So, to the obligatory Leeds Festival plan.
Friday 27th
12.00 - 12.30 THE WALKMEN (Main)
12.45 - 1.15 THE FUTUREHEADS (Main)
1.30 - 2.00 BAND OF SKULLS (NME)
2.20 - 3.00 THE GASLIGHT ANTHEM (Main)
3.20 - 4.05 MODEST MOUSE (Main)
4.25 - 5.10 THE MACCABEES (Main)
5.15 - 6.00 FRANK TURNER (NME) vs. 5.30 - 6.15 THE CRIBS (Main)
6.20 - 6.50 SERJ TANKIAN (NME) (it'll be a laugh for twenty minutes, before a brisk walk to the FR tent for...)
7.00 - 7.40 VILLAGERS (Festival Republic)
7.50 - 8.20 CANCER BATS (Lock Up)
8.40 - 9.30 GET UP KIDS (Lock Up)
9.30 - 11.00 ARCADE FIRE (Main) vs. 10.00 - 11.00 BAD RELIGION (Lock Up)
A fairly jam packed day, then. Two frustrating clashes: FTHC vs. The Cribs and The Arcade Fire vs. Bad Religion. Really undecided about the latter; while I do love BR, I'm going to see them at their own show in Manchester on Tuesday, and I have a sneaking suspicion that the Fire are gonna be pretty darn ace. So perhaps I've just made my mind up there. I may just leave the Frank Turner/Cribs clash to a coin toss on the day. Although I do feel a sense of loyalty to Mr. Turner, given that I've been at every other Leeds Fest performance he's done.
Saturday 28th
12.00 - 12.30 MOTION CITY SOUNDTRACK (Main)
12.45 - 1.20 KING BLUES (Main) vs. GOLDHAWKS (Festival Republic)
1.35 - 2.10 THRICE (Main) vs. LOCAL NATIVES (NME)
2.15 - 2.50 LOS CAMPESINOS! (NME)
3.05 - 3.50 WILD BEASTS (NME)
4.10 - 4.55 THE DRUMS (NME)
5.00 - 5.15 laugh at Limp Bizkit on the Main Stage
5.20 - 5.55 THE LIKE (Festival Republic)
6.10 - 6.30 TAME IMPALA (Festival Republic) leave fifteen minutes early and hot tail it to...
6.45 - 7.40 WEEZER (Main) vs. 7.00 - 7.40 MINUS THE BEAR (Festival Republic)
7.50 - 8.20 FOALS (NME) (having missed about ten minutes)
8.40 - 9.30 WE ARE SCIENTISTS (NME)
9.30 - 10.00 endure 20-30 minutes of BLINK 182 (Main)
10.10 - 11.00 BRITISH SEA POWER (Festival Republic)
7pm. One of the worst clashes of the weekend, right there. It has to be Weezer really, but the Minus the Bear scheduling is a real teeth-gnasher. Still, they're supporting Jimmy Eat World on their November tour so at least I'll be able to catch them then. Band of Horses are playing at 6.20 on the NME stage but to be honest, given my general location at around that time and the need to see Weezer, I'll think I'll give them a miss. Goldhawks are a fairly recent discovery but 'Running Away' is a pretty darn good indie-pop song and The King Blues are on something of a downward spiral so it's likely I may be in a tent with eight people rather than in the cold outdoors with a few hundred. The highlight of the day, however, will undoubtedly be the fifteen or so minutes of Limp Bizkit that I'll endure, purely for the opportunity to laugh very loudly at a podgy old man in a silly cap. And as for Blink 182, well, I give them, oh, two minutes before the crowd starts to disperse...
Sunday 29th
12.00 - 12.30 FRANKIE AND THE HEARTSTRINGS (NME)
12.45 - 1.15 SURFER BLOOD (NME) vs. CRAZY ARM (Lock Up)
1.30 - 2.00 FUNERAL PARTY (Festival Republic)
2.15 - 2.50 GIRLS (NME)
3.05 - 3.50 TWO DOOR CINEMA CLUB (NME)
3.45 - 4.30 NOFX (Main) vs. 3.45 - 4.15 PULLED APART BY HORSES (Festival Republic)
4.40 - 5.20 STRIKE ANYWHERE (Lock Up)
5.20 - 5.55 AVI BUFFALO (Festival Republic)
6.00 - 6.50 BIFFY CLYRO (Main)
7.30 - 8.20 MUMFORD & SONS (NME) vs. 7.20 - 8.20 QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE (Main) vs. 7.45 - 8.30 AGAINST ME! (Lock Up) vs. 8.00 - 8.45 BLOOD RED SHOES (Festival Republic)
8.50 - 9.40 SICK OF IT ALL (Lock Up)
10.05 - 11.00 ALKALINE TRIO (Lock Up)
Another day packed to the brim with goodness but also containing a clash for the ages. I mean, how in the hell am I going to choose between Surfer Blood and Crazy Arm?! Somebody, anybody, give me a sign! In all seriousness though, the Fatal Fourway (if you will) between QOTSA, the Mumsies, BRS and Against Me! is probably the biggest quandry I've ever found myself in at this festival. It is theoretically possible to catch something of all four (10 minutes of Queens, 10 minutes of Mumford, all of AM!, ten minutes of Steven and Laura-Mary) but chances are, one will have to fall by the wayside. And sadly, the likeliest contender is Mumford & Sons, who are the only band I haven't actually seen live. Which tempts me to abandon chosen faves Against Me! altogether. But then... their show at Manchester Academy 3 was the best thing I've seen all year. Gah!
