Leeds Festival 2017: Day Three
Leeds Festival 2017: Day Three roundup. Featuring Eminem, Major Lazer, Korn, At The Drive In, Migos, PVRIS, Pretty Reckless and Moose Blood. Leeds Festival.
Posted: 4 September 2017
Words: Kerri Wynter
Leeds Festival 2017 is drastically drier when compared to the mudslide horror created the last time 80,000 northern folk got together in a field to have a good time, and maybe see some bands. This year in comparison is ideal when perched on a patch of grass positioned by the main stage.
Moose Blood offers up their feel-good pop punk which makes a soulful statement, and acts as a great wake up call to the final day of Leeds Festival 2017. A sorrowful ballad part way through highlights what the quadruplet do best, romantic and emotional rock tinged with the pain of heartbreak.
The Pretty Reckless announces their arrival with abstract sounds of Big Ben’s bongs interspersed with sex noises, which is actually the high point of their set. Taylor Momsen, more commonly known as Gossip Girl's Jenny or the little girl in The Grinch, asks several times if she's “lost her mind.” The only thing Momsen is losing is the audience’s interest as majority of the crowd are wondering what the hell is occurring. There’s no doubt however that their heavy sound does attract loyal fans, but they appear to be few and far between in this setting. The band’s debut track – You Make Me Wanna Die - gets a few mouths moving, but besides that it’s clear Momsen and co. are ill suited to the main stage.
The reality is far from the glamorous and thriving coverage you see online, with Leeds Festival 2017 seemingly having accepted drug consumption as a part of its culture; and whilst this enhances the experience for many, it no doubt has a negative impact for others.
PVRIS are up next, and they bring a certain peace to the festival. Alongside this, they refreshingly demonstrate that the sexualisation of a female singer is not required to make or sell music. Presenting their recognisable hits as vocalist, Lynn Gunn, encourages the crowd to make the most of their time shared together. The band’s soft pop rock sound breaks boundaries between niche and popular music and offer a welcome interlude to the day.
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After nearly completely missing their set, the controversial group bounce onto the stage with confidence and without an apology nor explanation. Migos plays hits such as Bad and Boujee and T-Shirt before having the plug pulled on the rest of their set without warning. The trio are sent off to the sound of chants from the crowd as they wave goodbye to their lively yet short-lived set, and possibly a return next year.
At The Drive In take to the stage dressed in bootlegged denim boiler-suits, and that is not the only thing seemingly past its time. Lead singer, Cedric Bixler, even admits that if you haven't heard of their work, "you're 30 years too late." Although the first to criticise the "processed music" across the rest of the bill, the band’s recreation of their own seminal songs in inaccessible and heavily processed output lose all but the most avid fan in the crowd.
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Korn’s return to the festival circuit and higher billing after a number of years finds an active and passionate following here. Demonstrating their especially moody take on metal, the band’s energy and musical ability energises the crowd, and singer, Jonathan Davis, paying tribute to his Scottish roots by whipping out the bagpipes, sparks yet more appreciation from the crowd.
Major Lazer provides a strange yet welcome shift to the music genres presented with a return to dance music and a is well received by the crowd that had accumulated itself at the festival's main stage. The trio - consisting of Diplo, and DJs Jillionaire and Walshy Fire - are assisted by a variety of dancers to help get the party started. The group’s crowd involvement is sure to please, with the trio encouraging the audience to remove their clothing and swing it in the air, Diplo placing himself inside a giant inflatable ball before rolling his way over thousands of heads, and Jillionaire running the length of the barrier high-fiving every outreached hand.
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Seeing one of the most iconic, albeit notorious rappers of today up close is no easy feat, and there’s no doubt how dedicated Eminem’s fans are, with a number of the fans barricaded at the front of the stage decorated with tattoos of the Detroit rapper's face. Eminem’s performance is well executed with an artistic backdrop that animates a story of hope and defeat with the beauty of nature and burning buildings respectively. Mathers himself conveys his art not only via voice, but through his on-stage humour and questionable dance moves. He further vocalises his political preferences by adorning a ‘FACK TRUMP’ tee, sharing a short speech, and encouraging the crowd to chant the explicit version of his shirt’s slogan. The best-selling rapper of all time covers a wide selection of his hits - My Name Is, Lose Yourself and Not Afraid - whilst also offering more obscure features such as The Hills and Airplanes Part II. All in all, Eminem creates a rapid and diverse show that reflects his 21-year long career and provides the ideal end to a highly varied and occasionally confusing Leeds Festival 2017.
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