Review: Reading Festival 2014

Headliners: Queens of the Stone Age, Arctic Monkeys, blink-182
When: 22nd - 24th August 2014
Where: Reading, UK
Reviewed By: Dan Stoten

Having been a Reading stalwart for some time, this year was the first time in four years I made the journey to Richfield Avenue. The line-up was simply too good to ignore.

Friday for me started with Hacktivist, who opened the Main Stage with aplomb. The Main Stage is huge, and although the Milton Keynes rockers have played some massive gigs this year (touring with Slipknot), they still looked slightly star-struck by the gravity of their set. It was a fantastic opening to the festival though: the bass crushingly massive, and their new tracks sounding equally as addictive as Elevate and Hacktivist. From the pulsing metal/hip-hop of Hacktivist I moved to the folk/country/punk of Misty Miller: two more opposing artists you wouldn't find throughout the weekend! Althought I only stayed for a couple of songs on my way past, it was clear that Misty has an incredible voice, and her 50s-tinged folk-punk is definitely something for a summer's evening.

Next came one of the surprises of the weekend for me. I was on my way to one of the bars around the Main Stage, and simply couldn't ignore the mighty Crossfaith. Having seen them before, they weren't on my priority list of bands to see across the weekend, but the fact is they were so good they hooked me. My notes actually state that the Japanese quintet were "ridiculously incredible live", and I absolutely stand by that. They were so tight, so, so heavy, and so astoundingly catchy. Their adaptation of The Prodigy's Omen was absolutely stunning. I loved their set and have been listening to them a lot since the festival. They're coming back to the UK soon and I implore you to go and catch them!

The Flatliners, Sunday, The Lock Up

Next came Dave Hause, continuing the folky, more acoustic edge to the early acts on The Lock Up Stage. He was incredible, his raw, throaty voice creating massive sing-alongs with the crowd packing the tent. His brother Tim played with him, and the crowd showed their appreciation on a number of occasions with chants of "Tim! Tim! Tim!". Although not typically my thing, I enjoyed his set.

Slaves took to The Lock Up's stage next, a band I was keen to see having heard rave reviews of their live shows. I was not disappointed. Arguably (along with a couple of bands I'll mention later), they are the purest punk band in the world right now, their aggression and simplicity combining perfectly. Using only two cymbals, two drums, one guitar and two voices, it's pure, simple, and just so...right. Watch out for this band.

I headed back to the Main Stage next, to catch Deaf Havana, who delivered a bit of a conundrum of a set. Although elements of it were really good (including their on-stage banter about their "massively arrogant banner"), to me something wasn't quite right. Undoubtedly the wind, which did blow sound around a fair amount, can't have helped; neither, I expect, did the bassist breaking his string, but the set almost felt like a farewell set. They were exceptionally thankful to the crowd for supporting them and seemed fairly disparate on-stage. Hopefully just a bad day at the office.

If you're a regular reader of The Punk Archive, you'll know of our issue with Mallory Knox, who typically are just that little bit too polished. However, on this occasion, I'm delighted to say that they seem to have found a bit of edge, a bit more aggression, while maintaining the slick delivery. They packed the Radio 1 / NME tent, which was no mean feat clashing with Jimmy Eat World. As ever, Lighthouse was a highlight, but so was the slower 1949. A very impressive set.

Another band on the up at the moment are Twin Atlantic. Their set at Reading showed why. I saw the band several years ago at T in the Park, when they were relative unknowns just after the release of their first album, Free. Now, however, they're riding a huge wave of success, with Radio 1 giving them phenomenal backing over the recent months. This success is translating into confidence in the live shows, and they absolutely showed that, with Free and Brothers and Sisters being delivered note-perfect to a baying crowd. One of my favourite things about the band, the Scottish accent remains perfectly in their live shows. This was a set from a band destined for greater heights. Main Stage next year?

We love The Skints. They can always be relied on to play a stellar set, and this of course was the case at Reading. Personally I found it a little disappointing that more reggae and ska wasn't on the line-up (I remember years ago when Capdown, Random Hand, Less Than Jake et al would pack The Lock Up), but the East London four-piece surely showed the festival's organisers that they deserved their place. Forest Full Of Trees just sounds bigger and bigger every time I hear it.

Brody Dalle was up next, and, if you'll excuse my ignorance, I was a bit perplexed as to who she was. She did manage to pack the tent, but to me it felt as if not many people were actually paying much attention to her technical set. Her performance was decent enough but it didn't grab me. The surprise artist at Reading this year was Jamie T, who played the Festival Republic Stage. As expected, Sheila was brilliant, the whole crowd singing along to a perfect rendition. Although previously not a massive fan of the London singer-songwriter, after this set I certainly was...

Being a massive fan of David Rodigan MBE, I was delighted he played Reading, and headed to his slot over Paramore's. It felt a little funny, that, at age 26, I should be one of the oldest people in the tent and thus one of the few who appreciated the classics Rodigan threw into his hour. It was a perfect mix of old and new, though, with some jungle and drum'n'bass thrown in alongside current favourites Chronixx and Protoje, as well as Stylo G.

I did manage to catch the final two songs Paramore played, too, which clearly showed me they've grown and matured a lot as a band over the past few years. They certainly look more comfortable within themselves, Hayley in particular really working the crowd. I think my issue is that they've lost their punky edge: they're just a bit too poppy now, which is a shame considering their first record's pop-punk excellence. A solid couple of songs, though, with Ain't It Fun's bouncy nature quite endearing. Co-headliners on the Friday night were the legendary Queens of the Stone Age, who were excellent. For me the highlight of their set was No-one Knows.

Saturday started with skate-punks Gnarwolves on the Main Stage. They rifled through old favourites yet also gave us an indication into their forthcoming début full-length, playing a couple of new tracks. Another band hugely humbled to be on the Main Stage, this was a brilliant set.

Another band we absolutely adore, and have championed for the past year, are Lonely The Brave. Their set at Reading showed once more why we've been saying that they're your new favourite band. What a simply sublime set: I had goosebumps the whole way through. The raw emotion and true meaning this band conjure up through their music and lyrics is astounding and needs to be seen and heard to be believed. Playing a handful of tracks from their Backroads EP, as well as new songs, this 35-minute set alone was worth double the £205 weekend entrance fee.

Baby Godzilla, Sunday, The Lock Up

MARMOZETS were next for me, and absolutely blew me away. I'd say they're a bit of a Marmite band: you either love them or hate them, with their complex, technical and aggressive math-rock arguably being a challenge to listen to at times. To me, though, they have a razor-sharp hardcore edge but with brilliantly driving melodies, added to catchy choruses. Their rendition of Why Do You Hate Me was one of my festival highlights.

Following MARMOZETS were two fairly nondescript sets for me: Lower Than Atlantis and Basement. While neither were terrible, equally they weren't noteworthy. The Hives' set, however, certainly was. The overriding feeling I came away with was that of fun: these Swedes know how to have a good time and like the crowd to join them! Their music itself was fairly standard rock, but their delivery and showmanship excellent.

Don Broco were the band I saw next. Their huge popularity surprised me somewhat: the Radio 1 / NME tent was absolutely rammed, and the screams and singalongs were some of the loudest I heard all weekend. Their set was a strong one, really tight, and with some heavier edges than I expected. Their catchy brand of pop-rock was enjoyable and got the crowd moving well.

One of our film expert's recommendations for the weekend was to ensure I caught South African rap-ravers Die Antwoord. The only thing I can say is that I'm glad I did catch them. I've seen near-countless live bands, but I've never, ever seen anything like Die Antwoord. The crowd loved it and so did I: but it was with eyebrows several inches higher than previously that I left the Radio 1 / NME Stage. If you get a chance, go and see them live. It's a real...experience.

The final band to mention from Saturday is Issues. Metalcore is getting to be a bit of a busy genre now, but that's not to say that there's not space for the Atlanta six-piece. Their set was good, full of catchy choruses and bass drops; but, to me, it just felt a bit repetitive.

Sunday dawned with another of our favourite bands, The Story So Far. This was their maiden Reading show, and my word did they smash it. With the band well and truly on form (despite claiming how hard it was to sing to such a big audience) they dropped favourites such as Quicksand and Empty Space before an emotional Parker stated how much he wished his Dad was there to see the band playing on such a huge stage. The last couple of times I've seen TSSF I've been a bit concerned that their humility had disappeared: well, it came back with a vengeance here. Brilliant.

Young Guns, Sunday, Main Stage

Australian pop-punkers Tonight Alive were next on the Main Stage. Their set was solid enough if slightly uninspiring, reflected in the fact that Jenna's truly bizarre outfit (furry tea-cosy-esque hat and totally out there orange/yellow trousers) and the banter a member of the audience was shouting were the highlights. Hell And Back, however, sounded epic live. Young Guns also played the Main Stage on Sunday, and were clearly absolutely delighted to be doing so. They delivered what I called at the time "polished UK rock with a catchy, dancy hook", their new songs sounding fresh and their older stuff still sounding good. Towers in particular was a standout track, but I was a little disappointed Learn My Lesson wasn't on the setlist. Overall, though, a really strong set.

You Me At Six were the 'Special Guests' on the BBC Introducing Stage on Sunday, and I, along with many other eager punters, were left slightly confused by this. Why would a Special Guest be a band playing later on that day? Their acoustic set left a little to be desired for me, and I decided to head to see one of the best live bands in the world instead.

So, Baby Godzilla. What is there to say about this simply incredible set? Never have I seen a more energetic, audacious and downright fucking incredible show. My notes simply state: "insane!". Have you ever seen a bassist run, full-on run, out of the tent his band are playing in, climb onto a portaloo and continue playing there? Have you ever seen a band put their amp in the middle of the seething circle-pit they've just created, stand on it, and play as the pit swirls around them? Have you ever seen a band spend more time crowd-surfing playing than standing on stage playing? No? Go and see Baby Godzilla. There's no doubt about it, they are one of the world's best live bands right now.

Baby Godzilla, Sunday, The Lock Up

I was really disappointed, however, with Neck Deep's set, through no fault of the band. I'm not sure whether it was just my ears, but the sound was all wrong. They absolutely packed out The Lock Up, and I was really eager to see them play through Wishful Thinking, but I just couldn't hear enough vocal. However, for the epic Part of Me, Laura Whiteside joined the band on-stage, which definitely went some way towards rescuing the set with a massive singalong. A real shame for a great band.

The Flatliners came next, and played to a largely dead crowd. Their macabre, dark pop-punk, however, was absolutely spot-on, with Sew My Eyes Shut and Eulogy filled with passion and menace. Arguably one of the most underrated bands on the scene, it was a shame to see them play to such a passive and half-empty tent. Deserved better.

A set which I described as "just perfect" came next from Ocala's A Day to Remember. Everything was ideal about it: sound, setlist, banter, crowd participation. It's quite simple but ADTR are an astoundingly brilliant live proposition. They shot through some of their back catalogue as well as newer tracks from the hugely popular Common Courtesy with absolute aplomb. There's not really a lot else to say. This was phenomenal.

I then headed back to The Lock Up for The Wonder Years, a band that if you're a regular reader you will know that personally I just haven't quite got yet. Well, I hadn't. Their set at Reading was a genuinely euphoric example of how to play a corker of a pop-punk gig. Huge crowd, massive choruses and real feeling: the three ingredients you need which they had in abundance.

For the second time on Sunday I then caught You Me At Six, a band who have historically impressed me live. Not so much this time: although the vocal from Josh is still strong and he leads the crowd well, there seemed in this set to be a heavy reliance on the new record which, while good, didn't seem to quite fit. Saying that, Room To Breathe sounded massive...but that's the track on Cavalier Youth which sounds most like their older content. I left their set feeling slightly nonplussed.

blink-182, Sunday, Main Stage

My penultimate band of the weekend were letlive., a band who you quite simply need to see before you die. They're that good, they need to go on your list. Jason is the most vibrant frontman; it's absolutely impossible to take your eyes off him. The sheer emotion which goes into their live performances I've never seen before: Jason almost broke down on stage a couple of times in what was one of the most stunningly emotional sets I've ever seen. There's a real community feeling at a letlive. gig, and that was only compounded by Jason instructing the cameraman to point the camera at the crowd, as "that's letlive." Brilliant.

blink-182 were pretty much the perfect headliner. Back on form, they played a very similar setlist to their London dates earlier in the month. Clearly working together again, their onstage banter was good; and I must say that a better drummer than Travis Barker it is unlikely we will ever see. He is absolutely spellbinding.

Overall, Reading 2014 was a weekend filled with epic sets. Roll on 2015...!