IT'S been a turbulent time for fans of the Leeds Festival, with this year's event having only been granted its licence at the eleventh hour.

But as preparations get under way for the Bank Holiday weekend at Temple Newsam, one band has a point to prove.

Over the last 12 months Leeds group, The Music -- who share the same record label as Blackburn Indie boys, The 'Burn -- have carried a weight of media hype on their shoulders.

Pundits have heaped praise on the quartet of Rob Harvey, Adam Nutter, Stuart Coleman and Phil Jordan, with brash statements that ranged from "the best unsigned band in Britain", to more recently, "potentially the most important group since Oasis".

Now with their self-titled debut album ready to go, it's finally time to live up to that hype.

Joining the likes of Guns 'n' Roses, The Prodigy and The Strokes, the lads make their live bow at the event, as headliners on the Friday night's Carling Stage.

Having already supported Oasis and New Order it's not surprising they have an assured confidence in their art and are relishing the prospect of playing top of the bill.

Rob said: "Obviously we're looking forward to it with it being our hometown. I'll be keeping myself occupied as much as possible beforehand so I don't worry about it. But equally I'm trying not to build up any expectations so when we do get there, hopefully it'll be as good as everyone talks about."

Ask them about their craft and they talk passionately about their love for making music, how they get a buzz from entertaining and helping people escape from the mundaneness of everyday life.

But talk about influences and lead singer Rob is more defensive.

"Our music is pure emotion," he blasts. "We don't try to sound like any other band and we don't try to copy any style."

So what can the uninitiated expect from this guitar band, who formed out of the boredom of hanging out on street corners.

Mixing freewheeling psychedelia with raucous guitars, the quartet deliver an explosive set of blistering intensity.

Rob's own slant on the shows is simple: "When we play we try and make people feel better and go up a gear. Y'know what I mean? Then it puts us up a gear. It's great when a crowd are on a song it just makes you feel it's beautiful."

The Music release their debut album on Monday and the play Leeds on Friday August 23.