Reading Festival Update I: The Bands
Right, this is going to be another two part update. Here I'll concentrate on the weekend's bands. Marks are out of ten.
We'll start on Friday with Send More Paramedics (7), and band more used and more suited to tiny venues. Despite sound problems, they still managed to bring a touch of Resident Evil to an otherwise sunny day. Not much waiting, then Lightyear's (9) last ever appearance. Cracking tunes, hilarity, nakedness, and 'Kid Dynamite' played from half way up the central tent support. Amazing, and a fitting send off. Another 'last ever' set from Boysetsfire (8) followed. An all too brief set, with 'Rookie' nearly taking the tent apart. Rise Against (8) suffered sound problems last year but were far clearer this time around, and the new album sounds fucking HUGE live. They've got a habit of not playing any of my favourite songs though :( Bouncing Souls (7)reminded us what it was like to be a teenager, with 'East Coast Fuck You' and 'True Believers' before the first real disappointment of the weekend Hundred Reasons (4) who just don't cut it any more. Sticking with the Lock Up Stage, we then had Body Count feat. Ice-T. (7). Motherfucker. And he brought his 14 year old kid out to sing 'Hey Joe' with him as an encore. Bet that little bastard gets more pussy than God. Thursday (4) are still suffering from 'not writing good songs any more' syndrome, so their set was spent stood around waiting for 'Jet Black New Year'. Finally Sick Of It All (7) kicked out a decent slab of NYHC to a diminished crowd.
Saturday. Flogging Molly (9), on the main stage. Bloody marvellous. A decent mix of old and new, and an active mosh pit. A brief stop off at the Lock Up again for Captain Everything! (7) then back to the camp for drinking. Dirty Pretty Things (3) sounded like a load of old toss (professional opinion, that) then a reasonable set from Feeder (6), another band who aren't going to recapture their glory days. Back to the Lock Up for Flogging Molly (10) again, who pulled a fucking blinder in their second set of the day, a little more 'oiled' than the morning performance and a rowdy dancefloor. I remember standing at the back talking to people as they took the stage, and saying 'I'll probably be off into there as soon as...' the rest of the sentence being lost in the crowd as the intro to 'Another Bag of Bricks' pulled me into the pit. The Molly set impressed even Anti Flag (7), who filled by punk quota for the weekend. I think I lost my ability to speak at this point. Wandered to the main stage for Muse (3). Fantastic light show, shame about the music. Ok the bass was amazing, but their was too much pointless guitar wankery, and Matt Bellamy needs to stop fucking whining and write some songs. Wandered off to be cheered up by a surprisingly versatile Reel Big Fish (8) set. Maybe my memory is failing in my old age, I never remembered them being this good. Apart from 'Where Have You Been', the highlight was the nine or ten different versions of 'Suburban Rhythm', everything from ska to death metal in the same song, fucking hilarious, and it looked so throwaway they looked like they could have pissed over Muse. On a parting note, Muse did bring me one ray of amusement in the form of their T-shirts. It's funny seeing fat chicks with the legend 'supermassive black hole' written on their backs.
Sunday. I wasn't too hot on speaking or standing up by this point so stuck mostly to the main stage, starting with a decidedly average Taking Back Sunday (4) before Less Than Jake (8) did their usual thing of circle pits and singalongs. Getting everyone to wave their shirts in the air for 'My Own Flag' was vaguely reminiscent of Slipknot, but a lot less, well, pathetic. I'm hesitant on rating Lady Sovereign (1), I mean, she can sing ok, but chav patois is not, and never will be cool. She'd probably have scored higher if they'd have put her in the Comedy tent where she belonged. Slayer (3) stopped being relevant years ago, and are still dull as fuck to watch. Later in the evening we had Placebo (8) on one of their good years (they alternate). Even the five minute gap caused by a blown amp was great, as the cameraman picked on the girls in the crowd. Androdgenous pop rock and tits, lovely. Finally Pearl Jam (6) who were a little disappointing. They're a great band, and very talented, but they can't hold your interest if you don't know the material (shame on me, I only know 'Ten' and 'Yield'). 'There was no big show and no theatrics. On the plus side there was an IMMENSE version of 'Given To Fly', so it wasn't all in vain.
Same time next year, kids.
We'll start on Friday with Send More Paramedics (7), and band more used and more suited to tiny venues. Despite sound problems, they still managed to bring a touch of Resident Evil to an otherwise sunny day. Not much waiting, then Lightyear's (9) last ever appearance. Cracking tunes, hilarity, nakedness, and 'Kid Dynamite' played from half way up the central tent support. Amazing, and a fitting send off. Another 'last ever' set from Boysetsfire (8) followed. An all too brief set, with 'Rookie' nearly taking the tent apart. Rise Against (8) suffered sound problems last year but were far clearer this time around, and the new album sounds fucking HUGE live. They've got a habit of not playing any of my favourite songs though :( Bouncing Souls (7)reminded us what it was like to be a teenager, with 'East Coast Fuck You' and 'True Believers' before the first real disappointment of the weekend Hundred Reasons (4) who just don't cut it any more. Sticking with the Lock Up Stage, we then had Body Count feat. Ice-T. (7). Motherfucker. And he brought his 14 year old kid out to sing 'Hey Joe' with him as an encore. Bet that little bastard gets more pussy than God. Thursday (4) are still suffering from 'not writing good songs any more' syndrome, so their set was spent stood around waiting for 'Jet Black New Year'. Finally Sick Of It All (7) kicked out a decent slab of NYHC to a diminished crowd.
Saturday. Flogging Molly (9), on the main stage. Bloody marvellous. A decent mix of old and new, and an active mosh pit. A brief stop off at the Lock Up again for Captain Everything! (7) then back to the camp for drinking. Dirty Pretty Things (3) sounded like a load of old toss (professional opinion, that) then a reasonable set from Feeder (6), another band who aren't going to recapture their glory days. Back to the Lock Up for Flogging Molly (10) again, who pulled a fucking blinder in their second set of the day, a little more 'oiled' than the morning performance and a rowdy dancefloor. I remember standing at the back talking to people as they took the stage, and saying 'I'll probably be off into there as soon as...' the rest of the sentence being lost in the crowd as the intro to 'Another Bag of Bricks' pulled me into the pit. The Molly set impressed even Anti Flag (7), who filled by punk quota for the weekend. I think I lost my ability to speak at this point. Wandered to the main stage for Muse (3). Fantastic light show, shame about the music. Ok the bass was amazing, but their was too much pointless guitar wankery, and Matt Bellamy needs to stop fucking whining and write some songs. Wandered off to be cheered up by a surprisingly versatile Reel Big Fish (8) set. Maybe my memory is failing in my old age, I never remembered them being this good. Apart from 'Where Have You Been', the highlight was the nine or ten different versions of 'Suburban Rhythm', everything from ska to death metal in the same song, fucking hilarious, and it looked so throwaway they looked like they could have pissed over Muse. On a parting note, Muse did bring me one ray of amusement in the form of their T-shirts. It's funny seeing fat chicks with the legend 'supermassive black hole' written on their backs.
Sunday. I wasn't too hot on speaking or standing up by this point so stuck mostly to the main stage, starting with a decidedly average Taking Back Sunday (4) before Less Than Jake (8) did their usual thing of circle pits and singalongs. Getting everyone to wave their shirts in the air for 'My Own Flag' was vaguely reminiscent of Slipknot, but a lot less, well, pathetic. I'm hesitant on rating Lady Sovereign (1), I mean, she can sing ok, but chav patois is not, and never will be cool. She'd probably have scored higher if they'd have put her in the Comedy tent where she belonged. Slayer (3) stopped being relevant years ago, and are still dull as fuck to watch. Later in the evening we had Placebo (8) on one of their good years (they alternate). Even the five minute gap caused by a blown amp was great, as the cameraman picked on the girls in the crowd. Androdgenous pop rock and tits, lovely. Finally Pearl Jam (6) who were a little disappointing. They're a great band, and very talented, but they can't hold your interest if you don't know the material (shame on me, I only know 'Ten' and 'Yield'). 'There was no big show and no theatrics. On the plus side there was an IMMENSE version of 'Given To Fly', so it wasn't all in vain.
Same time next year, kids.