Legendary moments at Reading/Leeds

[VCK]

04 was a really quiet year.

02 & 03 were bad, especially 03, it forced a change of venue.

05 was horrible, I was by orange fairground which was the epicentre. Huge fire with people throwing gas canisters into. Then the riot police showed up and were very heavy handed and things escalated ridiculously quick. People raiding all the stalls and vans with beer in them, tents etc. Luckily was in guest camping so got one of the staff to let us up the path behind traders ally and all the way around the arena to behind the main stage. (Happened to see Pete Doherty headbutt johnny borrell haha).

Monday morning looked like a warzone, then all the stories came out about police having lines of people on their knees in handcuffs just letting them piss themselves etc whilst detained. Im surprised they got their licensed renewed in 06.

[PDAD]

I've been to Reading the last 2 years and their hasn't been anything like this obviously.

Are these riots generally stopped now due to whatever reason or what?

[2rare2die]

'03 was the first year at Bramham Park wasn't it? And I remember people raiding the beer lorries but I was thankfully back at camp at the time so missed most of the trouble. Wasn't it something to do with them shutting the bars earlier than usual, causing people to start kicking off?

[VCK]

I've been to Reading the last 2 years and their hasn't been anything like this obviously.

Are these riots generally stopped now due to whatever reason or what?

[rexclark]

Millie.

[PDAD]

I think it just doesn't happen any more. Apparently it used to happen every single year at Temple Newsam, so they moved it to Bramham Park and it stopped for a few years but then for a few years after that it started again. I've heard nothing extreme since 2008 though.

[VCK]

Millie.

[2rare2die]

I think it just doesn't happen any more. Apparently it used to happen every single year at Temple Newsam, so they moved it to Bramham Park and it stopped for a few years but then for a few years after that it started again. I've heard nothing extreme since 2008 though.

[lightning1000]

'03 was the first year at Bramham Park wasn't it? And I remember people raiding the beer lorries but I was thankfully back at camp at the time so missed most of the trouble. Wasn't it something to do with them shutting the bars earlier than usual, causing people to start kicking off?

[lightning1000]

Actually looking back the 2 worst years came after foos headlined, 02 and 05. Dave grohl is leading a double life as a riot leader.

Obviously he's calmed down in his later life based on last years evidence

[mrtourette]

Hmm yeah I must have got this wrong.

I was just thinking it was something like:

50 Cent bottled off

Long wait till Green Day (who came on earlier)

Disaffection and dehydration of crowd

Rioting

Might have been at Leeds but again I've probably got it wrong!

Speaking of rioting has it got better? When I went to Reading in 2010 there was none from what I saw, unlike Leeds 06 and 09...

[DaveElNino]

50 Cent played his whole set at Leeds in 2004 - albeit after a bit of early bottling.

2005 seemed to be the worst for rioting in the 4 years I was there. 2004 there was a bit, but in 05 it seemed absolutely mental. I was camped in green, and it didn't spread there but from what I remember that was the year that at least of the vendors at the bottom of the fairground hill had their van destroyed.

As for legendary moments; Nine Inch Nails finishing with an incendiary performance of Head Like A Hole coming back to do Hurt in 2007 at Reading was the one that immediately spread to mind.

Rivers Cuomo's antics during Weezer's 2010 set was another point that I think has already been mentioned.

[Areophobia]

I regret forever not going to R/L in '07, in for anything witnessing the awful RHCP set and the magnificent NIN one - I just hope we have another like it!

[Matt42]

This was beautiful.

[guitarbhoy1888]

a personal one would be everyone cheering at me when i came out the toilet at tesco in leeds.

dont think i was even that long in it ...

[ToffeePopcorn]

a personal one would be everyone cheering at me when i came out the toilet at tesco in leeds.

dont think i was even that long in it ...

Same happened at reading. I queued for 3 hours to take a shit and missed cancer bats due to it. I regret nothing.

[sjseabass]

a personal one would be everyone cheering at me when i came out the toilet at tesco in leeds.

dont think i was even that long in it ...

Same happened at reading. I queued for 3 hours to take a shit and missed cancer bats due to it. I regret nothing.

[ToffeePopcorn]

Yup... The local Big Tesco, I don't know what else to call it!

[insideaway]

Tbf the queue at tesco toilets can get pretty bad at times. So many people have the same idea lol

[JeffLynnesBeard]

My Legendary moments at Reading Festival:

1996 - Ian Brown destroying the legacy of Stone Roses (check this out -

)

1998 - Hilarious onstage argument between The Prodigy and Beastie Boys over playing/not playing 'Smack My Bitch Up' in their set.

2000 - A dull headlining set by Stereophonics made immense by Tom Jones coming out to sing 'Mama Told Me Not To Come'. Every Welsh guy around us was in tears.

2003 - Good Charlotte asking the crowd to count to three and then bottle them half-way through their set. The sky turned black with missiles, but they turned the crowd round, played the rest of their set without hassle and got a huge cheer at the end.

2004 - Someone managing to throw a camping chair on stage during 50 Cent's bottlling.

2006 - Brendon Urie getting knocked unconscious by a bottle during Panic! at the Disco's set and then getting up, finishing the set and saying it was one of their best gigs.

2009 - Them Crooked Vultures 'secret' set.

2010 - Wating an hour for the King of Bell-Ends - Axl Rose to come on stage

[LondonTom]

Tbf the queue at tesco toilets can get pretty bad at times. So many people have the same idea lol

Edited April 16, 2013 by LondonTom

[lharris92]

best time for the bogs is just as the arena opens...

[kev1664]

Some people are just soft as the proverbial thing they're scared of doing at the festival.

Man up and use the facilities provided, they aren't that bad and you won't waste any time at all. Plus it makes that first one back home much more satisfying.

[lharris92]

if in doubt just take a nose clip

[Duw13]

Some people are just soft as the proverbial thing they're scared of doing at the festival.

Man up and use the facilities provided, they aren't that bad and you won't waste any time at all. Plus it makes that first one back home much more satisfying.