With the Reading and Leeds Carling festivals officially starting on friday and people getting onsite from thursday onwards, Drownedinsound has everything you need to get ready for the festival, make last minute decisions on what to see and probably a more accurate list of who's playing than the official programme. Let's Go!
First up, who's actually playing there? for the official lineup (announced a few weeks ago) click here. Watch out tho, some bands have cryed off since then, but luckily a few other bands have stepped into the breach to take their places, click here for some of our latest lineup news updates, oh, and there are a few bands having a little trouble, such as Ash and Spiritualized... but we're sure they'll be fine for the weekend... But we're not so sure about the now defunct Anti-Pop Consortium
Now, you know who's playing and when (ish, the lineup always changes at the last second, even we can't get it all 100% correct) Just who out of that massive list are you going to see?
Well, we've got a few preview articles for you, not telling you want to see, oh no, they tell you what we are going to see, ok, with the intention that you'll join us... but you know, no pressure man, no pressure...
Preview #1: Sean, Kp and Peter's picks
Preview #2: Gen, Adam and Raz's Picks
Preview #3: Ollie, Colin and Gareth's picks
Miranda's =emO= flavoured guide
So now, you've seen the lineup (which will change) and you've seen a few of our writers must see band lists for the weekend... anything else? why yes... How To guides of course. From last year's popular Festival Food on a Budget! article, to this year's Girly Guide to Reading. Not only will you be seeing great bands, but you'll be eating well and looking goood while doing it.
One more thing... As a large number of the DiS staff will heading off to either Reading or Leeds over the next couple of days, you'll have a good chance of spotting us in the crowd or campsite, while any 1st level stalker knows many of us have photographs on our staff profiles, it takes a decicated operative, ie someone who on the DiS Mailing List the to know that we'll be having an unofficial staff meetups behind the Reading Festival New Bands Tent (outside, just behind the sound booth or to the right of the booth inside the tent) before and after most of the acts, "you'll be able to spot us, our eyes will be darting around and we all look like we've been using computers too much, innit."
We will have a presence at the Leeds site, but as I'm sure you'll understand, going that far north is a little traumatic for some of our staff, even though both festivals will have nice high beer prices, just like in London...
My bus leaves in 12 and a half hours. weather reports claim temperatures around 20 degrees with some chances of showers.. I'll see you on the other side.