![Over the last century, the Reading + Leeds main stages have been conquered by the likes of legends and bands who have started on the smallest stages and risen through the ranks. Here are 13 of the best Reading and Leeds headline performances of this century, ranked.]()
Over the last century, the Reading + Leeds main stages have been conquered by the likes of legends and bands who have started on the smallest stages and risen through the ranks. Here are 13 of the best Reading and Leeds headline performances of this century, ranked.
![13) Metallica (2003): The quintessential rock band playing what was originally considered the quintessential rock festival, Metallica's performance was always going to be memorable. 50,000 people stood and witnessed the power of Metallica in their natural environment in 2003 and this year history will be repeated in awesome fashion.]()
13) Metallica (2003): The quintessential rock band playing what was originally considered the quintessential rock festival, Metallica's performance was always going to be memorable. 50,000 people stood and witnessed the power of Metallica in their natural environment in 2003 and this year history will be repeated in awesome fashion.
![12) Eminem (2001): The most controversial figure of the time, Eminem decided to up the confrontation factor by bringing out Marilyn Manson to perform 'Way I Am'. It's worth noting that Manson was under investigation for sexual assault at the time. Apart from that blip, Eminem's performance was ferocious and the straw that broke the 'Reading is a rock festival' camel's back.]()
12) Eminem (2001): The most controversial figure of the time, Eminem decided to up the confrontation factor by bringing out Marilyn Manson to perform 'Way I Am'. It's worth noting that Manson was under investigation for sexual assault at the time. Apart from that blip, Eminem's performance was ferocious and the straw that broke the 'Reading is a rock festival' camel's back.
![11) Green Day (2013): A non-stop pop-punkathon, Green Day's massive two hour set included a complete run through of their seminal 1994 album Dookie. More than just a nostalgia trip, the trio seemed in their best shape they've been in years and didn't seem to show any fractures or chance of flowing down.]()
11) Green Day (2013): A non-stop pop-punkathon, Green Day's massive two hour set included a complete run through of their seminal 1994 album Dookie. More than just a nostalgia trip, the trio seemed in their best shape they've been in years and didn't seem to show any fractures or chance of flowing down.
![10) Foo Fighters (2005): Foo Fighters have been known as one of the world's greatest live bands in the circuit right now. And that's been the case for the last decade. We forget how many of their biggest songs have been out since the early 2000s. Their headline set saw renditions of 'All My Life', 'This Is A Call' and 'Learn to Fly' sounding larger than they'd ever sounded.]()
10) Foo Fighters (2005): Foo Fighters have been known as one of the world's greatest live bands in the circuit right now. And that's been the case for the last decade. We forget how many of their biggest songs have been out since the early 2000s. Their headline set saw renditions of 'All My Life', 'This Is A Call' and 'Learn to Fly' sounding larger than they'd ever sounded.
![9) Arctic Monkeys (2014): Following their divisive 2009 headline slot, Arctic Monkeys were back with their strongest material yet and, man, did they deliver. Alex Turner had peaked on the cool scale and with a minimal stage production gave room for the personality and ubiquity of their tunes to thrive.]()
9) Arctic Monkeys (2014): Following their divisive 2009 headline slot, Arctic Monkeys were back with their strongest material yet and, man, did they deliver. Alex Turner had peaked on the cool scale and with a minimal stage production gave room for the personality and ubiquity of their tunes to thrive.
![8) Biffy Clyro (2013): A band who truly earned their headline slot, Biffy started from the bottom and built themselves up to be the stadium giants they are now honestly and admirably. Following the release of their amazing double album, Opposites, their career-spanning set was explosive enough even without the pyrotechnics.]()
8) Biffy Clyro (2013): A band who truly earned their headline slot, Biffy started from the bottom and built themselves up to be the stadium giants they are now honestly and admirably. Following the release of their amazing double album, Opposites, their career-spanning set was explosive enough even without the pyrotechnics.
![7) The Cure (2012): 33 years since the bands first appearance at the festival, The Cure had accumulated more than lifetime's worth of hits and reverence as they took the stage. The Cure influenced and still influence the majority of the bands that play the festival so it's only right that their headline set is regarded as highly as it is.]()
7) The Cure (2012): 33 years since the bands first appearance at the festival, The Cure had accumulated more than lifetime's worth of hits and reverence as they took the stage. The Cure influenced and still influence the majority of the bands that play the festival so it's only right that their headline set is regarded as highly as it is.
![6) Queens of the Stone Age (2014): Despite the co-headlining with Paramore, there was very little that 'co' about this situation. Homme and his band of merry monsters blew any performance that day out of the water with a blitzing set-list that was, admittedly, better suited for the more hardcore fans but even the unconverted recognised the power of Queens.]()
6) Queens of the Stone Age (2014): Despite the co-headlining with Paramore, there was very little that 'co' about this situation. Homme and his band of merry monsters blew any performance that day out of the water with a blitzing set-list that was, admittedly, better suited for the more hardcore fans but even the unconverted recognised the power of Queens.
![5) Oasis (2000): The critics predicted this performance to be Oasis' swan song, a song with some added percussion of bottles bombarding the stage. The Britpop heroes rocketed past expectations with one of their greatest sets of the time. Oasis have always been a band for festivals, even if they didn't know it themselves, so the enormity of their Reading and Leeds performance then is hardly a surprise in hindsight.]()
5) Oasis (2000): The critics predicted this performance to be Oasis' swan song, a song with some added percussion of bottles bombarding the stage. The Britpop heroes rocketed past expectations with one of their greatest sets of the time. Oasis have always been a band for festivals, even if they didn't know it themselves, so the enormity of their Reading and Leeds performance then is hardly a surprise in hindsight.
![4) Rage Against The Machine (2008): The anarchic quartet returned to the main stage for the first time in eight years clad in Guantanamo Bay-style orange overalls and hoods. Always a band to make a statement, their bombastic funk-metal jams were intermitted by impassioned rants from De La Rocha about injustice though the real star was guitarist Tom Morello who threw life and limb into the whole performance.]()
4) Rage Against The Machine (2008): The anarchic quartet returned to the main stage for the first time in eight years clad in Guantanamo Bay-style orange overalls and hoods. Always a band to make a statement, their bombastic funk-metal jams were intermitted by impassioned rants from De La Rocha about injustice though the real star was guitarist Tom Morello who threw life and limb into the whole performance.
![3) Muse (2011): Performing the entirety of their seminal 2001 album, Origin of Symmetry, Muse maxed out on their production values bringing in ginormous metallic forks to resemble the album's artwork. Their set had all of Muse's golden tracks, fireworks, incredible visuals - more or less everything you could ever want from a Muse show. We'll leave forget the awesome reception for 'Citizen Erased' and 'Microcuts'.]()
3) Muse (2011): Performing the entirety of their seminal 2001 album, Origin of Symmetry, Muse maxed out on their production values bringing in ginormous metallic forks to resemble the album's artwork. Their set had all of Muse's golden tracks, fireworks, incredible visuals - more or less everything you could ever want from a Muse show. We'll leave forget the awesome reception for 'Citizen Erased' and 'Microcuts'.
![2) Arcade Fire (2010): Celebrating the release of their most theatrical and resonating album to date, The Suburbs, Arcade Fire brought their world renowned live show to Reading and Leeds. For many, it was the first time seeing the Canadian group live and marked the beginning of lifelong infatuations with the band - it's called the 'Arcade Fire' effect.]()
2) Arcade Fire (2010): Celebrating the release of their most theatrical and resonating album to date, The Suburbs, Arcade Fire brought their world renowned live show to Reading and Leeds. For many, it was the first time seeing the Canadian group live and marked the beginning of lifelong infatuations with the band - it's called the 'Arcade Fire' effect.
![1) Radiohead (2009): Maybe most iconic performance in recent Reading and Leeds history, Radiohead performed flawlessly with minimal chat and maximum performance. Controversially starting their set with 'Creep', Radiohead challenged themselves to match that peak and did so with spectacular finesse.]()
1) Radiohead (2009): Maybe most iconic performance in recent Reading and Leeds history, Radiohead performed flawlessly with minimal chat and maximum performance. Controversially starting their set with 'Creep', Radiohead challenged themselves to match that peak and did so with spectacular finesse.