Arctic Monkeys were the band handed the honour of closing this year's Leeds Festival; the self-anointed Kings of Yorkshire playing a set just short of 90 minutes to a bumper 90,000 crowd.
Alex Turner and co followed on from the acoustic stylings of Jake Bugg and took the majority of the audience by storm, blasting out crowd favourites 'Do I Wanna Know? and 'Brianstorm' in a powerful 1-2 punch that set the tone for the rest of the set.
Turner was his usual uber-cool self, the man practically oozing cool in a jacket with emblazoned with Yorkshire badges and drummer Matt Helders' famed '0114' bass drum adding to the sense of this being the Monkeys in their natural habitat, as close to a grand homecoming as they've managed and what turned out to be one of the last few shows supporting 2013's successful 'AM' LP.
However, I felt this record's slow and steady pace was reflected far too much across a number of their others tunes, the beat often being diluted especially prevalent in their breakthrough 'I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor'.
The mix-and-match nature of the set was a nice touch though, as the decade in which the Arctics have been around have seen them grow from a bunch of scruffy kids from Sheffield into the polished rock band they resemble today; having the likes of 'Dancing Shoes' alongside the mature, crisp 'No.1 Party Anthem' tells you all you need to know about the growth the band have had in a relatively short space of time.
A four-song encore saw fan favourites 'Mardy Bun' (albeit a short acoustic version) and 'When The Sun Goes Down' receive airings, alongside possibly the biggest song for the lads, 'R U Mine?', which had an extremely elongated ending which almost came across as tedious.
So that was the Arctic Monkeys; a reliable as ever headliner for a festival the size of Leeds and a set that a massive crowd lapped up, with Alex Turner immortalising himself as one of the leading frontmen in the industry.
The second night of Leeds Festival saw one of the more intriguing partnerships around; Queens of the Stone Age and Paramore split the honour of playing to the biggest crowd of the evening.
Queens were up first, having closed the previous night at Reading. Josh Homme and his extensive band put on a simply brilliant rock show, with thrills in the shape of some impressive laser-shows and some mind-melting guitar-driven beasts of songs. The energy from the band was subtle, growing and growing with each tune. ‘No One Knows’ as song number two was a daring choice, but paid off handsomely as newbies ‘My God Is The Sun’ and ‘Smooth Sailing’ more than benefitted from the buzz generated.
Classics like ‘Feel Good Hit of The Summer’ and ‘Make It Wit Chu’ ensured that ardent fans were catered for too, although personally I felt that the fresher songs from 2013’s ‘…Like Clockwork’ were those more warmly received and those better performed generally.
The last coupling of ‘Go With The Flow’ and ‘A Song For The Dead’ were awesome. The latter allowed drummer Jon Theodore to take centre stage, with a sizzling drum solo, it was a song that the band performed with such intensity and vigour, it was hard to take your eyes away from it. And that was that from Queens, a band who managed to surpass my sky-high expectations.
Closing Leeds on the Saturday night meant a shot at redemption for Paramore, whose Reading set had show-stopping delays of up to 15 minutes after a power shortage saw Hayley Williams have to resort to an acapella version of ‘The Only Exception’.
However, there were none such issues during the Americans set, featuring just over a dozen songs and a heap of Williams have a general chat with her adoring fans, one of whom she plucked from the front barrier and brought on stage to share the chorus of ‘Misery Business’.
Photo courtesy of Leeds Festival – Giles Smith
It was a slick show with pyro, confetti cannons galore and a couple of ‘I had to be there’ moments; the band’s newer material didn’t bring the same sort of attention and clamour that the classics did, but Williams has an endearing quality about her, as she represents that you can be who you want and rock out to 90,000 in a field in Yorkshire.
The experiment between two American rock-bands worked; both Queens and Paramore had some cracking moments, and I wouldn’t really be surprised to see extended full-headliner status for them over the next few years.
The event music aficionados had been waiting a solid 12 months for finally arrived last night as pop-punk kings blink-182 took to the Main Stage at Leeds for the coveted Friday night headline slot.
Mark Hoppus, Travis Barker and Tom Demonge made it three times they had headlined both Reading and Leeds sites, the first for four years and ahead of a new album rumoured to be released to the world by the turn of 2014.
A single black curtain covered the Main Stage, as the anticipation reached breaking point, before the music stopped, the drape dropped and the trio emerged to a Union Jack with the unmistakable blink logo taking the centre stage.
Kicking off with ‘Feeling This’, everyone’s favourite childish rockers breezed through their set, peppering song breaks with some genuinely crude, hilarious humour and entertaining the masses excellently with their extensive back catalogue.
The crowd of course reacted magnificently to all-time hit ‘All The Small Things’, but then this was Friday night of Leeds 2014, it was heaving and pits were breaking out all over the inside barrier.
Photo courtesy of Leeds Festival – Giles Smith
The trio of songs that made up the encore summed up the evening for the Americans; ‘Violence’ a breath-taking tune that allows every band member to step up to the plate, ‘Dammit’ a veritable classic that the first strokes of the guitar riff sent everyone into a fit of excitement, and ‘Family Reunion’, a 40 second tune that manages to pack in all of the band’s trademark crude humour in an expletive-ridden blast.
And that was it! Around 90 minutes after they’d first taken to the stage, blink were done and dusted. They’d brought bags of humour and energy to the Leeds Main Stage, not to mention a number of outrageous drum solos from the magnificent Travis Barker. Sure leadman Delonge was a bit off-key at moments, but the show that was put on by these three over-sized children was still a sure-fire, reliable way to kick-off another year of Leeds.
With less than a month to go until the gates open, the countdown is now well and truly on for Reading & Leeds 2014. Returning this year will be the one stop home of the best in up and coming talent, the BBC Introducing Stage. With BBC Introducing forever championing the finest in new music from the UK and beyond, the stage is part of BBC Introducing’s commitment to offering the best new artists unrivalled opportunities to be seen and heard. As a powerful launching platform for emerging talent, the stage has previously been home to this year’s Main Stage success story Jake Bugg as well as Catfish And The Bottlemen, Spector, Clock Opera and many more.
Topping the bill on Friday at Reading and Saturday at Leeds will be the extremely exciting BBC Radio 1 and BBC Radio 1Xtra championed London soul singer Moko. Joining her will be alternative punk project The Bulletproof Bomb, Kent experimental rock group Broken Hands, the ambient neo-soul singing collectiveLyves, 19-year-old folk-pop singer Rebecca Clements, the blues tinged and Tom Waits influenced sounds ofJohn J Presley, the fiercely executed rap and powerfully emotive, catchy vocal melodies of Judge and The Jury, melancholic indie quintet Dancing Years, Buckinghamshire singer/songwriter Natasha North and fierce Scottish post hardcore band Shambles In A Husk.
Heading up the lineup on Saturday at Reading and Sunday at Leeds is the delicate vocal of Bombay Bicycle Club collaborator Rae Morris. The thrilling and hotly tipped London slacker rock trio Happyness will join her alongside York band Hello Operator, ex-General Fiasco brothers Owen and Enda Strathern’s new band Oh Volcano, three piece Leicester music makers Juniors, upcoming songwriter and Enigma Dubz collaboratorLippi, the melodious pop of Liverpool’s Guardian championed trio All We Are, France formed Aussie and Brit four piece indie rockers Sunset Sons and the horror-influenced skate-punk of Cambridge four piece Bloody Knees.
Sunday at Reading and Friday at Leeds sees the stage headlined by Scottish synth-pop trio and Island signeesPrides who will come to the festival fresh from playing the Blink 182 Reading & Leeds warm-up shows at Brixton Academy. Joining them are unsigned indie rock band Crystal Seagulls, promising and ever hard working singer-songwriter Adam French, the live spectacle of Swansea based Cramps-esque punkers Heavy Petting Zoo, fiercely talented alternative songwriter Jack Garratt, Manchester’s future stars Man Made, Hull-based garage/punk band Mother, the BBC Radio 1Xtra playlisted talent of Esco Williams, the hauntingly beautiful music of Billie Marten and the raw.
This year saw the return of the prestigious Futuresound Competition, offering the winner the chance to perform on the Festival Republic Stage and five runners up the chance to open over on the BBC Introducing Stage. Leeds’ piano bashing, rock ‘n’ roll five piece Carnabells came in on top for what is sure to be the opportunity of a lifetime over on the Festival Republic Stage.
The Friday at Reading and Saturday at Leeds sees self-proclaimed ‘Black Keys meets Nancy Sinatra’ trio Crybabycry open the stage. Saturday at Reading and Sunday at Leeds bills the post punk and pop of Tabloids and Forever Cult’s slow burning grunge kicking off festivities. Sunday at Reading and Friday at Leeds, West Yorkshire alternative five piece Allusondrugs and the mod sounds of Leeds’ Vendettas will be opening the stage.
Centre Stage 2014 winners GirlsOnDrugs have also been added to the bill. A collaboration between a boy and girl, the band have deep bass synths and dream-laced chords enlivened by the beautiful, sultry, vocal talents of Kat McHugh, whose voice dances from pure expression to melancholic yearning.
The BBC Introducing Stage is truly the best place at the Festival to see the best emerging talent from across the UK. All this and a few very special, secret guests can be expected during what promises to be the biggest weekend in this summer’s festival calendar!
Jason Carter, Head of Live Music & Events, BBC Popular Music says: “BBC Introducing are delighted to be bringing our stage to the Festival for another year. Over the past few years it has been fantastic to see bands that have been completely unknown move up the stage at the Festival, right up to the main stage, this is another phenomenal new band line-up”.
The Summer Festival Guide is excited to announce a mammoth addition of fifty artists to the Reading and Leeds lineup for this summer.
This year sees one of the most spectacular Main Stage line-ups ever! Undisputed modern rock godsQueens Of The Stone Age and pop-rock superstars Paramore share headline duties alongside the completely inimitable Arctic Monkeys and pop-punk legends Blink-182.
With a supporting cast including Vampire Weekend, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, You Me At Six, Jake Bugg, Imagine Dragons, Foster The People and Deaf Havana there are now even more names set to tear up the Main Stage. Completing the line-up for the Main Stage are Brighton indie-punk duo Blood Red Shoes, Japanese metallers Crossfaith, Dry the River, Leeds boys Pulled Apart By Horses, punk trioGnarwolves, nu-metal luminaries Papa Roach, UK rock kings Young Guns and pop punk champions Tonight Alive and The Story So Far.
Over on the NME/Radio 1 Stage alongside headliners Courteeners, Bombay Bicycle Club and Disclosure will be UK anthemic rockers Twin Atlantic and last year’s Main Stage openers Mallory Knox. Also appearing are fellow newcomers Lonely The Brave, shoegazer, post punk festival veterans The Horrors, multidirectional TheKooks and Brooklyn based musician Twin Shadow.
Reading & Leeds continue to bring the best in electronic music and dance to the BBC Radio 1 Dance Stage with an exclusive performance from special guest Duke Dumont Live, AlunaGeorge,Gesaffelstein, The Glitch Mob,Borgore, Adventure Club, Snakehips and Electric Youth taking to the stage along with headliners Netsky Live, Pendulum DJ Set and Flume.
The unique sounds of Gypsy-punks Gogol Bordello and emotional rock heroes Jimmy Eat World will act as the perfect Lock Up Stage headliners, along with Brody Dalle, Möngöl Hörde and Architects.
Elsewhere, the headliners have been revealed for the Festival Republic Stage and they will be the riff-heavy Southampton group Band Of Skulls, garage rockers Palma Violets and the energetic Augustines.
Also appearing across the Festivals’ stages over the weekend will be A Wilhelm Scream, Baby Godzilla, Bear Hands,Bipolar Sunshine, Catfish And The Bottlemen, Darlia, Dave Hause, Every Time I Die,Hudson Taylor, Marika Hackman, Mayday Parade, Meridian Dan, P Money,PUP,Slaves, The Districts, The Flatliners, The Front Bottoms, The Orwells, The Skints,The Wonder Years, Touché Amoré and Wovenwar.
Typically the last 'big' festivals of the summer months in the UK, Reading & Leeds are a special pilgrimage a combined audience of hundreds of thousands of people make every August Bank Holiday weekend. This year I headed to Leeds Fest to check it out, here's what happened!
Arriving on Friday morning, the site was buzzing with campers dampened slightly by a little storm on Thursday evening, but nothing to put off the masses from what was hopefully going to be a great festival.
Don Broco, a Bedford-based alternative rock band took to the Main Stage, and were an unexpected surprise. 'Hold On', probably their most popular tune got everyone going, as did the band's in-time dance moves, steps to the side, hand-claps, a cheeky boyband touch for the popular quartet, who's lead singer had an Elvisy-look going on.
Then it was time for something different, a rapper by the name of Wacka Flocka Flame took to the brand-new Radio 1Xtra Stage, to a huge crowd. His hype man got things bouncing, as the man himself finally arrived 15 minutes late. Wacka wore a Leeds United shirt and some appropriate bling, as his set saw him get a few headbanging fans up onstage,along with a girl plucked from the crowd who 'twerked'. It was an interesting 40 minutes or so.
Just over the way to the NME/Radio 1 stage, where American girl trio HAIM were the main attraction, bringing their guitar-laden hooks to the masses. They played favourites like, 'Forever', 'Falling' and new single, 'The Wire', all from their much-anticipated debut album. One of the best things about HAIM is Este, their bassist. The older sister likes to have coarse, blunt banter with crowds during gigs and is famed for her 'bassface'. You can watch her facial expressions for 45 minutes and be easily entertained.
Overall, their performance was better than expected and I left happy, as did many others who had squeezed into the tent.
I took a bit of a wander around the Arena site afterwards, taking note of the wide variety of stalls, grabbing a few ponchos for the oncoming storm and taking in some pizza (note: this was at a time when you could actually SIT on the ground and not get covered in mud…)
Then it was time for the sub-headliners, Nine Inch Nails, almost a cult band, such is their feverent support. Being a few rows from the front barrier, I couldn't tell the size of the crowd at the time, but having seen so afterwards, it wasn't very busy, but then that should be expected given Trent Reznor and his merry band have never been notable to a mainstream audience.
NIN were good. They missed out a couple of hits, like 'Closer' and 'Hurt', but if a newcomer like me could get into it, I'm sure the hardcore fans were ecstatic with their 80 minute set. Reznor is a tense, serious stage presence and if memory serves me right, he didn't interact with the crowd one bit. At the time I didn't question this, but afterwards it turns out he put out tweets suggesting he was 'lied to' by R&L boss Melvin Benn, which Benn himself has since said is a lie.
It's all very confusing but what we are led to believe is that Reznor was promised a more extravagent stage show than the one he got, as headliners Biffy Clyro would've had stage priority, it resulted in a bank of lights instead, still impressive but not the full NIN experience.
There were probably the perfect set-up for what was a definitive headlining performance, from Biffy-motherf***ing-Clyro, as they were known for the evening.
Some doubted they had it in them to headline a major UK festival, but they delivered in spades, with a strong set packed full of their more recent mainstream hits, with a few golden oldies squeezed in for long-time supporters. Simon Neil, lead singer, was very appreciative of the crowd, telling them, '"It all goes downhill from here…I'm only joking"'. Their 'banter' was limited, but the shirtless trio let their epic music do the talking, which really got the crowd going too.
Lasers, fireworks, smashed up guitars, sing-a-longs, a massive tree prop, mental mosh pits; the show had it all, and despite the swirling wind and rain it was a fantastic way to close the first night of Leeds 2013.
Saturday came and the site's landscape had changed drastically. Rain had come in a big way, with heavy rain in the night, turning the lush green grass into a mudbath. Wellies were a necessity, as were ponchos, it was 'proper' UK festival weather.
As a result of the poor conditions, I was stationed in the NME Tent for a good few hours and was lucky to see what I saw!
Fatigue seemed to have set in during the first half of Deap Vally's set. At the 20 minute stage, drummer Julie Edwards instructed the crowd to wake up and have fun, reminding them they were at a festival! They promptly did so and the atmosphere was quite good afterwards, shame the music wasn't quite as good. I sort of like Deap Vally, but their music is too samey for my tastes, I liked their energy during the gig though, they played at such a frenetic pace I'm surprised they managed 2 shows in 2 days!
Next up were fellow Americans Fidlar. A little heard of band, but an excellent band, one of my finds of the festival. They played a clutch of quick, simple songs that relied on great riffs and lead singer Zac Carper's hyper vocals. I was reminded of a very low-fi Nirvana, if you want to see for yourself I recommend you check out 'Cheap Beer', the slogan that adorned their merch and the song that really had the crowd going wild.
I suspect that the crowd was boosted because of the next act. Brummie stars Peace, were as flamboyant as predicted, lead singer Henry Koisser striding out in a leopard print jacket and hat to a loving audience. Tracks 'Follow Baby', and 'Lovesick'', got the best responses and saw the band at their most confident. Sure the live set isn't yet perfect, some of their songs weren't the most interesting in a a live arena, but they are getting there as one of a few bands that could really kickstart the era of the British guitar band.
After a bit of Peace, I ventured into the now spitting rain to find some fresh music. It was the Rock Stage that I found it, with The Computers part way through their set. Instantly I thought I'd been transported back to the 1950s as they were all dressed in slick suits, with even more slicked back hair. Their tunes matched the image, and were a breath of fresh air. Sure the lead singer's attempts at telling a story inbetween songs were a bit manufactured, as were his off-stage antics which saw him join a wet, muddy mosh pit. But it was pure fun, reminding me of The Hives' eccentric set from 2012, in a good way!
Then, then it was Major Lazer time. Now I didn't know what to expect, a pure DJ set?
Headliner time had come, and the pop-punk of Green Day was blasted from the Main Stage. Now I was a fair distance back, and wasn't massively impressed with the size or energy of the crowd, but to be fair, it was constantly raining, muddy as anything and the band were just okay, nothing more, on reflection. Billie Joe Armstrong annoyed me, with his political speeches and subtle nuances. However, I did enjoy songs off 'American Idiot', which I loved at the time of release, with their comprehensive playing in full of 1994 album Dookie, released the year of my birth, missing the mark for me, but not for the legions of loyal fans down the front.
Come Sunday, the thousands of campers were weary and out on their feet, but ready for a fantastic days's entertainmen The site was still a swampy mudbath, but with forecasts of clear skies and sun, it was looking promising for the final day of the festival.
Similarly to Saturday, I spent a good couple of hours in the same place on Sunday, this time the Festival Republic Tent, a place full of new talent waiting to be discovered. I saw Drenge and Swim Deep, back to back. Both were good in moderation, with outstanding songs, like 'Honey', 'The Sea' and 'She Changes the Weather', from the latter Brummies. Crowds were pretty decent too, with plenty of shoulder-riding and singing going on for the latter. Drenge were slightly more subdued, as the duo rattled through some awesome sounding music, but I'm not entirely sure whether they fit the tone of the stage.
Then it was time to check up on another NME darling, Palma Violets, a group who I was undecided on, their first album deceiving me at times. However, their blistering live set had people jumping around and going crazy. They are energetic, cocky and funny, all great features for a band to have. 'Best of Friends', was the highlight, a song that evokes the spirit of the Libertines when they were in their prime. With a couple of albums under their belt, I can see the southerners living up to the aforementioned hype, they look like they believe it too!
With that brief foray to the NME tent, it was off to the Main Stage for the remainder of my 2013 festival. White Lies were 4th from the top of the bill, but didn't really live up to expectations. For a start, I wasn't the biggest fan, I think a lot of their material sounds very 'samey', which was true of the performance, a performance hampered by sound problems and a pretty uninterested crowd, most of whom were hanging around for Chase & Status and Eminem later on that evening. Their early hits, 'Fairwell to the Fairground', and 'Death', were nice, but the longer it went on, the longer it felt they were 'going through the motions'.
Up next were Foals, again a band I was wary of. I like a lot of their songs, but had never been impressed by their live performances I'd caught on TV. However, they were great fun, energetic and had some good banter with the crowd, lead singer Yannis ending up in the crowd by the end of their set. Before that though, songs like 'Spanish Sahara' and 'My Number', showed the variation in their song-craft, going from the deep, building tunes to a catchy pop number. The boss of the festival Melvin Benn has since claimed they could headline the festival, which I think was a slight over-exaggeration, although he said the same about the next act, something which may be true…
Chase & Status, an incredible act and a perfect appetizer for what was to come. Their set up saw the duo positioned behind a 'C' and 'S' DJ booth each, with MC Rage effectively the ringmaster of proceedings, dragging out the likes of Liam Bailey as guest vocalists, with Plan B and Delilah projected onto a humongous video screen above their heads. It was impressive to see such a stage show, especially given the problems Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails had.
When tracks like 'No Problem', 'Let You Go' and 'Hypest Hype', dropped, the crowd went nuts for it, descending into mosh pits and general dancing. It was amazing to see, and one of the loudest, best atmospheres of the festival I had witnesses (more of which later). It was strange, given all I'd heard and read online prior to the festival was that their booking was a poor one, not in-keeping with the tradition of the festival. Sure, that may be correct, but why not move with the times, book popular acts who DO have crossover with the rock, alternative and indie music scene (you'd have been surprised just how many 'metalheads' were enjoying themselves to C&S). I don't see it as an issue, especially as it helps to keep the festival going, something which the next act definitely helped with.
The rap legend that is Eminem graced the stage for his second headline set, amongst a bunch of questions and fears. I got talking to people around me beforehand and whilst everyone was excited, noone knew what to expect! Old material, new material- a mixture of both? Would he mime? Well whilst that wasn't really clarified (although personally I think he relied on backing track the odd time, but was at his best and actually rapping for the majority of the set), one thing was clear; Eminem was back.
Whilst a lot of the first half of the set was his newer material, from 'Recovery' and 'Relapse', it was bearable in a live environment. This was partly due to the live band AND DJ he had accompanying him, aswell as the buzzing crowd, still excited from C&S who were devouring his hit-packed set.
My favourite moment of the festival came with the 3 minute medley of older songs, that was, 'My Name Is/The Real Slim Shady/Without Me'. For 3 minutes I was a child again, and it was amazing! As was the special guest for 'Stan', Dido herself. Both of those moments were special and brought much acclaim from the audience. Then a one-song encore came about a great rendition of the intense, 'Lose Yourself', before Em headed off for good. It may have been a fairly brisk, 25 song, 100 minute set, but god was it good. And that was Leeds Fest 2013, done just like that!
So, to round it all off, Leeds 2013 was fantastic, perhaps as an overall experience outing 2012's edition, Foo Fighters and all! We saw the newly anointed Biffy Clyro become the rock gods they were destined to be, a return for the veterans of pop-punk, Green Day and Eminem finish it all off with a blistering display of a hip-hop gig. Other personal highlights were the likes of HAIM and Peace on the NME stage, Chase & Status killing the Main Stage, Major Lazer bringing the party to the tent, aswell as echoes of the Libertines, with Palma Violets giving a confident, humourous performance.
It may have been muddy, it may have been soaking wet; but Leeds Festival 2013 was bloody good!
Leeds Festival 2013 was brought to a glorious end with the triumphant return of Eminem.
The rapper, real name Marshall Mathers, brought along a live band and a couple of guest stars to liven up proceedings, as the festival revellers battled the boggy mud onsite.
In his first appearance at the festival since 2001, Mathers was majestic, spitting his way through a clutch of new songs, 'Survival' and new-ish tune, '3am'.
Whilst the bulk of his set was made up of his post-'Recovery' songs, we finally saw a little bit more of the old Em.
First, Dido was wheeled out to take part in 'Stan', a number one single back in the day! This before an excellent medleythat consisted of, 'My Name Is/The Real Slim Shady/Without Me'.
By this point, the Main Stage was pumping, as the crowd were singing their tired souls out, jumping around and raising their cigarette lighters, to the aptly titled, 'Lighters'.
A recent hit, 'Not Afraid', followed to great acclaim before Eminem departed, leaving his epic band to play him out.
He then quickly reappeared for one last blast of, 'Lose Yourself'.
Throughout the gig, Mathers seemed relaxed and happy in his space, not often the case given his troubled past. With claims of miming hanging over him, he seemingly blasted away any claims with his storming set that attracted the biggest crowd I saw throughout the weekend, and cheered the mood of some muddy revellers.
Eminem; the best act of Leeds Festival 2013? Maybe, just maybe!
For the second consecutive evening, American punk-rock trio Green Day took to the stage, to headline the Reading & Leeds Festival.
It all began with a mysterious pink bunny striding across the stage to 'Blitzrieg Bop', by the Ramones, a surreal, but inviting image as the bunny hyped up the crowd for the main attraction of the day.
Lead vocalist and guitarist, Billie Joe Armstrong seemed to be in fine health, remarkable considering his admission to rehab just last September. He was frequently involving the crowd in an 'EYYY OHHH' chant, that personally grated after a few songs but the crowd seemed to get into it.
The theatrics didn't end there though. A fan was brought up on stage to finish off the chorus to 'Know Your Enemy', t-shirt cannons were produced by Armstrong after a short break, both highlights in what turned out to be a two and a half hour set.
Armstrong was also the ringleader of everything, from telling Leeds they were 'much louder than Reading', to earning his fellow bandmates spontaneous cheers, to starting off some Bono-esque rants against the 'system', which was a little bit tiresome if I'm completley honest and sort of took you 'out' of the gig.
Back to the music and with 30+ songs, the band spanned their history, playing 1994 album, 'Dookie', in full, wih a good few songs from the recent triple album, '¡Uno! ¡Dos! ¡Tre!', and 'American Idiot', the rock-opera that thrust them back into the limelight back in the mid-2000's.
They eventually ended the bonanza with a string of hits from their past with the likes of, 'American Idiot, 'Jesus of Suburbia' and 'Good Riddance (Time of Your Life', the last one seeing Armstrong on his own with an acoustic guitar, a fitting end to a strong set, overall R&L got a pretty good UK festival exclusive!
Rockers Biffy Clyro closed the first day of Leeds Festival 2013 with a barrage of wind, rain and fire hitting the masses at the Main Stage.
The topless Scottish trio delved into their back catalogue of classics aswell as the recent hits which alerted the mainstream to their presence in their first major UK festival headline slot.
Crowd favourites, ‘Black Chandelier’, ‘Mountains’ and ‘Many of Horror’, were all given outings as it celebrated everything Biffy were and have become over their remarkable career.
Lead singer Simon Neil, seemed in awe of the occasion, constantly thanking the huge crowd and pointing out this was his band’s 7th appearance at the Reading & Leeds festivals.
Their success hasn’t been overnight then, but a career has been carved from the band’s post-hardcore roots and transformed into the lean, mean stadium rock outfit they are today, be that for better or worse.
The crowd certainly thought better; singing along the words to every song, participating frequently in circle pits, and generally having a great time with the first headliner of the weekend.
Neil and his band played their part too, with an elaborate stage presence. A gigantic sheet covered the main stage, before being dropped to reveal the band’s silhouettes in dramatic fashion.
It was a great way to kick off the show and with lasers, a prop of the artwork to latest album, ‘Opposites’, streamers and fireworks to top it off, Biff brought the party to Leeds.
With spontaneous bursts of pyrotechnics exploding from the top of the stage, combined with the swirling wet weather, conditions were perfect for a memorable debut headliner performance from the one, the only: Biffy Clyro.
