SANANDA MAITREYA // BECKETT UNIVERSITY, LEEDS
Red Leather Resurrection: Sananda Maitreya Reclaims His Groove in Leeds
⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)
Sananda Maitreya @ Leeds Beckett Uni
Photo Credit: John Hayhurst
For a man who’s been through enough artistic rebirths to fill a library, Sananda Maitreya walked onstage in Leeds with the poise of someone entirely at peace with his evolution, despite not playing a UK tour for decades.
Dressed in a sharp cool image of red leather trousers and a black leather cap, a grin crossing his face that promised he was about to take everyone somewhere. He greets the crowd not with swagger but with a sly, knowing smile — the kind that says: let’s get reacquainted properly.
The air was thick with the expectation of “Introducing the Hardline…” hits and the band launched into an opening instrumental, Maitreya wearing a yellow fender guitar with cheetah trim that matched his Hendrix strap and silk neck scarf.
The first set kicked off proper with “I Saw Her” — crisp, confident — followed by “The Birthday Song”, “It Ain’t Been Easy” and then finally the hat came off, he lost the guitar and we were treated to “Delicate”, his voice elastic, expressive, though at times the mix kept it buried just behind the band.
The next phase brought in “Yuki Suzuki”, “Dolphin” and “This Side of Love”, slipping grooves into close-up and making the familiar feel fresh. He paced himself with care, leaning into the quiet moments, letting the groove breathe. Gone are the days of the sweat dripping down his face as he launched another falsetto croon, that was forty years ago, now in his sixties, he prefers just a wiggle or two and the occaisional stretch to the right of stage.
“Wishing Well”, was greeted like a long lost friend - this is what we came to hear! It closed the first set in triumphant style. The crowd erupted as the chorus echoed around the room; the spotlight dancing off the red leather. It was the kind of moment that feels collective — the whole room rising, singing back, the energy locked in. He then introduced the band who appear to all come from his new home location of Italy. Then, there was an interval of 20 mins before he started the next hour long set.
After the interval the mood shifted. Maitreya returned, at the keyboard this time, the mix tightened and his voice seemed to break free - maybe the sound engineer woke up. The second set opened with a sublime version of “Let Her Down Easy”, it brought the house to quiet reflection.
Whilst we did get more of his older tracks in the second half, billing your UK comeback tour as “Introducing the Hardline..” and then only actually playing 4 songs from that album, left most of us feeling a little short changed, even though he packed some 22 tracks into a 2-hour set.
As the show edged to its finish, he stretched his stage persona a little — more playful, more expansive. The sound and vision both sharpened. “Sign Your Name” was impeccable and “Dance Little Sister” opening with the legendary line “Get out of your Rocking Chair Grandma” made everyone dance that little bit harder. The band locked in tight, playing each note like they meant it, Maitreya at the front, smile grinning even wider.
The omission of “If You Let Me Stay” was glaring, but by then the room had already made the decision: this wasn’t about ticking a hits-box, it was about witnessing an artist still alive in his craft, and still reshaping his story. The overall impact outweighed any flaws. Let’s hope it doesn’t take him another few years before his return.
REVIEW & PICTURES BY: JOHN HAYHURST
