In the beginningOn the Thursday before Leeds, Ernest go to work attaching posters to lamp posts, bus stops, bollards and anywhere else that will catch the festival-goers’ attention. We aim to cover the country roads around the festival site, where there will no doubt be traffic jams for the whole weekend, with poster after poster of a little lad holding a squib! That’ll get their attention… Friday – Start as you mean to go on
 | | The Ernest flyer bites the dust |
I’m not sure whether that was the anticipation of playing or not, but from the start, this didn’t feel like any other festival I’d been to. In traditional festival fashion, we start as we mean to go on. Setting up camp on the Friday morning with a couple of beers and a smoke. The first music on the stereo is The Who’s Live At Leeds and you’d be hard pushed to find a more appropriate album. I’m feeling good at the minute, although I am expecting to have nerves by the time Sunday morning comes around. We spend some time around the tent, planning our day from the ‘neck band planner thing’, as we call it. | "I already feel like I’m here on business, which is a little odd when surrounded by people who are at a festival. I feel like the 'designated driver'." | | Dale on what it's like to be both a punter and an artist at Leeds |
Metric are the first band of any note that we see. While sat outside the NME tent deciding who we should watch, they start their set and it sounds great. Decision made! Back at home, the rest of Ernest are busy working on some last minute technical problems that have appeared with the new sampler, stocking up on strings and packing the merchandise for the weekend. Meanwhile, I sit in a field, wondering why I didn’t charge my phone up. I have had to put up with my mates taking the proverbial out of my VIP status. Of course, it’s light-hearted, but I already feel like I’m here on business, which is a little odd when surrounded by people who are at a festival. I feel like the ‘designated driver’. Taking their abuse, I regale them with stories about VIP toilets, although in truth, the arena toilets were in a far better state come Saturday morning.
 | | Ernest at Leeds |
I have been stopped at the main gate every time I have tried to get into the arena. This is mainly thanks to the kind people at wristband exchange not attaching mine in the correct manner, according to the supervisor. As the afternoon goes on, I have started to see a few local bands I know and various other people from the music scene back home, which gives a more relaxed feeling to the proceedings. At least, we’re not here on our own! Pearl Jam headline and it’s the first time I’ve seen the band that I always preferred to Nirvana. From then on, the night descends into you’re the usualÌý festival debauchery. All photos by Shirlaine Forrest | 
