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Reading and Leeds Festival 2014

Seeing as Download is up and running, I thought I might try and get the R+L thread for next year on the go.

Feel free to discuss anything and everything about the festivals and I'll try and keep you updated as often as I can.



So who's going and what do you think of the line up?
(edited 9 years ago)

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Reply 1
QOTSA-The Prodigy-Arctic Monkeys would be immense. Apparently 2 of the headliners have already been booked though and they've both headlined before. Actually nevermind, QOTSA-The Prodigy-Muse as the 3 headliners would be crazy!

Lots of potential for outsiders this year. Glastonbury will sweep up a good few but there's potential for David Bowie (would sell my kidney for a ticket if I didn't have the money and this happened), Daft Punk, Depeche Mode, Stone Roses, The Chemical Brothers, Fleetwood Mac etc. Probably won't get any but we can dream!

Others I'd love (non-headliners) are M.I.A (unlikely), Major Lazer again, Knife Party again, Pretty Lights, Jack White (unlikely), Bassnectar, and many many more.

Last year was my first ever Reading fest and my first ever festival!! Even now me and my friends still talk about it all the time, it was an incredible experience and I'd urge anyone in their teens or twenties to go if you've never been before. I was in the front row for Skrillex on the Friday and other acts like Eminem and Knife Party also blew me away. Green camp woo! Loved it so much can't wait to go back next year, on the Thursday I woke up at 8am, opened up my tent door and was immediately handed a can of cider, good times :lol: nothing like drinking around the clock... :lol:

Only downside was the toilets - was expecting them to be bad but not quite THAT bad, jeeeeeesus! NME did a festival survey recently and R&L toilets were voted the worst out of all the festivals such as Glasto/Bestival/etc by something like 75%, and the smell was just absolutely vile sometimes across half the campsite. Never been so relieved to use a proper toilet, bath, shower and sink as soon as I got home.

Learnt a few mistakes here and there at Reading 2013 which I won't make again: not to pack a ridiculous amount of clothes as the walk from the car park to the campsite with an extremely heavy suitcase was agony, to get to the acts 20-30 minutes before they started to get a good space (it's not the same at the back!), to bring more food with me so I don't have to spend as much when I'm there, to buy a chair and gazebo 9sitting on the floor in the rain = not nice), oh and probably more alcohol for the Wednesday and Thursday where there's nothing to do! :lol:

Sooooo many good memories I could chat for so long haha as I have done so far :colondollar: like the mexican wave of "WOO" across the whole festival, Yaya/Kolo Toure being sung by hundreds of people etc........bring on 2014!!!!!!!!! :biggrin:
(edited 10 years ago)
Original post by glousck
QOTSA-The Prodigy-Arctic Monkeys would be immense. Apparently 2 of the headliners have already been booked though and they've both headlined before. Actually nevermind, QOTSA-The Prodigy-Muse as the 3 headliners would be crazy!

Lots of potential for outsiders this year. Glastonbury will sweep up a good few but there's potential for David Bowie (would sell my kidney for a ticket if I didn't have the money and this happened), Daft Punk, Depeche Mode, Stone Roses, The Chemical Brothers, Fleetwood Mac etc. Probably won't get any but we can dream!

Others I'd love (non-headliners) are M.I.A (unlikely), Major Lazer again, Knife Party again, Pretty Lights, Jack White (unlikely), Bassnectar, and many many more.

Last year was my first ever Reading fest and my first ever festival!! Even now me and my friends still talk about it all the time, it was an incredible experience and I'd urge anyone in their teens or twenties to go if you've never been before. I was in the front row for Skrillex on the Friday and other acts like Eminem and Knife Party also blew me away. Green camp woo! Loved it so much can't wait to go back next year, on the Thursday I woke up at 8am, opened up my tent door and was immediately handed a can of cider, good times :lol: nothing like drinking around the clock... :lol:

Only downside was the toilets - was expecting them to be bad but not quite THAT bad, jeeeeeesus! NME did a festival survey recently and R&L toilets were voted the worst out of all the festivals such as Glasto/Bestival/etc by something like 75%, and the smell was just absolutely vile sometimes across half the campsite. Never been so relieved to use a proper toilet, bath, shower and sink as soon as I got home.

Learnt a few mistakes here and there at Reading 2013 which I won't make again: not to pack a ridiculous amount of clothes as the walk from the car park to the campsite with an extremely heavy suitcase was agony, to get to the acts 20-30 minutes before they started to get a good space (it's not the same at the back!), to bring more food with me so I don't have to spend as much when I'm there, to buy a chair and gazebo 9sitting on the floor in the rain = not nice), oh and probably more alcohol for the Wednesday and Thursday where there's nothing to do! :lol:

Sooooo many good memories I could chat for so long haha as I have done so far :colondollar: like the mexican wave of "WOO" across the whole festival, Yaya/Kolo Toure being sung by hundreds of people etc........bring on 2014!!!!!!!!! :biggrin:


I think Arctics would attract a terribly **** crowd but I wouldn't mind the headliners you suggested though personally for me, even if it's a little unrealistic, I'd have Pearl Jam-Sabbath-QOTSA.

I'm doing volunteering for the 3 festivals (DL, R+L and Glasto) if I can, it's an easier way than scrambling to pay for tickets.

Yeah last year was my second year, wasn't as good as the first for me as that's always the best I'm beginning to think but the rain didn't help this year either but System and Green Day really brought up my spirits that day haha.

Yeah first year is definitely a learning curve, that year me and my mates got an 8 man non waterproof tent and of course it rained and it collapsed so that wasn't too pleasant :tongue:

Haven't heard much in regards to headliners yet but I'd wager that Franz Ferdinand will definitely be there, Cage The Elephant look good, The 1975 seem an obvious choice. Others that may be are Vampire Weekend, The Pixies, Jack White, Weezer, Panic! At The Disco. This is just educated guessing but I hope I'm right. :tongue:
Reply 3
QOTSA, Arctic Monkeys and The Prodigy as headliners would sell me a ticket.

Have letlive., The Dillinger Escape Plan, Brutality Will Prevail, Empress, Black Lungs, Cancer Bats, Flag, Brotherhood Of The Lake, Converge, Defeater, La Dispute and Trash Talk on the Lock-Up/Rock Stage as well.
Reply 4
Original post by Devel
QOTSA, Arctic Monkeys and The Prodigy as headliners would sell me a ticket.

Have letlive., The Dillinger Escape Plan, Brutality Will Prevail, Empress, Black Lungs, Cancer Bats, Flag, Brotherhood Of The Lake, Converge, Defeater, La Dispute and Trash Talk on the Lock-Up/Rock Stage as well.


I must confess my knowledge of that side of rock isn't too great, however Trash Talk are awesome and I bought Converge's album last year and loved it. Will check out the others :smile:

Yeah those 3 would be my dream headline! Arctic Monkeys seem more or less confirmed based on hints here and there, The Prodigy have a new album out soon (soon as early/mid 2014 haha) and QOTSA are just awesome. :smile: Fingers crossed.


On a separate note, does anyone else think that the line-up so far for Download is pretty underwhelming? Not complaining as it means the better acts could play at R&L instead but still, they'll probably have a difficult time shifting tickets with the line up so far.
Reply 5
Original post by glousck
I must confess my knowledge of that side of rock isn't too great, however Trash Talk are awesome and I bought Converge's album last year and loved it. Will check out the others :smile:

Yeah those 3 would be my dream headline! Arctic Monkeys seem more or less confirmed based on hints here and there, The Prodigy have a new album out soon (soon as early/mid 2014 haha) and QOTSA are just awesome. :smile: Fingers crossed.

On a separate note, does anyone else think that the line-up so far for Download is pretty underwhelming? Not complaining as it means the better acts could play at R&L instead but still, they'll probably have a difficult time shifting tickets with the line up so far.


If you like Converge and Trash Talk you will like some of those. Check out The Blackest Beautiful (letlive.) and One Of Us Is The Killer (Dillinger), easily my top two albums of the year.

Download is very underwhelming for me personally. Four of the bands I had the chance to see when I was there in 2011, I only watched Zombie although I would have watched Alter Bridge but missed them. I figured with Avenged being pushed up to headline they would have had two huge headliners to go along with them. I guess that it just didn't work out. With R&L appearing to be more willing to book heavier acts again and Sonisphere returning I don't think Download will do as well as the last two years.
Hopefully, T in the Park and Finsbury rules out Arctic Monkeys, nothing against them, I just feel the crowd would be awful and they're not fantastic live.

Still hoping for some combination of QOTSA/Black Sabbath/Pearl Jam/Metallica/RATM/Prodigy/Arcade Fire, unlikely as it is to get 3 of any of them. I bet it'll end up being Blink 182 or something.

Also, announcement coming early December!
Reply 7
At least Sonford & Mums are on hiatus, means they won't be headlining thank god.


Original post by Devel
If you like Converge and Trash Talk you will like some of those. Check out The Blackest Beautiful (letlive.) and One Of Us Is The Killer (Dillinger), easily my top two albums of the year.



Will check them on spotify now and let you know what I think :biggrin:
Reply 8
Getting excited just reading this thread, I'll be working 12 hour day shifts then going out on the night and hoping to catch the top two headliners so I'm hoping for some impressive main bands, gutted that I miss out on some of the earlier bands but the opportunity of a free ticket AND pay is too good to miss! Looking forward to the announcement and some great bands that will really get the crowd going!
Original post by jadej
Getting excited just reading this thread, I'll be working 12 hour day shifts then going out on the night and hoping to catch the top two headliners so I'm hoping for some impressive main bands, gutted that I miss out on some of the earlier bands but the opportunity of a free ticket AND pay is too good to miss! Looking forward to the announcement and some great bands that will really get the crowd going!


You get payed for it?! Who are you working for :tongue:

Same, I reckon it'll be a decent set of bands, really hoping for QOTSA and/or Pearl Jam though, it would be a dream.
Update: The first R+L will be made a week today. It's like Christmas has come (3 weeks) early :biggrin: Seriously hoping for a Queens of the Stone Age announcement but I feel it could be a bit of a let down.
Reply 11
Original post by Superunknown17
You get payed for it?! Who are you working for :tongue:

Same, I reckon it'll be a decent set of bands, really hoping for QOTSA and/or Pearl Jam though, it would be a dream.


I work for my dad as security, good pay in all honesty but you do have to work hard for it, I don't mind though, I love the craziness of the festivals and Leeds is definitely my favourite!

I don't really know who I'm hoping for at the minute, I just want some decent acts that are going to make my first Leeds as an 18 year old special!!
Original post by jadej
I work for my dad as security, good pay in all honesty but you do have to work hard for it, I don't mind though, I love the craziness of the festivals and Leeds is definitely my favourite!

I don't really know who I'm hoping for at the minute, I just want some decent acts that are going to make my first Leeds as an 18 year old special!!


Fair play. So you stand at the barriers in the orange jackets?

I'm hope it doesn't disappoint :biggrin:
Reply 13
Original post by Superunknown17
Fair play. So you stand at the barriers in the orange jackets?

I'm hope it doesn't disappoint :biggrin:


Nope, we do the outside area and some of the gates, wish I was pit crew though!

And same, are you heading to Reading or Leeds?
Original post by jadej
Nope, we do the outside area and some of the gates, wish I was pit crew though!

And same, are you heading to Reading or Leeds?


Ohh right fair enough. Yeah maybe I'll see you then. I'm trying to do a few festivals this summer because I've got bugger all else to do haha.
Reply 15
Original post by Superunknown17
Ohh right fair enough. Yeah maybe I'll see you then. I'm trying to do a few festivals this summer because I've got bugger all else to do haha.


Haha, fair enough! I know that Hotbox do Reading/Leeds and Latitude volunteering if you're going for that approach, or there's the CATs, they're everywhere! But Leeds is definitely the best, if you've never been before, make sure you head down to Piccadilly!:')
Original post by jadej
Haha, fair enough! I know that Hotbox do Reading/Leeds and Latitude volunteering if you're going for that approach, or there's the CATs, they're everywhere! But Leeds is definitely the best, if you've never been before, make sure you head down to Piccadilly!:')


Haha I was thinking about Oxfam Volunteering? They seem to be all over the place too but thanks for the other suggestions :smile:

Naa this'll be my third year going, hopefully it'll be as good as the last two :smile:
Reply 17
Original post by Superunknown17
Haha I was thinking about Oxfam Volunteering? They seem to be all over the place too but thanks for the other suggestions :smile:

Naa this'll be my third year going, hopefully it'll be as good as the last two :smile:


Yeah Oxfam really are at every single festival! And no problem!:smile:

Ah, fair enough, it'll be my 4th next year, the first year I went was the best though, My Chem were my favourite band at the time:')
Reply 18
The Download line up this year is kinda lame, hoping for good things from Reading (seeing as I'm studying there now)
Original post by Elliot193
The Download line up this year is kinda lame, hoping for good things from Reading (seeing as I'm studying there now)


Yeah, bit let down by Download. Apparently, R+L may be getting AC/DC, just a rumour but if it's true that would be a fantastic booking and what a show they'd put on.

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