For many, the Tony Hawks Pro Skater soundtrack was their first real taste of alternative music, and whilst I was personally raised on the likes of Deep Purple and Alice Cooper from an early age, the light and breezy ska-punk of Goldfinger's 'Superman' or the brooding bassy rumbles of 'Police Truck' by Dead Kennedys appealed to me in such a way that punk, in all its guises, rapidly became my favourite genre. A little more than a year later, the second game in the series came out, and with it a host of new tracks, amongst them, 'May 16^th' by Lagwagon. It was a band I'd never heard of, but immediately loved fell in love with, restarting the game until it cycled through the tracks, and still to this day play the album it's taken from on the eponymous date in May.

It's with all that in mind, then, that I approach tonight's show with a kind of nostalgic giddiness brought about trough a cocktail of anticipation and Chinese lager. Before Lagwagon however, there's The Flatliners to attend to, a band who in no uncertain terms could easily pull a crowd at Club Academy themselves. As it stands the venue isn't full, but nor is the crowd fledgling and many, if t-shirts were an indicator of alliance, do seem to have turned out for the support. Whilst the sound is somewhat muddy, the energy and aggression with which the band conduct themselves is impressive, and it's easy to see why the band seem to inspire such dedication in their fans; many of which are front and centre, yelling back every lyric like it's their last. It's a set that's over all too soon, but despite their second-on-the-bill status (the opening slot falling to Western Addiction) they tear through their songs as if they were headlining, setting the bar high for Lagwagon shortly after by ending with fan-favourite 'Eulogy'.

A little sooner than anticipated actually, and it soon becomes apparent why. With a set list that takes in tracks from each of the band's eight albums, plus a light smattering of miscellany, the band know they obviously have a lot of catching up to do (2014's Hang being their first record in nine years), and though the aforementioned does make up the bulk of the set, the classics are thrown in with expert timing, and though the riff-laden newer inclusions fit perfectly with the more established tracks, it's the older favourites such as 'Violins' and 'Coffee and Cigarettes' which get the crowd of not quite ageing punks going.

Then it happens, the opening notes of 'May 16^th' ring out and the crowd lose its collective shit. Obviously it isn't just me that can base their entire taste of music on the soundtrack to a video game franchise. Had it been an awful rendition of the track, it wouldn't have nattered, but fortunately it's one of the evening's strongest tracks, made even more impressive given the fact that their hiatus shows no signs of having slowed them down.

With an encore comprised of 'Mr. Coffee', 'Sleep' and 'Razor Burn' they're quite clearly a band who refuse to be summed up by one track, and though all three songs provide a more than ample conclusion, personally I'd have been happy even without an encore, having finally heard live the track which opened up further doors, turning me on to a whole host of other skate punk bands in turn. As it happens though the three track encore proves perfect, and the buzz felt as the house lights flick on and we file towards the doors is one which doesn't subside until a couple of days after. 

Almost every city in the UK offers some sort of multi-venue festival over the course of the summer, and though they vary in size scope, all are pretty different from their rural counterparts. Taking place over the first weekend in May, Live at Leeds consistently offers up one of the most well rounded and contemporary line-ups on the festival circuit, with as much emphasis on homegrown talent, as there is on those from further afield. As a result of such a forward thinking ethos, this year's line-up sees Leeds' staples such as Hookworms and Menace Beach sharing stages with the likes Russia's Pinkshinyultrablast.

With such diversity on offer, and in keeping with true festival tradition, there's not much chance of seeing everyone you want to see, but it's almost certain that everyone you do see will be well worth the time and the travel between venues. With bands such as Dutch Uncles and We Were Promised Jetbacks bringing with them a host of new material, not to mention the multiplicity of smaller acts vying for a chance to make an impression on the inevitable A&R gang, you can be sure that as well as the established acts, there's always going to be something fresh and exciting happening somewhere.

Not pandering solely to those of an indie persuasion, Slaves, Rolo Tomassi and Eagulls will be there if the indie-pop of the likes of The Orielles becomes a little syrupy to handle, providing audiences with the post-punk and math-rock in all it's psychotic (Slaves) and grizzly (Eagulls) glory.

Kicking off proceedings on the Friday night however, are Pulled Apart By Horses supported by local lads Allusondrugs and Dinosaur Pile-Up. For those lucky enough to be there for the opening night, expact riffs and carnage in the highest order, there's a reason Allusondrugs are a buzz band at the moment and you'll definitely find out here.

Now in its eighth year, Live At Leeds continually brings together a plethora of acts in one of the UK's most exciting cities, with this year being no exception. And whilst their emphasis might be equally split between local acts, UK-based and international, there's definitely more emphasis on providing a spotlight to those acts on the up, and give them a platform that's crucial in keeping the UK's grass-roots scene alive. Long may it continue to do so.

More information and tickets to Live At Leeds can be found here.