A few hours before the official release of the Reading and Leeds lineup. The image of the yellow poster in a creased Kerrang magazine spread across the internet like a virus(A virus only rivaled by Rebecca Black's Friday). It sent waves of festival fans into hysteria. "Why is MCR headlining?!", "Don't Pulp have just 1 song?", "Where are the Foo Fighters?!", "Who the fuck is Beady eye?", "It's a shit line-up, I'm not going... Shit they are running out of tickets! Buys tickets."
Same old. Same old.
At a glance, the line-up is Ok. Not great, but it doesn't send shivers up your spine. Until you look closer that is. Let's start with Friday of Reading: MCR and 30 Seconds To Mars. headlining. It should be dubbed black Friday. Plenty of bands that will be attracting reformed emos and teens with wardrobe malfunctions. That, however, is just looking at the headliners. The potential for havoc in the first day is there for the taking. Lots of heavy down tuned 7 string guitars. Deftones, The Offspring and Rise Against will bound to bring a maturer audience with them. Its not so bad. Besides, come on guys, everyone likes MCR, they are just pretending they don't. Come on admit it. The NME/Radio stage is interesting. Beady eye headlining. How many people will want to catch a glimpse of a washed up singer from some 90's band? Lots probably. The hype magnet The Vaccines are bound to attract a crowd of V-neck wearing cider sippers. They will be on the main stage next year. I'd bet my house on it.
Saturday, interesting. It could have potentially be the best day of the festival. The order is all wrong. Jimmy Eat World and The National should be swapped with festival favorites Pigeon Detectives and Seasick Steve. Jane's addiction to headline the NME/Radio 1 stage was a great choice. Without Red Hot Chili Dave Navarro though, what is the point? The Strokes headlining is a superb choice. Although a victim of massive hype, they haven't felt they needed to change their style and carried on making great music. With the quality new material to play. Strokes will be the centerpiece of the festival.
Sunday is the climax. I don't need to say anything about MUSE or Elbow, their records speak for themselves. Interpol though, without Carlos Dengler, will not as interesting to watch but I'm sure it would make too much of a difference. I'm pleased to see Enter Shikari back on the main stage. May I draw your memory back to 2009. If you don't know what I'm on about. Youtube it. 1 word - carnage! A welcome return of Death from above and Frank Turner is bound to excite many. While, whatever your view of them, it is the streets last festival. They will split up later in the year. So go and see them. No moaning. In short, its a good line up if you look closely but the decision to not pick bands who are headlining other festivals will be criticised by plenty.
