Fans to get their Kicks for free at Leeds fashion store

Rock trio Katalina Kicks will play a free in-store show at Paul Smith, Leeds on Sunday, May 14.
Katalina Kicks, free in-store gig at Paul Smith, in Leeds.Katalina Kicks, free in-store gig at Paul Smith, in Leeds.
Katalina Kicks, free in-store gig at Paul Smith, in Leeds.

The band, who will be out touring their thrilling, politically-edged new album ‘Vices’, are in Yorkshire for a headline show at West Street Live in Sheffield later that evening, but will be stopping off in Leeds for this free gig earlier in the afternoon.

The new album presents Katalina Kicks at their loudest, scuzziest and most politically aggrieved yet. But then opening with a “cameo” from Donald Trump, how could it not be?

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Fans of the band will already be familiar with the Seattle-sized quake of teaser single ‘Guns’, a track written after watching Obama’s tearful reaction to the Sandy Hook school shooting.

“It’s a song of despair,” frontman Ian George says of the track. “The most powerful man in the world, and even he can’t stop the gun madness in his own country.

“And then after the Paris attacks, Trump said that terrifying quote about if people had guns, less people would have been hurt. So we sampled that just to show the absurdity.”

Watch ‘Guns’ at https://youtu.be/tZD5RO9AseM

Offering insight into what to expect from the new album and forthcoming tour frontman, George says: “We’re so excited about this album, as it has a real mix of songs and flavours - from our trademark high octane punk rock to slightly more chilled and sophisticated tracks, but all played with the same attitude!

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“After spending a fair amount of last year in the studio, we’re really looking forward to getting on the road again and playing this new material to everyone.”

In addition to their full-on shows, Katalina Kicks are teaming up with fashion giant Paul Smith to bring fans a series of intimate acoustic in-store sets, including the one in the Leeds branch.

George adds: “We started breaking our songs down to do some acoustic shows late last year and that was a real challenge, but they went down really well, surprising many people!

“So that element of the tour playing the Paul Smith shows should be great too to give people a flavour of our slightly more chilled (but still fun and energetic) side.”