Top Reading & Leeds Headline Sets

[Andre91]

With the amount of time we all have on our hands, I thought it might be fun to think back over the years we have all been to R&L and rank the Main Stage headline sets we’ve seen. 
 

I’m only counting headline sets I saw at least half of. For example, I can’t count MCR in 2011 as I didn’t see enough of them, and in 2017 I didn’t watch any headliner for longer than 10-15 minutes. 
 

I’ve been to Leeds 2010-2019 (2010, 2011 & 2018 were day tickets only) so I’ve seen a fair few headliners. 

Here’s my ranking: 

1. Biffy Clyro (2013)

2. The 1975 (2019) 

3. Paramore (2014) 

4. Metallica (2015) 

5. Foals (2016) 

6. Queens Of The Stone Age (2014) 

7. Blink-182 (2010) 

8. Kasabian (2012) 

9. Foo Fighters (2012) 

10. The Cure (2012) 

11. Biffy Clyro (2016) 

12. Blink-182 (2014) 

13. Fall Out Boy (2018) 

14. The Libertines (2015) 

15. Green Day (2013) 

16. Arctic Monkeys (2014) 

17. Eminem (2013) 

18. Foo Fighters (2019)

19. Red Hot Chili Peppers (2016) 

[JSmurphy]

* Not considering Green Day (2013), Biffy Clyro (2013), Kasabian (2017) as I didn't catch enough of them to really judge. 

1. Queens of the Stone Age (2014)
2. Foals (2016)
3. Metallica (2015)
4. Paramore (2014)
5. Biffy Clyro (2016)
6. Foo Fighters (2019)
7. Panic! At The Disco (2018)
8. Kendrick Lamar (2018)
9. Fall Out Boy (2016)
10. Red Hot Chili Peppers (2016)
11. Disclosure (2016)
12. blink-182 (2014)
13. Eminem (2013)
14. The Libertines (2015)

[lightsnowpatrol]

Can I play but with different festivals I did reading 2012, NOS 15, 16, 18 and Werchter 17 , 19

Kasabian -12

Kings of Leon-17

Linkin park-17

Arcade fire-16/17

Soad-17

The cure-12/19

Arctic monkeys-18

Mumford and sons -15/19

Muse-15/19

Qotsa-18

Prodigy 15

Radiohead-16/17

Foo fighters-12

 

 

 

 

 

[TKOCF]

1) Muse 2017

2) Foals 2016

3) The 1975 2019

4) Foo Fighters 2019

5) Kendrick Lamar 2018

6) Red Hot Chili Peppers 2016

7) Fall Out Boy 2016

8- Fall Out Boy 2018

9) Pablo Honey

10) Kings of Leon 2018

[Pottsy2913]

I've only been to Leeds 2018 and 2019, so don't have a great amount of choice regarding headliners I've seen. Still, they were fun times.

1) Fall Out Boy/Foo Fighters (Leeds Festival 2018/2019) (Genuinely can't decide which one was my favourite out of these two)

2) Panic! At The Disco (Leeds Festival 2018)

3) Twenty One Pilots (Leeds Festival 2019)

4) Post Malone (Leeds Festival 2019)

5) Kings of Leon (Leeds Festival 2018)

Missed Kendrick Lamar in favour of Papa Roach, and missed The 1975 in favour of Bowling For Soup. In terms of headline sets I wished I'd been at, all of the 2014 ones. Still probably the best R+L lineup for me ever.

[mttJ]

1. Biffy Clyro (2013)

2. Foals (2016)

3. The 1975 (2019)

4. blink-182 (2014) 

5. Foo Fighters (2012)

blink was unquestionably pretty shit but they were still my favourite band at my favourite festival so I had a hell of a time.

[DMCJ2]

1. Pulp 2011
2. Green Day 2013
3. The Strokes 2011
4. Kasabian 2012
5. Foo Fighters 2012
6. Libertines 2015
7. Eminem 2013

Only caught a bit of MCR, Muse (2011) , The Cure (2012) and Biffy (2013) so didn't include them.

[Andre91]

3 hours ago, lightsnowpatrol said:

Can I play but with different festivals 

Let’s stick with R&L from now on  you’ve seen some decent headliners elsewhere, though! 

[CG31]

I’ve been since 2015 to Reading, only caught a bit of Post Malone and Kendrick Lamar and only saw about half of Eminem, can’t really remember it but will put it on there

1- Foo Fighters (2019)

2- Twenty One Pilots (2019)

3- Muse (2017)

4- Mumford and Sons (2015)

5- the 1975 (2019)

6- Biffy Clyro (2016)

7 - Foals (2016)

8- Panic at the Disco (2018)

9- Fall Out Boy (2018)

10- Kasabian (2017)

11- Fall Out Boy (2016)

12- Red Hot Chili Peppers (2016)
13- Disclosure (2016)

14- Kings of Leon (2018)

15- Eminem (2017)

16- the Libertines (2015)
 

I didn’t go Metallica day in 2015, and Pendulums 2018 set would probably go in second

[TheWaters]

1. The 1975 (2019)

2. Kendrick Lamar (2018)

3. Foo Fighters (2019)

4. Twenty One Pilots (2019)

5. Eminem (2017)

6. Fall Out Boy (2018)

They’re probably the only ones I saw enough of to judge, however from the few songs I saw each Kasabian were quite quiet and not as good as I’d hoped, Muse seemed quite good and Panic! seemed decent too.

[Dukey]

My top 10 from Leeds 03-19

1 - Green Day 2004

2- Arctic Monkeys 2014

3 - The 1975 2019

4 - Linkin Park 2003

5 - Kasabian 2017

6 - Mumford and Sons 2015

7 - Biffy Clyro 2013

8 - The Killers 2008 

9 - Biffy Clyro 2017 

10 - Muse 2011

 

[Andre91]

Damn, I completely forgot about Twenty One Pilots last year. I’ve never been a fan of them but I thought they shamed the slot. I’d put them at #9 on my list. 

[TheWaters]

56 minutes ago, Andre91 said:

Damn, I completely forgot about Twenty One Pilots last year. I’ve never been a fan of them but I thought they shamed the slot. I’d put them at #9 on my list. 

Having them as 4th on mine makes it look like I thought they were good but in reality I haven’t seen that many main stage headliners and they just weren’t quite as bad as FOB & Eminem lmao

[CG31]

3 hours ago, Andre91 said:

Damn, I completely forgot about Twenty One Pilots last year. I’ve never been a fan of them but I thought they shamed the slot. I’d put them at #9 on my list. 

They were epic, absolutely smashed it. Their stage show is so good as well

[foolee]

This was pretty tough as I’ve seen a fair few so here goes...

1. Rage Against the Machine (2008)

2. Muse (2006)

3. Muse (2011)

4. Eminem (2013)

5. Arcade Fire (2010)

6. The Killers (2008)

7. Metallica (2008)

8. Biffy Clyro (2013)

9. My Chemical Romance (2011)

10. The Smashing Pumpkins (2007)

11. Green Day (2013)

12. Blink-182 (2010)

13. Foo Fighters (2019)

14. Foo Fighters (2012)

15. Razorlight (2007)

16. The Strokes (2011)

17. Blink-182 (2014)

18. Arctic Monkeys (2014)

19. Kings of Leon (2009)

20. Red Hot Chili Peppers (2007)

21. The Libertines (2015)

22. Arctic Monkeys (2009)

23. Guns N Roses (2010)

[Chinaski_]

1. Arcade Fire 2010 - this is still the greatest live set I've ever seen! Watched it back on Youtube the other day, and still get goosebumps. Neighbourhood #1 (Tunnels) may be the best song I've seen performed live. 

2. Smashing Pumpkins 2007 - haven't been as excited for a headline set, as them. It wasn't perfect, but it was the first time I saw them and I had waited years for the opportunity. 

3. The Cure 2012 - good setlist and a good band to see live and take in the moment. 

4. Radiohead 2009 - not a massive fan of theirs, but I still enjoyed it and they were the perfect festival closer. 

5. G N' R 2010 - they weren't as bad as they were made out to be. Axl was a mess, but the band were tight. It's not often you see a band with a back catalogue as good as that at a festival. 

6. MCR 2011 - don't like them, but there wasn't anything else I was interested in seeing that night. They were a lot better than I thought they'd be, Brian May coming out for the encore was the highlight. 

7. Blink 182 2010 - 40 year old men making fart jokes, but the atmosphere was amazing, which at least made it somewhat good. Several levels below Arcade Fire the previous night though. 

8. RHCP 2007 - left half way through, as I don't like them that much, but it was just dull. 

9. Arctic Monkeys 2009 - boring zzzzzzzzzz.

10. Kings of Leon 2009 - dreadful, left to go and see Billy Talent in the Lock Up, so missed their little rant at the end. 

Edited April 25, 2020 by Chinaski_

[gary1979666]

Hmm, got to go back quite a way to find the headline sets I actually saw - last few years of Leeds, I must have been lurking round the other stages....you'll see from my sig that I've been a few times, but the below is the complete list of headliners in order.  Don't count the Pumpkins who I walked away from after 10min.

Metallica - 03

Linkin Park - 03

Iron Maiden - 05

Metallica - 08

GnR - 02

Pixies - 05

Oasis - 00

RHCP - 99

Darkness - 04

[gfa]

Might as well join in on here - i left it originally as i'd only done one festival I think!

---

Fall Out Boy 5/10 - middle of the road, nothing wrong with it just not a huge fan honestly.

Kendrick Lamar 8/10 - pretty impressive just very short

Catfish and the Bottlemen 7/10 - huge fan of them but the constant stopping between songs was a pain, definitely enjoyed it though!

Disclosure 10/10 - one big party, everyone in our group loved it. Highlight must have to be Tondo!

Liam Gallagher 9/10 - he's old and only part of Oasis but he still knows how to put on a good show, great end to the weekend for me.

[Benj]

Been to 25 readings so been exposed to 75ish headliners, 10 memorable ones (for being good) below in no particular order

Wolf Alice 2018 (tent)

1975 2019

Blink 2010

Blur 99

Blur 03

Foo Fighters 02

biffy 2013

bloc party 2005 (tent)

SFA 98 (Tent)

Mansun 99 (tent)

 

 

 

 

[Andre91]

Adding BMTH to this conversation now. 

[TKOCF]

On 4/23/2020 at 10:32 AM, Andre91 said:

With the amount of time we all have on our hands, I thought it might be fun to think back over the years we have all been to R&L and rank the Main Stage headline sets we’ve seen. 
 

I’m only counting headline sets I saw at least half of. For example, I can’t count MCR in 2011 as I didn’t see enough of them, and in 2017 I didn’t watch any headliner for longer than 10-15 minutes. 
 

I’ve been to Leeds 2010-2019 (2010, 2011 & 2018 were day tickets only) so I’ve seen a fair few headliners. 

Here’s my ranking: 

1. Biffy Clyro (2013)

2. The 1975 (2019) 

3. Paramore (2014) 

4. Metallica (2015) 

5. Foals (2016) 

6. Queens Of The Stone Age (2014) 

7. Blink-182 (2010) 

8. Kasabian (2012) 

9. Foo Fighters (2012) 

10. The Cure (2012) 

11. Biffy Clyro (2016) 

12. Blink-182 (2014) 

13. Fall Out Boy (2018) 

14. The Libertines (2015) 

15. Green Day (2013) 

16. Arctic Monkeys (2014) 

17. Eminem (2013) 

18. Foo Fighters (2019)

19. Red Hot Chili Peppers (2016) 

From best to worst:

1) Foals (2016)

2) Muse (2017)

3) Kendrick Lamar (2018)

4) The 1975 (2019)

5) Foo Fighters (2019)

6) Kasabian (2017)

7) Red Hot Chili Peppers (2016)

😎 Disclosure (2016)

[Andre91]

51 minutes ago, TKOCF said:

From best to worst:

1) Foals (2016)

2) Muse (2017)

3) Kendrick Lamar (2018)

4) The 1975 (2019)

5) Foo Fighters (2019)

6) Kasabian (2017)

7) Red Hot Chili Peppers (2016)

😎 Disclosure (2016)

Foals were stunning (even in the monsoon at Leeds). 

[TKOCF]

13 minutes ago, Andre91 said:

Foals were stunning (even in the monsoon at Leeds). 

Shocking that they haven’t been back since. Get them topping the MSW Melvin.  Would love it if they turned up on the FR this year.

Edited April 21, 2022 by TKOCF

[andyrhodes24]

Only been going since 2014, shamefully skipped 2015 and only did the Kasabian day in 2017, but there’s been plenty of quality and plenty of shite sets in that time:

Top five:

1. Liam Gallagher (2021)

2. Foo Fighters (2019)

3. Twenty One Pilots (2019)

4. TDCC (tent - 2016)

5. The 1975 (2019)

Worst:

Catfish and the Bottlemen (2021) - one of my favourite bands ever but if that’s their last ever gig it was shocking, they didn’t want to there.

RHCP (2016) - expectation was far greater than the reality, left to go see TDCC above

KoL (2017) - see above (I know, I was wrong to expect something)

[pryce]

1) Rage against the machine 2008

2) Smashing Pumpkins 2007

3) Metallica 2008

4) Killers 2008 - helped by the incredible run of Foals/Justice/BFMV in the radio 1 tent

 

5) Razorlight 2007

 

 

6) RHCP 2007 ...by a looooong way last, so went to see Hot Hot Heat half way through who were much better 

 

but the subs in 2007 were also better than each of their headliners