Dwell At Leeds In The Park
Temple Newsam Park
twenty seventh Might 2023

Louder Than Warfare’s Jim Mumby loved a variety of indie/pop choices at Dwell At Leeds In The Park 2023, within the chilled surrounds of Temple Newsam.

Over time the pageant gods seem to have forgiven the sins of those that broken the historic parkland setting of Temple Newsam, and tarnished its repute as one among Leeds premier occasion websites. Quick ahead twenty years, a greater understanding of pageant mechanics along with a sympathetic consideration for Temple Newsam Park has renewed confidence that occasions held right here can show to be a hit story. Living proof for the return of the yin-yang music-fuelled weekend of back-to-back festivals that culminate with the rowdier and rather more widespread Slam Dunk Competition. The precursor is its comparatively quieter pop/indie sibling, Dwell At Leeds In The Park.

Blessed with a gloriously sunny Might morning, a brief stroll from the shuttle bus drop-off takes in views of the architecturally vital Temple Newsam Corridor. Its tree-lined processional avenue continues to information a transparent route that winds across the farm buildings and into the pageant web site. Then behold, its magnificent vista, a postcard setting that actually makes this greater than only a music pageant. What’s encouraging is the chance that the extra savvy pageant goer will know of Functionality Brown’s landscaping triumph right here. As crowds wander into the gently undulating panorama, a pure hillside with wide-ranging parkland views past, you get a way that the calming affect attracts the type of affable individuals you need to spend the day with.

The hillside area is dominated by the super-scaled most important stage, The Cockpit, resurrecting the title of an iconic however lengthy gone Leeds music venue that many will keep in mind for its debated ‘Anderson shelter’ enchantment/disgust. Because the hill sweeps up and away from the stage entrance, it creates the most effective sonic and vantage level. It’s excellent for indie pop’s joy-makers The Lottery Winners, whose early stage time is a primetime for centre-placed singer protagonist Thom Rylance to showcase his distinctive leisure model. Closely tattooed with typically raging vocals, his manner is extra acceptable to Slam Dunk. Nevertheless, Rylance’s stage antics interspersed with brassy comedy akin to Peter Kay set a scene of at present’s happiness vibe.

There’s downcast themes for positive, systemic of recent Britain. Nonetheless, the band’s directive to pound out messages by extremely danceable melodies, they achieve this effectively. Set towards a flowered-up backdrop, they’re delivered by crashing waves of optimism over an viewers who experience a uncommon freedom of expression.

Up over the hill, this nook is the area of the DORK partnered alternating left and proper phases. Right here you get a close to continuity of music as audiences merely transfer throughout 50ft accordingly to catch the following gig. Genius. You would keep right here all day and refill on half-hourly units by among the freshest new two-word bands. Youth Sector, suited and booted with matching yellow shirts look each bit as individualistic as their enjoying. Edgy however managed, their minimize’n’paste ethos fuses sprechgesang vocals with hefty 4×4 and odd-disco rhythms. Their ace card is one hell of a terrific bass participant.

Subjectively your whole day may very well be spent within the Rolling Stone Massive High alone. Let’s go additional. In the event you solely caught the Lime Cordiale gig, then you can nonetheless depart the pageant feeling content material. They’re particularly good worth. Annoyingly they’re everybody’s new favorite band from Sydney, that they need to’ve found 10 years in the past so that they don’t really feel compelled to check them to numerous different bands.

Largely fronted by the surf-haired Leimbach brothers, their witty observations are dropped into well-crafted, languid pop-psyche songs. They’re additionally gifted entertainers. Louis Leimbach is clearly well-schooled within the artwork of seductive appeal, juxtaposed with Oli Leimbach’s hilariously quirky angularity. However scratching beneath the floor, there’s a way that their pairing isn’t completely held collectively by concord. Three songs in and so they’re at one another’s throats, swinging wild punches, wrestling into some form of inverted weird fetish place, ending with an elbow drop. From the pit after all, it’s all simply innocent enjoyable. From the again of the Massive High, the surprised look on some faces suspect in any other case.

Heading away for some respite, observing and pausing for a second to seize a panoramic view of this fabulous wanting pageant, Temple Newsam Corridor seems magnificent, the parkland lush and alluring, whereas the music of Black Honey drifts on a warming breeze from The Cockpit stage. It’s simply sufficient to maintain the flags unfurled, and preserve individuals at a secure consolation degree whereas they start to stake out lunchtime territories on the downslope. There’s ample bench seating exterior the beer marquee and loads of vacant grassland past the merch stall and signing space.

Additional alongside is the DIY Stage, with an artist line-up curated for these of a extra delicate nature. As an alternative of Bully, the gathering crowd are delighted by the unassuming presence of Auri aka Beetlebug, making their “first actual gig” look. Radiating with a mix of pleasure and embarrassment by some early nervous vocal tones, with solely a ukulele to assist their gossamer singing, it’s nothing in need of magical. The pageant gods kindly guided fortunate individuals to an opportunity encounter with a really stunning soul, and for a efficiency that can little question give Beetlebug an enormous morale increase.

Kate Nash pays homage to the latest passing of Tina Turner, moments earlier than her personal empowering exercise takes command of the principle stage. Nash takes to the entrance barrier and contemplates a crowd surf. Swedish rockers The Hives draw collectively a volumous crowd to cap off proceedings in The Rolling Stone Massive High. Singer Howlin’ Pelle Almqvist takes to the barrier and likewise contemplates a crowd surf. Presently rising excessive with their newest single The Snitching Hour, Deadletter play a 30-minute blitz of acerbic songs and get a terrific reception on the Dork stage. Halfway, as singer Zac Lawrence whips off his shirt and takes up a cruciform stance, he too contemplates a crowd surf. Maybe at the present time simply isn’t meant for crowd browsing.

With out query, CMAT is a whole shock and is subjectively topped because the victor of essentially the most excellent and outrageous efficiency of the day. Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson, aka CMAT, seems utterly bemused when she comes onstage, earlier than disappearing once more, virtually like she’s turned up on the mistaken gig. However when Thompson slings on that white acoustic guitar, and people alt-country phrases tumble out of her closely painted lips, a thousand onlookers stand immobile, mouths large open. With purple flaming hair and an excellent hotter Ranchwear outfit, charisma flows out of each pore as she wins over the hearts of everybody on the DIY Stage.

Thompson can do no mistaken. When she inadvertently collapses in a heap and breaks her wi-fi guitar transmitter, her Irish eyes smile, and he or she merely says “effectively that’s damaged, I’ll simply need to improvise”. Straddling Vaudeville and bawdy saloon bars with songs that cling on the important C&W themes of consuming to extra, love and loneliness, you’ll guess your backside greenback that when you gave her a six shooter, she’d shoot the hell out of it. Backed by stellar musicians, the camp degree rises with impromptu dancing, splits and stage theatrics which can be impossibly second nature. A must-see for later within the 12 months.

On the final likelihood to bounce saloon, Two Door Cinema Membership shut the pageant, drawing collectively the remaining crowds and a protracted awaited alternative for the artistic lighting designers to disclose their masterwork of dazzling animations on the digital backdrop. However as the large overhead lighting rig on The Cockpit stage blazes and permits the solar to retire over the hill, the gang largely thins lengthy earlier than the band are set to complete. Because the issue 50 burns into drained eyes and the final dregs of heat lager consumed, for almost all the lure of an aftershow get together with Dan Lomax (the unique DJ from The Cockpit) is simply an excessive amount of of an ordeal.

Nonetheless in its relative infancy, Dwell At Leeds In The Park appears to be not off course to turn out to be a hit right here at Temple Newsam. Maybe missing in leisure that different mid-sized festivals present as a diversion from simply music, it does definitely symbolize a terrific worth occasion on the pageant circuit. There’s loads of musical variety, fastidiously chosen to draw a balanced viewers to get pleasure from an simply accessible and stress-free day in an ideal setting.

You will discover extra about Dwell At Leeds Festivals right here

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All phrases & images by Jim Mumby.