Latest News

10th February
26 new names for Belgium's Rock Werchter
including Mumford & Sons, Incubus, Gossip, The Kooks, Calvin Harris, & more
10th February
first names announced for LeeStock charity event
Wheatus, Babybird, Nigel Clark, and Mark Morriss
10th February
KT Tunstall for Shrewsbury Folk Festival 2012
final headlining act revealed
10th February
first acts for Cambridge Folk Festival
June Tabor & Oysterband, plus Lucy Ward
10th February
Hawkwind, Wilko Johnson, & Dub Pistols for Off The Tracks Festival
headliners announced for spring event
  rss | more news arrow
home » festivals » Reading Festival » Reading Festival 2003

Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Reading Festival 2003 review

Wednesday 1st October 2003


First get one thing straight. I love the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and I really love Karen O. So if I get too wrapped in this review, I've warned you.

She strode out all pompous punkette and vampish seducer. In a tight blue number with a pint of champagne and the rest of the bottle. She snaked to the front, drew us in wrapped her fingers around the microphone and punks first angel blew our hearts and heads with lust, desire and the feeling we'd been away from rumpled silk sheets and a sweat drenched lover for far too long.

She writhed, she licked, she lapped us up and she hadn't even started the first tune. She drawled whispering and shouting at the same time. She screamed, she threw herself to the floor, on her knees on her back! Oh to be in the photo pit as she gets down and naughty.

The champagne bottle's poured tauntingly over the crowd, our tongues are out as she dribbles it over our faces. Then she tosses the spent bottle under the drummer, and continues to blast us with Rich!

The boys in the band fill in the sound, Brian Chase thumps skins better n'most, while Nick Zinner's big, roller coasting judders fill the Radio One tent. It's a magic performance, Maps and Pin and the EP stuff still sounds so much better tonight than the album. It's battering, brutal, hard, knee grazing stuff. The music dominates us and Karen forces us all into submission.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Okay it's more about the cabaret that is Karen O. But you have to see them and tonight they really played a set too. Sometimes I'm so caught up in the temptress on stage I forget just how hugely accomplished musicians the blokes are. Thank you Reading for giving me the opportunity to see them live. This is real punk, it works, Karen's picked the audience's cherry and I leave spent, stunned and blissful.

review by Scott Williams
photos by Karen Williams


Bookmark and Share

the eFestivals Camping Store
Festival search Ticket search

search future festivals only   advanced search

Reading Festival,
related articles:

2003 Line-ups & rumours

Forum

more on Reading Festival 03

Reading Festival home
News:
6th January 12
deposit scheme for Reading & Leeds Festival tickets
Reading Festival 12

2nd December 11
Reading & Leeds Festival 2012 tickets on sale today
Reading Festival 12

9th November 11
Reading and Leeds Festival tickets on 2nd December
Reading Festival 12

1st September 11
Reading and Leeds Festival tickets on sale today
Reading Festival 12

30th August 11
Reading and Leeds Festival early bird ticket news
Reading Festival 12

Photos:
Cloud Control
Reading Festival 11

Death From Above 1979
Reading Festival 11

Ed Sheeran
Reading Festival 11

Leftover Crack
Reading Festival 11

Noah And The Whale
Reading Festival 11

Reviews:
Brian May makes guest appearance with Reading headliners MCR
Reading Festival 11

reggae legend Little Roy offers more than Jane's Addiction on day two at Reading
Reading Festival 11

Brits rock on final day of Reading!
Reading Festival 11

Guns N' Roses make all the headlines on Reading's opening day
Reading Festival 10

Arcade Fire prove themselves a worthy bill topper on Saturday at Reading
Reading Festival 10

Interviews:
Melvin Benn talks exclusively to eFestivals
Reading Festival 10

The Libertines press conference - the best bits
Reading Festival 10

Festival Republic boss talks exclusively to eFestivals
Reading Festival 10

Attitude is Everything's chairman Del Garland talks about festivals and the disabled
Reading Festival 08
Listed Events:
Reading Festival 12

Reading Festival 11

Reading Festival 10

Reading Festival 09

Reading Festival 08


Ticketmaster
tickets for gigs, theatre & sporting events
Ticketmaster provides customers with quick and secure real-time access 24-hours daily to a wide range of tickets for rock and pop, theatre, performing arts, sports, and attractions.
carbon neutral logoeFestivals is
carbon neutral
more »
WaterAid
eFestivals supports WaterAid, more »
sign up for the
festivals newsletter
more »
© Copyright 1998 - 2012 eFestivals.co.uk | disclaimer | site map