be released on download only, was in a different league. Within the first couple of bars you could for the first time see more than a glimmer of talent behind the band and it was a definite set highlight amongst an otherwise uninspiring jaunt. The gig was played out in the smaller of the two cockpit rooms and was consequently full to bursting. This, coupled with a crowd full of friends and family, meant that even before the band set foot on stage the atmosphere was such that Kid Symphony would have their work cut out to send anyone away disgruntled. Bounding on stage, suitably glammed up guitarist, Pete Denton, sported a gold sequinned tie that only the undeniably gorgeous can pull off and, not to be outdone, front-man Chris Langdon had opted for a gravity defying coif. If the outfits and stage-presence gave the impression Kid Symphony hail from more exotic locations than West Yorkshire then their banter did not: “Eh-up… It’s good to be back. This one’s for my Mum” Latest single ‘Meet You on the Other Side’ (released 22/3 through Island) was a definite crowd pleaser along with “a cheeky little number that’ll move your hips”, ‘Never Been a Rock star’. Langdon displayed all the charisma and presence that you’d hope for from a frontman of a band inspired by Bowie and Queen and both he and Denton threw out impressive riffs with gay abandon. As the relatively short, nine song, encore-less set came to an end the local boys finished off in style: “You’ve been beautiful tonight Leeds, thanks for coming down. Now get your motherfucking lighters out for ‘Lost in Space’. Anyone leaving the venue with the turning on of the house lights missed, arguably, the high point of the entire evening. The poster advertised gig + aftershow and Kid Symphony didn’t let us down. Following a brief shower and change Langdon hit the Cockpit Bar where he proceeded to play a mammoth 2-hour DJ set. Belting out hits from amongst others, Iggy Pop, Blondie, Queen and Duran Duran, Langdon’s transition from on-stage roc god to cheesy DJ was seamless and excellent entertainment and only a fool would have missed the impromptu set. But all good things must come to an end and what better way to go than via the immortal warblings of the Carpenters??? “right, well I hope you’ve had a good night…but I’m afraid I’m going to have to tell you to piss off. Thank you for coming to see Kid Symphony. This is a song for all the lovers out there…” Kid Symphony may well be the best thing to come out of Leeds since Lurpack and hopefully their talent will be appreciated further afield.
(Almost!) complete DJ setlist:
Elton John; Saturday Night’s Alright
AHA; Take on Me
Blondie: Hanging on the Telephone
Jackson 5: I Want You Back
Aerosmith: Dude (Looks Like a Lady)
Bon Jovi: You give Love a Bad Name
Guns & Roses: Paradise City
Queen: Fat-bottomed Girls
AC:DC: Highway to Hell
Iggy Pop: The Passenger
Tears for Fears: Everybody Wants To Rule the World
Duran Duran: Girls on Film
Eddi Grant: Electric Avenue
Sting: SOS
The Shamen: Ebeneezer Good
The Prodigy: Out of Space
2 Unlimited: No limits
Bon Jovi: Living on a Prayer
Queen: Don’t Stop Me Know
Survivor: Eye of the Tiger
Violent Delight: Teenage Kicks
Alice Cooper: School’s Out for Summer
The Carpenters: Close to You
www.kidsymphony.com
Words: Jude Stone | 
