The K’s // Leeds Festival 2022

Main Stage West // Friday 26th August

MoshMag Review by Stanley D Kippax

There’s a confidence that comes with knowing you’re onto something. Bounding onto the opening 12.30 Main Stage West slot the K’s opened with consummate ease. Looking every inch the indie rock and roll band, lead guitarist Ryan Breslin, cool as fuck with cherry red Gibson ES330 slung over a long sleeved white shirt. Jamie Boyle (vocals) all arms and spilt beer geeing up the receptive crowd.

The frantic build up of Hometime saw a knowing group of kids at the front making space for a pit. No aggression or flying limbs though, just joyful pinging about. As the camera panned to them they looked like they were having the time of their lives in the sun, in the sun, in the suuuuuuuunnnnnnn.

Jamie Boyle, Ryan Breslin and Dexter Baker (bass) are school friends which if you didn’t already know comes across on stage. So bucket hats off to the history teachers at St Aelred’s Technology College without whom we wouldn’t have the bands debut single Sarajevo. If there’s a more upbeat song to reference the shooting of Arch Duke Franz Ferdinand I’ve yet to hear it.

We even had time for a few bars of Jamie Boyle’s take on Ewan MacColl’s classic Dirty Old Town, became Dirty Earlstown. We love a play on words at MoshMag.

The bands giddy enthusiasm and effortless cool draw you in, turning the huge Main Stage feel like a much more intimate affair.

As the short but energetic set drew to a close, lead singer Jamie Boyle posed the crowd a question, “who’s seen us before?” a large group at the front cheered, “who’ll see us again?”, this time everyone else joined in.