Festival Review: Live At Leeds: In The City - October 2022
Live At Leeds In The City was once a festival that took place in the sunshine-filled month of May, however, the cold brisk temperature reminded the festival goers that this year the festival was taking place in October. Despite the windy, autumnal weather, festival-goers flocked to Leeds city centre to catch some fantastic artists, have fun times and have refreshing drinks.
As quarter past one in the afternoon approached, The Lottery Winners sauntered their way onto the stage at The Wardrobe where every possible space in the venue was taken by the audience. Filled to the brim with eager listeners, the band was met with the most incredible reception of applause and cheers. The sound of their music soon began to echo around the room, and everyone was immediately put in the best of spirits. Frontman Thom Rylance’s incredible stage presence and extremely humorous banter got everyone either singing along or dancing. “Let’s all pretend every song is a massive hit” announced Thom, the crowd certainly followed this narrative. Musically, The Lottery Winners were impeccable. In particular, the song ‘Favourite Flavour’, which is one of their newer releases to date, was a fan favourite during their set.
After a brief pause, Banji were up next at Belgrave Music Hall. Notwithstanding the fact that they were one of the smaller bands on the lineup, the group put on one of the most impressive performances of the day. As the rain started to pour outside, Banji were beginning to captivate the venue indoors. Starting off the set with their single ‘Dogbreath’, the atmosphere inside was set a light. The chemistry within the band was unmatched and the talent displayed by all members was astonishing. Their music displayed a clever concoction of genres such as funk, indie, soul and rock. There was not a single second throughout the entirety of their performance that was monotonous. Each and every song transported the listener on a thoroughly enjoyable journey. ‘Maybe’ a love song from their new album ‘Freshcakes’ was played towards the end of their time on the Belgrave set. ‘Maybe’ is an ingenious ballad that flows through soft and delicate verses into explosive and dramatic choruses. If you haven’t already, it is a must to check out Banji.
It was time once again to head back to The Wardrobe for the iconic rockers The Pale White. One of their biggest releases to date ‘Glue’ was the first song to be enacted. The sultry sound that The Pale White have managed to achieve over the years is something that makes the band truly stand out from the rest. Every chord that was struck, every note that was sung and every riff that was played was effortless and alluring perfection. The band even gave a glimpse of their upcoming album which seemed to be as enjoyable for The Pale White to play as it was for the audience to hear. Their grandest show-stopper was ‘That Dress’ where pockets of dancing emerged within the crowd.
Up next was a performance from Harvey Jay Dodson over at A Nation Of Shopkeepers, a small venue in the heart of the city centre. Despite this potentially being one of the harder places to find yourself performing due to the lack of acoustics and small stage. Harvey and his band put on a breathtaking performance. His soulful and rich vocals permeated throughout the room and the audience was enjoying every single moment. In spite of the fact that Harvey is only 20 years of age, the execution of his set felt refined and polished. It provided the perfect remedy for all the time spent in larger performance spaces. Nevertheless, A Nation Of Shopkeepers was still arrayed with people, even to the extent that many could not be let in due to the crowd having already met capacity.
Over at the 02 Academy, just a stone's throw away from A Nation Of Shopkeepers was the upcoming performance from Working Men’s Club. Working Men's Club's gloomy sound, which draws inspiration from new-wave musicians, darkened the atmosphere in the 02 Academy. Their music is tempered with airy, melodic synthesisers and is hauntingly nostalgic. Working Men’s Club’s set provided a completely different aura than previous artists throughout the day which was indeed a refreshing change. The band stunned the audience with a performance that skillfully blended songs from their debut album and Fear Fear. The four-piece create music that may appear extravagant but is meant to endure, eschewing blending into any one milieu.
Sundara Karma were potentially one of the most sought-after artists on the entirety of Live at Leeds' lineup this year. The indie outfit's nostalgic blend of jangly pop and spirited, show-like swagger offered heartwarming fun by the bucketload. Packing out a high-energy, anthem-fuelled set with classic hits including ‘She Said’, ‘Flame’ and ‘Explore’, the sentimentality that the cult indie band offered up was unmatched. The view from the balcony oversaw the people in the stalls of the venue dance like there was no tomorrow. Unfortunately, for many iconic indie bands of the early 2010s, their new songs which were performed were not met with quite the same energy as their older hits. However, it is wonderful to see Sundara Karma evolve and develop over time and find their new sound as a band.
There were soon to be only two sets left for the day and these were both to be held over at Leeds Beckett Students Union. The Plymouth-based five piece's music swept through through venue. The band were the epitome of being anthemic. Despite the room being a much smaller venue than most, their stage presence was enough to fill an arena. Charlie Noordewier's incredible vocal prowess was repeatedly showcased throughout the group's set, and the band's lyrics were effortlessly catchy.
Last up for the night was the iconic outfit, White Lies. The opening drums to ‘Farewell To The Fairground’ quickly and assuredly granted everyone’s attention. With over 37 million streams on Spotify, this song being played first and foremost was an incredible excerpt for what to expect over the next hour. Having formed in 2008, the band are in no way amateurs on stage and their many years of expertise in the industry and live performance have unarguably made them perfection to see live. Even if you were not to be a fan of rock music, it is certain that you would not be able to in any way fault their musical expertise and execution. From ‘To Lose My Life’ to ‘Is Love Enough’, there were more than enough sing-a-long's to suit every member of the audience. White Lies were the quintessential finish to such a wonderful day over at Live At Leeds In The City.
Words by Sophie Bourgeois
Photography by Pete Taylor
