Festival Review: Leeds Festival 2022
Leeds Festival is an institution, it’s folklore is intertwined with the coming of age tales of generations and it’s 2022 iteration provided yet another opportunity for new stories to be written and memories to be made. Bramham Park once again played host to the festival and as thousands descended on the site, the sun was shining, setting the scene for what would be an unforgettable weekend.
Over the years the music policy of Leeds and Reading has changed dramatically, opting to reflect the tastes of the masses rather than defend any asinine notions of what the festival should be. In short, Leeds Festival refuses to be defined by it’s Legacy. Democratic in their curation of acts, they remain the arbiter of emerging talent and give a platform to some of the most exciting up and comers alongside the world’s biggest names and it is this approach that allows the festival to attract the masses year on year.
Despite many fans arriving earlier in the week, Friday saw the start of the festival proper and in the face of all the controversy surrounding the last minute changes to the line-up, there was a palpable sense of excitement on site. Early acts opening the festival included the likes of Pale Waves, Run The Jewels and local lads Bad Boy Chiller Crew however, it was Charli XCX who provided the spark to ignite the embers on Friday. A late addition to the line-up, she stepped up to the plate with theatrical staging and animated choreography in what was a perfect pop palette cleanser for Friday’s headliners, The 1975.
Drafted in as a replacement for Rage Against The Machine and just three years on from their previous headline slot at the festival, the band had an uphill struggle on their hands to win over a famously tough Leeds crowd however, the strength of their back catalogue shone through as they delivered an unforgettable performance which will surely go down as one of the highlights of their career to date.
Away from the main stage the festival provided a great selection of up and coming acts including Saturday’s BBC Introducing stage openers, Honeyglaze. Playing out a collection of tracks from their self-titled debut album, the London three piece treated spectators to an impassioned set that went down a treat with an early afternoon crowd still recovering from Friday's antics. Also appearing on the BBC Introducing Stage over the weekend was the likes of Dan D'Lion and the heavily tipped, Driffield outfit Priestgate however, it was DEADLETTER, who stole the show with their, sharp-edged, politically charged brand of post-punk. With frontman Zac Woolley whipping the Leeds crowd up into a frenzy, the band looked nothing short of main stage material, performing a rip roaring set cherry picked from their back catalogue of foot stompers which included the likes of "Fit For Work" and brand new single "Binge". Their sensational performance stood up against even the biggest names on the weekend's line-up, highlighting them as one of the most exciting new acts on the scene.
Previously criticised for the lack of female representation, this year’s Festival offered up some of their biggest slots to some incredible artists including the likes of Halsey, Griff and Joy Crookes however, some of the most memorable performances of the weekend belonged to Little Simz and Megan Thee Stallion. Since the release of her sophomore album "Grey Area" Little Simz has become one of the most respected artists in the UK. A two time Mercury Prize nominee and Ivor Novello recipient, Simz put together a stellar set of tracks from her most recent album "Sometimes I May Be Introvert" and the aforementioned "Grey Area". Drawing a huge crowd, the London rapper closed her set with the feminist rallying cry "Venom" in a clear statement that her and her female counterparts at the top of the bill are here to stay. Following Little Simz and closing out the Main Stage West on Saturday night was cultural phenomenon, Megan Thee Stallion. Since bursting onto the scene, the American has repeatedly broken the internet with her provocative brand of Hip-Pop however, at Leeds Festival she proved that she is far more than just a viral sensation. Lyrically urgent, Megan Thee Stallion is one of the artists breaking away from the current boon in mumble rap, her lyrics are poignant expressions sexuality and femininity and have taken the world by storm, no more notably than with the smash hit "WAP" released alongside Cardi B back in 2020. Since then Megan has dropped several new albums including her latest release, "Traumazine" which provided the foundations of her set however, there was also plenty in there for day one fans to enjoy too. Megan Thee Stallion is a true icon of the internet age and her set at Leeds Festival was unquestionably one of the highlights of the weekends proceedings.
After the abundance of Pop and Rap on offer on Saturday, the Sunday at Leeds Festival was reserved for the type of guitar music synonymous with the festival's heritage. The likes of Enter Shikari and Bring Me The Horizon (with the help of Doncaster's own Yungblud) headlined the Main Stage West while the other main stage was reserved for some of the most commercially successful bands of recent years with Fontaines DC, Wolf Alice and Arctic Monkeys all topping the bill. Arctic Monkeys drew perhaps the biggest crowd of the weekend, with fans eager to catch a glimpse of the band following their extended hiatus off the back of the release of their most recent album, Tranquillity Base Hotel & Casino. Following their long and illustrious career the band put together a sensational performance of some of their greatest hits before closing out the night with the anthemic "R U Mine" taken from their commercial megahit "AM".
Despite the many brilliant performances from bands across the weekend, Leeds Festival 2022 was yet another reminder of the dominance of Rap and Hip-Pop in the current musical zeitgeist. Performances from some of the most notable bands on the line-up almost felt like those of a legacy acts in the face of the zest and zeal of the likes of Megan Thee Stallion, Little Simz and Charli XCX and proves that guitar music has a long way to go to effect the culture in the same way as other genres. Its refusal to adopt new methods of dissemination such as Tik Tok and an insistence on playing up to the same recycled clichés as yesteryear mean it is struggling to capture the imagination of the masses like it once did. However, judging by the new wave of socially conscious acts on the horizon, a rock and roll revival could potentially be just around the corner.
By continuing to platform the most relevant and exciting talent from across the globe and by resisting the calls of the old guard to revive the "glory days", Leeds and Reading Festival are protecting the relevance and the importance of the camping festival against all odds and that is something that is worth celebrating. Leeds Festival 2022, yet another one to remember!
Words by Jordan Corrigan
Images provided by LD Communications
