Interview Matt Rix, Glue at The Cockpit
We talk to the insiders of the Leeds nightlife scene
Interview: Matt Rix, Glue at The Cockpit
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Matt Rix runs the Session at the Cockpit every Friday night and recently launched new club night Glue, which hits the same venue every fourth Wednesday of the month - here Matt tells us all about the new night.
Did the Grammatics launch the night in style?
Grammatics are one of my favourite bands at the moment. Every time I see them they always deliver a memorable performance and our opening night was no exception. Because it was such a relaxed and, by their standard, low-key gig, they were able to showcase songs that they might not usually get the opportunity to play, which made the night really special.
What kind of music can we expect to hear at Glue nights in future?
For the October edition, or Glue Mk. 2 as I’ve been calling it, I put on a band called Dutch Uncles. I saw them open for Tubelord a while back and I just loved the sound so asked them if they’d play. They’re a really buzzy band at the moment and well worth checking out for those into anyone like Los Campesinos!, Dananananakroyd or Bombay Bicycle Club. We’ve also got an amazing four band bill lined up for the November edition on the 25th. Frustratingly at the time of writing I can’t announce it, but for more details check out the Facebook group www.tinyurl.com/glueclub.
Who is the resident DJ?
Owen Brinley from Grammatics is the main event, as it were. We’ve said for ages that we should do a club night together after he finished doing Grammar in York. We’re basically into the same sort of noisey stuff such as Cursive, Future of the Left and Blood Red Shoes. I’ve also recently recruited some guys who call themselves Flesh Eaters to help on decks duty. They play a lot of the lo-fi garage stuff like No Age, Wavves and Black Lips, which works really well.
Why’s the night called Glue?
Well firstly I’d like to say it’s really hard to think of a decent name for a club night or band or whatever, and there were loads of different - on the whole rubbish - ideas thrown around for ages. We liked the idea of having a name based around a band or an album that reflected the music we liked and wanted to play. Owen suggested we call it Used for Glue, as in the Rival Schools song and I, ingeniously, suggested we just shorten it simply to Glue. Bingo.
If you could host any band in the world at Glue, who would you choose?
If money was no object and I could persuade any band in the world to play the middle room at the Cockpit then I would have to say Queens of the Stone Age. Josh Homme is one of my idols and what I love about QOTSA is they’ve never compromised their music to fit with current trends. They’ve always maintained that raw visceral quality from day one even as their celebrity and status has swelled to the heights they enjoy today.
What are the best things about Leeds?
The best thing about Leeds for me is the sense of community within the alternative music scene. All the promoters and bands and punters are like one big dysfunctional family, which I love. We’ve also got great venues such as The Cockpit, Brudenell Social Club and Nation of Shopkeepers that are run by genuine music fans who are in the business for the right reasons. I think this atmosphere has helped create a music scene that’s almost unparalleled anywhere else in the country.
What would make Leeds even better?
To be honest, I like Leeds a lot the way it is but I suppose the obvious answer is the addition of the much talked about arena. The benefits are clear - it would attract the big-name acts to the city and the crowds would be a clear benefit to the local economy through extra business and jobs, and this is undoubtedly a good thing. But from a purely music point of view I don’t think we really need it. The bands on this kind of circuit have all been through Leeds at some point, be it at one of the universities or the Academy and, weather permitting, we’ve always got Millennium Square gigs which I think are a much better experience than any arena gig I’ve ever been to.
Every fourth Wednesday, The Cockpit, Swinegate, LS1 4AG, 11pm-late, £5
Posted on Wednesday 11th November 2009
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