LIVE: Bingley Weekender 2022

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Bingley Weekender returns for a stacked weekend of music in the heart of Yorkshire.

 

Initially set up in 2019 as a replacement for Bingley Music Live, the inaugural Bignley Weekender had some teething problems that have gladly been resolved.

 

The festival’s opening night kicked off with a bang with blistering sets from the likes of, ‘Bang Bang Romeo’ and the fast-rising, ‘English Teacher’. A mid-afternoon set from the legendary Peter Hook firmly established the festival feeling, with thousands relishing the chance to dance to alternative national anthems like, ‘Blue Monday’ and ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’ in this blistering August sunshine.

 

Friday’s headliner was the soul-filled, ‘Rag ‘N’ Bone Man’. Kicking off his set with the sing along tones of, ‘Skin’ the set then went from strength to strength. Crowd pleasers such as, ‘All You Ever Wanted’ and, ‘Human’ went down a treat, whilst his infectious stage presence held the attention of the festival crowd, no doubt making a few new fans in the process.

 

The Saturday of a festival is undoubtedly the main day, and Bingley Weekender delivered on its lofty expectations. Acts such as, ‘Alfie Templeman’ and, ‘The Skinner Brothers’ warmed up the audience. But it was with the arrival of Yorkshire’s own, ‘Shed Seven’ that the day really kicked into high gear.

 

Opening track, ‘Room In My House’ was the only offering from the Shed’s comeback album, 2017’s, ‘Instant Pleasures’. The rest of the set was composed of tracks from the groups 90’s hayday, this being acknowledged by frontman Rick Witter whilst asking a child in the audience, “Do you remember the 90’s? Me neither”. The set closed on a euphoric high with the one-two punch of, ‘Disco Down’ and, ‘Chasing Rainbows’, with the crowd bellowing every word as if it will be 1997 forever.

 

Saturday’s headliners, ‘The Libertines’ played an exceptional show. From crowd pleasers such as, ‘Can’t Stand Me Now’, ‘Time For Heroes’ and the euphoric, ‘Don’t Look Back Into The Sun’, to deeper cuts such as, ‘The Boy Looked At Johnny’, ‘Horrorshow’ and, ‘The Ha Ha Wall’ they held the crowd in the palms of their hands for the duration of the set. The on-stage chemistry between frontmen Peter Doherty and Carl Barat was palpable, with it feeling as if the wheels could fall off the show at any moment. In recent years The Libertines lacked the danger they once had, playing routine setlists. At Bingley Weekender, however, that intensity and danger was back and better than it’s ever been. It would be hard for anyone not to be moved by the closing moments of the show, as the band invited the on-stage sign language interpreter into their group hug. Drummer Gary Powell’s closing remarks of, “We are YOUR Libertines” will ring in the ears of those in attendance for years to come.

 

Unfortunately, the Sunday failed to maintain this blistering pace. ‘Riding The Low’ and ‘Courting’ played phenomenal sets, both playing the site’s smaller stages as if they were Madison Square Garden. It was surprisingly that night’s headliners, ‘The Pixies’ that let the festival down.

 

Playing a by the numbers set, the American rockers plodded from track to track without as much as a, “Hello” from frontman Black France (who looked as if he wished he was anywhere else). Even as hits such as, ‘Here Comes Your Man’ and, ‘Where Is My Mind?’ whipped the crowd up, it was difficult not to be distracted from the clear dollar signs in the band’s eyes.

 

However, this didn’t dampen the weekend as a whole and Bingley Weekender is surely the best value-for-money festival out there.


With smaller stages packed with up-and-coming talent as well as big name headliners, the festival was an exceptional example of what smaller, family-friendly festivals can be. The issues that permeated the 2019 date were nowhere to be seen this year with Bingley Weekender being a sure fire success.