#yorkshire post

[stillunusual]

Yorkshire decay

[dailytomlinson]

Gig review: Louis Tomlinson at First Direct Bank Arena, Leeds

The Doncaster star leans on his man-of-the-people bonafides with the low-key charms of a man wryly bemused by his stadium-shaking adolescenc

Gig review: Louis Tomlinson at First Direct Bank Arena, Leeds

The Doncaster star leans on his man-of-the-people bonafides with the low-key charms of a man wryly bemused by his stadium-shaking adolescence across an eclectic show.

“Leeds, how did we get here?” Louis Tomlinson cries, shirttails buffeted by the air-con breeze at the city’s First Direct Bank Arena. Fringe skewed with a lopsided curl, the microphone stand clutched firmly in one hand, the Doncaster-born singer-songwriter offers an exaggerated shrug behind his words - and admirably holds his ground as several-thousand screams greet his gesture.

There remains something profoundly personable about the ex-One Direction star, perhaps more so than any of his former bandmates to boot. His piece of the post-boyband trajectory puzzle, so often elusively intangible to place, was the last to fully launch with 2020’s debut album Walls; his subsequent records Faith in the Future and How Did I Get Here? both duly topped the domestic charts less on the basis of hit singles, and more on the low-key charms of a man who frequently appears equal parts wryly bemused and keenly grateful for the hullabaloo of a stadium-shaking adolescence, one he seems to have tamed on the tide.

Those man-of-the-people bonafides – now amusingly encapsulated in Glastonbury folklore after he hosted a Euro 2024 watch party amid the tents – are not the only thing that has smoothed his pathway back into five-figure capacity sheds however.

At the nearest thing Tomlinson has to an outright homecoming date on this run, and backed by a tight five-piece band, he showcases his refined palate too, with a swathe of new material that feels almost custom-tooled for the arena circuit; a two-dozen song-strong set of massed hooks and handwave interludes that enhances his profile to boot.

There is a greater eclectism on show than Tomlinson may earn credit for, with the star adept at the shifts between Lemonade’s retro rubber-funk and the buttery pop of On Fire.

An early string of torch ballads, capped by the post-Britpop wallop of Dark to Light, feels like fertile ground for the football fan within, as does the woozy-psych refrains of Lazy and Sunflowers.

Just Hold On, his EDM-built debut, finds itself pared back to the bare bones with a disarming elegance, one that leaves the singer visibly grinning to himself.

“It’s been a while since I was here to play a gig,” he quips. “I don’t get to play these rooms without you.” Then he’s into the barriers for Palaces, almost swallowed under again.

The tide, indeed, is with him.

[notfspurejam]

​Mark Gatiss discusses his new crime drama series Bookish, set in post-war London, in which a bookshop owner helps solve crimes. Words by Ly

[richardarmitagefanpage]

New interview with Richard for Yorkshire Post.

[weshallc]

All Creatures Great and Small.

The Yorkshire Post 1866-2021.

Read by only the best people, even those vaguely outside of Yorkshire.

@fourteen-teacups​

[themaninthegreenshirt]

[kaya-maj]

Yorkshire Post - 18 May 2018 #Poldark

[dailytomlinson]

Yorkshire schoolgirl pays tribute to the big sister she never met on what would have been her 10th birthday

A Yorkshire schoolgirl has paid tribute to the big sister she never had the chance to meet by taking on a marathon fundraising challenge.

“To have that level of support from Bluebell Wood was amazing. To have that safe space where family and friends can come and visit, and you don’t have to worry about household chores or even preparing meals, makes such a difference.”

In the final weeks of Rowan’s life they continued to visit Bluebell Wood for respite care, and even met local superstar Louis Tomlinson who was visiting the hospice. After Rowan passed away, the family returned to the hospice to spend their last moments together.