Leeds Live Sound
Arts & Entertainment, Business & Trade Services, Business of the Week
Luke Antonik-Yates has pretty much lived and breathed music since he was a toddler, first learning the violin at the age of four in his native Keighley.
By 14, however, his musical tastes had changed significantly. Swapping the violin for a guitar and inspired by local legends such as Skeletal Family, he began playing in punk and metal bands which generally concentrated on writing their own material rather than working through the familiar covers most teenage groups start out with.
As his passion for music grew, Luke moved across the Pennines to study popular music and recording at the University of Salford. He later returned to Leeds, playing with bands including Foxes Faux and The Human Project while also developing his skills as a live sound engineer, producer and mixer.
A five-year spell in London followed, giving him further experience of live music and sound engineering before he eventually returned to West Yorkshire, eventually settling in Otley with his Burley-in-Wharfedale-born wife, who claims to have worked in just about every pub in the town while growing up.
After more than 25 years of playing, touring and working behind the scenes in music, Luke began gradually assembling his own collection of professional equipment. In 2019, that developed into Leeds Live Sound.
The business now has several interconnected strands. Its backline hire service provides the equipment musicians need to perform, including drum kits, keyboards, guitar and bass amplifiers, cymbals and DJ equipment. This can be particularly useful for touring bands which would rather not drag a van full of heavy gear halfway across the country.
Leeds Live Sound also offers PA and lighting hire for weddings, parties, community events and live performances, ranging from relatively simple sound systems for smaller gatherings to fully monitored packages for bands, complete with Luke’s experienced sound engineering skills.
Although the name remains firmly rooted in Leeds, Luke now runs the business from Otley, supplying equipment and technical support to musicians, venues and event organisers across the wider area — helping everyone sound their best, while quietly dealing with the cables, amplifiers and mysterious knobs the rest of us sensibly leave well alone.
- Listing ID: 5771