Reading and Leeds festival’s organisers always face a challenge: regardless of who they chose, various people on the internet will complain. Old heads will rally against the new crowd in a reverie of rage for their teenage years, popular music fans will decry the heavier elements, rock fans will whine about the pop takeover. It doesn’t matter, R&L can’t win.
Northern Chorus rocked up to the Yorkshire site on Friday afternoon. Once the NC tent was pitched and the first of many Euro-lagers was drained, Amyl and The Sniffers roared into life on the main stage. Amy Taylor and co tear it up, as they always do: raucous, piss and vinegar punk licks, thunderous rhythm and the greatest frontwoman in contemporary music. Taylor is a superstar – you can’t look away from her sheer magnetism, her posturing bodybuilder poses, her bleach blonde barnet and the sheer brilliance she spits on stage.
The crowd is an odd vibe, though. Many Travis Scott fans are staking out spots at the main stage and it becomes increasingly clear that the teenage crowd aren’t au fait with the moshpit. People are almost entirely stationary for far too much of the set, but pockets of pogoing and the odd circle pit open up from time to time. Amyl work hard to captivate a crowd that isn’t theirs, but generally it goes down well. They’re a band at the peak of their powers who might have been better suited to a headline slot on the second stage.
Friday is rounded out in supreme style by The Dare – while Travis Scott is having issues with his staging and heading off early (down the Brude for a Tetleys, no doubt), the Californian style icon is tearing it up in the Festival Republic stage. Decked out in a slim suit, skinny tie and sunglasses, The Dare performs in front of non-stop strobe lighting. He is a silhouette for the entire show, blasting through hit after hit from his debut record, What’s Wrong With New York? His LCD Soundsystem sound, combined with unlimited sex-appeal and songs that romanticise the party lifestyle, casual sex and laissez faire attitude to life is an absolute treat at Leeds Festival.
The party goes deep into the night, with Shit Indie Disco blasting a set of bangers in the early hours, as well as a massive selection of raves, techno, indie and more going down in the respective camp sites.
Saturday starts off strong: jasmine.4.t is a sensation in the Festival Republic tent – her tender yet powerful rock is soulful, transcendent and most importantly, queer. There is no doubt about the queer and LGBT solidarity present in that tent. Make no mistake, whilst Leeds fest is full of young progressives, the overwhelming vibe is one of the lad culture. There is often, minimal queer representation. Of course Chappell is headlining today, but at a grassroots level, to create such a safe and welcoming environment, in the middle of the day at Leeds fest is nothing short of sensational. Jasmine.4.t is a revelation.
Back over at the main stage, Bloc Party are making one hell of a noise as part of their renaissance, but it’s SOFT PLAY who steal the day. Their set is one of punk urgency, satirizing societal norms and accompanying astute observations with bone shaking riffs: their set is also packed with messages of Palestinian solidarity. No surprise that the BBC have only broadcast one song from their mammoth set. They chant “fuck the BBC!” to grand response, open a ladies-only moshpit for ‘Girl Fight’ and bring the tears with ‘Everything and Nothing’. They are a band at the very peak of their powers.
Before long it’s time for the main event: long gone is the Friday uniform of Nike jackets and pristine trainers, now every other person in Yorkshire is underneath a pink, bejewelled cowboy hat. Chappell is a sensation. She strides across an ornate stage themed around the ‘Visions of Damsels and Other Dangerous Things’ tour while her band rattle through pop banger after pop banger.
Chappell is like Bjork and Madonna fused into one perfect pop sensation. She encompasses pure, weird brilliance, pop music perfection, queer excellence and the ability to command a frankly massive Leeds crowd. Her star-power is of such magnitude you simply can’t take your eyes off her for a minute as she brings out banger after banger after banger.
Sunday is opened by the magnificent Lambrini Girls, who blast the norms and attitudes of the world through a queer, feminist lens. Their punk power is unmatched, though you can’t help but feel they’d be better suited to a tent, where Lunny and Macieira-Boşgelmez can tear shit up with greater effect.
Pale Waves are a hit over on the Chevron, and their cover of The Cranberries ‘Zombie’ is a great moment as people sing and sway, arm in arm in hungover reverie. Alas, punky risers The Pill are waylaid by a van breakdown and can no longer perform at the introducing stage, but their slot is taken by Pale Waves who perform a gorgeously intimate set.
The Sunday uniform is a backwards, red, baseball cap. It’s just one of those days, right?
Words: Charlie Brock
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