Rocker (feedbot)
Gold Member
Friday at Reading feels like potential energy about to explode. The sun beats down on freshly pitched tents, and there’s that familiar mixture of excitement and mild panic as people realise they’ve forgotten tent pegs again. The BBC iPlayer stage is already buzzing by mid-afternoon, and you can sense the weekend building momentum like a runaway train. Time to dive in.
Sofia Isella opens just before 4pm with ‘Hot Gum’, her gothic indie-pop melodies cutting through the afternoon heat like a cool breeze. There’s something refreshingly honest about her delivery that stops people mid-conversation as she moves into ‘Cacao and Cocaine’. The crowd gradually swells as word spreads during ‘Josephine’ – this isn’t just background music while you queue for chips. Then disaster strikes halfway through ‘Sex Concept’ – the power cuts out completely. Without missing a beat, Isella jumps into the crowd, continuing unplugged while roadies scramble behind her. When the power finally returns, she climbs back on stage to close with ‘The Doll People’, and the whole ordeal has somehow made the performance more intimate than any stadium show ever could.
SNAYX immediately shift the energy up several gears with ‘Ignorance’. Their electronic-infused sound hits like a sugar rush, all jagged synths and infectious hooks that get heads nodding. ‘Violence’ and ‘Better Days’ build the momentum before ‘Strut’ gets proper dance moves happening – which, at what was always traditionally a rock festival, feels both wrong and completely right. Mid-set, they drop ‘FAYX’ and the crowd looks confused for about thirty seconds, then completely commits to the chaos. They tear through ‘Work’ and ‘Boys in Blue’ before delivering their ace card – a cover of The Prodigy’s ‘Breathe’ that sends the field absolutely mental. They close with ‘Sink or Swim’, leaving everyone buzzing with synthetic energy.
When Soft Play (fka Slaves) bound onto the stage with ‘Mirror Muscles’ (originally a Baby Dave song and their first time using it as a show opener), it’s immediately clear that “Slaves” are well and truly no more – this feels like a completely different beast. ‘Isaac Is Typing…’ explodes next and the pit opens instantly, a writhing mass of sweaty festival-goers who’ve been waiting all day for something to properly lose their minds to. They tear through ‘Bin Juice Disaster’ and ‘Act Violently’ with manic energy before ‘Fuck the Hi-Hat’ sends the field into proper chaos. A mid-set surprise arrives when Kate Nash joins them for ‘Slushy’ – its live debut – before she crowdsurfs during ‘Punk’s Dead’ like it’s 2006 all over again. The energy never drops through ‘Girl Fight’, ‘Everything and Nothing’, and ‘Beauty Quest’, before they close with ‘The Hunter’ to a field that looks like it’s been put through a washing machine cycle.
Heartworms emerges as the sun starts to dip, opening with ‘Just to Ask a Dance’ and bringing a sound perfectly suited to the golden hour. She draws a crowd that’s still energised from Soft Play and ready for something they can sing along to, her backing musicians providing the perfect foundation for her indie/gothic/punky rock sensibilities. ‘Retributions of an Awful Life’ hits the sweet spot during the golden hour, while ‘May I Comply’ and ‘Consistent Dedication’ showcase the kind of effortless charisma that makes festival crowds fall in love instantly. ‘Beat Poem’ gets the entire field swaying as one before ‘Extraordinary Wings’ soars into the evening air. She closes with ‘Jacked’, and the collective singalong feels like the moment Friday night truly begins.
MP storm the stage with ‘Sometimes’ and remind everyone that punk is very much alive. ‘Everything’ launches immediately after with controlled fury that makes the crowd response violent and immediate. ‘Loud Bark’ gets dedicated to the matriarchs before ‘I Got Heaven’ channels pure, brilliant chaos through the pit. Mid-set technical difficulties threaten to derail ‘OK? OK! OK? OK!’ but Marisa Dabice fills the gap with a primal scream interlude that’s somehow more intense than any song could be. Once sorted, they tear through ‘Of Her’, ‘Aching’, and ‘Perfect’ with the authority of someone who’s spent years perfecting the art of channeling rage into something beautiful. They close with ‘Pigs Is Pigs’ and ‘Romantic’, leaving the audience simultaneously exhausted and exhilarated.
High Vis grace us with their presence next, and deliver exactly what their name promises, opening with ‘0151’ – high visibility, high energy, and high impact. Their post-punk revival cuts through the evening air during ‘Talk for Hours’ and ‘Trauma Bonds’, all angular guitars and driving rhythms that get feet moving whether you want them to or not. The crowd has found its second wind by now, and ‘Walking Wires’ turns the pit into a writhing mass of bodies moving to the relentless beat. There’s something almost ritualistic about their performance, and they close with ‘Fever’ to a field of raised fists and hoarse voices, each song building until the whole thing feels like a communal release of the week’s frustrations.
Finally, The Chats – they roll up just after 10pm like the party everyone’s been waiting for. Their pub rock simplicity is deceptive – these songs are crafted with surgical precision to make people lose their absolute minds. They open with a track that sounds like it was recorded in a garage and mixed on a boombox, and somehow it’s exactly what 50,000 people needed to hear. The pit becomes a sea of chaos, with crowd surfers appearing like salmon swimming upstream. Their no-nonsense approach to rock and roll cuts through any remaining pretence, and by the time they launch into ‘Pub Feed’, the entire field is bouncing as one. They close the night with the kind of euphoric chaos that makes people remember why they love live music, leaving everyone buzzing with the kind of energy that’ll carry them through to Saturday.
As the dust settles on Friday night, there’s that familiar festival feeling – throat raw, ears ringing, feet aching, but already planning tomorrow’s assault on the stages. The diverse lineup proved that Reading’s still got it, serving up everything from intimate indie moments to full-blown rock and roll chaos. Roll on Saturday.
Words: Kathryn Edwards // Photos: Abbi Draper-Scott
Sofia Isella
Sofia Isella opens just before 4pm with ‘Hot Gum’, her gothic indie-pop melodies cutting through the afternoon heat like a cool breeze. There’s something refreshingly honest about her delivery that stops people mid-conversation as she moves into ‘Cacao and Cocaine’. The crowd gradually swells as word spreads during ‘Josephine’ – this isn’t just background music while you queue for chips. Then disaster strikes halfway through ‘Sex Concept’ – the power cuts out completely. Without missing a beat, Isella jumps into the crowd, continuing unplugged while roadies scramble behind her. When the power finally returns, she climbs back on stage to close with ‘The Doll People’, and the whole ordeal has somehow made the performance more intimate than any stadium show ever could.
SNAYX
SNAYX immediately shift the energy up several gears with ‘Ignorance’. Their electronic-infused sound hits like a sugar rush, all jagged synths and infectious hooks that get heads nodding. ‘Violence’ and ‘Better Days’ build the momentum before ‘Strut’ gets proper dance moves happening – which, at what was always traditionally a rock festival, feels both wrong and completely right. Mid-set, they drop ‘FAYX’ and the crowd looks confused for about thirty seconds, then completely commits to the chaos. They tear through ‘Work’ and ‘Boys in Blue’ before delivering their ace card – a cover of The Prodigy’s ‘Breathe’ that sends the field absolutely mental. They close with ‘Sink or Swim’, leaving everyone buzzing with synthetic energy.
Soft Play
When Soft Play (fka Slaves) bound onto the stage with ‘Mirror Muscles’ (originally a Baby Dave song and their first time using it as a show opener), it’s immediately clear that “Slaves” are well and truly no more – this feels like a completely different beast. ‘Isaac Is Typing…’ explodes next and the pit opens instantly, a writhing mass of sweaty festival-goers who’ve been waiting all day for something to properly lose their minds to. They tear through ‘Bin Juice Disaster’ and ‘Act Violently’ with manic energy before ‘Fuck the Hi-Hat’ sends the field into proper chaos. A mid-set surprise arrives when Kate Nash joins them for ‘Slushy’ – its live debut – before she crowdsurfs during ‘Punk’s Dead’ like it’s 2006 all over again. The energy never drops through ‘Girl Fight’, ‘Everything and Nothing’, and ‘Beauty Quest’, before they close with ‘The Hunter’ to a field that looks like it’s been put through a washing machine cycle.
Heartworms
Heartworms emerges as the sun starts to dip, opening with ‘Just to Ask a Dance’ and bringing a sound perfectly suited to the golden hour. She draws a crowd that’s still energised from Soft Play and ready for something they can sing along to, her backing musicians providing the perfect foundation for her indie/gothic/punky rock sensibilities. ‘Retributions of an Awful Life’ hits the sweet spot during the golden hour, while ‘May I Comply’ and ‘Consistent Dedication’ showcase the kind of effortless charisma that makes festival crowds fall in love instantly. ‘Beat Poem’ gets the entire field swaying as one before ‘Extraordinary Wings’ soars into the evening air. She closes with ‘Jacked’, and the collective singalong feels like the moment Friday night truly begins.
Mannequin Pussy
MP storm the stage with ‘Sometimes’ and remind everyone that punk is very much alive. ‘Everything’ launches immediately after with controlled fury that makes the crowd response violent and immediate. ‘Loud Bark’ gets dedicated to the matriarchs before ‘I Got Heaven’ channels pure, brilliant chaos through the pit. Mid-set technical difficulties threaten to derail ‘OK? OK! OK? OK!’ but Marisa Dabice fills the gap with a primal scream interlude that’s somehow more intense than any song could be. Once sorted, they tear through ‘Of Her’, ‘Aching’, and ‘Perfect’ with the authority of someone who’s spent years perfecting the art of channeling rage into something beautiful. They close with ‘Pigs Is Pigs’ and ‘Romantic’, leaving the audience simultaneously exhausted and exhilarated.
High Vis
High Vis grace us with their presence next, and deliver exactly what their name promises, opening with ‘0151’ – high visibility, high energy, and high impact. Their post-punk revival cuts through the evening air during ‘Talk for Hours’ and ‘Trauma Bonds’, all angular guitars and driving rhythms that get feet moving whether you want them to or not. The crowd has found its second wind by now, and ‘Walking Wires’ turns the pit into a writhing mass of bodies moving to the relentless beat. There’s something almost ritualistic about their performance, and they close with ‘Fever’ to a field of raised fists and hoarse voices, each song building until the whole thing feels like a communal release of the week’s frustrations.
The Chats
Finally, The Chats – they roll up just after 10pm like the party everyone’s been waiting for. Their pub rock simplicity is deceptive – these songs are crafted with surgical precision to make people lose their absolute minds. They open with a track that sounds like it was recorded in a garage and mixed on a boombox, and somehow it’s exactly what 50,000 people needed to hear. The pit becomes a sea of chaos, with crowd surfers appearing like salmon swimming upstream. Their no-nonsense approach to rock and roll cuts through any remaining pretence, and by the time they launch into ‘Pub Feed’, the entire field is bouncing as one. They close the night with the kind of euphoric chaos that makes people remember why they love live music, leaving everyone buzzing with the kind of energy that’ll carry them through to Saturday.
As the dust settles on Friday night, there’s that familiar festival feeling – throat raw, ears ringing, feet aching, but already planning tomorrow’s assault on the stages. The diverse lineup proved that Reading’s still got it, serving up everything from intimate indie moments to full-blown rock and roll chaos. Roll on Saturday.
