Written & Edited by Erin Clark

As the first £8 pints were reluctantly purchased and the first portaloos christened, the 2024 festival season was ushered in this past weekend at Temple Newsam. The floodgates opened and the people poured in, wristbands were fastened uncomfortably tightly around wrists, and most of those in attendance were tipsy before even entering the event space – ahh, the comfort, grace and decorum of the great British festival. This year’s edition of the proud jewel in the crown of Leeds’ music events, Live At Leeds in the Park, boasted an impressive roster of performers across a jam-packed day of sets.  

The frenzied scramble of opportunity ensued – Do we grab a pint? Some food? Do we get some merch? Or do we run in the direction of the nearest music? We chose the latter and made our way to the ‘DORK HYPE stage!’ wherein we found the winner of LAL’s ‘apply to play’ scheme – Velkro. For a young star of a band formed a mere 9 months ago, an achievement as mammoth as performing at LAL should be well and truly celebrated. The band’s numerous performances across the country, from Brixton to York, and Manchester to Hull, goes a significant way in proving just how formidable this five-piece is. The effort freely combined qualities reminiscent of Pixies, The Cure and The Cranberries into their distinctly moody sound, entertaining a tent which was overflowing with eager spectators. It is a shame that their billing position in the line-up meant that they were not treated to the biggest audience they could’ve possibly performed to, but Velkro were truly a highlight of a dazzling lineup. 

Aside from the given task of entertaining the crowd, the undoubtable secondary task of the lower-billing artists is in the setting of an energetic standard for the rest of the day’s proceedings – a secondary task that I’m not sure Scottish-indie-effort Vistas accomplished. As the first act of the day to grace the main Cockpit stage, the standard is undoubtedly high, and as the droves of festival-goers herded through the gates and in- front of the main stage, a disappointing amount were convinced to stay and watch Vistas performance. For a crowd that wanted to be brought on side, to be energised, and to ultimately listen to engaging music – Vistas’ nasal vocals and simple guitar stings simply didn’t do in this case.  

I don’t know if the band simply fell victim to an unfortunate billing spot, or it was simply the fact that the music itself was reminiscent of an indie era long past (and not the good kind – the 2016-shallow-but-shiny-copied-guitar-riff-kind) – but Vistas ultimately provided a performance which was well and truly mild. There were definitely those who were visibly enjoying the performance, but in all honestly, these individuals seemed few and far between. But fear not disheartened festival-goer, plenty more acts are in store. 

Where Vistas failed to capture attendee attention and boost crowd energy, I believe Anthony Szmierek succeeded greatly. Szmierek’s high-octane indie-hip-hop tunes, and charismatic stage presence which sounded out across the event space effectively drowned out other acts with a much-needed injection of effervescence (that was noticeably lacking until this point). Under CLASH’s navy big top, the singer remarked that he had not long woken up before his 1:20pm set, yet for someone who may have still been rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, he still managed to deliver a thoroughly energetic set for the crowds flocking from the Cockpit stage towards the audible cheers. The great British all-day festival demographic was summed up in the attendees surrounding me – a dad in a suit jacket, shorts and a fedora embarrassing his young children by parading around the area; a group of 16-year-olds with glittered faces, donning bucket hats and North Face shoulder bags; and a woman with a ‘Karen’ haircut waving a full wine bottle in the air. Leeds, how I love you. Szmierek music, which I hadn’t listened to prior to this performance, balanced indie-influenced stream-of-consciousness lyricism with a definitive dance hip-hop undercurrent which served to unite the diverse audience which had gathered – which is certainly no mean feat. 

In another display of light-hearted humour, pointing to a small girl on her father’s shoulders, Szmierek details how he had censored himself in the previous song after noticing her presence – changing from the work ‘fuck’ to ‘damn’. The people’s hero. Living up to his recently granted moniker as one of Radio 6’s ‘Artists of the Year,’ Anthony Szmierek was truly a treat to watch. As an artist who is amidst a definite rise, Szmierek’s performance assured all in attendance that this rise is founded and will only go on to continue. 

As the temperature waned, and the slow realisation that the summer clothes we had donned may have been a display of wishful thinking began to set in, we headed to the DIY stage to seek solace in the warmth conjured by Cosmo Pyke. Cosmo Pyke’s set was as soul-warming as it was refreshing, bringing with it an invigorating divergence in genre from an otherwise indie-pop heavy line-up. As a fan of Pyke from the beginning of his career, it was a true gift to get the chance to finally witness his artistry live. 

My solidly favourite act of the day was Leicester-born musician Billy Nomates. Nomates’ was one of, if not the only, solo performer to take to the stage, which may seem an unthinkable and exceedingly difficult task – yet as she marched and stomped in time with her ferocious lyricism under the navy canopy of the Clash Big Top, the singer quickly managed to prove herself as a truly formidable artist. Barefoot and clad in a black two-piece suit with metallic silver fringe, the musician came to the festival armed with all the energy of a woman scorned – reflective of her album ‘CACTI,’ Nomates presented a performance which was equally parts prickly as it was sincere. The whole set that was delivered was a treat to witness, but standout highlights from this set included: ‘black curtains in the bag,’ ‘same gun’ and set-closer ‘spite’. If you haven’t had the privilege of listening to Nomates’ music before, I would urge you to devote some time to an exploration of her musical catalogue.  

Showcasing her newest album, ‘Black Rainbows’, Leeds-native Corinne Bailey Rae was next to grace the main Cockpit stage. The first sentiment that the singer-songwriter expressed was her heartfelt gratitude at being able to perform to such an immense crowd in her hometown, which was met with significant reciprocal love from the pint-wielding masses.  I am a fan of the ambitious nature of the album, and the seeming divergence it represents for Bailey Rae’s musical career – yet a combination of the set being almost twenty minutes late, and several technical difficulties meaning that no sound could be heard by the audience, unfortunately saw the crowd dispersing to their chosen elective from the other choices of acts and stages. The wings of energy of the album, and Bailey Rae herself, were effectively clipped by purely circumstantial events of the day and ultimately, the crowd was not on side with the set. 

Next to the stage of the CLASH Big Top was a man who I am convinced had to have been a town crier in another life, Baxter Dury. Combining a sporadic bout of poses with a brash and forceful ranting vocal styling, Dury’s set walked the line between an agitated rally, and a critically reflective existential spiral. The self-described ‘posh and unwashed budget nepo baby’ entertained the masses gathered underneath the navy canopy by providing surface-level danceable grooves but dare to look (or listen) closer and a lyricism is revealed that is both consistently witty and self-critical. Dury shares many of the same motivations as IDLES in my view – both posh, and both attempt to make effective satirical music – yet Dury succeeds in doing so, where IDLES do not. By actively maintaining an intellectual level-ground with listeners, as opposed to infantilising and insulting listener intelligence as IDLES do, Baxter Dury’s music functions as a thoroughly self-aware, inherently scathing and fully realised stream of poetry that is as beneficial for the artist as it is to the audience member. 

Image Credit: Jacob Flannery / @jacob_flannery_

Next to grace the Cockpit stage, was real-life Spice Girl – Melanie C, in archetypal cross tattoo and sports bra get-up. Though her solo music received significant positive reception from the gathered crowd, there was an undeniable nostalgia-fuelled craving for some of her older tunes. As the beginning notes of ‘Spice Up Your Life’ sounded out, every woman above a certain age either squealed where they were stood or leaped up from their spots on the grassy banks to partake in the 90’s-nostalgia-fest. A seasoned veteran performer, Mel C then sprang into an energetic sprint of several Spice Girls’ chart toppers, before assuring the crowd that ‘it was okay that she was their second favourite Spice Girl,’ obviously only narrowly dethroned by Leeds-native Mel B. 

Image Credit: Georgina Hurdsfield / @tinyraindropphotography on Instagram

From Spice Girls to Sea Girls – as the indie four-piece took to the stage of the Cockpit, the crowd that now gathered was significantly younger and spritelier than those who had congregated for the previous act. Evidently, from observing those around me, there was a palpable love for the band amongst the festival’s Gen Z attendees – but Sea Girls were definitely not for me as it felt like starter-indie-pop music with simple lyricism and repetitive fills. Listening to this type of music was undoubtedly a phase that I went through as a fresh-faced 16-year-old, but I can now say that I am firmly out of this phase at this point. 

Following Sea Girls at the Cockpit stage was Declan Mckenna – which from crowd reception alone seemed to be the day’s most anticipated act. Greeting the crowd with his instantly recognisable and quintessentially ‘Declan Mckenna’ kitsch costumes and visuals, the singer was welcomed by the loving crowd as though he was an old friend. 

With the crowd chanting the singer’s name to the tune of the familiar thump of the White Stripes’ ‘Seven Nation Army,’ it didn’t take long for McKenna to unfurl into his offbeat and quietly confident persona. Reflective of his widespread popularity, the singer spared little time for menial crowd interaction, instead using the allocated time to blaze through various consecutive hits charting the course of his almost-10-year-long career. 

Image Credit: Georgina Hurdsfield / @tinyraindropphotography on Instagram

I couldn’t help but admire the commitment of some of the crowd members, (most of whom donned Declan McKenna tour t-shirts) but my attention was piqued by two guys who had worn Brazil football t-shirts, arming themselves with Brazil flags in preparation for McKenna’s most commercially successful, and perhaps best-loved single. The love for Declan McKenna on behalf of the crowd was both palpable and electric, with the musician’s charismatic and passionate performance proving just why this was the case. I also never thought I’d be in a ‘mosh pit’ to some of Declan McKenna’s singles, but I guess there’s a first time for everything! Highlights from this illustrious set included: the politically charged anthem ‘British Bombs,’ the existential ‘The Key to Life on Earth,’ and obviously the indie staple ‘Brazil’ (throughout which I couldn’t see McKenna, instead having to see the backs of people atop shoulders.) 

Ironically, against the setting of a piss-wet-through field, the band whose most successful single refers to ‘T-Shirt Weather’ could not have been scheduled to perform at a less appropriate time. Circa Waves were unfortunately treated to a weaker, and significantly soaked crowd – with most of those in attendance choosing to see The Cribs who were conveniently performing underneath the shelter of the CLASH big top. It was at this point where the heavy rain began to push out a considerable amount of the festival’s guests before some of the headlining performances. Lucky for us, those who remained seemed in higher spirits than those who began to pile into their cars to head home. Not getting any drier, those gathered at the Cockpit to witness the last act of the day resigned themselves to make the most of the bad weather in true British fashion. Who needs to be dry, anyway?  

By the time that headliners The Kooks took to the Cockpit stage, the rain ponchos were out in full-force – or at least for those veterans who brought them as an insurance measure. For those unluckily not clad in weather-preventative clothes, the reality of the colds of the near future began to settle in. A dazzling jewel in the crown of the British music scene and arguable litmus test for an individual’s ‘Britishness’, The Kooks beamed through their impressive discography balancing their older material with newer singles. With sun-bleached and optimistic singles like ‘Junk of the Heart (Happy)‘, The Kooks brought a much-needed warming quality to an otherwise dismal setting. There was something so thoroughly moving about hearing the first song I remember loving as a small child, (the monolithic ‘She Moves in Her Own Way’) performed in such a way which was indistinguishable from the 18-year-old studio recording. Also, it was equally as moving to see a congregation of thoroughly sodden attendees abandoning all sense of inhibition and shamelessly unite for the last act, even if any movement of the feet meant kicking up wet mud with each step. The last song of the day fittingly came in the form of the band’s undeniably most popular single, Inside In/Inside Out’s (2006) scorned track ‘Naïve.’ As the crowd belted out the line ‘Hold on to your kite / Just don’t let me down,’ the four-piece were almost inaudible on account of the audience’s fervour and palpable love for the single. 

Image Credit: Danny Payne / @dannypaynephoto

And with that, the 2024 festival season begins with a huge crash, mammoth bang and a gargantuan wallop. This year’s instalment of Live At Leeds in the Park had it all – a dazzlingly impressive roster of acts, electric performances from firmly established fan favourites, cordial introductions to your next musical obsession, mosh pits and dad-dancing, and of course, a healthy dose of rain (because what’s a British festival without some unfortunately humbling British weather.) 

Live At Leeds in the City takes place on the 16^th November 2024 in various venues across the city. Find out more information here: https://www.liveatleeds.com/