The Cast of Characters
The people I've interviewed and quoted in the book. Quite the cast.
Suffice to say, this manuscript would not be as entertaining as it is without a bit of assistance. Though the manuscript is not wholly an oral history, I spoke to a range of individuals to collate their insights and allow me to narrate. Included in this cast of characters are band members, fans, club night promoters, music producers, even parents. Though I did not speak to absolutely everyone I intended to, I’m still pleased I got to interview so many people who were key to the New Yorkshire Wave.
There was a certain process that I followed for each interviewee. After initally getting into contact with them I would send over a consent form that included tick boxes and a field in which a signature (typically they would print their name) was added. Each individual was also given a tailored information sheet explaining why they had been chosen as an interview subject and what the project entailed. Formalities.
After gaining their consent, I would guage the method of interview. If it was possible, I’d suggest meeting in person as the conversation flows a lot easier when you can judge body language which is not possible over the phone. Early interviews were conducted via a video call as Zoom was all the rage during the early stages of the pandemic. Some individuals preferred to type out their responses, which was certainly easier for me to use rather than arduous transcribing.
The cast of characters quoted in the book is extensive so I've included it here with some background as to how I got to interview them and why I got in touch. For each individual, I’ve noted their specialist subject to provide some insight into why I decided to speak to them. Some have a key quote attributed to them too.
Martin Bedford - A graphic poster artist based in Sheffield and a co-founder of The Leadmill. Sadly died in November 2023. You've probably seen one of his iconic posters, largely to advertise gigs in Sheffield. Over a couple of pints in a local pub (Commonside), we discussed the origin of The Leadmill amongst other things.
Specialist Subject: The rite of passage for kids wanting to produce their own music and form bands.
Jennifer Bell - A fan of Arctic Monkeys and a member of their online message board known as 'The Fanboard'. While we could barely recall a single Fuzz Club night in detail, we both knew we had had a great time at each one.
Specialist Subject: The early gigs of Arctic Monkeys.
Penny Blackham - Former Co-organiser of Fuzz Club, an indie/rock club night held at Sheffield University's Student's Union. She also ran the Sheffield record store, Forever Changes. Those great times at Fuzz Time were largely down to Penny. Not only did she detail how the club night evolved but listed her favorite acts, including the ones she always wanted to get, and how the rider was adapted for Arctic Monkeys being under 18 when they played.
Specialist Subject: Fuzz Club.
Mark Booth - Former Guitarist in Stella and Carousel Moon, (two early incarnations of the Sheffield band, Little Man Tate). Alas, no party at Boothy's was had but he was enlightening as to how the Sheffield music scene looked before the New Yorkshire Wave.
Specialist Subject(s): House parties and Little Man Tate.
Joe Carnall - Lead Singer of Milburn, currently known as Good Cop Bad Cop, latterly the Bassist in Reverend and The Makers. Let's be brutally honest here. Without Milburn, there would have been no Arctic Monkeys. That was their great role in all this and his account was illuminating. Including one trip to McDonalds with Alex Turner.
Specialist Subject: Being the live inspiration for Arctic Monkeys.
Timm Cleasby - Operations Manager at Tramlines Festival and Former Tour Manager of Arctic Monkeys. Who better to discuss the hysteria of those early Arctic Monkeys gigs than the man who physically got the band to those gigs? Plus, he continues to be the 'grown-up in the room' for Tramlines Festival.
Specialist Subject: The formation of Tramlines Festival.
Jon Downing - Owner of Do It Thissen Records, an early fan of Arctic Monkeys and a member of their online message board known as 'The Fanboard' from Sheffield. Jon was there for Synth-Pop and that experience of seeing how music scenes rise and fall was invaluable. Plus, he has a lovely garden to have a chat over cups of tea.
Specialist Subject: The rise and fall of Sheffield music scenes over time.
David Dunn - Former Music Editor of The Sheffield Star. Now in the Middle East, David gave me free access to the Sheffield music scene through covering the bands in the newspaper's music pages. He saw the New Yorkshire Wave from start to finish and that expert viewpoint was essential.
Specialist Subject: How vital the coverage in a local newspaper is to local bands.
Matt Evans - Former Freelance Reporter for Sheffield Newspapers and Former PR for The Plug in Sheffield. Sadly died in August 2021. An authority on the early days of the Sheffield venues, The Plug and Tuesday Club. Helpful to the last, I was devastated to hear of Matt's untimely death.
Specialist Subject: The two Plug gigs around the release of ‘I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor’.
Zara Gladman - A fan of Arctic Monkeys and a member of their online message board known as 'The Fanboard' from Glasgow. Zara is a live comedy performer and you can subscribe to her brilliant Substack too. The first person to send me photos and videos before I even got to ask. I knew she'd be helpful because she was there at The Boardwalk in Sheffield, all the way down from Glasgow.
Specialist Subject: The consistent mayhem of early Arctic Monkeys gigs.
Tom Goodhand - Former NME Writer and Former Editor of Sandman Magazine in Leeds. If I was going to learn about the Leeds music scene, I needed to speak to another local journalist. Specifically to get an account of the venues, club nights, and the bands in Leeds that were making their mark.
Specialist Subject: The Vines pub and the importance of the Dance To The Radio label in Leeds.
Tom Greatorex - Former Bassist of Black Wire. Currently a graphic designer, illustrator, and brand designer. Alas, I barely saw what was happening in Leeds at the time but Tom filled me in from the direct view of a band member. Plus, he introduced me to Gary Jarman from The Cribs who was equally enlightening.
Specialist Subject: Leeds’ music scene at the start of the New Yorkshire Wave.
Clive Helders - Father of Matt Helders and Jill Helders - Mother of Matt Helders. Possibly the loveliest and most helpful couple I could wish for. We even had a barbecue to get the interview down before I moved out of Sheffield.
Specialist Subject: Arctic Monkeys’ early rehearsals and gigs.
Matt Helders - Drummer of Arctic Monkeys and previously the Bongo Player in Judan Suki. Strangely, I didn't need his parent's help to get an hour on a Zoom call with him. He was at the very top of the pyramid of people to interview and it was nowhere near as awkward as I’d envisaged once we spoke.
Specialist Subject: The whirlwind that surrounded the epic rise of Arctic Monkeys.
Key Quote: “I knew I wanted to be involved. I hadn't even thought about playing drums in my life. I remember there being drums at school and I remember a kid who played drums but I didn't know what any of them (drums) were called or what each one did. Maybe I liked the idea of it somewhere subconsciously but until it was presented to me as an option I hadn't.”
Iain Hodgson - Former Producer and Presenter of BBC Introducing in South Yorkshire and North Derbyshire. One of the early stalwarts in the Sheffield local radio scene who took over where Shamir Masri had left off.
Specialist Subject: The importance of local radio to a regional music scene.
Mike Hughes - Former Lead Singer of Trap2, latterly a Solo Artist. It did not take Mike long to get involved which was a relief. If there's an individual who was there without getting the credit, it was him. Trap2 (later renamed to Little Zé) were in the New Yorkshire Wave but barely featured in the press coverage. We both remembered how vital the club night, Threads, was to the Sheffield scene and, thankfully, there's now some detail with it.
Specialist Subject(s): Trap2 and Threads.
Kate Jackson - Former Lead Singer of The Long Blondes. Now an artist. If Kate had ignored my email or simply said no, there may not have been a manuscript. While the world was in lockdown, she was the first person I thought would be vital to include. She said yes, mainly because she had so much free time, and how valuable her insight proved to be.
Specialist Subject: The Long Blondes and which music scenes the band felt closer aligned to.
Gary Jarman - Bassist/Singer in The Cribs, brother of Ryan and Ross Jarman. What an unexpected treat. I didn't think I'd get to speak to Gary but, time difference notwithstanding, it was a joy. Just finding out that they traipsed to Sheffield instead of Leeds was worth including alone.
Specialist Subject: The DIY ethos of Leeds’ music scene.
Key Quote: “We'd always been very DIY but that (at The Brudenell) was so-DIY and so community orientated. That was our whole world, you help your friends bands out, there was no corporate element to it at all. It was really inspiring, that's when we started feeling that we could finally start having a home in Leeds and The Brundenell very much became our home venue after that. We played it pretty much at least every month. It was totally untouched by any of the big promoters. They didn't know it existed really, just a social club in the student area.”
Darren Lockwood - Co-Founder of Squirrel Records in Leeds. Former Guitarist in The Blanche Hudson Weekend and The Manhattan Love Suicides and
Caroline McChrystal - Co-Founder of Squirrel Records in Leeds. Former Vocalist in The Blanche Hudson Weekend and The Manhattan Love Suicides. I hadn't crossed paths with Darren and Caroline yet if I was to write about the music scene in Leeds then I would have to speak to people who made it happen. After being put in touch via Tom Greatorex, they gave me the inside scoop on first releasing The Cribs and how the scene in Leeds developed.
Specialist Subject: The importance of a local record label in Leeds.
Nat Loftus (née Johnson) - Former Lead Singer, Songwriter, and Guitarist of Monkey Swallows The Universe. If MSTU had formed at a different time then perhaps Nat would have got the audience she, and her band, deserved. While the New Yorkshire Wave was getting most of the plaudits, Sheffield enjoyed another scene. A more arty set of bands were set apart from the headline-makers and garnered themselves to Thee SPC. While Nat got to live out a few of her dreams, she helped provide the view from another side of the city's music scene.
Specialist Subject: How it felt to be part of Sheffield’s other microscenes when the New Yorkshire Wave occurred.
Dan Lomax - Senior Lecturer at Leeds Beckett University. Also a DJ, promoter, and event manager. Dan has also supported a book about the Leeds music scene and a joint collab could be on the cards. We had such an interesting chat over the phone, plus it helps to know that there’s someone else covering the same period as me.
Specialist Subject: How the Gigantic club night kickstarted Leeds’ love for indie guitar music again.
Laura Jean Marsh - Director, Writer and Lead Actor in the film, Giddy Stratospheres and former lead-singer in Screaming Ballerinas. I guess you get a different view if you were fronting a band at the same time at the other end of the country. The Noughties were a great time to be into live music in Yorkshire but also in London. You do not need to read copies of NME to find out, just watch the film Laura created which is set back then. Plus it features two members of The Long Blondes.
Specialist Subject: London’s music scene around the same time as the New Yorkshire Wave.
Rick Martin - Co-Producer of the Demo Tapes podcast and former Sheffield Correspondent and Music Writer for NME Magazine. Of course, I simply had to speak to someone from NME. The magazine helped push the bands and set the agenda. Rick even had a part to play in gifting New Yorkshire its moniker. He would have a front-row seat to the madness and was able to speak at length about it with me.
Specialist Subject: NME's coverage of the New Yorkshire Wave.
Shamir Masri - Former Web Producer, Presenter and Producer of BBC Raw Talent/BBC Introducing for BBC Radio Sheffield. When Shamir presented BBC Raw Talent and BBC Introducing, he was at the forefront of the region's music scene. He would devotedly listen to Yorkshire bands and even fed back on an early Bring Me The Horizon demo. We agreed that you could literally go out every night in Sheffield and see a band or three. Why bother watching TV? His music shows even featured tech where bands could attach tracks to their own page, pre-Myspace. Google Reviews? They even made an early version called 'Greedy Cow' which featured reviews of eateries across the region.
Specialist Subject(s): Raw Talent and how he helped Bring Me The Horizon markedly change their sound for the better.
Pete McKee - Artist based in Sheffield. Like a lot of my interviews, I caught Pete at a time when he had a fair bit of spare time. Typically, he's super busy with his art business and his latest exhibition yet I was given time to probe his own music background and the piece depicting how Arctic Monkeys formed a band.
Specialist Subject: Those early days in The Beehive, then a pub for Sheffield’s creatives on West Street, and how Sheffield's scene compared between Synth-Pop and the New Yorkshire Wave.
Chris McClure - Former Guitar Tech for Arctic Monkeys and featured on the cover of Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not. Brother of Jon McClure and Former Lead Singer of The Violet May. If there is a face of the New Yorkshire Wave, it's probably Chris'. Few were as close to the madness as he and while Arctic Monkeys could hide behind their record label, Chris' face was everywhere. I'm still not sure how he coped yet he's also one of the liveliest, loveliest individuals I know.
Specialist Subject: The photoshoot for the cover of Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not.
Jon McClure - Lead Singer and Lyricist of Reverend and The Makers, previously of 1984 and Judan Suki. Brother of Chris McClure. Essentially the Godfather to the New Yorkshire Wave in Sheffield. He helped Alex Turner lyrically and even invited him and Matt Helders to join his band. You have to wonder what might have happened if Jon and Al hadn't sat next to each other on the bus out to Northern Sheffield. Over the course of a few hours, we reminisced at his house which was a few yards from where I used to live in Sheffield. This book would not have quite the punch if I hadn't gotten to speak to Jon. Plus, he was the deciding factor in securing three huge interviews. Put bluntly, this book would have been rubbish without him.
Specialist Subject: Secret gigs Under The Boardwalk and the fight that inspired the song ‘A Certain Romance’.
Key Quote: “Wherever you go, Alan's sat there like the psychic octopus. He's in the middle of it all.” The Alan in question being Alan Smyth.
Pete Mella - Former Writer for Sandman Magazine and Counterfeit Magazine. The Co-Creator of the Listen to Sheffield Bands (L2SB) message board. Pete and the rest of the crew at Sandman Magazine knew how important the nearby music scenes were. Not only was Pete the first to review Arctic Monkeys, L2SB was a vital cog to serve Sheffield's online communities.
Specialist Subject: The L2SB message board.
Sam ‘Whiskas’ Nicholls - Former Bassist of ¡Forward, Russia! and Founder of the Dance To The Radio record label. Now a Senior Lecturer at Leeds Beckett University, Sam was a key component in the New Yorkshire Wave. Both in his genre-bending band and the label that helped propel several of Leeds’ bands.
Specialist Subject: Dance To The Radio.
Key Quote: “There were scenes within scenes, sure. In Leeds, one of the brilliant things about that time was that it was quite complimentary. As ¡Forward, Russia!, we were quite into math-rock, old school emo, and hardcore. Leeds had a really big scene of that and for a long time it was quite indie. We'd be butting heads with other people.”
Rob Nicholson - Former Bassist in The Wanted and Dead World Leaders. Brother of Andy Nicholson. Co-Founder of Pedalo Photography. When we were first allowed to socialise with individuals outside our own household during the COVID-19 pandemic (how weird was that?), I went for a walk with Rob in his local park. At the time of the New Yorkshire Wave, Rob was in other bands and he had a unique insight into how the scene developed, both as a musician and a brother.
Specialist Subject(s): How Arctic Monkeys got their first gig and his brother’s departure from Arctic Monkeys.
James O'Hara - Co-Founder of Tramlines Festival, Creator of the Threads club night at DQ in Sheffield and Co-Owner of various Sheffield bars including Public and Picture House Social. At the time of the New Yorkshire Wave, James used his business acumen to strike while the iron was hot. Threads was an integral part of the scene, a place for the bands to socialise and for fans to congregate. Though most of our chat was about the club night, James also played a key role in the creation of Tramlines Festival.
Specialist Subjects: Threads and the creation of Tramlines Festival.
Ralph Parmar - DJ and Creator of the Razor Stiletto club night in Sheffield. I pretty much left James to it when it came to Threads, just as I allowed Ralph to tell me all about Razor Stiletto. Somehow, I never went to the club night myself and curse myself for that on a regular basis. It really was something else and, thankfully, Ralph was able to describe it at length.
Specialist Subject: Razor Stiletto.
Dan Potter - Former Drummer in Bromheads Jacket. Not just the drummer, Dan was a third of Bromheads Jacket but all their single and album cover designs were down to him. He's one of the quieter members of the scene and after another walk in the park, he gave me the inside track on the scene and how his designs came to be.
Specialist Subject: The artwork for Bromheads Jacket single releases.
Mark Roberts - Former Director at Sandman Magazine. The business brains behind Sandman Magazine, and a reason why the publication enjoyed such longevity. A lot of that was down to the full-page adverts in the magazine, but also the unpaid endeavours of so many photographers and writers.
Specialist Subject: Sandman Magazine.
Diane Rodgers - Co-Founder of Thee SPC record label in Sheffield. Another hero, Diane was one of my final interviews for the book. I had originally intended to interview someone else from Thee SPC yet, when discussions dragged on, I contacted Diane and she was readily available. In my eyes, the label was crucial for the various microscenes that Sheffield had going at the time which Diane could fully elaborate on.
Specialist Subject(s): Thee SPC, Thee Humbug, and Sheffield’s microscenes.
Chris Saunders - Photographer, formerly for Sandman Magazine. There's an iconic photo of Alex Turner between Jarvis Cocker and Richard Hawley. It looks like the torch being passed between legends of Sheffield music and Chris took it. In fact, he took so many great shots of coverstars for Sandman Magazine.
Specialist Subject: Being a magazine photographer trying to get a photo of every single featured band.
Nick Simmonite - Manager of The Frog & Parrot and Chair of U-Night (Night-Time Community Organisation), both in Sheffield. Surprisingly, our paths hadn’t crossed before our interview, despite how involved he is with Sheffield’s music scene. From his involvement in Tramlines to how important local venues are to a music scene, Nick’s passion for live music shone through during the interview.
Specialist Subject: How legislation made it so much easier to put bands on in pubs.
Alan Smyth - Music Producer based in Sheffield at 2Fly Studios. Jon McClure called him a 'psychic octopus' and that pretty much sums up Alan's influence. He knew the knobs to turn and the buttons to press to make Sheffield's bands sound great. Also, he helped hook up Arctic Monkeys to their first manager and quickly realized just how good The Long Blondes sounded, even though he heard them through a couple of walls. He pretty much recorded everyone from the New Yorkshire Wave in Sheffield.
Specialist Subject: The ‘Beneath The Boardwalk’ demos.
Chris Stride - Organiser of Offbeat, a leftfield club night head at Sheffield University's Raynor Lounge. Offbeat started in 1997 and regularly held specials for bands like Pixies, The Smiths, as well as Belle and Sebastian. There were few local bands that were getting played on the radio back then, let alone getting record deals. Offbeat played tracks from The Long Blondes and Monkey Swallows The Universe from the start. The club night is still going now and was sweet relief during lockdown as you could listen in with a few drinks, have a party in your home, and chat with attendees in a chat room. That's all down to Chris who has seen the scene close hand as bands became so popular it'd be amiss if he didn't play them.
Specialist Subject: Offbeat.
Rebecca Lucy Taylor - Founding Co-Member of Slow Club, currently known as Self Esteem. I had to at least try to speak to Rebecca and it did seem weird to do it under the premise of a book. The timing was right, she had just got her second solo album in the can, the imperious Prioritise Pleasure. With a bit of spare time, we had an engaging, entertaining hour-long chat. Now, after relentless touring and promotion, Rebecca is the star she was destined to be and I am able to quote her verbatim.
Specialist Subject: Authenticity (or lack thereof) in the music industry and starting a band at the peak of the New Yorkshire Wave.
Key Quote: “We started playing at The Boardwalk (as Slow Club) and you'd get a cut of how many people came in. Imagine that now, I'd be making hundreds of pounds! To someone who's 15 and taking home £40, £50, that's massive. It meant you could play for a practice room and do another gig.”
Kayleigh Thomas - A fan of Arctic Monkeys and a member of their online message board known as 'The Fanboard' from Sheffield. The ‘superfan’ (as Nick Simmonite called her) who has a sense of what it was like back before the New Yorkshire Wave blew up. Kayleigh had largely been there for the entire journey. Indeed, we met in person seeing Arctic Monkeys at The Boardwalk having exchanged pleasantries on the online messageboard. It was a weird, thrilling time and she was able to comment on the value of those online exchanges and ripping CDs to exchange with mates.
Specialist Subject: Being an Arctic Monkeys ‘superfan’.
Paul Tuffs - Founder of The Rave Cave and Live Promoter at The Grapes pub in Sheffield. Director at Sidney & Matilda, a live venue in Sheffield. ‘Tufty’ was another witness to the veritable explosion of bands in the Sheffield scene. He was at The Grapes when Arctic Monkeys first walked onto a stage. He was also behind the bar a few years later when poncy record-execs from London were coming up to try and find out what was going on up north and sign up some talent. Paul still works in the music industry in Sheffield and long may he continue.
Specialist Subject: Gigs at The Grapes.
Thomas Weatherall - Former Keyboardist in The Yell and son of Martin Lilleker. In researching the Sheffield scene, I loaned out a copy of 'Beats Working For A Living' from the library. At the time, I failed to realize that it was written by Tom's dad and the book proved invaluable. Lilleker was integral to the Sheffield scene and, of course, Tom was to feature in a New Yorkshire band. He knows his stuff does Tom.
Specialist Subject: The pitfalls of being in a band in a local scene which has probably gotten too big for its own good.
Jan Webster - Co-Founder of Sandman Magazine. If Mark Roberts was the business acumen behind Sandman Magazine then Jan was the creative force. He had already provided me with an essay he'd written about how to create a music magazine. Few could have done it better as Sandman was such a welcoming publication. Jan was incredibly easy to interview as he had seen the music scene in Sheffield grow and Sandman Magazine had played a major part in joining the dots.
Specialist Subject: Sandman Magazine.
Jono West - Bassist of Bromheads Jacket. Like Jon McClure, Jono lived a few yards away from me in Hunters Bar. Inevitably, we went for a walk in the local park where I was to learn about how Bromheads Jacket got started. How friendly the Sheffield scene was and how the band was forced to attend that Gangs of New Yorkshire photoshoot, without their 'drummer monkey'.
Specialist Subject: The ‘Gangs of New Yorkshire’ photoshoot.
Chris Wilson - Music Promoter at The Greystones pub in Sheffield, Formerly a Music Promoter at The Boardwalk. The Boardwalk was essential to the success of the Sheffield music scene and a lot of that was down to Chris. The likes of Jon McClure, Alex Turner, Andy Nicholson, and Ed Cosens all worked behind the bar where, in the moments between pulling pints, they could learn the skills of live performance. Then there were Jon and Maz from Little Man Tate on the door at gigs. More importantly, Chris was willing to put on tribute bands to bring money in so he could put on local bands. He rarely made a profit from those gigs yet it was crucial for those local bands to learn their onstage craft. Learn how to make mistakes and how to play in front of a crowd. They could even organize their own gigs, all under Chris' mentoring. Then again, I mainly remember our interview for the vivid recollections that gave me no doubt that The Boardwalk was indeed haunted.
Specialist Subject: Putting local bands on at The Boardwalk.
Jon Windle - Lead singer of Little Man Tate. Jon was probably the only local music hero whose mobile number I had at the time. Thankfully, his number had not changed since those heady days and it was easy to get him to agree to a couple of drinks in the local pub. He hasn't changed, he's still as deprecating as ever even if his band did get some of the harshest treatment in the entire scene, notably from the music press. It was clear he'd had a good time of it.
Specialist Subject: How mean the music press can be.
Individuals that have been quoted from alternative sources.
Jim Abbiss - British Music Producer
Steve Baker - Former English and Drama teacher at Stocksbridge High School
Geoff Barradale - Manager at Wildlife Entertainment. Former Manager of Arctic Monkeys and Reverend and The Makers
Johanna Bennett - English Songwriter and Former Frontwoman of Totalizer
Ashley Birch - Former Bassist in Harrisons
Nathan Clark - Owner of The Brudenell Social Club in Leeds
John Cooper Clarke - Punk Poet and Cultural Commentator from Manchester
Andy Cook - Director at Yellow Arch Studios in Sheffield
Jamie Cook - Lead Guitarist in Arctic Monkeys
Abi Cooper - An early fan of Arctic Monkeys
Richard Hawley - Sheffield-based solo artist, Former Guitarist in Pulp and Longpigs
Nick Hodgson - Former Drummer of Kaiser Chiefs
Zane Lowe - Radio DJ, Live DJ, Record Producer, and TV Presenter
Carl Maloney - Founder and Owner of RGM Media, Former Guitarist and Vocalist in The Sound
Phil Penman - Former Head of Music at HMV
Russell Searle - Guitarist and Vocalist in The Research
Adam ‘Jubby’ Taylor - Former Lead Singer and Guitarist in Harrisons
Richard Tolson - Former Head of Music and Performing Arts at Barnsley College
Alex Turner - Frontman of Arctic Monkeys and The Last Shadow Puppets, Former Guitarist in Judan Suki
Craig Wellington - Lead Singer and Guitarist in The Sunshine Underground
Mark White - Former Drummer in Harrisons
Sarah Williams - Drummer and Vocalist in The Research