Live At Leeds 2023: top festival tips from the artists performing on the RS UK Big Top

Festival season is finally here! To mark that joyous proclamation, we’re heading up north tomorrow for Live At Leeds In The Park 2023, where we’ll be presenting a seriously stacked line-up on the Rolling Stone UK Big Top stage. Maximo Park? check! The Hives? check? The Big Moon? They’re there too.

But, as we all know, festival season can all too often be the most precarious of beasts. Whether it’s navigating a hangover or being covered in enough mud to last you a lifetime, a weekend in a field can often be the trickiest of propositions.

While Live At Leeds In The Park 2023 – a one day city festival – will see punters facing no such problems, we’ve asked our stage line-up to impart some much needed wisdom about navigating festival season. Here’s what they had to say.

The Hives’ Niklas Almqvist and Nicholaus Arson

Best Festival Tip?

Look exclusively for Swedish bands dressed in black and white. They will never disappoint. They always have a treasure chest of songs, great physical looks, energy that can turn simple coal into actual diamonds and an unmatched sense of style.

Which Acts On The Lineup At Live At Leeds: In The Park Should People Not Miss?

Again. Look exclusively for Swedish bands dressed in black and white. They will never disappoint. They always have a treasure chest of songs, great physical looks, energy that can turn simple coal into actual diamonds and an unmatched sense of style.

Memories Of Playing Leeds In The Past?

I remember playing Leeds Festival sometime way back, and I remember thinking that the distance between us and the crowd seemed like something close to a fortnight’s walk. Hoping for a shorter walk this time.

What are you looking forward to with festivals and shows this summer?

Playing the new awesome record known to the world as The Death Of Randy Fitzsimmons. That’s a treat very few people will get to do in their lifetime. Five tops.

The Big Moon

Best Festival Tip?

Jules: Seems like overkill but take a good pillow. You can sleep anywhere as long as your face isn’t pressed against a rucksack/itchy jumper/the cold hard ground. Also: bumbags. Also: dioralyte.

Which Acts On The Line-up At Live At Leeds: In The Park Should People Not Miss?

Jules: Prima Queen are fabulous! They came with us on tour a while ago. Also CMAT is a guaranteed good time.

Soph: And Pillow Queens! And Bully!! I love that band, big inspo in the early days of The Big Moon

Memories Of Playing Leeds In The Past?

Celia: We always have a solid good time in Leeds. Actually we played our first ever festival here when we were baby moons and the sound engineer for the band before us had just spilt his entire beer over the mixing desk. We still managed to have a ball.

What are you looking forward to with festivals and shows this summer?

Jules: I just cant wait to frolic in some fields again. I love summer and I love festival season. Even after all these years it still makes me so happy to be on some grass with cider and friends and music.

Everything Everything – Jeremy Pritchard

Best Festival Tip?

Remember to eat and sleep at least once every 24hrs. If you’ve done that you’ve basically got carte blanche.

Which Acts On The Lineup At Live At Leeds: In The Park Should People Not Miss?

I’m looking forward to seeing Genghar again. They’re an inventive band. And I like the Big Moon and Maximo Park. The Hives I’ve only seen once before but it was grippingly brilliant from start to finish, pleasingly monochromatic.

Memories Of Playing Leeds In The Past?

So maybe great memories of playing Leeds. From paying to 8 people at a poetry reading in 2008 to learning of our first chart position at The Cockpit (RIP), to playing the Arena. Leeds has the best Academy venue in the country too. In Leeds you’re guaranteed to hear the “Yorkshire! Yorkshire!” chant before the encore.

What are you looking forward to with festivals and shows this summer?

It’ll be great to be back on the circuit and playing the songs to people. We’re still not taking that for granted after Covid.

Gengahr – Felix Bushe

Best Festival Tip?

My only advice for festivals would be to be careful about over planning as a big group. Your energies are far better spent in a smaller squad of 3/4 making a few solid plans of things you all want to see and then spend the rest of your time exploring and embracing the festival’s wider community. This will ensure far more chance of encountering golden moments and far less time trying to find lost sheep.

Which Acts On The Lineup At Live At Leeds: In The Park Should People Not Miss?

Aside from Gengahr which is undoubtedly the most unmissable act performing at Live at Leeds this year I’m very excited for Bully and our label buds DMA’s. I’ve never seen either of these bands live before but I’ve been a fan of their respective music for some time now so excited to see them bring it to life in Leeds.

Memories Of Playing Leeds In The Past?

One of my all-time favourite venues has got to be the Brudenell in Leeds. We’ve been fortunate enough to play there three or four times now over the years at festivals and most memorably on our last UK headline tour. It’s such a brilliantly honest venue and it is always full of the most wonderful music fans. We’re also very excited to be returning to Leeds in September to play at The Wardrobe for the first time.

What are you looking forward to with festivals and shows this summer?

Our new album Red Sun Titans will be released into the world on 9th June just in time to soundtrack the summer. I’m most looking forward to playing all the new songs live once the record has had a second to permeate the ether. I’m still not sure which songs will connect most in the meantime but festival performances tend to be where that grand reveal typically takes place.

Maximo Park – Paul Smith

Best festival tip.

Wet wipes. Stay hygenic!

Which Acts On The Lineup At Live At Leeds: In The Park Should People Not Miss?

We share a producer, Ben Allen, with The Big Moon so I like their sound, obviously! The Beths got a lot of airtime on our tour bus last year, when we toured Europe with Peaness, who are big fans. And Pillow Queens are rocking!

Memories Of Playing Leeds In The Past?

The audiences are always excitable, whether we’re playing the Brudenell or the Academy, which suits our music. They also have a habit of chanting ‘Yorkshire’, the only county in England to do so, in my experience!

What are you looking forward to with festivals and shows this summer?

It’s always inspiring to play to a mass audience – not everyone will know what the band has to offer, so you’re always trying to connect with new people. We have seven albums to choose from now, so we’ll rejig the setlist to keep things fresh for all concerned.

The Beths – Liz Stokes

Best Festival Tip?

Festivals are a great friend group activity, but if an artist you really love is playing then, IMO, it’s better to split off on your own for their set. I like to go early, get in the thick of it and try to be as close to the stage as possible. I mean, pace yourself and chill in the back for most of the fest, sure. But try to get up close and amongst it for at least one act. That’s how you make a core memory!

Which Acts On The Lineup At Live At Leeds: In The Park Should People Not Miss?

I’m super looking forward to seeing The Big Moon, I’m a big fan. Also excited to catch Pillow Queens and Bully. And The Hives!!

Memories Of Playing Leeds In The Past?

My first, most vivid, memories of Leeds are of a collection of large and confusing roundabouts, and a very sweet dog that we met. And then a lovely show with our friends Fresh!

What are you looking forward to with festivals and shows this summer?

In New Zealand we just had one of the wettest summers on record, some flooding. It’s autumn now and we are super looking forward to getting a proper summer in. Live at Leeds: In The Park will be great, Primavera and Bonnaroo are exciting… a bunch more too.