Since 1999, the Reading and Leeds Festivals have been sister shows held on the English Bank Holiday weekend.
Often the weather is as nasty as the music is inspiring.
This year was no exception as tents were flying in Reading due to the strong winds of Storm Lilian affected a few performances and had festival goers on edge. But things were sorted out, a bit of sunshine appeared and the show went on.
Here are some highlights.
Pendulum performed "Tarantula" for the final time
Aussie's drum & bass outfit Pendulum told fans they felt its time to retire one of their most popular tunes, "Tarantula," which went #1 on the UK Dance chart in 2005.
“This is the last time we’re ever going to play this song,” Pendulum frontman Rob Swire informed the Reading crowd.
“We’ve played it for 16 years… it’s time to put it to bed.”
Out with the old, in with the new. The rave rockers kicked off their set with "Napalm" an unreleased tune they debuted earlier this spring.
The group will now be headed to the states for nine gigs starting next month. Get your tickets on their website.
21 Savage 40 minutes late, only plays 7 songs
In easily the most controversial set of the weekend, British-born rapper 21 Savage experienced anxiety or something because he was 40 minutes late to his gig in Leeds, which was a homecoming of sorts.
Born Shéyaa Bin Abraham-Joseph in Plaistow, London, the popular rapper had been living in Atlanta, undocumented since 2006 when his visa expired. Because he knew if he left the US to go to the UK, he would not be able to return, he hadn't been to his birthplace for a huge chunk of his life. In 2019, ICE arrested him, but his lawyers successfully argued that he should be granted a visa.
So this year was the first he was able to perform back in the UK, which he did beautifully on one night in July during his The American Dream Tour.
These two shows for Reading & Leeds were supposed to be a way for more of his fans to welcome him back, but something happened Friday in Leeds and he was super late and was only able to play 10 minutes. Fans were upset. A few called him 21 seconds. Hopefully he will make amends when he comes back again in 2025.
21 Savage's world tour continues. Get your tickets on his website.
blink-182 declares their dominance while quoting a rare scripture passage
“No one can compete with what we do,” blink guitarist Tom DeLonge declared to the 100k attendees. “No one is as good as us," he continued, "it says it in the Bible.”
Even though the UFO aficionado is probably exaggerating about the Good Book, he might be on to something about the rocking part.
While others struggled with the weather and the festival and the getting on stage on time and having their heads in the game, these veteran pop punkers strolled around with the poise that should be an example to all. Weird from a couple of guys who would never pass up telling a pee-pee joke to a large audience.
blink only has nine more gigs left on their 2024 tour and only five are in the US. Get your tickets on their website.
Renee Rapp was hit with bad luck and lots of water
Last week's super full moon was in the middle of Mercury retrograde. Bad things were due to happen like maybe you'd slice your finger while peeling potatoes or the travel agent makes you spend an extra day away from home; but when it left everything was supposed to be ok.
Poor Renee Rapp was hit with a double doozy of bad juju. First her set at Leeds had to be canceled due to safety concerns regarding the storm.
Then at Reading her show was delayed and then four songs in gallons of rainwater that had been collecting in the tarp above her gave way and spilled on top of her. The band's equipment was soaked and for a second time in a row she had to leave her fans disappointed.
“We would like to thank Reneé Rapp for her perseverance and professionalism amidst the technical difficulties we had to deal with from Storm Lilian,” festival organizers wrote on their IG.
“We know many of you traveled to see her and are really sorry you did not get the show you deserve. We are desperately hoping, like you, that she will come back to R&L in the future.”
Renee has four more festival shows remaining on her 2024 schedule. Let's hope she packs some foul weather gear just in case. Get your tickets on her website.
Liam Gallagher did not deny the Oasis reunion rumors
Lately the Gallagher brothers have not been trading barbs, and they've even been hinting that things are going in the right direction to reuniting Oasis.
When Liam took the stage at Leeds he had a little skip to his strut like a man who was about to make big news and reel in a fortune.
“It is very interesting init?" he asked the crowd as he motored through the entirety of Definitely Maybe, the Oasis classic making its 30th anniversary." It is a very interesting situation we’ve found ourselves in.”
At the end of his set and later on both his twitter account and Oasis' the same graphic appeared hinting that there would be an announcement on Tuesday, August 27.
One thing it probably won't be is a gender reveal. Oasis is coming back and fans in the UK are beyond the stage of saying how beautiful it is, and onto the next step by speculating the whole breakup was all planned for this huge payday.
So cynical, that lot.
Go to Oasis' website on Tuesday and grab your tickets (if they are indeed there and this wasn't a big goof).
