Reading Festival 2009: Saturday
Every song is breakneck in pace and delivered with a passion many bands can only wish for.
Ouch. Saturday greets us with more bruises than we had expected, so we make a mental note to take it easier, then promptly throw such notions out the window to headbang like a loon to excellent newcomers Chickenhawk (4) on the BBC Introducing Stage. We then head to the NME Stage to catch too-cool-for-school Spinnerette (2), who are possibly the disappointment of the weekend. "I hope your day gets better," says Brody Dalle "I know mine will." Yeah, cheers love we get it, but perhaps we'd look less bored if you looked like you actually wanted to be here. Metric (3) then startle everyone to life, the polar opposite of Spinnerette; lively and energetic, they ditch all notion of looking cool as frontwoman Emily Haines showcases some truly hilarious dance moves (think dad-dancing crossed with aerobics) but it's something the crowd is more than happy to get involved in.
There's a storm coming, though. No, no rain today, but over on the main stage Enter Shikari (5) kick up such a frenzy that a duststorm forms, making it almost impossible to see the stage. Not that it matters, 'Antwerpen' is just one of a number of mass moshpit catalysts that create tornadoes of bodies, and an unforgettable 'Juggernauts' sees record numbers of crowd surfers tidal wave over the barriers. It's intense, choking and nothing short of amazing.
We smell a surprise, so head to the NME tent for the not actually that surprising (they played Leeds yesterday) appearance of supergroup Them Crooked Vultures (3) who should be better, but have in 'Gunman' and 'Dead End Friends' the potential to be one of that rare breed of supergroups that aren't rubbish. Rival Schools (3) certainly aren't rubbish, peppering the set with promising new material, and then telling us that Oasis have split up. "Are you sad, Reading?" We are not, but welcome a mini-Oasis medley all the same. Then we head to the Festival Republic tent to see the abysmal Go:Audio (1) they're very good at what they do, but we feel weird having to say that Busted and McFly have already done it. We're here to see the following band, who win the award for line-up mismatch of the weekend. What could perfectly follow sugary power-pop? Why, the intense post-rock of 65daysofstatic (4) of course. They are jaw-dropping, and the rib-cracking crush that greets them is so impressive a visibly nervous Joe Shrewsbury doesn't know what to do with himself (asides from creating excellent music and balancing his guitar on his chin).
Then comes the real crush; it's time for The Prodigy (5). We're right at the back as the main stage crowd stretches beyond the sound tower, but everyone goes off. Everyone. From start to finish, from front to back, the crowd laps up furious runs through 'Firestarter', 'Breathe' and an intense 'Smack My Bitch Up', but it's their new material that really impresses, with a seismic 'Invaders Must Die' and a run through 'Take Me To The Hospital' that cements it as one of the best songs in their arsenal. It's too quiet, but the sheer quality powers the crowd on to phenomenal levels of singing, dancing, circle-pitting mayhem – so much so they have to pause to stop the crowd crushing themselves. It's painful but unforgettable, and ten minutes after their set is over, the crowd are still singing 'Out Of Space'. There is no doubt, this band should have been headlining.
They're not, though, Arctic Monkeys are, so we go and see some decent bands instead, catching barely three songs from Thursday, who appear to have the Lock Up crowd in the palm of their hands, but that's nothing compared to the control Rise Against (5) have. The epitome of the stage's sense of community, they attack their set with aggression and positivity that has fists pumping and circle pits that get bigger each time they open up. Every song is breakneck in pace and delivered with a passion many bands can only wish for; with tracks like 'Audience Of One', 'Blood Red White And Blue' and 'State Of The Union' causing pandemonium that leaves the crowd baying for more. Arctic who?
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