Reading 2011

OK. New blog.
No silly promises about more regular posts. No self-indulgent facetiousness. No epiphonomenal embroglios. Just things I think about.

I just got back from Reading Festival.

At the time I didn't particularly enjoy standing around for 12 hours a day with my feet hurting and my lower intestine engorging. I didn't particularly enjoy sleeping on an airbed with no pillow. I didn't particularly enjoy the over-priced Tuborg beer. And I certainly didn't enjoy the state of those fucking festival toilets.

But on the whole, the weekend was a marvelous success.

I was highly impressed by Elbow and Deftones, and to a lesser extent The National and Panic at the Disco.
And of course there were a number of bands who were brilliant, but I was expecting them to be brilliant anyway (Jimmy Eat World, Frank Turner, Muse, Taking Back Sunday, 30 Seconds to Mars, Rival Schools).

Muse completely stole the show. I feel sorry for the Leeds Festival people, who got Muse on the Friday, and then only had Pulp/The Stokes to look forward to on the Sunday. We got Muse as the last band of the festival, and it was a seriously amazing headline performance. True headliners. Song after classic song performed exceptionally, to an elaborate and mesmerising backdrop.

We camped with some nice people. We had some campfires. We made some modern art.

But I doubt I'll go back to Reading. I went for the lineup, and only an improved one would make me go again.