The Wardrobe, Leeds, United Kingdom27th April 2025
Exit North & Support: Sweet Billy Pilgrim
EXIT NORTH played at the Wardrobe, Leeds on 27th April 2025 as part of their debut UK tour. This was a short tour - comprising of only four dates in Manchester, Leeds, Glasgow and London. They are joined by SWEET BILLY PILGRIM as opening act.
The Wardrobe is ideally situated in the cultural quarter of Leeds, offering food and drinking, live music and entertainment. Its proximity to the Playhouse Theatre makes it a popular venue for both thespians and culture vultures. The live music room is small, intimate and self-contained. Tonight, we are here to see Exit North. I have an enviable position slightly elevated above the stage, having been escorted down in the lift and past the backstage area, by a very helpful female security (being disabled occasionally has its advantages).
Sweet Billy Pilgrim
SWEET BILLY PILGRIM are a Folk-Rock band from Aylesbury, England. They describe their music as “genre spanning” and although there are usually other four member of the band, today there are only two: Tim Elsenburg (vocals/guitar) and Jana Carpenter (vocals/guitar). www.sweetbillypilgrim.com
Music and Performance
SWEET BILLY PILGRIM delivered a beautifully intimate semi-acoustic set that showcase the strength of their songwriting. With no electronics, apart from the microphones, the focus concentrated entirely on their voices... with pitch-perfect harmonies to rival that of the late Leonard Cohen. Their soulful, stripped back sound filled the room, the emotion reverberating across the silence and drawing the audience’s attention and holding them, captivated until the last song. SWEET BILLY PILGRIM left the audience with a captivating, understated performance, ringing in their ears.
Exit North
EXIT NORTH is a collaborative project between acclaimed Swedish vocalist Thomas Feiner and legendary drummer Steve Jansen, renowned for his work with JAPAN, DOLPHIN BROTHERS and RAIN TREE CROW. They had worked together on Steve’s first solo album, ‘Slope’ in 2007. In 2014, Steve suggested a more permanent arrangement and EXIT NORTH was born. They were later joined by Ulf Jansson (keyboards) and became a trio, then gained a fourth member producer / guitarist Charles Storm. Now Thomas and Steve are the only official members left. Together, they create introspective, emotionally resonant music that ebbs and flows with haunting beauty and understated power. Their first album ‘Anyway Still’ was released in 2023 and was four years in the making. They are joined on this tour by Tim Elsenburg in a dual role as vocals / guitar with SWEET BILLY PILGRIM who warmed up the show earlier. www.exitnorthmusic.com / https://exitnorth.bandcamp.com
Music and Performance
The atmosphere in the venue was one of quiet anticipation. The murmuring of voices increasing in volume as the crowd filtered in. Gradually the front of the stage area filled up. It was the first time EXIT NORTH have toured the UK, we felt extremely privileged that they put Leeds on their tour map. It was no surprise to find that a good percentage of the audience were here to see Steve Jansen. JAPAN and their associated projects have retained a loyal following throughout the years. Suddenly, the stage was bathed in light and one by one, the band appeared and was greeted with cheers. The opening song was ‘Terms’ and there was a slight technical hitch at the start - but rather than disrupt the mood, it added an element of oneness and unity with the audience.
It was soon back in play and as an opener, it was excellent... a long, intro that gradually built the tension amongst the crowd. Then Thomas’ vocals came in and his deep baritone reverberated across the auditorium. The next song ‘Passenger’s Wake’ started slow, evocative… Thomas’ vocals and a soft piano melody drifting in… then there was a moment… a dramatic musical interlude that faded away again, leaving that beautiful piano and vocals. EXIT NORTH have cultivated a sound that is cinematic Art Rock: with haunting, ethereal keyboard’s, the sweet notes of a saxophone, accompanied by Steve’s distinctive drumming style and of course, Thomas’s rich, soulful voice. The result was a sophisticated symphony of beautiful, bittersweet melodies. It was shades of light and darkness, the sound was like the sea, washing over the audience - who were transfixed and mesmerized.
The first song I ever heard by EXIT NORTH - ‘Bested Bones’ - was epic. Steve’s cymbals crashing in with precision and grace. The harmonics washed over the room like a tide, reaching anthemic heights. ‘Your Story Mine’ held the room spellbound. EXIT NORTH were timeless, classical blending ambience with orchestra. They were one of the most unique and interesting bands I have ever seen. Sometimes you go to a gig where the sound is bigger than the humble venue and this gives it a surreal quality. This was certainly one of those moments. It was simply sublime. I have listened to the music on YouTube. I had seen their videos… but live, EXIT NORTH were on another level entirely. The band finished with ‘Another Chance’ and the crowd roared their enthusiasm. The spell we were under still lingered long after the final note has rung out. Absolutely superb.
Setlist
01. Terms
02. Passenger’s Wake
03. Where the Coin Fell
04. The Unforeseen
05. Bested Bones
06. Bled Out
07. Lessons in Doubt
08. A Battle Cried
09. Your Story Mine
10. Let Their Hearts Desire
11. Us in Half
12. Harm
13. A-shaped Trees
14. In the Game
15. The Signal
16. Another Chance
All pictures by Viona Fearn Photography, except for Steve Jansen by Michelle Corns
