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

Saturday and the mud of yesterday is pretty much dry, it's sunny and the first band I see is Penguin who play the BBC Introducing Stage first. The 3 piece have a Reading friendly rock sound and are clearly heavily influenced by Biffy Clyro, but that's no bad thing. Tight, energetic, with great bass chops, and enjoyable to listen to we'll be seeing this lot at Reading again.

I must be the only person who hasn't seen Band Of Skulls, this first time is great. The Southampton three piece take to the stage early and play a terrific mix of White Stripes-esque grunge with feel-good beats with 'I Know What I Am' and 'Death By Diamond And Pearls' obvious favourites. A great accompaniment to a pint of ale.

Somehow I manage to catch the end of Yuck. Someone in the crowd shouts, "Death to warm up metal" I wonder if that's a track or a statement. The laid back music is a good remedy for the sluggish and hungover and they have pleasant melodic soundscapes of feedback noise. A band I'd like to hear more of.

Indie survivors Mystery Jets are playing 'Two Doors Down' as I skuttle back to the NME/Radio One stage for 3Oh!3 and as I meet the river of teenagers headed there from the campsites I lose my specs. What a time to be scrabbling on the floor as hundreds are marching like an army to hear the Colorado group's brand of electro pop. Electro pop is in high demand this weekend. Sure enough the mass of new arrivals pack out both the tent and the field beside it drawing one of the biggest crowds on this stage all weekend. From front to back hands are aloft making the hand-heart logo. Opener 'Starstrukk' blows the roof off the tent, and 'Punk Bitch' is just as unrelenting. Tracks from album 'We Are Young' get an airing with the young crowd going loopy to 'House Party' and 'My First Kiss'. 3Oh!3 lead the next generation of music for drunk girl rockers although they seem to be an unfunny Bloodhound Gang to my ears, it must be a generation thing.

Unnerved by how my finger's definitely off the pulse of popular music I head for the alternative stage to hear a bit of that missing humour with Kevin Bridges leaving just in time for Freelance Whales.

New York's Freelance Whales play half an hour of electro indie pop of terrific pop an uplifting sounds. Playing a variety of instruments, and swapping duties for each song, the multi talented five piece play six songs from debut album 'Weathervanes' utilising instruments including harmonium, banjo, xylophone, keyboards, bass, guitars, and drums. The varied sounds are assembled appealing and I wish the set of 'Generator 1st Floor', 'Hannah', 'Location', 'Starring', 'Ghosting', and 'Generator 2nd Floor' had only lasted longer. One of my favourite finds of the weekend.

Everything Everything are playing the BBC Introducing today as the Live Lounge special guests there's a good crowd gathered to hear them interviewed by Huw Stephens and playing two acoustic delights with a cover of the Shakira song 'Did It Again' as "It's the only pop song I like" and their own 'My Keys, Your Boyfriend'.

I've been waiting all weekend for Chapel Club and it's great to hear them re-work 'Dream a Little Dream' and make it their own, as well as airing 'O Maybe I'. Lead singer Lewis Bowman says that so far it's the best show ever before launching into new single 'All The Eastern Girls' with the refrain "This is a love song". It has a fat thumping bass sound and a wall of guitar noise, lovely.

Their bold invigorating music grabs you by the ears and forces you to listen to the captivating lyrics. Lyrics which Bowman thinks are undervalued saying, "No disrespect to journalists, but they compare us to Editors, have they heard my lyrics lately?" He's right the dark commanding lyrics touch on the usual cornerstones of poetry whilst having a hypnotic delivery. It's a terrific set that's sure to see them on the NME/Radio One Stage next time.

Just time for more laughs with Milton Jones and his various Granddads before another New Yorker (there must have been a sale on) in the form of Darwin Deez who has drawn a decent crowd to hear his sugary tunes. The music is lovely and upbeat, the songs shockingly naff. 'Radar Detector' is a delirious clap along dance feast for many.

Returning for quite possibly the millionth time, Frank Turner delivers another hugely empathic set of singalong anthems. He's getting more shouty, although this might be because it's Reading, and delivers a set that includes 'Try This At Home', 'Reasons Not To Be An Idiot', 'Substitute', and 'I Still Believe'. But it's with 'Long Live The Queen' that Frank finally gets everyone onboard. The regular attendees enjoy 'I Knew Prufrock Before He Got Famous', and a empassioned (more shouty) 'Sons Of Liberty' before the rousing 'The Road' and a little of Guns N' Roses 'Paradise City' before the finale of 'Photosynthesis'. Another great show from Frank, now surely part of the Reading furniture.

Dizzee Rascal's set is predictably crowd friendly delivering an arm wave along set to the large crowd. It's a polished performance with songs including 'Jus' a Rascal', 'Dirtee Cash', 'Heavy', 'Fix Up, Look Sharp, and 'Dirtee Disco' leave little for the singer to do. The crowd doing all the work the big hitting closers of 'Dance Wiv Me', 'Holiday', and 'Bonkers' see Dizzee leave the stage with a lot of love from the crowd, having had to do very little.

Crystal Castles are just mental, smoke, dazzling lights, heavy beats and frontwoman Alice Glass who loves to crowd surf, growl, crawll around and generally go crazy. I've no idea what they played but it sounded great and went down well with the crowd watching.

Seven years, one big split, and £1.2 million since their last appearance The Libertines arrive to Vera Lynn's 'We'll Meet Again', deliver 19 songs to please both their fans and the casual watcher. There's a theatrical chemistry on stage, with the two protagonists Carl Barat and Peter Docherty providing visual entertainment but hardly speaking to either each other or the expectant crowd.

They zip through a set the features highlights including 'Horror Show', 'Vertigo', 'Boys In The Band', 'What Katie Did Play', 'What Became Of The Likely Lads', 'Can't Stand Me Now. and 'Don't Look Back Into The Sun' and there's something strangely perfect about dancing to The Libs in a muddy field in wellies. After repeatedly asking the crowd to give each other space, they get half way through 'Time For Heroes' and find themselves forced offstage the speakers silent because of a punch up in the crowd. Minutes later, they return to play the second half from where they left off. It's their encore of 'The Good Old Days', 'Radio America', 'Up The Bracket', 'What A Waster', and 'I Get Along' that puts the icing on the cake to finish this ultimately satisfying performance.

There's just time to catch a little of the mind blistering, strobe light, noise anarchy, sweat fest of Atari Teenage Riot Riot what a buffeting shock to the system - terrific.

Tonight's headliners are Arcade Fire who deliver an amazing performance and prove themselves a worthy bill topping act. They might have drawn the smallest crowd for a headliner of the three days but the Montreal based band deliver a technically dazzling 90-minute set.

A visibly emotional frontman Win Butler welcomed the crowd and asked “How are you doing Reading?” Before adding, "We're very happy to be happy to be here. Thank you for watching. We're punctual at least."

Their set was flawless and quite frankly brilliant, with the band brave enough to throw in new tracks from their latest album 'The Suburbs'. Although many of the crowd just stood and listened, or hugged loved ones, some danced along to songs such as 'Keep the Car Running', 'No Cars Go', 'Haiti', 'Modern Man, 'Rococo', The Suburbs, and 'Intervention'.

With numbers reducing slightly as Pendulum took to the NME/Radio One Stage as headliners and their bombastic beats could be heard at times punctuating the quiter moments of 'Crown of Love', 'Sprawl II' and 'We Used to Wait'. The anthemic feel good rush of 'Rebellion' includes their set and leaves the audience humming the tune on repeat. The band return to deliver a mighty punchy version of 'Month of May ' and conclude with a euphoric 'Wake Up'. They've delivered a set of musical mastery and we all leave with an additional degree of jaunty bounce in our step. Still humming 'Rebellion' into the warm night air.

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