"It wasn't until the gig was underway and people were ringing and telling us what they were about."
Management at The Drysalters Pub on Elland Road, Beeston issued an apology after allowing a controversial band to perform on their premises.
The band that sparked outrage across Leeds and beyond was named as Combat BC, a band whose promotional material was thought to feature Nazi-inspired imagery.
The band's song titles include the likes of 'Anti-Antifa’, ‘Fightback’, 'Do or Die' and ‘New World Order’ and band member have been reported to speak out criticising left-wing, anti-Nazi group Antifa, “woke culture”, and other anti-right wing movements.
Before performing, outrage sparked online about the controversial band, which led to police involvement.
The pub is known to host a variety of music acts over the years. / Image: The Drysalters New
Following their performance, The Drysalters issued the following apology:
"I will start with a sincere apology to all. We didn't start this with the intention of upsetting anyone. We had a call early in the year asking to book the pub, we were told they were skinheads. When they arrived yesterday we were still none the wiser. It wasn't until the gig was underway and people were ringing and telling us what they were about."
"We were naive about the bands I had never heard of them.. but I had never heard of the other bands we have had either. We as people are not racist in anyway. So I can say we are very sorry for the upset that it has caused . It will never happen again. There is not much else I can say apart from how really sorry we are."
The apology has since received over 450 comments at the time of writing, many of which appear to be calling out the pub for being "none the wiser" despite what they believe were clear signs of that the band was a problematic choice.
E J Golden said: "Your staff could clearly do with training on hate crimes and racism in pub venues if they literally cannot see a problem with neo nazis dressed in the gear singing racist lyrics. How many racist incidents are they likely to handle well if they defend nazis on social media? I say that as someone [who] worked with pub security in Bradford during match season."
Whilst another comment read: "I have seen photos from inside your pub yesterday - open nazi filth on display - but you were "non the wiser", "didn't know" etc etc!"
According to reports, a previous post from the pub suggested that those who were voicing their concerns about the pub were criticised for not supporting the pub, which has faced closure twice in as many years.
The pub advertises itself as a "football friendly family run pub". / Image: The Drysalters
The Yorkshire Evening Post reported that the original post stated: "For everyone who is complaining about what music is taking place tonight, the police have been and nothing untoward has been mentioned. So as for Save the Salters, those who are moaning, where have you been?”
However, it is believed this has been updated or removed as it is no longer shown on the pub's Facebook page, where the apology was issued.
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No Greek Tragedy, just indie bangers – The Wombats set Leeds’ First Direct Arena alight
The Wombats aren’t just still going strong - they’re getting better. And honestly? Long may they reign.
The Wombats absolutely tore the roof off the First Direct Arena in Leeds last night, Wednesday 26 March and what a night it was.
From the second they hit the stage it wasn’t just a gig, it was a full-blown indie-pop spectacle, packed with infectious energy, nostalgia, and a whole lot of dancing.
They kicked things off with “Moving to New York,” and honestly? The crowd was in from the first note.
Image: The Hoot Leeds
Matthew Murphy’s unmistakable vocals rang through the arena and suddenly, thousands of people were screaming every lyric like it was 2007 all over again. It was one of those moments where you could just feel how much this band still means to people.
Despite the massive venue, The Wombats somehow made it feel intimate. The lights? Pure chaos in the best way - vibrant, colourful, and totally in sync with the band’s wild, bouncy sound.
Murphy’s cheeky banter between songs made it feel less like a polished arena show and more like a jam session with a few thousand of your closest mates.
Setlist-wise, they nailed it. “Let’s Dance to Joy Division” and “Greek Tragedy” had the whole place losing it, while the stripped-down version of “Techno Fan” gave everyone a minute to breathe (and maybe get a little emotional).
Image: The Hoot Leeds
Those quieter moments just made the high-energy choruses hit even harder. It was a rollercoaster - in the best way possible.
Then came the encore. If you thought the crowd was loud before, “Kill the Director” took things to another level. Pure, chaotic indie bliss. The kind of moment you don’t want to end.
Here’s the thing about The Wombats: some might say their older songs hit harder than their newer stuff, but is that just nostalgia talking? Or maybe it’s a generational thing?
Either way, they proved they’re still one of the most exciting live bands out there. They’ve still got the hooks, the humour, and the ability to turn a massive arena into a sweaty, euphoric singalong.
Mumford & Sons add new Leeds show at the First Direct Arena to sell out UK tour
Clementine Hall
Two new arena dates have been added to their forthcoming UK tour, after selling out the entire run within two hours.
Ahead of dropping their fifth studio LP Rushmere at the end of the month, the cult favourite folk-rock outfit announced a brand-new European tour in support of the record, including a limited UK leg.
The now sold-out arena run starts in Europe in November before now arriving in Leeds on Sunday 30 November.
The significance of the band’s return can be found in the title of the new album, as Rushmereis the spot where it all began for the boys: a pond located on Wimbledon Common in south-west London where Marcus Mumford, Ben Lovett and Ted Dwane first hung out.
However, the multi-award-winning acoustic-driven British rockers and folk revivalists are now a trio following the departure of Winston Marshall, who quit the band back in 2021 following controversies surrounding his right-wing beliefs.
Image: Supplied
With that in mind, it’s rather fitting that they have insisted that beyond just a place and a title, Rushmere is alsothebeginning of a new phase.
Following an intense period of creativity, the project was produced by fellow nine-time Grammy winner Dave Cobb and recorded at the famous RCA Studio A in Nashville, as well as in Savannah, Georgia and back home at Marcus’ studio in Devon.
The album itself drops on this Friday 28 March and judging by the little that we’ve heard so far, they’ve been well worth the wait.
As for the arena show, tickets will go on sale this Thursday 27 March at 10am.
Best of all, they’re donating £1 from every ticket sold straight to War Child UK – this sort of stuff should be standard for any big act as far as we’re concerned.
The Hoot -
25th July 2022 
