Susan Kennedy? I think not... (The Carling Weekend (Leeds) in General)

Member Name: RiotGrrly

Product:	The Carling Weekend (Leeds) in General
Date:	05/09/01 (65 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: QOTSA, FLC, Baguettes

Disadvantages: Toilets, Bacardi Breezers, Pot holes

Leeds was my first festival experience, having missed out the year before due to lack of funds. While the ticket price itself posed excellent value, any money saved was instantly lost on one meal (£2.50 for a burger? Without cheese!). I also paid £2.00 for a bottle of Coke. Beware the ice cream vendors. The bars weren't very competetively priced although Bacardi Breezers were at about high street price and there was free cider (thank you Strongbow, I was thirteen again).

We arrived on thursday in order to get some space for the tent. Friday was really what I had paid my money for. Firstly was Alien Ant Farm, who have managed to combine emo and rock which translated well onstage. There pleas to people in the crowd to stop throwing stuff made me want to hug them and give them hot milky drinks. Bless. Queens Of The Stone Age were fantastic. While their crowd interraction was minimal, it only highlighted the fact that we should all have popped pills to really appreciate them. They gave fans a taste of past, present and future and I was not disappointed. Manson was a bonus, having seen a documentary about him earlier in the week. He wins award for Best Stage Show. He is pure and simple and entertainer, pure and simple, and seeing him parade round with a glow-stick up his ass...I defy you not to smile. Eminem and D12 provided the highlight of the evening. The drunken crowd got to feel a little hip hop and ghetto but in all honesty, the lack of 'controversy' disappointed somewhat. His performance was polished but there was no place for half-sung Dre tracks, really!

Saturday was a bit dull, quite frankly. The Boyfriend got onstage with Amen. BS200 (A Beastie Boy side project) frightened the small crowd with the departure from, well, Beastiness. Then it was rush over to the Main Stage for Green Day. Their set wasn't much altered from when I saw them in December although this time they set their instruments on fire. They can afford this now.
The pit was much friendlier than December as well. Maybe the older crowd still has punk ethics. It was all good fun til a fat girl landed on my ankle.

Sunday...last day...*sob*. It was a punk day, as the Dance Tent got converted to the Concrete Jungle. Capdown and Snuff were good with the exception of a) the old man who snorted some natural high during Snuff and b) the whole day became too much punk. It was fun but the bands did tend to run into each other a little, maybe due to the very fast set turnaround. Rancid were quite inspiring, especially watching the circle pit from up on the slope. The Fun Lovin' Criminals could have headlined, easily. They mixed about three songs together at a time...Huey's voice is amazing...slick grooves and a chilled out vibe. It's a cliche but it's deserved. The crowd erupted for Scooby Snax and the finale of Big Night Out dragged on...but I didn't want it to end. It signalled the end of my night, but I ambled over to see Lostprophets anyway and I can't wait to catch them on tour. Was it necessary to shout 'Timmy' at the poor guitarist?

Toilets were of course crap. Even the 'nice' ones in Portakabin things. And why oh why did certain American bands see fit to tell us how beautiful we all are, and how we have an energy and a gift that we must take out into the world...? Boy Hits Car, Papa Roach, Fear Factory (yep, them too)...nice thought, but not first thing in the afternoon.

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