WHILE Saturday at Reading Festival got off to a rainy start, thoughts were with attendees at the sister festival in Leeds, where many of the event’s stages have been called off due to high winds and continued adverse weather.
As the weather began to improve at Reading, however, Bleachers took to the Main Stage, bringing summery indie rock laced with jazz and pop sensibilities.
The band rattled through hit after hit, mixing woodwind instrumentation with their rockier, edgier outlook in an intoxicating mix.
They closed their set with a screaming saxophone battle between two performers which exemplified both the band’s sense of fun and their impressive and commendable musicianship.
Over on BBC Introducing there was accomplished, earnest, alternative indie rock from the Scottish four-piece Bottle Rockets.
Their easy stage presence belies a clear talent for performance and songwriting, especially in the compelling pairing of Kenzi’s laconic vocal style and classic rock sensibilities.
The band showed incredible comfort on the stage, backed up by a growing collection of solidly enjoyable tracks and a love of the craft that shines through at all times, including the particular highlight of an emotive and incisive Backburn.
They closed their set with an ode to influences Fontaines D.C., who were but moments away from taking to the main stage themselves, with a cover of I Love You.
The aforementioned Fontaines D.C. then brought consummate rock, cementing their status as classic and satisfying booking for the festival.
Their well-earned confidence and easy swagger were infectious, continually lifting the crowd as the weather began to clear once more.
On the Radio 1 stage, Wunderhorse brought guitar-driven but melodic rock with pop influence and eminently singable riffs aplenty.
Playing with immediate energy and aplomb to a packed-out tent, Wunderhorse felt almost primal in their performance, not least because of the lead vocalist’s impressive voice control during the ragged but flawless moments where the band leans into their harder rock influences.
Hot on their heels was The Beaches, serving up truly top-tier modern rock from a powerhouse band radiating engaging excitement from the off.
The Beaches were among the highlights of the day, especially the jubilant closing track, Blame My Ex, which is a testament not only to the edgy air to the band’s output but also to their ultimately optimistic approach to their subject matter, and their output as a whole.
Over on the Main Stage, the first of the evening headline acts took to the stage as Lana Del Rey appeared in the midst of string chords and an ethereal introductory music video.
Del Rey gave a subdued performance in the beginning, allowing the crowd to take in the considered stage production and atmosphere.
The sea of mobile phones which appeared as the opening bars of smash hit Summertime Sadness rang out was a testament not only to the artist’s popularity, but also to the excitement and devotion of fans eager to make their bragging rights known.
Elsewhere, Viagra Boys lit the touch paper on a charged Festival Republic stage, immediately kicking into high gear with huge energy and a classically acidic rock sound.
The band started with Aint No Thief, which whipped the crowd into a frenzy from the off.
The set was punctuated with weary and laconic asides from frontman Seb Murphy, who is in equal parts charmingly cheerful and moodily misanthropic, with a wickedly off-hand but engaging sense of humour.
Unapologetic, unrelenting, and yet eminently accessible, Viagra Boys conducted a judicious set with well-concealed erudition and a thinly-veiled lust for chaos, with the response to particular highlights Troglodyte and fan-favourite Sport evidencing the band’s rapidly exploding popularity.
The Wombats well and truly shut down proceedings for the day over on the Radio 1 stage, with a breathless set packed wall-to-wall with classic indie tracks.
They wasted no time in kicking into their opening song, Moving To New York, before rattling through Techno Fan, modern classic Lemon To A Knife Fight, and the monumental Kill The Director.
They were joined on stage by their usual gaggle of wombats, first playing the trumpet, then indicating that a brand new song was imminent.
Following the latest single from the band, triumphant in how well it fitted among certified hits, they quickly returned to familiar ground with If You Ever Leave (I’m Coming With You), before rounding out with two of their most celebrated and beloved tracks, Greek Tragedy and the emotive Turn.
The Wombats’ faultless set was a testament to their status as danceable, dependable festival favourites with heft, humour, and, above all, heart.
Overall, Saturday at Reading Festival showed that while the event has inevitably, and understandably, diversified its offerings, it is still acutely aware of its harder rock and indie roots, which shone through the day- even when the sun had decided not to.
