Reading Festival serves as a closer of the festival season for so many in the UK, and it was my favourite festival growing up by far. I loved the trips up and swigging a warm beer in the mud more than anything. I’ve been going there for a decade now, and as this year’s festival is just around the corner, here’s ten of my favourite memories from the festival. There’s been countless things to include in this list, so I decided to settle on ten performances I’ve got particularly fond memories of as we’re never going to agree on the ten best!
Green Day headline the main stage [2004]
Just before the release of ‘American Idiot’, Green Day headlined Reading Festival in 2004. After 50 Cent’s infamous bottling, the band took the stage to perform a 21 song set that was comprised soley of fan favourites, hits and covers. It was a great way to close down the weekend, and up there with the best “punk” headline sets the festival has seen.
SETLIST
American Idiot
Longview
Geek Stink Breath
Hitchin’ a Ride
Welcome to Paradise
Brain Stew
Jaded
2000 Light Years Away
Knowledge (Operation Ivy cover)
Basket Case
She
King for a Day
I Fought the Law (The Clash cover)
Waiting
Minority
Maria
Blitzkrieg Bop (Ramones cover)
Ever Fallen In Love? (Buzzcocks cover)
When I Come Around
We Are the Champions (Queen cover)
Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)
NOFX take the “secret” slot on the Lock Up Stage [2010]
The Lock Up stage secret sets are always awesome, and not only did NOFX play ‘The Decline’ in full, Frank Turner turned up to make it an extra-special moment. A fantastic set that showed up their typically silly main stage appearance of the year, and one you’d have been silly to miss.
Setlist
Shut Up Already
The Decline (with Frank Turner)
Perfect Government (Mark Curry cover)
Quart in Session
My Orphan Year
Reeko
Bottles to the Ground
Lori Meyers (Tatiana DeMaria from TAT sang the female part)
Don’t Call Me White
I Wanna Be an Alcoholic
Fuck the Kids
Weezer make it all a bit weird on the main stage [2010]
At one point, it would have seemed insane that Weezer would appear below Paramore on a main stage line up, but it happened at Reading festival in 2010. Rivers Cuomo produced one of the most legendary performances of the weekend by diving into mud after a Lady Gaga cover of all things!
Setlist
Epic Intro
Hash Pipe
Troublemaker
Undone – The Sweater Song
Surf Wax America
Teenage Dirtbag (Wheatus cover)
Say It Ain’t So
Memories
Island in the Sun
My Name Is Jonas
Beverly Hills
Pork and Beans (with “Hot for Teacher” intro)
Poker Face (Lady Gaga cover)
Kids (MGMT cover)
Buddy Holly
Deftones bring the house down with an amazing main stage set [2011]
Deftones have always been an incredible live band, but with ‘Diamond Eyes’ being some of their best work to date, their main stage appearance in 2011 was both emotional and intense. It followed an amazing 2011 main stage Friday to that point, and it showed that the band could still be up there headlining soon.
Setlist
Diamond Eyes
Rocket Skates
Birthmark
Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away)
My Own Summer (Shove It)
You’ve Seen the Butcher
Minerva (Dedicated to Chi Cheng)
Elite
Change (In the House of Flies)
Back to School (Mini Maggit)
Root
7 Words
Don Broco cause a ruckus on the Introducing stage [2011]
If you take a look back over the Introducing stage over the years, you can see many big bands rising through the ranks there, and Don Broco’s 2011 performance was nothing short of SILLY. It cemented the band as an ultimate festival act, and this year sees them on the Festival Republic to split an even bigger crowd.
Setlist
Thug Workout
Top Of The World
Beautiful Morning
I’m Good
Do What We Do
Dreamboy
Lightyear make light work of turning the Lock Up stage into a party [2006]
Lightyear were always one of the greatest UK ska/punk bands, and their 2006 performance was no different. Not only did a full climb of the middle pole happen, Ice T managed to send the band death threats for dicking around in his dressing room. Never a dull day.
New Found Glory headline the Lock Up stage [2007]
Though they’re no strangers to Reading, New Found Glory’s usual main stage slot appearance was forgone in 2007 for a headline slot in the Lock Up stage. What followed wasn’t the busiest headline slot ever in the Lock Up, but it was a big set rammed with hits and a fantastic way to end the weekend while Smashing Pumpkins were moaning about something on the main stage.
Setlist
Understatement
Better Off Dead
All Downhill From Here
Something I Call Personality
Truth of My Youth
Hold My Hand
Head On Collision
Oxygen
Hit or Miss
Sincerely Me
Sonny
Kiss Me
(Sixpence None the Richer cover)
Forget My Name
It’s Not Your Fault
Intro
My Friends Over You
Lostprophets bring the megalolz [2010]
It’d hardly be a Reading Festival breakdown without Lostprophet’s frankly ridiculous “Megalolz” backdrop from 2010’s weekend. They’ve played numerous times, but while the sun was shining and the crowds were MASSIVE, it was something to behold.
Setlist
Can’t Catch Tomorrow (Good Shoes Won’t Save You This Time)
For He’s a Jolly Good Felon
Burn Burn
It’s Not the End of the World, But I Can See It from Here
Make a Move
Last Summer (Faith No More – The Real Thing Intro)
A Town Called Hypocrisy
Last Train Home
Where We Belong (Guns N’ Roses – Sweet Child O’ Mine Intro)
Rooftops (A Liberation Broadcast)
Young Guns arrive on the main stage in style [2010]
What better way to play your first ever main stage set than with a HUGE wall of death? Young Guns’ opening slot at Reading a few years back was to be the making of them, and it was a signal that they were one of the UK’s biggest and best hopes for the future. They’re still going from strength to strength.
Setlist
Crystal Clear
Elements
Sons of Apathy
Winter Kiss
D.O.A.
Stitches
Daughter of the Sea
Covers Medley of Reading Festival Headliners – Arcade Fire, Blink-182 and Guns N’ Roses
– Wake Up (Arcade Fire cover)
– Stay Together for the Kids (blink‐182 cover)
– Live and Let Die (Paul McCartney & Wings cover)
Weight of the World
Beneath the Waves
My Chemical Romance headline the mainstage [2011]
Doubters were quietened in 2011 when My Chemical Romance appeared as the Friday headliner of Reading Festival, bringing along none other than Mr Guitar Man himself Brian May. The Daily Mail favourite stormed through a giant set, and the appearance of May was a surefire highlight of the weekend.
Setlist
Na Na Na (Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na)
I’m Not Okay (I Promise)
Planetary (GO!)
The Only Hope for Me Is You
DESTROYA
Mama
SING
Vampire Money
The Kids From Yesterday
Famous Last Words
Teenagers
Dead!
S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W
Helena
We Will Rock You (Queen cover) (with Brian May)
Welcome to the Black Parade (with Brian May)
What’s your favourite Reading memory? Check out the old line ups on the website now and have a think!
http://www.readingfestival.co.uk/history
Setlists courtesy of Setlist.fm
TOM AYLOTT