Reading Festival 2011 thoughts/review/general discussion

[Hart Attack]

In my four years of attending the festival, this was my first time going for just a single day of it. I woke up at about 07:00 yesterday morning (after only getting about four hours of sleep), got the train to Reading and arrived at the festival site at around 10:45. I headed over to the yellow campsite, to the spot where I was camped last year for some brief nostalgic reminiscence, then entered the arena.

Cherri Bomb - Pretty damn good, much better than you'd expect from a group comprised entirely of teenage girls. They seemed to have a reasonably large crowd for a band of their size playing as early in the day as they did. Great way to start the day. ***

Architects - Sadly, their performance was pretty much ruined by sound issues; the volume was ridiculously low throughout the set, and this, along with the rain and mud, really killed the mood. The band seemed to be giving it their best shot anyway though, and it was pretty cool when they had everyone get up on their friend's shoulders during Heartburn. **

The Blackout - Fun as always, although their new material doesn't seem to hold up to the older stuff and they could really have done with a few more more songs from the first two albums. Solid and enjoyable nonetheless. ***

New Found Glory - Missed the first half of their set due to long toilet and cash machine queues, and when I finally got back to the main stage I couldn't really get into the show. They weren't bad, but weren't really anything special as far as I could tell. **

Bring Me The Horizon - The sound mix was pretty bad at times during their set, and a lot of it just sounded like noise to me. I really enjoyed Blessed With A Curse, but that was the only thing that was particularly memorable for me. **

Rise Against - Way too quiet again, I could barely hear the vocals at times. Setlist may not have gone down well with everyone, as I don't think there was much (if any) older material included. This didn't bother me though as I personally prefer the new songs in general - I really enjoyed Architects, Savior, Make It Stop, Audience Of One and Help Is On The Way. Would have liked Swing Life Away, Hero Of War, Collapse and Life Less Frightening too, but I guess I can't complain. ***

Deftones - Really good performance, and had a great crowd (at least in the area where I was) - everyone was really going for it with jumping and moshing everywhere. The sound was much better for their set than it had been for the previous bands too. ****

The Offspring - A good, fun hour of catchy, enjoyable singalongs. Sadly I missed two of my favourite songs (All I Want and You're Gonna Go Far Kid) due to being stuck at the bar, but I still enjoyed the hell out of the rest of their set. Didn't quite to the epic 'will remember this for years to come' level, but nevertheless I really hope they come back to the UK soon, either for more festival appearances or to play their own shows (if not both), as I'd really like to see them again. ****

Thirty Seconds To Mars - A lot of people seemed skeptical about their ability to pull off a successful sub-headlining performance, but I think it's safe to say that the band proved to be more than capable. Between the extravagant stage setup, the evening darkness, the excitement and euphoria among the crowd, the fans being invited up onto the stage, the fact that it was one of the band's final UK shows before their upcoming hiatus, and of course a selection of soaring anthems that had everyone singing along, the set had a real 'big event', headliner-esque sense of epic-ness to it. The only disappointing aspects for me were the lack of From Yesterday (one of my favourites), and that we didn't get a guest appearance from Deftones' Chino Moreno, who has apparently joined Thirty Seconds for The Kill on numerous occasions over the last year or so where the two bands have been on the same bill. Overall, though, a thoroughly enjoyable and memorable experience for me. *****

My Chemical Romance - I think we all knew going in that this would be, one way or the other, one of the most talked-about performances of the festival. Some said this was a colossal mistake, that it would be a complete train wreck. Others said it would be a glorious victory, that the band would step up and prove themselves worthy of the prestigious headlining slot. Now that all is said and done, I think the doubters have surely been silenced. My Chem were everything a headliner should be - fun, entertaining, energetic and genuinely excited by the look of it. Despite receiving a lot of booing from the crowd earlier in the day when mentioned by previous bands, I don't recall seeing a single bottle flung in their direction; in fact everyone seemed to be jumping, dancing and singing along throughout the show. The encore featuring legendary Queen guitarist Brian May was the icing on cake, and by the time the band had finished with We Will Rock You and Welcome To The Black Parade, I don't think anyone could have been left thinking this was anything less than a triumphant success. *****

With the music finished and the last train home already departed, I spent four hours or so wandering round the campsite, taking in the atmosphere, having a few more drinks and chatting with some of the campers. As always, everyone there seemed so young - although this doesn't really come as a surprise any more. I was a bit disappointed by the campsite banter; I could swear it used to be more fun and inclusive, whereas this time most people were keeping to themselves.

Anyway, I headed back to the station absolutely covered with mud halfway up to my knees (must have had a good few pounds of it stuck all over my boots) and further splashes all over the rest of me to catch a 04:30 train. I was feeling terrible by that point - exhausted, starving (all I'd eaten was a portion of chips with curry sauce in the mid-afternoon) and sleepy as hell (I was struggling to stay awake on the train, and was really worried I'd miss my stop). The litre or so of Jagermeister I 'd drank throughout the day was really taking it's toll as well. Ended up getting home at about 06:00 and sleeping on/off throughout most of the day.

Overall, another great festival experience - still a little sad that it was just for the one day this year, ending a streak of great full-weekend Reading Festivals, but I just couldn't justify splashing out on a weekend ticket with so few bands I really cared about seeing across Saturday and Sunday. Besides, I did go to both Download and Sonisphere already this summer so it's not like I haven't had the full weekend/camping festival experience in 2011. I really hope next year's Reading line-up is a bit better suited for me next time though, as I think it's my favourite of the three in general. Had I been there for the full weekend, I would have also seen Muse, Jimmy Eat World, Enter Shikari, Taking Back Sunday, Frank Turner, We Are The Ocean, Panic At The Disco, Glassjaw and Jane's Addiction (or not, as it turned out - I would have wanted/planned to see them though). If anyone reading this saw any of those bands, let me know what you thought!

[VCK]

I didn't go to either Reading or Leeds but you're spot on about 30STM and MCR. Whilst I'm not a fan of either band, going by the highlights on BBC they both seemed like two of the best acts of the weekend, and both looked like they rose to the occasion of playing on a big stage at a world famous venue, so fair play.

The crowd for The Offspring looked good too, sounded like a mass singalong.

[mrtourette]

Did you just stay by the main stage all day?

[RichieParf]

I agree on MCR, I thought they played an excellent set, but I wasn't at all impressed by 30stm. Music's a subjective thing of course.

[lharris92]

I didn't go to either Reading or Leeds but you're spot on about 30STM and MCR. Whilst I'm not a fan of either band, going by the highlights on BBC they both seemed like two of the best acts of the weekend, and both looked like they rose to the occasion of playing on a big stage at a world famous venue, so fair play.

The crowd for The Offspring looked good too, sounded like a mass singalong.

[JC-Mo'Fucka]

Had a good time, doubt I will return even for a good line up. Had enough of rain and mud for now, festivallin' abroad next year.

[Spiky Mike]

Loved it. Have been going to Reading or Leeds nearly every year for 25 years but missed the last 2 years as was not keen on the line-ups. Clientele seemed much nicer, with few knobheads and a great party atmosphere. Loved Muse, Strokes, Pulp, Madness, Frank Turner, King Blues and many more.

Being less busy with more space around the stages was nice as well.

[allan14]

i liked 30stm and think they done well but how they stopped the song a few times to get everyone to kneel down and things spoilt it for me abit !

oo Enter skikari was amazing , i no they always are but i think this year was the best set iv seen them do.. best set of the weekend for me

[Joe-]

It was my first Reading and heard not-so-many good things about it so was quite nervous and dreading the Sunday night and stuff. Got there and made the trek to Purple, which was a good place to camp. Had a fair share of quietness and partying. Someone fell on my tent which put me in a shit mood but soon wore off.

The music was good, saw quite a lot of bands.

On the Friday: Pulled apart by horses, Miles Kane, Dry The River, Crystal Fighters, Foster The People, Metronomy, Offspring, White Lies and Horrors.

Miles Kane, Metronomy and Foster the People were awesome surprises that I enjoyed. White Lies was f**king awesome, Crystal Fighters were insane too and it was packed. This was a good day as I avoided all the mud and rain (Apart from Offspring) as all the acts were in tents.

Saturday I saw Joy Formidable, Yuck, Edward Sharpe, Odd Future, Joy Formidable (Acoustic set), National, PULP and Strokes. Joy Formidable were f**king sweet both times and meeting them was wonderful. Yuck and National put on really good sets, Odd Future was pretty insane and PULP were so so good. The Strokes put on an alright set, but for me they were just nowhere near as good as PULP were and kinda had a hard time beating them.

Sunday I saw a bit of Tim Minchin (I left as it was too packed and I didn't find it that funny), Benjamin Leftwich, Friendly Fires, Interpol, Elbow, 15mins of Streets and Flogging Molly and then Muse. Friendly Fires were brilliant and got me in the dancing spirit. Interpol could have been better if I knew more songs but it was pretty cool and Elbow were superb- I had been waiting to see them for ages and they were really something special. The Streets, the few songs I saw looked good and they had a massive crowd. Flogging Molly was hectic and the songs I saw were filled with barn dancing and serious good fun. I wish I could have stayed for that entire set but Muse were on.

Muse was the best thing I think I've ever seen, mind-blowing music, awesome visuals and lights and brilliant crowd. It was just phenomenal.

Overall, great weekend. Would have been perfect had it not rained.

[5co77ie]

eFestivals reviews here:

http://www.efestivals.co.uk/festivals/reading/2011/reviews.shtml

[mrtourette]

The weather at Reading on Friday was atrocious. Got in to see Pulled Apart By Horses who were very good and then started to wander around the arena as was alarmed at how empty it was. Not quite sure what I expected from New Found Glory but it was a bit rubbish, unfortunately I was also disappointed by Deftones who played a set mostly of newer stuff (which I expected) but who also sounded a bit flat. Came out of the crowd for The Offspring to see that the numbers had swolen and they put on a good show, sounded good and the crowd were well into it but I'm sure they didn't play one or two of their hits and instead rolled out some newer stuff. Still enjoyed them though. White Lies were good but slightly uninspiring, didn't see any of the headliners. This will be the shortest write-up for a good reason.

Got to the arena soaked again on the Saturday to see The Joy Formidable completely own the main stage first thing, great songs and a hell of a lot of noise. Maybe they just know how to set up and play louder than all these post-hardcore bands that were apparently struggling to be heard. Yuck were personally disappointing, I like the album but they kept losing my attention. A but dull. Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros on the other hand were a band that I'd probably never listen to on record but were a breath of fresh air. The Joy Formidable's little acoustic set was great and they came down to the front to chat to people afterwards, which was a nice touch. The main stage area before Madness was probably the busiest I've ever seen it (including headliners) so escaped the throng around the bar to go and see The Kills, who only seem to have one card to play and it isn't even a very good card. Came back to the main stage to see Jimmy Eat World struggling admirably with the strong winds and then went to the front to see The National, who I thought were great (I was relieved the wind dropped and they pulled it off, although from what I understand they had a pretty small crowd) and Pulp, who the crowd were well up for and put on a great performance (although only one song from This Is Hardcore, and it was probably the weakest song of the night). Came out to the fringes to watch The Strokes and even though they started (and finished) twenty minutes late I thought they nailed it. Good set (eight songs from Is This It, fair play), sounded clear (surpirised by this) and even a small amount of interaction with the crowd. It was never going to match Pulp or Muse as an occasion but it was a very good gig, left thoroughly happy (and relieved). Only problem was that when Jarvis Cocker came on stage for one song with them his vocals were way too low.

Caught f**ked Up first on Sunday and although they aren't my cup of tea they sounded good and got the crowd going. Best Coast proved to be the opposite of Yuck, I find them a but samey on record but they were louder and more interesting live and sounded like a pretty good American garage indie band from the 90's. A poor man's Belly if you will. Cage The Elephant were awesome, definitely the band of the day. Great songs, great performance, great frontman. Should have been higher up. Fight Like Apes were as good as ever in the FR tent although didn't really go mad for the set list, and then watched the Nirvana film which packed out the alternative tent. Went to see Frank Turner in the lock-up but it was rammed so caught most of Elbow, who I thought did a good job in what was always going to be a bit of a tough spot. I think they won the crowd over well. I was disappointed by Muse last time they headlined but this time they were great (perhaps because I wasn't expecting as much). I don't think there's a band around who can match their stage show, it was mind-blowing, and musically it hit the spot as well.

All in all a good weekend, most of the good stuff was concentrated into one day but I knew that in advance. Weather was crappy and definitely reigned in some of the fun we could have been having, but glad (and relieved) that the bands I wanted to see the most (The Strokes, The National, The Joy Formidable and Cage The Elephant) were all really good. The only big disappointment was Deftones but you can't win 'em all. Band of the weekend was definitely The Joy Formidable for their two great sets and general niceness. I have to say that the sound quality in the tents was a lot better than previous years and I even though the main stage was generally better, I know there have been complaints but if some bands can pull it off and some can't then maybe it's down to conditions or those bands and the way they set up. Or maybe I was just stood in the right places. I also liked the new NME tent, it was an idea that worked, although it wasn't really a new tent but was new sections attached to old ones. And the ale bar produced something to drink that was slightly less horrid than Tuborg.

One thing that I did notice was there definitely seemed to be some penny-pinching going on. Although it didn't matter by the end the grass in the arena was the longest I've ever seen it and hadn't been cut for ages, there were crappy trays at the bar rather than the branded cup carriers from previous years, they didn't have the more secure urinals but instead had plastic ones cable-tied to the fencing and there were film and music ads being played over the loadspeaker and on the big screens, don't ever remember those before.

Edited September 1, 2011 by mrtourette

[weirdfish]

there have definitely been film adverts on the big screens before

[micawber]

There must have been some, but the lack of reports of thefts is somewhat surprising given the reported problems at other festivals this year. Were there any special measures taken that other festivals could benefit from?

[MEGABOWL]

First time I've been since 1996 having done all the other major fests a few times inbetween (I'm from the North and now live in Scotland so Leeds has always been more easily accessible) and I had a great time. Staying in a hotel was a great idea as the weather seemed less of an issue, the atmosphere in the Arena was generally very good, good atmosphere in the Alternative Stage, the NME Stage was great, and I saw a lot of very good performances. Downsides was the sound bleed due to the small size of the site and the shite sound on the Main Stage which would give me pause for thought on going back.

[manda]

I had a great time. Have done other festivals but Reading has always clashed with our annual holiday. Got cheap tickets through ebay and they really were worth every penny. We didn't camp either as we have family in Reading and it may have been a different story if we had have camped as I wouldn't have fared well with the weather conditions. That said, the arena dried up really well, and by sunday it was completely compacted. Weather was better than forecast- I put my hood up a couple of times but the rain never lasted long and was pretty light. We missed saturdays showers as we didn't get there til around 4.

Sound- surprisingly the noise from other stages didn't bother me, we just found walking to find a better spot cured that. The sound did "waft" because of the wind but I'm not sure how that can be stopped? I actually like the fact the arena is small as it makes it so much easier walking from one stage to another- I really was shocked at how small it is compared to say V or IOW which are spread over several fields with bottlenecks

NME tent was great- plenty big enough, good sound and screens and a cracking line up.

It was quiet friday- probably because of the weather. But saturday and Sunday were MUCH busier without me feeling like it was overcrowded.

One little gripe- not many litter pickers and the place looked a tip.

Would I go again- yes, probably. My taste in music is probably more "mainstream" than alot of you on here- but the NME and alternative provided some cracing alternatives to the main stage and that alone would possibly encourage me to go back. I'm probably going to wait until the line up is forming before deciding though, but I realise next year will be a sell out with no Glasto so less chance of cheap tickets

Want to say a bit thanks to everyone on here who gave me advice though (and reassurance about the toilets!!)It really helped.

[therefused]

Pulled Apart By Horses *** - Couldnt think of a better way to start of a festival, and they proved me right. Manic guitars and some impressive vocals, the rather large crowd (mainly due to the rain) lapped it up.

New Found Glory *** - Saw one song from DIOYY?, but the crowd was packed, then saw a little bit of the blackout but didnt pay much attention. New Found Glory smashed it though, even though a lot of people seemed more interested in rolling about in the mud in front of main. The highlight for me being the Ramones Cover.

Cererbal Ballzy - Caught about ten minutes of these while it was raining, and theyre probably one of the best worst bands ive ever seen. Complete chaos ensues.

Rise Against ** - Shit sound for the first few songs completely ruined this band, but they didnt seem to care and gave it a lot of energy. The last few songs definitely remidied the earlier sound issues, and they did sound pretty good.

Deftones *** - Expected a lot more, and the place only really came alive for Back To School which i continue to dislike, although the momentum did keep up for a awesome 7 words which had the mainstage crowd (where i was, anyway) go completely crazy.

Offspring **** - Probably the best band i saw all day. A rip through an awesome setlist, and a no frills show shows, that these really dont give a shit after being a band for f**king ages. The new tracks even sounded impressive. My highlight being an insane circle pit to Kids Arent Alright.

30 Seconds To Mars *** - Went and had a sit down for these and watched the big screens, but they were definitely impressive. Although Jared does have an annoying tendency to stop the songs all the time to encourage the audience.

My Chemical Romance **** - Mainly went and stood at the front for these to keep warm, but they completely smashed everyones expectations out of thw water. The crowd was like some massive party, with people singing, dancing, moshing left right and center. An also awesome appearance by Brian May was a bit of a surprise. Proved all the doubters wrong.

Saturday

will edit.

[johnmcga]

Here's my 2 pence worth! I saw a lot more bands than mentioned here (I reckon about 25, over the weekend), but these were the ones that stood out:

Friday:

The arena seemed quite quiet and subdued - for me the only highlights were Metronomy, who were every bit as good as usual, and Anna Calvi. I was annoyed at the scheduling because those were the only two acts I really wanted to see, and they clashed to some extent. Anna Calvi deserves much more attention - she's got great guitar skills, and incredible voice and a hypnotising flamenco / Spanish look. Yet the tent was three-quarters empty.

As for the rest of Friday? 30STM seemed to be about one man's ego, and General Fiasco were the only headliner who really did it for me. But then I'm not an MCR, Beady Eye or Horrors fan, so I was always going to be on a loser there. Overall I felt I'd missed some good bands (PABH and Islet), but the rain put me off getting in earlier.

Saturday:

Much better, it really felt like the festival got going with Joy Formidable (they have some presence) and She Keeps Bees, who I hadn't heard before but have a great blues-rock sound. Other notable sets were Everything Everything, Pulp (the best headliner by far, in my opinion) and The National, who didn't deserve the tiny crowd they got. I was also quite taken by Odd Future. Where else can you see a man ride on stage on a fold-up bike?

On the other hand, I was disappointed by The Strokes. They were too clinical and detached for me, especially coming on after Pulp.

Sunday:

F**ked Up and Frank Turner - what a great start to Sunday. I'm not sure I've seen a 1pm circle pit before. Friendly Fires sounded good (but they're much better suited to a tent), and DFA1979 were as loud as ever, although nowhere near as good as their London gigs earlier this year.

Muse sounded immense but didn't really seem to be doing anything I hadn't seen before, so we ducked out to 2manyDJs and had a good old dance to close the festival. Did anyone else think their visuals were ace?

In all I thought Saturday and Sunday were strong days, but Friday really was lacking.

Edited September 3, 2011 by johnmcga