Saturday 26 August 2006

Reading Festival 2006


Went to the Reading Festival yesterday (just for the day).

The weather was forecast to be wet, but it was actually quite hot. Started raining in the evening, so I was happy to put on the waterproofs. Wish it had rained heavier. There's something satisfying about being completely dry when it's pi$$ing it down!

I wore my old CAT boots. They must be nearly 10 years old now. I think their grips still qualify as 4WD, but I might have to check with Dad.

I'll rate the bands I saw in terms of 'grips quality' of various popular types of shoes:

Fightstar: Oh dear. The new band of 'Charlie from Busted'. Apparently getting that much crap thrown at you is not a sign of appreciation. Not my cup of tea I'm afraid vicar.
Shoe comparison: My Little Pony welly boots.


Design Cape. Make Cape. Eat Cape. Cry.
: Don't really remember much about them. They were fine. I really wanted to see them because I had noticed they played in Oxford recently.
Shoe comparison: Some school shoes I can't remember that probably had adequate grips.

Fall Out Boy: I really only know these guys through 'their' videos on YouTube (see previous post). I felt some twangs of Emo angst during their songs. There was alot of jumping up and down and moshing. We were beside one mosh pit. Was pretty funny when Spider Man got chucked in. At that very moment his Spider-powers left him and he ripped off his mask in panic - thus revealing his identity (an angry teenager). Then there was a 'circle mosh' which FOB organised all over the crowd. That was fun too. Moshing looks kinda fun, but the people doing it look like morons. Rahhh - look at me I'm so an-gry, I must push people about to show my teenage rage and demonstrate my relative state of depression. My parents don't understand me! Life is, like, sooooo unfair. Feel the power of my moshing rath fellow misunderstood children! Rahhhhh! They also cleverly got the crowd to throw stuff at each other which was quite a sight to see. Incoming!! Bottles quite hurt when they hit you bottle cap end first...
Shoe comparison: Adventure sandals (e.g. Merrell).

Belle and Sebastian: One of those bands I've always had to pretend I like because they've won music prizes and are 'cool' (and Scottish). Never really listened to any of their albums properly and the only reason I know the 'Boy with the Arab Strap' song is from the theme tune to the TV program 'Teachers'. That said they were very good. We were right up at the front for them. The lead singer guy did some nice interaction with the crowd. There best song is still BWTAS - I have it stuck in my head now. Must listen to the albums properly now so I can actually remember more than one song.
Shoe comparison: Timberland Boots.

The Vines: Didn't really give them a chance. We were right at the back, waiting to go see the next band. Left early.
Shoe comparison: Ninja plimsoles. No grips as such but very grippy due to their special ninja properties.


Kaiser Chiefs
: Yah! I know all the songs! What fun! Nicely entertaining. Very solid performance. They played one or two songs from their new album.
Shoe comparison: Merrel trainers.

Franz Ferdinand: I wasn't expecting them to be that great live to be honest but I was blown away by them. Their songs go down really well and quite easily fill the park and get everyone going. I forget how 'rocky' their songs can be. However, I think they played too long and the last half hour was a bit dull until they played 'This Fire'. Bonus points for the impressive stage and light show.
Shoe comparison: CAT boots. Yeah baby!

I think my band reviews are getting better. Still waiting for that call from NME.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

You know most people will rank Timberland boots higher than CAT boots. Why?? Think its because they are meant to be a 'cooler' brand perhaps cause they are double the price of CAT boots.
However your success story of very old but still useable CAT boots will on this occasion back up your theory that CAT boots rank higher than Timberland boots in cases where you use the type of shoe/grips to rate how good a band is!!

Major_Grooves said...

Maybe they are cooler, but it's importnat to note that the comparison was based solely on the quality of the grips, not the percieved coolness. We all know that grip quality is more important than coolness.

Besides Tims get skanky really easily!

Anonymous said...

What sort of education did you get Doctor?
"i before e except after c"

PERCEIVED!!

Major_Grooves said...

Acrnoidcg to resraceh at an Elgisnh useivtnriy, the odrer of leertts in a word is not iptnoarmt for the text to be rdealabe, the only reumeqneirt wulod be that the fsrit and last letetr of ecah word are kpet in the right pacle. The rset can be a cotmeple mess and stlil be raeabdle. The rrresheecas bivelee tihs is beascue we do not read evrey lteter iuididlalnvy but ratehr the word as a wolhe.