Review: Reading Festival Day Two

The Second day of the festival brings us some great sets and some surprise appearances.

Day two at Reading was the big one. Not only did we have Bring Me The Horizon playing their first-ever headline slot at the festival, but we also had the legendary Arctic Monkeys playing a headline slot at the festival for the first time since their iconic slot in 2014. There was much hype around this day and day tickets sold out within hours, so all sight was on the main stages to see if it was worth it. As well as some secret sets thrown into the mix, could this be one of the best days we've seen at Reading Festival?

Wargasm (secret set)

As we woke up for day two, news broke of a secret set on Main Stage East which caught me entirely off guard. That would be Wargasm, a band I covered on this blog before. While I knew the band would be appearing with another band which I will talk about later, I was surprised to see them on so early on. This is the beauty of Reading Festival and the secrets sets, one of your favourite bands could be on the line-up and you will not know till the last minute.

Just like they did a Download earlier this summer, Wargasm blasted through a short but sweet set filled with all killer no filler songs to get the crowd moshing and ready for the day ahead. It was like Frank Carter the day before in the sense that Reading got a band that can get a crowd in the mood for the rest of the day. Songs such as 'Spit', 'Fukstar' and 'Pyro Pyro' got the crowd moshing and jumping about and got many people over to the Main Stage East to see them. This set really does show Wargasm progression over the last few years and this is only just the start for them. The sky really is the Limit!

The Sherlocks

The sun was blazing as I walked over to Main Stage West to see a band that I had been listening to since their early day playing in small venues. The Sherlocks have played Reading Festival on multiple occasions but never on the Main Stage. They finally got their opportunity this year to play one of the main stages. The band did a solid job with their set. New members Alex Proctor and Trent Jackson seem at home in the band while brothers Kiaran and Brandon Cook played away with the same swagger which has been seen many times before. The band played a mix of their new material from the album 'World I Understand' to songs deep in their catalogue such as 'Live For The Moment" which provided a good singalong at the end. I also really enjoyed the song 'Falling'. Getting to hear it live for the first time was great to listen to and I feel it's the best song they have put out in a little while. Overall, if you were looking for a solid rock outfit to get you in the mood for the Arctic Monkeys, then The Sherlocks were the band to see.

Gabe Coulter

As The Sherlocks finished their set, I was wandering around the BBC Introducing Stage to see what was on at the time. This stage is perfect for any new talent who is trying to break through and make a name for themselves. Many previous Reading and Leeds headliners such as The 1975 and Catfish and The Bottlemen have gained much of their success from playing on BBC introducing so to be on this stage could be the springboard to bigger things.

As I had some spare time, I went to check out Gabe Coulter, Someone I had never heard of before but ended up really enjoying their set. His music reminds me of the likes of Bob Dylan and Neil Young but updated for the 2020s with synth and acoustic guitar taking the centre stage. Some of his music did differ however with his latest offering 'What Do You Mean' having a more indie pop/rock feel similar to the likes of Foals. 'Thinking Fucks You Up' was also quite a catchy track in which I can see people singing along to the chorus and future festivals. His delivery on this track and the lyrics do remind me slightly of the vocals of Brandon Flowers from the Killers as well which shows the singer and songwriter range as well. I really enjoyed this set. It was nice to take a moment to check out a very talented artist and their band and enjoy some new music. This demonstrates the power the BBC Introducing has in the fact you could be seeing the next big artist. I believe this won't be the last I see of Gabe and I'm looking forward to seeing him at another show or festival in the future.

Taipei Houston

I went off to the Festival Republic Stage for another artist I didn't know too much about. Taipei Houston are a duo with a lot of heritage. Both members are the sons of Metallica's legendary drummer Lars Ulrich, so I was interested to see what this band was like and I was blown away.

It's clear where drummer Layne Ulrich gets his drummer talents. His drumming was jaw-droppingly good while brother Myles's bass would make a similar shrieking sound which is similar to the likes of Royal Blood with his vocals reminiscent of Jack White. If you were a fan of either of these artists, then you would of love their set. The chemistry between the two brothers is incredible and they are one of the most talented musicians playing that day. Songs such as 'The Middle' and 'Respector' will be forever engraved in my brain with their insane riffs and killer drummer. I hope the duo come back to the UK soon as I feel the brother could be creating something special.

Loyle Carner (secret set)

Another secret set was announced and this one was huge. Brit and Mercury prize nominee Loyle Carner was set to play BBC introducing. To see such a massive artist on such a small stage was too good of an opportunity to miss.

The issue with this is that so many people descended towards this small stage meaning that many were unable to hear or see Caner for most of the set. This, of course, was not the fault of Carner himself but I feel reading should have put I'm on a better stage such as BBC Radio 1XTRA which would have been a better space for him to perform while still being an intimate space for a big artist. I feel the surrounding area did not help as the Introducing stage is slap bang in the middle of the funfair which made it hard to hear what was going on far back. Also only being able to perform four songs for me was not really worth the booking If I was honest. Carner has so many great songs to cut that down to four songs is a crime. It's a shame but I'm hoping he comes back to reading for a full set next year so more people get to enjoy his performance and he can put on a much longer set.

Kid Brunswick

I went back over to The Festival Republic Stage to see Kid Brunswick. An artist who caught my eye earlier in the summer at Community Festival. I really enjoyed his set then and Reading was no different. Brunswick previewed some new songs that he has been working on and used the summer festivals as a test to see how the crowd would react and Reading Festival loved every minute of it.

Kid Brunswick also played some of his fan favourite songs as well which got the mosh pits opened for business. Songs such as "Skinny" and "Biopolar Rhapsody" got the crowd bouncing and moshing along. It was fantastic to see him get an opportunity to play some major festivals this year and Reading Festival seemed to be the icing on the cake. With new music on the way and a run of UK shows coming before the end of the year, nothing seems to stop this young, up-and-coming artist from making their name in the mainstream.

Poppy

Poppy is one of the more fascinating artists on the Reading line-up. She started out on YouTube as her creepy android character which would see her then branch out into music starting off as a pop artist but most recently her music changed to a more industrial metal sound which has seen her garner much success over the last couple of years.

Her set would feature songs mostly from her 2020 album 'I Disagree' as well as songs from her most recent release and some new songs which had not made their debut at this point. Poppy still plays a character on stage and keeps in character throughout the set which makes her set so compelling. It's nothing that I've seen in music before, and it makes her shows so rememberable and unique. As for the music, Poppy and her band certainly get a crowd all worked up, with a massive circle pit opening in the middle of 'BLOODMONEY' and the amazing way she can change her vocals from a soft genital whisper to screams is incredible yet terrifying. Her set is a great example of how Reading attracts different kinds of music to the festival and unique artists who can stand out on main stages packed with superstar names. Poppy's performance is certainly one not to forget.

Aj Tracey

As last-minute replacements go, none of them get any bigger than AJ Tracey. The British rapper was drafted in after Jack Harlow dropped out to play at the MTV VMAs but It seemed that he was not missed too much as the packed-out crowd enjoyed a half an hour set from one of the biggest rappers in the UK. "I'm sorry that I'm no Jack Harlow," said AJ told the crowd at the start of the set. Don't worry AJ, at least you turn up when Reading comes calling.

AJ had hardly any time to cram in as many of his hits, but he managed in squeezing in 10 songs which included the likes of "West Ten" and "Ladbroke Grove" as well as songs he's worked with other artists on including "Rain" and "Thiago Silva" which he performed with Dave the evening before. Throughout the set, there was so much energy from the crowd. The "mosh pit crew" at the front found any opportunity to get moshing along while thousands would sing and rap along. it was a great atmosphere. My personal favourite from his set was hearing 'Little More Love' played live. It's one of my favourites from his album 'Flu Game' and to hear it on a sunny day at a festival was what I imagined back when I first heard it. It was so nice to finally live out that vision that I have had of this song. AJ Tracey set was short but great set with an amazing atmosphere all around Main Stage West. It may not be long before AJ gets his chance to headline that very stage someday.

Enter Shikari

Now, this was a set I was excited to see all weekend. One of the many bands that I have discovered thanks to Reading Festival, Enter Shikari. The band find themselves on Main Stage West in the late afternoon. I discovered the band in 2019 when they played three sets in one weekend at Reading and another 3 at Leeds (which I believe is a record for most sets over a Reading and Leeds weekend). It showed that when it comes to this festival, Shikari does not mess about and that is the kind of thing I was expecting from their set this year.

The show started well with the band playing 'THE GREAT UNKNOWN', 'Anaesthetist' and 'satellites**' which shows the range of the band's sound. 'Anaesthetist' was a mix of heavy rifts and drum and bass, and the band played the awesome Resso Remix at the end while 'Satellites**' tells a story of wanting to show love to someone but being afraid of being judged. With the Stage being lit up by the rainbow being projected on stage and confetti being set off, it was probably the most emotional song on the setlist.

Things then went up a gear once again with 'Arguing With Thermometers' and 'Juggernauts' which were accompanied of visuals of the climate stripes which showed the temperature of the planet each year. In an age where the climate crisis is becoming more on the forefront of people's minds, Shikari's social commentary is still as sharp as ever. Lead singer Rou Reynolds would also have a rant about the sewage crisis which has happened in the UK, but it seemed to be cut off by the festival in fact it was a power failure at the main stage. This issue would play a massive issue come the end of their set.

Meanwhile, Wargasm made another appearance to play their new song they made with Shikari 'The Void Stares Back' and were greeted with a big cheer. Both bands brought their A-game to this song, and it sounds fantastic live with Rou, Milkie and Sam's vocals sounding fantastic. The band played 'Sorry Your Not A Winner' and '{The Dreamer's Hotel}' which was then followed by another power failure which ultimately ended their set to the disappointment of the fans. Shikari where class throughout but it's just a shame with all the issues they could make it the show they wanted. Nonetheless, a great performance anyways.

Pendulum (Secret set)

While the Saturday at Reading Festival has produced some secret sets, none come bigger than this. There is always a secret set which always blows fans out of the water. Like Green Day back in 2012 or Queens of The Stone Age in 2017 and most recently Bring Me The Horizon in 2019. This year was no different with Drum and Bass legends Pendulum coming over to play a special set at the Dance Stage. Their appearance had been rumoured after posters appeared around the festival showing a number to call which you would be given an automated message which ended with "Reading Festival prepare to hold your colour". By that point, everyone knew what was coming.

A countdown started on the screens at the Dance Tent and the tent was filled with thousands of people crammed in after the news broke. As the countdown went down the zero the band walked out with Bassist Gareth McGrillen shouting down the mic "Reading Festival we are Pendulum surprise motherfuckers!" which the crowd screamed in appreciation. The band wasted no time and got straight to it playing the track of their latest EP 'Driver', where the crowd would be dancing and moshing along with flames arising from the stage. The band may have had a short set but this didn't mean that they didn't have time to play the classics. They would mix 'Blood Sugar' and their remix of The Prodigy classic "Voodoo People" as well as play 'Propane Nightmares' and 'Witchcraft' just to name a few of their hits from over the years that they played.

The band even had a surprise up their sleeve as I left the tent to catch the end of Wolf Alice's set. The band played a remixed version of 'Sorry You're Not A Winner' by Enter Shikari which Rou Reynolds would make an appearance which I was annoyed to miss. Before that, the band would play a brand new song which was an exclusive preview of some new music the group had been working on which shows we may ever see even more music from these guys in the future. Their set was a great surprise for the day and quite possibly the best set I've seen at the dance tent in the seven years I've been going to Reading Festival. Their London dates are going to be one hell of a party.

Bring Me The Horizon

For many years, I've been saying one thing. Bring me The Horizon need to be headlining Reading and Leeds. There was no doubt in my mind that the band had what it takes to be able to put on a great headline set and now finally they have been given the chance to headline Main Stage West and put on the performance of their careers.

The set started off with an AI system appearing on the screen and scanning the crowd and getting them to open up the moshpits. While this was going on, Bring Me came out on stage and got their set started with 'Can you Feel My Heart' in which the crowd would sing in unison after lead singer Ollie Sykes labelled anyone who didn't a "Dickhead". The threat didn't really matter as everyone was going to sing along regardless. One of the best things about the set was Ollie's presence on the main stage. While he did struggle at times with his vocals, he radiated so much confidence and know how to work up a crowd constantly getting them to either sing along or open the mosh pits. A great example of this would be the second song 'Happy Song' where he wouldn't play the rest of the song until the crowd "push it back" which lead to one of the biggest mosh pits of the weekend. He has really established himself as one of the best frontpeople in rock and metal and Reading was a great example of this.

It must be said that the visuals at Bring Me shows are always exceptional. With it being a festival, it would have been tough to beat the outstanding visuals they had on their tour in 2021. However, the visuals at this show were still something to behold. From the AI constantly keeping tabs on the crowd in the background to zombies appearing on the big screen for the apocalypse anthem 'Dear Diary' and of course, the pyro on stage, Bring Me did not allow their production to be kept in a box and maintained a high level of stunning visuals. The band also had a surprise up their sleeves as well. In the middle of the set, Ollie introduced Ed Sheeran (yes really!!) to the main stage to perform their version of 'Bad Habbits' which they debuted at the Brit Awards at the start of the year. The crowd lost their minds to put it best. everyone started charging to the front to get a glimpse of one of the best bands in the UK performing with one of the biggest solo artists in the world. A truly incredible show-stopping moment that the Reading crowd loved.

This was not to say the set did not have its issues. The power failure issues at Main Stage West struck again as 'MANTRA' was cut short but the issue was seemingly fixed quickly before the band played 'Dear Diary'. I would also say that the setlist was not the strongest that they have put out, keeping to their more recent material and not treading back to their Deathcore days. They have done this at recent shows, so it was a bit disappointing for them not to pull the same trick at Reading. Even so, the band ended their set with a lovely acoustic version of 'Follow You' and then ended on one of their biggest hits 'Throne' which got all corners of Richfield Avenue bouncing. Overall, it may not be a perfect set, but this show will go down in Bring Me The Horizons history as one of their crowning moments. Something that they have worked for nearly twenty years for, and it was totally deserved.

Arctic Monkeys

Finally, the band that everyone came for. Arctic Monkeys return to Reading Festival for the first time since 2014. after the band got announced and one of the six headliners, the day tickets sold out within hours. It was clear what everyone came to see as the Main Stage West was packed out from front to back to get see Alex Turner and co could do what they are renowned for.

The band started off very strong with 'Do I Wanna Know', 'Brianstorm', 'Snap Out Of It' and 'Crying Lightning' to kick off the proceedings for the evening. Unlike Bring Me, AM went across their whole back catalogue from songs such as 'A View From The Afternoon' to their more controversial new material such as 'One Point Perspective' which gave most AM fans the music they wanted to hear. The band also teased 'I Ain't Quite Where I Think I Am' which may have not sounded like the AM we know and love but did sound quite good and gave me some hope for the new album. There were some massive hits missing from their setlist but it being the Arctic Monkeys, this comes as no surprise. While AM did play mostly the best tracks they had, the shows felt very stop-start. While the band had moments of sheer brilliants such as '505' and 'R U Mine', there were also moments that just slowed the whole show down and became a bit dull. Some of their songs was slowed down which really just brought down the atmosphere around the festival only to be picked up the parts throughout the set.

The band's lead singer, Alex Tuner also had a mixed performance. For sure, the man certainly commands a stage and is a great example of a proper rock n roll frontman however this can also be to his detriment as well. By the end, it seemed Turner was out of it slurring his words and not quite being with it. Whether that was part of his performance I'm not sure but either way, I was expecting more. One band member who was solid throughout was drummer Matt Helders. Helder's drumming was incredible throughout most notably on 'A View From The Afternoon' which showed him at his very best.

The band would finish their set in style in fairness with 'Arabella' and 'R U Mine' which was the best way in which the band could end their set. In conclusion, AM was good but should have been so much better. It was probably one of the most frustrating sets I've ever seen because there were moments of pure brilliants which would be replaced with slow-paced songs which kept the gig in first gear in parts. It wasn't a bad gig to say at all but as a band with their reputation, I'd expect more. As Alex Turner once famously said, "Don't believe the hype".