Post by Catfood on Sept 19, 2004 0:42:11 GMT -5
This year was my first Reading Festival, before this I thought that nothing could top Glastonbury festival. I wasn't that impressed with Download last year and the one day events aren't really the same so even though I was expecting to have a good time, I wasn't expecting to be blown away like I was.
Thursday:
We had decided to start travelling down to Reading at night, that way missing out all of the traffic on the motorways during the day and being able to get a decent camping spot. The journey starts off quite well, Kev, Rob and Vic in the first car, me and my brothers, Mark and Mathew in my car. However after a quick stop in South Mimms, we lose the car in front. But as luck would have it, we arrived at Reading about 5 minutes after they did. Also it turns out that they are letting people onto the campsite. So with that, we picked our spot, set up camp and upon finding out nobody was tired, we start drinking at the fine old time of 6AM and awaited the arrival of Carl and Adam and his girlfriend.
img.photobucket.com/albums/v442/Echonarc/breakfast.jpg
*from left to right, Kev, Rob, Mathew, Mark*
Unfortunately, starting so early meant that by midday, we were all fucked. We got a couple of hours sleep and then started again. A quick wander around to get wristbands and then back to the tents for more beer. The night ends in an alcoholic daze, in which we manage to upset our neighbours by being drunk and loud.
Friday:
I wake up and its pissing it down with rain and despite Vic telling me that it's waterproof, his tent is leaking. We decide to take the sleeping bags back to the cars to prevent them getting any wetter and decide to buy a new tent. Unfortunately the new tent has just about about enough room to swing a very small cat and Vic has become very possesive about it and starts telling me that I can't go in it with dirty jeans(which I have decided I'm not changing all weekend to see how muddy they get). I tell him to fuck off.
By this time, everyone is up and nursing hangovers, with more beer. Plus, the rain has stopped, for now anyway. Everyone wants to see Goldie Lookin Chain. However, they all get held up at the entrance. Which is strange, as they left before me and I got in about 20 minutes before GLC started. GLC are amazing, a proper feel good start to the day, even in the pouring rain. I meet up with everyone afterwards and I'm like "Weren't GLC good?" They all glumly replied, "I don't know, we didn't get in on time."
The next band I see are Reel Big Fish who are also amazing, I even manage to find Mathew in the pit, mind you, he wasn't that hard to miss in his big yellow coat. For some reason, he decided that it would be a good idea to wear it and go moshing.
img.photobucket.com/albums/v442/Echonarc/Mathewsbadhairday.jpg
Then its on to buy beer and then into the comedy tent until The Wildhearts, who I only saw half of. This starts a trend that lasts the entire weekend. The one of missing the bands I want to see. What I saw of The Wildhearts was really good and someone sold Carl a can of lager for £2. After that, there was no one else we want to see until the Offspring so take a wander around. Then Carl has the great idea, at the time, of doing Magic Mushrooms. I seem to be the only one thats up for that idea. Anyway, we eat the 'shrooms and I realise that My Red Cell are playing in the Carling tent, I rush to see them, just as they were ending their set. By this time though, the mushrooms are kicking in and so is the paranoia. So I decide to hide in the comedy tent and watch the horses go around the racetrack on the roof of the tent.
I leave the comedy tent to see the Offspring and meet up with Vic, who no one has seen all day. It may be because I was fucked, but the Offspring weren't that good, so I decide to go T shirt shopping with Vic. This leads to me buying a terrible T shirt and then back to the camp site before the Darkness start playing their rock 'n' roll thing. Though they did have fucking good fireworks. It also turns out that I have a gram of speed waiting back at the tent for me that I had forgot about. Oh dear, this is going to end badly.
Actually no, it wasn't that bad. Me and Vic got the sleeping bags from the car, got back to the tent and saw Mark, who had been drinking cider and Aftershock all day and was considerably more fucked than me. At least I could stand.
I decide to go and see the Suicide Girls and catch the end of Dirty Sanchez, which looked good. Then in an effort to get more beer, I take a walk around and see there is a film being shown in the Dance tent. Its Shaun Of The Dead, I start watching and decide that the floor is quite nice and that I can't be arsed to move to see naked women. Damned drugs!!!
The night ends in an alcholic and narcotic daze.
Saturday:
I got all of about 2 hours sleep, unsurprisingly. But I feel quite good, which I decide is because I'm still fucked. Time for more beer.
There was no one that I was that bothered about seeing, so I decided to take the day to recover. We went into town, had a look around and just chilled out really. I saw a couple of comedians, but after a while, they all seem to be telling the same jokes. I also made a promise to myself when I saw this picture. I'm the handsome guy in the Senser T shirt if anyone cares.
img.photobucket.com/albums/v442/Echonarc/CopyofToldyouicangetthebottletopoffwithmyteeth.jpg
I made the promise to myself to avoid people with cameras when I'm drunk.
The day is pretty much a day of rest, Carl spends most of the day inside of his tent listening to the radio, too paranoid to actually leave.
I decide that at the last minute, I really ought to see a band, I decide to go and see Mondo Generator who are good. I stumble out of the Carling tent and accidently hear The Whitestripes and decide to stay for a little while to see if they are in fact as shit as I think they are. They're worse and to top it all off, Jack White starts talking and he sounds like Micheal Jackson.
Mark and Rob find me and I start ranting on about how shit the Whitestripes are and these people passing by give us their beer. I start ranting again and Mark, somehow manages to spill 2 pints of lager all over himself. This lifts the mood of the moment and we meet Carl, who is pissed and wants to fight the neighbours, who have been complaining about us. I talk him out of it and he stayed up all night drinking with them.
We go back to the tents, drink more beer, I'm starting to feel shit now and a bit grumpy so I go for a walk around to find some food. Then its back to the tent and the night ends in an alcholic daze.
Sunday:
I wake up about 10 the morning and it feels like I've been kicked repeatedly in the kidneys. I think is my body begging me "Please no more", I later find out that it wasn't. Lets just say that I have never been more thankful to see a festival toilet in my life.
We don't actually want to see any bands until The Dropkick Murpheys, so we take another walk into town and have a beer. For some reason, we end up spending ages in the carpark behind Weatherspoons until we realise that none of us had paid £112 pounds to sit in a carpark. So we went back to the tent and sat in a muddy field.
img.photobucket.com/albums/v442/Echonarc/AhhhhLunch.jpg
At this point, none of us knew that The Rasmus had wimped off and the times had changed, the first we knew about it was when we heard The Dropkick Murpheys playing "Kiss Me I'm Shitfaced" that we decided to get into the arena. Caught the band as they were leaving the stage as was the curse of the weekend, but I wasn't that bothered.
I am a huge fan of The Streets, I got into them when I heard "Has It Come To This?" on a Garage CD and I think Mike Skinner is one of the best things to happen to British music. I've been waiting a long time to see him do his thing live. Now, this is the snag, he sounds bored performing the "Original Pirate Material" stuff, but fair play to the geezer, he is tired and he has been playing it for about 4 years now. But the new material sounds fantastic, especially "Blinded By The Lights". He is friendly, witty and does his best to win over the crowd that are there to hear "Dry Your Eyes" or were waiting for the Lostprophets. Something 50 Cent should have noted. "I thought this was supposed to be washed out?!?" he says just before his 3rd song, half way through the heavens open. "Shit! Sorry about that." Fucking brilliant. Even Mathew, who doesn't like them was impressed.
Missed the Lostprophets, because I was buying beer for after Greenday. Suddenly realise that I wanted to see them, but I missed them. Bastard!! I stay arena because I want to see if Fiddy is going to play a full set, because if he is, I can go see The Von Bondies. 50 Cent gets bottled, camping chair'd and so I've heard even fireworked off stage in what is one of the funniest things I've ever seen. I hope he turns up next year for a repeat performance.
Greenday have 2 hours to play with, do they waste it? Maybe a little. They took ages doing the picking people from the crowd thing and I still get the feeling that getting the bloke from the Dropkick Murpheys to drum was pre planned. But Billy Joe, drunk as fuck, knows how to work a huge crowd and the covers, don't sound as if they are being used to kill time. A cover of "We Are The Champions" sounds amazing, everyone watching was singing and they could have left it there and everyone would have been happy. But "Time Of Your Life(Good Riddance)" tops the evening, everyone singing and Billy Joe almost in tears. Greenday to headline next year as well.
And then its a mad dash for the toilets...The rest of the evening ends in an alcholic daze...in between trips to the toilet.
Thursday:
We had decided to start travelling down to Reading at night, that way missing out all of the traffic on the motorways during the day and being able to get a decent camping spot. The journey starts off quite well, Kev, Rob and Vic in the first car, me and my brothers, Mark and Mathew in my car. However after a quick stop in South Mimms, we lose the car in front. But as luck would have it, we arrived at Reading about 5 minutes after they did. Also it turns out that they are letting people onto the campsite. So with that, we picked our spot, set up camp and upon finding out nobody was tired, we start drinking at the fine old time of 6AM and awaited the arrival of Carl and Adam and his girlfriend.
img.photobucket.com/albums/v442/Echonarc/breakfast.jpg
*from left to right, Kev, Rob, Mathew, Mark*
Unfortunately, starting so early meant that by midday, we were all fucked. We got a couple of hours sleep and then started again. A quick wander around to get wristbands and then back to the tents for more beer. The night ends in an alcoholic daze, in which we manage to upset our neighbours by being drunk and loud.
Friday:
I wake up and its pissing it down with rain and despite Vic telling me that it's waterproof, his tent is leaking. We decide to take the sleeping bags back to the cars to prevent them getting any wetter and decide to buy a new tent. Unfortunately the new tent has just about about enough room to swing a very small cat and Vic has become very possesive about it and starts telling me that I can't go in it with dirty jeans(which I have decided I'm not changing all weekend to see how muddy they get). I tell him to fuck off.
By this time, everyone is up and nursing hangovers, with more beer. Plus, the rain has stopped, for now anyway. Everyone wants to see Goldie Lookin Chain. However, they all get held up at the entrance. Which is strange, as they left before me and I got in about 20 minutes before GLC started. GLC are amazing, a proper feel good start to the day, even in the pouring rain. I meet up with everyone afterwards and I'm like "Weren't GLC good?" They all glumly replied, "I don't know, we didn't get in on time."
The next band I see are Reel Big Fish who are also amazing, I even manage to find Mathew in the pit, mind you, he wasn't that hard to miss in his big yellow coat. For some reason, he decided that it would be a good idea to wear it and go moshing.
img.photobucket.com/albums/v442/Echonarc/Mathewsbadhairday.jpg
Then its on to buy beer and then into the comedy tent until The Wildhearts, who I only saw half of. This starts a trend that lasts the entire weekend. The one of missing the bands I want to see. What I saw of The Wildhearts was really good and someone sold Carl a can of lager for £2. After that, there was no one else we want to see until the Offspring so take a wander around. Then Carl has the great idea, at the time, of doing Magic Mushrooms. I seem to be the only one thats up for that idea. Anyway, we eat the 'shrooms and I realise that My Red Cell are playing in the Carling tent, I rush to see them, just as they were ending their set. By this time though, the mushrooms are kicking in and so is the paranoia. So I decide to hide in the comedy tent and watch the horses go around the racetrack on the roof of the tent.
I leave the comedy tent to see the Offspring and meet up with Vic, who no one has seen all day. It may be because I was fucked, but the Offspring weren't that good, so I decide to go T shirt shopping with Vic. This leads to me buying a terrible T shirt and then back to the camp site before the Darkness start playing their rock 'n' roll thing. Though they did have fucking good fireworks. It also turns out that I have a gram of speed waiting back at the tent for me that I had forgot about. Oh dear, this is going to end badly.
Actually no, it wasn't that bad. Me and Vic got the sleeping bags from the car, got back to the tent and saw Mark, who had been drinking cider and Aftershock all day and was considerably more fucked than me. At least I could stand.
I decide to go and see the Suicide Girls and catch the end of Dirty Sanchez, which looked good. Then in an effort to get more beer, I take a walk around and see there is a film being shown in the Dance tent. Its Shaun Of The Dead, I start watching and decide that the floor is quite nice and that I can't be arsed to move to see naked women. Damned drugs!!!
The night ends in an alcholic and narcotic daze.
Saturday:
I got all of about 2 hours sleep, unsurprisingly. But I feel quite good, which I decide is because I'm still fucked. Time for more beer.
There was no one that I was that bothered about seeing, so I decided to take the day to recover. We went into town, had a look around and just chilled out really. I saw a couple of comedians, but after a while, they all seem to be telling the same jokes. I also made a promise to myself when I saw this picture. I'm the handsome guy in the Senser T shirt if anyone cares.
img.photobucket.com/albums/v442/Echonarc/CopyofToldyouicangetthebottletopoffwithmyteeth.jpg
I made the promise to myself to avoid people with cameras when I'm drunk.
The day is pretty much a day of rest, Carl spends most of the day inside of his tent listening to the radio, too paranoid to actually leave.
I decide that at the last minute, I really ought to see a band, I decide to go and see Mondo Generator who are good. I stumble out of the Carling tent and accidently hear The Whitestripes and decide to stay for a little while to see if they are in fact as shit as I think they are. They're worse and to top it all off, Jack White starts talking and he sounds like Micheal Jackson.
Mark and Rob find me and I start ranting on about how shit the Whitestripes are and these people passing by give us their beer. I start ranting again and Mark, somehow manages to spill 2 pints of lager all over himself. This lifts the mood of the moment and we meet Carl, who is pissed and wants to fight the neighbours, who have been complaining about us. I talk him out of it and he stayed up all night drinking with them.
We go back to the tents, drink more beer, I'm starting to feel shit now and a bit grumpy so I go for a walk around to find some food. Then its back to the tent and the night ends in an alcholic daze.
Sunday:
I wake up about 10 the morning and it feels like I've been kicked repeatedly in the kidneys. I think is my body begging me "Please no more", I later find out that it wasn't. Lets just say that I have never been more thankful to see a festival toilet in my life.
We don't actually want to see any bands until The Dropkick Murpheys, so we take another walk into town and have a beer. For some reason, we end up spending ages in the carpark behind Weatherspoons until we realise that none of us had paid £112 pounds to sit in a carpark. So we went back to the tent and sat in a muddy field.
img.photobucket.com/albums/v442/Echonarc/AhhhhLunch.jpg
At this point, none of us knew that The Rasmus had wimped off and the times had changed, the first we knew about it was when we heard The Dropkick Murpheys playing "Kiss Me I'm Shitfaced" that we decided to get into the arena. Caught the band as they were leaving the stage as was the curse of the weekend, but I wasn't that bothered.
I am a huge fan of The Streets, I got into them when I heard "Has It Come To This?" on a Garage CD and I think Mike Skinner is one of the best things to happen to British music. I've been waiting a long time to see him do his thing live. Now, this is the snag, he sounds bored performing the "Original Pirate Material" stuff, but fair play to the geezer, he is tired and he has been playing it for about 4 years now. But the new material sounds fantastic, especially "Blinded By The Lights". He is friendly, witty and does his best to win over the crowd that are there to hear "Dry Your Eyes" or were waiting for the Lostprophets. Something 50 Cent should have noted. "I thought this was supposed to be washed out?!?" he says just before his 3rd song, half way through the heavens open. "Shit! Sorry about that." Fucking brilliant. Even Mathew, who doesn't like them was impressed.
Missed the Lostprophets, because I was buying beer for after Greenday. Suddenly realise that I wanted to see them, but I missed them. Bastard!! I stay arena because I want to see if Fiddy is going to play a full set, because if he is, I can go see The Von Bondies. 50 Cent gets bottled, camping chair'd and so I've heard even fireworked off stage in what is one of the funniest things I've ever seen. I hope he turns up next year for a repeat performance.
Greenday have 2 hours to play with, do they waste it? Maybe a little. They took ages doing the picking people from the crowd thing and I still get the feeling that getting the bloke from the Dropkick Murpheys to drum was pre planned. But Billy Joe, drunk as fuck, knows how to work a huge crowd and the covers, don't sound as if they are being used to kill time. A cover of "We Are The Champions" sounds amazing, everyone watching was singing and they could have left it there and everyone would have been happy. But "Time Of Your Life(Good Riddance)" tops the evening, everyone singing and Billy Joe almost in tears. Greenday to headline next year as well.
And then its a mad dash for the toilets...The rest of the evening ends in an alcholic daze...in between trips to the toilet.
