More about: Leeds Festival

After three days of brilliant music and the shining sun, Leeds Festival 2019 has passed us by, gearing to come back as always next year. So as we move on with the musical memories from Bramham Park held close to our hearts, here are 19 things we have learnt from this year’s event:

SWMRS advocate for more women at music festivals 

The California-based punk rock foursome not only brought their most electrifying record to date, Berkeley’s On Fire, to the Leeds Main Stage, they brought with them some empowering thoughts on women’s rights and their place at music festivals; a message that means a lot especially in view of the largely male dominated main stage this year. 

Yungblud can rock a dress way better than we can 

Describing himself as a “socially conscious artist unafraid of delivering genre-bending protest songs”, there’s lot to talk about when it comes to Yungblud’s honest and impactful music.  His collab with Halsey, ’Chemicals’ and  new single ‘Die A Little’ are all amazing - but what we learn is that he definitely has better fashion sense than us.

Two full sets each day is no big deal for Enter Shikari 

Returning to perform at the festival after 6 years, St Alban’s finest Enter Shikari, were everywhere at Reading & Leeds 2019, playing a whopping five sets across the weekend and they left no stone unturned in greeting all the “carbon-based life-forms” at Leeds with music that “controls pitch, rhythm and light to manipulate emotions”. 

Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes wanted women to crowd surf without being groped 

Raw and gritty, Rattlesnakes frontman Frank Carter was a gentleman through and through on the Main Stage at Leeds as he gave room to all the women at Bramham Park to shine. Urging everyone, particularly the men, in the crowd to “take care of the women” he performed in his typical fashion of musical aggression as many  lovely women around him lived out their dreams of crowd surfing without being inappropriately touched. 

Foo Fighters plus ‘Freddie Mercury’ equals a killer duet 

Headlining for the seventh time at Leeds Festival, the rock titans pulled a Freddie Mercury lookalike – a fan apparently named Ryan dressed in a trademark yellow jacket and white trousers - from the crowd to help them with a cover of Queen’s ‘Under Pressure’. Mimicking along with Foos drummer Taylor Hawkins, I’m sure that was no pressure at all on Ryan. 

Chvrches prevail in spite of sharing a time slot with headliner Foo Fighters

The Glaswegian, genre-crossing threesome performed a pitch-perfect, spellbinding set as sub-headliners on the BBC Radio 1 Stage, managing to draw large crowds in spite of sharing their slot with rock gods Foo Fighters. The crowd’s an impressive feat for the band, and the songs a great reward for those that decided to stop by.

Charli XCX made up for the lack of women on the Main Stage 

After a Friday made up of a whole lot of talent and a bit too much testosterone, Charli XCX brought some much-needed girl power to the Main Stage at Bramham Park on Saturday. Three albums in and managing to successfully and easily blend the experimental and mainstream sides of pop, she returns to Leeds to charm fans with old hits and new music. 

Joji makes the BBC Radio 1 Stage go crazy  

Formerly known as Filthy Frank, Japanese singer-songwriter Joji was greeted with thunderous screams as he brought his signature lo-fi vibes to BBC Radio 1 stage on day two. Performing hit after hit - such as ‘ Can’t Get Over You’ and ‘Attention’ – blended with singalongs and broken by chants, Joji was the undeniable symbol of togetherness under the tent. 

The Wombats make the best “elevator music” Leeds has ever heard

The indie threesome didn’t fail to bring their tongue-in-cheek humour to the Main Stage playing not only fan-favourites such as ‘Moving to New York and ‘Let’s Dance To Joy Division’ but also giving amused, and still dancing fans a taste of what they referred to as “horrendous elevator music”. 

Circa Waves and their song ‘T-Shirt Weather’ can amp up the sunshine 

Liverpool indie foursome Circa Waves are the perfect festival band, delivering a high-energy sound that was tailor-made for hordes of people to dance under the shining sun - and their performance of the singalong hit ‘T-Shirt Weather’ on the BBC Radio 1 stage is perhaps the most poignant example of this. 

Headlining Leeds Festival with The 1975 was the “greatest moment” of Matty Healy’s life

The 1975 delivered amazing music and a lot more at Saturday’s headline appearance. Referring to the opportunity “as the greatest moment of my life”, frontman Matty Healy left the large crowd with much more than entertainment; delivering an impassioned speech about environment and climate change, declaring his support for 16-year-old Swedish activist Greta Thunberg.

Alma is a powerhouse with a killer voice 

Finnish pop sensation Alma who rose to fame in 2013 through talent show ‘Idol’, delivered an energetic set fit for the Main Stage particularly the summertime track ‘Dance With Me’. She’s got a future as bright as her neon yellow hair.

Billie Eilish was a must-see on the Main Stage – surprising no one. 

After having her set moved from the BBC Radio 1 stage, Billie, one of the youngest performers to take the Main Stage, brought forth mischief, abandon and great music to the massive crowd, and with amount of hype around her, it’d be no surprise if she’s a headliner next year. Well-deserved we say!

Poppy has made the perfect transition from eerie YouTube videos to otherworldly music

Notorious for her obscure, unnerving content on YouTube, Poppy seems to have made a seamless transition to a gritty yet sugary-sweet sound, still keeping people on their toes. With the same endearing, hypnotic pull that made her an internet sensation, Poppy delivered an ethereal performance at The Pit/Lock Up tent. 

Zuzu is gifted, relatable and deserves a lot more attention

Having turned to music to cope with her loneliness, Liverpool-based Zuzu pushes boundaries and is slowly but surely inching closer to becoming an indie-pop anthem queen. A visibly confident and talented artist, she’s clearly made for big things.

Pip Blom has a sweet sound filled with personality and character

Amsterdam-based youngster Pip Blom has developed her own unique brand of music. She tried getting into world of typical pop, but that never got off the ground, and a loss for the pop world meant a gain for the indie world, and another gain for the crowds at the Festival Republic stage on the final day of Leeds 2019.

Blossoms bring an apt feel-good sound to the festival

Undeniably Stockport’s finest, Blossoms take their fans on a musical voyage which subtly nods at the band’s influences - Stone Roses, Oasis, Arctic Monkeys - while managing to deliver their own distinct summery sound. Confident and cohesive, the five-piece are a complete musical package. 

Twenty One Pilots and surprise guest Post Malone pull off a brilliant cover of Oasis’ ‘Don’t Look Back in Anger’ 

The American musical duo showed their gratitude for British music and its supporters with their own rendition of the iconic Brit pop anthem Oasis’ ‘Don’t Look Back in Anger’, with some unlikely help. As headliner of this year’s event, Post Malone joined the duo after the first verse, surprising and supporting them.

Post Malone is an incredibly versatile performer 

Closing the main stage on the last night of Leeds Festival 2019, Post Malone manages to establish himself as a versatile performer, with an intoxicating yet revitalising sound. He’s a rockstar, he’s dominating the charts – and it’s no surprise he dominated the stage on the boiling Sunday at Bramham Park. 

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More about: Leeds Festival