READING Pride has announced the line up for its Pride aLive stage, which focuses on local acts who are members or allies of the LGBTQ+ community.
This year, Reading Pride has partnered with Readipop, a Reading charity which uses music to enrich the cultural landscape of the town and to give support to residents.
Acoustic, indie-folk artist, Colours & Fires, brings their brand of highly-personal music to the festival, with much of their work exploring transformation across genders and relationships.
Their most recent performances include shows at Oxjam Reading, Readipop festival, Are you Listening Festival, Trans Pride Brighton, and Brighton Pride.
They were also among those selected as official artists for BBC Sounds Independent Venue Week in 2020 and 2022.
After a short hiatus, stellar rap collective OSP have returned to work on their first studio project, with experience at Abbey Road studios, Glastonbury Festival, and as BBC 1Xtra’s track of the week between them. Esa Kwame, J Blacks, Silqe, and Subject have all performed as solo artists, as well as with other groups, and recently performed at ReadiPop 2022.
Pictured above: Rap collective OSP. Picture: Courtesy of Reading Pride
Reading’s own Elucidate is set to perform, with powerhouse lead vocals fusing garage rock, punk, and pop influences such as David Bowie and The 1975.
They were tipped as one of Spotify’s Hot New Bands in 2019, going on to perform at ReadiPop and Are You Listening in 2020.
Alt-rock-pop soloist Deva St John brings modern production to her classic rock influences, and sold out her first headline show in 2021.
She also opened the main stage at this year’s ReadiPop festival after having performed a number of shows in Europe.Her debut EP is currently planned for release in October.
Hatty Taylor will bring their chaotic style of folk music to the event, with vocal loops and personal lyrics with a combination of acoustic and electric sounds.Hatty was also one-half of Reading’s electro-blues stalwarts Vienna Ditto.
Reading’s community samba drumming group, BeatRoots, will take to the Pride aLive stage, having run in Reading since 1996.
The group has performed at WOMAD, The Thames Festival and during the Olympic Rowing at London 2012.
The group is open to new members, including beginners, who can take part in a samba 101 taster workshop.
Rachel Redman, Jopy, Midnight Drive, Twenty 06, and Tara Deane will round out the stage’s lineup.
Reading Pride Parade and Love Unites Festival will take place on Saturday, September 3, in Kings Meadow.
