Review: Leeds Festival 2010 With Arcade Fire & The Libertines

– (Friday 8/27/10) –

It didn’t take long after arriving through the gates on Friday to guess where most people’s thoughts for the day ahead were focused. There’s countless Libertines t-shirts proudly on display amongst those soaking up the sun on the first day, and the anticipation for the gig which some thought, even after the news of their reunion, would never happen is obvious. There’s been mumblings of an underwhelming line-up at the Reading/Leeds festivals this year, but in isolation, the Friday billing at Leeds is as strong as any of the UK festivals can boast this summer.

After getting through the manned-turnstiles out to prevent any scamp cheeky enough to bring their own alcohol into the arena (empty bottle of vodka noted fifty yards in – fail), it was The Gaslight Anthem who were taking to the stage in the warm afternoon sun. A decent crowd greeted the New Jersey band, who were making their move to the Main Stage having grown into a true word of mouth success over the past couple of years. The transition from tent to the big stage would be something of a theme as the day progressed, and it‘s one which The Gaslight Anthem look to be set to make seamlessly as the relaxed charm of frontman Brian Fallon easily held attention during the show. Their soulful-tinged sound has been further explored on new album ‘American Slang’ and it was the best of this, together with it’s predecessor ‘59 Sound’, which comprised the bulk of their set. ‘American Slang’ highlight ‘Diamond Church Street Choir’, as on record, stands out, and the performance is another plus for the group’s ever increasing status.

There’s also a good turn-out for Modest Mouse, though despite the heights at times reached by the band during their career, it’s more of a struggle for Isaac and co to hold attention in the same manner. Things start well, with ‘3rd Planet’ immediately introducing their brilliant 2000 album ‘The Moon and Antarctica’ to the masses, but as things progress, the inconsistencies of their back catalogue starts to produce a patchy set, and the mood isn’t helped when the one big downpour of the day has the throngs concerning themselves more with keeping sunglasses dry and wondering where the hell the raincoat has got to, rather than events continuing on stage. Just as the clouds are clearing and focus starts to return to the band, they’re departing in a manner which suggests someone’s left the gas on. All in all, partly due to circumstances beyond their control, it’s the one let-down of the day.

The arrival of the festival’s student population can mean only one thing – The Maccabees are due on next. After comfortably filling the NME/Radio 1 Stage last year, they are another band looking to begin the permanent move to the main stage, and after a set full of the favourites from their two studio albums such as ’Toothpaste Kisses’ and ’Young Lions‘, it’s clear the huge cult following the band enjoy is already providing them with a strong platform to build on. The set also includes an impressive new track which all bodes well for the future of the Londoners.

Local T.V has been packed with coverage of The Cribs’ return to home-soil and Leeds is an event which provides happy memories for the Jarman brothers after they secured a place on the bill not long into their career. With Smiths legend Johnny Marr now on board, the lo-fi roots of their early years appear to be being slowly left behind, especially if new single ‘Housewife’ is anything to go by. It could be a shift which helps the Jarmans to truly find their feet on the big stage as, despite it being a fine festival set-list, full of the usual energy and passion expected from the band, they still never seem quite the same thrilling live act as they do either in a tent or a club playing to just a few thousand people.

With fourth album highlights ‘We Share The Same Skies’ and ‘Cheat On Me’ aired alongside early fan favourite ‘Hey Scenesters’ and 2007 single ’Men’s Needs’, all the right ingredients are there for a great gig. However, it just never quite hits the standards the band can reach. In the right setting, The Cribs are one of the most exciting live bands around, and when they have been experienced in the right environment, it’s hard to avoid the feeling that they still struggle to showcase exactly what they are capable of out on the big festival stage.

It’s not something often said about an act who started out life in the urban underground scene, but it’s a safe bet for the organisers next with Dizzee Rascal providing all his mainstream friendly hits to a crowd still steadily increasing in size. All the Radio 1 favourites are there, ‘Dirtee Disco’, ‘Dance Wiv Me’, ‘Holiday’ etc, and there’s a nice nod to one of Reading’s very best gigs when Nirvana’s ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ is ghosted into ‘Stand Up Tall’. After apparently leaving the stage prematurely, he’s back a few minutes later to finish up with ‘Bonkers’. Job done, everyone’s happy.

Dizzee has barely left the stage when the real surge begins as the day’s big story is about to be played out. Most are there to soak up the return of one of the most important band’s of the last decade, no doubt others are there to see what crazy stunt that bloke who used to date Kate Moss is going to do next. Apparently the outskirts of the crowd would dwindle slightly not long into the set, as those hoping to catch Pete Doherty crawling on stage on all fours with syringes sticking out of both his eyeballs were left sadly disappointed.

At the front, the audience had swelled considerably, and the anticipation of six long years finally coming to an end is hard to contain. As it happens, there’s no big story for the gossip columns to get their teeth into, no big delays, no rumours of a last minute bust-up, just a short video heralding the return of The Libertines.

Had those hoping for the circus that engulfed Pete Doherty’s life a few years ago stayed, they would have been introduced to what made Pete and his band great in the first place, and what he more than anyone else should be remembered for. The partnership of Pete and Carl Barat remains the most engaging and fruitful since Liam and Noel, and suddenly, with Pete, Carl, Gary and John back out on stage, the tabloid bullshit, countless arrests, prison sentences and all the rest became instantly irrelevant, as The Libertines delivered a powerhouse performance which presented all the passion and fire that those of us who were there back in 2002 had thought could never be re-ignited.

The status granted to them tonight on the Main Stage, away from the 1,000 capacity academies where they cemented their hero status to thousands, simply showcased where they could, and should, have been by now had things worked out differently. The reaction at the front is by any standards extraordinary; The Libertines always enjoyed a connection with their fans not many bands have been able to rival, but to receive such a response in a festival environment is very rare indeed.

Virtually all of their classic debut ‘Up The Bracket’ gets a mention, and all the highlights from their patchier, but still generally excellent second album are aired, which finally gives ‘Music When The Lights Go Out’ it’s long overdue status as a festival classic. The opening trio of ‘Horrorshow’, ‘The Delaney’ and ‘Vertigo’ leaves the crowd in an absolute frenzy, and the set is stopped for a short time in a vein attempt to calm things down. There’s plenty falling to the floor amidst the carnage, but the spirit of togetherness always felt at a Libertines gig helps the performance to pass off without any major incidents. Classic singles ‘Can’t Stand Me Now’, ‘What Became Of The Likely Lads’ and ‘Don’t Look Back Into The Sun’ are all present and correct, and with ‘Time For Heroes’, the band induce a response not many other acts will ever have the pleasure of receiving.

In some ways, such a memorable return could still be tinged with regret, as it displays emphatically just what this band could have become had things been different; by now this kind of festival show should have been gracing the UK summer for years. As it happens, after six long years, the tightness and connection between band and fans was proved to be as strong as ever, and instead of being a long awaited closure for the group, it might just prove to be the re-start which will see them finally take their rightful place at the top of these events for years to come.

So then, tough spot for Arcade Fire. With the momentum from another brilliant album coming into the bank holiday weekend, there should have been nothing standing in the way of them announcing their arrival amongst the big boys. Then The Libertines went and reformed and promptly treated the crowd to a show which can now sit alongside some of the very best which have been witnessed for many a long year. The standard had been well and truly set.

If there is a more subdued atmosphere as they take to the stage it doesn‘t last long, and the quality which makes Arcade Fire one of the very best bands in the world at the moment quickly begins to make it’s own mark on the festival. An opening burst of ‘Ready To Start’, ‘Laika’ and ‘No Cars Go’ gives an immediate window on their career to date, though only the best from second album ‘Neon Bible’ are here, with ‘Keep The Car Running’ and ‘Intervention’ joining ‘No Cars Go’,  and it will be ‘The Suburbs’ and ‘Funeral’ which dominates as the night goes on. Two obvious stand-outs from the new record, ‘Modern Man’ and ‘City With No Children’ are omitted, but given the depth of the album, there was always going to be quality in abundance. ‘We Used To Wait’ looks like being the new fan- favourite, while ’Empty Room’, with it’s furious pace and glorious chorus, is simply classic Arcade Fire. Another stand-out from the new album, ‘Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)‘ takes all of it‘s energy from record to stage and already sits comfortably along side the established favourites from ‘Funeral’. Of those, the big hitting one-two of ‘Power Out’ and ‘Rebellion (Lies)’ are still as striking as they were five years ago, and an encore of ‘Wake Up’ gives Leeds festival-goers the sing-a-long they crave, and brings to a close a show which, given what they had to live up to, is almost a bigger achievement than that enjoyed by The Libertines a couple of hours earlier.

Overall, it’s an unforgettable few hours for the event, and one which given the already erratic behaviour of Axl Rose and his mob, coupled with the hugely uninspiring main line-up due to roll in on Saturday, means it’s almost certainly not going to be bettered. But then, it’s hard to think of many line-ups which could have matched the power, quality and musicianship of those dominating the bill on Friday at Leeds this year.

(Dave Smith)