Marking 60 years of Leeds Conservatoire, a new exhibition, Music Leeds Us, looks back on the city’s unique musical heritage and pays tribute to a legendary Leeds gig venue which hosted iconic acts like Oasis, Coldplay, Pulp, The Verve and Nirvana.

Celebrating the people, places and magic moments that have shaped the city’s musical identity across six vibrant decades, Music Leeds Us is an exhibition that rolls back the years to evoke musical memories from the city.

Leeds City Museum is home to the nine-month long extravaganza which features everything from legendary gigs and local heroes to grassroots movements and global sounds.

Billed as a celebration of the voices, venues and vibrant genres that make up Leeds’ powerful, proud — and often overlooked — musical legacy, the exhibition is sure to spark huge interest from music lovers and gig goers past and present.

And taking centre stage is a tribute to legendary Leeds gig venue The Duchess Of York which saw the likes of Coldplay, Oasis and Kurt Cobain all play there.

The Duchess of York on Vicar Lane, popularly known as The Duchess, was the setting for performances by some of the biggest names in rock and pop before closing its doors in 2000.

But now fans can see an impressive recreation of the historic pub as part of the fascinating exhibition which has been created in partnership with Leeds Conservatoire to mark its 60th anniversary.

Featuring memories and stories from more than 70 partners and volunteers, including local music lovers, artists, venues, promoters, and record shops, the exhibition traces other huge musical milestones including the Futurama Festival in 1979, the rise of the Goth scene in the 1980s and the emergence of internationally acclaimed Leeds artists including Utah Saints and Corinne Bailey Rae.

Alongside the recreation of The Duchess, the exhibition also features a purpose-built sound booth and two working jukeboxes, provided by Leeds-based Sound Leisure, the world’s oldest family-run jukebox company.

Esther Amis-Hughes, Leeds Museums and Galleries’ community engagement manager, said: “The past 60 years have been truly transformational for music in Leeds and have seen some iconic moments that will forever be part of the city’s history.

“I’ve been blown away by the passion, diversity, and power of the city to continue to be a source of inspiration through music, and this exhibition has shown me how brilliant people, doing what they love, can make a positive difference.

“I hope this exhibition gives people an insight into the power of music in bringing people together, no matter what genre or scene you enjoy.”

Professor Joe Wilson, principal at Leeds Conservatoire, added: “Since it opened in 1965 Leeds Conservatoire, formerly Leeds College of Music, has been a pioneer, helping shape and support the musical landscape in Leeds and beyond.

“It is a pleasure to be actively involved in this special exhibition which celebrates the people, places and moments that have shaped the city’s musical identity over six decades.”

A BOW TO THE DUCHESS

It was 8th September 1993 and Leeds promotor John Keenan was nervously pacing the floor where just a handful of music lovers had turned up to see an unknown Manchester band play at his pub.

The venue was The Duchess of York and as Keenan reluctantly gave the green light for them to start, he could count on one hand the number of people in the audience.

The band that day was Oasis and guitarist Bonehead remembers the gig well. He recalled: “There were two people in eating a kebab each so we treated the gig like a posh rehearsal and played as if our lives depended on it.

“I think we played Live Forever and probably ended with I Am the Walrus but by then the couple had had an argument, slammed their kebabs down and stormed off. We were left playing to an empty room, but the bar staff gave us a round of applause.”

It was a different story just months later though when Oasis returned to The Duchess on 12th April 1994 on a joint headline tour with Whiteout, by which time people were queuing around the block to see a band that suddenly everybody was talking about.

Bonehead added: “Just two years after playing the Duchess we walked out in front of 250,000 people at Knebworth. But those little venues with people right in your face are where you learn your craft. If you can do it there, you can do it anywhere.”

For more than a decade, the Duchess of York in Leeds was a mainstay of the northern gig circuit and during the 90s it helped not only Oasis but the likes of  Nirvana, Pulp, Blur, Manic Street Preachers, The Verve and Coldplay on their journey to the top.

Transformed in the late 80s by local promoter Keenan, it was he who brought Nirvana to the venue in 1989 with fellow American rockers Tad.

But according to Keenan, Cobain refused to stay in the same room as singer Tad Doyle because he snored and instead opted for the office sofa to sleep on.

Keenan recalled: “That night he slept on the sofa in my office because he didn’t want to be kept awake by Tad. It was the end of an eventful night after Kurt had smashed his guitar against the mic stand and destroyed our expensive microphone. I remember our sound man had him up against the wall, but to be fair they promised they’d replace it and they did the next day.”

Keenan ran the Duchess for four years and promoted there for 13. He put Blur on when they were a “psychedelic band” and gave a young Radiohead a valuable support slot with progressive rockers Here and Now.

And last year the building where The Duchess once stood on Vicar Lane was awarded a blue plaque by Leeds Civic Trust for its significant contribution to the local music scene.

Curated in collaboration with community partners and supported by local volunteers, Music Leeds Us is a free exhibition and runs until 28th June 2026 at Leeds City Museum.

For more information, please visit museumsandgalleries.leeds.gov.uk