Reading Festival, Caversham Bridge

Reading Festival

August 27-29, 2010

When the music at Reading Festival begins on Friday (following a boozy Thursday session in the town centre), a hangover is as welcome as the evacuation of vomit that preceded it (said sickness is still being blamed on an salmonella-friendly campsite BBQ on Thursday night). As the phrase goes, time stands still for no man (even one with a hangover) and a now-successful remedy is to get a cold pint of Gaymers (other ciders are available, just nowhere near the festival site) and head off to see some bands.

The early afternoon begins with Frankie & The Heartstrings, Surfer Blood and New Young Pony Club, and all benefit from a fresh crowd keen to jump around and revel in the weekend. Girls provide a welcome decline in pace, even if the crowd aren’t as supportive, waiting patiently for closer ‘Lust for Life’.

By the time Two Door Cinema Club hit the stage the arena bars have all been located, and the aforementioned hangover is a distant memory, which is lucky as this set was the real surprise of the weekend. Sure, ‘Tourist History’ is a decent album, but to fill out the tent with such an energetic crowd leaves the band looking almost awestruck. Reading regulars Biffy Clyro always draw a big crowd, but lead-singer Simon Neil’s questionable bleach-blonde beard and pink jeans combination is something that can’t be overlooked, no matter how good their set is.

Mumford & Sons draw the biggest non-headline crowd of the day on the NME/Radio 1 Stage; such is the desire to see songs with accordions and banjos that many people are forced to watch on the outside screens, with hoards of punters clamouring to get just a glimpse inside. For some people, there are probably a million better things to do whilst waiting for sub-headliners Phoenix.

Despite not personally watching them, it is almost compulsory to at least make reference to Guns N’ Roses, as (for the wrong reasons) their hour-late arrival is amongst the most notable moments of the entire weekend. Hearing reports from friends and other notable figures on Twitter makes the decision not to buckle to temptation and check them out entirely worthwhile.

LCD Soundsystem and Marina and the Diamonds are the main beneficiaries of the lack of activity on the Main Stage, but James Murphy edges out Ms. Diamantis on the basis that his band’s days are numbered (however much everyone wants another LCD album) and they play out the first day with a superbly well-received set that spans all three of their records so far.

After the shambles that was Axl Rose the night before, Saturday is crammed full of bands eager to announce themselves punctual, or to have a dig. Whilst they are obviously entitled to an opinion, bands without a particularly prominent stature (for example, Hadouken) attempts to gain a quick laugh seemed a little disingenuous…

Besides the promising return of Everything Everything to the festival (after playing the BBC Introducing Stage last year) the day is spent at the Main Stage. This is lucky, as the clouds disperse, making way for welcome rays of sun. Mystery Jets are joined during their set by recent collaborators The Count and Sinden, whose single ‘After Dark’ gets everyone dancing.

The Main Stage is home to some acts that have moved up the festival ranks over time –  The Gaslight Anthem, The Maccabees and The Cribs all show they are willing (but more importantly, able) to showcase their wares to some of the biggest audiences they have played in front of at festivals. For The Maccabees and The Cribs it’s a last chance to perform to festival crowds before heading back into the studio to work on new material.

When it comes to reunions, The Libertines’ set is destined to go one of two ways: either a disjointed mess which would effectively ruin the legacy they had garnered over the last ten years, or a performance worthy of their (rumoured) £1.25m fee which would leave those there desperately wishing for more. What transpires is emotional to watch, and to see Pete Doherty and Carl Barat on stage together again is something that many thought would never happen again.

In terms of Reading/Leeds headliners, Arcade Fire might not be the most obvious choice, but of the three on offer over the weekend, they are the band with the most to gain from the festival, and lead singer Win Butler humbly acknowledges that they didn’t have a hit song, but are just pleased to be playing. A set that comprises of their best work from ‘Funeral’, ‘Neon Bible’ and recent release ‘The Suburbs’ may just about cement their place amongst the festival elite.

As most of the weekend has remained dry, it seems only predictable that Sunday’s weather would not be so generous. Still, this means that heading towards the NME/Radio 1 tent is an even better decision, with sets from The Joy Formidable, personal favourites Los Campesinos! and Mercury Prize nominees Wild Beasts, drawing bigger crowds than they may have initially expected.

A quick wander around the arena leads to the BBC Introducing Stage, where The Drums draw a rather sizable throng for a cynically well-publicised ‘secret’ appearance on Radio 1’s Live Lounge. Whilst their recent single goes down well with those gathered, a ropey cover of Arcade Fire’s ‘We Used to Wait’ is mercifully forgettable and sees the numbers dwindle substantially.

In the Dance Tent we see Four Tet and Metronomy. The former, whilst sounding amazing, isn’t a great visual spectacle – and might as well be dancing round whilst playing ‘Football Manager’ with iTunes in the background . Joseph Mount et al play the majority of their only ‘proper’ album, ‘Nights Out’, throwing in a couple of old tracks for good measure.

Sunday evening is a mixture between musical past and present wth, with Paramore, Klaxons and the supremely witty We Are Scientists, mixed with the likes of Weezer and Blink-182. In a weekend full of reunions and returns, it is only fitting to roll back the years and laugh at jokes about masturbation, giving Barack Obama a blowjob and covering Jedward singles with Tom DeLonge, Mark Hoppus and Travis Barker.

With measures taken in the campsite to curb most of the ‘traditional’ anti-social behaviour in the early hours of Bank Holiday Monday, Reading Festival might be returning to the point where the music is more important than rioting – roll on next year!

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