We’ve already given you our preview of Friday’s excellent line up at this year’s Reading Festival (move it around to Saturday if you’re heading up north), so we move on to Saturday’s more melodic affair. The main stage may move slightly away from the heavier end of the musical spectrum, but with the Lock Up stage at full throttle and some sneaky blighters dotted around on all other stages, there’s still plenty to sink your teeth into. To prove it, there’s also an 18 song playlist made up of Saturday’s main attractions to help you prepare. It’s just there on the right.
01 Off With Their Heads
‘Home’ is one of the best albums of 2013 so far – fact! Taking to the Lock Up stage slap-bang in the middle of some excellent punk and hardcore bands, Off With Their Heads are destined to pack one hell of a punch with material new and old. The unbelievably catchy ‘Nightlife’ will be one of the highlights for sure.
02 Twin Atlantic
We last saw Twin Atlantic at Reading two years ago way down on the Festival Republic stage. It seems like their appearance supporting Felix Baumgartner as he jumped the ridiculous distance from space has done as many wonders for the Scots as it has for the Austrian daredevil. We’ll be singing along at the top of our voices when they deservedly take to the main stage.
03 Sick of it All
Sick of it All are beginning to push at 30 years of being a band, and are rightly dubbed the godfathers of hardcore. Anybody thinking of checking out any bands on the Lock Up stage over the weekend really should make their way over on the Saturday evening to witness the birth of New York hardcore in action. There’s even a small chance of new material from their forthcoming tenth studio album.
04 Decade
When we last saw Decade supporting Don Broco at their sold out Koko show we were blown away not only by Alex Sears’ tremendous vocals, but by their musical ability as a whole. Opening up the Lock Up stage is never easy, but Decade have more than enough skill to pull this one off.
05 Deaf Havana
‘Fools and Worthless Liars’ is still on regular rotation for many of us Punktastic staffers, and Deaf Havana’s ability to tell a story through their music has only increased tenfold since its release. Majorly backed by Radio 1 in recent months, the band are moving from strength to strength. So much so that this year you’ll find them delivering their increasingly unique brand of edgy story telling over on the NME/Radio 1 stage.
06 The 1975
Love it or hate it, you will know The 1975’s inherently contagious track ‘Chocolate’ by now. Many have attempted and failed to decipher the often incomprehensible lyrics, but still, you’ll know the song if not the band. We have a little bit of a soft spot for The 1975, even converting our deputy editor to their ways with their recent live performances. With an album release imminent it won’t be long before The 1975 are gracing the main stage, so expect a huge crowd when they set foot on the Festival Republic stage this year.
07 Great Cynics
Great Cynics have become something of a stalwart on our pages over the years, delivering an engaging smattering of indie punk-rock with some serious DIY attitude. Head over to the Lock Up stage in the early afternoon to shake off those cobwebs with some honest upbeat melodies.
08 The Bronx
The Bronx are notorious for their energetic live shows, almost pulling down the tent at Hevy Festival some years back, and laying waste to venues across the country earlier this year. We expect big pits and some serious moshing as they blast out visceral numbers from their back catalogue, including new tracks from this year’s ‘IV’.
09 Mallory Knox
Following the likes of Young Guns, We Are The Ocean, Deaf Havana and Kids in Glass Houses, Mallory Knox are filling this year’s opening main stage slot seemingly reserved for an up-and-coming British bands. It follows the release of their debut album back in January, and a big push on mainstream radio. Judging by their well-received set at Slam Dunk in May, we wouldn’t put it past the guys to really pull this one out of the bag.
10 Eminem
No, it’s not punk – but yes, it’s going to be bloody amazing! Making his only UK festival appearance 11 years after his last headline slot at Reading and Leeds, Eminem will undoubtedly be blasting out a medley of all of his greatest hits and then some. More importantly, it gives us an opportunity to prove to the word that we can shout all the lyrics to ‘Stan’ right back at him. That’s surely enough of an incentive to check this one out. See you down the front!
Remember to let us know who you are most looking forward to seeing via @punktastic or facebook /punktasticdotcom. We’ll be back again tomorrow with our ones to watch on the final day at Reading.
BEN TIPPLE