Your first day at Reading or Leeds

[BTK1609]

Having seen a couple of people discussing their first day at Leeds on the big 2012 thread it got me wandering when was everyones first day at a festival and who did you watch?

Mine was the Friday at Reading 2000 and I saw Oasis, Primal Scream, Foo Fighters, Limp Bizkit and Asian Dub Foundation.

Brings back many happy memories

[VCK]

That has to be one of the best days in R&L's history. Foos followed by Primal Scream followed by Oasis!

Sunday at Leeds in 2005 was my first experience of the festival. Foos headlined (so if I go this year it's full circle ) and they nailed it like they always do. KOL subbed and I thought they weren't big enough, which is ironic when you look at them now. They were very good though, unlike that awful performance in 2009.

Razorlight were also there, and I actually enjoyed them. The Charlatans and Dinosaur Jr weren't suited to the Main Stage I didn't think. Then there was Juliette & The Licks and Biffy Clyro who were both OK.

Edited March 7, 2012 by VCK

[Kopite05]

Last year for the Saturday at Leeds was my first R/L experience, I would have gone to the killer lineup for the Metallica day in 2008, only for me being away at the time. My first impressions were similar to my first day at Download in 2006, about the sheer size of the place, aswell as how many brilliant bands you could see in one day. We stayed on the Mainstage all day, from Architects until MCR finished, and it was amazing! Best moments were the sing-a-longs to The Offspring (who sounded incredible, and everybody knew all of the words), The MCR set, or the acoustic 30STM songs! 30STM were a little disappointing as he left the verses to the crowd too much, but the whole day was top class.

[evilduck]

My first day at Reading Fest was Friday 2006 and we literally stayed at the main stage all day. I was a massive fan of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Franz Ferdinand so I enjoyed myself. My first day at any festival was Saturday at Download 2004, where I saw Cradle of Filth, The Distillers, The Hives, Iggy and the Stooges and Linkin Park which was pretty great for 16 year old me.

[dirtymookie]

I was thinkin about starting this topic this morning!

My first day was Friday at Reading 95. It was completely different back then and about half the campsite space as I remember it. One bank of stinking portaloos that didn't get emptied for the whole weekend.

Got to see Juliana Hatfield, Beck, Hole, Green Day and Pumpkins on main stage. Marion on Melody Maker and if memory serves me right that was the day I saw the legend that is Frank Sidebottom on the Comedy Stage. Not bad for a £60 weekend ticket!

[BTK1609]

I was thinkin about starting this topic this morning!

My first day was Friday at Reading 95. It was completely different back then and about half the campsite space as I remember it. One bank of stinking portaloos that didn't get emptied for the whole weekend.

Got to see Juliana Hatfield, Beck, Hole, Green Day and Pumpkins on main stage. Marion on Melody Maker and if memory serves me right that was the day I saw the legend that is Frank Sidebottom on the Comedy Stage. Not bad for a £60 weekend ticket!

[MJMilz14]

Friday at Reading 2004.

Saw Goldie Lookin Chain, Taking Back Sunday, Reel Big Fish, Hundred Reasons, Jurrasic 5, Ash, The Offspring and the Darkness. Was a decent start to a cracking weekend. Spent far too much time at Main Stage without really checking much else out though.

[Hart Attack]

First day of music at a festival was Friday 2008 at Reading; I saw Anti-Flag, Taking Back Sunday, Serj Tankian, Anti-Flag (again), Queens Of The Stone Age and Rage Against The Machine. Pretty great day, the whole weekend was a life-changing experience to be honest.

However...my first day of being at a festival was, of course, Wednesday the same year... I drank a litre of vodka that night, was lying on the ground ripping up grass and covering myself with it as 'camouflage'. Then I kept acting crazy and asking everyone 'why so serious' (I think that was right around the time The Dark Knight came out), and eventually almost got taken away by the stewards because I was so out of it. Bad times (although apparently it was funny, albeit in a frightening way), and still got to be the drunkest I've ever been.

[Dan R]

Friday at Leeds 2008 - Was at the main stage all day bar brief trips to the NME (mainly for Pendulum). The line-up was cracking that day but annoyed that A7X only played a few songs and slipknot cancelled but was still an amazing day rounded off awesomely by Tenacious D and Metallica, plus getting James Hetfield's pick at the end made me a happy boy

[BTK1609]

First day of music at a festival was Friday 2008 at Reading; I saw Anti-Flag, Taking Back Sunday, Serj Tankian, Anti-Flag (again), Queens Of The Stone Age and Rage Against The Machine. Pretty great day, the whole weekend was a life-changing experience to be honest.

However...my first day of being at a festival was, of course, Wednesday the same year... I drank a litre of vodka that night, was lying on the ground ripping up grass and covering myself with it as 'camouflage'. Then I kept acting crazy and asking everyone 'why so serious' (I think that was right around the time The Dark Knight came out), and eventually almost got taken away by the stewards because I was so out of it. Bad times (although apparently it was funny, albeit in a frightening way), and still got to be the drunkest I've ever been.

[dirtymookie]

Great minds (or very bored people ) think alike!

I seem to remember only paying £80 for my weeked ticket when I first went which seems a bargain 12 years on!

[ar1]

"My first day was Friday at Reading 95. It was completely different back then and about half the campsite space as I remember it. One bank of stinking portaloos that didn't get emptied for the whole weekend.

Got to see Juliana Hatfield, Beck, Hole, Green Day and Pumpkins on main stage. Marion on Melody Maker and if memory serves me right that was the day I saw the legend that is Frank Sidebottom on the Comedy Stage. Not bad for a £60 weekend ticket! "

That was a quality year but I beat you by a year.

Reading 94:

The ones that I remember were Frank Black, Lemonheads and Pavement finishing off with Frank Sidebottom (a true ledge!) but I'm sure there were a couple more.

On one of the later years (98 I think) we ended up with the "little Frank" papier mache model when it was tossed into the crowd and had a 24hr guard on it for the rest of the festival in case of theives - happy memories!

[ar1]

Pressed post too soon:

the site was tiny compared to now and you used to bring your car inside the fence so there were carparks and campsites next to each other.

I also remember things being horribly overcrowded in the arena and the Biblically bad toilets - I used to walk to MCdonalds by the station everymornign for a McMuffin and to use the facilities

[Bisque]

Reading 2005- The Subways (friends are massive fans even now) followed by Fightstar & My Chemical Romance getting bottled. Then Queens of the Stoneage & The Killers (used to like them then).

[dirtymookie]

Pressed post too soon:

the site was tiny compared to now and you used to bring your car inside the fence so there were carparks and campsites next to each other.

I also remember things being horribly overcrowded in the arena and the Biblically bad toilets - I used to walk to MCdonalds by the station everymornign for a McMuffin and to use the facilities

[Jacky Boy]

Mine was Sunday at Reading 2007, saw The Ghost of a Thousand, Cold War Kids, Lostprophets, Nine Inch Nails, Smashing Pumpkins and a few others I can't remember, went just for NIN and they were incredible.

[edfirth]

Leeds 2005.

We didn't get in to the arena in time for My Chemical Romance, which in the scheme of things wasn't too disheartening.

First band I saw was Art Brut, a strange act to have as my first ever band at a festival as I haven't listened to them much since, and I hadn't listened to them at all beforehand.

I think I must've seen Alkaline Trio next, and I specifically remember the guitar not working during the opening of Time to Waste which was really annoying as I loved that intro.

Had to have been Funeral For A Friend after that as I loved them at the time. Don't really remember it though

I think it was NoFX after that but again I don't remember it

After that I saw Maximo Park who I didn't like at the time but they really impressed me and I got into them after that. My first example of a band that I've followed after a festival performance

Next it was Incubus, and I still haven't seen a better Incubus show. They were awesome that day. I was on the barrier and Brandon had his top off for the ladies and I felt rather insignificant

After that I hopped over to the NME tent and caught the end of LCD Soundsystem before venturing forwards for The Futureheads and Bloc Party. I can safely say that that Bloc Party gig was one of the most painful hours of my life. I could feel by ribs grinding against the barrier and one of my friends fainted during the show and I think another threw up. Was brilliant though

That night might well have been the night something else happened which was worth remembering as well but I don't remember which night of the festival that was.

All in all, pretty eventful!

Edited March 7, 2012 by edfirth

[Flobadobalob]

Friday at Reading 2003, probs my favourite festival day ever. Stayed at mainstage all day and got to see these beauties:

InMe

Bowling for soup

Finch

Less than Jake

The Datsuns

Staind

The Darkness

Placebo

Blink 182

Linkin park

[RichieSpenno]

Leeds 2009 - Friday

Didn't care for any one the bands first on so watched Dinosaur Pile-Up on the NME and was impressed.

Spent most of the day sitting down at the Main stage/going back to the tent to refill.

Then got stuck in for Maximo Park/Prodigy/Arctics then off to bed (it was before I discovered how fun the night time is at Leeds).

[Babyquack]

Alas, my first festival day was the Friday at Reading 2011. Was excellent though! Got to see Does it offend you yeah?, Sub Focus, The Vaccines, Noah and the whale, White Lies and My Chemical Romance - very fun indeed!

[2rare2die]

My first was Leeds 2000 (and have been to every one since!) and i think the first band i saw was My Vitriol. The singer came out with one of those singing fish things, and at the end i remember them smashing their instruments Nirvana style, which seemed to be enough to impress my 19 year old self lol. Was also the year i got to see Slipknot and Deftones for the first time, and seem to remember Limp Bizkit being particularly epic!

[Budweiser]

I can't remember my first day.

[swede]

Mine was Friday Leeds 2003, before the days of the secondary barrier so the crowds for SOAD and Metallica were absolutely mental, especially SOAD when there was a surge forward in the first song and the barrier at the front broke and a girl had to be carried out and taken to hospital. That aside the day was absolutely killer, saw Biffy Clryo, The Used, Good Charlotte, Primal Scream, Sum 41, SOAD and Metallica !!

Edited March 7, 2012 by swede

[Mega Ross]

Technically Day 3 - Onto the music! Wake up, breakfast, drinks, smuggle cans in.

Looking at my old lanyard thing from what I can remember, the friday we saw:

Billy talent was first

Some of gogol bordello then went for a joint in NME tent with two door with my mate Lee in his banana suit, looking very inconspicuous sat down in the tent smoking.

Then saw a few bands I can't remember just for like 20 mins

After that NOFX, Lost prophets, Biffy Clyro and Quotsa

Weren't nothing worth seeing after that I though, weren't gonna see axl rose and his support band under a false name because he's a cock. And nothing else appealed.

Went back to camp, sparked up a joint and had some beers, then people started arriving back and news of GnR being shit arrived, everything went pretty damn good I thought.

I have a really bad back, doing a few hours stood up in the arena destroys me let alone doing a full day, I'm never in before 2/3 oclock and if theres nothing great to see I won't stay until the end. Usually by the time headliners come on I'm in agony barely able to stand up. I need to revise a plan for this year to prevent it, happened every bloody year, makes it harder to enjoy headliners.

Edited March 7, 2012 by Mega Ross

[Gucci Piggy]

Friday at Leeds last year. Went for Muse only, and stayed at the front barrier for 12.5 hours in all. The only acts I enjoyed were Frank Turner, Elbow and Muse playing my favourite album in full

I can safely say Enter Shikari's set was the most annoying, painful thing I've ever experienced

I also went on the Sunday. I didn't stay at the barrier and enjoyed it so much more

My 2 favourite bands at the time (Muse and The Strokes) headlining my first festival, not bad Although Pulp blew The Strokes off stage, which was a welcome surprise for 15 year old me