Leeds Festival 2009 Review

The drawing to a close for another summer and another August bank holiday weekend can only mean one thing; Leeds Festival at Bramham Park near Wetherby. £5 cheeseburgers, overflowing toilets, shouting abuse at Scousers, riots, drunken behaviour and nudity. A standard weekend for me and my mates, only with live music and camping. A spin-off from the older Reading Festival, this was the 11th time Leeds has been staged, to provide all of us unfortunate to live North of the m4 with something to look forward to. This year was the fourth time I've been to the festival, but it was one of the most anticipated, as the line-up had far more depth than previous years, in my opinion at least. 

Friday got underway with FIGHTSTAR on the main stage, although not a massive fan and only knowing one song, they did a good job of getting the ever-eager first morning crowd going. A personal highlight was the sign held aloft by a fan reading "Bring back Busted." After the essential journey to stock up on beer and Maryland cookies we returned to the main stage for the performance of St Albans finest: ENTER SHIKARI. Last time I saw them live they were on the on the NME/Radio 1 stage and had an evening slot, which is far better for a decent atmosphere and performance, so they did relativity well to engage a crowd looking to perfect tan lines in the mid-afternoon sun, rather than to join in with a wall of death. However even the hard-core moshers at the front were left a little disappointed by the lack of human pyramids as seen in previous shows. "Juggernauts" was a highlight though. The main stage then hosted IAN BROWN and MAXIMO PARK. Ian Brown was looking like he'd seen better days, but the older audience definitely enjoyed his set and for all Mancs, his opening lines could not have been better; "Who here is from Leeds", cue crowd cheering, "Fuck off". Class. Maximo Park and Paul Smith especially, were as charismatic as ever, but the majority of the set was spent trying to stock up on beers. THE PRODIGY were given the second closing slot on Friday night, behind the Arctic Monkeys, the question was should they have headlined? Probably. They were unreal from the off. Gunning through crowd favourites "Breathe", "Omen", "Smack My Bitch Up"and "Voodoo People". Mosh-pits were crazy, people were naked and flares were alight. The highlight track for me was "Warrior's Dance" when the whole place went so crazy the Met office probably had a reading on the Richter Scale. Unbelievable. I didn't see the Arctic's but friends said they were disapointing, plugging the new record, which isn't always a crowd pleaser when headlining a festival. RISE AGAINST on the Lock-Up were as loud and gun-ho as ever, but the crowd wasn't quite as involved as when I last saw them, so slightly disappointing, but in reality it was never going to compere to 50,000 people rocking to The Prodigy, who were without question the band of the day.

Feeling slightly worse for wear on Saturday, and deciding to chill out at the main stage for the first couple hours of the day. NOAH AND THE WHALE of "Five Years Time" fame earlier this year, were actually surprisingly worth a listen, which I did not expect, and begged the question why release your worst song as a debut single? Then it was over to the NME/Radio 1 tent for the hilarious performance of LETHAL BIZZLE. I don't mean that as in he amused me, but the sight of 1,000's of  white teenagers, all looking like they fell over in Topman and had definitely been brought up in nice suburbia with a sedan on the drive, singing along to "Fuck tha Po-Po", well it's hard not observe the cynical humour in that. The Nirvana remix was enjoyed by myself though, RIP my Ray-Bans. They were fake so it's all good. Next up was FRANK TURNER. Lyrics written with such a quiet, delicate level of intelligent observations of a 20something lifestyle, accompanied with an acoustic guitar, was thoroughly enjoyable. Check out "The Ballad of Me and My Friends" for a sample. BRAND NEW were given an afternoon slot on the main stage, and much like the performance of Enter Shikari, failed to get going, due to the time of day and the blasé and aloof audience. However, my most-anticipated band of the day were another band from the East Coast and were due on the NME/Radio 1 stage at 18.15. Dragging my friends to the tent trying to convince them that they actually were good, and not another band I'd hyped up excessively or that they wouldn't be "really angry" to quote one of them. THE GASLIGHT ANTHEM were on top of their game. They possess everything that I appreciate both in a band and a live performance. Onstage charisma, tight as a unit live, original songs that sound good live and a certain levelheadedness and genuine gratefulness towards the crowd, with a lot of times goes unsaid. New Jersey's finest had done themselves proud. Check out highlights, from Reading (The BBC can't be bothered to send anyone North it seems), here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/readingandleeds/2009/artists/gaslightanthem/

BLOC PARTY made an effort on the main stage to top that, and their set was impressive, but I wasn't too enthralled, I had seen the my band of the day already. The Beatles would have had to reform and do a duet with Elvis of "Bohemian Rhapsody" in order for me to care who was playing after The Gaslight Anthem.

Sunday is always a strange day at a festival. You can't wait to have a shower after camping for 3 nights, but you want to make the last day count. Sunday was my most enjoyable day, which was an unexpected albeit nice surprise. After watching successive unknowns MANCHESTER ORCHESTRA and THE VIRGINS, both worth a youtube, THE AIRBORNE TOXIC EVENT performed the NME/Radio 1 stage. To be fair, I was nursing the mother of all hangovers, and as much as I tried to stay awake it wasn't happening, so I can't really comment. It's a good job I'm not a music journalist. But, I was awake for the one song I knew "Sometime Around Midnight" which tells the story of an ex-girlfriend, complete with depressive solemn violins and dark lyrics ("Then she leaves with someone you don't know, she looks right at you and bolts") I can't really relate to the genre of "music-inspired-by-not-having-the-girl", so it passed me by. It really is a good job I'm not a journalist, because I'm far too emotive in my music taste. The rest of the set was dull enough to send me into a sleep. iTunes' single of the week a few weeks back was a great song by THE TEMPER TRAP called "Sweet Disposition" so we gave them a listen on The Festival Republic Stage. It was a good set, and quite obvious that many people were only there for the one song as they left after it had been played, which is a little discourteous. JACK PENATE was next on the NME/Radio 1 stage. This was repaying the debt which I had incurred dragging my friends to The Gaslight, because I really don't see what the hype is with him. Each to their own though, and at least he played "Be the One" which is quite a tuneful number, the rest of his stuff sounds the same. After him I went solo to see BOUNCING SOULS who I had never seen before. They were great. I only knew half the songs, such is the size of their 20 year strong back catalogue, but the ones I did know were fantastic. A highlight of the show was the lead singer jumping up on the barrier and singing "Manthem" in its entirety about 6 inches from me. Eye contact was made and maintained. After a quick bite to eat it was to the main stage for Leeds' own KAISER CHIEFS. A tradition at Leeds Festival is for everyone to always see the main headliner on a Sunday night. Three years ago, there was a big question as to whether they should have got the top spot instead of Franz Ferdinand, that question was again on Ricky Wilson's mind as he prefaced "Oh My God" with "Maybe one day we'll headline this fucker". However, despite the chants of Yorkshire and the battle of the Kaisers vs the Chiefs, if he wants to headline this festival he will need to write some more decent songs without using "Woahhhh" or "Naaaa" as a pre-chorus. He got the crowd going and poured his white rose heart and soul into this performance, but on comparison with the headliners, they looked like schoolboys. KINGS OF LEON made Leeds Festival 2009 their own. I have never really listened to them that much, putting it down to various reasons. I will now. They have successfully converted me, which not many bands (if any) have ever done, that they are worth listening to. They maintained a supreme aura of authority as well as humbleness throughout the entire performance. They know they're good, you know they're good, they know you know it and thrive off it. Just exactly when did a band have this much song diversity and successfully pull it all together perfectly for a live performance? My only criticism would be to learn the difference between gratitude and excessiveness, musically though they were simply breathtaking, and were the highlight of the day without a shadow of a doubt. 

As for Leeds Festival itself, a great weekend all round, and thank you to everyone who I had the pleasure of spending the weekend with. A special mention must surely go out to Poo Girl who fell into a toilet trying to retrieve her handbag, a la Slumdog Millionaire. Gutted. Four times seems excessive and five straight is too many. Bring on Glastonbury 2010.

Better Yet, Don't Forget, Leave Your Keys on the TV Set

The punk rock world owes New Brunswick, New Jersey alot. New Brunswick is a shitty place. Punk is a shitty form of music. Gritty, unclean and raw. Punk cannot be defined by anyone, no matter who writes about it. It incorporates any form of music that stands up for something and puts it on the line. Emo, Thrash, Grunge, take your pick, all have roots in punk rock. Punk is a statement, a vented message, that leaves no prisoners spared, unleashing whatever needs to be said upon who whoever cares to listen. And in reality, such is the nature, it doesn't care who listens. It fails to let itself be a genre or some iTunes classification, constantly evolving and adapting to the changing nature of any music scene, for this is exactly what punk stands up for: freedom of expression and opinion. It is because of this willingness to accept and tolerate that punk has a reputation for consolidating lost youths, with mohawks and full sleeves, looking like extra's on some greyscale Hollywood B zombie movie, outcast from mainstream culture and rejected by the Billboard Top 100. In some, or most, cases punk contains a sociopolitical message, this was not always the case and is a common mis-conception of an essential quality of the music. It is a mainstream method of communicating cutting edge ideals and philosophies and thereby uniting whoever could relate, untainted by media, the powers that be or 24 hour news neo-conservative "journalists". It is a message, a method, a statement, an extension of normal average Joe's playing guitars about what they feel passionate about. Punk is an attitude. 

New Brunswick, New Jersey. A shitty town, a shitty state for a shitty form of music. The perfect petri dish in which punk rock needs to thrive and go boldly to reach millions across The USA and in Europe. Located about 30 miles south of New York City in The Garden State, it has been a breeding ground for underground punk and rock. The bright lights of The Big Apple have acted like a catalyst igniting an attitude of DIY punk with a philosophy of "Why can't we". Like a labourer looking from the gutter to the stars, it is the bastard child American Dream of Uncle Sam and Lady Liberty. America has long preached via the mass media the endeavor and resilience of the American people and hidden it's blue-collar and working class problems from it's own people with patriotic propaganda. However, punk rock in these forgotten towns and disregarded communities has bitten back. In recent years it has revived a punk scene first inflicted on New York in the 1970's with the Ramones, the Misfits and Patti Smith Group. The Bouncing Souls and The Gaslight Anthem both hail from the town. The former is a band which has been playing together for over 20 years, writing songs about getting laid, working through a shitty life, with a shitty job and trying to have a fuckin' good time. Again, a common misconception that punk must be political is proved false here. The central themes of the Souls songs are never too serious, but everyday problems which most people come across and deal with. Never ones to take themselves too seriously, yet not without a bold injection of passion. The Bouncing Souls have never been interested in pleasing anyone else, and this is what makes them so endearing and provides them with an incredibly loyal fanbase. Although not attracting attention from major radio stations, the fact they are still going after 2 decades, arguably stronger now than ever, speaks volumes for the quality of the music they produce. Listen to any track from How I Spent My Summer Vacation or Gold Record to understand this band. A highlight track is surely "True Believers" - This clip is at CBGB's. 

The Gaslight Anthem are undoubtedly my breakthrough act of 2009. Their second album The 59 Sound is one of the most promising and complete albums since Hot Fuss. Every track sounds perfect and together the whole record is a jigsaw of musical genius. The lead single of the album "The 59 Sound" is a whirlwind of energy, unhindered rock and passionate vocals, climaxing in a fantastic and ultimately groundbreaking song. They have received airplay since June 2008 on Mike Davies' punk rock show on Radio 1. Two other tracks stand out on the album if pressed, though I still maintain the album as a whole is as near flawless as I've heard this year. "Here's Lookin' at You, Kid" named after a line in Casablanca, is Brian Fallon's heartfelt tale of lost-love and despair through his youth. Lyrically brilliant and utterly heartbreaking. But, I must say the final track "The Backseat" is my track of the record. I managed to see it performed live last February and was simply blown away. The beating drums mid-way through plus Fallon's strained vocal chords, are just superlative. I purchased both The 59 Sound and their debut Sink or Swim in October, and still can't get enough. In June they played Glastonbury and were joined by Bruce Springsteen on stage, giving them some press coverage, this band deserves it. They are destined to be big and in the last year have had some mainstream airplay. It will be one band I will not begrudge for becoming successful. I love punk rock, for me it is an expressive art form that carries a message. New Brunswick has produced two of the most relevant and finest punk bands around today, one with a huge cult following and underground status of over 20 years, the other is on the verge of becoming one of the greatest bands of a generation. 

Brian Fallon from The Gaslight Anthem performing.

Live Forever.

Oasis. Literally one of the most influential bands to ever grace our planet. And for anyone that was a part of the 90's Brit-Pop scene, surely one of the greatest bands of all time. They are timeless. No matter how much I listen to the Mancunian oufit I still have yet to decide which is my favourite song. It quite simply has been an impossible task for the last 12 years. The helicopter whirling at the start of "(What's the Story) Morning Glory", the unbelievable thumping drumbeat and whispered  "Oh yeah" of "Live Forever", Supersonic's quite incredible vocal performance by Liam, the energy of "Fuckin' in the Bushes" and of course the lyrically magnificent "Wonderwall", even if no-one knows what one is. The list goes on. "Rock 'N' Roll Star", "Roll with it" and "Slide Away". I have been lucky enough to see the band twice, both times in Manchester, quite honestly I wouldn't pay to see them anywhere else. The first time was in 2003 at the Lancashire Cricket Ground, the Gallagher Brothers saw to the fact that the location of the concert on the tickets should in way show a relation to any football clubs, such is their loyalty to the Blue Moon. The second time was the 7th June this year at Heaton Park along with 70,000 other fans. It was unreal. It was in Noel's words "A celebration of Manchester". This band has come to symbolise the pride felt in the city which I say I live in - Manchester, The UK's 2nd city. And I don't care if you're a Londoner, a Brummy or a Scouser. Come up here and tell me that this city does not excel in culture, character and soul where any bigger city falls flat on its face. Birmingham is a great city, I love spending time there, but after living there for a year, I still believe Manchester has the edge. 

For me Oasis sum up the Mancunian attitude towards itself and life. Not-giving-a-fuck, immense self pride, and a sense of community which the city engulfs and reverberates, which was certainly applicable at the concert. 

"Maybe I just wanna fly, Wanna live, but don't wanna die" 

And what on Earth is a Champagne Supernova? Who cares?

What I'm Listening to

I've been inspired to start a blog. The aim of this blog is to record anything I see fit to record on the internet, but which facebook would deem overbearing. It will mainly focus on music, social interactions and university culture.

I made a few rules for this blog. Firstly, I will always use my knowledge of music and never rely on trawling through iTunes to find a topic. I will only use Wikipedia sparingly. And I will never write an article critiquing how bands have sold-out. Especially since they've become popular. I will try, but I can't promise.

Recently I've been inspired by listening to songs which have an almost an oxymoronic feel to them. It's the film equivalent of a Dolly Zoom. Whilst the camera zooms in, physically it is moving away, giving an eerie effect of zooming on a target, whilst in fact widening the shot. Remember in Jaws when Richard Dreyfuss' character first realises the Shark is in the water. Well, I relate this in music to a song which in tune and melody has a very upbeat complexion and on initial listening can be uplifting. However, as with most music discussed on this blog, I tend to relate and delve into lyrical meaning, at least slightly. I believe anyway. Lyrically these songs have the exact opposite effect, and are depressing and morbid, and after careful listening reveal a complete reversal of meaning. The example I recently encountered which turned me onto this thought was "Unsatified" by The Replacements. To be honest it is a very easy example to pick up on, the tune is noticeably upbeat and lively, however the lead of the Minnesota 1980's band plagues the whole song with the words: "Look me in the eye, and tell me I'm satisfied, I'm Unsatisfied." Not an easy trick to miss. I've been listening to a couple songs by them, and I really like them. They slipped under the radar until on the way back from the USA I saw the film Adventureland. The film is suitably charming, though slightly uninventive, and is based on the Director's own summer experience of working as a carny at a theme park, whilst coping with teen angst, finding time to get high and generally work out what to do with life. All in the space of 90 minutes. Anyway, it opens the credits with their song "Bastards of Young" which until I went on the net after landing, I thought Jesse Malin had written. Apparently The Cribs and Against Me! have both covered it as well. Who knew. Anyway, these two contrasting versions are a perfect example of this Dolly Zoom music. Jesse's version sounds depressing, sad and downbeat, whereas the exact opposite is true of the original.

Bastards of Young - Jesse Malin

Bastards of Young - The Replacements

However, I was thinking and found a couple more popular songs, that may not initially strike the listener as having a darker tone. "Local Boy in the Photograph" (Friend killed by a train),  "There She Goes" (A heroin trip, although the jury is still out on whether The La's see this as a negative thing) and the classic "A Town Called Malice" (Hardships of life).

Anyway it got me thinking. I find it interesting how you can hear the same song and feel completely contrasting things. I guess it's like art, do two people ever get the exact feeling from a Monet? I'm no art critic, so I wouldn't have a clue. But I do know that music has very influential impacts on most people in this world. No matter what corner of the globe you travel to, music exists in some form. I think that's why it means so much to me, because no matter how the artist intended it to sound, or with what purpose music has been written, I can take something that, perhaps, no-one can take from the exact same thing, hence sharing a common passion, just interpreted in different ways. Like the new HSBC adverts. Music: the world's local art medium. And I think that's summed up very well by this track: 

Playing for Change, Stand by Me.