Leeds/Reading Festivals

[vickyp]

Go on then, make me jealous. How good was Leeds/Reading?
Who won, who sucked, who stumbled across something they'd never heard of before that turned out to be a top tip? I want details people!

[Tiggie]

It was awesome. Took me 45 minutes under a power shower to get the piss out my hair! I took a bit of a bottling during Rage. QOTSA were good as ever, I turned into a complete squeeing screaming fangirl for the manics and nearly lost my voice. Tenacious D were hilarious.
Best new thing was a band called wild beasts (I think, I have no idea what time it was). Just heard them as we were walking past the tent, stuck our heads in and stood there going "Shiiiiit, this is gooooood".

[Col]

Taped Manics from TV coverage, got it to watch.

I see The Music were performing, where did they disappear to for 5 years (or so)???

[Damian]

Go on then, make me jealous. How good was Leeds/Reading?

I hate to tell you this as you weren't there, but Eureka Machines are outstanding. Especially the bit where Chris did a solo sat on the front of the stage, continuing it while executing a backwards roll into the stood up position without missing a beat. Other than that...

Great stuff: Biffy Clyro, Blood Red Shoes, Does It Offend You, Yeah?, Late of the Pier, We Are Scientists, Manic Street Preachers, Justice, Metallica, The Cribs (of whom I caught the last four songs after Metallica finished), Feeder

Good stuff: The Duke Spirit, Pete and the Pirates, Editors, Johnny Foreigner

Disappointing stuff: Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip (gutted - the sound was muffled and it's all about the words with them), British Sea Power (rubbish live), Tenacious D (not really that funny and a lot of idiots in the crowd)

[Ean]

Meh!

Not really. It was great! Almost the moment we arrived, the weather changed from mostly pissy forecast to cloudy sunshine. Oh, you went to Leeds?? Shame *sniggers*

*Tries to remember who he saw*

Friday

Anti Flag (Ok, but no great shakes)
Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly
Blood Red Shoes
Be Your Own Pet (Badgered into going by my mate 'cos it's one of their last few shows - revelled a little bit too much in telling him they were a bit shite. They didn't seem to care much that they were there and spent half the gig giggling about how drunk they were.)
The Duke Spirit
Biffy Clyro
Ida Maria (Didn't realise 'til the last song that she's got that song out that I believe the Banana Splits would like a word about...)
Friendly Fires
MGMT (Some of 'cos of...)
Mitch Benn (Funny although a few guitar problems)
QOTSA
Rage (Bloody Marvellous)

Saturday

Bombay Bicycle Club
The Automatic
The Gaslight Anthem (Fantastic)
The Subways (Ridiculously good)
The Tings Tings (Just a compete party)
Seasick Steve (Soo good)
The Raconteurs
Hungry Ghosts (Good songs, need to figure out what their image is though)
Alkaline Trio **
Manics (Never been a big fan, but wow they were good!)

Sunday

Eureka Machines (Some bunch of chancers. Doubt we'll hear much from them again.
Bit of a break to ditch the tent in the car, then pretty much camped out at the main stage for the rest of the day, mainly due to the fact that so many bands bailed that if you didn't you had no chance of knowing when anybody was on. So saw...
Dropkick Murphys
Mindless Self Indulgence (Who the hell thought that bumping this lot up the order to fill space was a good idea?! Bloody awful)
Feeder
Tenacious D (Funny as fuck, especially seeing the metalhead next to me get progressively more frustrated that they weren't Metallica)
'Tallica (What can you say? Just brilliant)

**I hadn't planned on seeing these guys, but it suddenly got reeally fucking cold on Saturday night and they were A)in a tent, and B) just about to start. I'm glad I did. Absolutely bloody loved them and along with Gaslight Anthem are probably my bands of the weekend.

[spoon_of_grimbo]

i'm gutted i missed this. if i'd know half of the later-announced bands were playing when tickets first went on sale, i'd have been there in a shot!

my brother went and spent most of the weekend in the dance tent. which is pretty much akin to going to a theme park and riding the teacups all day...

[colzo666]

What were MGMT like?
My cousin was meant to phone me during their set and forgot

[Damian]

my brother went and spent most of the weekend in the dance tent. which is pretty much akin to going to a theme park and riding the teacups all day...

The dance tent only ran for one day (Friday Leeds, Sunday Reading) and featured (amongst others) CSS, Digitalism and Simian Mobile Disco. Sounded absolutely ace and if I hadn't been watching Metallica I'd have seen far more of it...

[Tiggie]

How did I forget Frank Turner, he was brilliant, as ever. And Seasick Steve, even if he does look like me dad.

Worst bit of the weekend was the toilets, not so much the actual toilets themselves but the ques full of girls in ballet shoes getting in the way and staring at them going "uhhh, they're dirty". Well done, you're at a festival. Go in backwards, drop your pink frilly knickers, squat and run. Don't get in my way when I can hear Serj on stage. Damnit. Rant over.

Just wish I'd actually looked at the time on Sunday rather than waking up at stupid am and hanging out at the tent, then realising it was half one and I'd missed Eureka Machines. Need a watch next year!

[Ean]

Anyone who's somehow not skint after this one, The presale for next year is on:-

clicky

[WildCat]

good to hear the subways were good, i want to go see them in october. what did you think of friendly fires? i've been invited to see them in october but not heard much from them.

[Ean]

They were Ok bordering on good. I only saw a few of their songs between Ida Marie finishing and leaving to catch the start of MGMT. They use a lot of synth and triggered stuff along with the other instruments and some of it didn't sound like it came off right. Have to say though, I don't remember their live sound being much like their Myspaz tracks... They're worryingly new-romantic in places.

[WildCat]

oh dear, that's not really sold it for me...

[Ean]

If you've been invited and it's not going to cost you, then I'd go.

Just 'cos it's not really my bag, (and admittedly half a gig isn't much to make a judgement on - especially as it was a festy set) doesn't mean you won't like it.

[WildCat]

i have been invited but it will cost me (i don't think much though). i'll reserve judgement and get the album i think.