Reading and Leeds Festival Preview, Part One
Reading and Leeds Festivals. The one weekend of the year where rock heavyweights get to share a stage with the weediest of pasty indie boys, and nobody bats an eyelid.
Reading and Leeds Festivals. The one weekend of the year where rock heavyweights get to share a stage with the weediest of pasty indie boys, and nobody bats an eyelid (well, Frank Turner ain't gonna be writing a protest song about Passion Pit playing in the same tent as Gallows anytime soon, for example).
This year, the August Bank Holiday plays host to a massive long list of bands, and Rocklouder will be down at the Reading leg of the event.
On Friday 28th August, it'd be altogether too easy to remain at the Lock Up Stage, slowly sinking in to the sweat-soaked mud, one shoe down, wondering if the t-shirt you're wearing started its life out as the colour it appears to be now. But, it's a festival; the powers that be would rather you wandered between stages a little more. And do you really want to miss that Main Stage slot by Deftones?
Dananananaykroyd
If you're gonna start early, you might as well be eased in to proceedings, with only sporadic shouting. Despite vocalist John breaking his arm earlier in the summer - causing the Glasgow six-piece to cancel their slot at Belladrum festival - they're still scheduled to appear here, first on at the NME/Radio 1 stage.
Sweethead
Supergroup alert! Sweethead are the new project from Queens of the Stone Age guitarist, Troy Van Leeuwen, alongside Eddi Nappi and Norm Block from Mark Lanegan Band, and vocalist Serrina Sims. Not sure? Head over to the band's official site and download their cover of The Kinks' 'Tired of Waiting For You' (Festival Republic Stage).
Alexisonfire
After decidedly NOT splitting up last year, the band will be bringing the sounds of fourth long-player, 'Old Crows/Young Cardinals' to the Main Stage and the Lock Up Stage. Apparently this is a "special treat" for fans. Or, just giving them the option in case they clash with The Airborne Toxic Event. Er...
Deftones
Admittedly, after bassist Chi Cheng's accident, it's a surprise that Deftones are playing live in 2009, let alone appearing on the Main Stage at Reading. Take it as an unexpected treat, then. Oh, and if you're interested in helping support Chi and his family, here's the place to do it.
Black Lips
If there's one set where "expect the unexpected" is a phrase which turns in on itself, it's this one. Black Lips' appearance on the Festival Republic Stage is likely to be predictably unpredictable, and might feature material from their latest LP, '200 Million Thousand'. If you're lucky.
Soulsavers with Mark Lanegan
If you've made it through Black Lips' set without being showered in vomit, you might as well stay at the Festival Republic Stage and recover listening to Mark Lanegan sing, yeah?
Lovvers
The BBC Introducing stage is hidden away towards the back of the arena; you might walk past it if you didn't know better, or hear Huw Stephens talking 'quite loudly'. Headlining on the Friday are noisy punks Lovvers, presumably playing tracks from new album 'OCD GO GO GO GIRLS'. You should watch them.
Faith No More
OK, we know. Unless you've 'enjoyed' the 'dulcet tones' of one Jamie T, you've not a chance of squeezing yourself in to the NME/Radio 1 Stage area to hear this lot, far less even see them - and that's with taking in to account last year's appearance of a screen outside the stage's boundaries. Still, for those unlucky enough to have missed the band's other shows this Summer, the South London self-styled musical poet's set may not pose that great a challenge...
RSS Feed
