Reading 2013 - The Review

Hey there guys! I've been away recently, in a land of tents and music! Yes that's right, I've been to Reading Festival. And this year the line up was as epic as ever with Green Day, Eminem and Biffy Clyro the three headliners as well as a host of other great bands including Fall Out Boy, White Lies and Bastille.

Pre Festival Opinion

Regarding the line up, I was very excited to hear Eminem had been announced, mainly because I listened to him years ago and still loved tunes like "Not Afraid" "Lose Yourself" and "Love The Way You Lie", I also as many people will know, estatic to hear that Green Day were playing...although I did buy a ticket days before the announcement to see Green Day at Reading as they weren't rumoured to be there. So that was £60 down the pan really! Biffy Clyro I was reserved about, not because I don't like them, on the contrary I love the Biff, they're one of my favourite bands, definitely up there for my favourite British band with Muse, Arctic Monkeys and the Vaccines, but really because I was doubtful that they were big enough. Although they had 6 albums, only three were particularly heavily well known. That said, as the days before the festival came, the excitement grew. Rather than boring with you I shall now go onto actually reviewing the festival.

Friday

This was Green Day day for me, but there were other bands playing. One band that excited me on the line up were Bastille on the NME/Radio 1 Stage. They were not a disappointment either, playing songs from their debut album as the crowd went far outside the tent. An incredible crowd for such a new band. And a crowd where pretty much everyone left saying how good they were. Another artist witnessed was Frank Turner, he put on a show considering his current back injury, with his Mother getting him on stage, on a wheelchair before he launched himself off the chair into 40 minutes of rock 'n' roll. 

So then at around 7pm we found ourselves at the main stage, 2 hours before Green Day, System Of A Down were about to come on. Now here is where I shall get ripped by friends who read this, but I actually enjoyed System Of A Down, maybe because I found the lyrics for the song "Needles" particularly funny as well as the Walter White lookalike bassist man! 

System Of A Down - Needles (Lyrics Video)

System Of A Down - Needles (Live @ Reading)

I know right, a man in a chair reading a paper in the air at System Of A Down, it really was great to see actually there too. That 5 minutes must have been up there for the top 5 minutes of humor at Reading (although Saturday's trip to the alternative tent has to compete closely).

Anyway System Of A Down finished and there was then an hours wait, before Green Day graced the famous Reading Festival Main Stage, following up an epic secret set on the NME/Radio 1 Stage from a year before. As usual the pink rabbit ran around the stage to the Blitzkrieg Bop (of course after the crowd, like at the Emirates performed a rendition of Bohemian Rhapsody). A performance starting with 99 Revolutions started with some Green Day hits including "Holiday" and "Boulevard Of Broken Dreams" and songs from the new albums such as "Let Yourself Go", "Stay The Night" and "Stop Before The Red Lights Flash". Then up came the Dookie banner, now usually as a fan of the band I check out all the rumours, this time I hadn't. I wasn't expecting Dookie in full, this said, they had been doing it throughout their tour...although not in London. For a fan this was insane, I guess if you weren't a fan there must have been five or six songs that you'd never heard of before and you wanted Green Day to revert back to the hits. However like Origins Of Symmetry you could also argue this was musical history, a band playing their album in full isn't particularly common and an album with the sales and success of Dookie, it can be quite incredible. Anyway after finishing the album (much enjoyed by the Green Day fans, a bit less so by casual viewers I would guess) they went back to some more hits before really storming the Encore with American Idiot, Jesus Of Suburbia, Brutal Love and of course the acoustic Good Riddance. Unfortunately the BBC only showed an hour of the Green Day set, which doesn't include Dookie in it's entirety, so I've included one somebody filmed in Belgrade, apologies if the quality is rubbish!

Green Day Play Dookie In Full (Belgrade 2013)

BBC Three's coverage of Green Day's Reading 2013 Performance

Boulevard Of Broken Dreams Live at Reading 2013

Saturday

Well this was gonna be one unique Reading Festival day. In my years going to the festivals we'd had various different types of rock bands at the festival, but we had never had a rap artist headline. This was to change with the performance of Eminem, the biggest rapper in the world and to be fair, the only one I've commonly listened too. Also on on the Saturday were Imagine Dragons and Chase and Status were both acts playing. Unfortunately we felt that our experiences at Imagine Dragons and Chase and Status were partially ruined by crowd crushes, one that notably left loads of people on the floor in the middle of the NME tent, although from what I heard of Imagine Dragons they were good live. Chase and Status on the other hand I didn't enjoy. I know many people did, but having your foot trampled on enough that it's as flat as a sheet of paper, I'm also not a fan of that style of music and was only where I was for Eminem. But watch the videos and decide for yourself.

Imagine Dragons live at Reading 2013

Chase and Status - Count On Me (Reading 2013)

So yes, then came Eminem. Starting with Survival and then moving onto huge hits, especially towards the end with songs such as Not Afraid, Love The Way You Lie, My Name Is, The Real Slim Shady and even getting Dido for Stan. The encore was incredible with the mega hit Lose Yourself. I would say more and include a video but unfortunately the BBC now ask artists whether they can show them, despite having the rights to show the festival. You can thank the Rolling Stones for that! The Mail reported he may have mimed at Reading and Leeds, however without video evidence it's impossible to tell. I'd like to therefore think he didn't and not have a good show by Eminem ruined by this.

Sunday

There were a lot of doubts about Sunday's acts, generally I heard various friends say "Biffy aren't as big for the headline act as Green Day and Eminem". I kind of agreed with this, but I was looking forward to a band I very much enjoyed seeing twice in 2010. Also playing that day were Fall Out Boy, in what seems to have been of recent a return with a new album being released as well as some new shows. The Lumineers, The Editors, Nine Inch Nails and Dog is Dead also all performed. The latter two we didn't see much of. Fall Out Boy through we did, although sitting down. They played a variation of their new stuff and some of their old classics such as "This ain't a scene" and "Thanks For The Memories". It was generally nice just to see them back, although not knowing much of their new music I generally preferred it when they played their older stuff. They certainly drew a huge crowd considering the time of their performance. Generally afterwards we explored the arena, we did see a snippet of Dog Is Dead (and +Ryan Steppel asked the ice cream van staff about the ketchup on their van) and Nine Inch Nails whilst we got a drink. 

Fall Out Boy - My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark

Then it was time for the finale of the acts. Biffy Clyro. I can tell you this. After seeing them this time I would now write MON THE BIFF rather than Mon The Biff. The performance was like a statement, a "We've made it" and they had, after various performances at Reading they were headlining the main stage on finale night of Reading Festival! And despite fears boy did they not let us down! Playing for 90 minutes they did a set including new and old songs. The crowd went mental for them as they continued. The special effects were amazing, the fireballs on the top of the arena stage and the fireworks at the end. Reading Festival was their moment, they made sure of that. One thing is for certain, of all the acts I have seen live headlining the main stage, they were not a pushover for any of them. They were up there. It's hard to pick a number one with the differing bands, songs and genres I mean Blink-182 in the first year were great, Green Day this year also were, then there are the Foo's who were simply amazing and Muse and their album Origins Of Symmetry played in full. One thing is for certain, these bands have all proved on that stage at Reading that rock is very much still alive and kicking. But Biffy Clyro made that statement bold!

Biffy Clyro Full Reading 2013 Headlining Performance

Biffy Clyro - Mountains

So overall yes, it was incredible and way worth it! 

If you saw it on TV or like myself attended and have an opinion please comment!

Thanks guys! Until next time!

The Rolling Stones - Are They Stupid?

Yes, going for controversy in my title today clearly! And yes this will be a rant. This is all to do with the bands arguments to do with how much of their set will be showed at Glastonbury (a set I shall not be watching...). Initially the pensioners went and said they would only allow 4 songs to be shown by the BBC, the official broadcasters of a festival that has before claimed to be the biggest festival in the world. Now what the hell is going on here? Glastonbury surely has a contract and surely these pensioners are aware if this? Unless their drug use and age has made them beyond demented.

The other point is this band in my eyes are a bunch of con artists. Now I understand their success and longevity gains a lot of fans, I also understand that many of these fans are in an older generation than myself. However I also know bands that have had multiple hit albums and also have gigs in similar venues. But did anyone see the prices of the two gigs at the O2? For anyone who doesn't want to open the article there, here is a quote from the article of the ORIGINAL prices "Tickets - originally priced between £190 and £400 - sold out within seven minutes, however many were bought by resellers such as Via GoGo, Seatwave and Double8 Tickets to sell at an inflated price." Now I don't care what the Rolling Stones have to say for the price and they can sue me if they feel insulted by my comments because there are no legs to stand on but when the cheapest ticket is £190, you're not showing you care about the fans, it more or less feels like you're telling the average fans to "fuck off" and not to bother. Just regarding ticket prices, I have been to see the Arctic Monkeys at the same venue, tickets were priced at less than £40, as were Green Day at the LG Arena (the two massive bands I've seen at arenas). And with this economic climate I would love to know how Mick Jagger, already living the best lifestyle possible thanks to all this money can justify these ticket prices. Apparently I hear he can, by claiming ticket touts have made tickets "not so cheap". For £190 I can pretty much buy a ticket to Reading Festival, little bit better than seeing pensioners way past their best sing songs they wrote before Britain ever considered a female Prime Minister!

So they announce they're to play at Glastonbury and people are excited, to see them at the festival and as with all headliners previously in my memory on the box. But then they tell us they're only to play four songs. So clearly people like myself, oblivious to the days when they were the biggest rock band by a mile on this planet can't make our judgements on them live. Well Mick, that's not good enough, that's not giving yourself a legacy to my generation, we have the Foo Fighters, The Strokes, Blink-182, Arctic Monkeys, Mumford And Sons, Green Day, Eminem, Biffy Clyro, Arcade Fire, My Chemical Romance, Muse...even Rihanna to create legacy through their sets in the last few years (and upcoming summer) to influence us and create a festival legacy. Missing the Rolling Stones isn't like missing a World Cup in England, there are now many artists on a parity (and to the youth of today bigger) regarding the Rolling Stones and every year there will be the chance to see various bands who are on this level. I'm perfectly fine with missing a band that charge more than 4 times the amount that the Arctic Monkeys do! They should be boycotted until tickets are affordable. 

Now they've agreed to play an hour for the BBC, but have arguments regarding it being broadcast abroad, I urge the BBC to grow some guts, you have the rights to Glastonbury, as you do for Reading and various other events, show the full set. If it annoys them, let them sue. Glastonbury rights include the headliners however old and prehistoric they may be! And to the Rolling Stones, let people of my age see what you're about and play on TV, if it's that good, it'll go down in history, like Nirvana at Reading 1992. 

What do you think? Leave a comment or tweet me! If you're the Rolling Stones and feel insulted at what I regard the truth you can also leave me a tweet, or send me a fax, seeming that is probably new to you!

James' Today 25/06/2013

Hey again guys!

6 months till Christmas!!!!! Yes, today is the 25th June! But before that we have festival season! Yes, the festivals are all beginning! Last week it was the Isle of Wight, but really, that's a preshow to the curtain raiser...Glastonbury! Over 5 days people are gonna get amazing moments such as a set by the Arctic Monkeys, which having seen them in the O2 I can definitely say will be great! So if you're going to Glastonbury I wish you an epic and unforgettable time! Personally my festival seems to be Reading, one of the last festivals of the summer, where Green Day, Eminem and Biffy will headline. Some top shows, as there are at full festivals. This said, it'll be hard to beat my five top Reading moments, which today I'm going to tell you here with the beginning of festival season!

5. Muse, playing Origin Of Symmetry in full in 2011. This was a unique experience and was followed up by their greatest hits from other albums. A very good show by a great great band. Being right at the front for this was a great experience and made watching the awful Interpol almost worth it!

The BBC Highlights of the set (misses out a lot of Origins of Symmetry...I know that's the bit that made it a unique and special show...)

Song of the set - Feeling Good. 

4. Blink-182 - Reading 2010. Reading and Leeds this year seemed to be the festival of bands reuniting (another band in this trend is later in the top 5) and Blink-182 played their first shows in the UK since reforming at the Reading and Leeds festivals! Finishing the 2010 festival they played a montage of their greatest hits, with songs such as All The Small Things, What's My Name Again and Dammit being played.

Highlights of Blink-182 at Reading 2010.

Song of the Set: All The Small Things.

3. Green Day's Secret Set - Reading 2012. This would probably be higher if Green Day were a band I hadn't already seen and a band that I have since seen, in a gig where they played for considerably longer than the secret set. Playing through their greatest hits and songs they generally seemed to enjoy playing like the track "Murder City" they got the crowd mental and were broadcast on the main stage screens as well due to how busy the NME stage was. Luckily for me I was fairly close to the front.

Highlights of the Green Day Secret Set.

Song of the set: Stay the Night. 

2. The reunion of the Libertines, Reading 2010. Now this was special, this was emotional. Coming on stage to the tune "we'll meet again" the band played hits from the albums they released when they were together to an incredibly passionate crowd, well respecting this could be the only time that any of the crowd would see them.

The full Libertines set.

Song of the set. Don't look back into the Sun.

1. The Foo Fighters, Reading 2012. This was simply amazing, Dave Grohl made it not just an event but an occasion, bringing up the fact he was there with the legendary Kurt Cobain 20 years ago. Playing hits and getting his family on stage this was simply an unforgettable experience. The best headline set I have ever had the pleasure of seeing and beating this may be impossible!

Then full set of the Foo Fighters.

You can't pick a song of this set, but I shall throw out a song to finish this blog as I am being rushed out of the house...annoying yes...to a strawberry farm...lame. Here's Walk by the Foo Fighters.

Comment your favourite Festival moments!