LEEDS FESTIVAL 2017 - FRIDAY // BRAMHAM PARK, LEEDS
LEEDS FESTIVAL 2017 KICKS OFF WITH SETS FROM 'THE LAFTONATINES, 'QUEEN OF THE STAGE AGE, 'ARCHTIECTS, BLOSSOMS, LIAM GALLAGHER' AND HEADLINE SLOT FROM 'MUSE!'
MUSE HEADLINING LEEDS FESTIVAL 2017 - 25/08/2017
PICTURE BY: ANDY FORD - NME MAGAZINE
★★★★★
Leeds's annual and biggest music festival 'Leeds Festival' kicked off with a bang today, as music fans took to a sun-drenched Bramham Park to enjoy sets from some of the world's biggest acts. The first ever act to play the BBC Radio 1’s Xtra Stage at Leeds Festival was the Glasgow Veterans ‘The LaFontaines’ who played half hour set to nearly 100 people. Kerr Okan the lead singer and co displayed their unique sound filled with funky hooks, the five-pieced owned the stage showing just why they’re one of most exciting bands to come out of Scotland right now.
THE LAFONTAINES PERFORMING ON BBC RADIO 1 XTRA STAGE AT LEEDS FESTIVAL 2017 - 25/08/2017
PICTURE BY: CAMERON BRISBANE PHOTOGRAPHY
Over on the NME and Radio 1 Stage, festival goers were awaiting to find out who was playing the first secret set of the weekend at Leeds Festival. After rumours started to circulate earlier this week, Queen of the Stone Age confirmed the news this morning As word spread throughout the arena and campsite, the tent of the NME/Radio 1 Stage soon packed out with fans in the early afternoon, eagerly awaiting what for many would be their opening show of the weekend.
After mass sing-along to ‘Afternoon Delight’, QOTSA bound on stage to sound of Dean Martin’s ‘You’re Nobody ‘Til Somebody Loves You’ – before bursting into a run of tracks from new album ‘Villains’, which released this weekend, ahead of Leeds Festival.
QUEEN OF THE STONE AGE PERFORMING AT LEEDS FESTIVAL 2017 - 25/07/2017
PICTURE BY: ANDY FORD - NME MAGAZINE
With a rendition of ‘My God Is The Sun’, the crowd burst into life for the remainder of the short but fast-paced set largely leaned on new album tracks, as well as a handful of classic singles and fan favourites.
“It’s a fucking pleasure to be here,” said Homme. “I gotta tell you, no matter how sober you are, I’m already fucked up. This one’s for all the little sisters.”
At one point, Homme teased fans that ‘No One Knows’ was coming, but instead played ‘The Evil Has Landed’. A circle pit erupted regardless. “Can I tell you something?” he asked. “I fucking love you. Instead of saying it, I’ll just play it.” He then fulfilled his promise with the finale of ‘No One Knows’, inspiring a feral reaction from the crowd and marking the first major talking point of the weekend.
ARCHITECTS PERFORMING AT LEEDS FESTIVAL 2017 - 25/08/2017
PICTURE BY: ED MASON PHOTOGRAPHY
Next up over on the Main-Stage are the British metal-core band from Brighton ‘Architects’ who took the main stage by storm. The band who recently decided to stay on as band after losing their lead guitarist and keyboardist due to cancer earlier this year. The band are keeping ‘Tom Searle’ name going and making the band stronger than ever.
The atmosphere of the crowd at Leeds Festival for Architects was ecstatic, every festival goer in the crowd was singing along to every lyric, moshing and dancing along not one person was standing still in crowd, especially when the band first came on stage performing their number ‘Nihilist’ then straight into ‘These Colours Don’t Run’.
The set lasted forty-minutes included some of their hit singles and new numbers such as ‘Naysayer’ and ‘Gravity’. The band ended with ‘Gone With the Wind’ which they dedicated to Tom Searle before leaving the stage leaving the crowd in ecstatic atmosphere.
GIGGS PERFORMING AT LEEDS FESTIVAL 2017 - 25/08/2017
PICTURE BY: MATT EACHUS
Looking back on Friday afternoon at this year’s Leeds Festival there was one thing which showed festival goers which is that long awaited headline spot from a home-grown grime hero is well over-due. You only need look at Giggs’ massive Friday afternoon set and even bigger crowd for proof. The crowd’s energy for Giggs set on Friday afternoon with the sunshine was crazy. Every single person in crowd was up for Giggs. It was also great way to build up hype for Eminem who was headlining Sunday on Main Stage as well. Giggs stormed the stage coming on to perform Kano cover '3-Wheels-up' then onto singles such as 'Lock Doh' and closing with 'Whippin Excursion'.
BLOSSOMS PERFORMING AT LEEDS FESTIVAL 2017 - 25/08/2017
PICTURE BY: BEN BENTLEY
Blossoms were next up on Main Stage, the band played one of their biggest shows to date at this year’s Leeds Festival. Their set delivered a triumphant set at Leeds Festival and saw them covering both John Lennon and Liam Gallagher.
Only moments before playing likes of ‘Cut Me and I’ll Belled’, frontman Tom Ogden began an impromptu rendition of John Lennon’s ‘Imagine’, which promoted a brief singalong from entire Leeds Festival crowd. But an even bigger reaction was reserved for The Smiths, with Ogden inciting a deafening call from the crowd as he offered the chorus from ‘There Is A Light That Never Goes Out’.
The set also took a tender turn as Ogden stopped to reflect on failed romances before performing ‘My Favourite Room’, as he asked the Leeds crowd if they’d recently been dumped. The affirmative response came from a fan called Phoebe, with Ogden then taking the opportunity to unexpectedly transform himself into a musical agony uncle after the fan revealed how she’d been dumped by boyfriend Danny.
And as the set drew to a close with breakout hit ‘Charlemagne’, the Stockport band took a moment to reflect on the sheer scale of the occasion – playing two places from the top of the bill, and only one before Liam Gallagher.
“We played the Festival Republic Stage two years ago”, Ogden said. “To play here on the main stage is quite mad for us”.
LIAM GALLAGHER PERFORMING AT LEEDS FESTIVAL 2017 - 25/08/2017
PICTURE BY: BEN BENTLEY
As Day One was started come to a close, there was two acts left to play on Main Stage, Oasis front-man ‘Liam Gallagher’ was next to take to the stage. Liam Gallagher delivered a thunderous set at Leeds Festival this year, which saw him cover Oasis classics and very nearly threaten to steal every inch of glory from this year’s Friday headliners at Leeds Festival ‘Muse’.
Despite taking second billing on the main stage, the ex-Oasis man treated the performance like a headline occasion as he mixed songs from his new solo album with those of his most famous band.
Opening songs don’t come much better than ‘Rock and Roll Star’, and tonight it proved the perfect choice as LG began by reminding fans of how he initially went about cementing his status as a rock icon. It’s an immediate throwback vibe that continues straight away with ‘What’s The Story Morning Glory’, which results in the flare-igniting glory that Oasis effortlessly achieved at their very peak. But from herein, it’s a performance that looks at Liam in the now, with recent single ‘Wall of Glass’ received by the crowd like an old friend.
It’s a similar story as he performs ‘For What It’s Worth’, which prompted the kind of lighters-in-the-air singalong that he hasn’t received since ‘Don’t Look Back In Anger’ was first released more than 20 years ago.
That said, there’s still time for a huge rendition of Oasis’ ‘D’you Know What I Mean’, and a performance of ‘Slide Away’ that receives the warmest reaction of the night.
And as the set draws to an end, there’s only one way he can possibly end it. “You’ve come all this way and I’ve come all this way”, a triumphant Liam tells the crowd. “I’m gonna do that Wonderwall shit”.
MUSE HEADLINING FRIDAY NIGHT AT LEEDS FESTIVAL 2017 - 25/08/2017
PICTURE BY: MATT EACHUS
Leeds Festival 2017 Friday Headliners ‘MUSE’ were up next closing Day one on Main Stage. Muse provided an epic finale to day one of Leeds Festival 2017 with a supermassive set packed with huge singles, fan favourites and fireworks.
Opening with their latest one-off single ‘Dig Down’, Matt Bellamy led the Devonshire trio through their famously epic live production of dazzling visuals. After tearing straight into ‘Drones’ lead single ‘Psycho’, their set largely consisted of greatest hits with few surprises and rarities to boot.
The early outing of guitar classic ‘Plug In Bay’ whipped the crowd into a feral frenzy, before former set-closer ‘Stockholm Syndrome’ provided an early climax. The early outing of guitar classic ‘Plug In Baby’ whipped the crowd into a feral frenzy, before former set-closer ‘Stockholm Syndrome’ provided an early climax.
Following last weekend’s Reading and Leeds Charity ‘By Request’ charity warm-up show at London’s O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, the band followed suit with a smattering of lesser play tracks including an extended verison of the instrumental of early B-side ‘Yes Please’, along with the seldom-aired titled track from their early album ‘Showbiz’.
MUSE HEADLINING FRIDAY NIGHT AT LEEDS FESTIVAL 2017 - 25/08/2017
PICTURE BY: SARAH KOURY - ENTIRELY LABS