Dave Grohl, center, and the Foo Fighters perform at the 54th annual Grammy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 12, 2012 in Los Angeles.
Eighteen years ago in Seattle, Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl decided to form a new band after the death of singer Kurt Cobain. Today, the Foo Fighters are regarded as one of the greatest (and one of the most seismologically intense) rock bands of the new millennium.
"Well, well, well. The f--king Reading festival. You guys [realize] we've got a lot of songs to play. It's the last show of the tour and it's the last show for a long time," Grohl said, according to NME.
SCROLL FOR VIDEO
He went on to dedicate "These Days" to former Nirvana bandmates, Cobain and Krist Novoselic, telling the audience, "I'd like to dedicate this song to a couple of people who couldn't be here tonight. This one's for Krist and this one's for Kurt.''
"I think the show was such a success because of the audience," Novoselic wrote about the 1992 performance. "They gave so much that it was easy to swat it back. The best moment is the crowd sing-a-long to 'Lithium.'"
Grohl channeled the crowd's energy on Sunday when he got the audience to sing "Happy Birthday" to his mother, according to NME. "In 1992 when Nirvana played here, the last show we ever played in England, you sang happy birthday to my mom. Here's your chance," he said. The crowd responded.
Despite Grohl saying that Reading marked the Foo Fighters' "last show," the band has some dates lined up next month, CBS News notes. They are set to appear at Rock the Vote in Charlotte, N.C., on Sept. 5, as well as at the Music Midtown Festival in Atlanta on Sept. 21 and the DeLuna Fest in Pensacola Beach, Fla, on Sept. 22.
WATCH: Foo Fighters perform at the Reading Festival.
Just when you thought the line-up couldn't get any meatier, along comes Reading and Leeds 2012 with a slavering great helping of The Cure, the Foo Fighters and Kasabian to leave us chomping at the bit to get in there, pitch our tents and get involved.
Whetting our appetites for a rebel-rousing few days is all-female punk group Pettybone, who open the festival with a hardcore feminist jolt in what will be one of their last ever gigs.
Over on the Main Stage, neo-prog rockers Coheed And Cambria wail and solo their way through a discography-spanning set that hops from earlier tracks such as Delirium Trigger to the new Domino The Destitute, and finishes on the crowd-pleasing Welcome Home.
The skittish, punk electronics of Crystal Castles might be a bit lost in the acoustics of, erm, a massive field, but the anarchic on-stage antics of Alice Glass more than make up for the lack of sound quality. The purple-haired frontwoman is barely out of the crowd as she surfs, spits and kicks her way through a manic set, which draws to a euphoric close with Not In Love - though, sadly, sans the vocals of a one Robert Smith.
Graham Coxon brings his usual blend of Beatles-worshiping indie punk to the NME/Radio One Stage with typical geekish showmanship. The former Blur guitarist transforms the packed tent to a herd of shout-a-long hooligans with a set that sticks mainly to tracks from the brilliant A + E.
Pop punk powerhouse Paramore (count the Ps) might seem an odd main support for the forthcoming headlining act, but the young crowd in attendance seem not to care as they pogo their way through an energetic, but predictable set.
And, while Anti-Flag and Social Distortion give the Lock-Up Stage a thick earful of politically charged punk rock, The Cure take to the Main Stage concealed behind a wall of ethereal smoke, slowly awakening to their epic two-hour set with Open and High. Robert Smith's vocals are as chillingly emotive as ever as they meander through newer material, occasionally rousing their audience into motion with a handful of hits such as Lovesong and Friday I'm In Love. After One Hundred Days and End, the band leave the stage for a brief spell, re-appearing for an equally lengthy six-song encore, which includes The Love Cats and Close To Me - as well as a rare performance of Just One Kiss - before they finally end on Boys Don't Cry. There was always going to be an element of endurance attached to sitting through such a mammoth amount of The Cure, even as fans, but the ensuing back pain is worth every dull aching moment for a truly beautiful set.
Saturday gets off to a reminiscent start over on the NME/Radio One Stage, as the worst kept secret act in history - Green Day - drag us back to our school days during their one-off UK festival appearance. Contrary to popular rumours circulating in the music press, they avoid playing the whole of 1994 pop punk classic Dookie in its entirety, and instead span a range of material - the most well-received being Basket Case, and those tracks from American Idiot, which says more about the age of the audience in attendance than the standard of the setlist. After a fun-filled hour of sing-a-long Disney punk, the boys are, quite literally, dragged off stage as reels of fans stream out into the arena, baying for more.
Canadian electro star Grimes ups the cool stakes over on the dance stage with her trademark blend of chilled-out euphoria, commanding the audience in attendance powerfully, despite her tiny frame.
Santigold makes a welcome return to the festival circuit on the NME/Radio One Stage, with a gripping set that features renditions of Go!, Freak Like Me, Fame and Big Mouth.
Woman of the moment Azealia Banks proves that her reputation is far bigger than the size of the Dance Tent, and droves of style-conscious festival goers cram in, spilling out into the arena just to catch a glimpse of the Harlem electro-hop artist in action. Finishing on her hit 212, she causes a near riot as waves of people surge during the aggressive chorus, and there's a crush as they attempt to flee the scene as it stomps to an end.
After lack lustre sets from The Vaccines and Enter Shikari on the Main Stage, The Cribs' markedly more rock 'n' roll appearance on the NME/Radio One Stage acts as welcome relief. They destroy their kit at the end of their set, and walk off to a chorus of cheers and nods of approval.
Florence + The Machine brave the rain to play a suitably epic show that starts with Only If For The Night and ends on a rousing rendition of No Light, No Light.
Meanwhile, newly reformed Texan post-hardcore veterans At The Drive-In take to the NME/Radio One Stage - complete with winklepickers and trademark kettle - for their first UK appearance in over 12 years. The band stick to tracks from their classic album Relationship Of Command, as well as a cover of The Smiths' The Joke Isn't Funny Anymore. They finish with One Armed Scissor and slouch off to mixed reviews. Was Cedric's barnet impressive enough to draw attention away from the look of bordom stretched across Omar's face, we wonder?
Electronic legends Metronomy draw the Dance Tent to a stomping close, as Kasabian round off a rocking day on the Main Stage with a suitably bizarre performance that includes a covers of the Beatles and Fatboy Slim.
Sunday is hard rock day at Reading, and erupts to a jolting start on the Main Stage with a typically guitar-heavy set from Pulled Apart By Horses.
Bringing some serious ginger, balls-out rock 'n' roll (and not just because their special guest for the festival's entirety is Simon Pegg) are the Eagles Of Death Metal, who squeal through Cherry Cola, English Girl and I Want You So Hard, much to the approval of those headbanging along in the blazing heat.
While Bullet For My Valentine confuse the crowd by playing chronically out of tune on the Main Stage, chill-step London troop SBTRKT move a markedly younger audience over on the NME/Radio 1 Stage into a blissfully undulating sea of arms and nodding heads. Sampha's vocals are as smooth and pitch-perfect as ever, as he seamlessly flits from tracks such as Hold On and Trials From The Past through to Wildfire.
Ohio rock duo The Black Keys are the ultimate way to spend the balmy evening over on the Main Stage. Their reverberating retro burr lending a touch of old school authenticity to Howlin' For You, Gold On The Ceiling and I Got Mine.
Finally, it's time for the Foo Fighters to bring an epic three days to a triumphant close, in what would be, sadly, their "last show for a while". They roar to a start with White Limo and All My Life, and Dave Grohl's vocals are barely audible over the screams of the crowd as they croon every word of My Hero back at them. Walk, Monkey Wrench and This Is A Call follow, and the band end on Best Of You, leaving the stage momentarily. Yes, yes they do re-emerge moments later for an encore, which consists of Times Like These, a cover of Late!'s Winnebago, Wattershed, For All The Cows, Exhausted and Everlong. Is there any better way to round off the UK's original rock festival? We highly doubt it. No one does it quite like Reading.
Just when you thought the line-up couldn't get any meatier, along comes Reading and Leeds 2012 with a slavering great helping of The Cure, the Foo Fighters and Kasabian to leave us chomping at the bit to get in there, pitch our tents and get involved.
Whetting our appetites for a rebel-rousing few days is all-female punk group Pettybone, who open the festival with a hardcore feminist jolt in what will be one of their last ever gigs.
Over on the Main Stage, neo-prog rockers Coheed And Cambria wail and solo their way through a discography-spanning set that hops from earlier tracks such as Delirium Trigger to the new Domino The Destitute, and finishes on the crowd-pleasing Welcome Home.
The skittish, punk electronics of Crystal Castles might be a bit lost in the acoustics of, erm, a massive field, but the anarchic on-stage antics of Alice Glass more than make up for the lack of sound quality. The purple-haired frontwoman is barely out of the crowd as she surfs, spits and kicks her way through a manic set, which draws to a euphoric close with Not In Love - though, sadly, sans the vocals of a one Robert Smith.
Graham Coxon brings his usual blend of Beatles-worshiping indie punk to the NME/Radio One Stage with typical geekish showmanship. The former Blur guitarist transforms the packed tent to a herd of shout-a-long hooligans with a set that sticks mainly to tracks from the brilliant A + E.
Pop punk powerhouse Paramore (count the Ps) might seem an odd main support for the forthcoming headlining act, but the young crowd in attendance seem not to care as they pogo their way through an energetic, but predictable set.
And, while Anti-Flag and Social Distortion give the Lock-Up Stage a thick earful of politically charged punk rock, The Cure take to the Main Stage concealed behind a wall of ethereal smoke, slowly awakening to their epic two-hour set with Open and High. Robert Smith's vocals are as chillingly emotive as ever as they meander through newer material, occasionally rousing their audience into motion with a handful of hits such as Lovesong and Friday I'm In Love. After One Hundred Days and End, the band leave the stage for a brief spell, re-appearing for an equally lengthy six-song encore, which includes The Love Cats and Close To Me - as well as a rare performance of Just One Kiss - before they finally end on Boys Don't Cry. There was always going to be an element of endurance attached to sitting through such a mammoth amount of The Cure, even as fans, but the ensuing back pain is worth every dull aching moment for a truly beautiful set.
Saturday gets off to a reminiscent start over on the NME/Radio One Stage, as the worst kept secret act in history - Green Day - drag us back to our school days during their one-off UK festival appearance. Contrary to popular rumours circulating in the music press, they avoid playing the whole of 1994 pop punk classic Dookie in its entirety, and instead span a range of material - the most well-received being Basket Case, and those tracks from American Idiot, which says more about the age of the audience in attendance than the standard of the setlist. After a fun-filled hour of sing-a-long Disney punk, the boys are, quite literally, dragged off stage as reels of fans stream out into the arena, baying for more.
Canadian electro star Grimes ups the cool stakes over on the dance stage with her trademark blend of chilled-out euphoria, commanding the audience in attendance powerfully, despite her tiny frame.
Santigold makes a welcome return to the festival circuit on the NME/Radio One Stage, with a gripping set that features renditions of Go!, Freak Like Me, Fame and Big Mouth.
Woman of the moment Azealia Banks proves that her reputation is far bigger than the size of the Dance Tent, and droves of style-conscious festival goers cram in, spilling out into the arena just to catch a glimpse of the Harlem electro-hop artist in action. Finishing on her hit 212, she causes a near riot as waves of people surge during the aggressive chorus, and there's a crush as they attempt to flee the scene as it stomps to an end.
After lack lustre sets from The Vaccines and Enter Shikari on the Main Stage, The Cribs' markedly more rock 'n' roll appearance on the NME/Radio One Stage acts as welcome relief. They destroy their kit at the end of their set, and walk off to a chorus of cheers and nods of approval.
Florence + The Machine brave the rain to play a suitably epic show that starts with Only If For The Night and ends on a rousing rendition of No Light, No Light.
Meanwhile, newly reformed Texan post-hardcore veterans At The Drive-In take to the NME/Radio One Stage - complete with winklepickers and trademark kettle - for their first UK appearance in over 12 years. The band stick to tracks from their classic album Relationship Of Command, as well as a cover of The Smiths' The Joke Isn't Funny Anymore. They finish with One Armed Scissor and slouch off to mixed reviews. Was Cedric's barnet impressive enough to draw attention away from the look of bordom stretched across Omar's face, we wonder?
Electronic legends Metronomy draw the Dance Tent to a stomping close, as Kasabian round off a rocking day on the Main Stage with a suitably bizarre performance that includes a covers of the Beatles and Fatboy Slim.
Sunday is hard rock day at Reading, and erupts to a jolting start on the Main Stage with a typically guitar-heavy set from Pulled Apart By Horses.
Bringing some serious ginger, balls-out rock 'n' roll (and not just because their special guest for the festival's entirety is Simon Pegg) are the Eagles Of Death Metal, who squeal through Cherry Cola, English Girl and I Want You So Hard, much to the approval of those headbanging along in the blazing heat.
While Bullet For My Valentine confuse the crowd by playing chronically out of tune on the Main Stage, chill-step London troop SBTRKT move a markedly younger audience over on the NME/Radio 1 Stage into a blissfully undulating sea of arms and nodding heads. Sampha's vocals are as smooth and pitch-perfect as ever, as he seamlessly flits from tracks such as Hold On and Trials From The Past through to Wildfire.
Ohio rock duo The Black Keys are the ultimate way to spend the balmy evening over on the Main Stage. Their reverberating retro burr lending a touch of old school authenticity to Howlin' For You, Gold On The Ceiling and I Got Mine.
Finally, it's time for the Foo Fighters to bring an epic three days to a triumphant close, in what would be, sadly, their "last show for a while". They roar to a start with White Limo and All My Life, and Dave Grohl's vocals are barely audible over the screams of the crowd as they croon every word of My Hero back at them. Walk, Monkey Wrench and This Is A Call follow, and the band end on Best Of You, leaving the stage momentarily. Yes, yes they do re-emerge moments later for an encore, which consists of Times Like These, a cover of Late!'s Winnebago, Wattershed, For All The Cows, Exhausted and Everlong. Is there any better way to round off the UK's original rock festival? We highly doubt it. No one does it quite like Reading.
Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl announced from the stage at the UK’s Reading festival on Sunday night (Aug. 26) that the gig would be their last show for a long time, as it marked the end of their summer tour. However, the band does have a couple of more high-profile gigs at the various festivals throughout September.
Near the beginning of the set, according to NME, Grohl addressed the audience, saying, “Well, well, well. The f—ing Reading festival. You guys realize we’ve got a lot of songs to play. It’s the last show of the tour and it’s the last show for a long time.”
Grohl may have been referring specifically to the band’s European fans during the set, as the remaining 2012 gigs are all in the United States. The Foos will play a Rock the Vote event in Charlotte, N.C., on Sept. 5; the Music Midtown festival in Atlanta on Sept. 21; the Deluna Festival in Pensacola, Fla., on Sept. 22; and the Global Festival in New York’s Central Park on Sept. 29. After those shows, it seems the band will be taking a long break from the road.
Another noteworthy moment of the Foos’ set at the Reading Festival came when Grohl dedicated the song ‘These Days’ to his Nirvana bandmates — Krist Novoselic and the late Kurt Cobain. “I’d like to dedicate this song to a couple of people who couldn’t be here tonight. This one’s for Krist and this one’s for Kurt,” announced Grohl before the band launched into the song.
The set on Sunday also marked 20 years since Nirvana played their memorable headlining gig at Reading in 1992. Check out Foo Fighters’ set list from their Reading festival gig below.
White Limo’ ‘All My Life’ ‘Rope’ ‘The Pretender’ ‘My Hero’ ‘Learn To Fly’ ‘Arlandria’ ‘Breakout’ ‘Cold Day In The Sun’ ‘I’ll Stick Around’ ‘Walk’ ‘Generator’ ‘These Days’ ‘Monkey Wrench’ ‘Hey Johnny Park!’ ‘Alone + Easy Target’ ‘Bridge Burning’ ‘This Is A Call’ ‘In The Flesh’ ‘Best Of You’ ‘Times Like These’ ‘Winnebago’ ‘Wattershed’ ‘For All The Cows’ ‘Exhausted’ ‘Everlong’
Dave Grohl, center, and the Foo Fighters perform at the 54th annual Grammy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 12, 2012 in Los Angeles.
Eighteen years ago in Seattle, Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl decided to form a new band after the death of singer Kurt Cobain. Today, the Foo Fighters are regarded as one of the greatest (and one of the most seismologically intense) rock bands of the new millennium.
"Well, well, well. The f--king Reading festival. You guys [realize] we've got a lot of songs to play. It's the last show of the tour and it's the last show for a long time," Grohl said, according to NME.
SCROLL FOR VIDEO
He went on to dedicate "These Days" to former Nirvana bandmates, Cobain and Krist Novoselic, telling the audience, "I'd like to dedicate this song to a couple of people who couldn't be here tonight. This one's for Krist and this one's for Kurt.''
"I think the show was such a success because of the audience," Novoselic wrote about the 1992 performance. "They gave so much that it was easy to swat it back. The best moment is the crowd sing-a-long to 'Lithium.'"
Grohl channeled the crowd's energy on Sunday when he got the audience to sing "Happy Birthday" to his mother, according to NME. "In 1992 when Nirvana played here, the last show we ever played in England, you sang happy birthday to my mom. Here's your chance," he said. The crowd responded.
Despite Grohl saying that Reading marked the Foo Fighters' "last show," the band has some dates lined up next month, CBS News notes. They are set to appear at Rock the Vote in Charlotte, N.C., on Sept. 5, as well as at the Music Midtown Festival in Atlanta on Sept. 21 and the DeLuna Fest in Pensacola Beach, Fla, on Sept. 22.
WATCH: Foo Fighters perform at the Reading Festival.
By Del Crookes at Reading and Steve Holden at Leeds Newsbeat reporters Kasabian repeated their headline performance at Reading to bring Sunday night to a close at Leeds.
Reading and Leeds organiser Melvin Benn told Newsbeat the Leicester band were a "commanding headliner".
Meanwhile, Foo Fighters headlined Reading Festival for the first time since 2005.
I would say this year's Reading and Leeds have been the calmest and easiest we've produced in a long long time
Melvin Benn Reading and Leeds organiser
The US band played for more than two-and-a-half hours and dedicated These Days to former Nirvana band mates Kurt Cobain and Krist Novoselic.
Front man Dave Grohl also revealed the 26-song set would be the final gig in support of their seventh studio album Wasting Light.
Speaking on stage he said it would be "the last show of the tour and the last show for a long time".
During a busy set, Grohl got the crowd to sing happy birthday to his mother and dedicated one track each to his daughters Violet and Harper.
He also dedicated the entire set to retiring BBC sound engineer Miti Adhikari, who has recorded shows including Nirvana's appearance at Reading Festival in 1992.
Meanwhile before Kasabian at Leeds Festival, Florence + The Machine played a set on the main stage which included Dog Days Are Over, her recent number one single, Spectrum (Say My Name), and Shake It Out.
The weather, which was dry as the sun set opposite the stage, was in stark contrast to the downpour which accompanied her performance in Reading.
The Foo Fighters closed out the main stage at Reading
With the festival coming to a close Florence cheekily told the crowd: "It's your last chance to do something you regret."
At the Drive-In headlined the NME/Radio 1 Stage.
Other acts who played across Sunday at Leeds included Odd Future, Metronomy and Azealia Banks, who delivered a short 20-minute set.
The US star, who came third in the Sound of 2012 poll, ended her performance with a raucous version of her hit 212.
Assessing 2012's festival, Melvin Benn said events had gone "extremely smoothly".
"I would say this year's Reading and Leeds have been the calmest and easiest we've produced in a long long time," he said.
Speaking about Sunday's acts, Melvin Benn said Florence + the Machine was "clearly going to be a headliner in the future".
'Anything possible'
Another band tipped by Benn were The Black Keys, who played before Foo Fighters on the main stage at Reading.
Front man Dan Auerbach told Newsbeat he could see his band topping the bill one day.
Ne avevamo parlato la settimana scorsa. La notizia riguarda principalmente i Green Day circa le dichiarazioni di Billie Joe Armstrong al programma BBC Breakfast: nuovo tour nel 2013 (una serie di date tutte inglesi a partire dal 1° Giugno 2013 all’Emirates Stadium di Londra) ed un secret show atteso a Parigi questa sera, al teatro Trianon. Ma non solo questo. Vi avevamo poi dato conto del fatto che i Green Day avrebbero eseguito per intero l’album Dookie (1994): testate giornalistiche di mezzo mondo hanno riportato questa notizia che in pratica si è rivelata non veritiera. Un bel colpo sferzato dall’animo punk di Armstrong&co. Cambio di scaletta all’ultimo minuto ed una chicca per i fan che anticipa il nuo album “¡Uno!”, in uscita il prossimo 15 Settembre 2012 cui seguiranno ”¡Dos!” e “¡Tré!2 attesi il prossimo 15 Novembre 2012 e 15 Gennaio 2013.
Circa due ore di concerto, tra grandi hit come “Welcome to Paradise”, “Holiday” e “St. Jimmy” il singolo “Oh Love” ed il nuovo estratto “Stay the Night”. Una scelta ponderata quella dei Green Day in linea con le nuove politiche, ma con una differenza: anzichè in streaming, la band americana li esegue dal vivo e cerca così consensi dal pubblico che sembra entusiasta di questo nuovo capitolo (3 ad onor del vero!). Però, c’è ancora da decifrare bene cosa avesse voluto dire Armstrong circa il sound “a metà tra gli AC/DC e i primi Beatles”.
E dai Green Day passiamo ai Foo Fighters. La band capitanata da Dave Grohl si esibisce al Reading Festival edizione 2012 ma lascia un pò di tristezza nell’animo dei fan: “questa è l’ultima apparizione della band. Ci fermeramo per tanto, tanto tempo!”. Queste le parole di Dave Grohl che lascia il palco per un pò e si getta a capofitto nei suoi nuovi progetti, da un nuovo album all’esperimento come cineasta che lo vede impegnato nella registrazione di un documentario sui Sound City Studios di Los Angeles. C’è da dire, però, che iera sera Dave Grohl era in vena di dediche: la prima è spettata alla madre che proprio ieri festeggiava il compleanno, mentre la seconda (con tanto di canzone “These Days”) la dedica ai suoi comapgni di avventura Krist Novoselic e Kurt Cobain. Nel 1992 si esibì per la prima volta su questo palco: allora era batterista dei Nirvana. “Mi piacerebbe dedicare questa canzone a due persone che non sono presenti questa sera: questa è per Krist e per Kurt”.
Oltre alla registrazione di alcuni demo per i Foo Fighters, Grohl è alle prese con un nuovo cd i cui prodromi si possono apprezzare nel 2004, anno in cui Dave Grohl pubblico un cd dalle sonorità metal cui parteciparono anche Lemmy dei Motorhead e Max Cavalera. Forte del fatto che Grohl ha pubblicato tempo fa alcune foto che lo ritraggono in compagnia del produttore Butch Vig voci di corridoio si susseguono e si fanno da spalla, e già qualcuno dice che questo sia un album ricco di collaborazioni per Dave Grohl. Non ci resta che augurare buon riposo a Dave ed attendere che ci regali un altro pezzo di musica.
This year’s Reading bill looks over-familiar from top to bottom, faithfully reflecting a rock scene desperately waiting for new heroes. Foo Fighters, Kasabian and The Cure aren’t headliners to quicken the blood; the latter first played here in 1979. But Reading’s importance in comparison to upstart, upmarket boutique affairs still feels strong. It remains the muddy field where young people first get off the leash and off their faces to music.
“Hi, honey, I’m home,” the Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl leers on Sunday, at the festival that fits him best. His most infamous Reading appearance remains Nirvana’s swansong 20 years ago, with Kurt Cobain in a wheelchair. This three-hour blow-out is more wholesome hard rock with every edge smoothed off, like being bludgeoned with a toy hammer. Stuttering, contemplative passages in songs such as “Breakout” barely slow their relentless, quickly redundant stride.
Midwest blues-rockers The Black Keys, preceding the Foos, could at their most ordinary have played Reading in 1972. “Nova Baby”’s staccato soul swing is among the recent songs giving them saving, danceable grace.
Kasabian are received as a triumph on Saturday, but singer Tom Meighan comes across as an ageing Oasis fan, not a rock star. Their hollow empire is doomed to fall. Before them, Florence + the Machine are inspired by wild weather, singer Florence, in a fishnet body-suit, finishing rain-streaked and happy. Friday’s headliners The Cure take up 150 minutes, and Robert Smith is in wonderful voice. But “In Between Days”’s delicacy of feeling doesn’t last, during a set whose length smashes holes in the crowd.
Green Day’s surprise gig at 11am on Saturday, as many festival-goers slumber, is the nearest thing to an event. Equivalent punk power, though, is available in the Lock Up tent throughout the weekend. This is where Reading’s rock heart beats, indifferent to trends and headliners. Pittsburgh’s Anti-Flag dedicate The Clash’s “Should I Stay Or Should I Go” to Pussy Riot and Joe Strummer. They’re followed by California’s Social Distortion, Green Day grandfathers who began in 1978. Only singer Mike Ness remains from then, a soft-spoken elder statesman, his anger now worn and restrained. Their cow-punk version of Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire” is one festival peak.
Graham Coxon, back to his solo day job after Blur’s big day out at Hyde Park, finds the most creative response to rock’s history, gently bending and pulling apart The Who’s hard R’n’B on “Feel Alright”, and finishing with “I Don’t Wanna Go On”’s strange, bucking take on country-blues.
In a festival mostly geared to music’s passive consumption, Anti-Flag suggest the punk gig experience is an ideal of responsible yet fiercely individual living. Peckham’s Katy B offers a similar philosophy for dance music, and post-rave and pop sounds which would once have been urine-bottled off here are now part of Reading. Look no further than Lady Lykez’s hilarious paen to the weave, “Not My Hair”.
Edinburgh’s Django Django, too, combine wistful vocals, tribal drums and techno synths to become a sort of rave Franz Ferdinand, capable of constant surprise. Swedish-American freaks Miike Snow, meanwhile, deploy ecstatic dance music clichés with cosmic intent, on “The Devil’s Work” recalling Mercury Rev.
The Vaccines are part of the current British rock scene’s problem, all defeatist, ironic disaffection. The lie to that can still be found on the outer stages at night, where The Cribs offer advice to live by at Reading. “Get piercings, set fire to your tent,” orders singer Ryan Jarman. Then he adds, with faith defying current facts: “This is the best festival.”
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Today wrapped up a weekend of big-ticket performances at the concurrent Reading and Leeds music festivals in the U.K., with some particularly newsworthy highlights over the three-day run coming courtesy of a trio of American acts: Green Day, the Foo Fighters and notorious L.A. rap collective Odd Future.
- Billie Joe Armstrong and co. hit the Reading Festival with a "surprise" appearance on Saturday, though rumors that the pop-punk act would be performing their breakthrough album "Dookie" in its entirety proved to be unfounded. Nevertheless, the rockers did manage to play five tracks from the 1994 LP, with favorites including "Welcome to Paradise," "Basket Case" and "She" included in the set. The wide-ranging performance featured tracks spanning the entirety of their (major-label) career, in addition to highlighting two tunes from "Uno!," the first part of the group's forthcoming three-album trilogy. One of these was a never-before-heard track titled "Stay the Night," and you can check out their performance of the song at the bottom of the page.
- The Foo Fighters, meanwhile, wowed the Reading Festival audience this evening with a whopping two-and-a-half-hour, 26-song performance that saw a reflective Dave Grohl commemorating both the conclusion of the band's "Wasting Light" tour ("It's the last show of the tour and it's the last show for a long time," he stated as they took the stage) and the 20th anniversary of Nirvana's headlining slot at the 1992 incarnation of the festival. Though rumors that Grohl would be covering one of the band's tunes proved to be unfounded, he did dedicate a performance of recent Foo Fighters single "These Days" to his former bandmates, stating: "I'd like to dedicate this song to a couple of people who couldn't be here tonight. This one's for Krist and this one's for Kurt.''
- The vibe was radically different over at Odd Future's closing-night Leeds Festival performance, which saw the group once again courting controversy by dragging a bound-and-gagged blow up doll named "Kimberly" on stage and proceeding to beat the tar out of it whilst hurling some choice invectives "her" way. The spectacle - which followed Tyler, the Creator and Left Brain's tussle with security guards during the group's Reading performance the previous night - climaxed with Jasper Dolphin busting the doll's head open with his foot while proclaiming: "Sh** I just killed Kimberly." The group also performed some songs.
Thoughts on any of the above performances? Sound off below.
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Dave Grohl, center, and the Foo Fighters perform at the 54th annual Grammy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 12, 2012 in Los Angeles.
Kevin Winter, Getty Images
Dave Grohl, center, and the Foo Fighters perform at the 54th annual Grammy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 12, 2012 in Los Angeles. 
The Foo Fighters closed out the main stage at Reading 
Green Day | © Michael Loccisano / Getty Images
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