Alive at Leeds!

How can you not feel alive after a weekend of the warm sun, beautiful countryside, Yorkshire ale, loads of new bands and friends. And Gunners are one nil up against old red nose’s team…

Train up from London avoiding that wedding with Simon meet Jules quick pint then train out Menston to be met in mein hosts sports car. Soon outside the neighbour’s garden (aka Woolpack) with Otley folk I’ve not seen for ages then off to the wedding BBQ. Good catching up but the call of live music is too much for Ramsay to bear and we’re off to see Mid Life Crisis. Yep, they sound like they sound. An unlikely quintent enter the traditional Yorkshire pub – Ramsay in tight tiara, Simon in dapper velvet jacket brothels white lapels a la Harry Hill, Jo in wedding dress and polka dot tights, Jules in something I wouldn’t class as a dress, more a short slip and the enquiffed one sporting badly applied lipstick. After some dancing to covers and mic bothering by Ramsay we retire to darts and dominoes. Then home for Jo’s fabulous curry and chat (talk, not Indian snacks).

Up at ten for quick breakfast Si’s quick dip (I’m talking the river Wharf here fnaar fnaar) and bus into Leeds with Malcolm. VIP wristbands secured we head off to the madness of Live at Leeds seeing old Leeds friends and making a few new along the way. Faversham to start with Insect Guide a great 3 piece (drummer missing?) with big guitars and back beat drumming. Singer really soulful. Sort of post punk early goth sound but not at all dated. Great visuals as well. Then on come Runaround Kids sound like it says on the kicked tin can. Too young to own a car? Use the garage to make music. Classic punk garageland with new indie attitude. Getting jiggy…

Trek over to the lovely Brudenell Social Club for The ABC Club - Smiths-esq (a lazy description I know) but a perfect juxtaposition of girl angst vocals with jangly dancy music fading into grunge. Gets me dancing anyway. And only me. Hey Ho. Let’s Go! Down into town to church for a disappointing Cloud Control – maybe cos everyone sat in the pews and was comparing to Hurts last year. Off back to Fav with Malcolm for one of the highlights – Katzenjammer. 4 Norwegian girls giving it everything for a really energetic and engaging set. Think grittier Shane McGowen vocals dressed in burlesque style gone down to the Louisiana swamps with a stop off in Cork. With some weird sawn off double bass. Beautiful girls with diva voices multi instrument talented and like singing about farting. What more could you want at 5pm on a warm April Saturday? Beer, that’s it. Sit in the sun outside with Malcolm and a few new friends talking music, footie and other important matters. Catch some of Club Smith – a bit like Robert Smith’s Cure but not enthralling. To the Met for the apparent Leeds super group Stalking Horse – earnest but tedious in my humble southern opinion. Mazes next but so hazy can’t remember them – programme bigs them up so pity I can’t. Maybe because the next band were a great surprise…

Let’s Wrestle a youthful trio thrashing out a heavy jumpaboutlikemadpushstrangersaround beat with stinging guitars. Wobbly Rock says the programme and I wouldn’t disagree as got a bit wobbly meself at times. Perfect to ease us into the evening. Stunned by the recent fun we seem to spend ages hanging around outside dithering before Jo me Ramsay’s work mate and squeeze taxi to the Cockpit for a very late The Whip with others variously turning up. No disappointments or real surprises here – hands in the air pumping dance rock n roll. Excellent and exhilarating. Hungry for more (more? shurely not!) meander to Nation of Shop Keepers to see Runners – LCD Soundsystem wannabees. Another lazy comparison as they were very good and visually a lot different to the New Yorker and not a tribute band by any means with some great tunes and the singer ran around impressively considering the space he had. Only thing left for me Rams and Jo to do now is to use our VIP passes at the after party for free booze. Apparently that doesn’t run to 3 JD & cokes with sambuca chasers so I’m stung for £13. Bad lethargic dancing then taxi home for a repeat of curry and chat.

Feel surprisingly chipper this morning after Jo’s scrumptious scrambled eggs with spinach real detox food so agree with Ramsay no intoxication for a week. Fond goodbyes to Rams & Jo next meet Glasto. Yay! Into town en route to London and as a while for my train meet Simon and Jules in Weatherspoons for last Yorkshire ale and nachos. So much for healthy living on both counts! Now streaming through the English countryside in glorious sunny technicolour surrounded by Crystal Palace Diving Team Arse won hooray listening Jay Z stopping at Grantham if there were windows to open I’d spit on it for spawning the horrors of the 80s now back there with the snotty public schoolboys now I’m ranting and rambling and not over dales feeling jaded concrete jungle where dreams are made of Alicia’s voice hitting my soul hard can’t wait to get back to my homefolk…