Reading and Leeds Festivals 719715 226034257 2008-07-16T15:12:15Z Fram 390477 Reverted edits by [[Special:Contributions/194.176.105.40|194.176.105.40]] ([[User talk:194.176.105.40|talk]]) to last version by 82.133.106.43 {{Redirect|Leeds Festival}} {{infobox music festival | | music_festival_name = Reading and Leeds Festivals | location = [[United Kingdom]] *Various as National Jazz Festival (1961–1970) *[[Reading, Berkshire|Reading]] (since 1971) *[[Leeds]] (since 1999) | years_active= 1961–present | dates = August bank holiday | genre = [[Rock music|Rock]], [[alternative rock]], [[heavy metal]], [[punk rock]], [[indie rock]], [[Dance music|dance]] | website = [http://www.readingfestival.com www.readingfestival.com]<br />[http://www.leedsfestival.com www.leedsfestival.com] }} The '''Reading and Leeds Festivals''' are a pair of annual [[music festival]]s that take place in [[Reading, Berkshire|Reading]] and [[Leeds]] in the [[United Kingdom]] and are run by [[Festival Republic]]. The events take place simultaneously on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the August [[bank holiday]] weekend, sharing the same bill save one or two exceptions. Between 1998 and 2007 the dual festivals were known officially as the "Carling Weekend", until parting ways with their sponsor [[Carling]] in November 2007. The Reading Festival, the world's oldest popular music festival still in existence, has had various musical phases, as detailed below. In the twin-site era, [[Rock music|rock]], [[Alternative rock|alternative]], [[Indie rock|indie]], [[Punk rock|punk]] and [[Metal music|metal]] have tended to dominate. The festival typically has the following stages:<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.carling.com/music/festival/carling_weekend/|title=Carling festival main page|accessdate=2008-01-14}}</ref> *Main stage – major rock, indie and alternative acts *''[[NME]]''/[[BBC Radio 1|Radio 1]] stage – less well-known acts, building up to an alternative headline act *[[Festival Republic]] stage (formerly known as the [[Carling]] stage) – acts with less popular appeal and breakthrough acts *Radio 1 Lock Up Stage – underground punk and hardcore acts.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.leedsfestival.com/news/story.aspx?aid=89b91dd3-7426-42f9-b789-5d097d1e5761|title=New Stages Announced|accessdate=2008-01-14}}</ref> Due to demand, from 2006 this stage took up two days rather than previous years where it was only one day. *[[dance music|Dance]] tent – dance music acts, on the day that the above stage does not run *Alternative tent – comedy and [[cabaret]] acts plus DJs.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.leedsfestival.com/news/story.aspx?aid=1ff3af91-c948-4739-915b-1fdd1ef44ed3|title=The Alternative stage|accessdate=2008-01-14}}</ref> *[[BBC Introducing]] Stage – Typically unsigned/not well known acts. (Formerly known as the [[Topman]] Unsigned Stage at the Leeds site). The festivals are run by [[Festival Republic]], which was divested from Mean Fiddler Music Group.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.festivalrepublic.com/about/|title=Festival Republic About Page}}</ref> For promotional purposes during 1998-2007 they were known as the ''Carling Weekend: Reading'' and the ''Carling Weekend: Leeds''. Unsurprisingly, these titles were seldom used when not required, although ''[[NME]]'' did so as part of its involvement. In 2007, the organisers welcomed "Reading Festival reclaiming its prestigious name" when the sponsored title was abolished.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.leedsfestival.com/news/story.aspx?aid=7c8d24b6-f0ce-49b3-92f7-7b073069ec46|title=Festivals part company with Carling}}</ref> In 2007, the capacity of the Reading site was 80,000<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nme.com/festivals/news/23378|title=NME News}}</ref> and the Leeds site was 70,000.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://carlingfesty.com/31/capacity-increased-to-70000|title=Increased Leeds Festival}}</ref> This was an increase of several thousand on previous years<ref> {{cite web| | url = http://www.leedsmusicscene.net/article/6701/ | title = An extra 5,000 tickets are granted for the Leeds Festival | accessdate = 2006-11-04 }} </ref> The Reading festival is held at Little John's Farm on Richfield Avenue in central Reading, near the [[Caversham Bridge]]. The Leeds event is held in [[Bramham Park]], the grounds of a historic house. Campsites are available at both sites and weekend tickets include free camping. Day tickets are also sold. ==History== {{main|National Jazz and Blues Festival}} The Reading Festival originates from the [[National Jazz Festival]], which was conceived by Harold Pendleton (founder of the [[Marquee Club]] in London) and was first held at [[Richmond Athletic Ground]] in 1961. This festival, in turn, took inspiration from events held in [[United States|America]]. Throughout its first decade the festival changed names and moved around sites several times, being held at [[Windsor Racecourse]], [[Kempton Park Racecourse|Kempton Park]] and [[Plumpton]], before reaching its permanent home at Reading in 1971.<ref>[http://www.myvillage.com/pages/bars&music-music-festivals-carling-weekend-reading-festival.htm Carling Weekend | Reading festival | 2006 | By Tom Knight<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> ==1970s== [[Image:Reading festival sticker 1976.png|thumb|Reading festival promotional sticker from 1976]]The line-up settled into a pattern of [[prog rock]], [[blues]] and [[heavy metal (music)|heavy metal]] during the 1970s<ref>[http://arts.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,1858173,00.html Leader: In praise of ... the Reading festival | | Guardian Unlimited Arts<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>. It did dabble with [[punk rock]] in 1978 when [[The Jam]], [[Sham 69]] and [[Penetration (band)|Penetration]] played.<ref>[http://www.ukrockfestivals.com/reading-78.html Reading Rock Festival.Reading 1978<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> The festival attempted to provide both traditional [[rock (music)|rock]] acts and new punk bands, leading to clashes between the two sets of fans. Although [[The Ramones]] played the following year, the festival gradually became known for focusing on heavy metal and rock acts.<ref>[http://www.ukrockfestivals.com/reading-79.html Reading Rock Festival.Reading 1979<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> ==1980s== During this decade, the festival followed a similar format to that established in the late 1970s, with large crowds flocking to see the era's leading rock and heavy metal acts perform on the last two days, with a more varied lineup including punk and new wave bands on the opening day. === Conservative ban === In 1984 and 1985, the Conservative Party-led local council effectively banned the festival by reclaiming the festival site for 'development' and refusing to grant licences for any alternative sites in the Reading area. In 1984, many acts were already booked to appear, tickets were on sale with [[Marillion]] (2nd on the bill one evening the previous year) due to be one of this year's headliners. The promoters tried in vain to salvage what they could and a proposed move to Lilford in [[Northamptonshire]] failed. The resulting gap in the British festival calendar kickstarted the rise of the minor CND benefit event at Glastonbury from obscure beginnings as a "hippie" festival in the 1970s to its present corporate giant status. Eventually a [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] council election win in 1986 saw the festival restored to fields adjacent to its original site with a line-up put together from scratch at just three months' notice.<ref>[http://www.viator.com/travel-tips/Festivals-and-Fringe Viator | Tours, Tickets & Things to do from Tour Operators Worldwide by Viator<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> The Arts & Entertainments councillor responsible for the re-introduction of the festival was Martin Salter, now MP for Reading West, the constituency where the festival is held.<ref>[http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/4/4474/meet_the_man_who_plans_the_biggest_party_in_reading Meet the man who plans the biggest party in Reading - Get Reading<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> The following year notched up a record attendance at what was to be the last of the "classic" rock years of the festival, with headlining acts such as [[The Mission]], [[Alice Cooper]] and [[Status Quo]]. === Late 80s slump === 1988 saw a disastrous attempt to take the festival in a mainstream commercial pop direction<ref>[http://www.readingmuseum.org.uk/collections/festival/search.asp?year=1988 Explore the Collections - Reading Festival<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>, dominated by the likes of [[Starship]], [[Squeeze]], [[Bonnie Tyler]] and [[Meat Loaf]] (who was "bottled" off stage), and the ensuing recriminations eventually saw the ousting of original festival promoter Harold Pendleton by the [[Mean Fiddler Music Group]] organization.<ref>[http://student.independent.co.uk/graduate_options/mbas_guide/article265467.ece How I Got Here: Fiddling all over the world - MBAs Guide, Postgraduate - Independent.co.uk<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Pendleton initially tried to continue at a new site near [[Newbury]] using the name "Redding Festival" but this failed to take off. Meanwhile, the official Reading Festival, now under Mean Fiddler guidance, continued at the Thames-side site in Reading, pursuing an almost completely [[Goth]] and [[Indie rock|indie]] music policy that alienated much of the traditional fan base and saw attendances continue to fall. The future of the festival looked in doubt at this point. However, things were to improve from 1992 onwards as the festival broadened its musical policy and attendances gradually increased. ==1990s== [[Image:Reading festival radio 1 tent 2005.jpg|thumb|The ''NME''/Radio 1 tent at the 2005 Reading Festival]] In 1991, [[Nirvana (band)|Nirvana]] played the first of their two appearances at Reading, midway down the bill. This is also the year the first [[britpop]] bands such as [[Suede (band)|Suede]] and [[Blur (band)|Blur]] started to show themselves on the festival circuit. === Kurt Cobain's wheelchair === 1992 was one of the most famous in the festival's history. Nirvana played what was to become their last UK concert, and one of their most famous. The band's frontman, [[Kurt Cobain]] took to the stage in a wheelchair pushed by music journalist [[Everett True]], parodying speculations about his mental health. Then he got up and joined the rest of the band, playing an assortment of old and new material<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/sevenages/events/alternative-rock/nirvana-headline-reading-festival/ BBC - Seven Ages of Rock - Events - Nirvana headline Reading Festival<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>. At one point in the show before singing "[[All Apologies]]", Cobain revealed to the crowd the recent birth of his daughter [[Frances Bean Cobain|Frances Bean]] and succeeded in having the crowd chant "[[Courtney Love|Courtney]], we love you!" in unison.<ref>[http://www.allmusicspot.com/music.php/biography/Nirvana All Music Spot:: Nirvana Biography<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> === Festival expansion === Over the next few years the festival continued to grow as the popularity of outdoor festivals increased. Britpop and indie continued to dominate along with rock. Notably, [[hip hop music|rap]] acts such as [[Ice Cube]] began to appear regularly on the main stage to mixed receptions. In 1996, [[The Stone Roses]] played their final gig at the festival.<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A963489 BBC - h2g2 - The Stone Roses - 'The Stone Roses'<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> In 1998 it absorbed the failed [[Phoenix Festival]]. This resulted in a now infamous on-stage spat between [[The Beastie Boys]] and [[The Prodigy]] over the song "Smack My Bitch Up".<ref>[http://arts.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,1858173,00.html Leader: In praise of ... the Reading festival | | Guardian Unlimited Arts<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> In 1999, the festival gained another leg at [[Temple Newsam]] in [[Leeds]], where [[V Festival]] had been held in 1997 and 1998, when it was clear that the Reading site was far too small to deal with the demand. A system where the line up of Reading play Leeds the following day, with the bands from Leeds' opening day playing the final day in Reading, soon developed.<ref>[http://books.google.com/books?id=xSzqY7tD2UUC&pg=PA366&lpg=PA366&dq=leeds+festival+1997+history+temple+newsam&source=web&ots=C2mbiU0wcj&sig=B3OJCQAhdRssKBE8Z5jaz8jj8eI]</ref> After a successful first year in Leeds, a continued resurgence in the popularity of outdoor music festivals led to the Reading festival selling out more and more quickly every year. The Leeds leg, however, was plagued by riots and violence which led to problems in retaining its licence.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/music/2216223.stm BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Music | Festival marred by violence<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> The worst of these was in 2002, after which Mean Fiddler moved the festival to [[Bramham Park]], near [[Wetherby]] to the east of Leeds in 2003.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/entertainment/03/festivals_map/html/reading_leeds.stm BBC NEWS | 2003 Festivals<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Since then, security at both sites has increased and problems appear to have been quelled.<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/leeds/content/articles/2006/08/17/music_leeds_festival_2006_camp_info_feature.shtml BBC - Leeds - Entertainment - Happy campers<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> However, this has also lead to an increase in demand. The first few years of the 2000s saw a varied but predominantly rock line-up, however as the decade has progressed the Main Stage and Radio 1 Stage line-up has followed music trends and featured more and more indie artists, that have become very popular in the British music mainstream. However, one day (Sunday in the case of Reading) is traditionally set aside for hard rock and metal. This was most pronounced at the 2006 festival, which saw little hard rock on the first two days, but featured bands such as [[Mastodon (band)|Mastodon]], [[Slayer]] and [[Pearl Jam]] on the Sunday. However, this can be arguably laid down to the growing popularity of the Download festival in June providing a solely metal, hard rock and punk outlet. The Evening Session tent has also had its share of infamous sets, like [[Feeder (band)|Feeder]]'s set in 2002 which saw the tent heavily overcrowded, with many people watching from outside as a result. The band decided to play the second stage to keep the show low-key, as it was their first official appearance after the death of their drummer [[Jon Lee]]. The [[BBC Radio 1]] broadcast of the set was repeated in late 2002, due to the bands frontman [[Grant Nicholas]] unable to attend a [[Steve Lamacq]] acoustic session after doctors' advice, and later in early 2006 on [[6 Music]]. The announcement of the line-up and ticket release for the 2006 festival saw weekend tickets for Reading sell out in just under two hours, breaking all records so far, and emphasising the growing desire for live music because of the "rock revival" of the past few years, and the fact that the [[Glastonbury Festival]] was not taking place. Further Weekend tickets went on sale again soon after and sold out in 26 minutes. In 2005, the Festival spawned the [[Reading Fringe Festival]] in the town. Much like the [[Edinburgh Fringe Festival]], this sees venues in the town hosting fringe acts hoping to draw crowds and industry figures from the larger festival. The Reading Fringe has run annually since then. A second Fringe followed in 2006 and a third in 2007. [[Image:Leeds Main Stage.jpg|thumb|200px|Leeds Main Stage on [[25 August]] [[2007]] in-between sets by [[Kings of Leon]] and [[Razorlight]]]] In 2006, [[Mean Fiddler]] announced that they were using the Government's new licensing laws to keep the festival going later into the night (an attempt to quell some of the unrest of earlier years). The organisers kept revellers happy with the Aftershock tent, an Oxfam tent and the [[Silent Disco]]. [[Image:Leeds Festival ticket.jpg|thumb|200px|A 2007 Leeds Festival Weekend Ticket.]] Tickets for the 2007 festival were released on [[19 March]] and sold out within hours. However, over 3,000 fans found that their tickets were cancelled due to computer errors which caused a confirmation e-mail to be released even though the payment was denied.<ref>{{cite news | first=Paul | last=MacInnes | title=Computer error frustrates Reading and Leeds fans | date=[[2007-03-22]] | publisher= | url =http://music.guardian.co.uk/news/story/0,,2040136,00.html | work =The Guardian | accessdate = 2007-08-06}}</ref> The 2007 festivals ran from 24 to [[27 August]]. However, concerns were raised at the Reading site due to the torrential weather conditions in the UK.<ref>{{cite web | title = 2007 United Kingdom Floods | url = http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007_United_Kingdom_floods | accessdate =2007-08-06}}</ref> The floods caused the River Thames to burst its bank causing floods at the festival site. Melvin Benn, the festival organiser said "I'd guess about 25% of the campsite is under water at the moment and before long someone will be saying that the festival is in danger, so I just wanted to state that the festival will definitely take place".<ref>"This is the Carling Weekend: Reading Festival site", [[NME Magazine|NME]], [[4 August]], [[2007]]</ref> Plans were put in place to move campsites and car parks if the floods persisted. These plans were laid down by Melvin Benn in an e-mail sent to those signed up to the Reading Festival newsletter and on the [http://www.readingfestival.com/ official Reading Festival website]. Also at the 2007 festival, Kaiser Chiefs played at the Leeds portion of the festival (their home city) under the name Hooks For Hands in the Carling tent. ==2008== The Reading and Leeds Festivals 2008 are scheduled to take place on the weekend of the 22 to [[24 August]], although with the existence of 'Early Entry' tickets nowadays, a limited amount of festival-goers are able to access the [[Campsite]] from Wednesday 20th August. Tickets for 2008 were released on [[31 March]] at 6:45pm<ref>[http://leedsfestival.com/news/story.aspx?AID=f8f00498-3d24-41ba-b6d0-2e8c00a7de82 Reading & Leeds tickets go on sale]</ref> and sold out in record time,<ref>[http://www.readingfestival.com/news/index.aspx Reading & Leeds Tickets Sell Out]</ref> and the tickets made available via HMV sold out after just one hour<ref>[http://www.readingfestival.com/news/story.aspx?AID=f158d81a-76ee-42f8-b4fc-b9ccca1fd592]</ref> This is also the first year "BBC Introducing..." will have a stage at the festival. == Bottled off == {{Unreferenced|section|date=September 2007}} While the mass-participation can and bottle fights of the 1970s and 1980s have long since ended, the Reading Festival 'tradition' of unpopular bands being [[Bottling (concert abuse)|bottled]] off (being forced off stage by a barrage of audience-thrown plastic bottles and cans) has continued throughout its history. The 1983 reggae act [[Steel Pulse]] suffered possibly the most vicious bottling-off ever seen at the Festival, before or since, disappearing within moments of appearing on stage under an avalanche of missiles launched by the temporarily united ranks of punks and rockers waiting to see [[The Stranglers]]. In 1988 [[Bonnie Tyler]] bravely completed her set despite an unending barrage of bottles, turf and litter. Unfortunately, the day's headliner [[Meat Loaf]] was not so brave, retreating ingloriously only 20 minutes into his set after taking a 2-litre cider bottle full in the face.{{Fact|date=March 2008}} In 2000, [[Daphne and Celeste]] were inexplicably scheduled between [[Slipknot (band)|Slipknot]] and [[Rage Against The Machine]], and despite the barrage of bottles managed to complete their 10 minute set [[Good Charlotte]] experienced it in 2003, but remained on-stage and encouraged the crowd to throw more{{Fact|date=August 2007}}. In 2004, it was the turn of rapper [[50 Cent]], who was pelted with bottles <ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eL1dvdGoOvk YouTube - 50 Cent at Reading 2004<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>. 50 Cent lasted nearly 20 minutes before finally throwing his [[microphone]] into the crowd in anger. Apparently his contract meant he had to spend 20 minutes minimum on stage.[[The Rasmus]] were also bottled off following one song. In 2006 at Reading, [[Panic at the Disco]] lead singer Brendon Urie was struck in the face with a bottle, knocking him unconscious and forcing the band to stop mid-song. Urie received treatment from his road crew for several minutes, then the band continued from the point at which their song was interrupted.<ref>[http://www.nme.com/news/panic-at-the-disco/24093</ref> ==List of headliners== Historical lineup posters can be seen on the individual official festival websites: *[http://readingfestival.com/history/index.aspx Official Reading Festival website] - dates to 1972 *[http://leedsfestival.com/history/index.aspx Official Leeds Festival website] - dates to 1999 ==See also== {{commonscat|Reading and Leeds Festivals}} * [[Reading and Leeds Festivals line-ups]] * [[List of music festivals in the United Kingdom]] * [[Workers Beer Company]], Workers Beer Company ==References== {{reflist}} ==Further reading== * {{cite book |last=Carroll |first=Ian |title=The Reading Festival: Music, Mud and Mayhem - The Official History |publisher=Reynolds & Hearn Ltd |year=2007 |isbn=978-1-905287-43-7}} == External links == * [http://www.readingfestival.com/ Reading Festival official website] * [http://www.leedsfestival.com/ Leeds Festival official website] * [http://www.readingfestivalonline.co.uk/ Reading Festival Online website] * [http://www.carling.com/music/festival/carling_weekend Carling Weekend: Reading Festival and Carling Weekend: Leeds Festival page] * [http://www.soundgenerator.com/viewArticle.cfm?ArticleID=17907/ The world's greatest Carling Weekend: Reading Festival 2007 gallery!] * [http://www.fatreg.com/ Recollections and photographs from over 20 years of the Reading Festival] * [http://www.strictlyreading.co.uk Reading Festival News] * [http://www.festivalfiles.com Reading Festival 2007 Videos] * [http://www.wetherbynews.co.uk/ View from the Leeds Festival's local paper (Wetherby News)] * [http://www.tobloggle.co.uk/reading-festival-review/ Review and footage from Reading 2007] * [http://www.ukrockfestivals.com/reading-71.html /Extensive History of Reading 1971-81] * [http://www.readingmuseum.org.uk/collections/festival.htm / History of the Festival on the Reading Museum website] * [http://www.myspace.com/readingfestivalweekend Myspace dedicated to providing the latest news and info on the festival] {{Major British Music Festivals}} [[Category:Culture in Berkshire|Festival]] [[Category:Music from Leeds]] [[Category:Reading, Berkshire|Festival]] [[Category:Rock festivals in England]] [[cs:Festivaly Reading a Leeds]] [[da:Reading og Leeds festivalerne]] [[es:Festivales de Reading y Leeds]] [[fr:Reading and Leeds Festivals]] [[is:Reading and Leeds Festivals]] [[it:Festival di Reading e Leeds]] [[he:קרלינג ויקנד]] [[nl:Reading en Leeds Festivals]] [[ja:レディング・フェスティバル]] [[pt:Festivais de Reading e Leeds]] [[sv:Reading och Leeds Festivalerna]]