Reviewed on Sep 23, 2007 by xleex

This was the first time I'd been to Leeds Festival since 2002, when it was held at its old Temple Newsam site. I was looking forward to the weekend ahead as it was chance to finally get to see some bands that i've not seen before, and catch some great bands that I love, and hoping to be suprised by a few too.

Friday:
Heading over to the main stage were greated by a sizeable crowd. Billy Talent are currently entertaining the gathered masses with their brand of melodic punk, they play a nice tight set, which seems to go down well with the fans.
Soon afterwards were in the Lock up stage, awaiting the Cancer Bats, but we arrive just in time to catch the end of The Casualties set, the play fast paced street punk not to far away from bands like The Unseen. They have the look and the attitude. the crowd is full of mo-hawks with fists aloft and chanting back the words. If your into street punk i'd say these guy's are a must to check out.
Its then time for Cancer Bats to take to the stage, Their debut 'Birthing the Giant' has gone down well with in the hardore community. They've already toured with like's of Gallows, The Bronx, and Rise Against. Now its their time to be unleashed on the UK festival crowd, They rip through the set which features tracks like French Immersion, Butterscotch, and Crowd pleaser 100 Grand Canyon. They switch from fast paced hardcore to having metal riffs Zakk Wylde would be proud of.
The its back over to the main stage to catch Welsh starlets Funeral For a Friend. The rate this band have grown in popularity over the years is phenomenal, as they flow through the set, in lovely matching yellow Leeds festival t-shirts, i can't help be impressed. It even has others wondering why they had doubted the band in the past.
Next up is Fall Out Boy, on record i rate the band, i can't help but enjoy there cheerful pop punk, but i was wondering if all the hype was justifed and could they cut it live. They most certainly drew the biggest crowd of the day. The set is filled with classic such as Sugar We're Going Down, Saturday, and also guest vocals from Travis "Schleprok" McCoy from Gym Class Hero's on one of their countless latest singles. They also drop in covers of Micheal Jacksons 'Bad' and to my delight a brief cover of Huey Lewis and the News 'Power of Love'. The crowd is hooked on to every word and command that come out of Patrick Stump and Pete Wentz mouth.
If Wasting afternoons in the sun while listening to pop fuelled punk , the Fall Out Boy are definitely the band to do it to.
From Autumn To Ashes haven't had it easy in recent times, considering all their recent problems and line up changes the band remain positive. Ex sticksman/backing vocalist Francis Mark seems to have been thrust in to the spotlight. The preformance that he gives is a good one, he switches from screeching vocals to serenading melodies the band around him play with passion. It will be interesting what happens to FATA, hopefully they can pull through and start to record great albums once more.
A lot has been said about the next band to grace the stage. they've been labeled sell-outs, had their collective morals questioned, and most likely be turned on by the majority of 'Scenesters' out there. It can only be Against Me, to me signing to a major isn't a problem, i'll be honest it would be great if they were still playing basement shows and on no idea, but at the end of the day i'm happy that such a great band can carry on making great records and get the success they are due. they set is mainly comprised of tracks of latest offering 'New Wave', Tracks like Stop, New Wave and Americans Abroad sound fantastic, also dropping in Pints of Guinness make you Strong and my personal favourite Sink Florida Sink, sound as strong and as vibrant as when i first heard them. i don't think the bands morals can be questioned at all they still infuse their lyrics with political and personal beliefs. The only problem is continuing problems with Tom's Guitar, which can be seen to be bothering him through out the set, lesser bands would have given up and walked away but Against Me are a band that don't quit and will carry one through anything, here's looking forward to more classic albums from the band, no matter what label they are on.
The next set was one that i was looking forward to the most over the weekend,having missed out on seeing them countless times i finally got to see Gallows, and where do i start..... The atmosphere and antisipation fot this band is immense. I've never seen a band give so much commitment in to one preformance, they throw so much venom into the opening track. As the shred through a set that is compossed mainly of debut 'Orchestra Of Wolves' they play with with such passion and they believe in everything they do. There's not part of the stage that isn't covered by the band as they throw them selves around, and even has Frank climbing the PA stacks, they had the crowd in the palm of the hands as soon as they walked on stage, and from then one could not put a foot wrong. I think this band is this generations answer to bands like Minor Threat and Black Flag, these are big words i know but they carry themselves with the same grit and fuck you attitude that made the previous band renowned. This will be one set that everyone will have claimed to see in years to come.
After a well earned rest we head to the main stage to catch a bit of headling act Smashing Pumpkins, They play a great rendition of 1979,its seems to be accoustic but i can't quite tell, and also a great ambient track with swirling guitars, a great atmosphere fro been sat on a hill and eating vegan soup.
We then Head back to the Lock up stage for its headliners and what better way to end an amazing day than with New Found Glory, with their set covering that covers their back catalogue. These are one of the best live bands i've seen. they way the are able to play such up beat anthems with suck a dark lyrical under lining. Tracks like 'Forget My Name' are stand out. Also a cover of 'Kiss Me' which is set to be released on 'From your Screen to your Stereo 2' a great way to end the night.

Saturday:
The Grit opens up the 2nd day, sadly only caught the last song but it had nice double bass edge with some good rockabilly.
The king Blues are next on the agenda, these have to be Londons finest Anrcho punks, but with a difference they fuse reggage,ska,dub, and a'cappella. Their not even a quater way through their set and they already calling for shouts of the racsit 'politcal' party the BNP to Fuck OFF, which is greated with a mass round of applause and cheering, staments like this sum up the band completly, they are not afraid to hide their political views and wear them proud on their slevees, the song and lyrical content are honed to a point of brillance like stand out track 'Come Fi Di Youth'. They call for the crowd to rise up, take back and make the world their own. they hold no punches and don't don't care who they infuriate, be it scum like the BNP,Capitalist organizations or political regiemes. its great to see bands like The King Blues and Gallows to prove the Uk music scene is still alive an vibrant as ever.
We the head over to catch Goggel Bordello, they are entertaining the masses with their own brand of 'Gypse' punk a label they seem to have been landed with. They fuse punk and disco beats with the sound of traditional eastern European folk music, a blend that works exceptionally well. It is understandable why so many people have been drawn to them.
Once again we head back to the lock up stage, this time for The Draft. It must be hard to have members from what was such an inspirational band like Hot Water Music. But with an amazing debut and countless tours under their belts, The Draft have been able to take what Hot Water Music did and take it further. keeping with a similar direction to HWM but with more of a cleaner edge to some songs and a more rock n roll essence in some.
As we head over to the carling stage via the main stage we catch a brief section of The Gossip's set, their disco indie can't help but get for foot tapping, it's easy to see why they've gathered such a following so quickly.
We make it to the carling stage to catch ex Million dead Front man, Frank Turner who is now paving his way as a solo artist. The tent is filled to near capacity, the songs he's crafted still keep with his old works and are filled with personal experience and political values. The crowd sing and clap in unison with every song while Frank leads the choir.He is soon to embark on a solo tour ex Far frontman Jonah, i can easily see each date been sold out if todays anything to go by.
The Bronx are next to ripup the Lockup stage, they come exploding out of the traps with the same ferocity that the have been doing nearly every other night for the last 2 years. Its also a common sight to see Vocalist Matt start the song 'Heart Attack America'. The band are set to play Black Flag in an upcoming biopic of The Germs,with the proformances they have put in night in and night out and with the spirt theyput into every show, they are a perfect match.
We're then entertained by Mad Caddies, there's a large crowd gathered for their melow ska, there's a huge reaction when they take to the stage, and plenty of of crowd interaction through out the first song. And an even hugher repsonse to second track 'Road Rash', people are still running past me whilether opening bars of the 3rd song start up. The Band have good stage pressence and are tight, but i don't find them that entertaing. They are band i can either take or leave, there's notmuch to excite me through the set, But none the less they do play a good set.
Venturing over to the NME/Radio 1 stage for the first time this weekend we go to catch Brand New, I remeber when this band first broke out in the summer of Drive Thru Records with bands like The starting Line, Home Grown and the like. I would have thought the Lock Up stage would be more suitable setting, The biggest suprise to me is how full the tent is, and the response they get when they walk on stage is over whelming. The new songs are alot more melodic and mature than earlier offerings. Jesse Lacey vocals are full of dark and emotional tragedy, Jesse Lacey preforms each song with passion and conviction, he flairs and wails through tracks like 'Sic Transit Gloria.. Gloria Fades' and 'Okay I Believe You,But My Tommy Gun Don't'. It's not often that the band and crowd become one in a tent this size, but they crowd are almost drowning out the noise made by the band as they sing back. They were once labelled with the likes of Taking Back Sunday but they have suppased the lable of just another emo band. They have grown into their own neice very well over the years, and seem to have the similar following and dedication from fans.

Sunday:
Its the Final day of the festival at over on the main stage Paromore get the proceddings under way, plenty of people have woke up early to catch them. Paromore are very much a band of the momment, they kick things off with latest hit 'Misery Buisness', they get a good reception as the crowd sing along, front woman Hayley Williams voice sounds great considering they just finished the Warped tour in the US. Following on with 'Emergency' the crowd clap along, I can see the band appealing to a strong contingent of the crowd gathered with their radio friendly pop soaked emo. The band use the stage well and Hyley commands the audiance well, encouaging them to dance and clap along, half way through one song they break in at an improptu At The Drive In Cover, they encouage the crowdto shout 'RIOT' in unison as loud as they can before launching into the opening track from the album of the same name. I can see the band playing to bigger auidenaces when they next head back to the Uk to headline a tour of their own.
Over in the carling tent Kids In Glass Houses,are entertaining a large crowd, they play a generic emo thats not all that different from many of the other bands on offer at the momment. they are good at what they do but nothing that get's me that excited.
Back to the main stage and Angel and Airwaves have taken to the stage, this band is as far removed from Blink 182 as possible, the only link that seems to stick with the music Delonge wrote with Blink, would be the more serious Blink tracks like 'Stay together for the Kids'. The tracks that AVA have wrote have taken from that model and made them epic, and they take a more straight forward rock approach. Not to linger in the past... AVA play tracks mainly from their debut album and throw in a new one from their as of yet to be realsed second album, One that Delonge speaks very highly off. He is obviously very passionate about the new direction that he has taken musically, it has even had an effect on the way he presents himself on stage, he gives off the attitude that he dosn't care if you like the music the band have created he believes in it enough and thats what counts, it seems as though he's trying to distance himself from his past, and prove there's more to him than his past. The Band play well but i can't help but think that Delonge is slowly turning into the Bono for the pop punk generation, take from that what you will.
For me Biffy Clyro close the weekend events in the NME/RADIO 1 tent, it is filled to the rafters, they are welcomed with a raptous applause and chants of 'Biffy' ring out through the tent. every song they play is a crowd plaeser and gets a huge response the crowd sing and clap, they Biffy chants still ring through the tent between every song. from live preformances its understandable why this band get bigger and bigger with every release. They play a faultless set that covers a wide selcetion of there back catoluge.

This was the by far the best Leeds Festivali have been to in years, the bands that were on offer was a great and vaired range bands that i knew i would be impressed by and others that completly took me by suprise and blew me away like Brand New. It also proved that the Uk music scene is alive and vibrant with bands like Gallows,The KIng Blues and Biffy Clyro to name a few,

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Gig Reviews

Aug 24, 2007 Bramham Park - Leeds, UK