WHILE Saturday at the University of Reading’s Whiteknights Campus began somewhat understatedly, the much-anticipated return of Readipop would soon see thousands descend to bring the party atmosphere.
We Don’t Run kicked off proceedings in Mojos, while Ben Marwood got the Patio stage warmed up and attendees got arty with Jelly’s workshops in the Glitch room.
Once the event was in full swing, Doops brought urgent, eclectic rock with freeform, prog tendencies to the stage at Mojos.
Their shoegaze sensibilities never lingered on languor for long, giving way to an animalistic bent in a set which explored some of their more recent releases.
Meanwhile 4FINGAZ brought affable, approachable ragga-infused afrobeats to the Patio in a set suffused with joy and jubilant in its celebration of love and his Nigerian influences, concluding with an upbeat and inventive freestyle performance.
Bone Idle’s set over in Mojos saw assured, high-energy rock which wore the influence of bands like Oasis and Arctic Monkeys on a generation on its sleeve.
This is especially true of lead vocalist Braiden Casey’s performance, which is engagingly laconic–but never shies away from allusions to something deeper and flights of introspection.
This is especially true with songs like Listen Now, which, along with Superficial and Stones, proved to be among the highlights of the set.
For a young four-piece outfit from Tilehurst, Bone Idle show accomplishment and promise in equal measure, wrapped up in a confidence which only serves to amplify their laid-back approach.
It would be no surprise to see this quartet rising through the ranks at Reading Festival over the coming years, and follow in the footsteps of The Amazons and Songer in making it to the main stage.
Over on the Patio, Damien A Passmore brought approachable singer-songwriting filled with emotional resonance and off-hand humour which has made him a main stay in Reading’s music scene.
Songs like The Ballad of Brian Mills saw Passmore mix country and bluegrass styles with a distinctly modern sense of humour, creating an endearing and intoxicating combination.
Over at 360, Glitterwound combined an eclectic range of influences and styles into an immediately arresting and individual offering, ranging from soaring saxophone solos to mesoamerican death whistles.
Layering funk, rock, Latin, and even metal inflections, the band suffuses their set with a cheeky laid-back approachability, yet transcends with soaring, cut glass vocal which laces their offerings with both an angsty attitude and a consummate confidence in equal measure.
Where such an “anything goes” approach might elsewhere might create a disjointed offering, Glitterwound is subtly judicious, resulting in a unique yet disarmingly charming offering where every talent of any given member is given the chance to shine, and only ever to the benefit of the performance as a whole.
Back at Mojos, Vainty Fairy appeared, a vision in sequins, for off-the-wall and off-the-reins pop perfection.
Vanity Fairy is an act which cannot be confined–not least to the stage, as they took a tour of the venue, mic in hand, in a whirlwind colourful kaftan.
Elsewhere, Kah’nya gave an earnest and approachable singer-songwriting to the Patio.
While the presentation was understated, it belied a strength in composition and performance which is quickly obvious, and gave way to a playfulness that makes the set all the more charming and endearing.
Highlights of the set included a first-ever live performance of Roses Are Red, from their debut album, See It Say It Sorted, and a cover of 4 Non Blondes’ What’s Up.
The set closed with a powerful rendition of The King of the Palace.
Back at 360, Baby Said barrelled onto the stage, bringing angsty, attitude-filled rock adorned with spangly guitars.
While the band are no-nonsense in their immediate iconoclasm, they have no shortage of heart and humour, especially when their breakneck set gave way to the more introspective fare of Burn.
The band radiated energy which was difficult to deny, and, above all, embraced every second on stage–a trait which takes confidence to pull off, but is eminently infectious, and couldn;t have been more well-earned.
Hot on their heels were The Primitives, who spared no time in breaking out with their 80’s ’80s-infused rock, exuding the kind of assured confidence that only decades in the business can give a performer.
Highlights like Trouble and Panic were evidence of the outfit’s talent for shout-along vocals and catchy pop rock, a genre which would come to define an era.
They followed with the smash-hit Crash and 1989’s consummate track, Really Stupid.
Reading’s own Puma Theory brought assured, arresting rock to Mojos, which, while often cerebral, do not shy away from sing-along choruses and chest-shaking bridges.
With a debut album on the horizon, Puma Theory are quickly proving they have the chops to rival the likes of Sundara Karma in their exploratory, exemplary output and live performances.
They quickly gave way to Bevendene, however, who, following their performance at the RFC season launch, barreled out of the gate in a shower of distortion and feedback.
Tracks such as Where We Are, Wake Up, and Magic were captivating, and the band closed out their set with the more introspective Wild Idea.
Bevendene show some immense promise, and will doubtless prove to be one to watch in the future.
Hot on their heels was Rose Rey, who is old-school rock personified: effusive, ebullient, and effervescent, with powerhouse vocals and an effortless skill with a guitar.
Rey exudes pure attitude, confidence, and charm, and brought a judiciously constructed set, peppering well-authored originals with well-selected covers.
Highlights included hits Dirty Martini and Baddest Habit, as well as an inspired alt-rock take on the 80s smash hit Small Town Boy.
There are stellar things ahead for Rose Rey.
Before too long, it was time for the day’s headline act to take to the stage in 360 in a wave of anticipation and excitement.
The Amazons carried an electric charge which filled the air as the kicked off their set, which would set the tone for their latest iteration as they herald a new era for the band.
Now six-strong in their numbers, the band has continued to build on their incredibly assured rock roots, layering powerhouse female vocals and consummate drum solos into the mix to the point of outright majesty.
The set explored their more recent output, but occasionally returned to some of the hits which saw them explode into global acclaim– not least their closing number, the festival anthem Black Magic.
While the song has never been anything other than a jubilant, rallying cry, the rendition saw the band turn the magic up to 11, squeezing every possible moment of joy from the track before alighting and closing out the day’s principal acts.
Overall, Readipop has once again proved what is so special about it: its bill remains a carefully curated selection of well-established acts with decades of experience mixed with some of the most promising local acts, sharing stages side by side.
It’s easy to underestimate local festivals in a town which is home to one of the biggest events in the musical calendar, but Readipop proves time and again that it is every bit as vital and as voracious as the likes of Reading and Leeds.
For a fallow year, Readipop has only shown itself to be more fertile ground than ever, not only hosting household names, but–more importantly–fostering emergent talent.
It is no wonder that audiences simply couldn’t go without the event this year.
Long may it continue.
