Live at Leeds in the City returned last weekend, delivering a stellar lineup, and the self-proclaimed new music showcase did not disappoint, Olivia Hannant shares her thoughts.
In what turned out to be an audacious affair, Live at Leeds continues to impress, emphasising the prominence and excellence of both metropolitan festivals and itself locationally as a musical hub.
Starting us off, the likes of Leeds' own English Teacher and special guests for the festival took to the small stage of The Wardrobe. It is no surprise that the 400 capacity venue maxed out almost instantly with queues round the block. They excelled on home soil, it was clear the band were comfortable, as they played their two latest singles The World’s Biggest Paving Slab laced with delusions of grandeur and a melodic hum that was very well received by the crowd. Followed by Nearly Daffodils detailing unfulfilled potential and heartbreak. The 45 minute set was strong and the venue stayed at capacity throughout.
"Showcasing that the boundaries of caustic indie rock have not yet been reached, the band blessed the room with their six song set."
After a short walk over to Nation of Shopkeepers, an intimate venue that saw a stage against the back wall of the pub and a packed out audience for upcoming London quintet Lip Filler. Showcasing that the boundaries of caustic indie rock have not yet been reached, the band blessed the room with their six song set. Including their new single Limelite energetic buzzy guitar riffs bouncing off the walls and cutting through any background noise. Followed by both Monster Truck and Cool off their self-titled EP, accompanied by anecdotal commentary by lead vocals and synth player Jude who proved that these guys don’t take themselves too seriously.
Lavish excellence, I have never seen a show like it. Costumes aren't simply encouraged but are practically obligatory here; you are cordially invited to The Last Dinner Party. In waiting for them to begin I felt myself becoming increasingly nervous that my expectations here wouldn’t be met. In an opening that saw the all female five piece grace the stage doused in vintage silks and lace. For a band who are currently playing a tour of rooms no larger than 300, the SU hit capacity and people were turned away. Testament to themselves, a band who have built their entire appearance round their live show, an entrance of period piece music and smoke they sure delivered. Wrapping up with leading lady Abigail Morris shouting ‘And remember...’ with an audience member very timely finishing her sentence with ‘nothing matters!’ saw crowd favourite Nothing Matters ringing through the venue.
Followed by an Uber back to catch the end of FEET’s set, which was totally worth it as frontman George sprung over the front barrier armed with a tambourine for their anthem of discontent English Weather to join in on the action. Despite the crowded room, the crowd made room for George to take to the middle of the pit, handing over his tambourine to an audience member and taunting the edges of the circle as it eventually closed engulfing him. Utter chaos in the best way possible.
"Utter chaos in the best way possible."
After some cancelled dates across the U.S, Jacob Slater shouts ‘it’s good to be back’; fan favourite’s Wunderhorse took to the Leeds Beckett SU to deliver a set full of angst. Although all their hit songs went down a storm, I couldn’t help but feel the further into the set the more the songs were merging together. I feel like I would've enjoyed this a lot more if it were in a smaller venue but found myself feeling disconnected from the action.
To finish off the day, post-punk titans Shame took to the Stylus and Shame's live performances have become legendary for their unrivalled energy, exemplified by lead vocalist Charlie Steen's crowd-surfing and audacious manoeuvres, including scaling the sound desk. Meanwhile, bassist Josh Finerty enhances the already charged atmosphere by gracefully bounding across the stage, akin to a gymnast's prowess. Their headline set at Stylus, stretching over an hour and fifteen minutes, was an uninterrupted euphoric experience, reinforcing their standing as one of the most electrifying live acts.
Live at Leeds: In the City remains a pillar in discovering and showcasing new voices and talent. The lineup this year was exceptional and I cannot wait to see who they have lined up for Live at Leeds: In the Park.
Olivia Hannant
Edited by Tabitha Smith
Featured Image courtesy of Live at Leeds via Facebook
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