Is there anything better than being at a historic festival in the summer surrounded by friends, listening to some of your favorite artists, and hearing "we're going to play something we've never tried"?
At this year's Reading and Leeds fests, fans got to hear five songs no other audience had ever heard before.
And they never knew it was coming.
Charli XCX, Florence + The Machine, Gunna, Kneecap, JADE, Viagra Boys and Geese all put on great sets, but only a few had the nerve to live debut songs at the fests last weekend.
Let's check them out.
Skepta - Reading
The British-Nigerian rapper, producer and DJ from Tottenham in North London has been a central figure in the grime scene. On Friday (8/28) at Reading he debuted “Pandora’s Box” and “Innocent Smile” from his forthcoming album Fork & Knife.
The new collection will be his sixth solo studio album, beginning with Greatest Hits in 2007 and most recently Ignorance Is Bliss in 2019, along with three official EPs: Vicious (2017), All In (2021) and the Fred again.. collaboration Skepta .. Fred (2025).
“Pandora’s Box” appeared early in the Reading set, following “Gas Me Up (Diligent);” while “Innocent Smile” made itself known near the end right before “Aloe Vera” which is also expected to appear on Fork & Knife.
The new wax will be Skepta's first solo LP in seven years.
The affable entertainer, who performed while artist Slawn painted graffiti artwork onstage, has appeared with A$AP Rocky on “Praise the Lord (Da Shine),” Playboi Carti on “Lean 4 Real” Central Cee on “Ten” and Wizkid on “Energy (Stay Far Away)."
On the studio recording, “Innocent Smile” allegedly features Chase & Status and Suggs, the frontman of Madness, an unusual combination that connects grime with drum and bass and one of MTV’s best-known ska-pop voices.
Skepta is on tour. Snag your tickets on his site.
Fontaines D.C. - Leeds
The Irish band found some time in their Saturday (8/29) headlining set at Leeds to live debut “Happy for You,” an new song expected to be on their wonderfully titled forthcoming fifth studio album, Dopamine Chamber.
The Dubliners wanted to include the song Friday night during their set at Reading, but delays there forced them to tighten things up and the good people of Leeds were the lucky ones to hear it. Happy for them.
Dopamine Chamber, produced by James Ford, is due next month. Fontaines D.C. also played “Marianne” and “Six Shot Morning” at Leeds, both of which will be on the new record.
The band will be in the States later this month including a stop at the Hollywood Forever cemetery. Get tix on the Fontaines website.
Raye - Reading
The North London phenom treated the huge crowd at Reading with a previously un-performed track from THIS MUSIC MAY CONTAIN HOPE on Saturday (8/29).
Some may have been surprised she included the song on her impressively structured set that already contained 8 tracks from her latest LP.
But when you take a look at the stats of its presence on YouTube it might make more sense. It's not even a music video and yet it has close to 3 million views (listens?) and over 750 comments - mostly of praise.
Imagine if they put a few bucks into it and produced a proper video?
Raye is part of the Bruno Mars tour which will be in Philly tonight and tomorrow. Get your tix via her website.
Role Model - Leeds
You know who was the happiest person when Tucker Pillsbury played “Stain” live for the first time during his Friday (8/28) set on The Grid at Bramham Park? Apple Music's Zane Lowe.
When Lowe asked Role Model last month whether audiences would ever hear “Stain” live, after some hesitation Pillsbury gave in and said, “I will play it live. Will it be on the setlist every night? No. I’ll be honest with you…I have enough songs that I love to play.”
“Stain” is the 10th track on Chuck Timely & The Hourglass, the 29-year-old's third studio album, which dropped in August. The tune is one of the LP's most biting breakup songs. Pillsbury told Nylon that it was inspired by an ex calling his house and leaving him feeling like a “backup plan.”
Could he be referring to his previous boo, Emma Chamberlain? Get tix to his upcoming shows and maybe he'll reveal who, specifically, he's singing about.
