Reading Festival, Saturday, 2005

Seems like years ago now, so sorry for rambling.

Got there in time for the LONGCUT - quite dancy, the English Rapture, who I quite liked but were far better suited to sweaty club at 1am than a lunch time festival slot. Then I finally, finally got to see CLOR. Hurrah! And they were pure electro and pop. Ace! People were dancing properly and everything. Caught the last half of the CRIBS, jumped around a bit so quite fun, before heading to for a bit of umm ... BIFFY CLYRO in the sunshine.

Next came the ARCTIC MONKEYS, and the kicking in of the vodka I'd brought with me. The tent was rammed and we couldn’t see much but still danced about like loons. DOGS next. They were fab. I do like Dogs. Johnny Cooke - Woof! And that’s when it all gets a bit hazy. We hadn’t planned to go see any other bands for an hour or so, but I'm told we watched a bit of YETI - I have no idea if we did or not. I’ve seen them before, they sound like a bit like Cast. Probably wandered round for a bit. Vaguely recollect waving arms about to HOT HOT HEAT – Bandages etc. I’m assuming they were good, cause if they weren’t I’d have been quite vocal about it.

Which leads me on to RAZORLIGHT. What I can remember is being far away and looking at the tiny Razors on a stage that was littered with props (big plants, screens etc). What I'm told is we arrived in time for them doing ‘Somewhere Else’ and apparently I had a bit of a epiphany and decided that Razorlight were shite and started calling Johnny Borrell a wanker and shouting that they only had one good song and we’d just heard it. Got a few funny looks. Then I fell over.

So it was off to ARCADE FIRE. By the time we got there I felt a bit sleepy, so sat down for a little nap. (no, I didn’t pass out, that would be ridiculous!) Unfortunately while I snoozed to the soothing sounds of the Fire. Quite nice actually. Some bastard made off with my camera. Git. Did manage to see Arcade Fire do their final song, Rebellion/Lies. Excellent.

And off we went to KINGS OF LEON. They don’t need props, or a big screen with their name written on in curly joined up writing! Proper rock.
And finally it was back to the ickle Carling Stage to see the RAVEONETTES (utterly fabulous, Scandinavian, electro, country pop songs!) and the GO! TEAM, who were ok.
Then it took us bloody HOURS to get home.

Died on Sunday. How do the kids go for the entire weekend?

Saturday at Reading 2004

DFA1979 at Meanfiddler

Fringey were there to experience Death ... From Above! But also caught Plan B – a bit rubbish and The Rogers Sisters - like a shoutier Toni Basil doing ‘hey Mickey’. We had planned to leave our perch and join the thronging mass for dfa, but when the time came it was absolute carnage and there was no way we were diving into the boiling sweaty riot that was going on downstairs. (However if I was ten years younger ... ...!)

DFA1979 do “almost-camp, two-man disco noise”, and do it well. Had never seen a bass being worked like that before, Jesse managed to play his filthy riffs like it was a giant cock, without ending up looking like a cock himself. And Sebastian Grainger’s wail, while drumming! Goodness. They wrecked themselves. Third song in (or thereabouts) Grainger is shirt off (yummy!) and standing on the audience barrier screaming out “Romantic Rights”. A fantastic show and we got pink badges! The Test Icicles were also there watching, how very scene.

Luce said:

The Rakes @ Meanfiddler

Fringey, as per usual, went to Bradleys Spanish Bar for gins before heading to the Fiddler early to catch Kubichek who were very danceable, but ultimately a cut price Futureheads and Battle who were better, but still more of a low rent Bloc Party. (we quite liked the ginger drummer tho).

Then the Rakes came on and was hilarious, they had roadies and back projections and everything! They’re like a proper band now and we had an overwhelming need to join Mr Donohoe in his fantastic spazzed out dancing. Brilliant.
But drank ever so much gin. xx

Luce said:

Test Icicles @ Bardens Boudoir

OK, so by the time I got round to writing this the Testies had split up.

Booooooooooo!

This completely wrecks Fringey's proposal that they - and their new dance metal sound - be the future of music. Although we did arrive at this theory after many, many, many gins and one, admittedly explosive, Testi performance in Bardens Boudoir.

So Fringey would like to take this opportunity to salute the Dalston style and fabulous hair, of the Test Icicles!

Hurrah!