to have such an amazing line up for the night, she says, there won’t be any other opportunities to see Howie this year, and Paul is fantastic, his voice is fantastic and his songs are beautiful!
All in all, three extremely talented singer songwriters on one bill can’t be bad for £8 adv. People are in for a special treat if they can find their way to the top floor of Munro House on 25th May. And if that wasn’t enough, there’s also a ‘late night loft party’ after the show with live DJs. This really is one not to be missed.
Ellen’s infectious enthusiasm and desire to make this event a little bit different to the bog standard gigs happening all across the city is admirable. Then as she says for the hundredth time, ‘I’m just so excited and it will be amazing,’ I really really believe her and I’ll certainly be there. Will you?
Adv tickets available from We Got Tickets and Jumbo Records
Visit:
and here’s the press release