Since starting out promoting the likes of The Clash, Simple Minds and U2 at the University in the 1980s, live music event promoter Stuart Galbraith gone on to become one of the most successful and respected pioneers in the live industry.

Stuart is founder of Kilimanjaro Live, the company behind major tours and events putting on shows like Ed Sheeran and festivals such as Sonisphere.

He received the LIVEtime Achievement Award at the LIVE Awards 2025 as a key player in the growth of UK live music over the last four decades.

He discusses his time putting on gigs at Leeds (1.47), what it takes to be a successful events promoter (13.40), working with the likes of Ed Sheeran (19.25), the changing role of festivals in the music business (21.05), the most stressful and proudest moments of his career (23.08), and his advice for anyone looking to enter the world of music (26.30).

In this episode we’re joined by David Gedge - songwriter, lead singer, and guitarist in one of the University’s best loved bands, The Wedding Present.

In 1985, David Gedge (Mathematics 1981) formed the band The Wedding Present with his friends Shaun Charman (Economics & Sociology 1986), English student Keith Gregory and PGCE student Peter Solowka.

Now the only original member in the band, David has chosen to mark the 40th anniversary of the band with a special concert in LUU on Friday 9 May 2025: “I thought it would be a nice idea to play this concert as a ‘back to where it all started’ event.”

On 5 July 2024 Sir Keir Starmer (Law 1985, Hon LLD 2012) - one of the University's most prominent alumnus - became the Prime Minister of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Sir Keir is the first Leeds graduate to become UK Prime Minister, and one of only a few University-educated PMs to not study his bachelors at Oxford or Cambridge.

His journey to Downing Street started in 1982, when the working class boy from Surrey “rocked up” to the Parkinson steps with a Boomtown Rats record under one arm, and a Status Quo album under the other.

There and then he fell in love with the city, and the University, that he says, changed his life. He graduated with a first class degree in law in 1985, and went on to a distinguished career before becoming an MP in 2015.

And throughout his career his relationship with Leeds has remained strong. As director of public prosecutions he opened the School of Law’s Liberty Building in 2011. He was then awarded an honorary doctorate by the University in 2012.

And last year Sir Keir returned to his old stomping ground, where he sat down with Leeds Magazine to discuss the three years that formed him, and changed his life.

Here is that full interview, recorded in October last year.

You can read the full story published in Leeds Magazine here: https://spotlight.leeds.ac.uk/leeds-magazine-2024/big-interviews/keir-starmer/index.html