BIFFY CLYRO
Officially classed as arena-rock, the Sunday headliners will have a canon of songs to choose from for their Reading setlist. Double album, Opposites will probably receive a lot of stage time; however I would like to see the Kilmarnock trio dig back through their discography and blast tracks like Joy.Dicsovery.Invention at the unsuspecting crowd.
3 tracks: Black Chandelier, Bubbles, Joy. Discovery.Invention
JAKE BUGG
The Bob Dylan of our generation could probably hold our attention with his anti-X Factor rants alone, however I would prefer to see what he says (or sings) when confronted with a microphone. He has done well to make it almost onto the top of the Reading and Leeds Festival line-up and I suspect that it can only go up from here.
3 tracks: Lightning Bolt, Two Fingers, Country Song
ALT J
All hail the mathletes of the music industry. A band beloved by the indie kids of this country have had mainstream success due to being playlisted on Radio 1, and have started to gain a Stateside following too. The band’s intricate guitar playing and underwater soundscapes will provide a nice antidote if Eminem’s motivational rap songs become too heavy to bear for festival goers this year.
3 tracks: Matilda, Breezeblocks, Intro
FOALS
Band of the moment, Foals are currently leading the indie empire into the mainstream whilst staying credible and writing incredibly cool guitar parts. The band were recommended to me well over a year ago and it took a little while to fall in love. However, their new album is sensational and I expect them to be the hit of the festival with their new sound.
3 tracks: Spanish Sahara, Inhaler, My Number
BRAND NEW
Brand New are a five piece from New York that formed in 2000. Whilst releasing four albums, they have made the transition from pop-punk to alternative-rock (which we all know, is a code for ‘too good to label’) and are set to follow Twin Atlantic on Saturday’s bill. A more-than-welcome surprise on the line-up, I will love to see how the crowd reacts to such a good ‘album’ band.
3 tracks: Jude Law and a Semester Abroad, Failure By Design, Seventy Times 7
TWIN ATLANTIC
At risk of turning into Sam McTrusty at a Blink182 gig whenever their music is played in the vicinity, I was over the moon to find that ‘my band’ (you know, the one you’ll defend over your siblings) had made it onto the Main Stage. While the band are MASSIVE in Scotland, England and Wales sadly seemed to take longer to catch on and so I only discovered Twin Atlantic about a year ago. Two songs were all it took for me to rush out and buy their discography; which is a mean feat in itself. The Vivarium EP is packaged in a way that makes the books Harry Potter received off Hagrid seem tame (picture cardboard devils-snare, and you’re about there) and even the guy who produced A Guidance From Colour EP doesn’t know where to get a copy. The band have been touring extensively for the past couple of years and have spent this winter hidden away working on their second album. All the more reason to be excited to see them play at Reading this summer! Incidentally, I am attending the super-fest now. It would be rude not to.
3 tracks: I Cave In, Sparkly Touch, A Guidance From Colour