Almost Famous, and rising at Reading Festival
Adventures in Berkshire/Berserkshire!
What an amazing bill happened at this year's Reading Festival.
So recently, that it's currently futuristic, but so observantly that it is, already, historic.
The Jack Rocks This Feeling stage circus rolled into town with a youthful swathe of "Zone Rangers" bringing love and peace vibes to the landmark music world weekend, and the future.
TheZineUK repped at Reading (also at sister site, Leeds, where photography star, Tarquin Clark, got iconic shots) and had all kinds of surreal ups and downs adventures, but WHAT a great soundtrack.
The weather predicted sunny days with showers, not the rain free heatwave that was actually experienced in the end.
Found the correct production entrance for this stage from lovely long time friends at the Festival Republic booth. Wouldn't think I used to work at this Festival. Ha ha, where am I?
On the way, I bumped into my beloved rockers, MOSES, who had just smashed the BBC Intoducing Stage, they're SO good that we exchanged excited hugs even tho I'd missed their set. Luckily, our Tarquin caught them the next day. Great shots. He's a genius. And a new fan. They're a genius band. I know quite a few of those, these days.
Reading Festival is a big deal. The combined sites rival Glastonbury, and alongside Isle Of Wight these are three of Britain's dream gigs.
The Jack Rocks This Feeling stages tour gave a lot of deserving talents something that they will never forget.
I was eager to catch some of them enjoying their moment.
I got to the entrance meeting point for the lift to backstage, and bumped into musicians I'd enjoyed (and taken pictures of) at Isle Of Wight Festival.
We exchanged friendly chats and best wishes before they and their instruments were collected. Artists were being ferried to the stage (which was by the campsite entrance) by buggy which had their passes to get in, so I waited for them to go first before the above lift through the festival.
Then I had a long lost (VERY good friend moment that made my day). We hugged like he'd flown in from space, and made arrangements to meet the next day, he managed a band who were playing the Festival Republic stage.
My tent and heavy bag with broken wheels made it hard to move about, but I had water, a rum miniature, satsumas and sunshine while I waited.
I missed some bands while finding where to go, then waiting, but was gonna be there for the whole weekend, so chilled during my car park safari which was extra sweetened by an inspiring DJ/artist star friend who was going to the same stage.
Nice to not be shouting at each other over noise as usual, but just chatting and catching up.
Hooray, the nice man came back with a pass. One of today's artists apparently got my weekend wristband, and I received their friday one, but, hey, the stage was outside of the arena and I imagined I could blag for the weekend.
(ooh, I wish I had a buggy, I wonder if they do them with a leopard print design? back to reality though, this tent was where very much magic happened over the Reading Festival Band Holiday)
It was so hot. I just wanted to get in, get changed, pop up my tent and get snapping pictures.
"It's just through those gates" said the security man. When I did get through those gates (luckily, most of the way with my heavy and awkward camping stuff, on the back of a buggy with Zak from Mint), it was a bit further, so I appreciate the lift!
Time to camp.
Or not.
Aargh, The Surrenders were about to go on. I didn't want to miss them too.
Stashed my burdens (I always bring too much, I'm no just-a-tent camper) and caught my first live set of the weekend. The Surrenders doing the "Jack Rocks" backdrop proud...
This West Midlands quartet have really had an amazing year already. Developing in confidence and stage craft since they won the Pirate Studios launch competition in Spring (to support Carl Barat, Blackwaters and DEAD! in London). The Surrenders have a punky blues fusion that brings the history of Reading Festival full circle in sound.
They are part of a vanguard that heralds authentic classic rock with the added intensity of 21st century life. There is genuine soul in their hearts. The last time I'd experienced them, it was around midnight in Gavin Monaghan's magic garden (at the Wagon and Horses), while sending Birmingham's britpunk community, and friends from outta town, fookin' mental. Their funked up festival groove really does translate to bigger settings, and by the end of their set they were heroes with new believers.
(you may want to scroll down the page to more band and atmosphere pictures, as this bit is just back story)
The security man nearly didn't let me back to get my bag/tent without a black wristband to get in the photo pit so I tried to sort it.
I couldn't change to a weekend, but wasn't interested in other stages much, so I decided to camp, then thought I'd not have time, and came back.
I'm glad I did, bloody ace sets that I would not have wanted to miss (more pix below) .
It suddenly got to late night (time travel?) and I had drank rather a bit of alcohol, (tho, thank you to various bands and the awesome Jack Rocks Photo Booth gang for their hospitality and the latter for looking after my bag.
A helpful Jack Daniels fella offered to put my tent up in their space until 9am the next morning, so I lay down.
Oops, it turns out from somebody else that I couldn't camp there after all.
I dismantled in the dark.
Not got 20/20 vision at the best of times.
Then, before I'd finished taking the tent down as requested, I got asked by the PR lady if it was my tent, because somebody's had been stolen, ouch. That stung. I got really upset as I wouldn't do that. Besides, the all-Black-people-steal thing is a bit tired. Also, I'm too OCD.
The lad who had actually lost his tent confirmed loudly that this wasn't it.
No apology then.
Fucked off and feeling stroppy, I went out the wrong exit (doh!), got lost (oops), and dragged my heavy stuff to a pile of mud, sat down pathetically in the dark to think and was sad/lost. Friends who had told me where to camp with them, could be anywhere by now.
I had some cider left over, so I had a drink. Old school survival technique. Just call me Bear Grylls. Cheered up a bit and looked for the nearest campers. Then a man came out of nowhere and ran away with my tent. My other stuff was too heavy to chase him. I just looked even more sad and lost.
He came back with it after a while, saying he was just joking. Hilarious, mate. Mock The Weak?
Then a security man saw me, and said I couldn't camp there with a Friday wristband. Smiling and nodding I stubbornly hailed down another buggy and asked if they could please help me get to the camp site I'd originally been heading for, near Jack Rocks. Bless you kind Buggy-lady who assisted.
We hurtled around the festival perimeter in the dark to yellow camp, where I realised that in haste, I'd forgotten to pick up the top of my tent and lost my sleeping bag. Knackered n a bit pissed, I held the corners down(ish) with four bottles of cider. (Love you, Asylums, thanks for your rider!). My inflatable bed had lost it's cap. So I couldnt blow it up.
What a doh-brain I am! I could have cried at my first world problems, but it actually made me laugh cos I felt like a female Mr Bean! (Sorry campers. That wasn't a hyena!) I had my big bag of bulky bollocks and kept warm by putting them all on top of me, and asking the moon to keep off the rain. All good. Bring on Saturday, baby.
In the morning I realised I couldn't get off site for breakfast and decent "ablutions" in town, with my wristband. I braved the festival bogs. I'll just say that at least they were better than attending a tory conference. Ewwww.
My "tent" looked ready to recycle in daylight. The shame, ha ha...
After a freshen up/clothes change I felt better, but unwell, cos I hadn't slept and was a bit(?) hung over and bruised.
I knew I had to go home instead of staying the weekend, now, but was determined to let the good times roll, first, catching amazingly talented friends, faves and new experiences. Grab great gigs and giggles, before I went.
Despite the comedy dramas of the night before, I most certainly did that!
Photo snapshots from (sold out) Reading Festival 2017
The Jack Rocks This Feeling Stage bought 44 select bands to Reading on a bill that looked like a festival in it's own right.
If this tent was a travelling circus bringing weekends of rock n roll joy, guitar music fans would be in for a treat that could stand up to any other event.
The alive tour happens in October, and features an impressive array of names that Reading Festival loved, so this weekend was a high quality try-before-you-fly preview.
I caught up with many friends, old and new, fellow fans, and I am thrilled that many of us share a believe that musical escapism is a growing positive force.
Was also chuffed and humbled by the encouraging feedback for TheZineUK's documenting of music movement, from various people. Wow. Thank you kind people.
Onwards then...
Between here, and the stage's poster of the full line up for posterity's sake at the bottom of this page, a few snapshots that I did get to take. More are at TheZineUK facebook photo album and for the whole weekend's delights, loads of great shots from TF photographers; Annie Warner, Katie Willoughby (who recently covered an event for TheZineUK) and Will Ireland at This Feeling's Reading Festival photo album.
Massive thanks to This Feeling/Jack Daniels UK, for the opportunity:
Heavy Suns
#SheRocksFests - in action, beautifully
Mint
The Surrenders x White Room, united
Of Empires
Rainbow Maniacs
Chilling in the sun (various, including long-time-no-see lovely Elspeth)
Trampolene
There's a shimmer of love and peace and groovy gear in the air. . .
The Shimmer Band
Asylums
Y.O.T.A. / Youth Of The Apocalypse
Late/Early hours Jack/dancing Rocks
Broken Witt Rebels
Blackwaters
The Blinders
Bang Bang Romeo
...and then my body just said "No, Caffy", and I made it back to my topless joketent for a lie down, before dragging broken wheeled hell-bag home. Grinning though. It's not every day your surreal good/bad days/nights out are sound-tracked by inspirational star potential in the vanguard of new movements.
More pix coming at TheZineUK's Reading 2017 photo album. That weekend of wonders in full, phwooaaar:
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