It’s that time of year again where I spend my bank holiday in a field in Bramham Park having the time of my life. Todays post highlights day one Leeds Festival. Where my inner emo kid satisfies its long lust to see bands I’ve adored since I’ve sported a sweeping black fringe.
Leeds Festival Highlights Day One
Photos by Stephi LaReine & Patrick McGuinness
The sunniest of all days, and believe me we needed some some glorious sunshine to dry up all the mud. This year it was a total sludge fest, and in all my years of coming to Leeds it was never as sloppy as this year. It’ll never be Glastonbury or Download where the mud is up to your knees but as 250,000 people all walk the same paths it was near enough impossible to walk back to your tent with clean boots. It’s all in the spirit of good fun, it’s the time to stomp around, slip and slide and cause absolute menace having mud fights, just take extra baby wipes to clean up.
Day ones outfit was a pastel multicoloured dress by Zaful, it’s light fabric meant I could party longer and still look bright and colourful, teamed of course with some Rockfish Wellies that have taken a battering over the past year of use but still trusty when you wanna keep your tootsies warm and toasty. We popped into the Oxfam Festival Shop to say a quick hello, I always encourage you to check out your festival shops as they’re brimming with hidden treasures and souvenirs to take home. Oxfam are a saviour as they stock so many different styles of jackets if you were foolish enough to not pack for the weather. Also you can find me taking over the store briefly on their instagram.
OUTFIT OF THE DAY
Zaful Colour Block Dress
H&M Coachella Crochet Tassel Waistcoat
It was super surprising that by our usual squad standard that we actually saw a lot less bands than we intended. Our afternoon started with The Vryll Society, a local Liverpudlian bands making waves amongst the northern scene. Having seen them a few times I couldn’t miss their amazing set at Leeds. They’re just starting their autumn tour with Hidden Charms another fab fave of mine so do check them out as they hit up a venue near you.
Our act to follow, you’ll probably guess easily as we’ve only seen them at every other festival we’ve been to this year – Clean Cut Kid. The rising stars of Scouse-land played The Festival Republic Stage, it’s a good place to discover an act or three. It makes my heart sing to see a huge crowd pilling out of the tent after they start playing as they truly deserve all their recognition. To me CCK are just a bundle of happiness, it’s hard not to love their light hearted tunes. Listen to Vitamin C or We Used To Be In Love and don’t tell me you’re not swaying and grinning simultaneously. Stay tuned for next year to see how stratospheric they go!
One of my favourite memories of all time was The Vaccines at Leeds 2012, and to relive that was rather rad. I see The Vaccines quite frequently and can count the past year alone on two hands. But there’s something very sacred about when they return to Leeds. A northern crowd does them justice and they pull it out the bag every time. I so wish I could have snapped a good picture of them but my camera was misbehaving (boo!) but none the less you can take it from the horses mouth they blew us away.
I bounced down with the Queen of Yorkshire (Queen Beady) and her husband for Fall Out Boy. I’m still suffering post-festie blues from this day, by far it was my favourite and I’m impressed that I’ve eventually got round to seeing them after so many years of adoring them. It’s everything you’d come to expect, FOB still have the magic in their veins to work a UK crowd, I didn’t expect fireworks but boy were there a lot, that made me a very happy Stephi.
Finally our night was tailed off with the mesmerising Biffy Clyro. Scottish humour gets me right in the feels and it was as much entertaining as they engaged with the audience as it was sensational through their visuals, music and overall aesthethic. Leeds massively upgraded their displays and Biffy Clyro stage setup was incredible. I would watch it a million times over and replay that day endlessly.
Stay tuned for day two as things get muddy but glorious.
