Live at Leeds: In The Park held a day of sublime indie music to remember
The festival took it’s line-up outside once more, bringing along The Big Moon, Opus Kink and The Hives.
Photo: Jacob Flannery
Another Bank holiday over and Live at Leeds: In the Park has solidified itself as a major part of the festival season – this time in its 2nd year on the sunny slopes of Temple Newsham. Boasting an impressive lineup this year, they’re ones to go on your radar if you fancy catching the latest in indie newness.
For the start of the sunny bank holiday, Opus Kink was our first port of call. The Brighton-based sextet brought the unusual mixture of dark post-punk and a brass section to make a concoction that on paper has no right to work, and yet these boys managed to pull it off so strongly and vividly. It was an excellent start to the day, from a band I’ve really come to enjoy this year.
An absolute delight to stumble upon was the gang of New Yorkers on the Dork stage, in the form of Psymon Spine. Admittedly, going into their set I didn’t have too much of an idea what I’d be in for – I said perhaps I’ll stay for one or two songs before plodding off to another stage. I ended up staying for their entire set. To describe their sound as unpredictable would make you the under-estimator of the week; mixing the sounds of the Brooklyn dance scene with a psychedelic, dream-pop sound, the five-piece band should be on your list to go through their discography. Channels, a single from their 2021 album Charismatic Megafauna was a personal favourite; a more classically funk hit with the band’s own odd, quirky and — at times — just plain odd twist on things.
Nothing was quite majestic as a midday session from The Big Moon. With a set based on their 2022 album Here is Everything, there is nothing quite like this band to put a smile on your face. They have always been a band that looks like a group of friends having a really good time on stage, and that energy does transfer to the crowd. A pretty apt ending for the set was their 2020 single Your Light – it’s such a feel-good summer song, and it makes me long til I can see them again. Gosh, what a band.
Panic Shack, as anyone who knows of them would expect, they put on quite a fun show for the gathered crowd. The Cardiff four-piece have been making quite the name for themselves for the past couple of years, and have gotten themselves a reputation as a crowd pleaser. It was easy to see why; a powerful, dirty punk sound on topics that could make anyone giggle. Truly, why do we not have more songs based on Tesco meal deals or folks giving us the ick?
The Hives is one of those bands that I was a little too young to fully appreciate at their time in the 2000s, but I’ve heard so many tales about them and their ability to truly be the kings of the crowd. It was certainly true from what I saw: Pelle Almqvist was able to play the crowd like no one I’ve ever quite seen before. And the exact second that the crowd realises that Hate to Say I Told You So was complete pandemonium. They also managed to give us a few sneaks at their new album The Death Of Randy Fitzsimmons, which will be released on the 11th of August this year. With it being their first album in over ten years, it’s certainly going to be one to keep a lookout for.
The night was to end on an over 1-hour session by the ever reliable Two Door Cinema Club – and what a session it was. There’s something rather warming about the mass of people making their way down the Temple Newsham Hill to the main Cockpit stage to all sign off the night together. The Two Door Cinema Club is one of those bands that, simply upon hearing, makes it feel like the early 2010s again, and I’m at someone’s school house party – I’m sure plenty of the crowd had similar feelings when they were playing. An absolutely fantastic set to round off the night.
Overall Live at Leeds: in the Park 2023 was quite a success; a more polished version of the event was built in on the back of their first event in Temple Newsham in 2022. There was a pretty large amount of variety in the line up too, attracting a wide range of different audiences; giving the masses plenty of opportunity to find a new favourite band. If you were unlucky enough to have not been able to attend this year, never fear – Live at Leeds: In The City will be returning on the 14th of October! With already the makings of a magnificent line-up — including the likes of (no strangers to unforgettable sets) The Last Dinner Party, Pip Blom and The Rills — it is not going to be one to miss. Roll on October!
Grab your ticket for Live at Leeds: In The City or get your tickets for next year’s In The Park early here.
