Photo Credit: Georgina Hurdsfield
The annual LIVE AT LEEDS IN THE PARK returned to Temple Newsam for its third edition over the May bank holiday weekend, featuring a packed line-up of indie rock stalwarts, fresh new musicians, and a handful of undiscovered rising talents.
Kicking things beginning on a dismal Saturday afternoon was young Scottish fella DYLAN JOHN THOMAS. The main stage met spectator’s right out of the gates, and as the throng began to pour down the hill, they were greeted by DJT and his band, who stood in front of an already packed audience. People were dancing along to ‘Jenna‘ and ‘Feel the Fire‘ on the field, and his early set received a positive welcome overall.
Geordie boy ANDREW CUSHIN had just gotten off a flight from Los Angeles. Having just finished his US tour a few days previously, he wasted no time getting back on stage in front of a huge audience, eager for a slew of sing-alongs and personal songs. The lively ‘You Don’t Belong‘ set the tone for this afternoon’s show, with the unreleased single ‘Love Is For Everyone‘ going down well with the Leeds crowd. Despite the band’s jetlag, it had no effect on their on-stage presence; with continual intensity throughout the performance, ‘Wor Flags‘ caught that well for the conclusion of the set, as the audience grew more interested as the song progressed.
Liverpool’s THE MYSTERINES are another band that has swiftly gained popularity in the UK recently. With their second album set to be released later this month, the Mersey foursome started the show with their current single ‘Sink Ya Teeth‘, which was well received throughout the grounds and provided fans new and old a taste of the new material. Household anthems ‘The Last Dance‘ and ‘Dangerous‘ earned the most acclaim of their setlist, and they quickly closed with ‘Stray‘, which displays Lia Metcalfe’s strong vocals that are incredibly fascinating.
The young Mackem TOM A SMITH packed out the day’s tiniest stage. The tent quickly filled up and spilled outside as fans came to watch this young star, who has had quite the trip despite being just 19 years old. TOM‘s band is as energetic as he is, which is one of the reasons his shows are so exceptional. Tracks like ‘Get MeStarted‘ and ‘Weirdo‘ urged the crowd to join in without any encouragement from the vocalist, but it was the latter that was prolonged owing to the crowd’s participation to close in style with an acapella.
With their new album ‘Midnight Butterflies’ only a matter of weeks away, pop-indie rock band SEA GIRLS are one of the standout names in the UK scene right now, with catchy choruses and dynamic performances; switching from Spice to Sea in a matter of 30 minutes saw a massive audience swarm the main stage ground from the outset. The set began with ‘Weekends and Workdays,’ and spectators continued to dance until the final song. The Leeds audience got an early taste of new song ‘Polly‘, which went down well. The band were full of energy throughout the set, playing the event as if it were their own headline slot, yet fitting 13 songs into their allocated time allowed fans to sing along to a number of favourites. ‘Do You Really Wanna Know?‘ and ‘All I Want to Hear You Say‘ will always be standout songs at every SEA GIRLS show; with people on top of shoulders, they got the festival atmosphere they deserved.
DECLAN MCKENNA‘s set was one of the most highly anticipated of the whole day. MCKENNA has received a lot of attention with the release of his third album, ‘What Happened to the Beach‘, in 2024. The main stage area was filled with people waiting to welcome the London lad. DECLAN began with ‘Why Do You Feel So Down?‘ and it quickly transformed into a sea of people on top of shoulders, hands outstretched and clapping along, as applause filled the air from the start. Fan favourites ‘Mulholland’s Dinner and Wine‘ and ‘Brazil‘ only added to the mood. The swirling backdrop was hypnotic, but also grabbed more people’s attention as they rushed down the hill to see MCKENNA. He closed his set with ‘British Bombs‘ in the usual manner, capping off a great performance just in time for the headliner under the big tent.
THE CRIBS finished the big top stage 10 miles down the road from their hometown of Wakefield. The trio made their way onto the stage to a full tent that spilled over to the outdoors, with many stranded in the rain yet eager to see the legendary band. THE CRIBS began with ‘Glitters Like Gold,’ but it was ‘Don’t You Wanna Be Relevant,’ which had the entire crowd moving. ‘Another Number‘ had the old school supporters singing along, while the more laid-back ‘Cheat On Me‘ provided an ideal opportunity for ‘Ignore the Ignorant‘ followers to try their hand at it. The brothers were full of excitement, and in true CRIBS manner, they made the most of the large spaces they perform on, swapping sides and standing on the stage’s edge to ensure that everyone in the audience witnesses the renowned indie rock band. Playing legendary anthems like ‘Running into You‘ and ‘I’m a Realist‘ right after truly set the tone for what additional hits were going to come. The ever-popular ‘Men’s Needs‘ had everyone yelling at the top of their lungs, while a fan poll between ‘Young Gonna Lose Us‘ and ‘Hey Scenesters‘ was chosen by the biggest cheers, with the latter winning. THE CRIBS finished their almost homecoming with ‘Pink Snow‘, capping off yet another spectacular performance from the Wakefield brothers.
With all of the stages’ line-ups complete, the headliner could finally take centre stage. As everyone made their way to the main stage, THE KOOKS wasted no time in getting through their show, which was laced with songs from the start. The opener, ‘Always Where I Want To Be,’ had vocalist Luke Pritchard dancing around the stage, demonstrating that the band was not under any pressure to close off the event on a rainy evening. Fan favourites ‘Sofa Song‘ and ‘Ooh La‘ quickly followed, while the timeless classic ‘She Moves In Her Own Way‘ had everyone singing along. The beautiful ‘Seaside‘ allowed Luke to serenade the Leeds crowd, but the more energetic acoustic number ‘Jackie Big Tits‘ immediately changed the atmosphere. With a set loaded with massive tunes from THE KOOKS‘ extensive library, it was a fitting festival headliner that nicely builds up their homecoming in Brighton this summer.
Taped Magazine 