Festival organisers pulled the plug on Rage Against the Machine mid-way through their headline set at Leeds festival yesterday.

The decision came half way through fourth track ‘Bombtrack’, amid fears of a crowd crush. The politically-fuelled cacophony was plunged into silence and darkness, as a bouncer took to the stage to talk to frontman Zack de la Rocha.

The American rapper then pleaded with the crowd, “We don’t want to have to stop the show. Help our brothers and sisters up front: everyone take a couple of steps back.”

Their set was rapturously received, despite commencing half an hour late and lacking the theatrics of their previous night’s performance at Reading festival, where they took to the stage in Guantanamo boiler suits.

Leeds festival-goers can look forward to more top-class bands today, as one of the best festival lineups of the summer closes with Editors, The Raconteurs, Bloc Party and The Killers.

(by Hazel Sheffield)