Leeds Festival 2008 review
Thu 28th Aug 08
Leeds Festival Leeds Festival 2008 Still recovering from RATM last night I wake up rather hot in my tent from the sunshine, a good sign I think. Wrong, I step outside the tent to find I'd slept through some pretty heavy ran last night and the already spongy ground has become slightly more a mud run.
The floor of the main arena is now a sea of mud with no grass visible at all, the walk up to the other stages has also become a wellies only zone, but it still amazes me to see young girls in white linen trousers and pumps looking horrified... bless them.
A few slight running order changes on the main stage today adds a bit of confusion but nothing to dampen spirits, the sun is shining and it's very hot. I wonder if the neon body paint being used by so many acts as a sun screen, imagine the horror when a now topless male with obscenities written across his chest gets home, I'd love to see him explain that to his mum.
I take my position for the Editors the crowd respond well as they play 'The Racing Rats'. 'Smokers Outside The Hospital Doors' is always a song that makes me smile. Nothing in the set particularly jumped out at me but that didn't seem to bother the front of the crowd.
You can always guarantee Carl Barat will perform to the best of his ability and today was no exceptions Dirty Pretty Things rocked the crowd. Gary Powell was clearly working hard on the drums, either that or he'd lathered himself in baby oil prior to the performance. A respectable cover of Nirvana's 'In Bloom' was squeezed into a very tight set, which was topped off for me when the broke into 'Bang, Bang You're Dead'.
I was starting to feel slightly bad that I was sticking with the main stage for most of today, but I was liking what it had to offer and the thought of the walk in the mud to the other stages just wasn't appealing this late in the weekend, although I was slightly gutted that I missed The Ting Tings due to their clash with Dirty Pretty Things.
If you wanted words of wisdom then We Are Scientists were the ones to provide it, informing the crowd that a high percentage of the urine thrown in bottles ends up in the mouth of the thrower... Eeeeewwww! I'm not sure if this was just a clever way of making sure they weren't targets. During the set just before breaking into 'Cash Cow' they check with the audience that suitable footwear was being worn so we could dance, and dance we did. 'The Great Escape' brought a close to their set.
Bloc Party's Kele Okereke was clearly not happy with the mellow reaction they were getting from the crowd, "I know it's late but we need to rock" was something along the lines of what he kept saying. There were no surprise in the set but they were only to happy to throw in all the song the crowd were after 'Mercury', 'Two more Years' and 'So Here We Are' got the reaction Okereke was after as before ending the set with 'Helicopter' he announced it was the most they'd enjoyed playing Leeds Festival, all good there then.
The one I've been waiting for all weekend, slightly gutted they clashed with Manic Street Preachers but I couldn't turn my back on The Killers. Brandon Flowers arrived on stage in a rather bright green jacket but I knew once his face appeared on the big screen I'd be happy, now was it just me or was the cameraman not going to give me that one little pleasure, thorough out the set not one close up of Flowers was shown. That wasn't my only grumble the sound quality from the left side where I was stood was shocking and to be honest at times I could hear the Alternative stage behind me more than I could here The Killers. Despite this from their opening number 'For Reasons Unknown' I sang my little heart out, apologies to anyone stood near me. During 'When You Were Young' a curtain of fireworks came down over the front of the stage causing the crowd to go wild. 'Sam's Town' and 'Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine' were predictable there. 'Mr. Brightside' as ever got the best reaction from the crowd but as Flowers held aloft his mic stand after the closing number 'All These Things I've Done' I was one happy lady.
So, did I enjoy the weekend? Of course I did, festivals are what wellies were made for and I'm sad to be hanging mine up for the winter.
review by Julie Weston
photos by Luke Seagrave
more pages about The Killers Bust (Girls) |
 Lights Out |
 Lines |
 Logo |
 Deco Logo Foil (Girls) |
 High Heels (Girls) |
 Logo On Black |
 Ram |
 Logo On Orange |
 Logo |
 Logo |
 David Keuning And The Killers |
 Snake Oil |
 Logo On Blue |
more pages about Bloc Party Album (Silent Alarm) |
 Silhouette |
 Silhouette |
 Turquoise |
 Logo |
 Drum Kit |
 Tolerable |
 Leaves |
 Logo (Rub-On) |
| from the festival markets... | ||||
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