Leeds Rios is a fairly new music venue located within the Grand Arcade a short walk away from the Headrow in the centre of Leeds. The Music venue itself is located upstairs, and holds a capacity of 1000, catering primarily to a rock/indie/metal fan demographic. Inside it reminds of a giant aircraft hanger/ air raid shelter, with a high, curved ceiling and supporting stansions. The main area is raised so that observers are placed a little above the band onstage, with a large lower floor placed in between, and the bar is over to the right, positioned alongside a large screen so that you can still watch the bands whilst queueing for a drink.

Drinks are pretty expensive- a standard pint of lager will cost you £3 and a bottle of ale 3.50 or more, and the staff seem to consist entirely of bemused first-year students, although to be fair to them they do do a resonably efficient job. The venue is a primary location for touring bands both from the UK and abroad, and I have had the pleasure of watching Rotting Christ, Nile, Bolt Thrower, Akercocke, Dark Funeral, Enslaved and Suffocation there amongst others in recent years.

Ticket prices are pretty reasonable (£10-£12 normally), and the place is nicely situated within a central, indoor arcade across from a rock bar and just round the corner from a travelodge, and the sound and lighting are very good as well. The opening times can be somewhat unreliable sometimes, with the club not opening on time and people having queue down the lenght of the arcade, but aprt from this and the less-than-cheap drinks prices, Leeds Rios is a great venue with a steady stream of high-profile rock/metal acts passing through it.