I'm still a little unsure about the new arena that is close to completion right in the heart of Leeds city centre. Obviously it'll bring successful acts to the city but I don't see what it's going to do for the local music scene. Yeah, the Kaiser Chiefs might open it up but I can't honestly see anything positive for local acts to get excited about. Someone mentioned on Twitter about the arena's ticketing distribution. It was suggested that all physical sales for the arena should be done via the 2 of the local independent record shops (Crash Records & Jumbo Records). This would be a fantastic idea to build a successful working relationship with the local independent music suppliers. I'm still unsure if this was taken any further than simple internet chatter.
I suppose after thinking about it a little more I'm probably more against the idea of the new arena. Like most cities with arenas (London, Manchester, Birmingham etc) there is a lot of hard work being done with the smaller venues to keep them running successfully. In Leeds I have witnessed first hand a lot of the local independent venues working together with the bands to create a collective of people who incorporate D.I.Y ethics to help promote, support and maintain the local music scene.
This is something I'd prefer to see carry on instead of the construction of a 10,000+ capacity arena that has Russell Howard telling his to disgraceful jokes for idiots that have forked out £40 for a ticket and paid £8.50 for a bottle of coke.
