Marching on Together: Reboot of world famous Leeds United song officially premiered

The children of award-winning LS18 Rocks band Solar Jets took to the stage on Saturday (July 1) for the first live performance of their song Marching On in front of a live audience. 

The song is a rework of the legendary 1972 Leeds United song Marching on Together, written by Les Reed and Barry Mason and sung by the team and selected supporters. The band has been in the works in recent weeks with sporting groups and youth organisations around the city to showcase the song, which has been described as “the catchiest thing you will hear all year.”

Premiered at the My Leeds Summer 2023 event at Calverlands Centre in Horsforth, which is part of Walk Of Art Festival, the song was met by a crowd “clapping, marching and singing along”.

Paul Jeeves, LS18 Media Director, said: “It was brilliant! The rain held off and the band played really well. 

“We were joined by lots of people from Horsforth and by the middle of the song everyone had learned the chorus - it’s so ridiculously catchy it’s unbelievable - it was a great way to release the song.”

“[The band] were really buzzing when they came off the stage”, he continued. “I think the fact that [the crowd] joined in straight away gave them a lot of confidence."

Pioneering deafblind choir singer Katie Redstar, who won the hearts of the nation when she appeared as part of the 300-strong choir at the Coronation Party at Windsor Castle in May, joined the band on stage, describing it as “"fantastic, a real thrill. I can't wait to do it again on Tuesday night."

Those who missed Saturday’s premiere won't have to wait long as the band will return to the stage at Leeds Playhouse on Tuesday, July 4, when LS18 Rocks take over the Quarry Theatre for an evening of live music. 

The concert, part of the theatre’s Open Season, will represent the largest show LS18 Rocks has ever staged and will feature all 10 of the bands who operate from their studio in the heart of Horsforth.

The band is set to record the song at their Horsforth studio in the coming weeks, after which it will be available on streaming services for everyone's enjoyment.

LS18 Rocks are the current recipients of the Child Friendly Leeds Award for Inspiring Creativity Through Arts and Culture and are home to Britain’s youngest stadium rock band Solar Jets. The young rockers stole the show when they performed a thrilling version of the Kaiser Chiefs’ classic I Predict A Riot at Headingley Stadium for the Leeds 2023 launch event The Awakening in January.

Tickets to the LS18 Rocks Quarry Theatre takeover on Tuesday July 4 are available on a Pay What You Can basis on the Leeds Playhouse website.