FRIDAY AT LEEDS FESTIVAL

Well, I wasn't expecting that! Buying tickets to Leeds fest has been on my mind ever since I heard the line-up. Especially when hearing that two of my favourites Haim & Halsey were playing! Weirdly the last two pieces of vinyl I bought were Halsey's 'HFK' & Haim's 'Something To Tell You'. After listening to both killer albums and finding out they were both playing the same stage, one after another, I knew then, I had to get tickets! After all, last minute plans are the best kind, Agreed?

Believe it or not, Leeds was my first EVER U.K festival! After buying tickets on Thursday (very last minute) my sister and I drove down to Leeds Friday lunch time. We parked in the city centre and caught a bus to the festival. After getting inside, our first port of call was obviously the bar. I was driving, so couldn't go all out, but had to squeeze a couple of pints in. It would have been rude not too!

Leeds felt much smaller than I thought it was going to be, everything was super close. I suppose I'm used to the vast American festival sites, so walking around Leeds was a pleasant surprise. I dressed pretty casually to my normal festival get up as I got told that a lot more pints (of beer & bodily fluid) get thrown around during U.K festivals.

With that in mind, I rooted for my old trusty All Saints leather (easy to wipe clean) black scoop neck tee and some old skinny jeans. So if things got muddy or wet, it wasn't the end of the world. I did, however, wear a jazzy zebra print shirt for that rocker festival look, but sadly the sun didn't come out too loose the jacket.

Our first 'gig' of the day wasn't actually a musical one, it was the stand up comic Katherine Ryan. I've never been to a festival where comedians perform alongside music acts, so this was an awesome surprise. I'm a massive fan of Katherine, so getting to see her at the festival was an added bonus. Sadly we couldn't get into the tent as it was super full, but we did manage to stand on the edge catching all Katherine's very funny material, it was more like listening to an audio book in a field, but hey-ho.

The first major artist I was looking forward to seeing was, of course, Mr Gallagher. Sauntering onto the stage dressed in a trademark parka just as the sun was disappearing below the tree line, I knew we were in for something special. Liam opened with 'Rock 'N' Roll Star' mixing a medley of old Oasis classics with his new solo tracks throughout his performance.

His single 'Wall Of Glass' got one of the warmest responses from the crowd, but sadly he didn't play the one song I really wanted to hear, Chinatown. After Liam, we hit the Radio One NME tent to secure a killer position right in the centre of the crowd for Halsey.

I've seen Halsey perform once before, she was one of my standout performances at Coachella 2016, as soon as I heard her voice live, I knew I'd be hooked. I returned home and instantly bought her album. Her first album 'Badlands' is epic, it has huge cinematic sound coupled with deep bass lines and instrumentals. It really is an album you have to hear, as is her new release 'Hopeless Fountain Kingdom'!

She has a haunting, very distinctive voice making her instantly recognisable on any record. She's had hits in the U.K with 'Closer' when collaborating with the Chainsmokers and a top 10 single with 'New Americana'. I think Halsey deserves to be a lot bigger than she currently is in the U.K.

If you've not given Halsey a listen, I strongly recommend that you do. 'Castle', 'Eyes Closed' & 'Ghost' are a handful of my favourite songs. She's one amazing artist to see live, as she ALWAYS puts on a huge show. What makes her even more impressive, is that she's only twenty- two years old! After Halsey's KILLER performance we edged our way forward and reached THE BARRIER, something I've never managed to do at any gig! Meaning we were in the DREAM position to see Haim!

The main and single reason I bought a ticket to Leeds was to see Halsey again and to see Haim for the very first time. After seeing Halsey smash her performance right in the centre of the crowd and getting super close, it was now time for the band I'd been waiting to see for five whole years! I still couldn't believe I was bang in the middle, on the front barrier, this gig was going to be one to remember!

Haim were the last band we saw Friday night and wrapped the festival up perfectly. I've got so much to say about their performance and new album I thought I'd make another post all about it. Album & gig review to follow Wednesday.

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