More about: Reading & Leeds

Reading/Leeds have announced a second wave of acts for their comeback event this year - and like many other festivals bringing out the post-Covid big guns, it's a whopper. Here are some of the acts you must go and see when you're in the fields this August.

(Reading/Leeds is currently sold out.)

KennyHoopla

A true once-in-a-generation all-rounder carrying the torch for bonafide emo. At the end of the day I’ve just always wanted to live forever really, I guess I’ve just always struggled with death my whole life. I think the only way to not die was to live forever" he told us.

Listen: 'ESTELLA//'. INTERVIEW.

Ivorian Doll

UK drill artist doing it for the girls. We're still waiting on a debut EP or album from Ivorian Doll, who brings prettiness to drill without losing even an ounce of clout. She was one of our 21 to watch for 2021.

Listen: 'Rumours'.

FEVER 333

Far further down the bill than you'd expect from a supergroup with SUCH a huge sound, FEVER 333 are an absolute must-see for those partial to a moshpit. The band's three albums to date - Made An America, STRENGTH IN NUMB333RS and WRONG GENERATION - could draw a multitude of parallels with Rage Against the Machine, but really, FEVER 333 are a proposition all their own.

Listen: 'BURN IT'. LIVE REVIEW.

Ho99o9

Fast, slow, incendiary, creeping: Ho99o9 can do it all. Their music is a big old cauldron of screamo, metal, punk and rap - and it's exciting as fuck. Live, the duo are electric: engaging and terrifying in equal measure. 

Listen: 'Knuckle Up'. 

Creeper

With their 2020 album Sex, Death & the Infinite Void making it to number 11 in our 51 best albums of that year, pop-punk emos Creeper are otherworldly storytellers with a lot of show in them. “If you’re not going forward constantly, it’s just nostalgia", they told us.

Listen: 'Anabelle'. INTERVIEW.

Bob Vylan

Another group with an album on the Gigwise Best Albums of 2020 list, Bob Vylan's We Live Here hasn't seen the light of the stage since its release on Bandcamp last year. With some serious pent up anger, excitement and joy in then, you just know Bobby and Bobbie are going to put on the show of a lifetime.

Listen: 'We Live Here'. INTERVIEW.

girl in red

Another artist who'll likely far outplay her slot on the Festival Republic stage, girl in red's songs have been streamed many hundreds of millions of times over. Her confessional ballads and inventive pop make her forthcoming album if i could make it go quiet one of the most anticipated of the year.

Listen: 'Serotonin'. 

Nation of Language

A third band on this list with an album on the Gigwise Best Albums of 2020 list, Nation of Language make impossible-to-dislike synth-pop that's more 1980's than the 1980's. See them for a sugar rush. 

Listen: 'Tournament'.

Nova Twins

A total powerhouse of a duo making grubby rock'n'roll with a serrated punk edge. Taking on politics, self-worth and pure fictional fun, Nova Twins can make a rock banger about pretty much anything. Get down to see them!

Listen: 'Taxi'. INTERVIEW.

cleopatrick

Simmering, sexy rock'n'roll inspired by the blues and following in the vein of Royal Blood. Do duos just do it better? Seems that way doesn't it...

Listen: 'Good Grief'

Darkoo

Just a bunch of singles; that all we need to know how big a star Darkoo is going to be. Androgynous, addictive, Afroswing x rap x pop. The Darkoo Radio 1Xtra set is going to be enormous.

Listen: 'Juicy'. 

More about: Reading & Leeds