Gold Sounds 2025 Festival illuminates Brudenell Social Club

Basking in the cloudy English weather, there’s nowhere else I would be on May Bank Holiday Sunday than at Brudenell Social Club. Somersby Apple in hand as I awaken from a pesky hangover, I ventured into Leeds’ beloved venue this past May to catch the annual Gold Sounds day festival, showcasing the best of new and upcoming acts. The heart of Hyde Park beat with a stellar array of both new and established genre-diverse standouts on the scene, stretching from post-punk, bedroom pop, grunge and electronica.

A collection of branded lighters and papers adorn the merch table as Liverpool based Bandit took to the main room’s stage, sporting the roaring explosive sound of Merseyside rock. A short trip across the bar to the community room after their set and you were met by the grit of grungy Sandhouse, followed by an equally captivating Stepover.

Upon compiling all of my notes from the festival, my notes specifically on Aussie post-punk outfit Sex Mask were short and to the point, it being: “mike wazokski house key”. This retrospectively makes a lot of sense to me, considering the harsh noise and sporadic lyricism of their music, it’s impossible to pigeonhole this band. A band similarly wacky and explosive was Disgusting Sisters; a sister-duo self-described as cunty and unapologetically expressive in their coordinated werewolf dance moves.

One of my most anticipated acts of the evening was Witchpost, a super duo formed by indie artists Dylan Fraser and Alaska Reid. The display of their friendship was a stand out part of their set, the genuine care for each hum and strum of their electric guitars, the room was bathing in the waves of 90s alternative dream pop.

My personal highlight of the evening was the Annie Dirusso’s stripped back set, accompanied by her guitarist Eden Joel. A certain warmth enveloped the venue’s main room and it felt like we were transported to Dirusso’s living room as she delved into the personal stories behind her songs. Having just released her debut album, lead single ‘Legs’ was a personal favourite of mine, detailing the story of a typical slacker rock disillusionment with casual modern-day romance. What struck me the most was her willingness to catch up with fans after her set, travelling all the way from Nashville to connect with Leeds on her European tour as if she was right at home. 

Ending the evening with much triumph was Boston rock trio Vundabar. Heads bouncing, the main room never felt more electric as the group made their comeback with new album, as well as playing cult classics “Alien Blues”. But the band is not one to be tainted by any viral trends, as I was struck by the silence of emotion in the room as they ended their set with their song ‘I Need You’. A diversion from their usual post-punk hubris to a more intimate slow dance of vulnerability, Vundabar’s set is a terrific example of reinvention and I was honoured to be gifted with the legacy of Boston’s indie scene crossing the Atlantic for a night in Leeds.

You’ll never hear sounds as gold as this anywhere other than at Brude, and this festival was the perfect representation of many grassroots venues’ principles to showcase the best of music that it affectionately embraces at its nurturing core.

Words by Eszter Vida