So it was Reading Fest last weekend and I took the opportunity to check out some of the awesome live acts that took part. Here's what I saw:
Friday
Two Door Cinema Club, Beardyman, Biffy Clyro, Mumford and Sons, Phoenix, LCD Soundsystem
Saturday
Hadouken!, Darwin Deez, Crystal Castles, Arcade Fire
Sunday
Goldheart Assembly, Thrice, Holy Fuck, You Me at Six, Kele, Foals, Paramore, Blink 182
Two Door Cinema Club were an incredible start to the festival, their joyful indie-pop melodies creating an electrifyingly enthusiastic atmosphere in the packed NME tent. Trimble hit every note and they showed they could effortlessly bring Tourist History's euphoric sound to the live stage.
After this, I was persuaded by a few friends to see Beardyman in the Alternative Tent - my mind was blown. UK champion beatboxer in 2006 and '07, he uses his voice and Korg loop pedals to create an incredibly varied and unique dance experience. Distinguishing a standard dance track from Foreman's live solo productions is near impossible.
My highlight of Friday, however, was the hook-laden show of French alt rock band Phoenix. They flawlessly reproduced classics 1901 and Lisztomania, but the true masterclass came in the form of Love like a Sunset - an almost entirely instrumental epic where the slow build in tension was perfectly crafted. The band used each progression of the piece as an entirely different song, creating the kind of synergy and cohesion rarely found in live shows. All this polish was topped off by the best lighting show I saw all weekend - credit to the guys working backstage at in the NME tent for a stunning job.
Saturday was my least favourite of the days, however there were still some stellar acts on show. Hadouken! and Crystal Castles showed their credentials with some solid dance tracks. Hadouken! let rip with their barking rap and sinister beats, whilst the Castles' trippy gameboy-dance was vocalised in frenzy by the always ferocious, always energetic Alice Glass.
Darwin Deez were the pinnacle of Saturday. It was a show of a euphorically comic nature - with Darwin and the gang performing dance routines in between their songs. Their neo-pop was rightly appreciated by the crowd in the Festival Republic stage, who were treated to the sentimentally romantic Radar Detector and the witty lyricism of DNA. The highlight of the show, of course, was seeing one of the specialised security dancing to Beyonce's Single Ladies whilst being circled by the prancing band.
Although unfamiliar with Arcade Fire, I was impressed with the polish of their show. They performed hits such as Keep the Car Running and Wake Up, fully utilising all 8 members on the stage to create a beautifully rich layer of sounds unlike any other band of the weekend. Butler and the gang perhaps lack driving energy in their performances, but his stage presence is undeniable and he even had the confidence to make a few quips at the expense of Guns 'n' Roses - the crowd rightly enjoyed these.
Sunday began with the best performance of the festival (in my humble opinion). Goldheart Assembly, a six piece from London, awoke a small crowd at the NME tent with their gentle alternative rock - mixing soft, folky Fleet Foxes-esque tones with more heavy, more purposeful instrumentation. Their stunning harmonies, neverending energy and unwavering confidence produced the perfect intimate show for the lucky audience. Dale and Herbert (lead vocalists) have great onstage banter, and you can tell they're true rockstars because they sip tea between songs.
The Main Stage crowd was a massive disappointment on Sunday. I went to see Thrice - perhaps my favourite band of all time - and although it was an impressive display of emotionally charged, perfectly performed music from (mainly) Vheissu and Beggars, the crowd failed to get into the songs at all. While the few of us who appreciated their talent flipped out in the single, small mosh pit, everyone else stood still and watched. I can't help but feel that Thrice would have been more appreciated in the Lock-Up.
Foals on Sunday evening, in a simlar vein to Phoenix, set the NME tent on fire with their raucous, rioting indie-rock and contrasting aquatic, floating electropop. Yannis bursts into life onstage - playing up to the crowd, jumping, shouting and dancing - and creates an incredibly hyperactive atmosphere for the crowd and the band. The tense, climactic Spanish Sahara was a maelstrom of swirling, repetetive, unrelenting emotion; the barked Cassius coaxed shouts of joy from the crowd.
I have few regrets, but I hear Queens of the Stone Age were mighty, and I would have liked to have seen Ash. However, I thought the lineup was solid this year and I hope for more of the same next time.
