Photo: Press
Glasgow rockers Glasvegas have revealed their preference to Leeds Festival over it's Reading counterpart, with R&L boss Melvin Benn also stating that he believes the audiences are better up north.
Glasvegas are not performing at Reading & Leeds this year, but have played the festival a number of times in the past. Based on their previous experiences, the band told Gigwise that their preference was always for Leeds.
"I prefer Leeds because of the Northern crowds, to be honest," says Rab Allan of the band. "Reading was probably better that year [2011, when they last played the festival], but they go more crazy for it. Reading is a little bit more London based. Leeds is a little bit more manic."
"We did V a few years ago as well and we noticed the same, the Northern one was always a little bit better."
Watch Glasvegas' latest video, 'If' below
Glasvegas' views are echoed by Reading and Leeds festival organiser Melvin Benn, who agrees that audiences at the two event are 'significantly different' and that Northern audiences are warmer.
Benn said: "The thing with Leeds Festival more than anything is that you really do know that you're in the North of England. That's quite a significant difference between that and Reading. There's just a very Northern atmosphere and it's not neccessarily friendlier, but it's just a thing where people from the North feel a warm glow.
"You get past a certain point on the M1 and you think 'I'm nearly home now, if I break down, someone will help me."
He added: "I think that bands bring their own expectations and that they tend to be more relaxed in Leeds - but you do get some very different performances. Equally I've seen that go the other way, I've seen the Kaiser Chiefs be nervous in Leeds and hugely relaxed in Reading because Leeds is their hometown gig. It does vary but in the main I think that bands get the best out of the audience in Leeds. "
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