Treeboy & Arc

 Hyde Park Book Club 

Support: Slick Cage and Fossick 

In celebration of Independent Venue Week 2025, Treeboy and Arc ushered in a new era at Hyde Park Book Club (HPBC). This review is a celebration of both band and venue, who in recent years have woven themselves into the fabric of the Leeds music community.

HPBC opened its doors in 2016, taking over the premises from a fancy dress shop in a disused petrol station (note: take a gander at Google Street View from 2008 onwards to see the building's transformation). Nine years later, HPBC has evolved into a melting pot of creativity serving a diverse number of communities and championing artists from a plethora of backgrounds. What's more, shows are hosted by potentially the widest range of promoters in the city - some being well-established and others being students in their promotion infancy. However, HPBC is far more than a humble music venue. Current upcoming events include craft workshops, film screenings, stand-up comedy, book launches and a poetry slam. Yes - we're aware that the Brudenell has wrestling sometimes, but this is still a commendable effort.

Treeboy and Arc's trajectory hasn't been too dissimilar. The band formed in 2016 also, with their first release following shortly after, gifting them a cult local fanbase. ‘Not Yet’ was a four-track EP which showcased a finer example of minimalist post-punk than many of the critically acclaimed artists that found success with the genre some years later. Being ahead of the curve, Treeboy and Arc's talents were recognised by the cornerstone of this era, Speedy Wunderground's Dan Carey. In 2019, the band released the 7" single ‘Concept’ on the label. It evidenced a shift away from the minimalism, with the introduction of Sammy Robinson on synthesisers. This prompted a subsequent hard reset, with the band wiping ‘Not Yet’ from digital existence. Since then, the band have released a further EP (Life Preserver, 2021) and their debut album (Natural Habitat, 2023). Now warming-up for album two's announcement and release, tonight was a ripe opportunity to showcase new beginnings.

Opening proceedings are Leeds post-punk outfit Slick Cage. The band are at times reminiscent of Cola and Preoccupations. They command the stage with a calm and unassuming confidence, despite their music having flashes of great complexity and bleak undertones.

Fossick are up next, plunging us into even darker territories. Delivering vocals with an expression of intense suffering, that one can only hope is exaggerated for the value of his music, Charlie Fossick's latest project-is-somehow-even-louder-than-his-former.

Previously a noise-rocker with Dense, Fossick utilises his new recruits to create a powerful sense of dread. On bass is a member of The 113, creating doomier tones than Evil Blizzard - a band infamous for having four bass players. As previously mentioned, HPBC at its core is merely a ramshackle old petrol station and the fittings upstairs can receive a pummelling during basement gigs. This is one of those rare occasions, however, when I have been genuinely concerned for the building's structural integrity. Another recognisable face is from the defunct band Dim Imagery. With Fossick, their ex-guitarist is able to apply his signature math-rock style to a darker genre and achieve unnerving results.

Fossick's avant-garde ideations are no clearer than at the conclusion of his set. Initially perceived as a tune-up, the final track begins with a looping, droning, hypnotising instrumental which ultimately consumes itself in a mammoth climax.

Treeboy and Arc take to the stage with utter composure. This is a band primed for an inch-perfect performance and, other than a singular false start due to Sammy Robinson's illiteracy, that is exactly what they deliver.

Tonight's setlist is a cocktail of unreleased material, followed by a chaser of fan favourites. The most striking new track finds Ben Morgan (lead vocals) chanting a refrain of "Personal Best" alongside a corker of a techno-esque synth riff. It will likely be self-fulfilling upon release, much like Fontaines DC's ‘Favourite’.

Many of Treeboy and Arc's finest moments feature on tracks which pivot around the synth. The microkorg induced arpeggiator on ‘Midnight Mass’ is textbook tension building, and likely the reason this was chosen as their opening track on their debut album.

Do not let this detract, however, from the worth of other band members. James Kay's (bass) performance this evening is captivating. Kay is a dextrous musician who can play his Rickenbacker in Hyde Park whilst his tongue is in Cookridge, all the while showcasing his limbo abilities.

As the set concludes, however, his unshackled demeanour dissipates, and he becomes locked-in for his personal boss battle – ‘The Condor’. A seven-minute epic with a bassline thicker than a treacle puffin.

More than anything, tonight has served as a reminder of Treeboy and Arc's charm. This comes from the rare and genuine chemistry that this band radiates on stage. Ultimately, they are a gang of best friends. They have grown together over the last nine years as craftsmen, performers, and human beings who love Leeds United. Their personal best is still to come.

Words and picture by Magnus Pike