Walking through the gates of my first ever Leeds festival was a feeling like no other. Arriving late afternoon on the Thursday, we were greeted with a sea of tents and people already in the festival spirit.
Walking through the camp, already with a cold can of Amstel in hand, I knew it was going to be a weekend to remember. Leeds is known for both its stacked and diverse lineup, with the heaviest of metal acts donning the same stages as some of the hottest Grime rappers in the UK.
The Thursday of a festival is always reserved for setting up, chilling out and having a few cold beers. There were some local acts playing, but I didn't manage to catch any. Our festival started with popular festival vloggers TPD TV and their famous DJ set at the Piccadilly Party. With the songs ranging from Catfish and The Bottlemen to Carly Rae Jepsen, it was the perfect way to kickstart the 2019 festival.
Waking up on Friday, we got ready as fast as we could (quick baby-wipe shower and energy drink breakfast) and headed straight to the arena for a very special band on the Festival Republic stage. Edinburgh's own Vistas opened the stage, a band we are all too familiar with here at Discovery Music. Having personally seen the band around 15 times, they never fail to disappoint in their live capability.
After heading over to the media tent after this for a quick catch up with The Snuts and Prentice from Vistas (all available to hear on our podcast) before running to the mainstage to see the tail end of Yungblud's set. The sheer ferocity and intensity of his live set blew me away. Having listened to his debut EP before growing away from him, seeing the last few minutes of his set was a real wake up call to get involved with his music again.
Immediately after I ran over to the Radio 1 tent to catch The Story So Far's amazing pop-punk show. In recent years vocalist Parker has shied away from being as active on stage, donning the parka and standing with his hands behind his back like Liam Gallagher while performing live. However, the intensity of the music still shines through, with tracks like "Quicksand" getting the tent raring to go.
The Amazons were the next band I managed to see. The band are a total rock and roll outfit, donning classic rocker clothes on stage with beautiful guitar tones. Massive songs like "Mother" and "Stay With Me" blew me away, and the sounds of screaming fans filled the packed out tent. They are definitely a band I would see again, are certainly due to play a larger stage in the coming years.
After The Amazons we had a short walk around the festival and a bite to eat and drink. The food options catered for everyone, with vegan and veggie options all around. With so many vendors as well, queuing was never an issue. We got into a comfortable position up the front for a band I have waited far too long to finally see live, A Day To Remember.
The US rockers were nothing short of amazing. The way they blend heavy riffs and vocals with beautiful pop-punk sounds so easily was a spectacle to watch. Seeing such a heavy band second from headline at a major festival was a delight and a great sign of things to come for the future.
It was now time for an act I was all to excited for, the mighty Foo Fighters. It had to have been the quickest two and a half hours of my life, with the band powering through hit after hit during their mammoth set. "The Pretender" and a cover of "Under Pressure" by Queen (accompanied by a fan dressed up as Freddie on stage) were personal highlights for me. Closing with a spectacular firework show and their hit song "Everlong", it was a gig I will likely never forget.
The Saturday of the festival was one of the most packed days on the lineup. The day started with Scottish rap/rock heroes The LaFontaines over on the Radio 1 Dance Stage. The band always know how to turn a crowd of strangers into best pals through music and dance and this performance was no exception. The classic "Pon De Fonts" is the perfect festival song and Kerr Okans energy was enough for people to leave with a huge grin.
Quickly running over to catch some of Sea Girls set on the Radio 1 stage, the tent was already packed for such an early set. I only managed to catch a couple of tracks before going over to the main stage to see Glasgow's own Twin Atlantic.
Being a self-admitted superfan of Twin, this was one of my most anticipated sets of the entire weekend. Not only was this one of their first gigs in a good while, but they were also debuting a new track as well.
Sam McTrusty owned the stage for the half an hour they were on, strutting his stuff in a brand new two-piece suit. New song Volcano exceeded expectation and its safe to say Twin are going to come back with a bang.
After Twin were finished, I had a lot of interviews over in the press tent (which you can hear on our podcast, seriously have a listen) which took a few hours out my day. After a quick visit to the festival angels and First Aid tents to try and cure my lost voice and sore throat, it was time for more music.
I caught a snippet of You Me At Six over on the main stage before heading back up to the Radio 1 stage for Joji's set. I was excited to see Joji as I had heard a lot about him from friends on the lead up to the festival but never actually listened.
His unique sound captured me and pulled me in as soon as I arrived, along with his between-song patter. His hit single "Slow Dancing In The Dark" was a truly special moment and despite not knowing any of the words, I felt part of something very special.
After a short walk around the stalls on-site and a couple of beers later, it was time to tick another band off the bucket list - Royal Blood. Since they released their debut album in 2014, I have wanted to experience a Royal Blood show.
I almost forgot how many huge songs the two rockers had, powering through banger after banger in their sub-headline slot. With massive rock songs such as "Figure It Out", "Out Of The Black" and personal favourite "Lights Out", it was a really special moment finally seeing them rock the main stage.
The 1975 have been absolutely killing it recently, with their last album going straight to number one last November. Opening their headline slot with brand new song "People" you could feel the energy straight away. Playing all their hits from their three albums, the atmosphere in the field was beautiful to be a part of.
"Robbers" is a massive fan favourite and when the band played that you could feel the emotions in the crowd - I even shed a tear myself. Closing their huge headline set with "Sex" and "The Sound" it was the most beautiful way to close a very special Saturday in the fields.
Heading back to the tent, we were all still in a massive party mood from the huge headline show we had just witnessed. Picking up some beers and Dissaronno, we went straight to the famous Leeds late-night parties. The Relentless after dark stage was like something straight out of Tomorrowland. A spectacle of screens and lasers in among the trees, it was a surreal experience, Calling it a night, we headed for food and went back to the tent around 3 am.
My Sunday was quiet in terms of bands I wanted to see, but the quality of music I saw was extraordinary. The first act I wanted to check out was Boston Manor on the Radio 1 stage. They weren't on until 1:20 pm so it was nice to chill in the shade with a cool soft drink while we waited for their performance.
The band were 100% my musical highlight of the weekend, something I never expected. The energy and raw passion for their music had me pitting and screaming the lyrics back. It was undoubtedly a massive moment for the Blackpool boys and a set I won't forget about in a hurry.
It was then over to the press area again to interview some more bands for the podcast. I ran to the main stage to catch some of Billie Eilish before running to see the fabulous Blood Youth tear The Pit stage apart. They were one of the heaviest bands I'd seen all weekend, with one of the rowdiest crowds. Next up was internet sensation Poppy in The Pit tent.
I'm a huge fan of her unique blend of soft pop with the heavy riffs and drums behind, it is a truly different experience to anything I have seen before. The tiny tent was packed for her set and the crowd reeled in every second, with lyrics being sung and everyone jumping along.
After a while of chilling with a beer in the shade, it was time for the first of two headliners. Twenty One Pilots last played the festival in 2016 and their grand return is a co-headline spot with Post Malone - a pretty huge upgrade from the tent last time. Known for their live show and crowd interaction, they really hit it out the park.
With huge tunes and getting the crowd to dance along, it was a true festival set. Getting the security to dance on the big screens and even a cover of Oasis classic "Don't Look Back In Anger" featuring Post Malone, it was an unforgettable set from the Ohio two-piece.
After a brief appearance during Twenty One Pilots set, it was time for Post Malone to close an unforgettable weekend. Opening his set with "Wow." the crowd was alive with smiles, dancing and singing. His unique blend of pop and rap made an interesting headline slot and even just watching someone of his stature was enough to make you shiver. he closed with his hit "Congratulations", marking the end of the 2019 Leeds festival.
I would personally like to thank Festival Republic for giving me the opportunity to go down to Leeds and experience both my first festival and first press tent experience. It was one of the best times of my life and something I am very grateful for. See you next year, Leeds?
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