Ten best peformances you've seen at R/L?

[VCK]

Mine are, in order:

1) Metallica - 2008: Absolutely massive show they put on. Huge screens, pyrotechnics, some good singalongs, and great crowd interaction. Proved how worthy they are of being one of the biggest bands in the world. Definitely the most talked about act after the festival, all I can say is that those who went to see t'Cribs missed out.

2) Radiohead - 2009: Before, I wasn't a massive fan. After, I got hooked on their music. They didn't do much of a greatest hits set but their light show was stunning and I'd never seen anything like it before. Felt completely different to your usual headline set and by the end I'd fallen in love with the band.

3) Foo Fighters - 2005: The Foos doing what they're best at. Great banter as usual from Dave, every song in the set made a fantastic singalong. My first ever Leeds was on a day ticket to see them and it certainly wasn't a waste of money.

4) Rage Against The Machine - 2008: Well what can I say? Definitely the most anticipated headline set in my time at Bramham Park. No fancy backdrops or special lighting, the music simply spoke for itself. I remember being gutted at Audioslave pulling out in 2006 and there I was two years later, witnessing the real deal. Came on 20 minute late which just made it worth it.

5) Kings Of Leon - 2005: Back when KOL becoming every mainstream fan's favourite band, and throwing strops onstage just seemed out of the realms of possibility. The band almost seemed humbled by the size of the crowd. Made a great warmup for the Foos, playing a good mix of songs off their first and second albums. One of those "I was there before they were huge" moments.

6) Manic Street Preachers - 2008: What a way to end a weekend, with my favourite band of all time. I've raised this point before, but if they were on the Main Stage they wouldn't have been so good. The intimacy of the tent pronounced their modern incarnation. A set with Faster as an opener was always going to mark a great hour. Of Walking Abortion was a nice surprise, as was Pennyroyal Tea, and then there was the usual greatest hits, which I was singing along with every word to.

7) The Prodigy - 2009: "All my people! All my f**kin' Leeds warriors! Where the f**k are ya?!" The most talked about act of 2009. Admittedly I wasn't too far in but I'd heard horror stories about the crush down the front so I was glad in the end. Completely blew t'Arctic Monkehs off the stage. Stunning lightshow and they could have easily headlined one of the days.

Smashing Pumpkins - 2007: The one band I'd always wanted to see. They did all the hits off Siamese Dream and Mellon Collie, plus a few obscure ones. The stage looked nice, very futuristic looking backdrop and even though it wasn't the classic Pumpkins line-up, it was great to finally see Billy Corgan stood in front of me, holding a Strat and playing the opening notes to Today. The solo acoustic Disarm was a very spine-tingling moment.

9) Belle & Sebastian - 2006: Music perfect for a summer's day. It was obvious that not many people knew who they were but were suckered in by their twee pop, as the crowd was tiny at the start of their set and when they went off stage, I turned round to see that it had filled out. Good crowd interation and a laid back but fun set, is my most memorable moment of 2006.

10) Arcade Fire - 2007: Waiting for the huge RHCP, who in the end dissapointed, I witnessed a grandiose performance by the quirky Canadians. They completely upstaged the Chilis and played a set for an hour which the crowd lapped up. I'm sure this year they'll be even better and judging by this show they will be fantastic.

[the_mars_volta]

MARILYN MANSON 2005

Andrew W.K. 2002

Foo Fighters 2005

The Mars Volta 2003

Peaches 2004

NIN 2007

Muse 2006

Faith No More 2009

Alec Empire 2002

Placebo...can't decide which time! Not 2006 though.

[Dukeeyyy]

Leeds festival

10 - Dropkick Murphys (2004)

9 - Blink 182 (2003)

8 - Editors (2008)

7- Linkin Park (2003)

6 - Kings of leon (2009)

5 - Placebo (2009)

4 - The Killers (2008)

3 - Kaiser Chiefs (2009)

2- Lostprophets (2004)

1 - The Gaslight Anthem (2008)

Edited April 9, 2010 by Dukeeyyy

[arteet]

By date

1) Shed 7 2000

2) RATM 2000

3) Pulp 2000

4) Foo Fighters 2000

5) Marilyn Manson 2001

6) Fun Lovin Crims 2001

7) Manics 2001

NIN in 2007

9) Killers 2008

10) Radiohead in 2009

[wheres the mudfight]

1. green day -2004

2. alkaline trio - 2008

3. Dropkick Murphys - 2004

4. Ash - 2007

5. Gaslight Anthem - 2009

6. Bad Religon - 2005

7. NIN - 2007

8. Primal Scream - 2006

9. NOFX - 2005

10. The Gossip - 2009

The Gossip was a bit of a weird one. expected to hate them. NIN I expected to like but nowhere near as much as I'd thought.

Seeing the Pixies and smashing pumpkins was great but both performances, whilst good, weren't good enough to make my top 10, despite being a bigger fan than some of those that made my top 10.

[allgravy]

1) TING TINGS

2) TING TINGS ACOUSTIC SET

3) TING TINGS AT SIGNING TENT (iff that counts?)

4) NOAH AND THE WHALE

5) PLAIN WHITE TEES

6) KOL (when they played Sex On Fire )

7) LA ROUX

ONE NIGHT ONLY

9) THE KILLERS (when they played mr.brightside!)

10) METALLICA

[Bring Back Altruism]

1) Green Day - 2004 - (Amazing performance and I was front row)

2) Blink 182 - 2003 - (My first fest age 15 and the band I went for - say no more)

3) Metallica - 2008 - (Just a stong, flawless performance)

4) Marilyn Manson - 2005 - (Really impressed me that night, great stage show as the sun set)

5) NoFX - 2005 - (Perfect summer afternoon)

6) Allister - 2004 - (Really strong lockup performance)

7) Tenacious D - 2008 - (I just really enjoyed this)

Funeral for a Friend - 2004 (Great headline set in the R1 tent to close the weekend)

9) Lightyear - 2006 (For attacking Ice T with a pantomime horse if nothing else)

10) 50 Cent - 2004 - (Purely for the comedy)

Edited April 8, 2010 by Bring Back Altruism

[tom91]

RADIOHEAD

KOL IN 2007

[Poop_Pants]

1) TING TINGS

2) TING TINGS ACOUSTIC SET

3) TING TINGS AT SIGNING TENT (iff that counts?)

4) NOAH AND THE WHALE

5) PLAIN WHITE TEES

6) KOL (when they played Sex On Fire )

7) LA ROUX

ONE NIGHT ONLY

9) THE KILLERS (when they played mr.brightside!)

10) METALLICA

[allgravy]

I know this is a joke post, which is why your inclusion of Noah and the Whale pissed me off, the bands set was free from their hit and it was a really cool chilled out folk set, which fitted really well with the summer afternoon. They were good.

[Joshuwarr]

1) The Cribs (2008) - VCK, as someone who went to see "T'Cribs" I'm glad to see that maximum fun can be had without pyrotechnics, rock star postures and metalheads

2) Radiohead (2009) - Amazing. Set list was spot on and it made a fantastic end to the weekend.

3) Arcade Fire (2007) - Totally blew RHCP out of the water. Tbh, they were so good it was embarassing for what followed.

4) Gogol Bordello (2007) - Knew from 2006 that it would be a real party atmosphere but didnt realise that it would be on this scale!

5) Yeah Yeah Yeahs (2006) - Was the highlight of an amazing day of music at my first Reading.

6) The Cribs (2006) - The lads looked like, at first, they were gonna be swallowed up by the stage, but the songs pulled them through and the crowd loved it.

7) Dinosaur Jr (2007) - Was a set I was NEVER gonna miss. So glad I didn't!

Interpol (2007) - Was the perfect music to be set to the sunset. Glorious.

9) Maximo Park (2006) - This was like a huge celebration at the end of an epic weekend. The sheer excitement in the tent was immense.

10) Be Your Own PET (2008) - A sad event as the band were splitting up but it was just like the old days with bloody, sweat and...well...um..vomit

[Dan R]

Bit tough considering I've only been going since 08 lol but for me in no particular order:

Pendulum

Yeah they've gone a bit cliche'd but this was before they got that Ben Mount to MC

Best time I've seen them and the crowd was insane!

Tenacious D

I mean c'mon, it's the D! The just had such a fun set which really didn't disappoint

Metallica

Flawless set, amazing show, and listening to some metal classics

And i ended up with one of their picks!

Goldfinger

Amazing! set of classic, with wall's of death, onstage erm... shenanigans , and I got crowdsurfed involuntarily and didn't touch the floor thorughout 99 red balloons

One of my all time favourite sets

Rage Against the Machine

Jesus that was a helluva show!

Apparently they weren't even at their best!

The Prodigy

They're just insane live, one of the biggest crowds I've ever seen

Not their best show I've seen but still amazing

Bloc Party

Was fairly pissed with some awesome friends and they played pretty much my ideal setlist, absolutely loved it!

Radiohead

Such a capitvating performance, really converted me to them

Kaiser Chiefs

I know they're a bit cheesy at times but they really do put on a hell of a show

Especially to their home crowd

Faith No More

Mike Patton is a god!

Breaking into Eastenders theme tune mid-song

Best way to end Leeds 09 as oppose to the lack-lusture post Only By the Night Kings of Leon

Edited April 8, 2010 by Dan R

[sjp_121]

Stop teasing me with all the Arcade Fire banter!

I'm not a huge fan, but I can see why they are headlining, and everyone is saying how good they are...

But yet Pendulum are on at the same time.

Its becoming more of a clash than I thought >.<

[Dan R]

Stop teasing me with all the Arcade Fire banter!

I'm not a huge fan, but I can see why they are headlining, and everyone is saying how good they are...

But yet Pendulum are on at the same time.

Its becoming more of a clash than I thought >.<

[Diamond Solitaire]

1) The Arcade Fire (2007) (One of my favourite bands ever. Amazing show upstaged RHCP massively)

2) Radiohead (2009) (Went from liking them to becoming a massive fan during this set)

3) Rage Against The Machine (2008) (One of the few bands I used to love in my early teens who I still love today and they were incredible. Can't wait to see them again in June)

4) The Cribs (2008) (Despite thinking I was having a heart attack at one point it was a brilliant gig. Probably the best I've seen them do)

5) The Maccabees (2007) (Probably the best I've ever seen them and had an unexpectedly huge crowd)

6) Kings of Leon (2007) (The real headliners that night yeah? This show made 2009 even more disappointing)

7) Los Campesinos! (2008) (Not the best show of theirs I've ever seen but I went expecting no crowd and they got a pretty big one who actually seemed to know the songs. Just a brilliant personal moment having seen them so much in and around Cardiff the two years leading up to it)

Yeah Yeah Yeahs (2006) (Became a fan because of this show)

9) The Prodigy (2009) (Not a massive fan but this was f**king brilliant)

10) Arctic Monkeys (2006)

[sjp_121]

I'd see Arcade Fire if I were you

Pendulum are awesome live but they tour constantly and I'm yet to go to a festival where they havent been

Plus It'll be packed with twats who won't even try and listen to Arcade Fire but have heard propane nightmares

And I think AF is gonna be something special

[Dan R]

After reading all the YouTube Comments to Wake Up (which is a great song)...

All the dicks will be at Pendulum... and I really don't want to be associated with them for my first Leeds...

And with the million to one chance of Bowie appearing with Arcade Fire... I don't want to end up stuck in the NME tent with the shouts that Bowie is on main stage... because I would then have to kill myself.

Bowie is a musical god.

And I suspect I will be with a fairly large amount of the crowd going from Libertines down to Pendulum.

I'll see what happens on the day... I might end up staying and just chilling with a pint.

[fantomas]

Reading:

1. Rage Against the Machine (2000)

2. ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead (2002)

3. Pearl Jam (2006)

4. Faith No More (2009)

5. Pulp (2002)

6. The White Stripes (2004)

7. Radiohead (2009)

8. Patton & Rahzel (2004)

9. Foo Fighters (2002)

10.Metallica (2008)

(Only had a Friday ticket in 2000, didn't attend 2001 and 2007, volunteered 2008 and 2009)

Edited April 9, 2010 by fantomas

[Dave829]

1) Nine Inch Nails 2007. Set was freking phenominal

2) Rise Against 2009. Just the fact they were there was awesome

3) Arcade Fire 2007. As most of you have said blew RHCP outta the water

4) Kings Of Leon 2007. My first time seeing themm andd I didnt mind 2009's set as unlike most people I didnt leave after two songs.

5) Radiohead 2009. Thom Yorke is god. Fact.

6) Tenacious D 2008. Need more be said?

7) BFMV 2008. In the tent was madness!

Alexisonfire 2009 (Tent). Mainstage was good but the tent was even better.

9) The Used 2007. I adore them so they had to be on here.

10) Arcade Fire 2010. Can we all agree its going to be amazing?

[Benj]

Sure Ive forgotten loads but

-Blur-99

-RATM-08

-Muse-02

-Foo Fighters-02

-Greenday-01(?ish)

-Mansun-99

-ADF-98

-A-98

-YYYs-07

-Bloc Party-05

[tombenj]

Only done Leeds twice, so will be fairly limited, but

1) AFI 09

2) Placebo 09

3) Yeah Yeah Yeahs 09

4) We Are Scientists 08

5) Bombay Bicycle Club 09

6) Alexisonfire (lock-up, 09)

7) Editors 08

Deftones 09

9) Manchester Orchestra 09

10) Lightspeed Champion 08

On reflection, the 09 line-up was awesome in fairness.

[steleeds2009]

This is far to difficult just to pick ten but i'll give it a go...

In no chronological order...

1) 2002 Fenix Tx The one and only time I saw this band. Came out of the tent after with mud up to my knees from jumping to Katie W, and then bumped into Andrew WK!

2) 2002 Feeder Headlining the Radio One Tent. Their first appearances following the suicide of their drummer. Never seen a set like it at Leeds. The tent was packed, chanting their name after every song. One of the most emotional sets I've ever seen. Ironically it was the death of the band to because after that I don't think they brought anything out worth listening to again.

3) 2002 Less Than Jake Anyone who was their will remember it at Leeds. Final song circle pit around the sound tower in the middle of the field. My girlfriend got amazing pictures of it from the hill. All I remember is crowd surfing around the ice cream van at the back of the field, and then back towards the main stage.

4) 2003 AFI I was going to go for Blink in 03 but if i'm honest they are terrible live. Loved them at the time, but they never lived up to it as a live experience. AFI were far better on the Radio One tent. Just a shame they clashed with Pennywise that year.

5) 2004 Flogging Molly Their first of a few classic Leeds Fest sets. This was the first and probably the best. Came out to Drunken Lullabies, think it took me an hour to recover afterwards.

6) 2006 Bedouin Soundclash The set only lasted 20 minutes as the singer was really ill and couldn't really sing. Cue a packed tent singing along to their main songs. Think the band were amazed so many people came to see them and knew their songs.

7) 2008 Goldfinger This was the start of what I believe was one of the best evenings of music I have ever witnessed. I think someone has mentioned this set before, classic goldfinger. 99 Red Ballons was amazing, human pyramids, and just an excellent set. If I remember correctly Goldfinger were on time for once too!

2008 Anti-Flag On straight after Goldfinger. Their second set of the day, my favourite band too so in there for obvious reasons. They played alot of older material. Songs you don't tend to hear any more as they play their new more commercial material. At the end Pat Thetic brought his drum kit into the crowd to play the final song. Me and my brother were right in front of him holding the crowd off with a couple of roadies as he played. Probably my best festival moment ever.

9) 2008 Less Than Jake On straight after Anti-Flag, and just before Rage this was an amazing set. Topped off by the fact when they told everyone to get naked in the pit. Only one guy did, who seemed to have the smallest cock imaginable. The band ripped him apart for a few minutes as he continued to dive around the circle pit.

10) 2008 Rage Against The Machine Straight after these three sets Rage were amazing. The only main stage headliner I have on here. Played Renegades Of Funk, so get on here for that song alone!

[steleeds2009]

I missed Manic Street Preachers in 2008

Someone mentioned above, was the perfect end to 08.

The tent wasn't fun as most were watching the Killers. But the tent was filled with Manics fans, was one of the best set lists I've seen them play. Jumping at the front to Motor Cycle Emptiness was one of the best songs i've seem performed at Leeds.

Reminds me of how good 2008 was compared to 2009. With the line up so far hoping 2010 will be back to the days of pre 09...

[Northen_Desire]

No particular order:

1. Pearl Jam - 2006 - Definetely my favourite leeds performance to date. Blew me away!

2. Muse - 2006 - Their performance was simply mesmerizing and the rain made it all the more so.

3. Kasabian - 2005 - One of my fave bands at the time, performed pretty much their entire debut album - excellant.

4. Rise against - 2009 - Great set, powerful and energetic.

5. Interpol - 2007 - Started off a great run of bands on the saturday, interpol, KOL and J.E.W in the lockup.

6. Jimmy eat world - 2007 (both sets were awesome) - my favourite band, Very dissapointed when they pulled out in 05, a two set special made up for it in 07.

7. Queens of the stone age - 2005 - a ten minute rendition of no one knows, homme at his best.

8. Less than jake - 2006 - always fun!

9. Tenacious D - 2008 - very drunk and a great laugh to watch.

10. Gaslight anthem - 2009 - phenomenal set from a great band.

There are many more memorable sets but these definitely stand out.

Some of the worst performances ive seen at leeds:

RHCP - 07 - everyone knows why.

Smashing pumpkins - 07 - left me bored and made me thoroughly regret not watching new found glory in the lockup.

Tilly and the wall - 07? - not sure how we came about these but 3 songs were enough to let me know id never be a fan

Peaches - 06 - stayed in nme tent after gogal bordello, soon wished we hadn't.

Razorlight - 05 - i was a mild fan, this set left me dissapointed

Arctic monkeys - 09 - i was unsure who to watch am or rise against. Three songs into their set and we were off to the lock up.

Hope of the states - 2006 - I was very excited about witnessing their last ever gig. Was a huge letdown.

Dirty Pretty Things - 2006 - bored out of my mind waiting for feeder

[Porcelina]

1) The Smashing Pumpkins 07 - Mind blowing, changed my whole perception on music. Best 90 mins of my life

2) Rage Against the Machine 08 - Everything I could have wanted and more, I've never felt that energy

3) Them Crooked Vultures 09 - Was right at the front and centre, the crowd was electric and seeing Dave drumming for me in a f**king tent...wow. I've never seen Foos which made it even more so.

4) Metallica 08 - Insane, simply one of the great classic rock shows.

5) MGMT 08 - I've never seen a tent that packed and fired up, OS was my summer album of that year so hearing it in full was insane.

6) Red Hot Chili Peppers 07 - I don't care what anyone else says, it was incredible.

7) Radiohead 09 - Wasn't quite the same because I'd seen them on tour but I was still insanely excited and it was pretty special.

Placebo 09 - They absolutely teared it up at Leeds, too new-album heavy though.

9) Arcade Fire 07 - Wasn't a huge fan at the time but still, wow.

10) Metric 09 - I don't know anybody who wasn't stunned by how good they were.