reading preview - sunday

After saturday, the come down is gonna be big, but as in past years Reading keeps it going all the way til the end. As with many recent years the Sunday turns out to be a dancing day....and this year will be no exception!

What finer way could there be to get the day started than with London ska-punks the King Blues on the main stage.  I've seen these guys so many times, and each and every time they get me moving, even when i thought i wasn't in the mood!  Their infectious zeal and punk spirit make them instant heroes!  not to mention Itch and his ukulele.  These Streets Are OURS!!!  

Moving into my usual sunday afternoon chillout zone, the Radio 1 tent, we have slow-burning North Wales three-piece The Joy Formidable.  When they first appeared on the scene in 2008 with debut single 'Austere', they were hotly tipped and promised much, it didn't really happen.  But now they back with a new single, 'Whirring', and the promise of an album this year.  I have to admit i didn't know a whole lot about them, but what i've now heard is ace!  They are followed by LA indie-folkers Local Natives, who are here off the back of there well received debut album, 'Gorilla Manor'.  Again this will be a voyage of discover for me, but one I'm looking forward to!

Let's hang the landlord - The King Blues
Headbutt - The King Blues
Whirring - The Joy Formidable
Airplanes - Local Natives

Now I'm really excited to see what twee-pop darlings Los Campesinos! have been up to recently.  The last time i saw them live was a couple of years ago at the Camden crawl (when they almost broke the floor/ceiling of the pub!!) and it is definitely something i've been missing!  Their twinkling xylophone and his'n'hers vocal charm make the Welsh eight-piece instantly loveable!!  I loved their first two albums, but have not yet got to grips with their latest offering, 'Romance is Boring', Reading will be a good place to start.

Following the Cardiff lads n lasses on the R1 stage are Mercury-nominated Wild Beasts.  These boys from Kendal crept onto the scene with the release of their debut album 'Limbo, Panto' in 2008, and followed that up with 'Two Dancers' which was released last year and has earned them a nomination for this year's Mercury prize.

Then at last the chance to hear the anthem of the summer, The Drums exploded into our consciousness with the brilliant 'Let's Go Surfing'.  And whilst their debut self-titled album did not quite live up to the first single, these boys from NYC should provide a summery set (hopefully the sort of atmosphere Vampire Weekend normally bring) and I will be really disappointed if there is not a whole load of crowd SURFING!!

My year in lists - Los Campesinos!
All your keyfabe friends - Los Campesinos!
We've still got the tast dancing on our tongues - Wild Beasts
Let's go surfing - The Drums

The evening then begins to gear up and its time to put on the dancing wellies for the arrival of electronic instrumentalists Metronomy.  The group, originally best known as remixers, produce cracking tunes of their own and their set in the dance tent should be a good warm up for the rest of the evening.  Over in the R1 tent, Kele from Bloc Party makes his maiden solo festival performance following the release of the brilliant debut 'The Boxer'.  As i mentioned before his solo style is slightly more beats oriented than BP and the debut single 'Tenderoni' was a stunner!

A slight departure from the electro comes in the shape of Seattle rockers Band of Horses.  Their warm Americana-tinged tunes could be likened to My Morning Jacket, with their indie-country dress sense and beautiful musical panoramas, these guys are almost the american version of Mumford & Sons.  I've been longing to see them since i first discovered their music a couple of years ago and they are one of my must-sees of the weekend!  Plus look at the AWESOME beards.....love it!!

My heart rate rapid - Metronomy
Tenderoni - Kele
The Funeral - Band of Horses
The Great Salt Lake - Band of Horses

Back to the dancing and this time its Oxford five-piece Foals.  These boys sprung to my attention with the addictive jitter-funk classic 'Hummer'.  They followed this up with brilliant debut album 'Antidotes' containing classics like 'Balloons' and 'Cassius'.  Just when we thought it couldn't get any better they turn up early this year with latest album 'Total Life Forever' which has earned them a Mercury nomination (i know it may seem like everyone seems to get nominated, but its just a sign of how awesome the festival is this year!) and with 'Spanish Sahara' and 'This Orient', they certain have raised their game even further!

Balloons - Foals
Spanish Sahara - Foals

The fun times should continue thanks to the electronic wizardry of Dr Daniel Snaith PhD AKA Caribou.  His eclectic sound incorporates electronic psychedelia, breakbeat drums and krautrock rhythms to produce a swirling, lush, musical landscape in which to loose yourself. 

Then we have one of the funnest, most rockinist bands in all of existence, We Are Scientists.  The (now) NYC boys are back again this year with another great album 'Barbara', including the brilliant (nearly) new single 'Nice Guys'.  The trio broke through to the mainstream in 2006 with the release of the classic 'With Love and Squalor'.  Hits like 'Noboby move, nobody get hurt', 'The Great Escape' and 'It's a Hit' cemented them as one of my favourite bands.

Odessa - Caribou
Nobody move, nobody get hurt - We Are Scientists
Nice Guys - We Are Scientists

Then comes the decision of which headliners to watch, and whilst it might be tempting to go see Blink-182 (only kidding!!) on the main stage, the only real choice is between British Sea Power and the Klaxons.  Brighton indie rockers BSP produce distinctive sweeping guitar pop, but personally i just have to see the return of the Klaxons.  I first saw the indie-rave pioneers at Reading in 2006 in the tiny Carling tent, the place was packed with a seething mass of sweat and glow sticks (and this was mid-afternoon).  They followed that up in 2007 with a brilliant R1 headline slot.  This followed the release of seminal album 'Myths of the Near Future', which would win the Mercury Prize that year.  Following a bit of a hiatus which included an album which will probably never see the light of day, the sci-fi punks have returned this year with the a new album, 'Surfing the Void', so I'm looking forward to an explosive, energetic and memorable festival-closing set!!

Waving Flags - British Sea Power
Echoes - The Klaxons
Atlantis to Interzone - The Klaxons

So that'll be it for the music for another year......now let the sunday night madness commence!!!