Reading Festival 2008

So this is my little review of the Reading Weekend which ran from the 22nd to the 24th of August. It was such an amazing weekend, with probably the best set of headliners in years. So here we go...

Biffy Clyro (5/5) (3/5)

So these guys opened up the festival with a special acoustic set on the smallest stage (the BBC Introducing Stage) which was set up for unsigned bands. They played a couple of songs, which were broadcast live on Radio One, as well as an amazing cover of RATM's 'Killing In THe Name'. Check out the cover here, probably one of the best covers I've heard in a long time, simply for the crowds little sing-a-long. Later on in the day, they played the main stage. However, this was nowhere near as good as their earlier appearance. Musically they were fantastic, tight and in check but everyone song, bar one, was from their succesful album 'Puzzle'. I'm not saying it's a bad album but it is their worst in my opinion. It's such a shame that the long time fans only got treated to set closer '57', taken from their debut. Their new single 'Mountains' though, was stuck in not just my head, but the whole of our camp for the whole weekend.

Blackhole (4/5)

If you were still pretty tired from the lack of sleep you had. these guys would of woken you up better than coffee. They play a very loud combination of hardcore and punk, and they feature the younger brother of Frank Carter from Gallows. These guys were brilliant, starting the first circle pit of the weekend. Rick, the vocalist, at one point joined the pit with microphone in hand and then traveled to the back of the tent to the sound desk. Watch this space, these guys will be huge.

Queens Of The Stone Age (5/5)

Wow. Opener 'Go With The Flow' was astounding. They started off by playing the first verse really slow and BAM, the speed accelerates and the crowd goes mental. These were my favourite band of the weekend for sure. The last time I saw them (some time in 2003) they still had Nick Oliveri on bass and since then, I've always wondered if they would still be amazing. Luckily they were, busting out all the classics including 'No One Knows' and my personal favourite 'Regular John'. They extended a lot of their songs into jam sessions much like the RHCP's did last year, but without the total suckage.

Serj Tankian (3/5)

Cor, he sure does go on about politics doesn't he? Sometimes Serj should be quiet about Mr George Bush and just stick to rocking the fuck out. Which yes, he does quite well. The crowd was mostly made up old System of a Down fans hoping for him to do one of their songs, shame he didn't. He did however do a pretty rocking version of Abba's 'Money, Money, Money'. He blasted through most of the album, including single 'Empty Walls' and ended with 'The Unthinking Majority'.

Frank Turner (5/5)

This guy is such a legend. He is easily my favourite solo artists of this current day and age, his music is full of emotion. The set was opened with 'I Knew Prufrock Before He Was Famous' and ended with the song he couldn't play last year, 'The Ballad Of Me And My Friends'. The crowd were absouletely loving it, bouncing along to every song, singing their hearts out on every chorus and even dancing to every beat.

Taking Back Sunday (1/5)

I'm not entirely sure why I went to see these, something to do with me hearing they were good once upon a time. The only stuff I've ever heard is a really old EP when Jesse Lacey from the totally awesome Brand New played with them. Shame they are now crap. This wasn't helped by the sound desk having the bass and drums far louder than both the singing and guitar work. Worst band of the weekend by far.

Rage Against The Machine (5/5)

This is the band that everyone has been wanting at Reading Festival since their re-appearance last year. They were absolutely phenomenal. The crowd at the front was so intense I had to leave, due to the crush and crowd surges that were going on. They entered the stage complete with orange prison uniforms and bags over their heads in relation to the recent goings on of Guantanamo Bay. Playing all the classics including 'Sleep Now In The Fire', 'Bombtrack' and obvious set closer 'Killing In The Name'.

The Subways (3.5/5)

These guys are a Reading favourite. This was there 5th appearance in a row I believe. I saw them last year and it was one of the best performances I think I've ever seen. Sadly this year it wasn't as good, maybe something to do with them being on the main stage, as opposed to the NME tent last year.

The Automatic (4/5)

Yeah I used to really like that 'Monster' song. Then it got a bit too much and started to annoy me. I used to really like Yourcodenameis: Milo too. Then The Automatic came back out of nowhere with a new, yet familiar member. Good? Yeah, very. I was pretty excited to see these guys in action, luckily they didn't dissapoint. Playing a mixture from both of their albums, including new single 'Steve McQueen' and old stuff like 'Rauol' and 'Monster' (which featured 'All Roads To Fault' halfway through, leaving the crowd a bit stunned).

The Blackout (5/5)

Awesome band? Check. Witty crowd banter? Check. Stormtroopers? Check. Lovely accents too. I first saw these guys supporting Fightstar a few years back and was a bit unsure. Why the hell did they need two vocalists? Well now I can see that it's clearly a working choice. The first circle pit of the day, complete with vocalists Sean and Gavin getting involved with the crowd. Best part was a medly they did of AC/DC, Metallica and RATM.

Bullet For My Valentine (4/5)

Not so sure why these were stuck on the Saturday on the most indie stage ever, but oh well. Opener 'Scream Aim Fire' sends the crowd crazy, everyone giving what they have. The next set of songs turned up the heat (literally, compelte with pyrotechnics) until 'Hearts Burst Into Fire' where the crowd were given a bit of a break.

Gallows (5/5)

What can I say? What a presence these guys have. As soon as the first few chords are struck, people are creating a circle pit around the center pole, climing the beams of the tent and making human pyramids in the pit(!). Frontman Frank Carter decided he wanted to crowd surf all the way back to the sounddesk at the back of the tent, whilst still singing. At one point, they were joined on stage by a host of people, including Cancer Bats guitarist Scott Middleton. Playing album tracks such as 'Orchestra Of Wolves', 'Abandon Ship' and 'Kill The Rythm' aswell as rare track 'Black Heart Queen' and a new track. The set ended with the stage being destroyed and Frank having a fight with his microphone.

Cancer Bats (4/5)
My my, what tasty riffs you seem to play. Cancer Bats ripped the Lock Up Stage a new rectum, assisted by the crowd. I've been listening to these guys a long time, and their lives shows are definitely something to go to. Lead singer Liam dances around the stage like a caffeine addict, conducting the crowd with just his arms and voice. 'Hail Destroyer' and 'Sorceress' sound f'ing huge live! Can't wait to check these guys out at a proper gig.

Tenacious D (4/5)

Haha what a show. KG and JB started off as a lizard and a wizard, respectively, before having an argument and splitting up for about 2 minutes. Rumours were floating around the whole arena that day as to whether Mr Dave Grohl would be performing on drums for Tenacious D, sadly everyone was mistaken. Visually, they were fantastic, Lee donned a costume during 'The Metal' aswell as playing the part of the Devil during 'Beelzeboss (The Final Showdown)'. The biggest sing-a-long of the weekend came during 'Tribute'. Oh and what a wicked cover of The Who's 'Pinball Wizard'!

Metallica (4/5)

The final band of the weekend. Such a nice way to go out. As soon as they open with 'Creeping Death', the crowd know they are in for a good time. They played a couple of new songs, one titled 'The Day That Never Comes' and 'Cyanide'. A lot of the crowd already knew the words to the latter one, showing they still have those dedicated fans. During 'One' their were huge, and I mean huge, pyrotechnics going off at the stage. Not really much to say about their set, they've been doing it for so long now that they can't really screw anything up. Although, I'm a bit confused as to why Lars kept disappearing behind the stage and why he can't seem to stay in his seat at the end of the songs?

Oh and another honourable mention should go to Feeder's cover of Nirvana's 'Breed'.

So Today...

I leave for Reading Festival '08, so there won't be any posts for a few days!

Kill Kenada

The first time I heard of Kill Kenada was when they supported Reuben at the Mean Fiddler (now known as the Astoria 2) in London. They were absolutely mental. The bass lines and drums were tight, and the guitar work was as filthy as your local kebab shop (a good thing, trust). I'm not really sure what is going with the band at the moment, as there has been a lack of updates for quite some while. They currently have a load of singles available from the Subverse Recordings website, as well as their debut album, 'The Pink Album'. Their album is full of chunky riffs, odd time signitures and just straight out rock n roll.

Biffy Clyro

Glitter & Trauma is such a tune. It was the first song I heard by the Scottish trio, Biffy Clyro. I was so confused about what was going on the first time I heard it, I'm pretty sure it fried my brain. These were the guys that opened up a whole new scene of music for me, including bands such as Sucioperro, Reuben and Hundred Reasons. I first saw these guys at V Festival one year. Whilst I stood in awe at their stage presence, all my friends around me were chatting away and not caring about the band. A few months later, nearly all my friends started listening to them aswell. Biffy Clyro formed in Ayre in Scotland in 1995 and have so far released 4 albums and a handful of singles. On every album the band progresses and their sound is slightly modified. For instance, their first album, Blackened Sky, has a more grungey raw feel to it, where as 2007's 'Puzzle' has a poppy sound to it and no screaming. They gained mainstream success with their 4th album 'Puzzle' much to the annoyance of longtime fans. I've seen these guys a total of 5 times (my 6th will be at next weekends Reading Festival) and they are phenomenol.

oh and I can hear V Festival, shame about the line up tonight.

Fighting With Wire

I listened to Fighting With Wire purely based upon their name (come on, it is really fucking cool!) quite a time before the release of their debut album. The only tracks I had were some poor quality session tracks they had one for a radio but I still listened religiously. Eventually they drifted out of my radar due to their release taking ages. Then one day me and my friend were driving along in his car, and I'm looking through his CD collection. I stumble across an album with some pretty tasty artwork, and the words 'Fighting With Wire - Man Vs Monster' written across the front. My jaw suddenly hit the floor, the album opened with a re-recorded version of one of those radio sessions. It is fantastic. Every song sticks in your head. Every guitar riff has you air-guitaring along. Every drum fill has you wishing you could pick up some sticks of your own. FWW hail from somewhere in Ireland, but you wouldn't think that if you listened to their awesome hard-rock. I've not had the chance to see these boys live yet, but they are definitely of the bands for me to check out over the Reading '08 weekend!

Fightstar

Now this is the first band that most people would of heard of. It's probably not for the fact that these guys are wicked, but more for the fact that one of them made a stupid mistake and joined a shit band. Fightstar formed in 2003 after meeting at a party and jamming together (where it's rumoured they covered RATM's 'Killing In The Name Of'). Their list of releases includes 2005's 'They Liked You Better When You Were Dead' EP, 2006's 'Grand Unification', 2007's 'One Day Son, This Will All Be Yours and 2008's 'Alternate Endings'. I first found out about these guys from a friend who sent me a couple of songs over MSN, but I immediatly dismissed them due to their history. After a few more listens I realised that there was actually something good here, and I gradually fell in love. Alex and Charlie's vocal harmonies are pitch perfect, the guitars chugg along like a well oiled machine but it's the rythm section, Dan and Omar, that keep everything tight and in check. Fightstar were quickly branded with "emo" tagline but soon evolved into something more melodic and original. Also check out Charlie's brothers bands, Brigade and Prego

Million Dead

Million Dead were a hardcore punk band formed in London, touring the UK extensively and also partly in America and Europe. They released two albums, 'A Song To Ruin' and 'Harmony No Harmony' before breaking up in 2005. I only discovered these guys after hearing Frank Turner's (Million Dead's vocalist) solo stuff. The better album in my opinion if the first, due to it sounding much more raw. One thing that you will notice is that most of the lyrics are political, and not something most people can relate too. These guys toured with the like of Engerica, Fighting With Wire and Cave-In to name a few.

Meet Me In St. Louis

Wow. What an amazing band. Meet Me In St. Louis (yes named after that 1940's musical) are something different. Not sure how to describe these, but I'll go with Math-Rock. They throw the song structure rule book out the window and make everything from scratch. Shame they had to disband early this year due to their singer and drummer leaving, two things that aren't easy to replace. Their first release, the amazingly titled 'And With The Right Kind Of Eyes You Can Almost See The High Water Mark, That Place Where The Wave Finally Broke And Rolled Back', is an absolutely furious debut, taking you both low and high, and then repeatably slamming you face first back down again. 'Variations On Swing', their only full length, carries this on at an even better level. I found out about these guys from their old label mate, Frank Turner.

Hundred Reasons

Hundred Reasons are a British rock band that formed in Surrey in 1999. They mixed post-hardcore with a much more rocky base, forming quite an original sound. I first heard about these guys through a friend, who lent me their debut album 'Ideas Above Our Station'. I fell in love after hearing 'Silver' for the first time and religiously listened to the whole album. After a while I decided to follow it up and buy their second album, 'Shatterproof Is Not A Challange'. Sadly this wasn't as amazing as their first, with some songs falling flat on their arse. Shortly after their second release, Sony BMG dropped them from their label. After finding themselves another label in 2005, V2 Records, they released their 'Kill Your Own' the following year. This album was released to a large amount of critical acclaim and was seen their worst album by fans. Personally, I think it's probably my favourite album as it's got such a raw recording sound to it. My aspect about Hundred Reasons was the fact their backing singer, Paul Townsend, wasn't just a backup singer, he often sung lead vocals aswell. Sadly his departure gave the band a major blow and they haven't been the same since. Check out The Lucky Nine aswell, featuring members of the band A and Hundred Reasons.

Engerica

Engerica were a British punk band, formed in Southend in Essex. They often fused different styles to their punk rock base, including metal, gothic and grunge. They played their first show as a band in 2000, and in 2005 they signed a contract with Sanctuary Records, allowing them to recording their Debut album, 'There Are No Happy Endings'. After building up a loyal fan base and a decent live show reputation, Engerica started to support bands such as Reuben, Sum 41, Therapy? and Seether. They also played Donington's Download Festival in both 2005 and 2006. What you will noticed when listening to their music, is that their lyrics could often... do with a little work. This is what slightly put me off of them when I started to listen to them. However once you realise they are written about Dave Gardner's life experiences, they so seem oh so clever. Sadly Engerica called it quits in 2006 and each went their own seperate ways. Bassist Mike Webster had begun to write his own material in 2005 and shortly after the Engerica split, his work had bloomed into a fully fledged band, Baddies. Find Engerica's old myspace here!

Local Legends

Soprano

Soprano are an indie/acoustic pop band, hailing from my local town of Chelmsford. They formed in 2006 and have been gigging and growing their fan base since they started. In 2007 they released their debut single, 'Dirty Tricks', which they aimed to achieve a top 40 place in the charts. I first met these guys when they were looking for someone to photograph them at one of their gigs, and I've been mates with them since. They have recently released an EP entitled 'soprano'. Check them out on myspace here!

From Almost The End

These guys are simply amazing. If you like your huge, chunky metalcore riffs similar to Killswitch Engage then you will love these guys. I've been lucky enough to see these guys many times, also having the chance to photo them once. They currently have a few EP's released and are working in the studio on their debut album. Find their myspace here.

Yourcodenameis: Milo

Yourcodenameis: Milo were an alternative rock band formed in Tyne and Wear, Uk. Milo's style of music is very influenced by early post-hardcore bands such as Fugazi and At The Drive-In, mixed with a weird theme of sci-fi and space. They are mainly known for their 2004 mini album, All Roads To Fault and the title track. In 2005 they released their first full length, Ignoto. Their debut album features artwork by Storm Thorgerson, the man that most people will know as the creator of Biffy Clyro's recent artwork. In 2006 after splitting with their current label, they released a collaboration album entitled Print Is Dead Vol. 1. The album features artists from bands such as The Automatic, Bloc Party and Reuben amongst others. This album never really got the credit it deserves for some reason, it's simply fantastic. It's like Josh Homme's Desert Session's series, yet amazing. In 2007 their second full length, They Came From The Sun, was released. Not quite sure how I discovered Milo, I just remember their name sticking out to me. I picked up their first album purely based upon listening to All Roads To Fault a few times. After a few weeks of listening to the album, it fell to the back of my listening pile until I saw them support Biffy Clyro at the Camden Roundhouse. WOW. They were amazing. They were such a different band live than on record, so much energy, so much power and yes, so much heavier and louder. Sadly it was the only chance I got to see them in action, as they set themselves on an indefinite hiatus in 2007. Guitarist/Vocalist Paul Mullen replaced that screeching guy from The Automatic. I decided that this was a bad move and lost respect for him. However, the other day I heard The Automatic's new song and yes, very YCNIM influenced and I'm liking it.

Vex Red

Vex Red formed in Aldershot, England (close to the hometown of Reuben) and incorporated the use of Electronica into their Hard Rock music. After submitting a demo tape to Kerrang! magazine, Ross Robinson (producer of Slipknot, Korn and At The Drive In) signed them to his I Am label. In 2002, they recorded and realised their only album, Start With A Strong And Persistent Desire. It's easily one of the best debut albums I've ever heard, clearly showing why they were signed in the first place. Shortly after releasing their album, they were dropped from the label and the band members went their separate ways. Lucky, they staged within the music industry and started new bands. Terry Abbot started Septembre, Ben Calvert took up drumming duties for post-punk legends Killing Joke, and some of the remaining members went on to form a new band called Scenes. Sadly I never got to witness these guys at a live performance but heres to hoping. Tracks to check out include the fabulous Can't Smile, Itch and Clone Jesus.

Reuben

I first heard about Reuben around the time their second album, Very Fast Very Dangerous, was being promoted. After reading a small bit about them in Kerrang! magazine (the only good thing it has ever done), I found their myspace page and instantly fell in love. It's hard to determine which genre Reuben fall into, because they take influences from grunge and straight up balls out rock, to metal and post-hardcore. However I think you should just do what Simon Neil says and "don't pigeon hole, just listen". The boys from Camberly wrote and recorded a few EP's as well as three albums (2004's Racecar Is Racecar Backwards, 2005's Very Fast Very Dangerous and 2007's In Nothing We Trust) before sadly putting themselves on an indefinite hiatus in June 2008. These were my favourite band ever, being everything from sad and moving, to heavey and melodic. If you've never heard of these guys before, please go out and buy everything you can get your hands. I promise you that you won't regret it.

Baddies

Baddies are probably one of, if not THE most exciting band I've heard in a long time. Formed from the ashes of the simply fantastic Engerica and other local bands, Baddies have already started to make a name for themselves by supporting bands such as Reuben and The Futureheads. They were recently featured on Reuben's last release, The Twobythree EP (as well as the tour that followed) and have recorded tracks with producer Sean Genocky.Check them out on myspace now!