Reading Festival 2012

WHAT A WEEKEND. Oh my I cannot express to you guys how much I love festivals, and Reading fest this year was quite an experience. I have come home with multiple bruises, swollen feet, burnt arms and back and a possible chest infections... but it was totally worth it. This year I camped with a large group of mates from college right in the heart of Purple Camp (which if you aren't familiar with the colours, is the central campsite and usually the most popular). Apart from the music one of the favourite parts of Reading Festival is the people. Everyone is so like minded at Reading Festival and everyone looks out for each other it just makes the atmosphere incredible.  Over the weekend I saw a variety of acts to definitely get my money's worth:

Friday consisted of:

• Friends
• Spector
• The Hives
• Lucy Rose
• Alt J
• Bombay Bicycle Club (pictured left)
• Foster the people
• The Maccabees 

The only thing I don't like about festivals is the lack of sleep I get. I sound like such a wimp but I need my sleep sooo much hahaha! Forgetting my roll matt this year was quite possibly the worst thing to happen! Throughout the weekend I went for the popular 'Festival Wardrobe' which consisted of: Levi Short x2, Wrangler Shorts x1, Black low-back Dress and a variety of tank tops and shirts.

After an extremely full day on Friday, I woke up Saturday with a slightly sore throat from all the screaming and 'singing' and decided to go and queue for my FREE BREAKFAST (yes you heard correctly). This year, Reading Festival were giving every weekend camper a free breakfast, which was quite possibly the best idea anyone could've though of. That sausage bap went down a treat, and was needed for the next surprise that was about to happen...

GREEN FRICKIN' DAY LADIES AND GENTLEMEN. GREEN DAY!!!!!!!! I'd heard and seen internet rumours but I only thought they were rumours... but no it was really happening! From a distance at about 10.30 we heard a band sound checking... which was quite early for a sound check... Then it clicked... GREEN DAY WERE ACTUALLY HERE. At that moment myself and a few of the boys full on sprinted from our camp site to the arena barriers, through the guards and into the NME/Radio 1 tent, where GREEN DAY WERE PLAYING. The guards shut the gates after about 4000-5000 people were in the arena, practically making the gig intimate. They blew the crowd away with all their hits, starting with 'Welcome to Paradise'. I have never been so happy in my life, seeing my favourite Childhood rockband, the first band to ever go onto my only white ipod shuffle, right infront of my eyes! 

Green Day blew my mind, as the guards only let in a certain number of people, the unlucky thousands who were stuck behind the barriers had to watch from afar. They opened the barriers one song from the end and the crowds came running faster than no crowd i've seen run before! Anyway... as you can gather, I thought they were amazing...

Our makeup as a result of the rain (During Florence and the Machine)

For the rest of Saturday I saw:

• Theme Park
• Mystery Jets
• Odd Future (OFWGKTA)
• The Vaccines
• Florence and the Machine
• Metronomy

 

The Rest of Saturday consisted of great music and rain! Torrential downpours left us frozen and quite frankly soaking! But this didn't dampen our spirits... After Florence and the Machine a few of us went back to get changed and the headed to see Metronomy over Kasabian. Quite a lot of people think i'm crazy to have done that, but oh well, I love Metronomy!

Charlie ready to go for a number two! This photo cracks me up every time haha!

 Sunday morning is the morning that I dread, the beginning of the last day. Today was the day that i woke up with practically no voice but that wasn't going to let that stop me! Today was the day of the FOO FIGHTERS. 

Tribes

Sunday's music consisted of:

• Of Monster's and Men
• Band of Skulls
• Django Django
• Tribes (pictured left)
• Kaiser Chiefs 
• The Black Keys
• Foo Fighters 

Face paint time! Watching Tribes.

Sunday morning consisted of a line up of bands which then, luckily, was followed by a few hours of rest before the long evening ahead. We fuelled up on some food and drink and headed down to the main stage to start with the Kaiser Chiefs. Playing their hits they got they definitely got the crowd going. Once the Kaiser's had finished I mentally, emotionally and physically prepared myself for the next two acts. I had been waiting ALL weekend for these two bands, THE BLACK KEYS and the FOO FIGHTERS. 

WOW WOW WOWOWOWOWOWOOWOWWWWWWWWW. Words cannot express how amazing they both were, The Black keys played their most recent hits (unfortunately not 'Thickfreakness' but 'Little Black Submarine' was amazing). I did get head butted in a Black Key's mosh pit, but to be honest it was definitely worth it!  

The Foo Fighters followed. This was the one band I had been waiting for ALL year, this is no exaggeration. Seeing Dave Grohl and the rest of the band left me speechless. Oh gosh even thinking about their set right now makes me so happy, it was quite honestly the best gig I have EVER and i mean EVER EVER EVER EVER been to in my whole entire life. I was on my friend's shoulders during 'Best of you' and cried my eyes out (I think the fact that i was extremely tired and in awe at seeing the foo's just made me have a mini emotional breakdown hehe). Foo Fighters - Best of you - Reading Festival 2012 (hopefully this link shows up, the video may be removed from YouTube at some point).

The Black Keys

Foo Fighters

Overall Reading Festival 2012 was a pretty darn good festival. The people were AMAZING, the line up was AMAZING, the atmosphere was AMAZING and I cannot wait to go next year... my aim for next year is to go to: Glastonbury, Benicassim, Latitude, Reading and Bestival (highly unlikely but I can dream).

I hope everyone else who went to Reading had a fantastic time aswell, let me know if the comments below who your favourite band was and how you enjoyed your weekend.

More post from me about back to college next week! 

All the best guys!