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Reading And Leeds Festival 2011: Saturday Review

Reading get letlive. and Leeds get My Chemical Romance. Everyone wins on day two of the fest.

Day two was an important one as both Reading and Leeds play host to a smörgåsbord (yup, we just said that) of amazing bands. Team Rock Sound got busy watching the pick of the line-up, read our review of the action below.

For a comprehensive review of Friday at Reading and Leeds, including our verdicts on 30 Seconds To Mars, Deftones and more click here...


TITLE FIGHT's aggressive attack on the Lock Up Stage certainly wipes the cobwebs from the ears of all in attendance this afternoon. Their punk rock stylings sound incredibly urgent in the tent and with as many scissorkicks as riffs jammed into their set, they look like they're having the time of their lives, too. But, after 20 mins or so, things get rather repetitive, with Jamie Rhoden's voice struggling to hold out for their full set duration. Not their best festival appearance this summer, but they tried bloody hard. [AR]

While some of the crowd enjoyed the initial draw of MARIACHI EL BRONX’s vibrant set before wandering off, those who stuck around enjoyed more than just singalongs and conga lines (several of those, actually) as the band’s dedication to their music became more apparent. Their hardcore alter ego certainly means they have a knack for rousing a crowd, but that shouldn’t discount the intricacy of their guitar parts, the depth of their harmonies or their flawless delivery throughout – ultimately, that they’re a ridiculously talented, to-the-letter mariachi band. The conga lines were the best bit, though. [AB]



Refreshing and amusing as ever, Florida's NEW FOUND GLORY served Leeds with the perfect antidote for a Saturday morning hangover. Slipping in plenty of covers, including a half-arsed attempt at 'Come As You Are', the set ticked all the boxes for the early rising crowd. Proclaiming that 'pop punk's not dead', the band blasted through a slew of crowd-pleasers, and you know what? After that display, it's difficult to argue with them. [HC]

There's something rather warming and familiar about COMEBACK KID, like they're the festival equivalent of Come Dine With Me on a Sunday afternoon - you know exactly what you're going to get but it's still entertaining. Sure, their chops as a hardcore wrecking crew are beyond reproach, as 'GM Vincent & I' and 'False Idols Fall' threaten to turn the Lock Up tent into something approaching bedlam, but if ever they want to move up the bill they're going to have to have a stern word with themselves. Punishing but predictable. [BP]

Back over on the Main Stage, the sun breaks just in time for JIMMY EAT WORLD to take to the stage. It's one of those perfect early evening performances where the weather's perfect, the band are tight as ever (albeit a tad quiet) and they play nothing but the hits you expect from a festival set (think Incubus at Reading 05). In a complete contrast to their Forum show a few months back, the Professional Rock Band Jimmy Eat World (their words, not ours) give a no-bullshit lesson in how to do festivals. [AR]



There's a time and a place for GLASSJAW to play a set like this, but this ain't it. There's something admirably bloody minded about them making their first festival set in what seems like forever consist solely of tracks off their newest - and least-familiar - EP 'Coloring Book' and two slow tunes from the catalogue, but the fact remains the cavernous Radio 1 tent was hoping for a lesson in classic hardcore. 'Ape Dos Mil' and 'The Gilette Cavalcade Of Sports' were impressive but came slightly too late in a mid-paced set that probably lost them more fans than it won. Having said that, as an example of how to do exactly what the fuck you want and not listen to anyone else, it was flawless. [BP]

Send help! About a thousand people just got their faces shredded by THE BRONX and could possibly require medical attention. Having shed the mariachi costumes, the Los Angeles five-piece picked a set that spanned their first EP to their most recent record ‘The Bronx’ (not to be confused with their second album ‘The Bronx’ or debut full-length ‘The Bronx’) – but wherever they drew from, the lyrics were shouted back and the crowd consistently achieved one of the most exhilarating moshpits of the day. Killer. [AB]

RIVAL SCHOOLS may sometimes feel like they're yesterday's news, but there's something about their set in the Lock Up Stage tonight that really works. They're not the most visually entertaining band by any means, but Schreifels is on excellent form and their retro-rock vibes suit the typical Saturday-night-at-Reading atmosphere. Oh, and if you had forgotten, 'Used For Glue' is still a ten-out-of-ten ultimate festival mosh anthem. Don't dispute it. [AR]



Following riotous sets from MADNESS, CAPDOWN, and THE KING BLUES, the marvellous MIGHTY MIGHTY BOSSTONES drove the point home that ska completely slayed this Saturday. And while the tent wasn’t totally packed, for those in attendance that just meant a little more room to enjoy their set. With it being their first time back in the UK in years, the band – suited up, as ever – pull out hit after hit, culminating in 90s anthem 'The Impression That I Get,' encouraging the crowd to maintain the positive vibe throughout the tent in between fist pumps, skanking and singalongs. And Julian Casablancas (probably) didn't manage that, did he? [AB]

There's a late - and rather unexpected - contender for Band Of The Day in the shape of unassuming Belfast instrumentalists AND SO I WATCH YOU FROM AFAR, who tear up the Festival Republic stage like an early-day Biffy mixed with the most epic moments of Explosions In The Sky. There's a phenomenal energy in the tent as they thrash around the stage, slamming into one another as riff after riff crashes out; this might not be their home turf but on this showing they'd be a worthy booking for any stage at any festival. [BP]

Back in Leeds and kicking off their headline slot by forging through their anthemic newer material, MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE looked every inch a band in their element. A reminder of just how far the guys have come, 'Our Lady of Sorrows' provided a nod to the old days. From there, the band gave fans exactly what they came for, with one great tune after another. There couldn't have been a better way to close the show than with the theatrics of 'The Black Parade'. With fireworks launched, it acted as a fitting conclusion to a stellar set. [HC]


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