Reading/Leeds 2008: Day One Report

This year's Reading and Leeds Festival has just entered its second day. Here's what happened on day one at Reading and we also bring you some pictures from Leeds...

The festival got underway beneath broken sunshine and, despite weeks of rain, it was firm underfoot. A quick circle of the site revealed the additional Alternative Tent featuring poetry yesterday from the likes of the legendary John Cooper Clarke and the hilarious LDN-poet Dockers MC. This year, the Reading site has also been made slightly larger to allow for a much bigger third stage. Now known as the Festival Republic tent, this huge tent (of similar size to the Radio 1/NME tent of five years ago) replaces the Carling New Bands tent and features a mixture of buzz bands, alongside cult heroes like The Kills who'll close proceedings on Sunday.

Highlights of day one included p-funk blog-favourites Friendly Fires, who sang their hearts out throughout their set to a packed tent. Their set climaxed with forthcoming single 'Jump in the Pool' as they brought a Notting Hill carnival vibe to the festival with additional drummers and Vegas-style dancers clad in peacock feathered showgirl regalia cramming the stage and thick clouds of confetti filling the air.

Equally pleasing in the Festival Republic tent were Late of the Pier who, despite competing with Vampire Weekend and a rather lacklustre Queens of the Stone Age, got the whole tent jumping and the sound of glow-sticks snapping in unison.

DiS didn't catch wind of any secret performances but we did hear a lot of people talking about Dizzee Rascal's partial state of undress as he left the main stage...

Biffy Clyro were by far one of the highlights of the day, with their sixth performance at Reading feeling very much like a homecoming as a throng of fans sang-along loudly and proudly, leaving your humble scribe feeling all tingly inside.

Here are some shots from day one in Leeds and Reading. Expect lots of photos and reportage to be with you on Tuesday.

_Conor Oberst at Leeds by Simon Shackleton

Crystal Castles at Leeds by Simon Shackleton

XX Teens at Leeds by Simon Shackleton

Huge Jofo poster beside the Reading main stage, complete with DiS stars by Sean Adams

The new Festival Republic tent at Reading by Sean Adams

Sunset from backstage at Reading by Sean Adams

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