Leeds Festival: Past and present – the festivals rock on
It's the August Bank Holiday which means the Leeds Festival is back in town. Chris Bond looks at why, regardless of the weather, we just can't get enough of music in the great outdoors.
IT'S 40 years since as many as 700,000 people descended on Afton Down, a sprawling farm site near the tiny village of Freshwater on the Isle of Wight, to give the dying hippy dream one last hurrah.
The ensuing rock festival has since gone down in folklore as among the largest of all time – bigger than Woodstock, Live Aid and Rock in Rio. Those who made the arduous journey to this usually tranquil corner of the British Isles, watched such eminent performers as Miles Davis, Leonard Cohen, The Who, Joni Mitchell, The Doors, and Jimi Hendrix. Less than three weeks later Hendrix was dead and within 12 months Jim Morrison, The Doors charismatic frontman, had also met a similarly premature end.
It is unlikely that this year's Leeds Festival, or for that matter its sister event at Reading, will leave such a lasting imprint on popular culture, but then times have changed.
Whereas the Isle of Wight festival was a logistical nightmare with the audience increasing the island's population seven times over, these days festivals are much slicker affairs, organised
with military precision. There are designated campsites, litter bins and toilets that not only work, but don't threaten to reduce your
life expectancy.
The Leeds Festival may not quite have the same kudos as Glastonbury, but it has quickly established itself as one of the biggest rock music events in Europe.
When it started back in 1999, fewer than 20,000 people turned up to watch an impressive line-up that included The Chemical Brothers, Blur and the Red Hot Chilli Peppers. Since then it has become a firm fixture on Yorkshire's music calendar and today another capacity 70,000 crowd will descend on the stunning Bramham Park country estate for the annual
three-day bash.
This year there are six different stages, including the BBC's introducing stage promoting the potential stars of tomorrow, with more than 230 bands and artists performing.
The Alternative Stage features a growing comedy programme with Jason Byrne, Stephen K Amos and Kevin Bridges among those topping the bill.
For most people, though, it's all about the music which this year ranges from headliners Arcade Fire, Blink 182 and Guns N Roses, to acclaimed up and coming acts like Delphic, Magnetic Man and The Sunshine Underground.
Despite this rich array of musical talent there are some people who feel that modern rock music festivals have become little more than glorified corporate love-ins, and in doing so have lost the communal spirit that made them so memorable.
Leeds Festival boss Melvin Benn disagrees.
"Culture has changed quite dramatically in the last 40 years and I think much of the spirit of festivals changes year on year. But the successful festivals, whether they have crowds of 5,000, or 70,000 like Leeds, they all provide a sense of community, which is one
key thing that defines any great festival."
He believes, too, that those attending festivals have changed.
"The people who went to the Isle of Wight Festival in 1970 and Reading the year after were a much more marginalised group of people in society who were opting out. Whereas people who go to festivals today are bankers, doctors, nurses, plumbers and secretaries who don't want to opt out of society, they want to enjoy it."
The Leeds Festival takes place at Bramham Park from today to Sunday, August 29.
Festival highlights
FRIDAY
Arcade Fire – Arguably the best band around at the moment, the Canadian alt-rockers are riding on the crest of a wave after their third album, The Suburbs, reached number one this month. A bonafide headline act, music doesn't get better than this.
The Libertines – Like the Velvet Underground before them, The Libertines inspired kids all over the country to start a band. The love-hate relationship of their two key protagonists has been well chronicled and their reunion may well prove to be brief, which makes their appearance at the festival all the more special.
SATURDAY
Cypress Hill – Many have tried but few have succeeded in creating a hip-hop sound that appeals to both street kids and rock fans. Even now, after more than 20 years in the business, the LA hip hop crew continue to show the bling brigade how it should be done.
Band of Horses – This South Carolina-based quintet have quietly been going about their business since releasing their debut album Everything All The Time in 2004. If you're an indie fan with a soft spot for shimmering guitars and haunting vocals, then this lot are well worth watching.
SUNDAY
Guns N Roses – He may have the timekeeping skills of the Mad Hatter, but Axl Rose remains one of rock music's most charismatic frontmen and his band
have a back catalogue of anthems to make most their rivals weep.
Mumford & Sons – Emerging from London's nu-folk scene which kick started the careers of Laura Marling and Noah And The Whale, this four-piece band blend a pleasing mixture of folk, country and bluegrass.
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Weather for Yorkshire
Sunday 12 February 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 0 C to 5 C
Wind Speed: 7 mph
Wind direction: North west
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: 4 C to 8 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: North west
