Top 10 Leeds Festival you must see

By Graham Chalmers
Festival-goers at a recent Leeds Festival at Bramham Park.Festival-goers at a recent Leeds Festival at Bramham Park.
Festival-goers at a recent Leeds Festival at Bramham Park.

It’s the biggest music festival of the year in the north and the Harrogate Advertiser’s team will be there throughout the weekend.

With closing night headliners Metallica said to be planning the biggest and most expensive live show in the event’s history on Sunday, August 30, this year’s Leeds Festival promises to be a cracker.

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There’s even a Harrogate singer on the bill this time round - Eeectro-pop artist Katie Skinner, 22, who is to perform on the BBC Introducing stage.

As for the Advertiser’s reporters - Laura Hill, Graham Chalmers, Nina Swift and Dan Windham - they will be at Bramham Park reporting throughout the weekend through social media and www.harrogate advertiser.co.uk

As to what to see, here’s the Advertiser’s recommendations.

The Top 10 Leeds Festival acts you have to see

10. The Cribs (Friday)

Wakefield’s perenennial underdogs still have plenty of bite left in them as current album, For All My Sisters demonstrates.

9. Coasts (Friday)

As the Foals aren’t playing, check out this blissed-out Bristol-based five-piece who who put the lift in uplifting on their forthcoming debut album.

8. Seether (Sunday)

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It’s 21 years since Kurt Cobain died but his spirit is kept alive by this South African hard rock band who bring the Grunge era back to life.

7. Frank Turner (Friday)

A star by stealth, Turner has graduated to a headlining slot indoors through years of acoustic slogging live in small venues that puts young whippersnapper Ed Sheeran to shame.

6. Circa Waves (Sunday)

If you’re tired of the soap opera that is The Libertines, try this newish Liverpudlian four-piece already renowned for their upbeat indie rock songs and rousing choruses.

5. Royal Blood (Sunday)

This Brighton-based two-piece garage rock band are the hottest two-piece on the planet right now - except for The Black Keys, and they are certainly louder..

4. Bastille (Saturday)

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Can the ultimate energetic synth pop outfit transform the lifeless main stage. If they can’t, who can?

3. The Maccabees (Friday)

The U2 it is safe to like, the London-based four-piece indie rock band special in big tunes that aren’t dumb and interesting musical ideas which are always accessible, re new album Marks to Prove It.

2. Metallica (Sunday)

The heavy metal legends promise spectacular pyrotechnics - and that’s on top of a classics-laden set.

1. Kendrick Lamar (Friday)

This hot US hip hop artist’s latest album To Pimp a Butterfly, has been hailed as the Sgt Pepper of rap and he’s a bit of a bold choice as second top of the bill on the main stage. Just let’s hope he doesn’t declare himself the “biggest rock star on the planet.”

For ticket information, Leeds Festival tickets