I don’t know why I bother with festivals. Man, I hate the queues. Thousands of people trying to get to the bar, queues to get into a fucking TENT to watch Florence and the Machine. Ugh. I hate it.
I hate it.
However, once you get past the hordes of drunken revellers and manage to escape the chaos, gather your thoughts, and re-enter the chaos, you realise why it’s all alot of fun. Yes, fun! Yes!
My late start to this year’s Reading Festival was not the best, and after my disappointingly limited view of Florence and the Machine I thought I’d try Kings of Leon.
What a peculiar set! Like a captain who puts all his heaviest cargo at the front of his ship, Kings of Leon loaded the front of their set with some of their biggest songs: Red Morning Light, The Party, Revelry, Sex On Fire. Piled into the first half instead of distributing the weight evenly, they forced themselves into an inevitable nosedive that made em sink and crash. Their set finished early. Fans left disappointed. Moohahaha.
Which is why I’m glad I darted between KOL and the magnificent Faith No More. Ah, memories of youth – Angel Dust, Live at Brixton Academy…a much smarter, cleaner and young-looking Mike Patton than 15 years ago roared and wailed through a kickass set that peaked with their awesome cover of ‘I’m Easy’ followed by ‘Midlife Crisis’ which sent the crowd wild. Job done.
Hearing the post-Friday night conversation in nearby tents this morning, among comments that included ‘did I get my cock out last night?’ and ‘I’m not that bothered about Kings of Leon…once you’ve heard his voice, you’ve heard his voice’, a couple of kids mused on tonight’s headliners Arctic Monkeys while listening to Scummy Man on their ipod. ‘Ere, what’s he going on about them Montagues and Capulets, like’.
If Latitude is the most middle class festival, and V the most mainstream, then Reading must surely attract the most stupid.
Words by Dave Depares
Photo by Max Tollworthy
