A Head Full of Wishes is a site for Galaxie 500, Luna, Damon & Naomi, Dean & Britta and Dean Wareham. With news, articles and lists of releases and past and future shows.
Diary: Dean Wareham in Leeds - 5th April 2025
And so, on to Leeds - another fairly simple trek from Whitley Bay - trains run direct to Leeds from Newcastle - so I headed off around lunchtime. The day before I emailed Dean and asked if he minded me coming along to the soundcheck at The Brudenell Social Club - of course he said that would be fine and that they’d be soundchecking at 4.
My train was due in at 3:13 so I had 47 minutes to get to my Airbnb to dump my stuff and then on to the venue. The Brudenell is nowhere near the station but was very close to my room for the night so a quick extra train journey across Leeds, and a brisk walk to the Airbnb meant that I arrived at the venue just after 4 and let myself into the hall, there was no one to stop me. Roger was doing what I guess is the most boring bit of the soundcheck “… now the high hat… “ - tsshhh tsshhh - “OK, now the floor tom” - thunk thunk …
Meanwhile Britta was at the merch table rolling and taping the T-shirts. I sauntered over to say “hi”, and bought myself a T-shirt while I was at it - nice to buy without a queue, although slightly cross I didn’t buy a CD of the new album because they were sold out by the time I decided I ought to have one for the collection!
Dean wandered out from back-stage eating a sandwich he’d just put together, living the rock and roll lifestyle to the full.
After a while the band took to the stage together for some soundchecking. I popped my camera on the seat beside me and pointed it at them and then wandered around the venue taking pictures while the band soundchecked.
Now, I understand that for the band the soundcheck is a technical process, but to a fan it’s not that at all. What I was getting was my own personal concert. Just me (and the sound man, and a couple of other folk who occasionally wandered in and out). The sound man was listening but only one person was watching - this was just for me!
So… here’s the setlist from my personal afternoon show at The Brudenell Social Club in Leeds
- The Cloud is Coming
-
That’s The Price of Loving Me
- … and then:
- Britta: “… something loud? Some Galaxie 500?”
- Dean: “Flowers…?”
- Britta: “We coud try Shout You Down”
- Dean: “… ohhh… kayyy… practicing it… if only for Andy!”
- Shout You Down
- New World Julie
Since, at the moment, I’m one of the very few who’s seen this live I hope Dean doesn’t mind…
Soundcheck over, I headed back to my Airbnb for a bit of a rest before heading off to the pub next door to The Brudenell to see if anyone was going to show for the pre-meet. Turns out I was late since Ulrika, Alan, Chris and Sara were already there. We sat around chatting and a few other folk turned up (Andrew, Joakim, …) and then headed into the venue to catch the support act - Cassie Ramone (formerly of The Vivian Girls)- who I’d missed in Glasgow, and played a sweet set of indie folk while sitting on her amp and accompanied by a guitarist standing beside her.
The Brudenell warms up when it fills up and I think this contributes somewhat give it a more charged atmosphere than Glasgow had, that and maybe an especially enthusiastic audience. The band were once again relaxed and happy, and the show was thrilling. Once again starting with tracks from the new album before launching into a Galaxie 500 heavy mid-section - it felt like there was a lot more Galaxie 500 than in Glasgow, but only one more.
Now, I’m not a fan of long shows, a gig should be 90 minutes tops - sorry Bruce and Robert Smith, you can play your three hour sets all you like, but I’m not going to be there - but obviously when you have a back catalogue as rich as Dean’s I can’t help but notice the gaps - a couple of songs from I Have Nothing to Say… was the only dip into his solo records, and no Dean & Britta at all. I guess the answer is… more tours rather than longer shows!!
Show over and we hung around in the venue chatting and taking snaps, and then a bunch of us decamped into the bar next door for some more jawwing before I headed back to my room.
Next morning I took a walk in the glorious sunshine along the Leeds and Liverpool Canal into the city - just me, and about a million joggers!
Then grabbed some breakfast and headed home to prepare for one more show…
Here are a stack more pictures, of varying quality