Lineup 2015

[seanz25]

Where Slaves any good? Looked it on the iPlayer stuff but never really gauge to much based on a video tbh

[therefused]

For the quality of acts, this was probably the best festival ive ever been too. There was so many complete idiots in the leeds campsite last night though, basically ruined the festival for me. 

[Yellow_Fellow]

Where Slaves any good? Looked it on the iPlayer stuff but never really gauge to much based on a video tbh

Yeah the crowd was super into it too.

[ClemFandango97]

Here we go then, only way to get over post-Festival blues is to wallow in how good it all was.

 

Friday:

The Districts - Pretty sound set, enjoyed them more at Latitude, decent start to the weekend. (7/10)

Drenge - Didn't enjoy them outside at all, majority of the crowd were reprobates. (4/10)

Palma Violets - Could have been less off their tits to be honest, reasonably good. (6/10)

Peace - Outstanding set, so much better than last year. Great crowd too and Harry was loving it up there. (9/10)

Run the Jewels - Shame about the relatively small crowd (at least for the first half) but these guys brought it, Mike's dance moves were hysterical and they just have so much fun which transfers to the crowd.(8/10)

Mumford and Sons - Little else going on (nobody would hit up Limp Bizkit with me) so checked these out. Actually really enjoyed it and even though I was very far back the crowd was really into it. Then again, I quite like their new stuff. (8/10)

 

Saturday:

Nothing But Thieves - Dreadful band. (2/10)

Twin Peaks - Decent bit of Ramones-ish punk music, one of the guitarist looked like McLovin which i found amusing. (6/10)

Foals - Wow. (10/10)

Slaves - Pretty good, decent lively crowd but they missed out Mantaray which was annoying. (7/10)

Spector - Biggest surprise of the weekend, mass exodus after Slaves so got to the barrier near enough and checked these out. Only know like four of their tunes but they blew me away, Fred the singer was superb. (9/10)

Wolf Alice - My feet were killing me at this point so after Wonderwhy I went and sat at the back. Still good though. (6/10)

Royal Blood - My biggest disappointment I think. Love this band having, like many of us on here, picked them up before Summer 2014 when mostly nobody knew who they were. They didn't fill the set well, Mike was seemingly gurning the entire time and the energy seemed to be lacking past the crowd at the front. (5/10)

Twin Atlantic - Good sing-along, sat down mostly but went to front for last couple of songs, had a dance somehow. (8/10)

The Wombats - Decided to favour nostalgia and went to these, so much fun and the FR tent is fantastic. New songs were brilliant live and I don't even like them much. (9/10)

 

Sunday:

Milton Jones - Can only put Time Vine above him in regards to One Liner comedy, the grandmother downsizing joke was hilarious! (8/10)

The Gaslight Anthem - Started slow but crowd warmed up, 45, 59 Sound and Backseat were awesome at the end. (6/10)

The Cribs - Great set, good mix of hits (No Hey Scenesters though :/) and new stuff, mosh pits were fun. (8/10)

The Maccabees - Pretty decent, lots of energy and they even played Latchmere which surprised me bearing in mind they don't do too much older stuff. (7/10)

Jamie T - Ok so going front section was mistake. Had to be lifted out which was probably the most fun part of the set, Jamie was good though. (5/10)

Kendrick Lamar - Absolutely fantastic, dipped a bit in the middle to be fair but he finished so strong. Awesome stage show, really prefer it when rappers play with a live band. (9/10)

The Libertines - Despite what many are saying I really enjoyed these and thought they lived up to headline status. Went right to the third barrier in and effort to avoid a repeat of Jamie T and apart from a small dip around 11-ish they were brilliant, fantastic encore and all round good end to the weekend. (9/10)

 

My mate then decided we were leaving that instant so cue a mad rush to pack up in the dark and get out of the site, got home about four in the morning. All in all a great weekend, probably not as great as last year though.

Edited August 31, 2015 by ClemFandango97

[CDESSEX]

Highlights 

 

Metallica, Limp Bizkit, Slaves, Royal Blood, Skints 

. 

 

Congratulations to the c**ts chanting "whoomp there it is" over every Knife Party drop. Totally ruined the show. 

 

I heard Hannah Wants and Deadmau5 had the same idiots chanting the same thing. 

 

I had a good time apart from the usual idiots that turn up to these festivals. It's now the cool thing to do and every festival I have been to has gone the same way apart from Download Festival.

 

Wont be going next year unless the Festival makes a massive U turn and goes back to how it was some years ago

[sjseabass]

DISCLAIMER: Nothing gets a 10/10 because nothing was on a level with Green Day or Biffy Clyro at Reading 2013, or Florence at Glastonbury 2015, and then everyone else's ratings get shuffled down a bit because 9/10 is the new maximum and I need some differentiation. Doesn't mean a 6/10 is bad.

 

Mariachi El Bronx - Admittedly I know nothing of their stuff, but this didn't really hold my interest for long. Novelty wore off quickly. 4/10

Nick Helm - Decent, pleased with how much different material there was compared to his Latitude set. Was much funnier with the sheer inappropriateness of playing the Poetry tent to small children there, but still, shambolically entertaining. 6/10

Drenge - Predictably lost something outdoors, but pulled it off as best they could I think. Always impressed by the reception they get at Reading despite lack of much radio support etc. Was my 8th time seeing them, and getting to the point where I'd like a bit more variation in the setlist (even just the order). I Want To Break You In Half into Bloodsports can stay, though. 6/10

Parquet Courts - Meh. A bit niche for Reading really I guess. Should've stuck to the shorter choppier stuff. Would be better at their own gig / Park Stage at Glastonbury I think. 5/10

Panic! At The Disco - Lots of fun. Not overly convinced on the new stuff, but This Is Gospel went over very well. What is it with people covering Bohemian Rhapsody this summer? 6/10

The Smith Street Band – Only caught the end of this so not gonna rate it but they sounded quite good, will be checking them out more.

The Menzingers – Good standard Lock Up fare. 6/10

Bo Ningen – Love 'em. Unbelievable musicians making insane music with charisma, energy, weird facial expressions etc etc etc. Brilliant. Only marked down cos I knew what to expect unlike when I saw them last year and they blew my mind, and lack of crowd. 8/10

Alt-J – Really tight, great light show, hits were really nice. Bit of a lull in the middle though – glad I saw them at Reading rather than Latitude tbh, 90 minutes would've been too long. 7/10

Limp Bizkit – FUCKING BONKERS. 6 Readings and 11 festivals in I've not seen much to top that in terms of stupid fun. Opening with Rollin' was nuts. Covering Faith was nuts. Just nuts. Fuck credibility, this was enjoyable as hell. 9/10

Knife Party – Let down. The same drop over and over again with a tent full of twats doing that terrible chant. Thought they would be a lot more fun than this. Internet Friends and Bonfire were alright I guess. 2/10

Huw Stephens / Gus from Alt-J silent disco DJ set – Huw won this hands down. Let It Go into Chop Suey! Hahaha. 7/10

 

Babymetal – Short and sweet. Which is probably for the best. But I'm on board with a 25 minute set, Gimme Chocolate is such a banger. 6/10

FIDLAR – Had sort of forgotten they were playing tbh, and how many good tunes they have. New stuff sounded solid. Unexpectedly came over pretty well on Main, too. Loving Zac's t-shirt. 7/10

Foals – Was expecting mostly / only new songs, so to get that setlist was a great surprise. Will nail it if they headline next year, What Went Down is gigantic. 9/10

Slaves – Less than a year ago I saw them play to about 40 people in a pub, now you've got thousands and thousands of people belting it out to Cheer Up London, which was my favourite song of the whole weekend. Such fun. 9/10

Spector – Again, hadn't really paid much attention to them being on the bill, but they were solid. Everyone needs a bit of standard indie now and then. 6/10

And So I Watch You From Afar – Similar to Bo Ningen, great to watch the noodling and get involved for the euphoric bouncy bits, deserve a wider audience. 7/10

Wolf Alice – Need to hire some better sound engineers I think, seen them 5 times now and only at two has the sound been on point. Still, good to be there for a bit of a crowning moment for them after a huge year, they've got a great set of tunes already. Shame I got blinded by beer during You're A Germ, but oh well. 7/10

Start of Royal Blood – Mike's well on the way down the pantomime rock star path already, isn't he? Felt there was something missing, I'm just weary of hearing those songs over and over now I think. Plus it was raining, so glad I left for...

Everything Everything – Nailed it. Sound filled that tent, good frontman-age, the weirder stuff mixes surprisingly well with the poppy bangers (Distant Past was a bit of a moment, as was No Reptiles). 8/10

Charli XCX – Had no plans at all to see her, but wandered in out of the rain with my currywurst and really enjoyed it from the back. Decent pop performed with attitude – can't go wrong really. 7/10

Ash – Obviously they deserved a longer set, but it did mean they had a crazy run of hits condensed into the second half which were great for me to finally hear, lots of fun. 8/10

Metallica – Disappointing. Just so similar to their Glastonbury set bar a couple of setlist changes, but without that extra spark that getting to perform on the Pyramid and having to win a crowd over gave them. Same boring stage set up, same big black ball release at the end, but with added pointless solos between songs and a worse crowd! Stuff like One and Master of Puppets were good of course, but overall a let down. Wish I'd gone to Twin Atlantic and The Wombats. 5/10

 

Black Foxxes – Boring. Can't really remember much of them apart from that. 3/10

Jarlath Regan – Excellent stuff. Good crown interaction. 7/10

WitTank – Very silly, quite amateurish, watchable. 6/10

Milton Jones – Exactly as expected. Some decent one-liners in there, of course, and the stuff with the heckles was well done, but didn't really have me in stitches. Just solidly funny. 7/10

Ghostpoet – Need to get into his stuff more, by which time he'll probably be hitting me right in the heart. Really good. 7/10

The Gaslight Anthem – Spent most of this chatting to a couple of guys who asked me to take their picture, but from the background noise I don't think I really missed much. Sound wasn't great, big songs left out – not a good combination. 4/10

Turbowolf – They've definitely got something about them. Make a good noise without just descending into tunelessness. Good frontman. 6/10

Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes – Good to finally see him, and the antics with the circle pits and climbing up the back of the tent were all good fun, but I think he's lost a bit of edge what with the wife and the baby and everything, and so has the music, just missing that sheer viciousness of Gallows. 5/10

The Maccabees – Wasn't expecting too much from them on Main but thought they were really excellent, great setlist (Latchmere!), lots of energy, came over really well. 8/10

Jamie T – Late decision to go to this over the other Jamie, and I'm only a casual fan so the first half was a bit of a struggle with the crowd being absolutely bloody rammed and lots of associated falls and uncomfortableness. The barriers they introduced last year really suck. Fun once I found a bit of space for the big tunes, though. 6/10

Cancer Bats – That's how you bloody do it. Beastly. 8/10

Kendrick Lamar – only saw King Kunta, from the back, but this looked really good.

Frank Turner – Could be my favourite time seeing him, on the 7th occasion (sorry Sleeping Souls). Just a massive singalong. Really lovely. 9/10

Refused – Goddamn they're good. Lost my shit for that Elektra into The Shape Of Punk To Come opening salvo, and obviously New Noise. The silhouetting was simple but really, really effective, especially with those dance moves. Fantastic to finally see them. 9/10

 

TL;DR:
Limp Bizkit, Foals, Slaves, Frank Turner, Refused 

Knife Party, Royal Blood, Metallica, The Gaslight Anthem, first half of Jamie T 

Edited August 31, 2015 by theevilfridge

[sjseabass]

Glad I'm not the only person to think Royal Blood are losing it already

[Chavmeisterdeluxe]

They put out Kanye at Glasto live on both BBC Two and Radio 1 so why would Kendrick be deemed too much for iPlayer?

 

Ah right. They're doing live stuff on Radio 1 at the moment and he's not going to be on that either so obviously refused to be recorded.

[dentalplan]

Glad I'm not the only person to think Royal Blood are losing it already

 

It's just they don't have enough about them for people to see them 4 or 5 times on one album tour and still be entertained, and a lot of people here have seen them a bunch of times. You could imagine that people who have never seen them would still be impressed.

 

I would bet that the same will come for Slaves in a year's time.

[tyranicide]

Yeah, if they go away after the Foos shows for a while and come back with new material next year they can keep the momentum going

[Followill]

My ratings for leeds would be

 

Friday:

 

Lonely The Brave: 6/10 They were okay but can't see them ever growing in popularity, too average.

The Gaslight Anthem: 7/10 Sounded decent from the few songs I saw

The Cribs: 8/10 Lively crowd 

The Maccabees 6/10: Only saw a bit but not really my thing, a bit dull for festivals really

Jamie T: 8/10 Solid set

Kendrick Lamar: 9/10 Felt like a headliner set, seemed like he'd drew a lot of people in for day tickets too

Libertines: 7/10 Great when they were playing the bigger songs, but the setlist was weird it fell really flat in the middle for me. So many idiots in the crowd too 

 

Saturday:

Neck Deep: 6/10 Saw a few songs and although they sounded good I dont think they can pull off mainstage slots

Drenge: 7/10 Decent but not as good as I expected them to be

Palma Violets: 8/10 Heard a few say they seemed smashed at reading but they were on form at Leeds and was good fun

All time low: 8.5/10 Really didn't think I'd enjoy these due to the annoying fangirls but they sounded excellent live and there wasn't too much screaming from teenage girls like there was at T for YMAS last year. The guitarist was a bit cringey with the constant attempts at humour though.

Limp Bizkit: 9/10 Everyone was up for them and the setlist was pretty good but what was with the DJ playing random songs between LB's songs? Killed the atmosphere a bit at times and really unnecessary.

Knife Party:8/10 Great set and visuals from them but some idiots in the crowd, especially the girl who climbed 3/4 of the way up the tent causing KP to stop. She was obviously on something but it was awful to see, the whole tent was watching and she was swinging and dancing just holding on by one hand.

 

Sunday:

 

Babymetal: 9/10 Great fun if you can appreciate it for what it is, was good to see they drawn so many Japanese fans out for the day who were so much more funner in the moshpits/circle pits compared to the usual LF crowds.

Fidlar: 7/10 Second time seeing them this year and would of enjoyed it more if it was in a tent instead of seeing them outdoors again

Marmozets: 8/10 They handle the main stage really well and will be good to see them again once any new material is out

Slaves: 8/10 Tent was absolutely rammed for them and although it started off a little slow it soon picked up and everyone was up for it.

DJ Fresh: 8/10 Good fun 

Pierce The Veil: 9/10 Again expected a really fangirl-filled crowd but I didn't experience that and they sounded heavier than I imagined live, pleasantly surprised.

Royal Blood: 7/10 For anyone seeing them for the first time it was probably a massive set, it was my third time seeing them this year though so I'm pretty burned out by them. The new song although decent wasn't anything better/different than the songs from the album so doesn't give me too much hope for a good follow up album.

BMTH: 9/10 Was really excited to see these and they didn't disappoint, the intro video was brilliant and stage set up also was too, great use of pyro. The use of a backing track/vocals didn't seem as bad as in the footage for Reading but it was still used a little too much but I didn't really notice it as so many people were singing word for word, really think Oli's voice is completely gone now or at least i hope it was that rather than him just not being arsed enough to try sing more. Criminally short set length for a sub though so gonna have to see them on tour. They proved they deserved that slot to me and will/can headline a festival (unless the album somehow bombs).

Lethal Bizzle: 8/10 Cringing at him encouraging the Kolo/Yaya chant (as if it isn't done enough already) but the crowd was bouncing and he's just great fun.

Metallica: 9/10 First time seeing them and wasn't expecting to be too impressed as I just don't really enjoy too much of their stuff on record but they blew me away. The sound was so on point and the screens were brilliant, good pacing in the setlist never felt like it was dipping in energy, just a really impressive act. They clearly drew in a huge amount of people for day tickets as the site was much busier but it was surprisingly easy to wander down near the front. They seemed to want to play more too. Can imagine for some they are really repetitive now but for others they would happily see them multiple times.

 

Sunday was the best day by far, I really hope the sales for Leeds improve and that they don't scrap it but I think they are quite far off that point yet.

[sjseabass]

It's just they don't have enough about them for people to see them 4 or 5 times on one album tour and still be entertained, and a lot of people here have seen them a bunch of times. You could imagine that people who have never seen them would still be impressed.

 

I would bet that the same will come for Slaves in a year's time.

Yeah that's fair I guess, it's impossible for me to judge how it is coming in fresh for them.

 

On Slaves though, Are You Satisfied actually had a surprising amount of range to it, I thought, and that's already a progression from when they were doing Girl Fight and stuff this time last year. The jump from small to big tents has gone well too. Their inevitable main stage slot next year might be a struggle. We'll see.

Edited August 31, 2015 by theevilfridge

[JSmurphy]

Initial post-fest thoughts

 

Neck Deep: Couldn't name you a song apart from Can't Kick Up The Roots but I thought their set was alright, nothing special but a decent way to start the fest.

Drenge: First time seeing them live and I was very impressed. Only issue was that I was standing in the front section of the crowd and as Nothing was played tonnes of people starting launching piles of the wet mud into the crowd which kinda killed the atmos.

Panic! At The Disco: Great fun and really nostalgic. Not a fan of their new stuff but they're one of those bands I never thought I'd see live as I grew up watching their stuff be played on Kerrang. I really enjoyed it. 

My Nu Leng: Saw them because of a friends recommendation and they were really enjoyable. Bit of an odd experience being in the dance tent in the early afternoon and only being mildly drunk. Could make up a decent anti-mdma Talk to Frank ad with some of the horrific gurns I saw. 

alt-J: Sadly only managed to catch the end of their set from the back since I really fucked up my eye and was pretty much incopacitated after My Nu Leng. They sounded great though and their production looked good too, hoping to see them again soon..

Limp Bizkit: Absolutely the act of the festival. Absolute carnage in the tent but it was just so much fun. Would seriously consider a ticket should they tour soon. 

Knife Party: A little disapointed to be honest. Probably one of my most anticipated acts and I could barely hear their set over the fucking stupid crowd chant they was being shouted the entire time. Third time seeing them live and it was by far the least enjoyable.

 

Babymetal: So much fun, convinced a couple of my skeptical mates to join me and they were completely won over by the end of their set.

Twin Peaks: Can't comment too much on their set I've never heard them before and was in the tent merely to try and get as close as possible for..

Foals: An absolute joy. The tent was buzzing and they sounded so tight live. Really hope they headline next year.

Modestep: Opted for Modestep over Slaves on a whim and they were alright. Was too battered from LB / KP to get into any pits but it was still a decent show. 

Royal Blood: Actually kinda surprised by the reaction they've gotten by some on here. I watched from far back with food and I was so so impressed, I feel like they've vastly improved their live show since I first saw them. Had the crowd going mad all the way to the back too. 

Catfish & The Bottlemen: This was a weird one. I was really excited for their set but after ten minutes I had to leave because I was just so so bored. I could barely hear the band at all and only the crowd's singing so it was a bit of a let down.

Metallica: Damn good set. Didn't think we'd get The Day That Never Comes or Battery so I'm really happy they played them. Awesome stage production and sound too.

 

Hippo Campus: Missed their first songs due to time changes on the FR tent but I really enjoyed their set. The small crowd actually was a relief since by this point my legs and back were really starting to pack in.

Jamie xx: A welcome break from the vast majority of the dance music crowds across the weekend with no unnecessarily moshing or chanting. Finally hearing Gosh live was so great.

Jamie T: Managed to catch the last couple of songs after Jamie xx and he looked decent. Never been a fan but he certainly pulled a huge crowd. 

Kendrick Lamar: I was so so impressed. I didn't even expect him to have the whole live band setup but it worked so well. The crowd was pretty crushed at the front but the energy was unreal. 

The Libertines: A rubbish end to the festival. Left after 45 minutes to see a couple of songs from deadmau5 and Refused and they were much much better. I'm a Libs fan so naturally I was pretty gutted. 

[Mouseboy11]

Reading ratings for me

Neck Deep - 6/10 thought they were ok but as has been mentioned I don't think they really worked that great on a big open stage.
Drenge - 6/10 thought the band themselves played really well but the crowd wasn't into it all that much and I found it difficult to get into myself.
Parquet Courts - 8/10 Seemed a small crowd from what I could see from the front barrier however they were lively and the band were in great form. Fun set.
American Football - 7/10 Solid set with some good sing along moments, great to finally see them.
Peace - 7/10 Good performance, watched from outside the tent as it got a bit too close for me in there but the band were solid and I really enjoyed them. Never taken too much notice of them before but will have another look at them I think.
Run The Jewels - 9/10 Great set, loads of energy and El-P and Killer Mike are brilliant frontmen. Huge set and one of my highlights.
Limp Bizkit - 10/10 Dumb fun throughout, totally exceeded my expectations. Think this will go down as one of my favourite sets, they don't take themselves seriously at all but come across as an incredibly tight band at the same time. Boiler was outstanding
Knife Party - 4/10 Shite this, crowd was full of dickheads shouting 'Whoop there it is' over and over. Fucked it off early.

Babymetal - 7/10 Completely absurd but entertaining none the less, did my best to sing along with 'Gimme Chocolate'
FIDLAR - 8/10 Great performance, new stuff went down just as well as the old and felt they came across really well on the main stage. Can't wait to see them again in the winter. 
Foals - 8/10 Short but sweet, expected plenty of energy and noise from these guys and they delivered of course. 'What Went Down' absolutely banged.
Pierce The Veil - 6/10 Only gave them a 6 as I didn't catch much of the set at all but thought they were quite decent. Actually like a couple of their songs and Vic comes across well live, impressive voice. 
Alexisonfire - 8/10 Glad to have the chance to finally see these and they delivered on my expectations, had a good crowd going down the front which was nice. Although not playing Happiness By The Kilowatt was kind of disappointing.
Radkey - 7/10 Didn't know a lot by them beforehand but great energy and a huge noise, seemed genuinely buzzed to be playing too and had a brief chat with the bassist down the front afterwards. Nice guy.
Atreyu - 9/10 Went expecting mainly nostalgia but was seriously impressed by their performance, very tight and Alex was great at working the crowd up and interacting. Really good performance. 
Bring Me The Horizon - 8/10 Thought these were a lot better than I expected them to be on a big open stage, Oli sounded good to me as well having not been impressed by him from footage before. Downside was the crowd got pretty dangerous inside the barrier at points.
Metallica - 9/10 Thought the first half had a strange setlist choice and the crowd felt flat. Second half of the set was a vast improvement though and they absolutely smashed through it. Great set overall.

Against Me! - 7/10 Good performance and really enjoyed them despite not knowing an awful lot. Laura is a really great frontwoman, fantastic energy. 
Turbowolf - 8/10 Another great performance, as energetic as ever and the riffs were coming thick and fast. Expecting big things from these if they keep it up. Definitely catch them if you haven't before
Frank Carter and The Rattlesnakes - 10/10 Amazing energy and a seriously intense performance. Fun antics with the crowd although I do fear for my safety when he's staring at me from the pit. The new album is full of massive tunes too.
Jamie T - 6/10 Crowd a bit flat and the sound didn't seem great too me, unlucky as I do really like Jamie T but think don't think he suited the outdoor setting that much.
Kendrick Lamar - 10/10 Great performance and great crowd interaction, think his music works brilliantly with a live band. Big contrast to Kanye's performance at Glastonbury which let me down quite a bit. Hoping for a proper tour soon as I'd love to see him again.
Frank Turner - 9/10 I love Frank Turner and have never been disappointed by him live so this was par for the course really, seen him a couple of times live now solo and really like the intimacy of it. Song For Josh and Mittens had me a bit emotional.
Refused - 10/10 What a fucking band, there's not much else to say apart from if you haven't seen them yet, do it. What a way to end the weekend. 

Saw loads of great bands over the weekend and enjoyed it overall, did notice quite a lot of dickheads around as I thought I might. Fortunately they didn't spoil the music for me on the most part.

[cragzy]

The highlights of Leeds this year where

against me,gas light anthem, frank Carter and the rattlesnakes, kendrick Lamar, cancer bats, run the jewels, all time low panic at the disco,Bastille,limp bizkit,baby metal,marmozets,alexisonfire,seether,bmth,Metallica,

so yeah I was able to see all these and wow brilliant sets,stage presence

Now the ones who I saw and I thought damn, please get of the stage

The cribs,jamie t,dead mouse,Palma violets,pierce the veil,modestep

Edited August 31, 2015 by cragzy

[DMCJ2]

Only managed to see the Sunday in the end due to illness so bit gutted I missed Foals, Run The Jewels and BMTH but anyway my Reading ratings:

 

Shura - 6/10 Decent enough but most of the songs sounded very similar, possibly the smallest crowd I've seen at the NME stage in the four years I've been but not too surprising given how early it was.

Hippo Campus - 5/10 Only caught a couple of songs hence the rating but seemed better live than on record

Jack Garratt (BBC Introducing set) - 7/10 Very impressed, took a couple of songs for the crowd to get into it and the sound was an issue at the beginning but second half was very impressive. The track 'Weathered' in particular.

The Cribs - 6/10 Started well with the crowd really into it, lost interest though after a few tracks towards the middle and checked out other stages

Mini Mansions - 7/10 Far better than I expected them to be, crowd were really responsive too

The Maccabees - 9/10 Probably the set of the day for me, second time I've seen them at Reading and they've been superb both times, couldn't ask for anymore from setlist. Only wish I had been slightly closer to experience more of the atmosphere.

Jamie T - 7/10 Jamie was great but this set was ruined by the crowd around me, had people barging everyone out the way trying to get to the front (was more toward the middle of the field not near the front at all) and people starting mosh pits during every song

Kendrick Lamar - 9/10 Smashed it. Crowd were great, went as a casual fan not knowing what to expect and left thrilled. Comparing this set to Eminem's in 2013, this wins hands down.

The Libertines - 8/10 Enjoyed them, been waiting a while to see them and thought they delivered. Do feel like others said it lacked the excitement that a headliner should bring. Don't think I've seen a smaller headliner crowd either.

 

Glad I ventured back for the day but doubt I'll be heading back anytime soon due to the crowd it attracts now. Before I had left my tent had been moved and broken (on the Thursday!), too many people intent on starting mosh pits during every act/song, taking selfies, getting high and shouting Alan etc 24/7.

[Red Day]

Had a great day on Saturday and well worth trip from Aberdeen.  Caught a bit of Babymetal, Fidlar decent enough start.  Ho99o9 insane.  Bit of Marmozets the Modestep who I really liked.  Pierce the Veil are trudged American dross.  Baroness were ace.  Royal Blood need to go write some new stuff although they weren't bad.  BMTH decent enough and the 10 mins I saw of Ash was superb.  Finally, the reason I went, Metallica - utterly fabulous .

[MikeEssex85]

Well I had a blinder at Reading on Saturday, had a great run of bands, saw Marmozets, Slaves, Wolf Alice, Royal Blood, Seether, Bring Me The Horizon and finally finished off with the almighty Metallica!  

And to make it the best Metallica gig ever, my mate somehow blagged stage passes so if you watched it on the TV or was at the show, I was one of the lucky bastards standing behind the band whilst they blasted through their greatest hits set for 2 hours, here is a couple of the pictures I took:

[jonodillieono]

There's a special place in hell for c**ts that chant "Leeds u wot u wot" or "woop there it is"

[DaveElNino]

This year was definitely one of my favourites from the times I've been - only thing it was missing was one band that absolutely smashed it. I camped with a great group, encountered very few dicks and spent more time in the arena than I ever have before. 

 

As for the bands (I really enjoy reading everyone else's, so am clearly going to do my own)...

 

Friday

Mariachi El Bronx - 7.5/10 - Went along because the rest of my group were, and found them to be a great way to start the festival. It definitely helped that they had great weather as it wouldn't have been half as good in rain.

Drenge - 7.5 - Only time I've seen them on the new album and it was as good as I was expecting. They didn't seem lost on the main stage but didn't fully own it. With a third album they'll have a solid base from which to put together a set which holds the attention for its duration.

Panic! At The Disco - 8 - I'm glad I'd sought out the newer stuff which they were playing as my friends who'd only really heard Fever... didn't enjoy it. I had a great time though and Bohemian Rhapsody was a ridiculous cover

Smith Street Band / Menzingers - Alternated between the inside of the Lock-Up and sitting outside for these. Both were great and deserved more of my attention, and I'll be looking to see them in smaller venues at some point.

Run The Jewels - 8.5 - Second time I've seen them this year, and despite having an uphill task to compete (it was never going to beat seeing them in Barcelona at 1 in the morning) it came admirably close. Close your Eyes (And Count to Fuck) is still one of those tracks where everything goes off.

Limp Bizkit - 9 - I don't know how Limp Bizkit headlining a stage at Reading is a thing in 2015, but I'm glad that it is. Stupidly fun, and it does scare me that I could pretty much go word for word with every track.

I finished the night off with a mix of Django Django and New Found Glory, but neither of them were ever going to come close to Fred Durst's gang.

 

Saturday

Foals - 9/10 - Short, but almost perfectly formed (I'd swap Two Steps in for Red Sox), and a set that showed they deserve that step up (to subheadlining - not headliners just yet). Definitely going to see them when I can next year, if only to experience What Went Down right in the middle of a crowd.

No Devotion - Sat outside the tent again, felt minimal inclination to go inside.

As It Is - 5 - Standard, inoffensive, pop-punk by numbers. Which was what I was expecting, but I was hoping for more.

DMA's - 5.5 - Standard, inoffensive, indie by numbers. Which was what I was expecting, but I was hoping for more.

Baroness - 7 - Only saw them because of the late running in the lock-up, and they reminded that if I'm going to see something I don't know, then I'll probably enjoy it more if it's metal.

Pvris - 9.5 - Right in the middle of the crowd, this felt like a defining set. The energy inside was matched by the onstage performance which sounded brilliant and completely exceeded all my expectations.

Everything Everything - 8 - Arriving late from The Pit meant that I missed the start, but I got what I wanted (most of the stuff from Get To Heaven which is a clear album of the year contender) although I was a little drained from Pvris so couldn't really get into it.

Bring Me The Horizon - 8 - Standing to the side, out of the main crowd I had a lovely time jumping around to songs I'd not heard. Sound wasn't great so didn't even notice their being a backing track (or maybe that was just my terrible attempts at screaming along).

Metallica - 9 - It's Metallica. The first band I ever saw headline at Leeds. The first gig I ever went to. I was down the front and I got to hear stuff I'd not seen them do before (Turn The Page, King Nothing) along with the greats. It did lack something, but it was still a great cap to one of my favourite days I've had at Reading.

 

Sunday

Black Honey - 7 - There's definitely potential, but the Sunday morning slot meant that it didn't fully come to the fore wth the crowd. Definitely ones I'll be watching though.

Single Mothers - 7 - I was looking forward to them, but the sound seemed very muddy at the front of The Pit, so it lost a little. Like The Menzingers and SSB ones that I really want to check out in a smaller venue.

Against Me! - 9 - Sadly a lot of space near the front of the main stage, though it did leave space for our whole group to dance/jump/sing along to them.

The Gaslight Anthem - XXX - One of my all time favourite bands. When this set hit, it hit hard, but there was a lot that didn't. I'm sad that they're no longer, but I definitely think it was the right time as they seemed to be continuing with diminishing returns. That said the final three brought all of the emotions and I will never forget the jumping/singing with my group to The Backseat.

The Cribs / Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes - These both happened in the background as the pos-tGaslight / Sunday afternoon crash caught up with me. Neither seemed bad.

The Maccabees - 7.5 - Probably deserving of higher, but I was still drained for most of their set. They do seem to have quietly gathered a collection of great songs and I'm definitely looking in to seeing them on their winter tour.

Jamie T - 7 - Fantastic on the Festival Republic last year, and I'm sure it was down the front, but for a main stage show it never really got the whole crowd in to it.

Manchester Orchestra - 8.5 - So much power from the stage, a band who I'm very familiar with yet hadn't planned on seeing due to clashes. They did take all my attention though and I stayed through to the end with Cope being immense.

Kendrick Lamar - 9.5 - Future headliner. Completely. I wasn't expecting much having seen him at Primavera with just a DJ last year, so to see the full band behind him was a joy. It did lull a little in the middle but the ...Butterfly tracks at end were astounding and King Kunta will almost certainly be my favourite song of this year, and it was done justice on that stage.

Frank Turner - 9 - Sing-a-long central. He's back next year (as he said on stage) and if it's anything lower than 3rd main/heading the R1 stage I'll be shocked. There were also a lot of teenaged fans in there, which wasn't something I'd been expecting, but definitely suggests that the support is there for him to go even higher.

Refused - Stood outside the tent for most of it as the weekend had drained me. It sounded pretty good, and I managed to find the energy from somewhere to get right in the middle for New Noise which was exactly as expected, and a great way to close out the festival

 

I'll undoubtedly be back next year for my 10th consecutive Reading as there really is nowhere else I can imagine spending my bank holiday weekend.

Edited August 31, 2015 by DaveElNino

[Andre91]

It's nice to see all the love for Limp Bizkit. There was a lot of people on here having a good laugh at them when they were announced, but I dare anyone who was in that tent seeing them to honestly say that they weren't blown away by their performance. Hands down the best set in the six years I've been going to Leeds. 11/10.

[Nerd_Do_Well]

Only went for the day on Saturday, saw the following:

 

Babymetal - silly fun. Very enjoyable. Once is probably enough. 

 

The One Hundred - poor sound. Sounded a bit enter shikari/nu-metal. Not bad. 

 

Foals - just happened to be by the tent when they came on. Mostly liked what I heard.

 

Slaves - quite one dimensional, but was pretty good fun. Seemed to be very happy to be there which made it more enjoyable. 

 

No Devotion - thought we had missed them but the stage times were messed up. Two or three pretty strong songs, not the finished article but it is fairly diverse sounding. 

 

Alexisonfire - great band and a good set, though crowd was a bit thin for 4th from the top. They looked really up for it and bored at the same time! Maybe the wrong slot for them?

 

Royal Blood - I do really like them but I think they were possibly a bit too high up the bill?. Enjoyed the set but it all felt a bit inflated for what it was.

 

Bring Me The Horizon - absolutely smashed it, surely nailed on headliners for Download next year? Can't believe how good they are now considering what they used to sound like! They are getting the push big time. 

 

Twin Atlantic - only saw about three songs. Their most recent album is a bit of a dud but they still seem to be on form live. 

 

Metallica - have seen/heard mixed reviews. Thought they were absolutely brilliant. Haven't seen them since Download 2012 so was more than happy with the set list. There were a few dropped notes/beats here and there but not enough to take away from the sheer power of it all. 'One' live was just immense, had shivers down my spine. 

[Yellow_Fellow]

I'll undoubtedly be back next year for my 10th consecutive Reading as there really is nowhere else I can imagine spending my bank holiday weekend.

We have the same track record!

[rivalschools.price]

Had a great weekend once again.Main points - -

- Metallica gets band of the weekend for me, awesome stuff.I'm biased though, could watch them every year no problem.(as I go to Reading andDownload every year I probably do, ha ha)

- Great performances from The Bronx, Limp Bizkit, Modestep, Turbowolf,Frank Carter and Refused.

- moshpit for the last three or four songs for Refused were totally insane, how did everyone still have energy on Sunday night?

- tent for Lock-up/pit Is now too small.Either the tent is shrinking, the bands are getting better or simply more Punk/Rock/metal fans turned up this year but nearly every band packed the place out.At least a dozen bands had people outside who couldn't get in and it was ten deep outside the tent for Frank Carter.

- on the subject of tent sizes, Frank Turner and Limp Bizkit had huge numbers outside their tents.Not sure if the organisers misjudged how many people would want to see them.

- why does no-one admit to liking Limp Bizkit? I never saw a Limp Bizkit T-Shirt, everyone says they don't like them and if I asked anybody what they were watching Friday night they would look at the floor and mumble something like 'might pop over and have a look at Limp Bizkit if there's no-one else on'.However, when I went to watch Limp Bizkit the tent was packed, loads were outside unable to get in and every one was going mental! It was the same last time they played main stage about 5 in the afternoon, they pulled a headline sized crowd.

-all in all, a great weekend once again.Im crashed out on the sofa in shreads, aching from head to toe.Roll on next year.

[dentalplan]

I would never say I liked Limp Bizkit at all, but I'd have gone because of it being nostalgia and probably a good laugh. Maybe those people are the same as in they don't continue to listen to their music but could have fun seeing them.