Long time no see. I'm back from a LONG weekend in Leeds, and have got a lot of catching up to do I suppose. Anyways, you'll probably want to know which artists / groups I saw, so here's the list and my thoughts on them, in no particular order...

50 Cent - Awful. I mean, he shouldn't have even been there in the first place. The guy got bottled in Reading, and only lasted 25 mins there. The fact he lasted the full hour in Leeds was amazing, as the crowd just seemed so bored of him, while they eagerly awaited Green Day's appearance. The fact he had gunshots ring out at the end of every fucking song also didn't help matters. Like he isn't your stereotypical 'gangsta' rapper as it is.

Lost Prophets - Good. I'd seen them once before, I think it was 3 years ago now? Maybe 2. But anyway, they were good, but could have been better. The sound weren't quite there, and you either heard loads of vocals and next to no music, or vice versa. So it was kinda mixed. But was nice to see the Welsh chaps again.

Mike Patton vs Rahzel - Amazing. Simply amazing. Patton is a god, and can seemingly do no wrong. Rahzel, who i'd never heard of before the Friday night, was also very impressive, but I went there to see Patton, and it was a very moving experience. If you don't know the guy, don't worry, I barely knew of him even a year ago, but now i've fallen in love with any music he's ever been involved with. It was kinda weird to see this prog metal / experimentalist go from that, to beat-boxing in a dance tent! But he blew me away. He even put Justin Timberlake to shame, and for me to say that takes a shitload of courage. :P

The Libertines - Boring. Laura (Andy's girlfriend) told me she'd had mixed experiences of them live in the past, but told me it could be a good performance. It wasn't. they seem very uninspiring, and just couldn't hold my attention. Becky and Dave Blakely both fell asleep during this performance, which isn't a good sign.

Franz Ferdinand - Could have been good if the sound weren't shit. They played my fave 'Matinee', tho I think everyone just about likes that one.

Morrissey - Very good. I know our Lee and Dave B both love the guy, as well as his work with The Smiths, but i've never been a big fan of his. Only cos' i've never given him a chance. While he wasn't amazing, he was a great crowd lifter, and I enjoyed a few of the songs, especially the one about some kid's dad who's voice is fucked up because he swallowed something which got stuck in his throat when he was younger. True story.

White Stripes - Godlike. I've enjoyed their music in the past, but seeing them live was a truly different experience altogether. I even fell in love with one of their songs i'd never heard before, called 'You've Got Her in Your Pocket'. It was very reminiscent of early Rush music, which was probably the hook for me, so it was great. The performance took a turn for the better when it started pissing down, yet no-one gave a shit. Also, I was SO close to the front, that unless someone tall was in front of me, I could see Jack and Meg White very closely. It was a fantastic show, and an extremely perfect way of ending a fantastic weekend of music. Kudos to the Stripes, i'm going to be giving them a huge chance with their music now.

The Darkness - Uplifting. They're not my favourite group in the world; in fact, based on their singles, I fucking hated them. But seeing them live was a totally different kettle of fish. Justin seemed like he really enjoyed being up there on the stage, he was very funny and interactive with the crowd between songs, and his costume changes were just a touch of genius. Their singles might suck, but their unreleased songs off 'Permission to Land' are a definite breath of fresh air.

The Offspring - Acceptable. i'm no huge fan of them, so I won't go into detail on this one. But they seemed OK enough.

The Streets - ...yes, they're shit. But they're one of those groups who are so shit, they're good. A bit like the Mr. Nanny of the music world really. However, the crowd seemed into it, and as they seem a fucking joke to me, I kinda found it acceptable to have them there at Leeds. They're more wanted than fucking 50 Cent that's for sure! (Gunshot noise)

So that was about it. I think there may have been another band or two I saw, but I can't for the life of me remember now. Overall, it was a great weekend, tho I DID take a whitey on the first night after having one too many spacecakes in far too short a time. There were one or two things which did bug me, but I think i can learn from them enough to enjoy the festival even more next year if I go. Oh, and the toilets weren't THAT bad... they were manageable. :P tho the jam-rag art in the holes is certainly intriguing. As was the dead foetus floating amongst the mountains of shit. Top-gear.

Back to normality, it was a shame to see only 3 comments following my links blitz in my last update, but I can only live in hope that more than 3 people DID enjoy them. They took me quite a while to get together, so i hoped people would get a kick out of them... either way, if you haven't checked them out, don't hesitate to! There's some real gold ones there!

Until next time... adieu...