Whilst
the media and the world focuses on Reading once again I arrive on-site
at the superior leg of the Carling Weekend, yes I said superior. A superior
site, larger line-up (taking in the unsigned stage and finer array of
comedians) and none of the headaches caused by the biblical flooding.
As the sun beats down a site a girl walks past adorned with the slogan
'Nevermind Reading - We're at Leeds'.
Municipal
Waste
These Thrash-jokers are fast, loud, tight and very, very fookin’
heavy. Dropping the much publicised stage gimmickry (man dressed as
a shark, anyone?). Front-man Tony Foresta urges us to ‘fuck shit
up’ and comedy-metal-carnage ensues. Songs about 'moshing on jesus'
face', ripping your own face off whilst head-banging and 'terror sharks'
can't really be taken seriously but backed with the metal onslaught
from 'the people's thrash band' it is serious fun. They also induce
the craziest mosh-pit antics and a truly psychopathic 'wall of death'.
New
Young Pony Club
I really want to enjoy buzz-band New Young Pony Club - they have all
the right elements, stolen from post-punk 1981, a revered and sexy front-woman
and the will to be damn-funky. They threaten to be dynamic but never
divert from a one-dimensional rhythmical flow which has about as much
life as a rotting corpse. Tahita Bulmer brings the stage to life, strutting
and jutting like a woman possessed but even this isn't enough to save
the day - so I leave. NYPC are soul music for the soul-less.
Kubichek
Kubichek are a massive disappointment. I have seen this band before,
even though I haven't.
Dwarves
The man naked except for a gimp mask and a pair of boots and wiggling
his schlong is the Dwarves long-serving guitarist Hewhocannotbenamed
and as he strikes the first cord, the rest of the band bound on stage
for some punk-rock debauchery. The naughty adolescents that never grew
up, Dwarves are intent on challenging the status quo. Blag Dahlia goads
the crowd to 'throw shit at me' and offers the mantra 'Riots not love'
(opposing the campaign the stop violence at the event) and repeats 'you
know you're in the presence of rock n roll legend'. The songs are classics
- 'I will deny' proves this.
Kate
Nash
Kate Nash is stunned by the huge crowd, almost as stunned as I am to
see an artist with a number 1 album on one of the smaller stages. The
spiralling popularity of single 'Foundations' has filled the Carling
Stage to overspill, and forces one of the weekend’s most whole-hearted
sing alongs. Whether behind her piano or with an acoustic guitar, Nash
is an effortless performer and she is reassuringly modest when gifted
with such a talent for marrying complex life-narratives with simple
uplifting pop tunes.
Nine
Inch Nails
Industrial legends Nine Inch Nails have come under some critical fire
in recent years, but as 'Sin' explodes from the stage all doubts are
dispelled.
NIN soundtrack your darkest thoughts and societal collapse and Trent
Reznor now beefed-up, healthy and looking mean leads the aural armed
response. Initially the band rock it up, stripped back with no visuals
and just the power of the electro-metal madness to spur on the crowd.
Then the band leave as a visual screen is lowered half across the stage
- laptops and synths are wheeled out and the band bang through 10 minutes
of glitchy, electronic noise so compelling my head spins before the
full-band onslaught continues. Mind-blowing visuals, which include Reznor
performing inside a static-filled TV screen, complete the mind-melt.
The set ends with classic 'hit' 'Head like a hole' and an explosive
wall of guitar feed-back as the band destroy the stage. We have all
but left when Reznor appears inside an eclipse to strike up the piano
notes to 'Hurt' a performance so beautiful my heart nearly stops - the
band bound on stage to bring it to a head and it's all over. NIN have
laid waste to Leeds.
Smashing
Pumpkins
Whether this is a cynical cash-in or not is of little consequence with
a spectacle as immense as this. Billy Corgan, dropping the crazy costumes,
cuts an impressive figure leading his band through a spattering of new
tunes like the colossal rock-juggernaut 'Tarantula' interspersed with
tracks that defined an era - 'Zero', '1979' and 'Bullet With Butterfly
Wings' sound as vital as they did ten years ago.
The pop brilliance of 'Tonight, Tonight' and 'Today' prove why this
band's reunion has caused such a stir. Corgan calls tonight an honour,
but the 'honour' is really all ours.
The
Pipettes
Flying the pop flag of crazy wig-wearing genius Phil Spector with aplomb
Britain's best girl-group are perfect summertime fun. Their brilliantly
manufactured pre-Beatles girl-pop - all sugary-sweet doo-wop tunes,
synchronised dances and hand-claps - is wonderfully kitsch. Classic
sounds blended with a modern-day sass.
The
Long Blondes
Stealing old ideas, without any irony, are The Long Blondes. The Misty's
Big Adventure track 'Fashion Parade' could have been written as a history
of the Blondes, charting a band who buy a load of post-punk records,
rip them off and make lots of money. They sound like it's 1981 and look
like it's 1981, oozing a style that's not their own. If mimickery is
the highest form of flattery then The Long Blondes must really love
early eighties new-wave.
Gogol
Bordello
The gypsy-punks manic party-performances have elevated them to main-stage
status. A flailing, bristling, engaging and totally arresting experience
there's nothing quite like the manic musical circus led by Eugene Hutz.
Punk sounds are off-set with violin, accordion and classic folk-fervour.
The old world collides with the new and gets the whole of Leed's dancing
uncontrollably.
Blood
Red Shoes
Blood Red Shoes take no prisoners with their primal, two-piece, gutter
punk. Side-stepping any notion of pop-sensibility, the pair blow-minds
and perforate ear-drums with angst-filled, middle-finger-pointing punk
noise - it's not big and it's not clever but it really rocks. Laura
Mary Carter's part in this dirty punk exhibition makes her all the more
alluring - I feel dirty but I like it!
Piskie
Sits
Bringing forth a surprisingly full and accomplished live sound compared
to their lo-fi gem of an album Piskie Sits are one the weekends surprise
highlights. Indebted to Pavement and the lo-fi 'slacker' scene, the
band bring a Yorkshire spin to their twisted pop. The band dispatch
copies of new single 'What's the point?' which, ending the set, makes
people clamber for further copies - Piskie Sits deserve to go far.
Gossip
Gossip's reputation has grown almost as large as their bountiful front-woman
Beth Dito. The crushing repetitiveness of their funk-punk (funky bass
and frentic punk blasts), once so engaging but emerging as their one
trick, highlights that it is Dito's challenging persona (overweight,
a lesbian and white with as soulful a voice as any) that is driving
them forward. Today, however, even Dito seems out of sorts and goes
through the motions, her voice is amazing and she is still the most
intriguing rock-star around, but nothing can elevate Gossip's descent
into blandness.
Maximo
Park
Maximo Park have morphed from twee, indie-geek outsiders into a full
fledged 'rock' band with a renewed swagger. Paul Smith, may still look
awkward, but gone are the poetry readings and mid-song musings of old,
replaced by big rock showmanship. The old tunes still sound fresh and
'My Velocity' proves them to be one of the more interesting art-indie
bands and one that have earned promotion to festival main-stages.
The
Bronx
Punk rock in huge capital letters. Front-man Matt Caughthran stands
on the barrier: "This song goes out to all the psychopaths. You
better get ready" and he's head-first into the pit causing carnage
in an already heaving pit - The Bronx aren't fashionable, they aren't
faking they are the real deal - pure unadulterated hardcore punk rock.
Ash
Like seeing an old-friend after years Ash fill me with an overwhelming
sense of nostalgia and reassurance. The new material is blinding, but
it is the well-known classics like 'Kung Fu', 'Oh Yeah' and 'A Life
Less Ordinary' which put the crowd in the palm of their hands - always
one of Britain's best live acts, Ash still rock the big one and when
they play 'Jack Names The Planets' off first EP Trailer as an encore
I nearly bounce my legs out of their sockets.
Crystal
Castles
An opening slice of aural-terrorism (a cut n paste swear-fest taken
from NWA records) alludes to some sense of controversy. But there's
no substance over the flash-in-the-pan fashionista 'nu-rave' style.
Piss-poor electroclash, rave and electro-pop sounds emit from two masked
try-hards whilst a front-woman dances and shouts with faked riot-grrl
attitude. Totally contrived codswallop.
Brakes
Annual festival-favs Brakes just don't know how to disappoint. They
simply get better each time I see them, their off-kilter country-punk
tunes meander in new directions each time they are played. 'All Night
Disco Party' is disco-rock perfection.
The
Noisettes
There's nothing particularly fresh about The Noisettes soul-filled garage-rock
but they bring a rock n roll carnival to Leeds. Front-woman Shingai
Shoniwa adorned in some tribal head-gear commands the stage, strutting
her stuff singing in sweet Billie Holiday tones one minute and screaming
like a banshee the next. Crazily charismatic The Noisettes enthral to
the last note.
Dan
Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip
This year one tune has been vital listening for new music fans, 'Thou
Shalt Always Kill' from Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip re-wrote the UK
hip-hop rule book with it's darkly satirical look at popular culture
and society over a glitchy electronic backdrop. The prospect of this
track alone has packed out the Dance Tent. Scroobius Pip is a unique
MC, his thoughtful beat-poetry proves him as a grandly intellectual
word-smith and a purveyor of poignant modern philosophies, either that
or simply, very amusing rants on what gets his back up. Either way the
assembled throng hangs on his every word, as he performs track after
amazing track. A missive on UK hip hop rhymed over Le Sac's electro-destruction
of Dizee Rascal's 'Fix Up, Look Sharp' is a brilliant appraisal of the
transformation of art into pop commodity and another track brilliantly
uses a Radiohead sample causing recognitionary smiles amongst the assembled
'indie' crowd.
'Thou..' causes pandemonium and is made more brilliant as the sharply
satirical lines targeting the NME and Hollyoaks reverberate from stage
200 yards from the NME stage and within earshot of half the Hollyoaks
cast sunning themselves in the 'guest area'. The show is excellent and
whilst this isn't hop hop in the strictest sense it is fresh, exciting
and totally invigorating.
The
Shins
There's nothing more summery than The Shins' lush, multi-layered indie-pop.
They have, strangely, not struck a cord with fans in the UK and this
is apparent in the main stage crowd’s lack-lustre response. Nonetheless
the music is perfect, all sweeping West Coast harmonies and twee, floating
guitar loveliness. The Shins' make 'real' indie and are one of the best
bands in the world.
Foals
Oxford’s Foals have lost their edge, their sound is now stream-lined
and populist and their side-on performance disconnects them from the
crowd. All their arty, experimental ambitions are lost in a sea of repetitiveness.
Tokyo
Police Club
Tokyo Police Club tread the well-trodden indie-path laid by The Strokes.
Arty-indie, trembly guitar punctuated by chanty vocals played with an
infectious energy that will undoubtedly take them into the indie big
leagues. There's something exciting about their live offering, adding
a quirky edge missing from so many bands of their ilk.
Bloc
Party
Bloc Party have arrived! After two amazing albums and loads of touring
the Bloc Party live machine is running smoothly. Taking a spattering
of arty-80s influences and bringing them up to date, Bloc Party always
stood out from the crowd. Today Kele Okereke is commanding and the band
are tighter than the bolts on a brand new VW Beetle.
Arcade
Fire
Arcade Fire provide a performance that is more akin to a religious conversion
than watching a festival set. As the sun sets I am overcome by the most
blisteringly joyous sounds known to man, performed with such conviction
the band seem to be possessed by some higher-power. This multi-instrumental
magic could come from heaven's own orchestra and I am totally converted
to whatever they are offering. They finish and I leave because after
witnessing Arcade Fire, nothing else matters.
by
James Thornhill
