Live at Leeds - Saturday 29th April 2017
Ah...Festival season is here again! Anyone who is used to festivals knows about the hours of research needed before you even step foot in the wristband exchange queue. Picking which bands you want to see is the easy part...it’s making sure you can physically get to see each band...and if you can get into the venue before they shut the doors...that’s the real problem! Live at Leeds this year marked its 11th Anniversary and spread itself over 17 very different venues. From University rooms to the O2 Academy to pubs, music halls and social clubs...the wristband wearing music seekers wandered here and there trying not to miss out on anything.
The problem we had was that we made going to Live at Leeds a last minute decision so we didn’t have a lot of time to choose who we wanted to see. Idles were ones we didn’t want to miss and so we figured people would want to get into the club maybe the act before just so they were in there before the capacity was reached. Temples are a band that I haven’t seen live..but since I’ve not been too impressed by their second album I wasn’t too fussed if we missed them. I liked a few Teleman songs and although I preferred their previous guise Pete and the Pirates, they were placed on our list to see and due to the murmurings of Moonlandingz live performances we thought that’s where we would finish the day. So with a starter club to aim for which happened to be the Key Club we had a quick YouTube look at the other bands that were on leading up to Idles. We made the choice to stay at the Key Club for most of the day after listening to a few bands. A few sounded like they could be decent so after the wristband exchange at the First Direct Arena we sought out the Key Club.
By the time we got into Leeds it was 2pmish...we had missed the first couple of bands and on entering the Key Club it was if the club was emptying a bit. Luckily for me they had bottles of Brewdog in large supply so I was very happy...the first band of the day for us were about to enter the stage.
M O S E S – The Key Club (Dork Stage) – 2:15pm
London-based band M O S E S were a fantastic start to the day...from the very start their energetic pogo-ing front man Victor had the ever increasing crowd involved with every harmonised anthemic chorus. They were definitely a band that enjoyed playing live...and loved the crowd interaction...their guitarist Juno and bassist Zakk had grins from ear to ear throughout. They have some real earworms in their repertoire...one that I have been struggling with is their song “River Thames”...once it’s in there it’s hard to shake.
They have only been about for a couple of years but I’d like to think that their reputation is starting to grow. Their debut single “Leave Leave Leave” was released in October last year and was a song borne from a jamming session that lead singer Victor turned up late for...within 10 minutes they had the single. When you add the songs “Low” and “Cause You Got Me” to the list too...they have a very entertaining live set. I think the trouble that they might have is trying to convert that live energy and downright fun had on stage into a produced and sellable object. They definitely gained more fans after this performance though...my little lad for one...he loves them.
Find them on:
The next band on were The Bay Rays...they looked pretty good on a couple of videos but we lost interest quite quickly...not my cup of tea...so we took the opportunity to grab some fresh air and had a quick chat with Lincoln...the drummer from Sorry who we saw at the Westgarth supporting Shame a few days before. They were there to see the Dead Pretties...who were the next band up.
Dead Pretties – The Key Club (Dork Stage) – 4:15pm
I knew very little about this band before they played...apart from they had a few people from London that had travelled up to see them. They turned out to be the best new band that I had seen throughout the day. They were fantastic!!! You could be quite easily sat in a chair with your feet up and still be exhausted and dripping with sweat after watching their exhilarating set.
(Photograph by Jon Mo)
The bands’ front man Jacob Slater looks like a man possessed who’s songs are his way of exorcising the demons in his head. The genius of the lad is there to see though as he stumbles around the stage tripping over bassist Oscar Browne and narrowly missing drummer Ben Firth his frenetic guitar playing is all over the place but sounds amazing.
They are a band who have built up a following from London from regular gigs at the Windmill in Brixton alongside bands like Shame, Goat Girl and Sorry (FKA Fish)...some of those performances can be found on YouTube. After looking at a few articles about Live at Leeds I’m staggered that there is no mention of this band at all...as their newly released debut single “Social Experiment” leans towards people flocking like sheep to watch bands that have changed their own identity so that they are accepted by the herd. The same thing was happening here...the herd flocking to other venues around the Yorkshire city because they wanted to keep in with the It crowd when they were missing a very special band under their very noses.
(Photograph by Jon Mo)
They have a set list full of catchy indie dancefloor rock n’ roll songs that I’m sure 9 out of 10 people who see them for the first time will leave wanting to see and hear more. The only other named song I can find on the internet is “Take it easy” which is another song packed to the brim full of energy and attitude...they are a band that I definitely want to see again!!!
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Atlas Wynd – The Key Club (Dork Stage) – 5:15pm
Atlas Wynd were an interesting band that I later discovered although based in Brighton have a lead singer that is from Middlesbrough...this is not always a good thing...Chris Rea is making a comeback I hear! Named after a road in a sought out part of Yarm...this is a band that is getting some really good reviews from around the country. The standout thing for me about them on the day was the bass player with the crazy staring eyes...although I’m not sure where he came from as I thought they were only a duo of Peter Chapman (Vocals/Guitar) and Harry Sotnick (Drums). Although the fact that I was still purring about The Dead Pretties...Atlas Wynd were still keeping my attention. Songs like “I’ve Had Enough” and QOTSA sounding “Creep” are played really well along with new single “Mona Lisa”...you could tell that they’ve been working hard on the live circuit for the past few years. They had a bit too much of an American rock influence for my liking but that didn’t stop them from sounding good live...and judging by the reception they got from the crowd...there will be further interest in this band.
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The next hour involved more sunshine breaks...Brewdog...and watching a band called Dead!...not my cup of tea at all...but needed to stay in so we were not locked out for Idles...plus we got talking to a few lads at the bar that turned out to be from Middlesbrough...their mate from Leeds had had enough though...“everyone we bump into is from f**king Boro”...it drove him to drink...a bottle of speckled hen with a rum chaser...you know who you are!!!
Idles – The Key Club (Dork Stage) – 7:15pm
From an infectious earworm with their single “Well Done” to a genuine appreciation of their debut album Brutalism...Idles have quickly materialised into a band that I seem to need a daily fix of at the moment. If you want something instantaneous...exciting...but at the same time terrifying then you have the right band in the right moment.
(Photograph by Jon Mo)
Front man Joe Talbot looks as though one minute he wants to give you a massive hug and rip your face off the next. Don’t be put off by that statement though there seems to be an underlying playful love thing going on between the band members and with the crowd. It’s been a good 22 years since I last ventured willingly into a mosh pit...and yes you always get one who goes a bit too far but on the whole it was great to be in amongst it all again. They are not a band who just like a bit of mayhem with their music though...their guitar playing is tight and not unruly as it shows that they can actually play their instruments behind the wall of noise.
Their lyrics can be very grim...sobering...amazingly real...but at times really funny too. Songs are played to such a high intensity and with maximum effort that a young lad called John got caught up in the moment and was forcibly crowd surfed for nearly the length of “Well Done” to end up on the stage singing/shouting “I’d rather bite my nose off...to spite my face”. The lad was kitted out in a Sainsburys jacket...fingers crossed he’d just finished and wasn’t on his way to work after the gig...although extra cool points if he was.
(Photograph by Jon Mo)
I'm actually in the photo above...maybe a special prize for those that can pick me out. The crowd surfing wasn’t only left for those watching this crazy event...both singer Joe Talbot and guitarist Mark Bowen ended up in the thick of it...Bowen amazingly kept playing faultlessly whilst being pushed from pillar to post by phone camera snapping onlookers and with that...the sonic distorted mayhem is over. There are claps, hugs and big smiles from everyone on the dancefloor...truly 30 minutes of greatness from a band that are enjoying being where they are right now...even if politically speaking they are not.
Find them on:
Feeling pretty hungry by now...the steady flow of beers needed to be fed so it was time for a burger stop before heading to see Teleman at The Wardrobe before heading to The Brudenell Social Club for The Moonlandingz. I’m not a massive fan of Teleman although I do like “Dusseldorf” and “Tangerine” that were quite the earworms from last year. They played well...without offering much else to the packed crowd.
We got to the Brudenell with time to spare for The Moonlandingz...who after being raved about from all and sundry...I was expecting to be blown away by them...sadly I wasn’t...couldn’t hear a word he was singing...they thought they were amazing...I disagreed. I like “Vessels”, “Sweet Saturn Mine” and “The Strangle of Anna” off their debut album Interplanetary Class Classics...maybe I hadn’t drank enough...maybe I’m getting on a bit...a bit of both probably...but I think I was more than happy with what I had seen and heard in the Key Club throughout the day...it was nice to be back in the Brudenell though...one of my favourite venues without a doubt...It was time to bring our Live at Leeds experience to a close.
It is an experience that I would definitely recommend to anyone...how this wasn’t sold out I don’t know.
The four additional photos were taken by professional photographer Jon Mo. You can find more of his work at http://jonmophotography.co.uk or on Twitter
