Smashing Pumpkins
Live at Leeds Festival 2007 on Friday, 24th August 2007
Probably the luckiest thing that could've happened this weekend did actually happen. The sun came out. This obviously being strange considering the weather we've had all summer. My day started out heading to the Main Stage to see Gym Class Heroes, who were not only great but were also engaging and interesting to see. As past festivals show, it is generally hard for a hip-hop band to keep control of the crowd but GCH seem more in place than anyone here. 4/5
So straight into the Lock Up Stage to see Sonic Boom Six, who from previous performances have always impressed me. Their blend of ska and rap which constantly pushes boundaries has always been intriguing but today the band aren't amazing. They're ok, and play everything perfectly well but a lack of the usual energy means this setlist is far from memorable. 3/5
After a bit of a break I decided to move away from the music side of things and head to the alternative stage just in time to see Simon Amstell crash and burn in front of a few thousand people. With a set full of jibes at channel four and jokes of mediocre funniness, it's hard to believe this comedians had a string of good reviews for the show. 0/5
So back to the professionals then. Smashing Pumpkins were undoubtedly the talk of the festival. Their set is very hard to describe as it's hard to come up with any interesting words for it. Nothing exciting happened. The crowd wasn't in a frenzy, there was basically nothing to separate this headlining gig from a regular gig. I think the worst part was the terrible rendition of the American National anthem. Rule number one for playing a British festival: no American national anthems. Rule number two: No stealing from Jimi Hendrix. 2/5