Friday:
Bedouin Soundclash
I started the day by going to see the chilled out clean sounds of the Bedouin Soundclash. For the first band on a small stage they had an impressive audience (including a few RFO members). Although I only knew one song that seemed to be all anyone else knew and when they did play 'When The Night Feels My Song' everyone there was singing along, harmonies and all.
Brilliant start to the festival by the Reggae trio.
Goldie Lookin Chain
Everyone seemed to be at the main stage to witness Newports finest giving their all, and they did exactly that. They had a great mix of old and new songs to keep up the balance between sing-alongs and laughter in the audience. Obviously the highlight was 'F*ck Your Sister' but the song I loved even if noone else remembered was 'Breakdown'. I can tell they're next album is going to be great!!
The Wedding Present
I only stuck around this band because the Dropkick Murphys were on after them, but unlike most of the audience I was willing to give them a try.
Agreed, their songs did all sound pretty similar but however much I love the Murphys I still feel it is rude to drown a band out to the chant of 'Let's Go Murphys'. Considering most of the bands in the Carling tent were probably influenced by them I think people should grow up.
Dropkick Murphys
Having seen them last year I knew I was in for a treat. Being my former favourite band I knew every song in the set, but I was dissappointed as they did not play a single song off Blackout and if they were going to stick to they're new stuff they should have played 'Captain Kelly's Kitchen' or 'Wicked Sensitive Crew' in place of 'The Burden'. Even though they always put on a great show (and I touched Al Barr :) ) I felt that they should have at least played they're best sing-along...The Spicy McHaggis Jig. Ah well, maybe with a longer set I'd get what I wanted.
Graham Coxon
I knew one song by him and was sitting at the back for the whole set. I felt that he did play the songs well but the techies and roadies had done a bad job on the sound. I felt like I was waiting around for something more the whole set and it was NOT delivered.
The Coral
I only caught the end of the set but they played 'In the Morning' in a more lively sped up fashion and suprisingly enough, they were fantastic to skank to!!
Queens Of The Stone Age
Quite easily the highlight of the day!! While having the speaking voice of a boring twat, what Josh Homme said was pretty funny. But noone gave a shit when they raced through their entire back catalogue of hits and rounding it off with a 10-15 minute version of 'No One Knows' (which was INCREDIBLE). I started half way between stage and camera bit and ended up in about the 5th row, No One Knows how. The pits were great, the band was great, the atmosphere was pefect. Too bad the Killers had to come and knock it all down.
Pixies
I knew one song, that being 'Where Is My Mind?' and frankly, I was so bored
by the Pixies that I dont even remember it. I had been told by a few of my
friends that they were amazing and granted you would probably love them if
you knew all the songs, but to me it was just a string of pop-rock songs.
Sorry
Saturday:
No Comply
Kick things off pretty nicely with some heavy, horned fueled-madness. Just
like yesterday I'm suprised by the amount of people that have shown up, and
even more so by the amount of people who know the lyrics!! What made the set
was the pit that erupted around the central tower in the final song, little
did I know this would happen for near on every band.
Senses Fail
Allthough the music isnt my thing the bands energy in one song was enough to
last your average headlining set. The lead singer clambered up everything he
could find and then jumped right off again. Great live band, dunno how
they'd be on a record though.
The Explosion
This band will be huge next year. I mean HUGE! They were so entertaining,
every bloody song by them is catchy, they don't have any faults. If you
havn't heard them, check them out here
http://www.purevolume.com/theexplosion You owe it to yourself. To top it off
during 'Here I Am', singer Matt Hock comes down to the sudience and points
the mic right in my face!! I GOT TO SING A CHORUS!!
Emanuel
Obviously no band could follow The Explosion, but these guys did a pretty
good job. Lots of people new their songs and I spent half an hour running
around the circle pit. Time went pretty quickly so I dont really remember
what they were like
Million Dead
OK, shoot me, I only know one song by them and they didnt even play it.
Although they were the kind of band I should really like I'd seen enough of
just guitars by now and needed a break.
Capdown
This was to be that break. Entering to 'Act Your Rage' was a good move as
its one of their more famous tracks and the crowd are instantly up for it.
They also kept the crowd going by playing 'Ska Wars' in the middle, rather
than leaving it till the end. Of course the highlight is as always the
circle pit during 'A-Political Stand For Reasons' but the suprising thing
was how big it got! I was in the front row and people were brushing against
me! Definately a band worth seeing.
Dwarves
I knew about 6-8 songs by this band and the shocking thing was, they played
every single one. The less said about the general wierdness of this band the
better, but one thing I noticed was Dave Grohl was at the side of the stage
watching, particularly focused on HeWhoCannotBeNamed. Hmmmmm...Anyway, Blag
Dahlia crowdsurfed right at the end making him the third lead singer I
touched.
Rise Against
By now the Lockup tent is getting seriously packed, and rightly so. I
personally felt that this set could have done with one thing. 'Swing Life
Away'. Just as Dave Grohl performed 'Everlong' alone, I feel that the same
should have happened for their very own acoustic track, but nevertheless
they march through a substantial list of good songs, ending on 'Give It
All'. Good choice.
Anti-Flag
Ohmygod! If I had to recommend any live band after Reading it would have to
be Anti-Flag. Even though I knew two of the songs in their set I had an
incredible time. Normally you expect a band to say the name of a town,
everyone to cheer and thatll be all, but not here. We get told that for that
day we are no longer English and we will not live under the current regime,
and rightly so! What made the set was the expression on the drummers face
the whole way through, Im sorry but it is impossible to describe except
buggley eyes, tongue out slightly, looking at the lights
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/alt/thelockup/leeds_bands_headliners/9.shtml.
Legend!
Bad Religion
After keeping us waiting BR come on to a seemingly slow lagging song, which
before long evolves into Sinister Rouge. I did not catch much more of the
set as I needed to go and see the foo fighters, but what I saw was pretty
good.
Foo Fighters
I pushed my way forward for a good on half an hour and it was ultimately
worth it. When we all heard just a solid E the crowd went nuts, I only wish
the Foos had been louder as I could hear sweet FA over all the screaming
fans but even so, Dave was an incredible performer. 'Hello Reading!' he
yelled. 'Hello Dave!' I yelled (no prizes for guessing how). IMO they played
a perfect set as we were not bombarded with the new album and it wasnt
purely greatest hits, although they were all included. My favourite part was
either the light show, Dave's solo rendition of 'Everlong' or possibly 'For
All The Cows' because its so different. Dave also makes it clear how much he
loves us and even though he probably says the same kind of thing at every
gig we can tell that for Reading he really means it! Dave can do no wrong!
Sunday:
Bullet For My Valentine
It is clear that the welsh four-piece are frankly a little intimidated by
the amount of people and HUGE stage and Matt Tuck even admits it at one
time. However they're quite good and make all their fans pretty happy.
Turbonegro:
Whereas most other bands playing the weekend use one prop if that turbonegro
need...wait for it...5!!! 2 cannons firing glitter and zillion dollar notes!
A Massive bag of balloons! An sufficiently Dungeons & Dragons-esque
backdrop, and funniest of all, a man who comes on stage to hold up a sign
with the words 'When Everyone Hates You' written on it!! Definately the most
entertaining band of the weekend, up to that point at least.
Alkaline Trio:
However brilliant these three are the performance seemed a little lack
luster. Even so, you could see Matt Skiba was shocked at how big his band
had got as he was smiling the whole way through the set. Its nice to see a
band without a huge ego for once. They had a nice enough mix of songs and
what pleased me and my friend the most was that they played the song off
Atticus which got us both into the band over two years ago, 'Jaked On Green
Beers'. They know who their audience is!
Funeral For A Friend:
There are clearly alot of die hard ffaf fans around me which is
intimidating. By this stage of the day I really need a drink, but I like
ffaf, and I like NoFX even more so I stick through it. They do pretty well
to impress everyone opening with 'Juneau' (same technique as Capdown there).
They are actually very entertaining and put a message forward about Oxfam.
Only disssapointing thing was the banner which was just the album cover.
They could have come up with something else, but I'm probably just being
petty.
NoFX:
Has anything ever been funnier than this band!? Probably not. Although they
do seem like slackers stopping to speak to the crowd ALOT they are fantastic
entertainers. Their flag had to be seen to be believed being the size of
your average poster! Highlights came at the end when they played 'Stickin In
My Eye' and 'Bob', two songs which I had heard they hated. Even if they
didnt play what people wanted they were fantastically funny!
Iggy & The Stooges:
For a greatest hits tour I was shocked that he didn't play The Passenger or
Lust For Life, leaving No Fun as the only song I knew! Even so he was
brilliantly hyper for his age. As I was sat at the back eating I don't
remember much of the set, sorry.
Marilyn Manson:
Marilyn Manson is a genius. I don't know how many people spotted what his
opening soliloquay was from, but I did and it is very clever. Even if he
didnt address the crowd much he used so many eery props like the lantern,
the stilts and the wierd booth thing. He played every hit that everyone
knows and pleased every fan he had. But is he the one everyones looking
forward to?
Iron Maiden:
Could Mean Fiddler possibly book a better closing act. The Pixies satisfy
their fans, the Foos satisfy the younger generation, but Iron Maiden caters
for everyone. A different backdrop for every song, 2 different eddies, 3
guitarists, Iron Maiden are heavy metal, multiplied by some insane figure!!
With Bruce sharing his memories from Reading over 20 years ago you'd expect
the audience to get bored and restless, but no, we are captivated and its
clear who's side we are on in the whole Ozzfest argument. By having a fake
ending similar to the Foos, people seem upset that they have not seen eddie
yet, but all they had to do was wait. As they closed with 'Sanctuary',
everyone felt the same. It was only much later that I thought 'Wait, that
was the last band at Reading'. At the time of course I was thinking
'OHMYGOD! I HAVE JUST SEEN IRON MAIDEN!!' Whoever takes that slot next year
will have a hard job beating the Gods of Heavy Metal.
