Saturday @ Leeds Festival

Half an hour into Leeds Festival and I wanted to go home. The mud was ridiculous. Luckily, not only am I precious, I also have Scrooge tendencies and the ticket had cost 180 pounds – to waste it would have been close to sin.
 
The better line up today was the NME/Radio 1 stage – The Metros opened the show but sadly I’m not familiar with their music so I couldn’t possibly tell you how good a show it was, likewise Yeasayer although you will be pleased to find out that their bassist closely resembled Kip from Napoleon Dynamite when he went through his hip-hop phase – moustache included - which was of course fantastic.
 
Adam Green came next. I love Adam Green. I think his music is brilliant and his outfits even more so. He did not disappoint despite the fact he’d broken his foot in ‘Notting-ham’ last night. And the outfit – how does a tasselled t-shirt sound? That’s right, you heard it, tasselled. All the way down the arms. The show included songs like Carolina, Festival Song and Leaky Flask. Unfortunately for Adam his microphone stand was playing along. By the end of the last song it had broken in half but luckily he just did what any self-respecting artist would do and pretended to ride it across the stage like a pony.

I had to wait till half past 7 to see another artist I love although I did pop in to see Pendulum. It was the worst thing that has ever happened to me. I lasted about half an hour in the moshpit before I made my excuses i.e. fought my way out. I only went in there in the first place so I could get front row for Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band who were exceptional, despite a lukewarm reception from the crowd. They opened with NYC – Gone, Gone, a perfect choice as it is both short and snappy, and finished with I Don’t Want To Die (In The Hospital) rounding off a set which was more energetic than you may have suspected from the boy behind Bright Eyes.
 
Last Shadow Puppets next. It was only their third gig but fortunately it turns out they both have experience with other bands so they were kind enough to playe a brilliant show anyway. They even had the generosity to play my favourite song, Seperate And Ever Deadly, which was great when I could hear it over the shouts of ‘I Love You Alex!’
 
I’ve got to say, I was so tired by the end of their show I had to move towards the back for The Cribs. I have seen them before and know the carnage they cause in the moshpit but tonight everyone in the tent was loving them – even considering the fact Ryan Jarman did ‘damn us all to hell if we’re booing Metallica’. Previously a threesome, The Cribs recruited former Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr (or as Ryan called him, Johnny Jarman) earlier in the year to play with them on the NME Shockwaves tour and he has now become a fully fledged member of the band. Lucky for us this meant new songs which, being The Cribs, is always a treat. They opened and closed with classic songs, ‘Our Bovine Public’ and ‘I’m a Realist’ respectively so they had the whole tent singing, actually, earlier in the day Lightspeed Champion had led the crowd through a quick rendition of I’m a Realist and told us he would be in the middle of the moshpit. I didn’t see him but who knows? It is not as if his hat makes him stand out from a crowd

Reading and Leeds starts on Friday

I’m setting off tomorrow but I’ll be writing the blog for www.Leedsfestival.com so I think you can probably click there and find it somehow. I’ll bring back lots of pictures as well.

 See you on the other side!

Free Coldplay download

If you like that sort of thing

You can download new song ‘Death Will Never Conquer’ from Coldplay.com now. It’s not on the album Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends but it was recorded in the same sessions.

I haven’t downloaded it so I can’t tell you how good it is. Coldplay have always been a bit too bland for me but feel free to tell me what you think about it.

The Virgins – Rich Girls

Starring supermodel Behati Prinsloo. I love it.

John Lennon’s killer denied parole

 

Because he’s crazy (Or as the parole board put it, a ‘concern for public safety and welfare’).

Mark Chapman, who is now 53, infamously shot Lennon near his New York apartment in 1980.  John Lennon was a genius, and a hero to thousands of people. The parole board called his death ‘a horrendously tragic event which has impacted many individuals’.

Chapman can reapply in 2010 but fingers crossed he’ll stay behind bars for longer than that.

Reading and Leeds – 11 days away

NME are asking readers to vote on who they are most looking forward to seeing. Rage Against The Machine are currently (and unsurprisingly) at the top with a current rating of 7.44 out of 10. 1 being not bothered and 10 being can’t wait.

Here’s my top 10

1.) The Killers – my favourite band when I was 14 and one of the few bands that have survived being ridiculously overplayed by Radio 1.

2.) Adam Green – I can’t wait to see what fantastic outfit he is wearing plus he’s bound to have some banter for the audience. And if he plays Carolina, I’ll love him forever.

3.) The Cribs – The Yorkshire trio (or is it quartet now?) headline the NME stage, I can’t think of a reason I would miss it. Especially since they’ll be playing new songs and maybe injuring themselves.

4.) Conor Oberst – I love his new album.  I Don’t Want To Die (In The Hospital), Lenders In The Temple, Danny Callahan, Cape Canaveral… If he plays any of those it’ll be one of the best shows of the weekend. Plus, if he plays Lua, I might cry.

5.) Vampire Weekend – Oh you already know this one. They’re one of the most hyped about bands of 2008 and not without good reason - I believe I know all the words to their album.

6.) Last Shadow Puppets – First I hated them, now I love them. Lyrically, as clever as Arctic Monkeys. Musically, as classic as Scott Walker – I hope they’re as good live.

7.) We Are Scientists – the funniest band around but they still take their music seriously. The crowd will go mad.

8.) The Raconteurs – I’m hoping Jack will be wearing a fantastic, fantastic outfit. If not, they’ve always got the brilliant songs to fall back on.

9.) Santogold – I just want to hear Lights Out live. I love that song. Hey and maybe she’ll invite Julian and Pharrell onstage for a quick rendition of My Drive Thru… we can hope.

10.) The Teenagers – Good aren’t they?

Conor Oberst – Souled Out!!!

Hands up who else is in love?

Albert and Agyness engaged?

‘They’re really sweet. They basically haven’t been apart for more than three seconds in the past two months,’ a source told US weekly. Agyness’ rep had no comment and Albert’s manager didn’t confirm the rumours, but, he didn’t deny either.

They’ve only been dating two months, have the seen the divorce rates these days? Surely they can wait a little longer? (I’m not jealous Agyness, honest…)