Leeds Festival 2010
Skipped last year after the festival was expanded in 2008 and it was just too busy for me, but anyway lets see if a “lay” year makes me feel better.
DAY 1
After the perfect preparation of seeing the Wedding Present in Holmfirth the night before I set off only to discover my watch is kerput and I’ll need to detour via the White Rose shopping centre and get a new battery fitted. I’m slightly annoyed to discover I need to leave my watch for 20 mins to be fixed, so I grab a McBreakfast and pop in HMV and finally get my hands on a copy of SkyLarkins new album “Kaleide”. I eventually get my watch back after standing in a queue with people having keys cut, and I’m now 30mins behind schedule so there go my plans to get in early.
Now I know the festival causes traffic chaos, but really any need for this much of a detour?
So I park up, get my wristband and hike to the arena and see:
The Walkmen
Some nice jangly indie sat in the sun by the front of the main stage.
Soul Circus
Mates band from work who also provide some nice jangly indie, rather impressed but I leave after a few songs to see.
The Crookes
Who are a bit of a let down, only seem to be really good when doing the current trend of early 60s indie crooning. Shame.
Penguin
From my neck of the woods, surprisingly good, not sure I’d choose to listen to them but good to watch, big turn out (even feature on Look North!)
The Gaslight Anthem
Where rock meet indie, excellent band I enjoy.
Modest Mouse
No Johnny Marr 
but chug through some indie americana, couple of god ones, slightly spoilt by the rain.
Chapel Club
Was really looking forward to these, seemed a little flat, singer seemed cheesed of the crowd was a bit flat. Maybe if he tried looking like he was enjoying himself the crowd might lift a bit.
The Cribs
Yorksha, Yorksha, Yorksha – belter of a set, have a feeling this may be the last I see of Johnny Marr with the Cribs.
Villagers
Ooooh, this is different, think I like it too. Thought to myself “bet this gets Mercury nominated next year”, but it turns out it already has.
The Libertines
Will they? Wont they? Well they only flippin did! I’ve seen the Libs before with no Pete and I’ve seen Babyshambles a couple of times, thought this was terrific, despite all the “baggage” that goes with Pete he is amazingly talented.
Don’t really fancy Arcade Fire and I’d rather enter a “Hammer your own face flat with a brick” competition than go and see Pendulum. Just a little plea to the organisers, a few more lights in the carpark would help. Having to resort to using my iPhone and GPS to locate my car is a bit much (good job I book marked it’s position before I left it).
DAY 2
Up bright and early and head to the festival via Leeds and the York Road, much quicker. Today I discover “Real Ale” stall, “Pint of Scarecrow please”, much nicer than that ruddy Tuborg, you have to be choosy when you can only have a couple. So back to the music:
Goldheart Assembly
Harmonious indie folk
The Joy Formidable
BRILLIANT, if you smash a guitar up during the first song you are my kind of band. Cracking tunes, loads of attitude, epic, I want more.
Local Natives
What a tash! It’s americana time, alright but I wouldn’t listen by choice.
Los Campesinos!
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One of my faves and they don’t dissapoint. First mosh pit of the day, there’s not much more fun than jumping around to “Sweet Dreams, Sweet Cheeks”
General Fiasco
Arrh, wasn’t expecting this hard rocky sound, not my cup of tea.
Nerves
I huddle under the BBC Inroducing stage from the rain. I find a lovely shambly distorted wall of sound with some nice jangly guitar over the top, singer is a bit flat though and drummer hates us and chucks his bottle of water over us at the end of the set, which is a bit pointless as it’s raining.
Fools Gold
It’s salsa time! so I’m off.
The Drums
Shock gasp horror they don’t play the hit “Lets go Surfing”, and are the only band ever to an encore in a middle of the day slot.
Tame Impala
Hmmm I remember thinking I like these but can’t remember a thing they played, better ease off the “Scarecrow” a bit
Band Of Horses
Yep its americana day, only really watching these to kill a bit of time.
Minus The Bear
I really wanted to see these, but a bit like “Tame Impala” can’t remember what they sounded like.
Foals
Saw these years ago just as Transgressive signed them, I quite like them can’t understand why they are so popular really.
Paramore
I wanted to see what the view and sound was like on the main stage from a “downhill” position, so I wait and wait for Paramore to come on stage. In between the gusts of wind I think I can hear Avril Lavine – probably unfair conditions to judge a band so maybe I’m being unfair but it’s hard to tell quarter of a mile from a stage in a force 2 gale.
We Are Scientists
I watch from the back of the NME tent, the Scientists put on a cracking set, but it’s a shame that everything off “With Love and Squalor” just seems head and shoulders above anything they have done since. But a really good set and great banter with the crowd “We had a meeting, we sat down and reviewed the next song, we gave it a 7, so it’s good”.
Caribou
Dance music!!!!! Luckily I don’t have to endure it for too long and I’m only queuing for…
British Sea Power
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Now I’m a massive fan of this band, but I have seen them at Leeds on all the stages (from about 2004) and on a couple of occasions it’s fallen a bit flat, on others it’s been storming. Luckily tonight we get a stormer, mainly tracks from “…decline of” and “Do you like Rock Music” but a beautifully decorated stage, a tight set and the trademark chaos at the end seeing the return of “Ursine Ultra” being tethered to the front row of the audience with gaffa tape.
Once again time to play “dude where’s my car”, just enough battery for the GPS to work.
DAY 3
This morning I recieve a message from my foot “your ankle is held together with titanium, this resultant pain is what happens when you spend 2 days stood up and in the last 72 hours have been invlolved in at least four mosh pits – you’re nearly 40 pack it in”, so I limp across the carpark for the final day. I’m almost late for:
Frankie And The Heartstrings
It’s a bit like an indie version of “Happy Days” from Sunderland, but they are very good at it. Couple of instantly catchy tracks and it’s all good fun.
Matt Abbott
I catch the end of the “Skint and Demoralised” front mans poetry set, he’s quite funny, and recants poems and track lyrics. I particularly like his twitter poem, I shall tweet him about it, that’ll be ironic.
Eddie Argos
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Art Brut front man plays an acoustic set, his usual witty banter and funny lyrics really work once he has broken the rules of poetry and created a mosh pit in the tent. All good stuff much fun.
Funeral Party
Nice little indie band, would like to hear more
Girls
Really looking forward to this, but they only have one decent tune, the rest is mundane.
Two Door Cinema Club
Massive crowd and a good set too
Pulled Apart By Horses
New Leeds heroes, not seen them live before and didn’t like them, will leave them for the rest of the crowd to enjoy.
Sketches
Hotly tipped and really good, would want to hear a bit more before saying I was a fan.
Egyptian Hip Hop
Was really looking forward to these, seemed really pants, no confidence and no real tunes, a shame.
Avi Buffalo
I was told these were good, but not this good. Only one really catch tune though, will have to dig some of their stuff out and have a listen. Very impressed.
Warpaint
Really good sounding all female band from the states, problem is all the songs sound the same – which I don’t have a problem with it just means you need to know them to appreciate the subtle differences.
Right I can hang around for two hours and wait for Pheonix, or listen to my ankle and go home, have a hot bath, a couple of beers and watch MOTD2, I call it a day and head home.