Rare Leeds concert tickets wanted to build city's music story

The tickets will form part an archive to reflect the city's musical past

Museum archivists are looking for old concert tickets from when some of the biggest music stars played in Leeds.

They will form part of a collection capturing generations of musical memories to build a permanent record of the city's most iconic gigs.

Among tickets being sought are those for Jimi Hendrix's gig at The Odeon on 5 April 1967.

Museum staff said each ticket represented a "unique memory" for people who had attended the concerts.

The Beatles came to Leeds during their Autumn Tour in 1963

Hundreds of tickets have already been collected for the archive including those for when The Beatles played at the Odeon Theatre on The Headrow in 1963.

The concert was the third time the foursome had performed in Leeds but this did not dampen the enthusiasm of fans who gathered in their thousands outside the venue to try and get a glimpse of their idols.

Black and white images in the archive capture the excitement of the lucky ones who made it inside to watch the band perform.

It was the third time The Beatles had played in Leeds

Also in the collection is a stub for U2's 1987 sweltering summer concert at Elland Road and a ticket to Elton John's gig at Queens Hall on 19 June, 1984.

One concertgoer, who added their memories of the night to the archive, recalled: "Queens Hall was a complete dump and got so hot during the gig that condensation rained down on us from the ceiling.

"Elton was mind-blowingly good. The voice, the acrobatic piano playing, the goose bump-inducing songs.

"My dad arrived to pick us up and Elton was still performing but security let him stand at the back so he also ended up seeing about an hour of the show."

Elton John played at Queens Hall nearly 40 years ago

Librarians are keen for anyone with tickets to some particular concerts to share their memories.

These include The Who, Live at Leeds on 14 February 1970, Jimi Hendrix at The Odeon on 5 April 1967, Sex Pistols at Leeds Polytechnic on 6 December 1967 and Nirvana at The Duchess on 25 October 1989.

Museum staff said concert tickets represented a unique memory for people

Louise Birch, Leeds Libraries senior librarian, said: "Leeds has hosted some of the biggest names in music over the years along with a thriving local gig scene and some incredible venues that have become a huge part of the city's story."

"The project came about as I was going through some of my own ticket stubs that I'd collected over the years and I realised that many venues don't actually issue physical tickets anymore."