Reviews by Andy Preston & Jake Clothier
Irish rappers Kneecap were among the first to take to the main stage on Friday, the first day of Reading Festival.
The band exudes an immediate, arresting urgency married with an easy, offhand, down-to-earth charm.
Their consummate songwriting belies not only their satirical outlook but also their articulate and incisive approach.
This is complemented by their fizzing energy on stage, making the Belfast outfit an early highlight and one of the festival’s unmissable acts.
Particular stand-outs of the set included Sick In The Head, Rhino Ket, and the instantly infectious Get Your Brits Out.
DJ Provai joined the crowd for their final song, H.O.O.D., in a thrilling crescendo to their performance and compelling evidence that the band could be on the precipice of global acclaim.
Meanwhile over at Festival Republic Lambrini Girls barrelled onto the stage with their usual aplomb and in a haze of feedback.
They immediately made themselves known, kicking straight into fan favourite Big D*ck Energy.
As they transitioned into the introduction of Help Me I’m Gay, they selected members of the crowd to give their names, celebrating queer attendees, before kicking into high gear with festival anthem God’s Country
Their set rang through with energy as they performed Lads Lads Lads and Bad Apple, and their political sensibilities were characteristically at the forefront.
They shared statistics about sexual abuse in an aside, highlighting the continued problem with sexual assault, especially within the industry, before performing Boys in the Band.
Neck Deep arrived on the Main Stage full of all-out pop-punk energy broken up with some slower songs.
The band also made the unique feat of playing two sets in a single day.
Kicking off their first set with Dumbstruck Dumbf**k, they followed with several catchy hits such as Heartbreak of the Century and We Need More Bricks, which was preceded by a long rallying political speech from lead vocalist Ben Barlow.
Their energetic set was finished off by In Bloom as the band invited the crowd to join them over at Festival Republic for their stage-closing set later in the day.
They were swiftly followed by Essex rock outfit Bad Nerves, who bring the sound and energy one expects from a classic Reading Festival booking.
With classic hard rock sensibilities and a laid-back attitude, their set shimmered with distortion-riddled guitar and shout-along vocals, led with effortless charm by frontman Bobby Nerves.
The band had a breathless urgency as each of their songs out-did the last, barrelling through the set at breakneck pace, before rounding off with fan favourite Dreamers.
Highlights included their latest single, Plastic Rebel, Punk Radio, and New Shapes.
Over at BBC Introducing, Beren Olivia brought consummate pop rock, delivered with charm, earnestness, and instant infectiousness.
Olivia not only showcases the judicious selection of artists by the BBC Introducing program, but also the necessity for the stage, standing as evidence that the stage is a firm favourite of returning attendees and festival freshers alike.
Canadian rockers Spiritbox provided a change of pace, with lead vocalist Courtney LaPlante showcasing her impressive range spanning melodic vocals and deep, powerful screams.
Their six-song setlist saw them play Cellar Door, The Void, Holy Roller, Secret Garden, Circle With Me, and Hysteria which showed Reading Festival’s versatility with a refreshing change to a heavier style of rock.
Big Special took to the BBC Introducing stage for the first secret set of the weekend.
The duo began their set with a shout of “Surprise,” before getting underway.
The band exudes a cheeky, playful energy, toying with the audience as they marry shouty, rock-laden rap and soaring crooning with moody, elaborate musicianship.
Lead vocalist Joe Hicklin’s performance ranged from deep, Bowie-esque riffs to earnest, gravelly asides via performance reminiscent of Tom Grennan or Rag ‘n’ Bone Man.
Drummer Callum Moloney was also ever-present, including a moment where he scaled the stage’s speakers, with the joyful attitude the band taking only serving to underline a supreme talent in both performers.
They both joined the crowd for the penultimate song, greeting the audience and leading the sing-along vocals, before closing out with the emotional but infectious final song and a literal mic-drop moment.
Two Door Cinema Club started off with a subdued, cool air as they began on the Main Stage with This Is The Life and maintained their easygoing and seemingly effortless energy.
As the band has come to be known for, their set revisited some of the biggest hits from their earlier albums, which have been instant festival anthems since they were released.
It means that the set is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser, full of sunshine-soaked, danceable riffs and assured, at times almost angelic vocal style from front-man Trimble.
Two Door Cinema Club’s point-perfect performance and approachable choice of set list evidences the band’s assured standing as returning festival favourites.
Hot on their heels was Gerry Cinnamon, whose acoustic sound rang around Richfield Avenue with a plethora of sing-along hits.
Co-headlining the night and taking to the stage before Blink-182, the Glaswegian solo artist was able to captivate the crowd throughout his set.
Elsewhere Denzel Curry brought the consummate rap element to the festival which many of its attendees are seeking.
His set was complimented by the visual accompaniment which the new Chevron Stage affords, bringing a genuine spectacle when in the throes of the crowd.
Curry wasted no time in grabbing the audience by the ears and taking them for a ride with his unstoppable stage energy and accomplished vocal style.
Headliners Blink-182 closed the first night of the festival with their trademark cheeky humour and electric atmosphere as they rattled through a set celebrating the best of the band’s extensive back catalogue.
The set was filled with festival anthems– including some of the most celebrated rock songs of the last three decades– punctuated with more emotive songs which belie the band’s sometimes overlooked versatility.
While the first day of three is now over, Reading Today will be bringing you news, reviews, and interviews from across the weekend.
