Live At Leeds In The Park Review
An eclectic mix of indie rock bliss.
After successfully bringing its day festival to a new location last year, the Live at Leeds organisers geared up for another ‘In the Park’ iteration on a gloriously sunny bank holiday Saturday. I headed to Temple Newsam bright and early for doors, and at 12pm the crowds started filing through into the event space.
I made a beeline for the Rolling Stone Big Top stage to catch the first act of the day - Pillow Queens. After ten minutes or so of technical difficulties, the Irish indie rock outfit brought the noise with their ballads, notably tracks like ‘Holy Show’ and ‘Liffey’. I’ve seen Pillow Queens before at their headline gig at Brudenell Social Club in 2022, so it was a treat to relive their performance.
Next up, I popped down to the DIY Stage to watch Minnesota-born Ber perform her plucky indie pop. She was super talkative and built a great rapport with the crowd, floating around the stage in a sheer green dress. One of the notable moments of the set was when she wielded her guitar for ‘Superspreader’, a track about heartbreak and feeling isolated during the pandemic.
At this point I was getting peckish, so on my way to get some vegan grub I quickly caught Psymon Spine and their janky experimental pop on the Dork Presents stage. Then, to the Main Stage! I plonked myself down on the grass to enjoy my overpriced meal and watch Black Honey play their grungy female-fronted rock. I found that the set was quite samey, but the crowd seemed to be having a good time and they played some songs I’m familiar with like ‘I Like The Way You Die’ and ‘Corinne’.
Back over at Big Top, I briefly caught The Beths on my water refill run. The tent was packed out as the audience listened to the Kiwi four piece, and I was particularly fond of the lead singer’s vocals. Their style of music is, you guessed it, indie rock - notable tracks included ‘Out of Sight’ and ‘Jump Rope Gazers’. I then took a gander at Kate Nash on the main stage. What a throwback! I admittedly only know ‘Foundations’ so I was surprised at her repertoire. She’s got range, and had amassed a huge crowd who were basking in both the sun and the tunes.
We were now about 4 hours into the day, and I was feeling fatigued because of the beating sun and lack of shade. Note to the organisers - parasols needed for next year! Naturally, I decided that stopping for churros was the best move, so I grabbed my sweet snack then moseyed back up to Big Top up where The Big Moon were taking the stage. I’m a big fan of their music and had been looking forward to their set, which did not disappoint. Their tunes are catchy and they played some of my faves like ‘Don’t Think’ and ‘Your Light’. The lead singer has a distinctive voice and her bandmates matched her with strong, beautiful harmonies. And though I hate the term ‘girl band’, I bloody love girl bands. And I bloody love their guitars!
Post water break (again, I know), I chilled on the turf and caught some of Tom Walker’s set. He’s not my usual type and I didn’t think he was a great fit compared to the rest of the acts, but he does have a very unique voice and my mum, who I had in tow, enjoyed herself. I left her to listen to his croons to watch Prima Queen on the Dork Presents Stage. I was a big fan of their nonchalantly cool vibe, and the lead singer’s bedazzled ‘motherfucker’ tee didn’t go unnoticed. They opened with ‘Chew My Cheeks’ which is a track I had on rotation for a while, and it was clear that they were having loads of fun on stage.
We took ourselves off for a drink and a sit down, which is something I really rated about the event space. It’s not overwhelmingly big, but it feels sufficient for the number of attendees, and there are plenty of areas to wind down and have a rest if you need to. After sufficient replenishment, I walked back up the hill (my legs are not happy with me today as I write this) to see Rose Gray, whose enigmatic trance pop was a welcome difference to the rest of the music I’d heard so far that day. She managed to get the crowd engaged and on their feet dancing, which is no small feat, as many of us had resorted to lounging on the grass by this point.
I then migrated to the main stage where Wigan band The Lathums shared some of their tunes. If you’re a fan of the likes of The Snuts or Blossoms, these guys will be up your street. I was eagerly awaiting the next act, however, and as the sun dipped lower and the crowds moved in closer, Aussie headliner DMA’s finally took to the stage at around half seven. They opened with ‘How Many Dreams?’, the eponymous track to their fourth and latest record, which really set the scene for their rave-rock repertoire. I sang along to ‘Silver’, one of my favourite ever tracks, and enjoyed their hour-long set which even featured their iconic Triple J cover of Cher’s ‘Believe’.
Unfortunately, we had to miss Two Door Cinema Club’s headline set, but along with The Hives and Cavetown, these artists wound down the day. I had a stunning time, although I do think the lineup could have been a bit stronger. That’s personal preference, though, and it was still a cracking day filled with great music from old and new favourites. Catch you next year!