Electronic duo Utah Saints to headline The Picturedrome this weekend

Jez Willis and Tim Garbutt have been making music, DJing and performing around the world since the birth of house music, emerging from the UK rave explosion as one of electronic music’s most distinctive and enduring acts.

They have released nine UK Top 40 singles — four reaching the Top 10 — and have sold more than two million records worldwide, equivalent to more than 800 million streams.

Their work has consistently walked the line between underground credibility and mainstream success, with roots firmly embedded in electronic dance music.

They are best known for their track Something Good which was released in the early 1990s.

Utah Saints met in a Leeds club at the dawn of the UK rave movement and went on to become pioneers of sampling in dance music, helping define a sound that would influence generations of producers and DJs.

Alongside their recording career, they founded and promoted the award-winning club nights The Gallery and SugarBeatClub in Leeds, with additional residencies in Edinburgh and London. They have also recorded and presented shows for BBC Radio 1, Kiss, and Ministry of Sound.

They continue to DJ regularly and remain active on the international circuit, while also curating festival stages such as Beatherder, championing an eclectic mix of artists and DJs.

Across more than 3,000 performances, they have played everywhere from underground clubs to festival main stages, sharing line-ups with artists as diverse as DJ Zinc, Justice, Zane Lowe, A-Trak, Friendly Fires, Boys Noize, U2, and Public Enemy — including supporting U2 on their Zooropa stadium tour.

Their collaborations reflect the same breadth and curiosity found in their own music, spanning work with Michael Stipe (R.E.M.), Kate Bush, Annie Lennox, Edwin Starr, Chuck D, Arthur Baker, Annabella Lwin (Bow Wow Wow), Drumsound & Bassline Smith, and many more.

In 2022, Something Good was recognised by Rolling Stone as one of the 200 Greatest Dance Songs of All Time, ranked at No.138.

Something Good ’08 became the most played track on BBC Radio 1, the 10th most streamed track of that year and was later awarded Gold status in the UK.

Outside of touring and DJing, Utah Saints continue to work extensively in the studio, producing and remixing for artists ranging from The Stone Roses and Girls Aloud to Bring Me The Horizon and Hawkwind.

With a legacy spanning the origins of rave culture to the present day, Utah Saints remain creatively active — continuing to DJ, produce, collaborate, remix and release new music under the Utah Saints name.

Tickets for the gig on Saturday, May 2, cost £18 in advance before fees via https://www.seetickets.com/event/utah-saints/the-picturedrome/3495864

Doors open at 8pm.