Which Was Your Favorite Year?

[JayBeeis]

Title explains the question well enough I think... But: Which was your favorite year at the Reading or Leeds festival? It can be because of a line up, an experience or anything! 

 

Apologies if there is already a thread like this, I did have a little look and definitely didn't see anything that was still active. 

[Mattymooz]

I only went 2016 & 17, but 16 was way better imo (but it probably helps that that was my first big camping fest).

I still get really jealous when I look back at the 2014 lineup though I would have had a breakdown on the Friday (both the Main Stage and Dance Stage look stacked). Would have loved to see the Paramore Power Cut live too:

Royal Blood, Don Broco and CHVRCHES on the NME on Saturday (though not really a fan of any of the headliners that day) and then Disclosure vs. Flume for my Sunday headline slot. A clash riddled nightmare, but would have been such a good fest for me.

[Pisces Iscariot]

2010 for me,  the main stage was stacked with great bands that year. The nme had the likes of Two Door and Foals as well, good times!

[Jericode]

Of the 3 I've been to (2011, 2012, 2016) I'd say 2012 was my favourite. The entire Foos day was brilliant and the surprise Green Day set really started the Saturday off well.

2011 was my least favourite, largely down to my tent flooding and being a miserable prick as a result. MCR fully banged though.

[Henrik]

Easy, this year was insane...

 

[Guest]

2015 and 2016 were the two big ones for me and my mates. There was a massive group of us both years so have fond memories between the two festivals.

2015 was probably the better lineup/experience overall. Kendrick subbing the main stage is still one of the best live gigs i've ever been to. Incredible stuff. Frank Turner's solo set was really good too, great crowd in the FR tent that night.

Weather was pretty shite in 2016 at Leeds, but still had a class time. The run of Die Antwoord > BBK > Chvrches > Foals > Disclosure on the Saturday was great, probably the best run on the main stage of all the years i've been.

[Andre91]

1. 2010 - Only went for the Blink day but it remains the best day of my life. 

2. 2015 - Awesome lineup. Finally got to see Metallica. 

3. 2013 - First full weekend with all of my friends. Finally got to see System Of A Down and Biffy Clyro put on the best performance I have ever seen. To this day it is my all-time #1 show. 

Edited January 31, 2019 by Andre91

[Goer190]

2015 for me. Somewhat down to personal experience and somewhat down to the lineup.

The run on the Friday (Leeds) of The Maccabees -> Jamie T -> Kendrick -> The Libertines is the stuff of dreams for myself.

Thought the NME was very strong this year, Catfish, Broco, Run the Jewels, Limp Bizkit. Also Wombats on FR was great, loved the crowd in there. 

The lineup this year could give it a run for its money though, quite easily. 

Shout out to 2014 purely for QOTSA!

Edited January 31, 2019 by Goer190

[justanothername]

2014 was probably my favourite on a whole. My whole days were stacked with bands to see and most of my best mates were there so I had a great time. Also had my favourite set I've seen with The Wonder Years in the Lock Up that year. Also I think that was the year The Lock Up and The Pit peaked. I keep looking back at that stage that year and kick myself for missing several bands (though I have managed to see all of them since  ). Also that run of Shikari > Vampire Weekend > QOTSA > Paramore is still class and still the best main stage run for me.

2015 is probably my favourite line up wise now as a whole. Refused, American Football, Run The Jewels, Kendrick Lamar, Foals, The Gaslight Anthem, The Smith Street Band, The Menzingers, FIDLAR and Metallica are still bands I love and listen to compared to other years (also I was really hyped for Modern Baseball before they cancelled). If I could have a repeat of any line up it would be that one.

Edited January 31, 2019 by justanothername

[Bisque]

2008

 

[RossMacpherson]

2008. I'll never forget it...

[mttJ]

2013 was probably the best weekend of my life. That Biffy show was the best set I've ever seen. 

Will always look back at 2008 with envy, wonder if people will feel the same about the current line-ups in x amount of years.

[Coffeecatspugs]

9 hours ago, Bisque said:

2008

 

2008 wasn’t that good...Slipknot cancelled at the last minute, then rubbed salt in the wound by having a plane with a banner advertising their upcoming tour fly over!! And Avenged 7X managed about 2 songs before they were too ill to carry on!! 

[jump]

10 hours ago, Coffeecatspugs said:

2008 wasn’t that good...Slipknot cancelled at the last minute, then rubbed salt in the wound by having a plane with a banner advertising their upcoming tour fly over!! And Avenged 7X managed about 2 songs before they were too ill to carry on!! 

At Reading A7X didn't even bother to show up. They added Bring Me The Horizon (who were nothing like how they are today) to the start of the day and were half heartedly bottled. Still Metallica, Dropkicks, MSI and at the time a rare Tenacious D appearance made it a decent day for me.

[VCK]

Overall best line up: 2000 - Oasis, RATM, Foos, Ian Brown, Pulp, Super Furry Animals, Primal Scream, Limp Bizkit, Muse, QOTSA. Just looked so good.

Best line up when I went: 2008 - Unreal. Ending one night with Metallica, then RATM the next, before finally the Manics, was perfection. And all three put on absolutely blinding sets. The fact that a band the size of The Killers were considered to be the "weaker" headliner speaks volumes about the strength of the bill that year.

Overall best year for me: 2009 - Very weak line up in comparison to the previous year, but I ended up going with a lot more people than '08 which made it more fun, and the weather was a lot better too. Plus, that Radiohead performance still stays with me, nearly a decade later. The Prodigy and Kaiser Chiefs also put on very good shows. On a personal note too, 2009 was one of my favourite summers ever, and Leeds that year just rounded it off nicely.

Edited February 1, 2019 by VCK

[VCK]

10 hours ago, Coffeecatspugs said:

2008 wasn’t that good...Slipknot cancelled at the last minute, then rubbed salt in the wound by having a plane with a banner advertising their upcoming tour fly over!! And Avenged 7X managed about 2 songs before they were too ill to carry on!! 

I remember that plane flying over during the Dropkick Murphys set, and their singer saying something along the lines of "nice way to treat your fans, cancelling a show they paid to see and then advertising other shows to them."

[Padjeq]

On 1/31/2019 at 10:02 AM, Mattymooz said:

I only went 2016 & 17, but 16 was way better imo (but it probably helps that that was my first big camping fest).

I still get really jealous when I look back at the 2014 lineup though I would have had a breakdown on the Friday (both the Main Stage and Dance Stage look stacked). Would have loved to see the Paramore Power Cut live too:

Royal Blood, Don Broco and CHVRCHES on the NME on Saturday (though not really a fan of any of the headliners that day) and then Disclosure vs. Flume for my Sunday headline slot. A clash riddled nightmare, but would have been such a good fest for me.

I was at the Leeds Paramore day in 2014. One of the best lone day line-ups I've ever had even if QOTSA weren't much cop. Lizzo even pulled me on stage with her.

[JSmurphy]

No question:

 

[KingPin]

I've done Leeds 2012 through to 2017, 2014 was the most fun year, 13 the best line up, 17 the worst festival out of the lot, very excited to get back this year though, best line up since 2015 if not 2014 imo.

[TKOCF]

Reading 2017.

The main stage run of Rat Boy, Circa Waves, Jimmy Eat World, Two Door, Bastille and Kasabian was perfect, combined with Muse on Sunday. Runner up was Leeds in 2016, despite shitty weather. 

[Coffeecatspugs]

10 hours ago, jump said:

At Reading A7X didn't even bother to show up. They added Bring Me The Horizon (who were nothing like how they are today) to the start of the day and were half heartedly bottled. Still Metallica, Dropkicks, MSI and at the time a rare Tenacious D appearance made it a decent day for me.

Yeah to be fair the rest of the weekend was class 

[Bisque]

On 2/1/2019 at 2:53 AM, Coffeecatspugs said:

2008 wasn’t that good...Slipknot cancelled at the last minute, then rubbed salt in the wound by having a plane with a banner advertising their upcoming tour fly over!! And Avenged 7X managed about 2 songs before they were too ill to carry on!! 

I remember the banner, w*nkers, but tbf JJ broke his foot so they couldn’t really play.

[moz4pm]

Any year between 2005-2010, lineup was always great and always a big group of us going. It's sad to see what the festival has become in the last five years.

[devilman]

2013. 

[Tom Connolly]

this year is looking like the best lineup ever for my music taste