Alice and Sophia brought you their guide to Live at Leeds last week, to ensure you knew who to see if you were lucky enough to go. But, maybe you couldn’t get there. Well, after a week of basking in that post-gig glow, they’re back to tell you all about the very best bits, whether you want to relive it all, or just see what you missed.
After an amazing weekend of perfect weather and live music, we (Alice and Sophia) are sitting down to review our first visit to Live at Leeds. Hopefully, it will be the first of many more to come.
The Orielles
Kicking things off, just as the midday sun reached its zenith, were The Orielles in Trinity Church. You might have expected, what with the the band being announced a few days before as a special guest, that there wouldn’t be a big turn out, but this was anything but the case. The church quickly packed out and reached capacity, leaving many turned away disappointed. Once the band got things started, it became easy to see why they drew so much last-minute attention.
Their set included tracks like ‘I Only Bought It For The Bottle’ and ‘Old stuff, New Glass’, and ended with the powerful ‘Sugar Tastes Like Salt’. These, and more, formed a diverse set that showcased heaps of talent. The constant fluctuation between buildups and breakdowns, underlined by punchy basslines, kept the crowd consistently on their toes, as the band took full advantage of the church’s acoustics.
Moncrieff
Having only released two songs at present, crowd size was difficult to anticipate for Moncrieff. However, the venue quickly attracted a modest audience, and people were drawn from the bar as he began to address the crowd.
The set was honest and friendly from the start, with Moncrieff urging the crowd to stand closer to the stage so as to make things look a little less awkward. By the start of the second song, though, he was already in amongst the crowd, even encouraging everyone to hum the intro — a brave move considering the crowd size and the fact that most had probably never heard the song (this was not one of his two released tracks).
As the set progressed, stunning vocals were interspersed with intimate, heartfelt stories about his late brother. The songs ranged from the inspiring to the funny: the latter namely being ‘Serial Killer’, a track, about an ex-girlfriend that elicited laughter from the whole crowd.
Overall, Moncrieff delivered a big performance on a small stage, and by the end you would have been hard-pressed not to be a fan.
Superorganism
One of the sets we were most excited for was Superorganism, the intercontinental, eight-piece supergroup. Their quirky pop vibes and virtual-art visual effects had the crowd dancing from the very first song. But, before they began, lead singer Orono Noguchi was sure to welcome the crowd, and confess her excitement at being back in Leeds little over a month since their last gig in the city.
The band were the first to play the Independent stage that day, but it didn’t stop the venue from filling up. If anything, this just went to show that Superorganism aren’t just making big waves online, and what followed only proved that even further. One of the most memorable aspects of the performance was the three backing vocalists who took centre stage with their eccentric dance moves and equally eccentric attire — if you’ve seen the band live you might well know exactly what we mean.
Ending their set with the funky ‘Something for your M.I.N.D’, Superorganism’s performance was iconic, easily making them a highlight of the day. Their unique stage presence rightfully drew a large crowd and set a high standard to compete with for the headline acts to come.
Stereo Honey
We also paid an impromptu visit to Church to see Stereo Honey — we couldn’t resist having a listen after our attention was caught by some mesmerising vocals echoing out of the venue. To our surprise, when we got inside, we weren’t faced with the solo artist we expected, but instead found a four-piece band with a Nothing But Thieves-esque sound. The crowd wasn’t as large as the band deserved, but more fool those who missed it. Pete Restrick’s powerful vocals filled the ornately windowed church and made for a moving set.
Spring King
Spring King are known for their lively stage presence and the electric atmosphere of their gigs, so it was a shame to learn that their set-time clashed with the equally good The Magic Gang. It was a tough decision to be faced with, but we definitely made the right choice in the end.
Covering all their top tracks, including ‘City’ and ‘Who Are You’, the band lit up the crowd with their energy. The only downside here was the sweat pouring from the walls, but it was a small price to pay.
Finishing off with ‘Rectifier’, as always, they left the crowd wanting more, but after exhausting their discography, we were left no choice but to leave and eagerly await their next release.
The Vaccines
The Vaccines’ headline set at the O2 Academy was a testament to why they are a prime example of a great British band. As they took to the stage, a breathless ninety minutes of back-to-back hits was in store — and when we say ‘hit’, that might as well be every song the band has written.
From the beginning, the crowd went crazy, belting out lyrics back to the band and opening up moshpits, trying to make the gig as rowdy as possible. The set included many of the songs from their new album Combat Sports, which came out earlier this year. These tracks were well-received by the crowd, but the highlights were definitely the classics: ‘If You Wanna’ and‘ Post Break-Up Sex’ went down a treat. Meanwhile, ‘Norgaard’ was another highlight: a high-energy, fast-paced performance that saw us float from the middle of the crowd to almost at the front, amidst a wave of dancing fans.
The band’s encore ended with ‘All In White’, a song that’s always an amazing experience to hear live. The slow build-up created a tension amongst the crowd before they unleashed the chorus and were met by the biggest sing-a-long of the night (though this may have just been because of how loud we were singing). It’s difficult to articulate the ecstatic, feel-good vibe The Vaccines’ gigs capture, but they were undoubtedly a fitting headline; an unforgettable high to draw an incredible day to a close.
Bruno Major
Finishing off our night at Headrow House (the NME stage), we found ourselves in a trendy but impersonal venue. Despite the concrete floors and blacked out windows, though, Bruno Major managed to make it feel homely.
In August 2017 he completed his ‘A Song for Every Moon’ collection. This experimental album consisted of tracks that were released upon each full moon for a full year. His aim with the project was to re-inspire himself and rekindle his musical creativity, an idea that rose out of an introspective experience on DMT. The low stage at the venue meant the band themselves were slightly obscured, but they still managed to create a relaxed and intimate atmosphere that fit their music perfectly.
With a sound approaching a synthesis of Tom Odell and 2000’s Bruno Mars, this vibrant set was a chance to relax and soak up some great music from a stunningly talented artist — a perfect way to round off the day.
We have every expectation that next year’s Live at Leeds will consist of an equally exceptional line-up as this year’s, but we’ll still treasure the memory of Live at Leeds, 2018. To witness such a diverse array of artists and bands, amongst the company of so many likeminded music-lovers, made for nothing short of a magical day.
Article: Alice Cronshaw and Sophia Bonner
Editor: Alex Sheriff
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