Day two at Leeds Festival was a proper musical journey, starting with the smaller stages and gradually building towards a huge finish on The Grid.
From discovering local talent to grime, pop and post-punk, there was a little bit of everything – and for the most part, it worked brilliantly.
The day started with JD Cliffe, setting the tone nicely before heading over to Florentenes, the Bolton band bringing plenty of guitar-driven energy to The Canopy.
Their set was a reminder of what makes festivals like Leeds so good: getting away from the biggest names and discovering bands you might not have otherwise come across. Tracks such as Fuel For The Flame and The Gun showed plenty of promise and gave the early afternoon a real sense of momentum.
Next up was The Guest List, another Canopy set that kept the day moving. There was a real sense that the Festival was gradually warming up, with the crowds growing and the atmosphere building as the afternoon went on.
Then came Skepta, and suddenly the volume went up several notches. Bringing his trademark grime sound to The Grid, tracks like Shutdown, That’s Not Me, Too Many Man, Gas Me Up (Diligent) and It Ain’t Safe have exactly the sort of bass-heavy impact that works in front of a festival crowd. His set was all about energy, attitude and getting thousands of people moving at once.
After Skepta, it was time for Charli XCX, who completely changed the mood. Her set brought the huge pop production and club energy, with songs including Apple, Track 10, Club classics, 365, 360, Von dutch and Guess giving the crowd plenty to shout along to. After the success of the Brat era, it was impossible not to feel the influence of that record across the field. Her current show also mixes in newer, more experimental material, performing something beyond a greatest-hits set.
Fontaines DC at Leeds Festival 2024. Photograph by Mark Wheelwright for Leeds Living.
And then came Fontaines D.C., closing the day with something completely different. Their darker, more atmospheric sound was the perfect contrast, with Boys in the Better Land, Here’s the Thing, Nabokov, Jackie Down the Line, Televised Mind, Big Shot and Starburster showing exactly why they have become one of the UK’s most exciting live bands.
The one disappointment was The Warehouse. It was scheduled to host acts including Meeshy, Djammin, Omar+, ALISHA and a Skepta B2B East End Dubs set, so sadly not having it open left a small hole in what was otherwise such a good event.
Still, that was a minor blemish on an otherwise brilliant day. JD Cliffe, Florentenes, The Guest List, Skepta, Charli XCX and Fontaines D.C. gave the day a brilliant mix of sounds, moods and energy.
Main image: Skepta. Photograph by Matt Eachus (The Manc Photographer)
