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APHEX TWIN:
Phat beats - Raz
Finish the night with the Aphex Twin, wasn't sure when his actual set started as there was pretty much constant music from before he entered, "Windowlicker" was my only point of reference, the dancing on stage and in the crowd was pretty bad but the jolts of music made everything ok. ChrisO

U.N.K.L.E. Sounds, Decks‘n’ Effects:
Lavelle's new stuff: sounds like the old stuff - Raz
Although twattishly titled ‘sounds, decks ‘n’ effects’ there is a significany lack of any arrogance and it all comes together in a tasty sounding way. Effective. Decky? Haha. Hmm… MI
ERROL ALKAN (Trash):
He made the tent feel like a club such was the eminated love - Raz
PEACHES:
Headfuck alert - Raz
Agreed. My flowery dress looked perfectly normal on me in comparison! - Mat
Played her stand out tracks 'Get Me Off' and 'Fuck The Pain Away' as well as a stage show that included breasts, strap on dildos and blood... hugely enjoyable and a great sing-a-long although did become a bit Daphene & Celeste mid-set. - C.W
Alternating girlz in hotpants, gesturing, jumping about a lot and it all sounding like the 80's sped-up and played in reverse. I'm so bored of Electro-Pish. - SA.

The Concrete Jungle Stage
SATURDAY 24th AUGUST at THE READING FESTIVAL
SUNDAY 25th AUGUST at THE LEEDS FESTIVAL

SICK OF IT ALL:
Just caught the 'District' & 'My Life' encore after Foos and bugger me if this wasn't on a par with their incendiary '97 performance! I SO wish I could've been thrashing about down the front for the whole set! - Mat
SAVES THE DAY:
Best sound in the Concrete Jungle Stage even if someone stole the lead singer and replaced him with a punk rocking behemoth. PW
Not a band made for playing to the damp masses, I retire to the ‘tent’. - MI
FACE TO FACE:
Singer pissed. Forgets whole verses. Anticipation turns to disapointment. -How to ruin your debut Reading appearance, by F2F. -Mat
Do their thing and do it well, bless ‘em. And the songs off ‘How to Ruin Everything’ aren’t shunned by the fans a la usual. But it’s starting to rain and I’m all clammy… - MI
THE GET UP KIDS:
So much for Emo, they sounded more like Fenix TX. Word is bond. - Ollie
Get Up Kids gone soft? Fuck that, they showed everyone why they are still the best at what they do. Loud as Scott Litt's hearing aid will go. PW
I can’t see them, but I can hear them. Blending all their songs together, starting intros before the song starts (thus removing any element of surprise) it’s all a little too alright. But when the classics of ‘Something…’ come on, what did I just say? It’s all a whirl of excited dancing and singing along - MI
Beautiful set mixing material from all three albums. Though why they didn’t end with ‘Don’t Hate Me’ is beyond me. - S.E-H
[SPUNGE]
Quite shit on record. Quite brilliant live. Fun, bouncy, all the things a great punkpop band should be live. - Gen
DASHBOARD CONFESSIONAL:
Band of the weekend. No doubt. Inspired, bone tingling punk rock acoustica with balls! PW
THURSDAY:
The only band I discovered all weekend - Raz
Until getting here to write this, i'd forgotten that this band even existed, not bad on the day though. - Ollie
Reading was in flames and Thursday truly stole the show as some serious Ian Curtis smoking rawk animals. PW
Bored me to death. They only have one 30 minute song, right?- Mat
Now here’s the most fun I’ve had in a long time. Little Miranda gets involved in those deeply unfashionable areas of the crowd. And they play a song off ‘Waiting’! It’s all a little too much!! But way too short. These 30 minute sets are really starting to get on my tits - MI
HOT ROD CIRCUIT:
Batman coudn't catch =EmO= but leave it up to the Hot Rod guys to track it down and wipe it out all over this field in Berkshire. PW
The ultimate pop band of now. That’s what I think. Full of little catchy gems, I dance and sing like an idiot amongst crossed arms. Don’t cast them aside in the Vagrant mush! That is an order - MI
THE ANNIVERSARY:
They looked like the Stones yet their pop gem keyboard munching Weezer-esque tunes had more substance than anyhing remotely nu-garage rock PW
What went wrong?! They look good (it’s all about the beards and Richie Tenenbaum over here) but they sound… pathetic! And all rockstarish too? And only One (fucked up) song off the first album?! I. Am. Disappointed. Indeed. P.s. how long does it take to set up a keyboard Mrs. Get Up Kids? That’s right, half yer bloomin’ set!! MI LIGHTYEAR:
Although I don’t know or have any familial connection and … well, no I haven’t mothered any of their children, it makes me feel so proud to see the whole tent out in force for Household Name’s finest skapunkers. And their new songs sound pretty sharp too! Look ye, we British can do just as well! And move better too! Although, they do play a little more speedy than usual today. All that excitement… makes me come over all patriotic for a country I don’t even hold the passport of… weird - MI

The Dance Stage
SUNDAY 25th AUGUST at THE READING FESTIVAL
FRIDAY 23rd AUGUST at THE LEEDS FESTIVAL

ANDY C:
All hail the king of Drum 'n' Bass! - Mat
No - Raz
THE STREETS:

A silly ammount of struggle to get passed the pill-'eds and into the tent for what was never gonna be as good as the record - SA.
Still sounded rubbish from where I was stood - Raz
I think he had a video of some cars in the background... help me out here people... - Ollie.

PEOPLE UNDER THE STAIRS:
Damn those confusing stage-times things. Anyone see 'em outthere? - SA.

B&W Photos by Greg Neale
Colour Photos by Ollie