Beat Back at Leeds Industrial Museum

We love museums so when Lee Goater asked us to get involved in a project to bring a new audience to Leeds Industrial Museum we jumped at the chance.

The project became Beat Back, our aim to bring rhythm, movement and energy back to what was once the world’s largest wool mill. It involved artists in residence, workshops and a final night accumulating in art, industry and music in the museum.

We built a Beat Back website and were tasked to produce and promote the final event. We invited the musicians Pye Corner Audio, Object Blue and Bambooman to play in the Big Engine shed.

The logistics of putting a gig on in a museum were quite interesting! We needed to source a PA, generator, lights, projectors, security and bar. We worked with local organisations where possible including the Armley craft beer legends Raynville Superstore.

We loved the way the musicians worked with the museum collection. Bambooman’s set was made entirely of sounds he had recorded during his residency, Object Blue live sampled the mill steam engine and Pye Corner Audio played an amazing set in front of 250 people in the atmospheric industrial venue that perfectly suited his sound. The music ended with a dramatic thunderstorm with lightening breaking out over Leeds.

Pye Corner Audio. Photo by Tony Jacobs

Object Blue. Photo by Peter Byrne

Bambooman. Photo by Tony Jacobs

Boe & Lx. Photo by Tony Jacobs

Neil Taylor. Photo by Tony Jacobs

Armley Mill. Photo by Peter Byrne

NikNak. Photo by Tony Jacobs

Audience. Photo by Peter Byrne

Object Blue. Photo by Peter Byrne

Pye Corner Audio. Photo by Peter Byrne

Armley Mill. Photo by Peter Byrne

Johnny from Raynville Superstore. Photo by Peter Byrne

Object Blue. Photo by Tony Jacobs

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