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The final day of Leeds will be remembered for three things …. 1) It didn’t rain 2) Jane’s Addiction pulled out 3) A phenomenal closing performance by Pulp.
The Sheffield band may have been met by a smaller crowd than the Friday or Saturday night headliners, an inevitable consequence perhaps of the overindulgence and exhaustion that had hit most revellers by the time Sunday night rolled around, but those who did stay the distance were treated to one of the top performances of the festival.
Saving the best for last and finishing with “Common People” Pulped poured shamelessly through their back catalogue with just enough of a sprinkle of new material to allow us time to return to the bar and get some more ciders without missing any of the good stuff.
Jarvis Cocker, ever the flamboyant frontman, pranced, pomped and gyrated on stage and kept the crowds entertained with witty banter between songs.
The band should have been competing for an audience with Jane’s Addiction but lead singer Perry Farrell was struck with a throat infection causing them to pull out of their much anticipated set leaving Crystal Castles to close the NME Stage.
Other notable performances through the day included New York indie kings The Strokes and the mighty Glassjaw, a hugely influential band in their time and one who have only started to tour again due to singer Darryl Palumbo’s chrones disease forcing numerous past tours to be cancelled. They drew a small but perfectly formed crowd and delivered a tight set.
The National delivered in spades on the main stage to a larger than expected crowd. Earlier in the day Two Door Cinema club delivered an upbeat and well-received set ahead of a mass dad-dancing bop along session led by 80’s ska band Madness.
It certainly appeared as though Leeds Festival saved the best for last with Sunday giving us a fine finish to an already solid weekend.