Overview

Leeds 2005 saw a few changes to the previous festivals, firstly early entry on the Wednesday (which was quiet but still good for those who are itching to get there), and the first event held at Bramham park that carried a serious threat of rain. However, despite all the doom and gloom predictions, sporadic showers and heavy rain couldn't dampen the atmosphere, with a line-up that could truthfully be referred to as 'legendary'.

Friday saw the 'heavier' side of the Main stage, with Iron Maiden sitting atop a bill that featured Marilyn Manson, Iggy + the Stooges, NOFX and last years tent headliners Funeral for a Friend. Bruce Dickinson and company looked fully riled up after their less than perfect gig at Ozzfest just days before, playing everything from the first 4 albums, capturing the 'vintage Maiden feel' For those who didnt want to see the metal of Maiden and the patricularly entertaining Marilyn Manson, the other stages offered formiddable alternatives, in relative newcomers Bloc Party, dance fusion whizz-kid Mylo, and a top-form performance from Echo and the Bunnymen whcih saw them play all the favourites and even cover Lou Reed.

Saturday had a distinctly more 'rock' feel, the band whom Kurt Cobain said there would be no Nirvana without, Pixies, headlining. Their set was a dream for any Pixies fan, even if Kim Deal was a little more talkative than Frank Black. The Killers controversially played above the Queens Of The Stone Age (the Killers having one album, QOTSA having four), and Josh Homme made a good case, the weather combined with great stage set-up and trademark QOTSA distortion driven rock making for one of the best crowds of the festival. Other highlights from Saturday included Dropkick Muprhy's showing people just why they have such hardcore fans, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club suiting a tent slot much better than the Main Stage, Blood Brothers putting in a high energy set promising great things, an unsigned band called Your Vegas playing an exceptonally good set on the unsigned stage, attracting one of the biggest crowds witnessed at what is usually considered a 'sideshow'.

Wrapping up the line-up, back from 2002 were the Foo Fighters, on a main stage saw the Kings of Leon, Razorlight and Roots Manuva all play (Roots getting nowhere fast with his 'yorkshire' jokes). The Foo's played an expectedly brilliant set, that saw Dave Grohl drumming aswell as his usual role, the only let down being the set being 'ended' at 10.35pm, to allow for an encore (the band were listed to play until 11pm, they managed 10.50pm), hardly the rock and roll attitude exemplified by Axel Rose and Metallica's encores in previous years.

Other bands that lived up to the hype were the fantastic Editors, Hot Hot Heat, The Arcade Fire, Rise Against, Anti-Flag and Bad Religion (who played to a criminally small crowd, with no encore - but then Mean Fiddler banned them after their last performance at the festival, which saw the stage manager in tears as crowd members scaled the supporting poles of the tent.) Babyshambles appeared to come on 10 minutes late, whether Pete just wanted to set tongues wagging or he'd been catching up on his beauty sleep is debatable.

Overall the line-up proved to be stronger than many of its critics gave credit, the only failing in my estimation would be the Lock-Up stage (formerly the Concrete Jungle), which seems to have had trouble retaining the attendance it had in 2003 when Pennywise headlined.

Other entertainment included the Aftershock Dance Arena and the film tent, the campsite atmosphere seemed a little subdued up until the Sunday night, at which point it degenrated into the worst rioting seen at the Bramham site, jeopardising the future of the festival and ruining many people's weekends to boot.

Roll on Leeds 2006; let's hope the inevitable price hike will go towards combatting the reputation Leeds has.

review by Chris Williams

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