Thursday 1 September 2011

Reading Festival, 2011

(I wrote a lot. Feel free to ignore my writing and just look at the pictures, that's what I often do with blogs!)

I can't believe it's all over!

I'm soooooo glad I went as I was really starting to wuss out before going. Attending a festival for the first time with a bunch of people you don't know is a pretty daunting prospect afterall. But as soon as I arrived, I knew I'd made the right decision!

I arrived on the Wednesday afternoon and found Camp Loner pretty easily. I was half-dead upon arrival as my bags were so ridiculously heavy (had to carry clothes, food, drink, tent, camping chair, sleeping bag, sleeping mat). My tent ended up wonky, but I'm still pretty proud of it! It's the one with the yellow Minnie Mouse on (I added it so I could tell which tent was mine).


I didn't take my camera as the battery is too rubbish, so I just had the camera on the Viewty phone I borrowed from my cousin. It was useless when lights were shining on it so everything came out blurry, so I won't share many band photos. I did have fun which the glitchy panorama function though! And I still managed to add too many photos to this post and ramble too much, sorry!

The weather was very mixed, switching from raining very hard to being warm and sunny. I got so muddy on the first few days and so I was smelly and dirty all weekend!

Had great fun getting to know people and getting a little tipsy on the first two nights, although I spent much of the festival alone as I didn't want to go in the pit and my music taste differed a little. After the music stopped I just went straight to bed despite it being too noisy to sleep...it was just warmer and I had no intention of drinking.

On the Friday, during the second band, my glasses got knocked off. And jumped on. I was lucky to be able to retrieve them as they were instantly smothered in mud. I cleaned them off on the Saturday morning, but they were pretty much unwearable.


And I can't see a damn thing without them. So that kinda put a dampener on the whole weekend as I couldn't see! It was a struggle to even find the toilets, despite the massive signs =[ I could wear them a little when I was at the middle barrier as I couldn't get knocked about too much, so I had to hook the remaining arm in my hair and balance them on my nose, but any sweat or rain and they'd just slide off. Only wore them for a few bands.

On the FRIDAY I saw Architects, The Blackout, New Found Glory, part of Bring Me The Horizon, Rise Against, Deftones, The Offspring, Thirty Seconds To Mars and My Chemical Romance.

The Offspring were SO GOOD! I haven't really listened to them much before but I'll make a point to now.

MCR have definitely improved as a live act since I last saw them (about 6 years ago now, I think), although I didn't enjoy it as much as before. I felt like a fossil really, everyone was singing along and I was just stood there not knowing the words as I haven't heard the new album. Someone behind me said they liked 'old MCR stuff more'...referring to the song 'Teenagers'. Which was off 'Black Parade'. Which is FREAKING NEW. My gen of MCR was '...Bullets...' and 'Three Cheers...'. They played 2 songs off 'Three Cheers...' and nothing off '...Bullets...' D= They were still good though, but yeah I just felt old. It's the band's 10th anniversary this year, and I've been with them for at least 7 of those years which is just kinda scary to me!

On SATURDAY I saw The Joy Formidable, Seasick Steve (missed most of the set, but no great loss as it was pretty boring), Two Door Cinema Club, Madness, Jimmy Eat World, The National, Pulp and The Strokes. I only stayed for The Strokes as I couldn't escape the crowds after Pulp! I wore my glasses for Jimmy Eat World and Pulp as I knew I love both bands.

Jim Adkins still has the same dorky hairstyle he's always had, but the wind blew his fringe to the side for most of the set *me gusta*. They were brilliant as ever (this was my third time seeing them live), and they played a good mix of new and old songs. Still miffed they don't play 'Kill' live as I love that song.


As for Pulp, I swear Jarvis Cocker hasn't aged at all. I have a fondness for the band as the song 'Disco 2000' was on the only 'Now!' album I ever owned...on cassette tape! They put on a really good show too, if you get a chance to see them, do it.


SUNDAY was more hectic as it was the only day I went from stage to stage. I saw We Are The Ocean, Taking Back Sunday (Adam Lazzara is so irritating I wanted to punch him), Frank Turner, Jarred Christmas, Tim Minchin, Panic! At The Disco, Face To Face, Frank Turner and Muse.

So many clashes on this day which was sad, had to miss Flogging Molly for Muse and only caught the last few seconds of Elbow (who are epic live) because I went to see Frank Turner's second set instead.

It was well worth it to see Frank twice though, as his music is my absolute favourite right now and his performance was just incredible! And he's a tad gorgeous *bit of a bonus*. I got so overemotional when he started playing 'I Am Disappeared' as it is my favourite song ever. Both sets were very different experiences, the first being on Main Stage where I was far away and surrounded by thousands of people and the second in the Lock Up tent where I was really close and squished in the pit.




Muse was the reason I went in the first place, and they didn't disappoint (although I couldn't wear my glasses as the woman next to me was too bionic - she elbowed me in the eye ffs - so I couldn't see at all). Hearing Origin Of Symmetry in full was a unique opportunity and 'Space Dementia' is one of my favourite Muse songs so I loved singing along to it! Kinda got second-hand stoned during their set too so I may have danced like a total weirdo ¬_¬ but it was fun! I just have total resentment for everyone who has decent eye sight. I even had a relatively clear view, which is surpising as most people were around a foot taller than me (seriously I have no idea where all these tall people came from or why they usually feel the need to stand in front of me...even with my hands stretched straight up I couldn't reach over people's heads).



See what I mean about the lights messing with the camera? xP

Now for some glitchy panoramic photos! A beautiful rainbow over the Main Stage, and my Camp Loner brethren.





I had a great time, though I was glad to get back to wash and rest and eat and drink tea! I also now have 15 cans I salvaged from the wreck that was the abandoned Camp Loner, although my arms almost fell off carrying them and the rest of my stuff back! I will pack much less next time, and I really hope I can go again. If the line-up is good next year then I'll definitely go again and camp with the loners again.

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