R&L Gig Review

[huntyyy]

you're cruisin' for a bruisin', they're awesome at their instruments

[justanothername]

I forgot we had this page, might as well add to it

Crossfaith - Saw them last year at the Rock stage and it was awesome, everything about was so great and it should be brilliant on the main stage. My mates never heard of them and just went to it and they loved it! If you are at least interested in seeing these guys do it! 9.0/10

Papa Roach - Seen them twice, was time it was alright and the other time was boring. I'm going to rate it based on the second time as it was at the main stage at Download. I've grown out of their music and they're not that good live so there is no real reason for me to go and see them again. 4.5/10

Every Time I Die - It was just awesome. Nuff said. Probably going to be clashing with Macklemore, so you'd have no excuse not to go really 9.1/10

[Ipayne]

QOTSA - Saw them at Download last year and personally were my favourite band of the weekend. Blew Maiden away who were on afterwards who I had pretty high expectations of to be honest. 9/10

Arctic Monkeys - Saw them in Manchester on the AM tour, was extremely excited for it but came away feeling a bit disappointed. The new songs came across great live and had quite a bit of energy to them but the old songs just came across half arsed, the tempo being slowed down quite a lot and the band just looking generally bored. Brianstorm at 20bpm slower than usual isn't the best experience 6/10

Pulled Apart By Horses - Leeds 2012 they were the perfect weekend opener, giving lots of energy and getting the crowd pumped for the rest of the day. Also having some great, catchy tunes that can be sung/screamed/shouted along to! If you ever get the chance to see them go! Seeing them tonight, will add more thoughts to this later... 9/10

Architects - Seen them twice at Download and Sonisphere. I have quite an open mind with all sorts of Genre's and like quite alot of metal/hardcore bands but I really cannot latch on to these at all. Good energy on stage but the singer never seemed to shut up either time, got quite irritating after a while and the song didn't do much for me either. Thought I'd give them another try at DL but came away feeling the same as before. If you're into stuff like Architects they're definitely worth a try though. 3/10

Drenge - Saw them supporting Miles Kane and they were great, it was before I'd even heard of them and just before all the hype surrounding them came about so didn't really know what to expect. Put on a really good performance, songs came across heavy as fuck live at times which I loved, the singer pulled some weird faces at times with his eyes rolling into the back of his head while coming away from the microphone, rather creepy at times hahaha. Definitely recommend them to anyonr considering it! 8/10

[giantwagon]

Yeah I'd forgotten about this thread too. Here's a few more from me-

Queens Of The Stone Age - Excellent at Wembley Arena last year. Not much to say about them other than you'd be silly to miss them. 9/10.

Jimmy Eat World - Saw them at KOKO and the Roundhouse last year, both were good fun but nothing too special. 7/10.

Peace - Saw them at Reading and Shepherd's Bush last year. Very good but I'm not sure if it'll work on the main stage. 7.5/10.

Temples - Were really boring at Brixton, won't bother seeing them again. 4/10.

Twin Atlantic - Not great at Reading last year. 5/10.

Cage The Elephant - Brilliant energy and crowd interaction supporting Foals at Ally Pally. One of the best support sets I've seen. Go and see them. 8/10.

The 1975 - Really good. The obvious problem of there being loads of phones held up and 12 year old girls in the crowd was a bit annoying, but if you try and block that out, they're excellent live. 8.5/10.

Clean Bandit - Saw them support Alt-J a while ago and had no idea who they were. They were OK. 7/10.

Marika Hackman - Supported The 1975. Fucking hell she was boring. 2/10.

Circa Waves - Were good fun on the NME tour. Nothing ground-breaking about them but I'd see them again for sure. 7/10.

Band of Skulls - Another 'not bad' support act, this time for QOTSA at Wembley. Worked surprisingly well in an arena so I'm looking forward to seeing them on a smaller stage. 6.5/10.

[rawaudioinput]

Vampire Weekend (Rock Werchter 2013) - Very energetic, executed perfectly. Even if you aren't much of a fan I'd recommend that you go because you're guaranteed a good time. 8/10

Enter Shikari (Electric Ballroom 2011, Kingston Hippodrome 2012, Reading 2012, Roundhouse 2012) - High energy and a lot of fun. The preachyness can be a bit annoying at times but once you get past that you're more than likely to have a laugh. 7.5/10

Hacktivist (Reading 2013) - Not as good as their reputation suggests. Was entertaining for about a minute but got terribly samey at an alarming rate. I think their sound will get lost on the main stage too. If you're in to them, go ahead; if not, don't bother. 4/10

Arctic Monkeys (Glastonbury 2013) - Really enjoyed them at Glasto but that was before Alex Turner became a full-time knobber; avoid on principle. Twat/10

The Hives (Rock Werchter 2013, Glastonbury 2013) - One of the best live bands you will ever see; the strength of their performance and charm is matched by very, very few. 9/10

Peace (Portsmouth Pyramids Centre 2013) - Not bad; Follow Baby was good. The lead singer came across as a bit of an arse when he introduced the band by saying "We're Peace, from Planet Earth" but if I'm honest I'd be ashamed if I came from near Birmingham too. 6/10

Pulled Apart by Horses (Reading 2011, Rough Trade East 2012, Electric Ballroom 2012, Reading 2012) - As riveting live as their music would make you expect, and then some. Huge riffage, playful violence, great. 9/10

Blink-182 (O2 Arena 2012) - Contrary to a lot of other people's opinions on here, I really enjoyed Blink-182 when I saw them. Great singalongs, performed really well; thought it was great. However, I have seen footage of them at Reading 2010, and I can understand the hate; however it seems since then they really have cleaned up their act. 8/10

Mallory Knox (G Live 2013 [supporting Biffy Clyro]) - Utter, utter, utter, utter, utter, utter, utter shite. Would rather sit in a doctor's waiting room for 50 minutes than see their set again. It makes you wonder what's more ludicrous; how these Funeral for a Friend copycats are doing well or why the fuck anyone would want to copy Funeral for a Friend. Aim higher. Become plumbers or something. 1/10

Drenge (Portsmouth Pyramids Centre 2013 [supporting Peace]) - Pretty good; didn't blow me away though. Still, definitely worth a watch. 7/10

Bombay Bicycle Club (Hyde Park 2013) - A bit boring but I'm not too much of a fan anyway; probably would be good if you were in to them. 5.5/10

CHVRCHES (Reading 2013, The Forum 2014) - Great singalongs and atmospherics; definitely helps to know the songs well but also worth a go if not 7.5/10

Royal Blood (Lennons 2013, The Cellar 2014, The Face Bar 2014) - Brilliant; great energy and really good songs. I cannot stress enough how much you should see these. 9.5/10

The 1975 (Emirates Stadium 2013 [supporting Muse], Glastonbury 2013, Concorde 2 2013) - Surprisingly good live; looked pretty lost at Muse but since then they've developed a confidence which has allowed them to really connect with the audience. I'll concede, the music isn't incredible, but their live show really is worthwhile. 8/10

The Horrors (Reading 2012) - Really great live from my experience; songs perfectly performed, atmosphere perfectly set. 8/10

Netsky (Rock Werchter 2013, Bournemouth International Centre 2013 [supporting Chase & Status]) - Really enjoyable, doesn't get too repetitive, MC is really fun; if you see them you won't be disappointed. 7.5/10

Klaxons (Oslo 2014) - Energetic and musically tight; the new songs are great too. 8/10

Gogol Bordello (Rock Werchter 2013) - Fun but not much more; still good though. 7.5/10

Mongol Horde (Reading 2012) - Same as Gogol. 7/10

Baby Godzilla (The Cellar 2013, The Hobbit 2013, The Cellar 2014) - Probably the most energetic live band on the planet; every one of their shows is filled with singalongs, destruction and the band taking full advantage of their wireless mics by exploring the venue mid-gig. Seeing them is an experience; just make sure you don't get hit by a guitar. 9.5/10

Eagulls (Southampton Guildhall 2014 [supporting Franz Ferdinand]) - Were disappointing; opened with Nerve Damage and then proceeded to play half a dozen songs that sounded exactly like Nerve Damage. Might be okay in a smaller setting though. 5/10

letlive. (Electric Ballroom 2011 [supporting Enter Shikari], Brixton Academy 2013 [supporting Deftones], Talking Heads 2013) - Really get a crowd going; Jason Butler is charming yet also a fucking nutcase. Very fun. 8.5/10

Slaves (The Borderline 2012 [supporting The Minutes], The Command House 2012, The Old Blue Last 2014) - Loud and intense but served with a dry sense of humour; they are an absolutely fantastic live act. 9/10

The Flatliners (Reading 2012) - I almost forgot that I saw these guys. That explains enough. 4/10

The Front Bottoms (Southampton Guildhall 2014 [supporting Brand New]) - Surprisingly good; had a bit of the Violent Femmes about them. Really enjoyable, melodic, folk-tinged punk. Worth a watch. 8/10

Palma Violets (Glastonbury 2013, Reading 2013) - Don't really like their music and was very apprehensive at seeing them live, but they in fact really, really surprised me. Lots of energy and lots of passion in their performance which really made me change my mind about them. Definitely worth a go. However, their crowd is still a bunch of 17-year old children, which can be tiresome. Their attempts at moshpits are adorable though. 8/10

Pusha T (Bournemouth International Centre 2013 [supporting Chase & Status]) - Not bad actually. Got the crowd going, was pretty fun. If you were really in to him I could see it being great. 7/10

Catfish and the Bottlemen (Southampton University 2013) - Boring indie rock played by boring indie kids looking bored. 4.5/10

Darlia (Vibe Bar 2014 [supporting The Orwells]) - Slightly better than average, but only slightly. Basically a pub band that have managed to write one half-decent song; but they don't perform that song badly so I suppose that's alright. 6/10

The Orwells (Vibe Bar 2014) - Really fun, ramshackle garage rock. Lots of audience interaction; there didn't feel like much distance between the band and the crowd at all. And according to my mate I caught them on an off day; so I'm pretty sure an on day would be rather excellent. 8/10

Edited May 4, 2014 by rawaudioinput

[the wonderwhy]

Have you not got Uni work to be doing?

Edited May 4, 2014 by MattDavies__

[rawaudioinput]

Have you not got Uni work to be doing?

[justanothername]

Mallory Knox (G Live 2013 [supporting Biffy Clyro]) - Utter, utter, utter, utter, utter, utter, utter shite. Would rather sit in a doctor's waiting room for 50 minutes than see their set again. It makes you wonder what's more ludicrous; how these Funeral for a Friend copycats are doing well or why the fuck anyone would want to copy Funeral for a Friend. Aim higher. Become plumbers or something. 1/10

Edited May 4, 2014 by justanothername

[The Placid Casual]

Twat/10

[Gucci Piggy]

1. Why has rawaudioinput seen the entire lineup live?

2. Why were you at Netsky whilst The Bloody Beetroots were on?!

3. I wasn't so impressed with Vampire Weekend at Werchter, although that was mostly down to the sound being rubbish. May have been where I was stood. Left early to see Biffy, obviously.

[dip]

I was going to do this but I'll be here all night. Just go see Slaves, Pup and Gnarwolves. k?

[rawaudioinput]

2. Why were you at Netsky whilst The Bloody Beetroots were on?!

[Gucci Piggy]

Two of my friends at Biffy's set had their wallets stolen, so I sort of had an aversion to tent acts after that

[Yellow_Fellow]

Ooooh I'll add more from the updates.

Pulled Apart By Horses are fucking ACE I'm so glad they're returning (it's not like they're hard to see anyway). I've seen their new tracks live and they're really good too - real QotSA inspiration can be heard! You're probably gonna see them, and bring all your friends. That's actually all the Main Stage additions I've seen.

The Horrors used to be so SO fucking good live but as of recent they've started taking the MBV comparison they're so packed with to heart and just going on boring shoegaze odysseys. I know, boring odysseys and shoegaze. Who woulda thought? (I love it really but it doesn't work live)

BABY GODZILLA. BABY GODZILLA. BABY GODZILLA. Go see them somewhere that ISN'T Reading. They're not gonna be able to do the full show in the Lock Up and that'll fucking spoil it. But if you're a fan, go support them. They deserve it. The Front Bottoms are good if you wanna reconcile the fact that neither Weezer nor Brand New are here this year. Would be really good if you're boozed up with mates. The Skints are great why haven't you heard them? Ska music is fun live and they're good at doing it. Look out for a Katy B cover if you're lucky.

Band of Skulls played in 2012 and supported Kasabian and for good reason they're REALLY good live. I've not heard their new one so I'll reserve judgement but if you want some good blues/alt jams GO SEE THESE and fuck Arctic Monkeys anyway, right?

[kemosabe]

I was going to do this but I'll be here all night. Just go see Slaves, Pup and Gnarwolves. k?

[dip]

Hacktivist. You’ll listen to them, you’ll feel angry, you’ll feel part of the resistance and you’ll want to go away and set fire to the first person you see in a suit. This will last for about 12 minutes, or until you see a pretty girl. (or boy.) It’s loud and it’s clever enough to seem exciting without being too wrapped up in it’s own ego. If you surround yourself with people excited to see them, it could be fun. Otherwise, they won’t translate well on the mainstage.

Blood Red Shoes. Wow, there’s only two people in this band yet they sound really, y’know, loud. Apart from the fact that bloke from Drenge will join them for a song, but don’t let that ruin the tag line. Their new, self titled album is dark and brooding and they’ve finally realized they’re never going to be the biggest band in the world. That doesn’t mean they won’t play like they might. Confidence and experience will see them handle their terrible spot really well.

Jimmy Eat World. If you have a soul, you’ll see Jimmy Eat World. If you don’t, go watch to Temples.

Paramore. There was a time when Paramore were on the cusp of being megastars. They started believing their own hype and put in one of the worst performances ever (Reading ’10.) People quit and the remaining members remembered that it’s ok to like music. Brilliant in ’12, Brilliant at Wembley Arena. The self-titled album is still the best thing released last year and the band will make you feel responsible for their set feeling very special.

Queens of the Stone Age. Sometimes they’re great, sometimes they’re not. Life, eh? They stopped being exciting a few years ago and now seem to exist so anyone who plays grungy, desert rock can have an influence that isn’t Nirvana. That doesn’t stop them being really rather ok and delivering a set of equal ok-ness. It won’t change your life, but Josh Homme might call someone a dick.

Twin Atlantic. Choked on the mainstage last year, so will be desperate to recreate some of the magic they had in the NME tent in 2012. If the crowd is on their side, it’ll feel like the start of something special, again. If not, it’ll feel tired. Do you feel lucky?

Mallory Knox. At best, Mallory Knox will feel contrived. At worst, they’ll phone it in. Mallory Knox are a band that simply exist. Sure, some of their songs are nice. They’ll tell you how much it means to them that you’ve come to see them play. Maybe they’ll tell you it’s a dream come true. Don’t believe them. Such soulless, empty bastards don’t have dreams. Don’t give them the satisfaction.

AlunaGeorge. That one song is good. The rest of the time you’ll be waiting for that song. Or tricking yourself into thinking their other songs are half as good. There’s probably better things to do with your time.

Gnarwolves. It doesn’t matter where they play, or to who, Gnarwolves are fantastic. They’ll see the mainstage, with all the barriers and rules, as a playground. It’ll be carnage, it’ll be fun and it’ll be one of the best things you’ll ever see at Reading. Also, their fans love them. Really fucking love them. So learn the words and feel part of something incredible.

Pulled Apart By Horses. See them this year. Watch them headline the festival in five or so years. Pulled Apart By Horses are phenomenal live. Constantly growing as a band, the old stuff sounds more ferocious than ever and the new songs will make Artic Monkeys and QOTSA seem like whiny children in a sandpit.

The Hives. They say they’re the best band in the world. Watch them live and you’ll agree.

Don Broco. 90% of the crowd will be made up of every single person you hate. The posers, the jocks, the scene kids. I’d be surprised if you can even get into the NME tent as the girls Instagram every moment of their turgid set while the boys try desperately to prove themselves by being a bigger dick than the person tho their right. More attention will be paid to cameras and haircuts than to the band. Maybe that’s for the best, anyway.

Royal Blood. Oh, look it’s that band that everyone’s heard about. Oh, they actually have some songs? I thought they were a pseudo-band. All branding and buzz, no trousers. Oh. They’re actually incredible. They don’t fuck about, they don’t give a shit if it’s just you listening, they’ll play like they want to destroy the world. And hey, that sounds alright to me.

Pup. A proper, genuine, brilliant punk rock band. If you want to escape the yellow and red sea of corporations or just want to be reminded why you love music, go see Pup.

Slaves. The drummer stands up and sings. The guitarist plays drums and makes fun of the drummer. It’s stand-up music that makes you stand up. But, it’s not a joke. The metaphor is getting a bit confused, because Slaves are, unfortunately, one of the those bands you have to see live. Life will make sense after you do. Promise.

Blink 182. It’s easy. Did you grow up on Blink 182 or did you always feel slightly above all the dick jokes? The answer to that question is also the answer to “should I go see Blink 182 at Reading festival?”

You Me At Six. They’re all shiny nowadays. Like an edgy Coldplay. If you like choruses designed for those panning crowd shots, you’ll love the 2014 incarnation of You Me At Six. You could do worse, and their distinctly average musical styling makes the good stuff seem even better. Consider them a musical palate cleanser.

Tonight Alive. It’s pop-punk with a heavier slant. They’ve toured non-stop and their frontwoman has grown into a fantastic focal point. Her voice is one of the best things you’ll hear and she has the talent behind her to make Tonight Alive an interesting and layered listening experience. On a day of pop-punk, expect them to stand above the rest.

Gogol Bordello. It’ll be messy, chaotic, unpredictable and brilliant. They’re the epitome of a festival band. You won’t choose to put a Gogol Bordello album on but live, they’ll be up their with the best.

Mongol Horde. Frank Turner doing something other than being Frank Turner. It’s not hardcore, but it is shouty and aggressive. Their set in 2012 was marred by the fact that everyone, including the band, had no idea what to expect, or what was going to happen. We’re all on the same page now though, right?

Band Of Skulls. Nice music from a nice band. If you see Band Of Skulls it will be nice. You will have a nice time. You’ll see some other nice people. In the days, weeks, months following the festival, as your anecdotes and recommendations dry up, you’ll say that you once saw Band Of Skulls. It was nice.

This is maybe riddled with errors. If you find them, consider yourself the real winner here.

Edited May 4, 2014 by dip

[Yellow_Fellow]

If anyone on this forum sees Hacktivist I will put in a freedom of information request, get your address, and lecture you on why the Niggas in Paris cover is fucking dogshit

You don't want that

[dip]

If anyone on this forum sees Hacktivist I will put in a freedom of information request, get your address, and lecture you on why the Niggas in Paris cover is fucking dogshit

You don't want that

[Yellow_Fellow]

It was a call to the future, as long as you learn from your mistakes and avoid them this year we're cool

[Mash011]

You Me At Six. They’re all shiny nowadays. Like an edgy Coldplay. If you like choruses designed for those panning crowd shots, you’ll love the 2014 incarnation of You Me At Six. You could do worse, and their distinctly average musical styling makes the good stuff seem even better. Consider them a musical palate cleanser.

[Babyquack]

Band Of Skulls. Nice music from a nice band. If you see Band Of Skulls it will be nice. You will have a nice time. You’ll see some other nice people. In the days, weeks, months following the festival, as your anecdotes and recommendations dry up, you’ll say that you once saw Band Of Skulls. It was nice.

[dentalplan]

Strictly is leaking.

[giantwagon]

Strictly is leaking.

[Gucci Piggy]

What

Edited May 4, 2014 by Will-2609

[giantwagon]

Fucking hell man