Leeds fest 2011 a short review

hello people,

I have now recovered from Leeds festival and felt the need to allow you guys into who made it for me.

Another year has gone by, I have now just recovered from Leeds scraped off the 4 inches of mud and put them away for next year (well until winter hits us again). What a festival it was, the only weather we did not experience was snow. We had glorious sun (yes my fair skin got burnt now I have a wonderful tan); we had horrendous rain, which turned the mud into the best workout you could get. Then finally on the Sunday when most of the mud had gone we had wind that would take you off your feet. Both me and my friend were one of the loyal Leeds festival goers that stuck it out for the whole weekend. Yes we may have complained and moaned like it was the end of the world but these aspects only make the experience a better one.

One of the first epic moments of this festival was The Streets. This was epic for a number of reasons, for one it was going to be first and last ever time that I would see them, because they were going to be no more in a few months time. Whilst waiting in the tent you could sense the atmosphere was electric. Mike Skinner was on form that night delivering the goods to each dedicated fan that had crushed into that tent. Storming through his classic hits of blinded by the lights, don’t mug yourself and of course you’re fit but you know it. All this gelled with Leo the lion brought together a fantastic show. Sweat, beer thrown and aching legs from dancing, and to top it off Skinner managed to get the biggest circle pit of the festival going.

As Muse had not made any secret of the fact that they were doing to play, Origins of Symmetry in its entirety, I was looking forward to it the most. I have always said that Muse of the marmite of the music world, but I still love them. Origins of symmetry was out of this world and proved that the album has stood the test over 10 years and is just as amazing on the first listen as it was live. Once the once in a lifetime opportunity had been finished, they then launched into the hits. “Stockholm Syndrome” was a pinnacle moment of the festival for me, as whenever I do hear that son, I get Goosebumps all over. Bellamy and the boys did not give us festival goers a disappointing show, they blew it away. Although I must say that a festival show is never the same as a personal one.

So after trekking through all the mud and earning quads like a body builder the first day was out of this world. Yes we did see other people but I could go on for days, how awesome they all were, or how crap they were, and even how they shouldn’t have made it to a main stage. But that would mean about 100 pages that nobody would actually ever read. One thing that I was disappointed in was the fact that I actually didn’t get to see anyone on the BBC introducing stage. This was through no fault of my own I might add. This was because of all the clashes that were happening on other stages. It is a very hard decision for a music fan to decide who to see over another band.

So Saturday comes legs are hurting and only just adjusting to sleeping in a tent, but all the people to see are in the radio one tent (result). As I have been making people aware Miles Kane’s debut album I was looking forward to this performance. He stormed through his set with the adulation from all the fans that tent. Sometimes with albums, you can love listening to them over and over again, but when it comes to the live version, it can be a let down. Not with this one, if anything it brought the album to life even more, with the dark tones that run through and Miles managing, to get his unique 60’s psychedelic riffs to become more powerful and reachable.

Mona was a band I was bit dubious about, this was mainly because the album is good and I would recommend it, but wasn’t sure how it would come across live. Now they were good but nothing I would shout about like previous bands I have seen. They seemed to lack enthusiasm on the stage and the songs sounded just like the album. Festivals are all about giving your current fans a good show but also making new fans too. Mona are probably amazing in there own space and show but I feel a smaller tent may have done them a little bit more justice.

Now if you are into your music, you will know that The Vaccines are one of 2011’s most talked about bands. They have only been together for a year and have earned so much. So I was really looking forward to this having read all other reviews, only one thing was stopping me, and this was that Justin the singer’s voice was under strain. They had already pulled out of shows and looked like they will be doing so for more shows. But given that his voice was bad he powered through giving the fans a show that would not be dampened by a broken voice. A packed out tent and a band perfectly formed and sounding like they had been doing this for years is something that you don’t often see or hear.

Beady Eye the headliner of Saturday was again something that I was a bit dubious about, but was something that I though I needed to see. Were they going to be just oasis but with 2 new band members? The answer to this was sort of. Noel was always the leader in oasis deciding what they were to sound like, where as Beady Eye was Liam’s baby. Sounding how he wanted, a much darker take on oasis but still a pretty good show. Maybe he is just more than a one trick pony, but will probably still take a bit more to get into them. Liam is and will always be a front man, and with him in a band there will always be a following.

2 bands that were a must see on the Sunday were Madness and Pulp. Along with all the other bands in the other tents these two were pinnacle for the final day. I grew up with Madness with my dad, and have always been told they are amazing live you need to see them. So here was my opportunity to. One step beyond was the opener and was only a start to an amazing show to come. Suggs and gang bringing the sound of ska to young followers, making them dance and bounce along with even a sing song, to accompany it. Perfect for a windy Sunday afternoon with a pint in hand.

Now all through the 90’s you were either Blur or Oasis, but people often forget about Pulp. Pulp is the posh version of both those bands, with lyrics that are as funny as Morrissey’s, even just as cynical. Jarvis has never been the most normal of front men but he gives the crowd a good show. It is windy and cold but he is leading you on a journey of a date as he wants to call it. Blasting out classics such as, Pencil Skirt, Disco 2000 and not to forget Common people. The band as tight as they were back in the day and Jarvis just if not more, eccentric as he used to be. This band were definitely a good choice to end this festival, he left us all on high craving and wanting more.       

These are only some of the bands that saw, I did see many more but would take forever to write about them. Also I was not there to review I was there to be festival goer and enjoy my yearly experience.