ingrxm: October 2016

I recommend you sit down with a cuppa, this is going to be a long one.

I’ve seen this legendary band once before. I watched them at Knebworth, with my dad of all people. My first large gig, I done it in style. This time, they was back on main stage once again, 2016. What a year for Reading festival.

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RHCP hadn’t returned before 2016 because the organisers said their performance wasn’t up to scratch. But this time, they blew it out of the park. The whole experience felt surreal, almost like an out of body experience. I was seeing a band I had loved for years with some of my closest friends, watching them in the flesh when I had sang my heart out to them in my car endless amount of times before. Everyone from all walks of life, all with different music tastes collided in front of them at main stage. Throughout their set they had every single one of us dangling, clinging on to the edge of every riff.

They sounded brilliant live. From what I can remember they sounded even better than they did at Knebworth. Maybe that’s because I’m slightly older and appreciate their music more? Or could it be that they performed exceptionally hard because they knew they had so much to live up too. They sound like they do on their albums, but with more flare and a lot more attitude. The band bounced off each other, and they certainly lapped up the crowds’ undivided intention.

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My favourite song ever from RHCP is “Scar Tissue” and they played it at Reading. Stood next to my best friends I welled up. We sang our hearts out, waving out arms in the air and clutching each other at one point. Overwhelming to say the least. Of course that wasn’t the only song they featured, they included “Californication”, “Under the Bridge” and “Snow”. I’m sure it’s still on the BBC website so you can watch their whole set.

They’ve recently released a new album, it is a little old school, a little darker but definitely worth a listen. Stay tuned for an album review.

Seeing Jamie T in a smaller venue is completely different to seeing him at a festival. It is much more intimate and somewhat more lively. This was almost his come back after going off the radar for a little while and he did not disappoint. Seeing him back on his way to the top, on his feet was warming.

He bounced on stage followed by his band members who occupied the drums and bass guitars. He sported a bright red polo and slicked backed long hair. In some essence he resembled Alex Turner. He certainly summoned his bad, can do attitude and gave it his all throughout his set. The first song he released from his new album ‘Trick’ was Tinfoil Boy, across a variety of different social media outlets the response was cold. Avid fans and new listeners thought the song lacked momentum and didn’t reflect the singer they have all came to love. Seeing Tinfoil Boy live however, was a different experience entirely. The song sounded as if it had much more beat and depth than it did pre-recorded. The darker undertones really came out in the song, the dark theme persisted throughout his new album.

At the guildhall he done a mish mash of all his albums, changing the set list every night. Commitment eh? He couldn’t do a gig and not perform the classics like ‘Sheila’ and If You Got The Money. From the album ‘Kings and Queens’ he played 368, which got the packed crowd screeching from the top of their lungs. Jamie also featured a few songs from ‘Carry on the Grudge’ such as Don’t You Find which was lapped up by everyone at Guildhall that night. His new album dominated the night though with Tinfoil Boy, Power Over Men, Joan of Arc and Solomon Eagle.

He is currently touring the UK at a variety of different venues. Definitely get some tickets if they’re still available!

Before stepping into the Festival Republic stage, well I say stepping more like dragged in by a friend, I had never heard any of their songs, I didn’t know who The Hunna was. Because of this I was more than a little reluctant to go in, I didn’t want to stand there looking like an idiot frankly, but I am so glad I did.

A group of us stood towards the back of the tent, partly because we didn’t know many of their songs and partly because it was so crowded there wasn’t a chance we was getting any further. Even though quite a way at the back the electric atmosphere still reached us, engulfing us all.

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The band played their hearts out, the crowd lapping up every minute. A beautiful, harmonic relationship. They gave the crowd what they were aching for and in return the lyrics were chanted back, word for word. I cannot imagine how that would have felt, to have a mass amount of people chanting your song back to you.

Before their set was over I too was singing back to them, at least I think those were the words?

Since leaving my homeland that is Reading, I haven’t stopped listening to them, on repeat all day, every day. I’ve now found my favourite song by them, Bonfire. Would recommend giving it a listen!

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I planned to see this amazing band at the Wedgewood Rooms in Portsmouth, unfortunately I couldn’t go due to sickness. Next time Hunna, next time.

Reading 2016 wasn’t the first time I had seen this wacky, alternative band. I saw them two years previously at Reading festival dominating the NME tent, it was electric so obviously I was expecting big things from them as soon as they had been announced to perform again.

I was eager to see how they would handle all the space that main stage had to offer, were they going to fill it? Could they own it like they did the NME tent? Yes and yes. The raping, raving trio absolutely killed it.

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They edgy South African group kept me on my toes throughout the whole set. The masses of the crowd began to bounce and dive between each other, wherever there was room that is. They managed to creep out the crowd at every opportunity and even had an uncomfortable air about them.

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During their performance they sang all their bizarre and weird songs; “Babys on Fire”, “I Fink U Freeky” and “Ugly Boy”. They sang a variety of their different hits, mixing their old and new albums.

Every time I see them I feel as if the organisation is giving them the short straw. During 2014 they performed around 2 in the afternoon, this year they performed around the same time. Wouldn’t it be cranked up a notch if they went on stage during the evening, their stage presence is already captivating with numerous costume changes, their quirkiness could have been amplified via light shows etc. I would say maybe next year but after their statement it looks unlikely to happen...

The Wombats performed for us in the NME tent on the Sunday of Reading festival 2016. The Liverpool trio created absolute SCENES in that tent. The whole tent was genuine madness, front to back the crowd was going wild. The tent was filled with buckets of sweat and feet that couldn’t stop moving.

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The crowd was bouncing from the very moment they appeared on stage. When their most popular indie/electro hits started like “Jump Into the Fog” and “Moving to New York”, everyone’s arms were up in the air, during the chaos I managed to catch glimpses of everyone smiling ear to ear, it was like nothing before.

There wasn’t one person in that tent who didn’t know the words, their set just seemed to persist of banger after banger. How is that even possible? How can one band have so many good hits? The band haven’t released anything for a year, and as far as I’m aware they’ve kind of gone off the radar, it says a lot about them that they can just turn up to Reading festival and play like they’ve never been away.

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I was pretty far back when I watched their performance, and my height didn’t help but when I finally caught a snippet of them stage you could see how they were giving it all their might. As if this was the most important gig they would ever play. They gave their all to us and the crowd fed off it.

Although a predominantly British band they have traveled far and wide, even making a breakthrough in America. They know where their home is, right here in the UK. We love you wombats!

Stay updated by subscribing to their Youtube channel and their Twitter account.

Friday the 26^th august, 2016. The first day of reading festival, the bank holiday weekend was off to an explosive start.

This year it didn’t rain as much, well it did a little but nothing compared to the previous years. The sun was beating down on everyone’s back, the main stage was literally glistening in the sunlight. Picturesque to say the least.

The very first band I saw that weekend was the magnificent CHVRCHES. In the short amount of time they’ve been in the music scene, only since 2011 (can you believe it!) they’ve come such a long way and achieved enormous amounts. Currently raising a metaphorical toast to them, in continuing to grace our ears and giving us something to bop along too whilst glugging back a nice cold Somersby.

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Lauren, the lead vocalist continued to look stunning throughout their set, instead of the sweaty mess the crowd was. I can only put it down to that she has superhuman powers that stop her from sweating, or that she has adjusted to performing on stage with electric atmosphere and grown use to it. I think it’s probably the latter.

“RIP HARAMBE!” was exclaimed during their live performance, the crowd roared back in solidarity. There was endless flags and banners throughout reading festival supporting our king, taken too soon. Dicks out for Harambe.

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Their set list compiled a mixture of their songs from all 3 of their albums. They included well known, loved songs such as “The Mother We Share”, “Warning Call”, “Leave a Trace” and “Bury It”. They sounded exactly like they do on their songs, actually, scratch that, they sounded even better and gave the audience an energetic kick start to the weekend.

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