Photo: Press
The Reading and Leeds line-up is finally revealed with 70 new names including Liam Gallagher just added to the lineup to join the headliners Eminem, Muse, and Kasabian.
But as always there's so much talent that's still building lower down the bill and there's a legend in there too in Ash. So get your monocle out and dig through the small print, but first start with these acts below which prove just how solid the Reading and Leeds line-up is if you look closely.
Kurupt FM
The People Just Do Nothing crew serve up the best comedy British Television has seen this decade. The deluded inflated ego of beats and MC Grindah who head up the pirate radio station as Steves smokes his blunts or melts his mind on pills as jack of all trades, and champion of 10p Space Invaders, Chabuddy G thinks up ingenious business plans like peanut dust. To see them bring their parody show and actual good mixes (they're professional musicians in real life) to Reading And Leeds this summer is sure to be a laugh.
Cosima
Cosima's voice is as knock out as Adele's live, in a technical sense. But she's more interesting with a collage of influences coming together to give her a sound that already feels her own. The hook-y melody on the single 'Hymns For Hymns' is so addictive to listen to and at merely 30,000 YouTube hits at present but by the time Reading and Leeds come around expect that figure to have grown at least ten times. Cosima, who is signed to Island Records, has everything she needs to help usher her to the forefront of the industry and without a duff track available, a great live band, that include a guitarist who looks like he got lost on the way to an Oasis gig, the South London singer has everything she needs to become a star.
The Districts
This band first cut through in the UK after some incredible performances at SXSW in 2015 and Matt Wilkinson at Beats Radio was a big champion of theirs. They played Reading and Leeds that year on this very stage and were one of the best acts of the whole weekend. This time they're back with songs from a forthcoming third album via uber cool indie Fat Possum. The first single form it 'Lover Lover Lover' has a timeless melancholic epic rock feel. They're like a latter day Maccabees and a more ramschakle Springsteen. So much to love about this band.
Tigercub
Finally, the post-grunge Brighton trio have cracked it. They've spent the past few years cutting about in a splitter up and down the country doing things the hard way, supporting bands like Royal Blood, playing tiny headline shows and releasing via tiny indie labels. We tipped them for big things in our best rock bands for 2015 as what they had out at that point in early single 'Little Rope' was one of the most enthralling rock singles we heard on the radio for some time. Now as a band who are packing out Dingwalls and winning legions of fans with their highly acclaimed second album Abstract Figures In The Dark, they're on another level and hats off to them and the British public for realising the true power of Tigercub.
Shame
Shame have that early Libertines ramshackle everything played at blistering pace whilst kids go absolutely mental moshing at the front appeal. Sonically they're nothing alike, but the impact they're having on young Londoners implies there's something special cooking. Frontman Charlie Steen is like a young John Lydon x Lias Saoudi. He beats at his chest in a sort of orchestrated chaos that encourages the crowd to get into their visceral post-punk. Underneath all the fuzz and whirlwind energy of the band playing at the brink of explosion are some curious catchy melodic hooks that will resonate across huge festival audiences.
Paris Youth Foundation
If Reading and Leeds is largely about drinking far too much after getting your exam results then the epic synth tinged indie pop of Paris Youth Foundation should be the perfect bittersweet soundtrack. If you're in your late teens this is going to sound life-changing and miss it at your peril. In fact, whatever your age PYF have a lot to give there aren't many other bands around with such a natural ear for hit singles in 2017.
Ash
It's a historic 10th appearance for Ash at this festival. They first performed in 1995 and we and them are very excited to hear the likes of 'Burn Baby Burn' and 'Shining Light' remind us what a great addition they've been to alternative pop over the past 22 years. Tim Wheel said in a press release: "our shows at the festival stand among our favourite shows that we’ve ever played, it’s always been a highlight of each year we’ve done it. Somewhere along the way we were promised a statue upon reaching our 10th appearance, so we’re looking forward to the grand unveiling in August!"
Loads more names and stage splits just announced for #RandL17 ❤️💛❤️💛
— Reading & Leeds Fest (@OfficialRandL) April 7, 2017
Tickets 👉 https://t.co/d3RJ3ublWy pic.twitter.com/EVIV01wv7u
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