Reading 2006 got off to a false start when the sound cut out one note into Do Me Bad Things set. So a hasty exit, and problem-free return five minutes later. GLC – back for a second year – chaved their way around the stage, the joke now perhaps wearing thin.
“The semi-legendary Wedding Present” – as they described themselves – lived up to their status, while down in NME/Radio 1 Tent things filled up for The Dead 60s. A big crowd again for The Subways, which for me was the best set of the day.
Will Fightstar ever lose the “Charlie from Busted” tag? With the signs in the crowd, and some very young faces on the barrier, perhaps not. Greeted with a small number of very well aimed bottles (have you been practicing? ;-), they kept their cool and got into their stride. They were followed by My Chemical Romance, who had a huge crowd but awful sound.
Back at the Main Stage, things started to hot up for Queens of the Stone Age. Extra stewards appeared in the pit, and the crowd surged as they hit the stage. Not long in, their playing slowed to nothing for a moment to calm the crowd, before things got back to their rocking best.
Back in the NME/Radio 1 tent, poor old Cooper Temple Clause suffered from the main stage competition, with one of the smallest crowds of the day, while The Killers probably had the largest at the Main Stage. Brandon & co definitely think themselves one of the best bands in the world, and hey, it worked for Oasis, so who knows. They’ve improved on how they were when seen last year though, and it’s an enjoyable set.
Having seen Pixies when they hit these shores last year, I had doubts of them as a headliner, fearing they wouldn’t really cut it. But I shouldn’t have worried, as they blasted through a great show. Meanwhile Kasabian drew a massive crowd, sounding great.
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Reading Festival 
