Raging Against Bush in the Garb of Guantanamo Bay
By John Matthew Hall
Last Night READING FESTIVAL **
As rain crashed down upon the bedraggled Reading crowd, The Killers took to Saturday night’s main stage accompanied by a spectacular light show.
And yet, despite their dramatic entrance, Las Vegas’ answer to U2 got off to a slow start as frontman Brandon Flowers fumbled with the basics, often singing out of key and away from his microphone.
However, it wasn’t long before The Killers recovered, blasting out epic crowd pleasers such as “When You Were Young”, “Somebody Told Me” and “Mr. Brightside”. The previous day had also been dominated by an electrifying headline act. With sirens ringing out over a feverish crowd, the four members of rap metal pioneers Rage Against The Machine stood silhouetted upon Reading Festival’s main stage.
The band who described their 2007 reunion as “a vehicle of opposition against right-wing purgatory”, came on clad in the orange jump-suits and black hoods of Guantanamo inmates, and tore into opener “Bombtrack”. Their untempered aggression proved they haven’t lost it.
Meanwhile, on the NME/Radio 1 stage, Babyshambles were struggling. Pete Doherty’s band of ragged-trousered raconteurs appeared to alienate sections of the audience, who lost interest in a performance that relied too heavily on their crushingly dull second album Shotters Nation. It was only during a euphoric rendition of “Albion” late in the set that glimpses of Doherty’s flailing potential emerged.
Elsewhere, the much anticipated Queens of the Stone Age became another casualty of a muddy sound, while the biggest surprise of the day came from Vampire Weekend, who hauled in the spectators.
Saturday really began with Dirty Pretty Things. Much like his former Libertines-band mate Pete Doherty, Carl Barat’s new project failed to spark real reaction from the audience.
Not so Seasick Steve, whose fans could hardly contain their enthusiasm for the bluesman’s countrified boogie as they waited to see the magnificent Foals.
Bloc Party were no slouches either reeling off tracks from their first two albums in style, ensuring headliners The Killers had a tough act to follow.
Sunday at Reading Festival is a more raucous affair. Dropkick Murphy’s blend of hardcore punk and Pogues-ian folk revived the inebriated crowd, while electro-metallers Mindless Self Indulgence took rock posturing to new levels.
Elsewhere, Arctic Monkey’s frontman Alex Turner was greeted warmly as he took to the NME/Radio 1 stage with side-project The Last Shadow Puppets, while Sunday night’s main stage headliners Metallica returned to their thrash metal roots with a tight, retrospective performance.
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