Not Many Experts

Let’s face it; by day 3 of Leeds Festival a good chunk of people have drifted off into super noodle induced insanity or left us for a happier world full of class B drugs. Thankfully, then, the only artists worth seeing on Sunday are on in the evening, leaving time for the horse tranquilizer abusers to sober up with a beer. If at all possible, avoid the criminal banality of middle-of-the-road bands like Funeral For A Friend, Deftones and Fall Out Boy who are happy to churn out rock music that is certainly not particularly offensive, but is numbingly prosaic nonetheless. Those of a more fragile disposition may be inclined to slope towards Placebo’s particular version of emotional rock.

However, “selon moi”, Friendly Fires’ carnival atmosphere and Kings of Leon’s tumultuous festival closing set are the only highlights on a day quite devoid of them. What about Kaiser Chiefs? Well, unless your idea of a good time is being immersed in a sea of spotty seventeen your old boys shouting “YORKSHIRE!YORKSHIRE!” then you really should be at Friendly Fires, throwing down some moves that should be illegal (if you don’t know any I will teach for cash) to the euphoric highs of “Strobe” and “Jump In The Pool”, just hoping beyond hope that they’ve been able to afford the exotic dancers that they pulled out at Leeds last year (on the Festival Republic stage, would you believe it!). I should probably make it clear after an assertion like that that I have nothing against Yorkshire, nor do I have any “beef” with the Kaisers. It’s just that the two together, in my opinion, are so inseparable that being in the presence of both of them at the same time feels like being a third wheel on a particularly raucous date.