THE NEIGHBOURHOOD performed on the NME/Radio 1 stage at Leeds Festival on Saturday (August 27) and our entertainment reporter, Abi White, assumed her position amongst an expectant crowd…
Also referred to as THE NBHD, the five-piece American rock band, who formed in 2011 in California, took to the stage to perform their late-afternoon 10-track set, consisting of a compilation of songs from their debut album ‘I Love You‘ and most recent album ‘Wiped Out!‘
As the clock ticked for The Neighbourhood to embark upon the stage, the lights dimmed, ambient guitar feedback and vocals filled the tent before the white light slowly filled the stage and the band sauntered into the spotlight.
“We’re The Neighbourhood and we’re from California,” front man Jesse Rutherford casually murmured, before the band proceeded to continue with their set on the perfectly well allocated NME/Radio 1 stage.
The band’s black and white tone was maintained throughout the set’s entirety, with only minimal coloured lights used, whilst the screens at the side of the stage also videoed the laid-back Californian band in black and white tones.
‘Afraid‘, from the band’s debut album, was well received among the audience as hands swayed in unison inside the packed out tent.
Front man, Jesse Rutherford, is the perfect face for the band, as his laid-back attitude is beautifully reflected in the indie-rock melodies.
Halfway through the set, he removed his leather jacket to reveal a heavily tattooed chest, and there is no denying that his recognisable vocals are calming and almost wooing, intriguing the audience even further into the fascinatingly chilling melodies.
Kind of obsessed with the neighbourhood after seeing them at leeds
— Sarah (@sarahtowler_) August 30, 2016
so many great bands at leeds but the 1975, the neighbourhood & twenty one pilots in particular just felt really *magical* i can't explain it
— yasmin (@yasminjohalx) August 29, 2016
However, apart from ‘Afraid’ from the band’s first album, the set never really gathered momentum up until the last three songs.
Although the song choices were somewhat recognisable, it wasn’t exactly clear what Rutherford was singing and it became difficult to decipher what some tracks were until the back end of the songs such was his mumbling.
Nonetheless, when ‘Sweater Weather’ played as the penultimate track of the set, a cheer erupted inside the NME/Radio 1 stage that shook off some of the drowsy energy that had filled parts of the set.
The track was instantly recognised and was easily one of the most memorable parts of this set.
Pretty, delicate lights of white filled the stage before the band played the last song and also single off their set off their second album, ‘RIP 2 My Youth’, which proved to be upbeat enough to end their set and ultimately left the audience satisfied with their last two song choices.
Solid, but arguably unspectacular, from The Neighbourhood at Leeds Festival 2016…
By Abi White
@AbigailWhiteUOS
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