The Reading and Leeds Festivals are a pair of annual
music festivals that take place in
Reading and
Leeds
Leeds () is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the third-largest settlement (by popul ...
in England. The events take place simultaneously on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the August
bank holiday weekend. The Reading Festival is held at Little John's Farm on Richfield Avenue in central Reading, near
Caversham Bridge. The Leeds event is held in
Bramham Park, near
Wetherby, the grounds of a historic house. Headliners and most supporting acts typically play at both sites, with Reading's Friday line up becoming Leeds' Saturday line-up, Reading's Saturday line-up playing at Leeds on Sunday, and Leeds' Friday line-up attending Reading on Sunday. Campsites are available at both sites and weekend tickets include camping. Day tickets are also sold.
The Reading Festival, the older of the two festivals, is the world's oldest popular music festival still in existence. Many of the biggest bands in the UK and internationally have played at the festival over five decades. The festival has had various musical phases over the years, but since the current two-site format was adopted in 1999, rock,
alternative
Alternative or alternate may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media
* Alternative (''Kamen Rider''), a character in the Japanese TV series ''Kamen Rider Ryuki''
* ''The Alternative'' (film), a 1978 Australian television film
* ''The Alternative ...
,
indie,
punk, and
metal
A metal (from ancient Greek, Greek μέταλλον ''métallon'', "mine, quarry, metal") is a material that, when freshly prepared, polished, or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electrical resistivity and conductivity, e ...
have been the main genres featured in the line-up. More recently
hip hop has comprised an increasing proportion of the lineup, including headline sets by artists such as
Kendrick Lamar and
Post Malone.
The festivals are run by
Festival Republic, which was divested from Mean Fiddler Music Group. From 1998 to 2007, the festivals were known as the ''Carling Weekend: Reading'' and the ''Carling Weekend: Leeds'' for promotional purposes. In November 2007, the sponsored title was abolished after nine years and the Reading Festival reclaimed its original name.
In 2011, the capacity of the Reading site was 87,000, and the Leeds site was 75,000, an increase of several thousand on previous years.
History
The Reading Festival was originally known as the
National Jazz Festival, which was conceived by
Harold Pendleton
Harold Pendleton (17 July 1924 – 22 September 2017) was a British music business executive and former club owner, who established the Marquee Club in London and the National Jazz Festival, the precursor of the Reading Rock Festival.
Biogra ...
(founder of the
Marquee Club
The Marquee Club was a music venue first located at 165 Oxford Street in London, when it opened in 1958 with a range of jazz and skiffle acts. Its most famous period was from 1964 to 1988 at 90 Wardour Street in Soho, and it finally closed ...
in London in 1958) and first held at
Richmond Athletic Ground
Built in 1886, and located in Richmond upon Thames, London, the Athletic Ground is a rugby ground, managed by Richmond Athletic Association, home to Green King IPA Championship sides Richmond and London Scottish. The first team pitch has a st ...
in 1961. Throughout the 1960s, the festival moved between several London and Home Counties sites, being held at
Windsor Racecourse
Windsor Racecourse, also known as Royal Windsor Racecourse, is a thoroughbred horse racing venue located in Windsor, Berkshire, England. It is one of only two figure-of-eight courses in the United Kingdom, the other being at Fontwell Park.
D ...
,
Kempton Park,
Sunbury and
Plumpton, before reaching its permanent home at Reading in 1971. Since 1964, when the festival added a Friday evening session to the original Saturday and Sunday format, it has been staged over three days, with the sole exception of 1970 when a fourth day was added, running from Thursday 6 to Sunday 9 August.
1960s
The National Jazz Federation (NJF) Festival was established at the height of the
trad jazz boom, as a successor to the
Beaulieu Jazz Festival, initially as a two-day event held at
Richmond Athletic Ground
Built in 1886, and located in Richmond upon Thames, London, the Athletic Ground is a rugby ground, managed by Richmond Athletic Association, home to Green King IPA Championship sides Richmond and London Scottish. The first team pitch has a st ...
. The line-up for the first two years was made up exclusively of jazz performers, but in 1963, several
rhythm & blues acts were added to the bill, including the
Rolling Stones,
Georgie Fame, and
Long John Baldry, and by 1965, such acts were in the majority, with jazz sessions reduced to Saturday and Sunday afternoons only. This format continued until 1967 when jazz was limited to just the Saturday afternoon session. By 1969, jazz had disappeared entirely from the line-up.
In 1964, a Friday evening session was added to the existing weekend format. In 1966, the NJF Festival moved to the larger
Windsor Racecourse
Windsor Racecourse, also known as Royal Windsor Racecourse, is a thoroughbred horse racing venue located in Windsor, Berkshire, England. It is one of only two figure-of-eight courses in the United Kingdom, the other being at Fontwell Park.
D ...
. The following year a second stage (the Marquee Stage) was added, but when the festival was moved to Sunbury in 1968 it reverted to a single-stage format. The festival was held at Plumpton Racecourse in 1969 and 1970.
1970s
After moving to Reading, the festival's line-up became primarily composed of
progressive rock
Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog; sometimes conflated with art rock) is a broad genre of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom and United States through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early 1970s. I ...
,
blues, and
hard rock during the early and mid 1970s,
and then became the first music festival to incorporate
punk rock and
new wave in the late 1970s, when
The Jam,
Sham 69, and
The Stranglers were among the headline acts. The festival's attempts to cater for both traditional rock acts and punk and new wave bands occasionally led to clashes between the two sets of fans at the end of the 1970s, though the festival gradually became known for focusing on heavy metal and rock acts.
1980s
During the 1980s, the festival followed a similar format to that established in the late 1970s, with leading rock and heavy metal acts performing on the last two days, and a more varied line-up including punk and new wave bands on the opening day.
Council ban
In 1984 and 1985, the Conservative-run local council effectively banned the festival by designating the festival site for development and refusing to grant licences for any alternative sites in the Reading area.
In 1984, many acts were already booked and tickets were on sale, with
Marillion due to headline. The promoters tried in vain to find a new site but a proposed move to
Lilford Hall
Lilford Hall is a Grade I listed Jacobean stately home in Northamptonshire in the United Kingdom. The 100-room house is located in the eastern part of the county, south of Oundle and north of Thrapston.
History
It was started in 1495 as a Tud ...
in Northamptonshire failed. The proposed line-up was published in ''Soundcheck'' free music paper issue 12 as: Friday 24 August –
Hawkwind,
Boomtown Rats
The Boomtown Rats are an Irish rock band originally formed in Dublin in 1975. Between 1977 and 1985, they had a series of Irish and UK hits including " Like Clockwork", "Rat Trap", "I Don't Like Mondays" and "Banana Republic". The original lin ...
,
Snowy White, The Playn Jayn,
Dumpy's Rusty Nuts
Dumpy's Rusty Nuts were a British rock band founded in 1981 by the lead singer Graham "Dumpy" Dunnell (born July 1949, London, England). Though unsuccessful as recording artists the band have been a successful and popular live act for decades. ...
, Wildfire, Chelsea Eloy, Tracy Lamb, New Torpedoes; Saturday 25th –
Jethro Tull,
Hanoi Rocks,
Steve Hackett, Club Karlsson,
Nazareth,
Twelfth Night,
Thor,
Silent Running,
New Model Army,
IQ, The Roaring Boys,
She
She most commonly refers to:
*She (pronoun), the third person singular, feminine, nominative case pronoun in modern English.
She or S.H.E. may also refer to:
Literature and films
*'' She: A History of Adventure'', an 1887 novel by H. Rider Hagga ...
; Sunday 26th –
Marillion,
Grand Slam,
The Bluebells
The Bluebells are a Scottish indie new wave band, active between 1981 and 1986 (later briefly reforming in 1993, 2008–2009, 2011 and 2018).
Career
The Bluebells performed jangly guitar-based pop not dissimilar to their Scottish contemporar ...
,
Helix,
Clannad
Clannad () is an Irish band formed in 1970 in Gweedore, County Donegal by siblings Ciarán, Pól, and Moya Brennan and their twin uncles Noel and Pádraig Duggan. They have adopted various musical styles throughout their history, including ...
,
The Opposition,
The Enid
The Enid are a British progressive rock band founded by keyboardist and composer Robert John Godfrey. Godfrey received his main musical education from The Royal College of Music. He is previously known for his work with Barclay James Harvest, ...
, Young Blood, Scorched Earth, and
Terraplane
The Terraplane was a car brand and model built by the Hudson Motor Car Company of Detroit, Michigan, between 1932 and 1938. In its maiden year, the car was branded as the Essex-Terraplane; in 1934 the car became simply the Terraplane. They were ...
).
After
Labour regained control of the council in 1986, permission was given for fields adjacent to the original festival site to be used, and a line-up was put together at short notice.
The following year saw a record attendance, headlined by
The Mission,
Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper (born Vincent Damon Furnier, February 4, 1948) is an American rock singer whose career spans over five decades. With a raspy voice and a stage show that features numerous props and stage illusions, including pyrotechnics, guilloti ...
and
Status Quo.
Late 1980s / early 1990s slump
1988 saw an attempt to take the festival in a mainstream commercial pop direction, featuring acts including
Starship,
Squeeze,
Hothouse Flowers,
Bonnie Tyler and
Meat Loaf (who was bottled off stage), and the subsequent disputes led to the ousting of original festival promoter Harold Pendleton by the
Mean Fiddler Music Group organisation.
Pendleton attempted to relocate the festival to a new site near
Newbury using the name "Redding Festival", but threats of legal action by the new promoters of the original festival, as well as a reluctance by Newbury District Council to issue a licence for the proposed Newbury Showground venue blocked Pendleton's plans. Meanwhile, the official Reading Festival, now managed by Mean Fiddler, continued at the Thames-side site in Reading, with a predominantly
goth and
indie music policy that alienated much of the traditional fan base and saw attendances plummet.
Attendances continued to fall between 1989 and 1991, but began to recover from 1992, when new organisers took over from the Mean Fiddler group, broadening the festival's musical policy.
1990s
In 1991,
Nirvana
( , , ; sa, निर्वाण} ''nirvāṇa'' ; Pali: ''nibbāna''; Prakrit: ''ṇivvāṇa''; literally, "blown out", as in an oil lamp Richard Gombrich, ''Theravada Buddhism: A Social History from Ancient Benāres to Modern Colomb ...
made the first of their two appearances at Reading, midway down the bill. The following year, in 1992, they played what would be their last UK concert, which was released as a live album/DVD ''
Live at Reading
''Live at Reading'' is a live CD/DVD by American rock band Nirvana, released on November 2, 2009. It features the band's headlining performance at the Reading Festival in Reading, England, on August 30, 1992. Bootlegged for years, the new issues ...
'' in November 2009. The band's singer
Kurt Cobain came onstage in a wheelchair pushed by music journalist
Everett True and wearing a medical gown, parodying speculations about his mental health. The 1992 festival was hit by extreme weather, with a thunderstorm on the Saturday drenching the site, leaving it ankle-deep in mud, and blowing away the Comedy Tent.
Festival expansion
By the mid-1990s, the festival had begun to regain its former status as the popularity of UK outdoor festivals increased.
Britpop and indie began to appear on the bill alongside the traditional rock and metal acts, and
rap acts such as
Ice Cube began to appear regularly on the main stage, to mixed receptions.
Public Enemy headlined the second day of the 1992 festival.
Beastie Boys were about halfway down the bill for day three.
In 1996,
The Stone Roses played the last gig before their break-up at the festival.
In 1998, the Reading Festival absorbed the failed
Phoenix Festival
The Phoenix Festival was set up by John Vincent Power of the Mean Fiddler Music Group in 1993 as an alternative to the established Glastonbury and Reading Festivals. It was held at Long Marston Airfield near Stratford-upon-Avon and was one of t ...
, resulting in an on-stage dispute between
Beastie Boys and
The Prodigy over the song "Smack My Bitch Up".
In 1999, the festival added a second venue at
Temple Newsam in
Leeds
Leeds () is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the third-largest settlement (by popul ...
, the site of
V Festival in 1997 and 1998, due to increasing demand. In the first year, all bands performed at the Leeds site the day after they played Reading, with the Reading Festival running from Friday to Sunday and the Leeds Festival running from Saturday to Monday. However, in 2001, the festival moved to the current format, wherein the Reading line-up plays at Leeds the following day, with the opening day line-up from Leeds playing the final day in Reading (with the exceptions of 2009 and 2010 when the bands playing Leeds played Reading the following day, and the bands on the opening day of Reading closed Leeds).
2000s
After a successful first year in Leeds, the increasing popularity of outdoor music festivals led to the Reading Festival selling out quicker every year. However, the Leeds Festival was plagued by riots and violence, which led to problems in retaining its licence. The worst incidents occurred in 2002, following which the festival was moved to
Bramham Park north-east of Leeds. Since then, security at both sites has increased and problems have been reduced.
The early 2000s saw a varied but predominantly rock line-up, though as the decade progressed the Main Stage and Radio 1 Stage featured many indie bands.
Despite being predominantly a rock festival, several hip-hop artists have appeared at the festival over the years, including
Cypress Hill,
Ice Cube,
Beastie Boys,
Eminem,
Xzibit,
Jay-Z,
50 Cent,
Dizzee Rascal, and
The Streets
The Streets are an English music project led by vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Mike Skinner.
The project has released six studio albums: '' Original Pirate Material'' (2002), ''A Grand Don't Come for Free'' (2004), ''The Hardest Way to ...
.
In 2005, the main stages at both Reading and Leeds were made larger, featuring cantilevered video screens. The same year the
Reading Fringe Festival was established in Reading, with venues in the town hosting acts hoping to draw crowds and industry figures from the larger festival. The Reading Fringe has run annually since then.
Banning of flags and banners
Flags were banned from both festival sites in 2009, with the organisers citing health and safety concerns. Flags and banners had been a traditional part of the Reading Festival since the early 1970s, originally used to enable motorcycle groups and others to identify themselves and find each other inside the main arena.
2010s
Reading Festival continued to expand through the early 2010s, with a new record capacity of 105,000 recorded in 2019. In the same year, 200 artists played at both festivals.
The festival typically has the following stages:
*Main Stage – major rock, indie, metal and alternative acts.
*''
NME''/
Radio 1 stage – less well-known acts, building up to an alternative headline act.
*Dance tent – dance music acts, previously sharing a day with the Lock Up stage, now a stand-alone 3-day stage.
*Lock Up Stage (also known as Pit Stage) – underground punk and hardcore acts. Due to demand, from 2006 this stage took up two days rather than previous years where it was only one day.
*
Festival Republic stage – acts with less popular appeal and breakthrough acts.
*1Xtra Stage – new stage for 2013 that stages Hip-Hop, RnB and Rap artists.
*Alternative tent – comedy and
cabaret acts plus DJs.
*
BBC Introducing Stage – Typically unsigned/not well known acts. (Formerly known as the
Topman
Topman is a UK-based multinational men's fashion retail brand founded by Burton Group (later renamed Arcadia Group) in 1978. Along with its women's clothing counterpart Topshop and the rest of Arcadia Group, Topman went into administration i ...
Unsigned Stage at the Leeds site).
2020s
On 12 May 2020 it was announced that the year's festivals were cancelled due to the ongoing
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
. The festivals were due to host
Rage Against the Machine's first UK show in 10 years, along with
Stormzy
Michael Ebenezer Kwadjo Omari Owuo Jr. (born 26 July 1993), known professionally as Stormzy, is a British rapper, singer and songwriter. In 2014, he gained attention on the UK underground music scene through his ''Wicked Skengman'' series of f ...
and
Liam Gallagher's first appearances as headliners. The 2021 festival included two main stages with six headliners, among them Stormzy and Liam Gallagher from the previous year's line up.
In 2022, Festival Republic came under fire following multiple incidents at both festival sites. At Reading, multiple fires were reported as well as mugs, chairs, cups and other objects being thrown. Stabbings were also reported. At Leeds, 16-year-old David Celino died after it was suspected he had taken
ecstasy.
List of headliners
*2023:
Sam Fender
Samuel Thomas Fender (born 25 April 1994) is an English singer, songwriter, and musician. He is known for his high tenor voice and thick Geordie accent, layered over music characterised by a roots-orientated rock approach. Fender's sound relies ...
,
Foals,
The Killers,
Lewis Capaldi
Lewis Marc Capaldi ( ; born 7 October 1996) is a Scottish singer-songwriter and musician. He was nominated for the Critics' Choice Award at the 2019 Brit Awards. In March 2019, his single " Someone You Loved" topped the UK Singles Chart where ...
,
Billie Eilish,
Imagine Dragons
*2022:
Dave Dave may refer to:
Film, television, and theater
* ''Dave'' (film), a 1993 film starring Kevin Kline and Sigourney Weaver
* ''Dave'' (musical), a 2018 stage musical adaptation of the film
* Dave (TV channel), a digital television channel in the ...
,
Megan Thee Stallion,
Arctic Monkeys,
Bring Me the Horizon
Bring Me the Horizon (often abbreviated as BMTH) are a British rock band formed in Sheffield in 2004. The group consists of lead vocalist Oliver Sykes, guitarist Lee Malia, bassist Matt Kean, drummer Matt Nicholls and keyboardist Jordan Fis ...
,
The 1975 (replacing
Rage Against the Machine),
Halsey
*2021:
Liam Gallagher,
Biffy Clyro (replacing
Queens of the Stone Age
Queens of the Stone Age (commonly abbreviated QOTSA) is an American rock band formed in 1996 in Palm Desert, California. The band was founded by vocalist and guitarist Josh Homme, who has been the only constant member throughout multiple lin ...
),
Stormzy
Michael Ebenezer Kwadjo Omari Owuo Jr. (born 26 July 1993), known professionally as Stormzy, is a British rapper, singer and songwriter. In 2014, he gained attention on the UK underground music scene through his ''Wicked Skengman'' series of f ...
,
Catfish and the Bottlemen,
Post Malone,
Disclosure
*2020 (cancelled):
Liam Gallagher,
Rage Against the Machine,
Stormzy
Michael Ebenezer Kwadjo Omari Owuo Jr. (born 26 July 1993), known professionally as Stormzy, is a British rapper, singer and songwriter. In 2014, he gained attention on the UK underground music scene through his ''Wicked Skengman'' series of f ...
*2019:
The 1975,
Foo Fighters,
Post Malone/
Twenty One Pilots (Co-headline)
*2018:
Fall Out Boy
Fall Out Boy is an American rock band formed in Wilmette, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, in 2001. The band consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Patrick Stump, bassist Pete Wentz, lead guitarist Joe Trohman, and drummer Andy Hur ...
,
Kendrick Lamar/
Panic! At The Disco (Co-headline),
Kings Of Leon
*2017:
Eminem,
Muse
In ancient Greek religion and mythology, the Muses ( grc, Μοῦσαι, Moûsai, el, Μούσες, Múses) are the inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge embodied in ...
,
Kasabian
Kasabian ( ) are an English rock band formed in Leicester in 1997 by lead vocalist Tom Meighan, guitarist and occasional vocalist Sergio Pizzorno, guitarist Chris Karloff, and bassist Chris Edwards. Drummer Ian Matthews joined in 2004. Ka ...
*2016:
Foals/
Disclosure (Co-headline),
Red Hot Chili Peppers,
Biffy Clyro/
Fall Out Boy
Fall Out Boy is an American rock band formed in Wilmette, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, in 2001. The band consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Patrick Stump, bassist Pete Wentz, lead guitarist Joe Trohman, and drummer Andy Hur ...
(Co-headline)
*2015:
Mumford & Sons,
Metallica,
The Libertines
*2014:
Queens of the Stone Age
Queens of the Stone Age (commonly abbreviated QOTSA) is an American rock band formed in 1996 in Palm Desert, California. The band was founded by vocalist and guitarist Josh Homme, who has been the only constant member throughout multiple lin ...
/
Paramore (Co-headline),
Arctic Monkeys,
Blink-182
*2013:
Green Day,
Eminem,
Biffy Clyro
*2012:
The Cure,
Kasabian
Kasabian ( ) are an English rock band formed in Leicester in 1997 by lead vocalist Tom Meighan, guitarist and occasional vocalist Sergio Pizzorno, guitarist Chris Karloff, and bassist Chris Edwards. Drummer Ian Matthews joined in 2004. Ka ...
,
Foo Fighters
*2011:
My Chemical Romance
My Chemical Romance (commonly abbreviated to MCR or My Chem) is an American rock band from Newark, New Jersey. The band's current lineup consists of lead vocalist Gerard Way, lead guitarist Ray Toro, rhythm guitarist Frank Iero, and bassist ...
,
The Strokes/
Pulp (Co-headline),
Muse
In ancient Greek religion and mythology, the Muses ( grc, Μοῦσαι, Moûsai, el, Μούσες, Múses) are the inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge embodied in ...
*2010:
Guns N' Roses,
Arcade Fire
Arcade Fire is a Canadian indie rock band, consisting of husband and wife Win Butler and Régine Chassagne, alongside Richard Reed Parry, Tim Kingsbury and Jeremy Gara. The band's current touring line-up also includes former core mem ...
,
Blink-182
*2009:
Kings of Leon,
Arctic Monkeys,
Radiohead
*2008:
Rage Against the Machine,
The Killers,
Metallica
*2007:
Razorlight
Razorlight are an English indie rock band, formed in 2002 in London by lead singer and guitarist Johnny Borrell. Along with Borrell, the current line-up of the band is composed of founding members Björn Ågren on guitar and bassist Carl Delemo ...
,
Red Hot Chili Peppers,
Smashing Pumpkins
*2006:
Franz Ferdinand,
Muse
In ancient Greek religion and mythology, the Muses ( grc, Μοῦσαι, Moûsai, el, Μούσες, Múses) are the inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge embodied in ...
,
Pearl Jam
*2005:
Pixies,
Foo Fighters,
Iron Maiden
*2004:
The Darkness,
The White Stripes,
Green Day
*2003:
Linkin Park,
Blur,
Metallica
*2002:
The Strokes,
Foo Fighters,
Guns N' Roses (Leeds),
The Prodigy
*2001:
Travis,
Manic Street Preachers
Manic Street Preachers, also known simply as the Manics, are a Welsh Rock music, rock band formed in Blackwood, Caerphilly, Blackwood in 1986. The band consists of cousins James Dean Bradfield (lead vocals, lead guitar) and Sean Moore (musician ...
,
Eminem
*2000:
Oasis,
Pulp,
Stereophonics
*1999:
The Charlatans,
Blur,
Red Hot Chili Peppers
*1998:
Jimmy Page & Robert Plant,
Beastie Boys,
Garbage
*1997:
Suede,
Manic Street Preachers
Manic Street Preachers, also known simply as the Manics, are a Welsh Rock music, rock band formed in Blackwood, Caerphilly, Blackwood in 1986. The band consists of cousins James Dean Bradfield (lead vocals, lead guitar) and Sean Moore (musician ...
,
Metallica
*1996:
The Prodigy,
Black Grape,
The Stone Roses
*1995:
Smashing Pumpkins,
Björk,
Neil Young
Neil Percival Young (born November 12, 1945) is a Canadian-American singer and songwriter. After embarking on a music career in Winnipeg in the 1960s, Young moved to Los Angeles, joining Buffalo Springfield with Stephen Stills, Richie Fu ...
*1994:
Cypress Hill,
Primal Scream,
Red Hot Chili Peppers
*1993:
Porno For Pyros
Porno for Pyros is an American alternative rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, United States in 1992, following the break-up of Jane's Addiction. The band currently consists of former Jane's Addiction members Perry Farrell (vocals) and ...
,
The The,
New Order
*1992:
Nirvana
( , , ; sa, निर्वाण} ''nirvāṇa'' ; Pali: ''nibbāna''; Prakrit: ''ṇivvāṇa''; literally, "blown out", as in an oil lamp Richard Gombrich, ''Theravada Buddhism: A Social History from Ancient Benāres to Modern Colomb ...
,
The Wonder Stuff,
Public Enemy
*1991:
Iggy Pop,
James,
The Sisters of Mercy
*1990:
The Cramps,
Inspiral Carpets,
Pixies
*1989:
New Order,
The Pogues
The Pogues were an English or Anglo-Irish Celtic punk band fronted by Shane MacGowan and others, founded in Kings Cross, London in 1982, as "Pogue Mahone" – the anglicisation of the Irish Gaelic ''póg mo thóin'', meaning "kiss my arse" ...
,
The Mission
* 1988:
Ramones,
Starship,
Squeeze
* 1987:
The Mission,
Status Quo,
Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper (born Vincent Damon Furnier, February 4, 1948) is an American rock singer whose career spans over five decades. With a raspy voice and a stage show that features numerous props and stage illusions, including pyrotechnics, guilloti ...
* 1986:
Killing Joke,
Saxon,
Hawkwind
* 1985: No festival held
* 1984 (cancelled):
Hawkwind,
Jethro Tull,
Marillion
* 1983:
The Stranglers,
Black Sabbath,
Thin Lizzy
* 1982:
Budgie,
Iron Maiden,
The Michael Schenker Group
The Michael Schenker Group (often abbreviated as MSG) are a guitar-oriented hard rock band, formed in London in 1979 by former Scorpions and UFO guitarist Michael Schenker. In 1986, Schenker and vocalist Robin McAuley formed the McAuley Sche ...
* 1981:
Girlschool
Girlschool are a British rock band that formed in the new wave of British heavy metal scene in 1978. Frequently associated with contemporaries Motörhead, they are the longest-running all-female rock band, still active after more than 40 ye ...
,
Gillan,
The Kinks
* 1980:
Rory Gallagher,
UFO
An unidentified flying object (UFO), more recently renamed by US officials as a UAP (unidentified aerial phenomenon), is any perceived aerial phenomenon that cannot be immediately identified or explained. On investigation, most UFOs are ide ...
,
Whitesnake
* 1979:
The Police,
Scorpions (replacing Thin Lizzy),
Peter Gabriel
* 1978:
The Jam,
Status Quo,
Patti Smith
* 1977:
Golden Earring,
Thin Lizzy,
Alex Harvey
* 1976:
Gong,
Rory Gallagher,
Osibisa
* 1975:
Hawkwind,
Yes
Yes or YES may refer to:
* An affirmative particle in the English language; see yes and no
Education
* YES Prep Public Schools, Houston, Texas, US
* YES (Your Extraordinary Saturday), a learning program from the Minnesota Institute for Talent ...
,
Wishbone Ash,
Supertramp
* 1974:
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band,
Traffic
Traffic comprises pedestrians, vehicles, ridden or herded animals, trains, and other conveyances that use public ways (roads) for travel and transportation.
Traffic laws govern and regulate traffic, while rules of the road include traffic ...
,
Focus
* 1973:
Rory Gallagher,
Faces,
Genesis
Genesis may refer to:
Bible
* Book of Genesis, the first book of the biblical scriptures of both Judaism and Christianity, describing the creation of the Earth and of mankind
* Genesis creation narrative, the first several chapters of the Book of ...
* 1972:
Curved Air,
Faces,
Quintessence
Quintessence, or fifth essence, may refer to:
Cosmology
* Aether (classical element), in medieval cosmology and science, the fifth element that fills the universe beyond the terrestrial sphere
* Quintessence (physics), a hypothetical form of da ...
* 1971:
Arthur Brown,
East of Eden,
Colosseum
The Colosseum ( ; it, Colosseo ) is an oval amphitheatre in the centre of the city of Rome, Italy, just east of the Roman Forum. It is the largest ancient amphitheatre ever built, and is still the largest standing amphitheatre in the world ...
* 1970:
Family,
Taste,
Deep Purple
* 1969:
Pink Floyd,
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup consisted of lead singer Roger Daltrey, guitarist and singer Pete Townshend, bass guitarist and singer John Entwistle, and drummer Keith Moon. They are considered ...
,
The Nice
* 1968:
The Herd,
The Nice,
Traffic
Traffic comprises pedestrians, vehicles, ridden or herded animals, trains, and other conveyances that use public ways (roads) for travel and transportation.
Traffic laws govern and regulate traffic, while rules of the road include traffic ...
* 1967:
Small Faces,
The Nice,
Cream
* 1966:
Small Faces,
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup consisted of lead singer Roger Daltrey, guitarist and singer Pete Townshend, bass guitarist and singer John Entwistle, and drummer Keith Moon. They are considered ...
,
Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames
* 1965:
The Yardbirds
The Yardbirds are an English rock band, formed in London in 1963. The band's core lineup featured vocalist and harmonica player Keith Relf, drummer Jim McCarty, rhythm guitarist and later bassist Chris Dreja and bassist/producer Paul Samwe ...
,
Manfred Mann
Manfred Mann were an English rock band, formed in London and active between 1962 and 1969. The group were named after their keyboardist Manfred Mann, who later led the successful 1970s group Manfred Mann's Earth Band. The band had two diffe ...
,
The Animals
* 1964:
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the gritty, rhythmically dr ...
,
Chris Barber Band,
Kenny Ball and His Jazzmen
Kenneth Daniel Ball (22 May 1930Larkin C., ''Virgin Encyclopedia of Sixties Music''. (Muze UK Ltd, 1997), p. 29; ) – 7 March 2013) was an English jazz musician, best known as the bandleader, lead trumpet player and vocalist in Kenny Ball and ...
* 1963:
Chris Barber's Jazz Band
Donald Christopher "Chris" Barber OBE (17 April 1930 – 2 March 2021) was an English jazz musician, best known as a bandleader and trombonist. He helped many musicians with their careers and had a UK top twenty trad jazz hit with " Petite Fle ...
,
Acker Bilk's Paramount Jazz Band
* 1962:
Chris Barber's Jazz Band
Donald Christopher "Chris" Barber OBE (17 April 1930 – 2 March 2021) was an English jazz musician, best known as a bandleader and trombonist. He helped many musicians with their careers and had a UK top twenty trad jazz hit with " Petite Fle ...
,
Kenny Ball's Jazzmen
* 1961:
Chris Barber's Jazz Band
Donald Christopher "Chris" Barber OBE (17 April 1930 – 2 March 2021) was an English jazz musician, best known as a bandleader and trombonist. He helped many musicians with their careers and had a UK top twenty trad jazz hit with " Petite Fle ...
,
Ken Colyer's Jazzmen
Bottling incidents
Bottling
Bottling lines are production lines that fill a product, generally a beverage, into bottles on a large scale. Many prepared foods are also bottled, such as sauces, syrups, marinades, oils and vinegars.
Beer bottling process
Packaging of bottle ...
acts off stage (being forced off stage by a barrage of audience-thrown bottles and cans) is a frequent occurrence at the festival. During the 1970s and 1980s, there were often mass-participation can and bottle fights, and unpopular bands have been bottled offstage throughout the festival's history since the first large-scale "cannings" of 1973 and 1974. Examples include:
*Punk band
The Hellions, featuring ex-
Damned guitarist
Brian James, were booked on an otherwise 100%
heavy metal line-up on the Friday of the 1980 Festival and left the stage in less than a minute following an assault of cans, bottles and pork pies. "I Canned The Hellions at Reading" T-shirts were on sale at souvenir stands within the hour.
*In 1983, reggae act
Steel Pulse left within moments of arriving on stage under an avalanche of missiles launched by punks and rockers waiting to see
The Stranglers.
*
John Waite and the No Brakes Band quit the stage on the Saturday of the 1986 festival when their drummer was hit in the head by a 12" vinyl disc.
*In 1988,
Bonnie Tyler completed her set despite being pelted with bottles and turf. The same day's headliner
Meat Loaf left 20 minutes into his set after being hit by a full two-litre cider bottle. After an initially positive reception Meat Loaf angered the audience by berating them for their treatment of his friend Bonnie Tyler earlier in the day, then stormed off stage when met with a volley of burgers and bottles. He eventually returned shouting "Do you wanna rock 'n' roll or do you wanna throw stuff?" Ten seconds later the cider bottle struck him in the face, at which point he left the stage permanently.
*In 2000,
Daphne and Celeste were scheduled on the main stage for a short two song set and were bottled throughout.
*In 2003,
Good Charlotte
Good Charlotte is an American rock band from Waldorf, Maryland that formed in 1996. Since 2005, the band's lineup has consisted of twin brothers Joel Madden (lead vocals) and Benji Madden (guitar and vocals), Paul Thomas (bass), Billy Martin ( ...
stopped their set 20 minutes short and encouraged the crowd to throw bottles all at the same time after a count of three after being pelted by bottles throughout their set.
*In 2004,
50 Cent was pelted with bottles, mud and an inflatable paddling pool during his set. 50 Cent was on stage for just under 20 minutes before throwing his
microphone into the crowd in anger.
The Rasmus were also bottled off after one song.
*In 2006 at Reading,
Panic! at the Disco lead singer
Brendon Urie was struck in the face with a plastic bottle and fell unconscious, forcing the rest of the band to stop mid-song as he lay on the floor. Urie received medical treatment from his road crew for several minutes before regaining consciousness, and the band subsequently continued the song from the point at which it was interrupted. The same year,
My Chemical Romance
My Chemical Romance (commonly abbreviated to MCR or My Chem) is an American rock band from Newark, New Jersey. The band's current lineup consists of lead vocalist Gerard Way, lead guitarist Ray Toro, rhythm guitarist Frank Iero, and bassist ...
were heckled by a small group of angry audience members. Lead singer
Gerard Way encouraged the crowd to throw bottles at them instead, and the band were pelted with golf balls and bottles of urine, among other items.
*In 2008, a crowd of approximately 3,000 people attended the "BBC Introducing" Stage at Reading to see unsigned band 'The FF'ers' following rumours that it would actually be a secret
Foo Fighters gig, and the band were subjected to a large amount of abuse from the audience, including several bottles launched at the band.
*In 2016,
Tyler Joseph of
Twenty One Pilots was attacked and robbed as he attempted to crowd-surf in the Radio One Tent. Reacting unfavourably to his behaviour, the hostile audience threw him to the ground, ripped off various items of his clothing and stole his ski-mask. Joseph was eventually rescued by security guards, who carried him to an elevated platform where he announced that the band's set was over.
See also
*
List of historic rock festivals
*
Love Not Riots
*
Reading and Leeds Festivals line-ups
*
List of music festivals in the United Kingdom
*
Workers Beer Company
The Workers Beer Company (WBC) is a trading arm of the Battersea and Wandsworth Trade Union Council (BWTUC) and is a British-Irish business that provides mass catering to bars at music festivals in the UK and Ireland. The WBC was set up by and i ...
, Workers Beer Company
References
Further reading
*
External links
Reading Festival official websiteLeeds Festival official websiteReading & Leedsat the
BBC
Reading Festival official ticket agentLeeds Festival official ticket agent
{{Authority control
Music festivals in Berkshire
Music festivals in Leeds
Rock festivals in England
Music festivals established in 1961