Liberty gives her verdict on Saturday's events at this years Leeds Festival.
Last year I missed Leeds Festival for the first time since 2004, so I’m easing myself and my wallet back into it with a day ticket. After having a quick look at the schedule, I (stupidly) decide to forego all the new music on offer, instead playing it safe at the main stage all day where bands such as Limp Bizkit, Weezer and Blink-182 are playing.
The first act I see are Californian rock band Thrice. I love Thrice, and can’t help feel a little disappointed when they don’t play any of their catchier tunes, concentrating instead on more mellow material from their latest album. Thrice are underrated, and this could have been an opportunity for them to win over new fans, but people probably went away thinking they were a bit boring.
Just as Thrice leave, the pit is flooded with excitable teenage girls with “ATL” written in eyeliner on their cheeks; it must be time for All Time Low to take to the stage. Their songs are bland and the highlight of their set for me is the banter – they ask who’d like to have some private time on the ferris wheel with them later (answer: every girl in the place). The band seem to function mainly as an outlet for front-man Alex Gaskarth’s ego, but they really get the crowd going and set the stage for You Me at Six, who attract an even larger audience. I’ve seen YMAS live a few times and they’ve finally perfected their live show, playing a set that balances their better known songs with album tracks, prompting mass sing-a-longs and building on the excitement that All Time Low started.
Limp Bizkit’s set is packed full of hits, giving me a chance to break out the dance to Rollin’ – which gets some pretty odd looks – and they finish with a rendition of George Michael’s 'Faith'. A massive crowd forms around the stage for Limp Bizkit, promptly disbanding once Cypress Hill comes on – I don’t realise they’ve started until their set is almost finished and am left unsure why they were so high up the bill.
Weezer play the most fun set of the day, giving us something to sing along to. They play all their best known songs along with a cover of 'Teenage Dirtbag' and segue into 'Poker Face' during 'Kids' by MGMT – Rivers Cuomo even dons a blonde wig for the occasion. The set gets increasingly boisterous, and by the end, Cuomo mounts the fence by the side of the stage and drops into the crowd to be chased (still singing Buddy Holly!) by both security and fans. After all the excitement of Weezer, Paramore are something of a disappointment – they come on about 20 minutes late and leave 10 minutes early with no explanation, only playing half of their allocated slot. Their sound is terrible – you can barely hear Hayley William’s vocals due to a dodgy wireless mic, and their set is lacklustre – comprising mainly of filler songs from their newest album.
Blink-182’s chart friendly pop-punk may not appeal to musical purists, but I’ve loved the band since my early teens, and was devastated when they broke up before I had a chance to see them live. As they open with 'Dumpweed', I feel an overwhelming sense of excitement. Admittedly, masturbation jokes and toilet humour aren’t as funny when you’re in your twenties and the guys making them are pushing forty, but I love it for the sake of nostalgia. What are Blink about if not forgetting your age and dignity so you can dance around like a lunatic anyway? I stop thinking about the fact that I didn’t like the food or the toilets, I’ve been standing out in the cold for hours feeling ancient next to All Time Low’s fans and had to sit down during Limp Bizkit because my back hurt (yes, really), and concentrate fully on enjoying myself. The rest of the crowd are just as receptive as me, screaming the lyrics at the top of their lungs. The band are clearly enjoying themselves quipping and poking fun at one another between songs and I naively start to think that perhaps they got back together for more than just the money.
The atmosphere today, during Blink-182 and Weezer particularly, gave me renewed enthusiasm for Leeds Festival and I will definitely be returning in 2011 – I may even venture away from the main stage next time. Just don’t ask me to use the showers; I’ll be going home for that.
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