Outlaws Yacht Club: Inside the unique Leeds city centre bar that also houses a record store and hair salon

Outlaws Yacht Club on New York Street (just by the bus station) may be somewhat tucked away for those on a session in Leeds but has become an essential spot for those in the know.

A true one-of-a-kind, the venue is renowned for its unique character and blend of businesses in house, with the opportunity to drink a Bloody Mary, get a haircut and browse some records all available upon visiting.

The bar was opened in 2012 by a group including current co-owners Shaun Read and Joe Gill after the duo had known each other from working in bars around Leeds.

On those first hopes for the site, Shaun said: “The vision has always been to offer a creative, inclusive alternative to other venues in Leeds.

“Trying to lead the way with underground music and culture has always been at the centre of what we focus on, with DJs, cultural events, exhibitions, live acts, film screenings and various socials all happening on a regular basis, but with the day-to-day offer of craft beer, cocktails, natural wines, coffee and food to make it a place anyone can hang out in at any time of day.”

In 2015, full ownership of the venue was taken over by Shaun and Joe, who also came up with the unique name of Outlaws Yacht Club, which itself was inspired by one of Joe’s favourite books, Jim Dodge’s ’Stone Junction’.

Shaun said: “It’s about an initiation into a secret society of magicians and outlaws, a counter-culture quest, a large diamond with anarchists and alchemy.”

Over the years the site has adapted in to new avenues and it now houses three separate and distinct business, with the hair salon Outlaws Hair Company and vinyl shop Released Records also being on the premises.

Shaun explained that Outlaws Hair Company was a recreation of an existing salon on site that offers “everything you’d expect from a super cool city centre salon in a friendly and relaxed environment”.

He said: “During Covid the original owner left and we took on the senior stylist as manager and it’s gone from strength to strength.”

Released Records joined recently when friend of the bar Tony Green left his site at the Corn Exchange and was looking to open numerous boutique store around Leeds. Shaun said that Outlaws Yacht Club had the space and their shared love of music meant that letting him set up shop was a “no brainer”.

Shaun said: “So now you can pop down for a pint or cocktail, buy some records and get a hair cut in whatever order you want!

“They really work perfectly together and it makes for a pretty unique experience.”

Outlaws Yacht Club has also held many a special night over the years and currently holds regular DJ sets themed on everything from cosmic jazz and afro boogie to post punk and atmospheric jungle. Among the names to have gotten behind the decks over the years are Andrew Weatherhall, A Man Called Adam and Nightmares on Wax.

Shaun said: “We’re lucky enough to have excellent resident DJs. Doing specially great things at the moment are Bob & Weave who are great at hosting fun parties around Leeds and have a bi-monthly residency with us, so they are definitely worth checking out.”

Other events include Q&As, live music, book clubs, film nights, poetry readings and art exhibitions. with guests including Irvine Welsh, Don Letts, Kevin Rowland, Tim Burgess and Alan McGee.

To mark their 13th birthday a party will be held on Saturday, September 27, with a daytime session happening at the bar followed by a late night party at Hope House, which is the home of ‘MAP Charity’ and the famous ‘Cosmic Slop’ sound system.

Shaun said: “We basically get to have a cracking night whilst raising funds and awareness for a top local creative children’s educational charity,. It doesn’t really get much better than that.”

That’s not to say that the bar isn’t facing it’s fair of challenges.

Like venues and other independent businesses across Leeds and the UK, Shaun said that Outlaws Yacht Club is facing pressures from the ongoing Brexit fall out, supplier cost increases, cost of living increases, saying: “The list goes on.

“We simply try to stay authentic to what we set out to do and we try to keep evolving with the times.”

He said that small independent venues and socially aware organisations were suffering acutely due to the ongoing challenges, and called on support from local and national government.

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“These are places to me that help define this beautiful city”, he said. “It’s also increasingly hard to compete with the lager non-independent venues, so use it or lose it really.

“If you’re lucky enough to have a favourite local independent venue or group that you enjoy being a part of then please make the effort to show them as much love as you can.”

Looking forward Shaun said that the venue’s continued goal is to a part of the fabric of Leeds and a leading creative, inclusive alternative venue, with a hope of seeing a strengthening of the independent scene again in Leeds.