大象传媒

Sunday: I know I sound obsessed, but I have to start by talking about the weather again! Mid-morning saw some showers and so the whole site got very, very muddy - but then the sun came out and it became very, very hot. So if anything sums up Sunday at the festival it's the combination of muddy boots and sunburn.

You could tell that a whole weekend of partying was starting to take its toll on the festival-goers. Lots of people decided to take a break and have a bit of a snooze. They were either very brave, very stupid or just extremely tired to risk nodding off on the soggy ground surrounded by thousands of people.

Determined to see everything I could on the final day, I rushed all over the site until I wore myself out so much I considered an al-fresco nap myself. Highlights were probably Joe Lean and the Jing Jang Jong (who I only went to see on the basis of their name!) and The Raconteurs.

Sunday summed up by mud and shadows

But to end the festival in style you really have to finish with the main stage headliners. The Killers were great - they sounded massive, there was fancy lighting and effects (loved the gold firework fountains during When You Were Young and the confetti fired into the crowd during the final number, All These Things That I've Done) and the crowd got to have a good sing-a-long.

But all good things come to an end, and with the refrain "I got soul but I'm not a soldier" still echoing in my ears, I traipse off through the muddy field littered with confetti and empty beer cups. The 10th Leeds Festival is over. I'm off to catch up on my sleep - and then I can start thinking about next year!

Saturday

I woke up this morning with a throbbing headache. I blame Metallica's noisy and spectacular set. I can't say I'm a huge fan of the music but they get a massive 100% for effort and pyrotechnics!

Decided to do a little shopping during the early afternoon. It's almost a law that everyone should come away from any festival with a silly hat, a dress they'll never wear again or a blanket. Something that perfectly suits your festival mood but once you get it home you realise it's actually ugly or a bit embarrassing.

As always I'm paying attention to the festival fashion too. Everyone seems to smeared in dayglo face paint this year - sometimes in Adam Ant-style stripes, sometimes in a messy scrawl - but some people have really made an artistic effort.

Moo-ve over the cows are coming

Is it me or does Leeds Festival have much more fancy dress than other festivals do? Apart from the usual drunken men in sundresses I've seen Ghostbusters, super heroes, Michael Jackson... and today I had the surreal experience of following a herd of cows through the site ("moo-ve over" one joker behind me quipped).

Music-wise it's been a busy day too - hidden highlights included Leeds' Tiger Shadow on the 大象传媒 Introducing Stage and Late of the Pier on the Festival Republic Stage. I've turned in early-ish, want to make the most of the final day tomorrow...

Friday

What a bonus to wake up to beautiful blue skies this morning. OK so it didn't last for long before the clouds rolled in, but at least it wasn't the complete wash-out I'd been dreading during last week's downpours! It's easy to become weather-obsessed during festival weekend, and even as I write this I'm being distracted by a threatening looking black cloud that seems to be heading this way.

Not that the weather could actually prevent me from going to Leeds Festival, but it does dictate how comfy you'll be and how many clothes you need to take. This year everyone seems to be decked out in official long-sleeved hoodies which suggests a few people forgot to pack a woolly jumper to keep warm in!

One thing we're agreed on though. Wellies. It's a muddy Bramham Park today and by the look of the pictures in the paper this morning it was even more muddy last night. I quite like the squelchy stickiness of walking around in it - but it does make it harder to just plonk down on the grass and look through the programme to see what's coming up next.

On stage with the Pigeons

I don't mind having missed yesterday's mud but I'm GUTTED that I missed out on the Pigeon Detectives surprise gig on the 大象传媒 Introducing Stage. It's the first year of the stage at Reading and Leeds but the festival has a proud tradition of showcasing local talent. Over the last six years there has been either an unsigned stage (usually hosted by our very own Raw Talent team) or at least a couple of new local acts getting their big break on one of the bigger stages.

For me it's a highlight every single year. Not convinced? Well just let me remind you that just two years ago I interviewed five young lads from Rothwell who were making their debut festival appearance here... the Pigeon Detectives before their new-found fame! And a couple of years before that? Only Ricky, Whitey, Simon, Peanut and Nick (that's right - Leeds' own Kaiser Chiefs) in exactly the same position.

I'm willing to bet that the next big thing is somewhere on that 大象传媒 Introducing line-up the year. You just need to be there to pick them out.