Fall Out Boy light up first day at muddy Leeds Festival

The sun shone, but there was plenty of mud as well on the opening day of the 2016 Leeds Festival as the annual three-day spectacular got off to a fantastic, if messy start yesterday.
Fall Out Boy lead singer Patrick Stump on stage with a dancing girl at the Leeds Festival.Fall Out Boy lead singer Patrick Stump on stage with a dancing girl at the Leeds Festival.
Fall Out Boy lead singer Patrick Stump on stage with a dancing girl at the Leeds Festival.

Heavy rain the day before, lasting well into the night, had left parts of Bramham Park ankle deep in mud from the outset and made walking between stages a bit of a nightmare - but it could not dampen spirits of the thousands who flocked to the venue for the 18th year of the north’s biggest music event.

Some fans were unhappy after the late cry off of main stage act A$AP Rocky, who came up with a poor excuse of traffic difficulties for a non-appearance announced just minutes before he was due to appear.

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But, though this left an awkward long gap between bands it did not spoil a superb end to the evening’s entertainment on the main stage.

The Vaccines proved a perfect warm-up with their wonderful sing-along songs before joint headliners Fall Out Boy and Biffy Clyro lived up to their billing in some style.

If it was a competition, honours went to Fall Out Boy for the spectacular show they put on, complete with huge and frequent pyrotechnics and dancing girls twirling fiery batons. Oh and the songs were not too shabby either as they performed just about all their best known songs.

Biffy Clyro ended with some big fireworks too, but in contrast their show was all about the music as they produced a polished display that highlighted what a great band they are these days.

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Earlier on the main stage, State Champs had opened proceedings while Coheed & Cambria and Five Finger Death Punch had entertained in their own inimitable style.

The NME/ BBC Radio 1 Stage was headlined by trendy band The 1975, who drew a predictable big crowd and here saw good shows too from The Wombats, Cage The Elephant and Tonight Alive.

Over on the Lock Up Stage The King Blues entertained with their brand of ska punk and the likes of Waterparks, Roam and the splendidly named Leeds band Fighting Caravans proved good new additions to the festival roster.

Headliners here were American pop punkers Good Charlotte, who were returning to the event after many years away, and attracted a big crowd.

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The Dance Stage and BBC 1 Extra Stage offered different fare with their dance beats, rappers and DJs pulling decent crowds throughout the day and evening. DJ EZ and Kano were the headline acts on these two stages.

There were plenty of top names over at the Alternative Stage where festival regular Russell Kane proved the pick of the stand-ups with a hilarious set that got huge laughs and plenty of applause.

Irish comic Andrew Maxwell was first on and started with a small crowd, but the audience built throughout his set with the crowd warming to his ad-libbing and occasional filthy, but funny references. Mark Watson followed and was very different to the opener, but went down just as well while Holly Walsh and Jamali Maddix provided plenty of laughs later in the afternoon.

Final act of the afternoon Kurrupt FM provided a very different act for the Alternative Stage with their full-on rap show playing to a packed tent.

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The BBC Introducing Stage has no tent and suffered as it was a quagmire for fans to stand on if they wanted to watch the latest up and comers.

But it is this stage that plays hosts to the stars of tomorrow with the likes of Super Glu, Muses, Night Owls and Lawrence Taylor getting their opportunity to shine this year.

The Leeds Festival continues today with Disclosure and Foals the big attractions on the main stage, Jack U and Twenty One Pilots on the NME/BBC Radio 1 Stage and Maximo Park and Leeds’ Pulled Apart By Horses on the Festival Republic Stage.

One act who will not be appearing is Fetty Wap with the American hip hop artist pulling out of his scheduled NME/ BBC Radio 1 Stage appearance because he is ill.