Live Review

Leeds Festival 2009 – Day 2 – Bramham Park, Leeds

• 30th Aug 2009

Today is all about Radiohead but to pass the time until this momentous event, Glasswerk North venture out to see what musical wonders are on offer.

A brief mention for The Old Romantic Killer Band playing on the BBC Introducing Stage. They may not be of large stature yet, but surely this is a formality. Angry, loud and brash, this is stage crumbling rock at its best.

Onto the main stage and Brand New are doing a brand new impression of Mars Volta. Maybe I am being harsh, but the signature rhythm riffs of MV are apparent, only watered down with a nasally screech on top. Perhaps too much effort for 4pm in the afternoon?

The New York scenesters, Vampire Weekend, wake the crowd up and bring the sun out to play with their infectious summer ditties. Recent hits aside, this is perfect late afternoon festival music with nothing too challenging and easy hooks. ‘I Stand Corrected’ and ‘Mansard Roof’ are the stand out tracks, and the remainder of the set is pleasant if not instantly memorable.

We then go to watch Spinal Tap, and while waiting around the tent, come to realise that there is a distinct lack of action happening on the stage. Wondering what could be, it dawns on us that the large TV screens are actually about to play the film itself. Oh what fools we are…

So back to the main stage and Bloc Party are in residence. Flicking from album to album, all corners are covered with the early soulful ‘Helicopter’ right through to later dance tracks such as recent single ‘One More Chance’. Either way the crowd are appreciative with this broad spectrum of BP and Kele seems in good spirits, which he admits is unusual as they normally play the Reading site first leaving them ‘exhausted’ for Leeds. Deferential to the incoming ‘Big R’ while having a pop at Oasis, BP are having a good time with a relaxed Kele encouraging everyone to dance constantly.

Radiohead finally take to the stage running slightly late and open on a sombre note with ’Hail To The Thief’ and ‘All I Need’, clearly on a mission to build a prog set. Maybe not the best idea at Leeds Festival where crowds can be rock demanding but a dip into OK Computer with ‘Lucky’ begins to stir the slumbering audience away from their fascination with a bonfire (well that is the main attraction by us anyway).

I am not as familiar with albums Hail To The Thief, Amnesiac and In Rainbows as I am with the earlier LPs but apart from struggling to name songs this is not a major problem. Radiohead have the uncanny ability to create a distinct tone and sound for each album they produce, so it is easy to pick what is from which album. And so far they are clinging to later work, seemingly reluctant to cast their musical back catalogue back further than OK Computer.

After about an hour the tempo begins to rise and the show comes alive. The stage lights brighten up from a lumbering glow and break into electric ferocity designed to get those synapses firing. More Hail To The Thief with ‘2+2=5’ and a rare live performance of ‘Wolf At Your Door’ but finally they stretch back to The Bends album with ‘Nice Dream’, which is received with vigour by the now entranced gathering, followed by their signature live tune, ‘National Anthem’.

Then, just as it’s all coming together, they leave the stage. The customary encore is bound to follow but the muted crowd doesn’t seem to be willing them back on stage. Perhaps that is why they take their sweet time to return.

But, the encore was worth waiting for. To gratuitous applause Yorke says ‘Just’ and the crowd instantly light up with unbound enthusiasm. Radiohead are a selfish band. They are genius but to withhold such delights until the encore is cruel. Indulgent to their own musical ethics they seemingly refuse to give into public demand and play what the crowd want to hear. Even in a festival setting, which should be a cheese board of top hits for the passé rather than adamant fan, they choose to pander to their own needs.

Perhaps this is just more genius on their part however. Despite only hitting up The Bends twice and OK Computer three times, we are caught in the trance of Radiohead majesty as they finish the set with ‘Everything In Its Right Place’. This is a delicious and pulsing ending to a crafted and steadily built set, but you feel that there is still something missing. The progression they constructed could have continued with another hour of peaking magic if there was time or inclination.

So we leave warmly wrapped in Radiohead glee, but still feeling peckish for a bit more afters.