Reading & Leeds has become a right of passage for any self-respecting teenager, regardless of their taste in music. However over the years the festival has seen itself branch out into a vibrant outlet, where you can be sure to feed the musical desires of almost any festivalgoer. 2016’s Leeds Festival however proved to be the year of the newcomers with it representing a slight shift from previously tried and tested formulas, which presented itself in the form of Foals and Disclosure being placed at the top of the bill. Taking no credit away from Disclosure’s rapid rise, Foals have defined the ‘indie rock’ genre and their appearance at this year’s festival was a massive demonstration of what can be done with some hard graft and perseverance.
Despite the plethora of talent that presented itself in the FIVE headliners on show, all of which are capable of surmounting any festival line-up, this year’s line-up can also be seen as a celebration at the current state of the music industry. Despite the constant maligned comments stating that there’s a lack of headliners and a lack of new talent emerging, Leeds Festival took that assertion and tossed it right out of Bramham Park.
Since the last installment of the R&L festivals, grime has seen a meteoric rise in popularity and the movement’s face was certainly on display this weekend. Even going back a few years it would have been hard to imagine the likes of BBK mounting the main stage but the rise has been coming and judging by their performance their next appearance will be even higher up the bill. The mainstream emergence of tracks such as ‘That’s Not Me’ and ‘Shutdown’ was evident as the group sent the crowd into overdrive and the combination of copious pyro with one of the weekend’s most energetic crowds certainly made for a spectacle. Stormzy also treated the Leeds crowd to a helping of the UK’s finest grime with his storming set on the BBC 1Xtra Stage. Could we see a headliner coming from the fastest growing genre around? Maybe a bit too premature, but it’s definitely food for thought.
https://youtu.be/iv3xGoewVWI
The NME/BBC Radio 1 Stage certainly entertained, however it was the acts that I expected to flop that really came out as highlights from the weekend. The initial sighting of The Wombats sub-headlining struck me by surprise but after seeing their dominant set, which threw back the years with the likes of ‘Moving To New York’, they certainly didn’t seem out of place. However it’s pretty safe to expect them to move over for the torrent of new acts that are hurtling skywards. Names such as Blossoms and Spring King come to mind, especially given the fact that both of them packed the tent during their mid-afternoon sets. Armed with both a gargantuan stage presence and the music to match, it’s safe to say that they’ll be invited back soon.
Given the talent on show it’s always hard to cram as many names onto a stage bill as possible and many bands can feel hard done that they weren’t playing higher up. Blaenavon produced a storming set on the Festival Republic Stage, which saw frontman Ben Gregory producing a spectacular dive into the sea of fans that had swarmed to catch a glimpse of them. DMA’S also took the stage by storm, with their Brit-pop infused sound attracting a lot of admirers and flying beer certainly wasn’t a rarity.
The headliners themselves were a fairly safe booking, bar Disclosure and Foals, and it told. Biffy Clyro, to their credit, produced one of the sets of the weekend with their incredible live show ticking all the boxes and leaving little room for improvement. Fall Out Boy however, despite their vast following and previous successes, are petering out and their booking was a very safe move. Despite the incredible stage production, it did little to mask the fact that this is a band who are past their peak; the same can be said of Red Hot Chili Peppers. Now hear me out; they’ve got an incredibly strong discography that’s made for headline slots and have an incredibly tight live shows. However, it’s hard to argue with the fact that Anthony Kiedis’ voice is way past its prime and it’s only the nostalgic moments, which are drawn from tracks such as ‘Californication’, that hide the cracks in their performance.
Festival organisers need to start taking more risks and blooding the new wave of emerging talent, and to their credit, this is exactly what Leeds did. Foals have been knocking at the door for years and their headline slot at R&L was something of an inevitable conclusion. Yannis and co launched a siege upon the stage with singles ‘What Went Down’ and ‘Two Steps, Twice’ creating total carnage and demonstrating why they deserve to be there. Despite the feeling that Foals should have been outright headlining, Disclosure also proved worthy compatriots. The amount of success they’ve experienced in such a short space of time should not be discredited and their endeavors have been duly rewarded.
This year’s festival could be the spark for change and hopefully a catalyst that allows for newer artists to reach even higher pedestals. New music requires support and this is exactly what R&L are providing. Despite the lineup, and even the weather, you’re always guaranteed a weekend of unadulterated fun and this year was no exception.