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Festival Coverage: Leeds Festival - Saturday

While I might consider myself something of a  Festival veteran these days, arriving halfway through the weekend is something I’d never done before. Unfortunately, work commitments meant that this year we don’t arrive on site until early Saturday afternoon, a move which has both pros, and cons.

While turning up looking and feeling fresher than the hardcore contingent that have been camped since Wednesday has its pluses, it also means that this year we miss the likes of Liam Gallagher and Muse, whose respective sets were mentioned over the weekend with nothing but reverence.

Entering the arena for the first time this year, it’s instantly obvious that the atmosphere on the Main Stage for indie-poppers Two Door Cinema Club has been boosted tenfold by the weather, and the band’s bright and breezy indie anthems are lapped up by a baying audience. We make our way over to the BBC Introducing stage for Leeds locals The Golden Age Of TV, whose upbeat art-pop is yet another perfect accompaniment to the weather. Having come a long way in a short space of time, the band’s latest single ‘Television’ only feels like the tip of the iceberg, and you can expect much more from them soon.

Unsurprisingly, Bastille’s return to the Main Stage following their 2015 appearance is met with a rapturous response from a distinctly younger audience and as the sun starts to dip and the band belt out the likes of ‘The Things We Lost in The Fire’ and ‘Pompeii’, flairs are lit and more than a few people seem physically moved.

Elsewhere, Cigarettes After Sex offer an atmospheric and more laid back alternative on The Festival Republic Stage, though one can’t help but feel their overtly chilled ambient indie would be better suited to an earlier slot than the one they find themselves in. That said, the band make for an interesting discovery, and one we recommend checking out.

Back on the Main Stage, Kasabian hit the stage to a riotous response, opening with ‘Ill Ray (The King)’ there’s bucket hats aplenty and more than a few flairs considering their banned nature at the festival, it all adds to the atmosphere however.

Concurrently, You Me At Six followed up last year’s not-so-secret set with a blistering statement of a headline on the NME/Radio One Stage. 15 tracks filled that span the entirety of the band’s career, it’s performances like this that inspire the massive devotion their fans shower on them. Tracks such as ‘Loverboy’ and ‘Stay With Me’ are met with huge singalongs, while ‘Save It for the Bedroom’ is almost deafening in its crowd participation. And as huge jets of flame erupt from the stage, it’s abundantly clear that You Me At Six have come a long way from their be-fringed pop-punk beginnings and are fully deserving are the arena-filling realms they now inhabit. True modern day rock stars.

Back at the Main Stage, Kasabian close with an impassioned outing of ‘Fire’, and while the crowd loses its collective shit, it becomes increasingly clear that they’re a band I just won’t ever seem to ‘get’ and though they’re one of the biggest names in British music in recent years, I can’t help but ask myself, why?

Festival Preview: Leeds Festival 2017

Though the UK plays host to countless music festivals every year, some short lived, others more established, Leeds Festival stands head and shoulders above the majority, not just in size, but in scope as well, curating line-ups that feature some of the biggest names in alternative music alongside those from the more mainstream end of the spectrum.

Thanks to a slight shift away from its more alternative beginnings, Leeds has been able to retain its relevance when so many other festivals have failed, evolving its line-ups in tandem with the ever-evolving tastes of its attendees. And while that might have meant a scaling down for stages such as The Lock Up, it’s also seen the introduction of further, more specialist stages, allowing for an even more diverse line-up in recent years.

This year proves no exception. With what is arguably the festival’s most eclectic line-up to date, next week will see the likes of Giggs take to the Main Stage, sandwiched in between Architects and Blossoms, while over on the NME/Radio 1 Stage You Me At Six follow R&B star Tory Lanez. And though it seems that the genre distinctions between stages are becoming less important these days, this has seen the sense of community found in the festival’s campsites flowing in to the arena more freely, as punk kids rub shoulders with house heads, and metalheads mix with grime fans.

It’s this feeling of eclecticism that keeps the punters returning from Bramham Park year after year, much like many people’s annual pilgrimage to Glastonbury, only distinctly more Northern. Of course, while many see Glastonbury as the pinnacle of the UK festival calendar, Reading and Leeds are themselves rites of passage, with everyone remembering, at least parts, of their first one. And though the site and style of the festival has evolved dramatically over its lifespan, it’s still one of the strongest festivals around.

Below are the top five acts we’ll be catching this year:

Cassia

A guaranteed way to inject some sunshine in to your Sunday, no matter whatever the weather, the Macclesfield three piece will be hitting the BBC Introducing Stage following on from there inclusion as artist of the week. Expect calypso melodies and massive singalongs from a band you’ll be seeing much more of before too long. 

Bear’s Den

Having watched Bear’s Den progress since their inception in 2012, it’s clear the band have gone from strength to strength over the past few years, with the departure of founding member Joey Haynes only strengthening their resolve. Headlining the Festival Republic Stage on Saturday evening, huge swells of instrumentation will backbone the band’s heartfelt lyricism, not a set to miss.

At The Drive-In

A band who barely need an introduction, At The Drive-In are post-hardcore legends, and a turbulent history of break-ups and reunions, as well as a revolving cast of members, means there’s every chance this could be the last time we can see them on stage. They play the Main Stage on Sunday afternoon and you guarantee their set will blow away any lingering cobwebs.

Jimmy Eat World

Playing the Main Stage on Saturday afternoon, Jimmy Eat World are Leeds Festival favourites, having appeared four or five times over its history. Offering up a set of rousing emo anthems, their combination of midwestern indie and polished production are the perfect afternoon accompaniment and are a definite must see.

Eminem

Back at Bramham Park for what will be his third appearance at the festival, Eminem last headlined back in 2015, in which a mammoth set of almost 30 of his most well-known tracks saw a special appearance by Dido on ‘Stan’, suggesting that this year he’s bound to have some surprises in store. Closing out the Main Stage once again on the Sunday night, it’s going to be the last of a string of highlight performances across the weekend. 

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