So for once this summer the rain stayed away for the whole of a festival, and West Yorkshire once again put on an eclectic show for the August bank holiday weekend.

The returning Smashing Pumpkins were one of the must see bands of the year as they topped the bill on Friday night. Billy Corgan and Jimmy Chamberlin were joined by three new additions to the line-up, as they wowed the massive crowd with hits like 'Today', 'Tonight Tonight', 'Disarm', 'Bullet With Butterfly Wings' and an acoustic version of '1979'. Just as with Pearl Jam twelve months ago, a band with roots in the US Grunge scene ruled supreme on the opening night. Sure there was plenty of elongated experimental stuff which may have bored a few people, the inclusion of the American national anthem in the middle of 'United States' also drew an inevitable boo or few, but it's a sacrifice worth making to see one of the best bands from the nineties back at the top and sounding as great as ever.

By way of contrast, times seem to have changed in the world of the Chili Peppers. In an ironic co-incidence their set was similar to their most recent double album, in other words, "cut out the crap and it would have been brilliant". Nobody minds a bit of creativity on stage, however some of the musical freestyling here did go over the edge into self-indulgent territory. Another grumble from some fans was that the set could have been more hit dominated, but they still pulled in one of the biggest crowds of the weekend and the roar that greeted the likes of 'Can't Stop' and 'By The Way' could be heard all over Bramham Park.

Strangely those who really wanted to rock on the Sunday night got the opportunity in the dance tent as Unkle headlined. This at times had the feel of a main stage or stadium rock show, not least as the sound pummeled the rib cage throughout the set. Best song was recent single 'Burn My Shadow', and it is the drift to a more band focused approach on songs such as this that has brought James Lavelle out into the open. That said those who have followed Unkle from the start were satisfied too, for this was a career spanning performance and an all round great way to finish the weekend.

Headline acts are just that, the eye-catching, instant attraction aspects, but, as ever, there was so much more!

The Kaiser Chiefs put in a secret appearance on the Carling Stage, going under the name of Day Time Titans. Those who'd heard the rumours got a rare chance to see the band in a more intimate environment. The big story from this Tent however was Kate Nash, who packed the thing out and could had done so several times over. The star, who has been a permanent fixture at the top end of the singles chart with 'Foundations', was one of the real come of age performers from Leeds 2007. And there were plenty more UK acts who could lay a claim to that title.

Reverend and the Makers took the possibly risky decision to stick 'Heavyweight Champion of the World' in early, and although a few left, most stayed to enjoy what was an excellent set of Madchester inspired Indie.

The Twang are another to have been labeled with the "inspired by the early nineties" tag. They too rammed their tent, although unlike Nash and the Reverend, they were packing out the larger Radio 1 Stage. They were one of many who seemed made up just to be there in front of such a large bunch of people. 'Either Way' and 'Wide Awake' had the whole tent belting out every word, confirming that those to tip them for big things at the start of 2007 were spot on.

If you're looking for the winner of the audience participation award, then Frank Turner's fans get that prize. At the risk of getting repetitive, R13 has been banging on about this fella since the minute Million Dead were in the past. Having seen him play backrooms in Kingston pubs less than a year ago, this was quite an occasion, even better than the Camden Crawl. The crowd knew every word to every song, but then that always seems to be the case when Frank Turner plays live. The 'Ballad of Me and My Friends' is always a special moment and was taken to a new level here.

Aside from the Pumpkins, Main Stage highlights were Nine Inch Nails, Arcade Fire, Bloc Party, Fall Out Boy and Lostprophets, with Razorlight topping the bill on the Saturday. One of the stand out sets from this stage was Jimmy Eat World, who made the first of two appearances for the day in the mid afternoon sun. The Main Stage set had more of a greatest hits feel, with the likes of 'The Middle' absent from the Saturday evening headlining slot on the Lock Up Stage.

As ever the punk-based stage caught our attention throughout the weekend, with Gallows one of the most talked about bands of the year ramming the place on Friday.

There were many cases of bands rising to the occasion here too, for me the one to pick out was King Blues. Their punk, folk, reggae fusion drew a large following, with the crowd more than happy to join them in a loud condemnation of the BNP.

There was disappointing news from this corner of the festival though if you're a fan of Capdown, as the band announced they wouldn't be returning to the festival, as they're to go their separate ways after their forth-coming UK dates.

The NME/Radio 1 Stage had a definite alternative dance look, with Klaxons, CSS, LCD Soundsystem, Jamie T and New Young Pony Club all appearing.

Saturday night's Ash gig was the pick of the headline performers, with an at times riotous crowd reveling in hits like 'Burn Baby Burn', 'Kung Fu' and 'Girl From Mars'. Earlier on in the day though things had turned dangerous in that tent, with Aiden's attempt to whip their fans into a frenzy, prompting heavy-handed security tactics some would say were more reminiscent of a smaller scale version of the way British football fans are treated in Europe. Read more on this and see photos here.

This aside over all Leeds Festival passed with minimal bother, with West Yorkshire police reporting a mere twenty-nine arrests for minor offenses like theft and drug possession.

So Leeds and Reading are done for another year. Those who want to guarantee their place for 2008 and in doing so avoid the crush next March can do so by getting an early bird ticket right now. The rumourmill is yet to really kick in for next year's acts, but it won't be long until it does. One for starters is the guessing game as to where Iron Maiden will be playing 'Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner' and other such classics. Their 2005 appearance was one of this decades best for the Carling Weekend and there are those who think they'll be back for more in twelve months time.

Speculation is for another day though; right now keep checking back for reviews and pictures as we update them. Click herefor the list so far.