The Rakes @ Leeds Festival 2006
By Luke Ramsden
It doesn't seem like two minutes since we left the rubble and wreckage of last year's festival behind and dispersed forth to the safe haven of a soft floor and a properly plumbed toilet. As nice as a feeling it is to eventually leave, there's nothing better than awaking on that first morning, ready and raring (or raving) to go and getting your teeth properly stuck into Leeds Festival 2006. Here we go again then...
This year EVERYTHING seems bigger. The Carling Stage appears to be similar to last year's Radio One tent and the R1 Tent just seems to go on and on and on and on. The Unsigned stage also seems to have upped it a gear, not only in its scale but more importantly in the quality of bands on display. Local fan favourites The Hair kick-start the stage with their always admirable indie pop japery. Keyboardist Rich holding court as hype man after appearing to have digested a few too many jaffa cakes and espressos beforehand. The likes of 'Left Foot, Right Foot' and 'Bunny Boiler' get the early afternoon crowd a moving and the ever class 4 man percussion drum mashup at the conclusion sets the tone for a common theme throughout the festival. For 2006 is the year of the cowbell. [7/10]
But when you mention 'local fan favourites', ˇForward, Russia! is a band synonymous with that phase. "Hello Reading" and "We're Pearl Jam" quips aside, the Ruskies get their heads down at one of their most important shows to date and deliver the kind of set that long-term fans can be very proud of. It might be a bit of a change of surroundings to a cold Tuesday night in the Mixing Tin but ˇForward, Russia! are now undoubtedly good enough to pull off any kind environment with the swerve and vigour of a band that put Leeds on the map for all the right reasons. [8/10]
The most underrated band on the day's bill is undoubtedly Hope of the States. Underrated, commercially shunned, critically ignored. But sweet Jesus are they exceptional live. Sonically unbelievable in places. HOTS absolutely tear through a predominantly 'Lost Riots' based set in an eerily sparse R1 tent. Opening with the greatest piece of beautiful noise ever penned in 'The Black Amnesias', Sam and his raggedy band of talenticiens, including a breathtaking fiddle performance, not only deliver the goods musically but with anthems the size and scale of 'The Red, The White, The Black, The Blue' and 'Blood Meridian' Hope of the States know how to get a crowd chanting along. Their non-acceptation never ceases to amaze. [9/10]
Meanwhile Canadian spirites You Say Party! We Say Die! are chirping along on the Carling Stage in the mid-afternoon sun. Their fiery, stuttering female led indie-pop in the most part moulding into a comprehensive collection of quality songs. If not totally appearing to be the finished article. Diminutive vocalist Becky Ninkovic coming across like a poor (wo)man's Victoria Dead Disco if anything as she totally misses a couple of notes on 'Midnight Snack'. However in 'The Gap (Between The Rich And The Poor)' YSP! WSD! continue to imply they have the potential to take the girl rock crown from Pretty Girls Make Graves. [6/10]
Returning in the early evening haze, Klaxons absolutely RAM the Carling Tent. They are the buzz band of the festival without a doubt. Normally, presentable people say a solemn so long to dignity and don more luminous face paint and glowrings than your average rave up in LA. The one striking Klaxons fact is that they appear to have more real songs than people may give them credit for, and more of the look of an actual band, as oppose to a bunch of blokes twatting about with synths, trying to invigorate a 'nu-rave' revolution. In fact 'Atlantic To Interzone' is about as far down the tripout path as Klaxons ever go. Which is a shame on the day but they'll no doubt grow into their sound soon enough. Entertaining whatever the case. [8/10]
Larrikin Love however have created a sound and they know how to use it. It's ska, but not as we know it. Miles away, but still close enough for it to be faintly tarred with that brush. Maybe not tarred, but given a slight bit of detailing. Glazed in the so-hip-now-indie sound before being given some frankly bizarre country and western paint thinner, I'll stop this analogy now before it gets weird. Edward Larrikin and his Larrikin Love are up there with the highlights of the day. They know how to create an atmosphere with songs like 'Happy As Annie', 'Edwould', 'Downing Street Kindling' and by distributing at least a hundred whistles O Fracas style before the closer 'Calypso'. All great songs in their own right though and topped off with arguably their finest near-epic number 'Meet Me By The Getaway'. And with spontaneous hoe downs kicking off as a result of their Circulus-esque 1 minute barn dance extravaganza, Larrakin Love have a bit of everything. Great stuff. [9/10]
Plucky underdogs The Rakes blatantly don't have enough songs to make this lofty slot their own but they give it a fair whack all the same. They don't have the character of the Monkeys, the disturbing charm and appeal of The Kooks, nor the songs of a Maximo Park but they're there, they can easily put run of the mill observations to a nice guitar track and god bless them, they invented the '22 Grand Job' dance, that has kept indie dancers amused for over a year. [6/10]
The following half an hour is spent flitting between a host of boozed/pilled up football hooligans ruining 2many Dj's (just a Soulwax set next time please lads), being generally and genuinely bored by Pearl Jam and finally settling on some Maximo Park until Paul Smith starts doing his ridiculous poetry book/rolling around on the floor routine.
A three quid butty later and Friday is over.
