High Flying Around – Memories of the 1960s Leicester Music Scene Vol II

Published - 1st Nov 2025

High Flying Around Volume II continues the remarkable story of Leicester’s 1960’s arts and music scene via the people that were there. Their memories and reminiscences bring back to life the buildings long since demolished, the groups who packed out the venues and the people who filled the halls and clubs. 

Find out how some of the biggest names in music performed in some of Leicester’s smallest and long lost venues, revisit the 1969 free festival and discover the incredible story of Leicester band Gypsy and the 1960’s creatives. Hal C Blake frontman, Tony Weston, reminisces about the decade while Leicester blues legend, Mick Pini, talks about his life in music. Discover the importance of the college and university circuit, the arts lab, the city’s underground music, folk and poetry scenes and the music that influenced Leicester playwright, Joe Orton. Leicester women tell their stories about life in Leicester during the 1960s while singer/songwriter, Ryan Dunn, explains how the decade influences his songwriting and fashion. 

“For anyone interested in knowing how the modern world and the culture we live in today was ushered into being, reading Shaun Knapp’s new edition of his pioneering book, High Flying Around, is an absolute must…” Lynton Guest 

About the Author

Music and social history author Shaun Knapp was co-curator of the award winning exhibitions Mods: Shaping a Generation (Best Free Event, Leicestershire Tourism Awards 2019) and the 2023 exhibition, Punk: Rage & Revolution (National Lottery Awards 2023 Heritage Project of the Year for England, Best Free Event, Leicestershire Tourism Awards, 2023), both of which were held at Leicester Museum & Art Gallery. The exhibitions attracted a combined audience of 85,000 visitors from 14 countries and generated over £3m to the local economy. Shaun was also the co-curator of the 2019 exhibition, Mods 19:64, which was held at the LCB Depot. Shaun is the author of High Flying Around: Memories of the 1960s Leicester Music Scene (2017), Mods 19:64 (2019), Mods: Two City Connection (2019) and was co-author of the Punk: Rage & Revolution exhibition catalogue (2023). 

234mm x x156mm

211 pages

ISBN - 9781780916651