Popular Music in Leeds

This first academic collectiondedicated to popular music in Leeds -developed from the work of interdisciplinary scholars, drawn from a major public museumexhibition "Sounds of Our City" and built uponcontemporary research. Leeds has rich musicalhistories and heritage, a long tradition of vibrantmusic venues, nightclubs, dance halls, pubs andother sites of musical entertainment. The city hasspawned crooners, folk singers, punks, post-punks, Goths, DJs, popstars, rappers and indierockers, yet - with a few exceptions - Leeds hasnot been studied for its scenes in ways that other UK cities have. In ways that the chapters explore,Leeds' popular music exemplifies and informsunderstandings of broader cultural and urbanchanges - both in Britain and across wider globalcontexts - of the social and historical significanceof music as mass media; music and migration;music, racialisation and social equity; industrialdecline, de-industrialisation, neoliberalism and therise of the 24-hour city. Charting moments of starkmusical politicisation and de-politicisation, whileconcomitantly tracing arguments about"heritagising" popular music within discussionsabout music's "place" in museums and in theurban economy, this book contributes to debatesabout why music matters, has mattered, andcontinues to matter in Leeds, and beyond.