REVIEW: Leeds Festival 2015

Reading Festival is the world's oldest popular music festival still in existence and the introduction of Leeds Festival in 1999 has allowed more northern audiences to flock to there to see some of the best in punk pop, rock, indie, dance, RnB, alternative as well as emerging acts.

Leeds' tagline is 'Where Memories Are Made' and this year the lineup and experience again didn't disappoint.

FRIDAY The Cribs, The Maccabees and Jamie T took to the main stage and proved they well and truly belonged there, with a mix of indie disco to get the crowd ready for the headliners. Folk-punk star 'Frank Turner' performed for a record ninth time in a row, providing an intimate but enigmatic show for audiences on the Festival Republic stage.

Friday also saw the last ever performance of The Gaslight Anthem before an indefinite hiatus. However, Years and Years were one of the standout acts from Friday. The British Electronica 3 piece sent the crowd wild performing their number 1 single ‘King’ and fully utilising the opportunity to showcase their debut album Communion.

This year's line up saw the return of The Libertines with likely lads Carl Barat and Pete Doherty proving that their musical talents were still as fresh as they were in their heyday. The crowd went wild as hits such as ‘Vertigo’, ‘I get along’ and ‘What A Waster’ was rolled out and sang along just as energetically to new song ‘Gunga Din’ leaving nobody in doubt that the friendship between the Carl and Pete was back on track but so was the love of their music.

They closed with a scintillating, show-stealing‘Don’t look back into the sun’ and the crowd could not have been happier.

SATURDAY Day two saw an explosion of punk pop starting with Panic! At The Disco take to the main stage and perform hits 'Miss Jackson' and 'I write sins not tragedies' as well as new single 'Hallujah'. The crowd sang along to every word proving that they still have a strong fanbase here int he UK and making them a great addition to this year's line up. They threw in a cover of Queen's 'Bohemian Rhapsody' which got everyone bouncing and showcased the vocal prowess of lead singer Brendon Urie.

Next, All Time Low took to the main stage, providing what was surely one of the most interactive performances that conveyed the bands excitement to be at Leeds Festival. Lead guitarist Jack Barakat couldn't contain himself, running across the stage, at one point dancing with a broom and making sure he fully interacted with the crowd. The band then went one further, picking out members of the audience and inviting some pre-selected fans out on stage to dance with them, encapsulating all that is great about the festival.

Next on the main stage were Bastille who used the opportunity to showcase new material ahead of the release of their second album. They created a moment that highlights why Leeds is such a great festival when they asked everyone to get down on the floor for 'Rhythm is a dancer' and to jump up and start dancing together when the beat kicked in. Closing with 'Pompei' they ended a truly great performance proving they deserved to be third from top on the Main Stage.

Elsewhere, Canadian rockers Simple Plan made their debut at the festival on the Lock Up stage, providing a truly upbeat performance of old hits and new material. Closing the show were New Found Glory, who have maintained a strong following in the UK due to triumphant tours and festival appearances. It was a special moment for them to be closing the Lock Up stage as they thanked fans for supporting them all these years.

The mighty Limp Bizkit headlined the second stage and rewarded all those who'd gone to see them with an incredible rendition of 'Rollin' alongside a blitzkrieg of classics from their distinguished back catalogue.

Back on the Mainstage and Leeds locals alt-J won over the home crowd with an eclectic and enigmatic performance. The English indie rock band release their new album 'This is all yours' on the 22nd September and used Leeds as a fantastic space to debut some of the songs. This was in addition to performing classics including 'Left Hand Free' which sent the thousands watching into a frenzy.

Finally it was time for headliners Mumford and Sons to grace the stage and put in a truly fantastic performance, where they managed to sound even better than they do on their albums.

The intense 17-song set featured upbeat hits such as 'The Cave' and 'Babel' but still managing to not only engage but entrance the audience with slower tracks. Lead singer Marcus Mumford decided to truly embrace UK fans and entered the crowd whilst singing 'Ditmas' which resulted in his shirt being ripped open and his hair being ruffled, causing amusement for both us and his bandmates.

They closed with 'The Wolf' getting the crowd jumping along in unison as they rocked out to what was a deservedly headline performance. Outstanding stuff.

SUNDAY The final day of Leeds Festival 2015 saw another day of sunshine and brought with it an impressive rock line up with Royal Blood, Bring Me The Horizon Alexisonfire and Pierce the Veil all fitting openers for the highly anticipated headliners Metallica.

Away from the Main Stage, Irish rockers Ash hit the Festival Republic stage and got fans jumping all over the tent as they sang out classics 'Shining Light', 'Girl From Mars' and then closed the set with an incredible rendition of 'Burn Baby Burn.'

Immensely popular British indie-rockers Catfish and the Bottlemen took to the second stage to bring to life hits 'Kathleen' and 'Homesick' from their top 10 charting album 'Balcony'. A relentless set that proves exactly why they're so popular!

It was then time for an energetic performance from Twin Atlantic who got the crowd jumping as they belted out 'Free.' Next up was headliner 'Rebel Sound' a 'supergroup' made of some of the biggest names in jungle, reggae and drum and bass music. The packed out tent erupted for the entire breathless set, once again highlighting the truly diverse music mix available at Leeds.

The Wombats, headline the small Festival Republic stage and finish an indie-heavy day in brilliant fashion. The party atmosphere is apparent as they debut new material whilst sending the crowd wild with 'Moving to New York' and the extremely energetic 'Let's Dance to Joy Division'.

Over on the dance stage Charlie XCX was showing off her vocals as she performed hits 'I Don’t Care’, ‘Break the Rules’ and the hit single she sang on with Iggy Azalea, ‘Fancy’ (sadly devoid of Iggy). A brilliant performance from the pop phenomenon.

Back to the Main Stage and it was FINALLY time for metal legends and torch bearers Metallica. The headliners brought an intense mix of youthful energy despite having had a career spanning 35 years. The rockers delivered classics 'For Whom The Bell Tolls' or 'Ride The Lightning' and 'Master Of Puppets' and relatively new track 'The Day That Never Comes'.

Having invited 200 fans on stage for the performance, the entire atmosphere surrounding the rocking performance was electric. The encore was a fitting end to a storming Leeds Festival as the band covered 'Thin Lizzy’s' Whiskey In The Jar' then 'Nothing Else Matters' followed by the explosive 'Enter Sandman', which ended another fantastic year at the fantastic Leeds Festival. Roll on 2016!

GALLERY: LEEDS FESTIVAL 2015 IN PHOTOS

Photos: PA/Marc Sethi/Tom Martin

• Mumford & Sons
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