A Turnip for the Books
Well, we actually got into Reading. Not quite sure how, but we did. We turned up about half 2 outside Kwik Fit, met some bloke who kept reassuring us ‘Don’t worry lads, it’ll be foine, you’ll get in nah problem’. They put on a ‘festival guest’ band on our wrists and we just walked through the main entrance and into the arena, then they took the bands off us and went and got the others (it was a case of 4 in, then 3 in).
So by half 3 we were watching Dropkick Murphy’s and losing each other in the crowd!
Tenacious D were most entertaining, although i think i preferred them at Birmingham, as you could actually see them on stage and they had a lot longer. But it was still good anyway. Metallica were ok, but i don’t really know many of their songs so it all kinda sounded the same to me. And they looked old, especially Lars, who’s a cock anyway.
Wish i’d have been there for the weekend now, one day just wasn’t long enough.
Sooooooo, i’ve bought some tickets for next year as the pre-sale came out this morning on seetickets. So no hassles or problems this time next year. No arsing around trying to get some. No fucking touts stealing money off me. No getting depressed on the thursday morning coz ‘i would be setting up the tent by now’ as i WILL be setting up the tent.
I know the drunkymunky is all ready to come with me next year but a lot can happen in the next 365 days so we’ll see this time next year what actually happens.
about 2 years ago
Yeah, was glad to hear about your good fortune Jimbo.
I always used to go every year, but havent been in the last 5. The main reason being the line-ups seemed to get shitter by the year, although the missus reckons thats cos i’m getting old and am out of touch with the kids. Unlike Gary Glitter… but thats another story. She may have a point. I always used to be up to date with all the good new bands, and often saw the “next big thing” performing at mid day in the NME tent. But anyway, i’m waffling… in the past 5 years I’ve not once felt like I wanted to go to Reading… this year, however, things changed.. one of my mates managed to pick up a pair of weekend guest passes and has been posting shit loads of photos on facebook. It was then that it really kicked in and i realised i missed going big time.
Might go next year, but theres a lot of variables to take into account. Would’ve liked to have seen Tenacious D and Metallica, although I wouldn’t claim to be a fan of either. I like a fair bit of stuff by each and think a lof of its wank too.
In other news… I’ve ordered my Turtle Beach Ear Force X1′s off amazon marketplace.. so they’ll hopefully be with me for some weekend gaming loveliness. Although quite what there is to play I dont know. Maybe a big game of GTA…
Chad
about 2 years ago
So you need to come with us next year then.
Don’t dream it, BE it!
Need to have an old boys outing and show these young upstarts how us veterans do it downtown, etc.
about 2 years ago
Am very tempted Jim, really am.
All depends on teh money situation next year, which at the moment is not looking promising (new boiler to fund amongst other things).
DM had said you wanted me to tag along with you guys next year, although I did assume he was lying in a poor attempt to “insert tent joke here”.
Yeah, us oldies do need to show these young upstarts a thing or two.. was impressed with my mate who went this year, cos he made sure he took a decent supply of PWEI tshirts to wear.
Ahhh how i miss the days of sitting in a field, drinking over priced warm piss-lager, whilst watching underaged kids puking over the back of some innocent bystander all because they’ve over done the cider. And those c*nty young teen kids who think they own the place. And all the wankers on the Sunday night… LOL. Still, you can’t beat that early morning at Reading bacon roll n can of beer for brekkie. Hmmmm…… and the fireside chats you have with random strangers who just turn up and join you, and you find that 2 hours later you’re still discussing the finer points of the Stone Roses.
about 2 years ago
hate to make you even more wistful, but it’s still exactly like that even now. Except the toilets are a hell of a lot better these days, they’re up some stairs and you all piss into a big pit rather than one each like in the old days. So much better, and you can even sit down on some of them if you’re busting for a shite.
Still lots of pissed up teenagers running around screaming at half 4 in the morning unfortunately.
about 2 years ago
Ahh you git.
how about the old mad dutch chaps who, for some unexplained reason, have you constantly yell “fuck motherfucking hootie and the blowfish”??
Although, despite all the good memories, there are the bad ones. Who remembers Bjork headlining one of the nights? WTF was that all about?
about 2 years ago
shhush….don’t diss Bjork…she’s on Jim’s “special list”..
about 2 years ago
1995, bjork headlined the friday night. my first reading. I quite enjoyed watching her, possibly coz she had a see-through dress on.
We camped one year with these guys who were constantly wandering around shouting ‘buy my smack, £5 a bag’ and getting off their tits on poppers. Some coppers walking past at the time remarked that that was incredibly cheap.
You still have the obligatory ‘bollocks’ being shouted all fucking night on thursday but after 4 or 5 hours you tend to block it out.
about 2 years ago
Mmm, bork…
You dirty little icelandic tart
about 2 years ago
LOL!
Was she really there in 95? I’d thought it was more 96/97 time. But what do I know..? 95 was my first Reading too. I thought it was all small and quaint, probably as I’d just been to my first festival which was Glasto in 95 (to see the Roses who pulled out. Thanks Mr Squire).
Adn you really wouldnt hold a torch for bjork if you’d seen the topless pic of her and her very saggy hangers. Which was published under the lovely headline: “Bjorks Norks”
about 2 years ago
i think i did see that picture. It’s not her body that turns me on, it’s her accent so i guess it would be any icelandic minx that would make me go funny.
Saw Stone Roses at reading in 96 where they split up backstage. They were utter shite, John Squire had already fucked off and Ian Brown sounded like a drowning cat.
Although Black Grape made up for it the previous night, even though Shawn had all the words written down as he couldn’t remember shit.
about 2 years ago
Agree with you on the voice front then. Stina Nordenstam has a similar dirty bitch pixie icelandic odd voice.
And yeah the Roses at Reading 96 were awful, although at the time I’d drunk quite a lot so i kinda enjoyed it. Was only when I got a bootleg of it later, that I truly appreciated how awful they were. Although to be fair, it wasnt the Roses, it was just Ian and Mani and some muppets. Was glad I’d seen them at the Rivermead in 95 with John Squire. Just a shame I never saw them the first time round. Black Grape were ace, yes.
Do they still have the comedy tent? I remember going to see Frank Sidebottom there 2 years in a row. He was ace. In a really rubbish way.
about 2 years ago
Yes they still have the comedy tent.
I also remember seeing Frank there, along with little frank who i think he gave away at the end of it. Also Charlie Chuck who was just weird but still fun in a cult way.
Have a look at the readingfestival.com website, they have posters for all the past years, brings back lots of memories.
about 2 years ago
Jeepers, Frank seemed to be there, like, every year at one point.
Much like Feeder.
Who I now think I’ve seen about 4 times.
All of which have been at the festival.
And I only enjoyed them the first time.
and then, not much.
about 2 years ago
I can take an educated guess at who’ll be playing next year due to usual rotation of bands.
Foo Fighters coz they do it every 2 or 3 years and the last one was 2005, Marilyn Manson coz i’ve seen him twice there. Ash probably coz they live in the cow shed next to richfield ave.
Other probabilities: Green Day, Pumpkins, The Strokes, Prodigy, Slipknot coz they pulled out this year, White Stripes/Raconteurs. The latest big band that’s only got one album out but are very popular at the moment (a la The Darkness).
about 2 years ago
Must be about time for the Prodigy and/or Beck to get another outting too, huh?
about 2 years ago
Beck, most likely.
Doesn’t really bother me who’s playing. Don’t go for the music as much as the enjoyment and entertainment of the whole weekend. Plus if it’s anything like this year then the weather just makes it 10 times better.
Getting prematurely excited already. Only 365 days to go…
about 2 years ago
same here…it’s all me ‘n Chadwick have disscussed all day.
well…besides Chips shapely arse, of course.
about 2 years ago
Well, we’ve got all of autumn, winter, christmas, everyone’s birthday, easter, spring and all the crap that comes within a full year to go.
BUT, there’s always that knowledge that it’s a GUARANTEE that we’re going, nothing to worry about, nothing that will clash coz you already have plans for august bank holiday weekend. Can be the first to book the thursday and friday off work so there’s no disappointment. Doesn’t matter if you don’t get a holiday this next year coz you’ve got a fun weekend to look forward to. Plus budgeting costs are a breeze as there’s no surprises.
And it’s something to constantly look forward to no matter how much shit happens in the next year.