Six Reasons the Rubbish Weather Didn’t Ruin Day Three at LEEDS FESTIVAL 2018 [Photos & Show Review]

With a line-up that included the likes of alt-rock bruisers Papa Roach, the slick as fuck Panic At The Disco and Linkin’ Park frontman Mike Shinoda, day three of Leeds Festival had a stronger rock presence than the previous two days and the rock scene didn’t disappoint.

Despite the promoters wheeling out the big guns from the pop scene including the Pharrell Williams fronted N.E.R.D. and the sassy Dua Lipa before rounding it off with controversial headliner Kendrick Lamar, even the shitty weather couldn’t stop ninety thousand fans rocking their way through the final day. Here are six of our highlights as we signed off our Leeds Festival drenched to the skin but rocking through to the end.

1. Skindred are the perfect band for your festival
Like Billy Talent before them, Welsh ragga-rockers Skindred took to the stage amidst shitty weather. Still, when your frontman is as cool as Skindred’s frontman Benji Webbe not even torrential rain will stop this band from being the best thing you will see all day. Striding out to the Star Wars theme, the Welsh band whip the crowd into a bouncing frenzy on the main stage with brilliant tracks like “That’s My Jam”.

2. Mike Shinoda puts on a show Chester Bennington would have been proud of
When Linkin Park frontman Mike Shinoda strolls out onto the main stage, he is greeted by the sight of banners plastered with the name of his fallen bandmate Chester Bennington. Playing a set pulled together from his various bands, it comes as no surprise to find that the highlights of the set are emotional renditions of Linkin Park classics like “In The End”.

3. Sum 41 prove that pop-punk is still a fun way to spend your afternoon
There is a huge roar that goes up as pop-punk favourites Sum 41 bounce onto the stage and through their metal-tinged anthems. The heavens may have opened again but, when these veterans of the pop-punk scene are chucking out colourful nuggets like “In Too Deep” you can’t help but turn all teenager and jump along to some of the bounciest tunes you’ll hear all weekend. We may be the wrong side of forty but, you know what, Deryck and Co made us feel young again!

4. Pendulum announce their return with a retina-fucking performance
We all know that, when The Prodigy make their proper return later this year, the masters of the dance/rock crossover scene will sit rightfully at the top of the pile but as we watched Pendulum take over the Radio 1 Stage, it became clear from their headline set that, if you want a good dose of retina-fucking, eardrum-assaulting dance/rock then Keith Flint and Co would do well to make sure they’re on top of their game because these boys are coming for their crown.

5. Papa Roach over Kendrick Lamar every day of the week
It wasn’t difficult to make the choice between main stage headliner Kendrick Lamar and Lock-Up stage closers Papa Roach and judging by the fact that the crowd outside the tent was ten deep, it seems like we made a popular choice. The nu-metal kings didn’t disappoint either with the kind of high energy set that you’d expect from the band and, performing on a stage probably half the size of what they’re used to, this was the chance for fans to experience a hatful of Papa Roach’s alt-rock anthems up close and personal.

6. Even if you’ve had a rubbish weekend, Kate Nash’s Dickhead should put a smile on your face
It’s inevitable that in a crowd of ninety thousand people, with a mix of alcohol, drugs and no sleep, that not everybody is going to have the best time of it. Still, if you were coming down from a hangover or you’d had a row with your boyfriend/girlfriend, Kate Nash’s “Dickhead” was the perfect song to make sure you went home with some good memories. Honestly though, regardless of whether you’d had a good or bad weekend, the fuck-you lyrics were the perfect way to end the weekend.