Right, Sunday. Last night’s party was fucking insane and we’re all feeling it, the weather isn’t superb either, but tonight see’s Biffy Clyro bring a headline set to Reading and the full on return of Fall Out Boy, so we are PUMPED. Let’s get to it shall we?
SUNDAY
Faced with the uneasy task of opening up a rainy Sunday morning, Bury Tomorrow do well to cope with the poor conditions to put in a set that shows any doubters that their brand of melodic hardcore truly belongs on the Reading mainstage. [Chris Marshman]
Despite releasing an excellent album earlier in the year, Dinosaur Pile-Up don’t have much going for them this afternoon. Opening the Radio 1/NME stage, the band subject the early risers to disturbingly out-of-tune vocals and almost unrecognisable songs. We hope that there is something wrong with monitors as the majority of this set is downright inexcusable. On to the next. [Ben Tipple]
The newly named Rock Stage is a good thing. It’s a good thing because it provides an alternative to the Lock Up stage on the Sunday but still retains a vibe that allows smaller alternative bands a spot at one of the world’s biggest festivals. So it falls to Hawk Eyes as one of the opening bands to show it’s all worth it, and they do just that by putting in a brilliantly energetic set showcasing their alternative rock sound. Hawk Eyes are an extremely entertaining band to watch and judging by the crowd they had, despite the early time, they’re a band worth keeping an eye on in the future. [CM]
There are worse ways to spend your sunny early Sunday afternoon than lying on the grass with a cocktail (you try drinking beer all weekend!) and enjoying a bit of We Are The In Crowd. If anything, this is the perfect way to enjoy the light-hearted pop-rock shenanigans of the Poughkeepsie quintet. There’s nothing particularly engaging about the performance, nor is there anything particularly wrong. For a hardcore few this is what dreams are made of – for us it’s time for a cocktail and some inoffensive music. [BT]
Rap-rock is one of those things you either love or loathe. Hacktivist aren’t going to change your mind. What they will do is destroy the stage with high-energy frivolity, utilising each speaker stack or monitor as a platform or prop. The occasional mediocre singing is a bit unnecessary, but the sheer power of the performance is just what a flagging afternoon audience needs. [BT]
Japanese synthy moshers Crossfaith certainly know how to create a big sound, playing to a very busy Rock Stage tent, the band sound bloody huge with their synth infused hardcore sound going down an absolute treat. [CM]
Making their long awaited proper return to the UK, Fall Out Boy announce their arrival with style, taking the crowd through an array of hits from their already brilliant career. In a festival environment there’s no doubt that the newer songs sound absolutely huge, while a special mention goes out to ‘This Ain’t A Scene, It’s An Arms Race’ which managed to get the entire crowd jumping. In all honesty, given the size of the crowd (easily the biggest of those not headlining all weekend) and the reaction of the crowd, Fall Out Boy have put in a very good case for headlining the main stage (My Chemical Romance did it, so why not) or the Radio1/NME stage. [CM]
There are bad days at the office, and there’s Nine Inch Nails at Reading 2013. After some interesting posts on Twitter by Trent Reznor about the festival and Biffy Clyro, the band play to what could only be described as a bit of a disappointing crowd and don’t really inspire much at all with their setlist. A rather odd moment for NIN, and one that doesn’t compare to how their recent live shows or the rest of the day on the main stage have gone [Tom Aylott]
Our final ‘Rock Stage’ band for the weekend (still a bit of a weird name for a stage, but oh well) is Funeral For A Friend, who decide that they’ll just turn up and sound awesome. You can barely get into the tent as they’re playing, and they bring in big hitters like ‘Bullet Theory’ and ‘Streetcar’ to keep the crowd going. This is not the same Funeral For A Friend that has adorned the Main Stage here in the past, but they’re still fucking awesome. [TA]
With everything else all but over, it was left to Biffy Clyro to close down Reading Festival 2013 and you know what, this was the best headline set I’ve seen at Reading Festival over the last decade years. From start to glorious finish, Biffy Clyro command the crowd with ease, taking them through an array of hits, from old to brand new. Special mentions go to ‘Bubbles’ and ‘Many Of Horror’ with the latter inspiring a truly spine tingling sing-along. It all culminates in an explosion of streamers from the stage which only adds to the already incredible atmosphere. As Reading 2013 closes with an impressive fireworks display, those who are lucky enough to be in the crowd tonight can be assured that they’ve just witnessed something extremely special and the confirmation that Biffy Clyro are indeed Britain’s biggest rock band today. [CM]
So that’s that. Reading 2013 was one of the best ways to sign off the Summer and get ready for an action packed Autumn. We had a genuinely incredible time and it’s all down to the staff/bands/people involved. We’ll see you in 2014.
Chris, Tom and Ben.