Music

« Previous Story | Next Story »

| Submit Comments | View Comments (6)

Kings of Leon
advertisement

Reading Festival, this line-up rocks!

By Linda Serck
April 02, 2009

Wow! This year’s Reading Festival line-up is one of the best I’ve seen in years.

See below for the line-up so far

Nashville’s Kings of Leon have enjoyed a few penultimate headlining stints on the main stage in the past, but after winning two Brit awards this year the sons of Pentecostal evangelical preacher Leon are hitting the headlining slot.

Arctic Monkeys take their Sheffield social realism to Saturday’s headlining slot, starting life at Reading Festival back in 1995 on what was known as the Carling Stage.

Already back then the small tent, reserved mainly for breaking bands, was rammed and spilling out from all sides.

And, for once, Sunday’s main stage line-up is one I can’t resist.

Normally the home of the hard rock element to the festival, this year sees Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Bloc Party and then the mighty Radiohead headline.

Last playing in 1994, securing Radiohead highlights that organisers Festival Republic are really pulling out all the stops – perhaps in competition to Glastonbury, or perhaps to encourage punters to fork out £175 in this economic climate.

It’s clearly worked, as weekend tickets are sold out.

It’s also good to see White Lies already confirmed on the bill. BBC Radio Berkshire has a bit of a connection with the band as Maggie Philbin’s daughter is dating the lead singer.

Glasvegas used to play the tiny Rising Sun Arts Centre as part of Club Velocity, so it’s great to see the Scots billed on the Radio One/NME stage too.

Of course the stage I’ll be most excited about is the BBC Introducing one, showcasing the best of the bands who are unsigned, undiscovered and under the radar.

The line-up so far

Main stage

Friday

Kings Of Leon
Kaiser Chiefs
Placebo
Fall Out Boy
Deftones
Funeral for a Friend

Saturday

Arctic Monkeys
The Prodigy
Maximo Park
Ian Brown
The Courteeners
Enter Shikari
Eagles of Death Metal

Sunday

Radiohead
Bloc Party
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Vampire Weekend
Brand New

Radio One/NME stage

Gossip
Glasvegas
Jamie T
AFI
White Lies
Friendly Fires
Gallows
The Maccabees
Florence and the Machine
The Gaslight Anthem

Do you agree with Linda? How do feel about this years Reading Festival line - up? Leave your comments below ...

| Submit Comments | View Comments (6)

« Previous Story | Next Story »

Most recent user comments 6 of 6

Show 15 | 25 | 50 per page

I couldn't disagree more. I suppose for someone like Linda who from her radio show makes it very clear that she only likes and supports indie music (which makes her "demo panel" program slightly biased but all the more reason to belittle anything else that doesn't fit into that category), the line up must be fantastic. In fact, going by your playlists Linda, one might be forgiven for thinking that you had a hand in selecting this years bands yourself! But I'm not suggesting that.

For anyone like me who likes more diversity in their music this is truly the worst Reading line up ever. There is no rock music this year.

I have been going for 15 years now and this is without a doubt the worst I have seen! If your EP poll is anything to go by then I'm pretty sure that my opinion is mirrored by most.

Sure the tickets have sold out - most people bought theirs beore they knew what the line up was, and a large proportion of people will go every year regardless of what rubbish has been booked for the headline acts.

I can only wonder what tent Girls Aloud will be playing in!

Hugh Janus, Reading
06/04/2009 at 09:22

I very much like the music of Corky Butcher 'bing bong, bing bong bing, ntch, ntch, bing bong bong'.

Is he gonna be playing live?

:)

J Low, Reading
03/04/2009 at 09:43

Alex Turner would've been about 9 in 1995, so I it seems unlikely Arctic Monkeys would've played that year. I think it was 2005...

johnmcga
03/04/2009 at 09:36

Placebo and deftones all good, everyone else there are second rate bands, apart from the prodigy who aren't even live so you may as well watch their dvd at home if your sound system is half way good.

See Metallica, now there's a band, kings of leon just not that great at all.

Still you pay your money you take your choice.