Leicesterval: Leicester Indiepop Weekender 2025

After eleven Leicester Indiepop Alldayers and several years of selling out Firebug months in advance, we've expanded outwards.

Two days of the kind of DIY musical feast you've come to expect from us, the regular hours (2.30pm-10.30pm) upstairs on Saturday, then on Sunday we'll be taking it downstairs and taking over the larger bar area from 3pm to approximately 8.30pm, and if you don't need to get home - Firebug is ten to fifteen minutes' walk from Leicester railway station - it'll be followed by an indiepop disco with ourselves and (hopefully) special guest DJs TBC until midnight.

Saturday:
SPEARMINT
Finally, having been our white whale due to availability and circumstances ever since we started the Alldayer, we've got the band we owe our very name to. Not that they're trading on past glories at all, 2023's tenth album This Candle Is For You as smart and wonderful as their best. This will be one for the annals.

DANCER
Maybe Glasgow's most exciting band, discordant post-punks of a Life Without Buildings stripe comprising members of Current Affairs, Nightshift, Order Of The Toad and Robert Sotelo, and certainly one of its most prolific, having released an album, a split LP and two EPs since the start of 2023.

WHITE TOWN
Yeah, the one who did Your Woman. Jyoti Mishra may have retreated from the pop spotlight but hasn't let up in the songwriting stakes. What's more, not only is this his first Leicester gig since 1991 but he's reformed the jangly/noisy band he was playing with at that time.

THE LOVES
Cardiff's quixotic 60s bubblegum/garage types don't play live all that often but ten years after leader Simon Love visited us we're very pleased to have pinned them down, especially after the welcome re-evaluation following last year's True Love - The Most Of The Loves compilation.

GOOD GRIEF
Another band we've been after for quite a while, it took the Liverpool-based trio a decade to get round to an album, 2022's Shake Your Faith, inspired by 90s US college rock and modern hook-laden takes on Superchunk-style power-pop.

PROJECT OVERLOAD
Five teens from Coventry whose 2024 debut album New Beginnings showcased a mastery in sharp janglepop beyond their years, leading to their supporting the Primitives and playing Godiva Festival's main stage after winning new band competition Godiva Calling.

PINK OPAQUE
Little is known about this mysterious entity, other than the single social media line "We're a futurepop synth duo from Sheffield and we'll be with you shortly." (We've heard a few of their songs and we know you'll love them)

BOILERS
Products of Leicester's Unglamorous Music collective of older women in bands brought into being by the late and never to be forgotten friend of the Alldayer Ruth Miller, Boilers are loud, scrappy, have songs about dinners and pills, and as their anthem says, Boilers Have Got Your Back.

Sunday:
CHEERBLEEDERZ
Featuring members of ME REX/Happy Accidents, Fresh and Supermilk, the power trio's infectiously exhilarating indie-punk led to the cut to the quick 2022 album Even In Jest, since when they've played Truck Festival and shared bills with the Spook School, Lambrini Girls, Ditz, Other Half and, um, Wheatus.

FIGHTMILK
Stars of the 2018 Alldayer, came back a year later for a gig of their own, and we've wanted to give them a big showcase to reflect their growing catalogue - third album No Souvenirs out in November 2024 - stage presence and magnificent command of relatably raw power-pop.

SASSYHIYA
Formed by Helen and Kathy from London queercore cult heroes Barry, November 2024's debut album Take You Somewhere has been picked up by Amelia Flecther and Rob Pursey's Skep Wax label, a true mark of distinction for their bold, defiant melodic indie-post-punk.

ACHB
Alex Hale has been a longtime running mate of ours, designing posters and hosting one of our acoustic Sunday events as well as playing twice with various projects. This one (including SJ Newman formerly of alumni Mighty Kids) nods to the emo side of indiepop in thought and deed.

DAYFLOWER
Fair to call them Leicester scene luminaries Ten years in and recently reactivated their dreampop scenescapes are leavened with nods to melodic sweetness, lo-fi jangle, Americana and quality soft rock.
Please bear in mind that the upstairs venue is only accessible via stairs, whilst the downstairs area has only one step up to the entrance.

The Leicester Indiepop Alldayer has always been, is and always will be a friendly and inclusive space. Sweeping The Nation Presents... fully supports Firebug's safe space policy. No violence, harassment or any other form of discrimination or oppressive behaviour will be tolerated. Please contact venue staff if you feel it necessary.