Plus Crawlers, Alfie Templeman, Good Neighbours, Nia Archives and more.
Words: Abigail Firth, Ali Shutler, Finlay Holden, Jake Hawkes, Jamie Muir.
Photos: Frances Beach, Patrick Gunning.
Daydreamers are a band embodying new ways to find success in music, building their audience from the ground up. Frontman Riley provides some solid creative foundations for the group that take them beyond just social media stars; they’ve nailed their writing, smashed the production, manifested a fanbase – and a solid live set is the cherry on top.
Previous shows have seen them thrown into the deep end, trying to adapt to the unpredictable nature of concerts; this time around, they’re clearly learning to loosen up, particularly bassist Aurora, who provides backing vocals through a wide grin. Unreleased material arrives in the form of the immediately addictive ‘Colourblind’ and ‘Saviour’, but the three singles released to date really ease up those Sunday hangovers. Side-stepping to ‘All I Ever Dream About’, bopping to ‘Beach House’ and settling into ‘Call Me Up’ like a familiar old friend. All these tunes are definitive earworms, and it seems there’s plenty yet to come. FH
Having released an intense flurry of projects since beginning to release his early musings, Alfie Templeman took a two-year break to focus on rediscovering inspiration, navigating his musical identity and learning how to find happiness in this day and age. A complex journey, certainly, but one that was also clearly worth doing; with ‘Radiosoul’, Alfie is sounding better than ever before.
Seeing through his humble and modest persona, opener ‘Vultures’ shows off some serious shredding with some new psychedelic leanings. ‘Eyes Wide Shut’ offers a kazoo solo, a feel-good vibe and a big pop chorus. His personal favourite, ‘Beckham’, delves headfirst into funk, perhaps indicative of future direction. ‘Everybody’s Gonna Love Somebody’, ‘Circle’ and ‘Happiness in Liquid Form’ are the crowdpleasers but still sneak in impressive creativity under the pop lense.
This is Alfie’s third set here, and he is no longer the young indie darling we saw sign to Chess Club as a teen, but has blossomed into a multifaceted, mature and controlled creative, slowly making sense of the world around him and helping others to do the same. FH
There’s something about Crawlers that’s always screamed main stage. With debut album ‘The Mess We Seem To Make’, the band finally have the swaggering anthems to back up all their theatrical ambition. Today, as they finally grace Reading’s biggest stage, they’ve clearly come to flex.
‘Messiah’ is an electric burst of melodrama, the tender ‘Kiss Me’ is driven by a heart-thumping want and ‘Would You Come To My Funeral’ twists melancholy into an excuse for liberated, joyous dance. Alongside the prickling fury of ‘Fuck Me (I Didn’t Know How To Say)’ and the hopeful euphoria of ‘I Can’t Drive’, Crawlers deliver an emotionally charged set that’s big on glittering catharsis.
In 2022, Crawlers announced the title of their mixtape ‘Loud Without Noise’ with a handmade sign that they unfurled during a fiery set on the Festival Republic stage. Today, they confirm an upcoming UK headline show in December (more details Tuesday) and are backed by impressive, horror-inspired visuals that shift with every track. There’s also a keyboardist who gives an extra layer of depth to their twisting emo, with Crawlers determined to make their set feel like an event. The whole, glorious thing ends with the cathartic ‘Come Over (Again)’ as Holly dives into the crowd and a giant trans pride flag is displayed on the massive video screen behind them. Crawlers’ Reading main stage debut is a thing of absolute wonder, with the band making as big a statement as possible. AS
They’ve done METTE a disservice by putting her on at this time. It’s not that she’s not used to big stages (she’s just a week out from opening for Taylor Swift at Wembley Stadium, for Pete’s sake), but the dance-focused Chevron Stage at quarter to two on a Sunday leaves METTE pulling teeth to win over the few rows of punters who’ve made it out.
It’s a shame because the show she’s brought with her is electro-pop perfection. With bouncy dance beats, faultless vocals and slick dance routines, she’s undoubtedly made for big stages. Following a speed run of viral dances from women she’s shared stages with this summer – Chappell Roan’s ‘HOT TO GO’, Megan Thee Stallion’s ‘Body’ and Charli xcx’s ‘Apple’ – she launches into ‘BET’, her greatest statement of intent as she belts, “One day, soon you’ll be loving me”. Really, it’s hard to leave today’s set unconvinced. AF
Oli Fox and Scot Verrill have been on their own songwriting journeys for years, but their unison as Good Neighbours is the breakthrough moment for both. Bittersweet lyrics, nostalgic production, anthemic hooks; like their music, the duo are upbeat and lighthearted as they brighten up the BBC Radio 1 stage. Having seen first-hand the self-analysis and sarcasm that permeate many modern releases, they turn instead to tunes that instantly melt worries away.
Performing as a five-piece unit, constant harmonies serve to amplify this effect. ‘Somebody’ shows off some loud, empowering vocals and stage presence, ‘Skipping Stones’ is soulful but goes hard, and the newly released ‘Bloom’ arrived as the newest cut from an upcoming EP release; “Things are gonna get very fun, stick with us”.
With all these unreleased tracks said and done, it is, of course, their viral hit which gets the biggest reaction; ‘Home’ may be about finding comfort in a feeling or person, but Good Neighbours have found it in a place today. FH
“Someone better call me a good fucking sport,” grins a soaked Reneé Rapp, halfway through what must be the most cursed set in Reading Festival history. After a false start, she manages a trio of blistering pop songs before a gust of wind dumps a metric shit ton of water on the stage. After a brief pause, she returns and confirms that despite a majority of their equipment getting ruined, she’s determined to put on a good show. She manages one more ace track before a second downpour kills off the last of their equipment and she’s forced to abandon her set. All of this after Storm Lillian cancelled her set up in Leeds. “Girl, what the fuck,” she wrote shortly afterwards.
What makes it worse is that among those ‘what the fuck’ moments, Reneé Rapp is really great. The opening ‘Talk Too Much’ is super commanding, all gleeful and biting before ‘Poison Poison’ sees the entire field screaming along to a venomous anthem. A tender ‘Bruises’ gives the rowdy Reading crowd a glimpse into the emotional power Reneé wields when she’s not delivering giddy bangers, while ‘Not My Fault’ is dripping in playfully swaggering confidence. There are real moments of brilliance during Reneé Rapp’s surprisingly soggy set; it’s just a shame she doesn’t get a chance to show how much more she has to offer. “I’m going to need to talk to someone real quick,” she tells the crowd shortly before departing. Here’s hoping it’s the Reading bookers to talk about a return next year. AS
Introducing the dark-pop revolution. Get into the grit and intoxicating world of Artemas, and there’s nothing you’d want more. The BBC Radio 1 Stage plays host to a set that’s superstar-making in every sense of the word. Casting a spell that engulfs everyone watching, it’s a syrupy sensation – whether it’s the smooth ‘wet dreams’ or the phones aloft ‘if u think i’m pretty’. It’s the best comparison possible to point to the early blends of The Weeknd played out in full flight, yet its clubby undertones are loud and proud as thousands cram to get a view. Today at Reading, it all oozes with ambition for something bigger, and there’s no denying that it’s coming (if it’s not here already). While the one-two punch of ‘dirty little secret’ and the practically riotous ‘i like the way you kiss me’ are big-time highlights, it’s everything that today encompasses that signals the arrival of an artist ready to take over. Reading becomes a sweaty basement: next is the world. JM
After a bizarre DJ warm-up which takes in Katy Perry, Nirvana, and Linkin Park, 21 Savage finally takes to the stage and proceeds to do… very little. In an era when rap shows include props, costume changes, and high-energy theatrics, it’s even more inexcusable that 21 paces the stage alone, at times barely bothering to rap along to his backing track. Almost a decade after his XXL Freshman debut and with a back catalogue of hits, it wouldn’t be hard to put on a show worth remembering. Instead, we’re left asking the same question as Drake: 21, can you do something for me – anything at this point. JH
For the third year running, Ashnikko is here to blow the lid off a Reading tent stage. Jokes about their huge new hair (completely natural, we’re assured) rub shoulders with dance routines fit for a stadium show. ‘Slumber Party’ causes mosh pits and people on shoulders, while ‘Chokehold Cherry Python’ generates a response which seems closer to a riot than a singalong – it’s all A Bit Much, if we’re honest. By the end of the set, they’re declaring that they ‘need an oil change’ while their dancers cover them in what looks like low-cal spray. The songs are great, the stage show is even better, and the hair is bigger than ever – what’s not to love? JH
Rachel Chinouriri‘s music is made for summer days like this. Uplifting and pouring with joy, it’s all about a connection that is evident in unquestionable fashion when she takes to the Festival Republic stage. It’s pure joy written across’ Never Need Me’ and ‘All I Ever Asked’, the latter seeing fans scream along with utter release. For those packed into the tent, they’re met with quite possibly the most wholesome set of the entire weekend, celebrating the fact that at this moment, everyone is gathered for something special. The devastating ‘Robbed’ and’ So My Darling’ prove one thing is for sure: for all the big bombastic shows and loud crescendos, it’s Rachel Chinouriri’s pure emotion that may make the most noise of all. JM
Fast becoming an unmissable set at any festival, Nia Archives takes to the Chevron Stage and immediately takes over. There’s a brief introduction with a voice declaring, “Jungle music is gonna change the world”, and for the duration of this set, you believe it.
A sufficient warm-up of jungle remixes of club classics like ‘You Got The Love’, and her rework of Yeah Yeah Yeahs hit ‘Heads Will Roll’ (dubbed ‘Off Wiv Ya Headz’), amongst others, kick off proceedings, then it is full speed ahead into her debut album ‘Silence Is Loud’. She’s out from behind the decks and adding live vocals; the melodies seem to pull from 90s indie as much as the relentless BPM of the instrumental recalls the sound system culture of that same decade; ‘Unfinished Business’, ‘Crowded Roomz’ and ‘Forbidden Feelingz’ are completely infectious, everything dialled up to 11.
In the absence of madame xcx herself, Nia provides the most Brat-coded set of the weekend, with blinding green screens flashing, PC Music-derived fake product graphics (a Nia Archives branded stout anyone? How about a ‘HORNY’ condom while the 90s classic plays?) and eventually, a massive jungle remix of the Charli track that’s taken over the summer ‘360’. But it’s when she closes with the riotous single ‘Baianá’ that harder and faster really is better, and with a stage and pull this big, rave culture is well and truly back. AF
There’s something wonderfully full circle about Beabadoobee headlining the BBC Radio 1 stage on the final night of Reading 2024. From acoustic nights and scrappy early shows, pulling stories from everyday life across the streets of London and beyond, it’s a journey that has seen Bea rightfully become one of the songwriters of her generation. It all leads to tonight, with Reading firmly sitting as a show both Bea and the thousands spilling out of the tent will remember for a very long time indeed.
With latest album ‘This Is How Tomorrow Moves’ conquering the charts, it’s no surprise that the world it inhabits so well dominates proceedings. The soaring scuzz of ‘California’ and chomping’ Take A Bite’ light the fuse:’ Talk’ sees people on shoulders, ‘Charlie Brown’ blends into an unstoppable noise-rock breakdown, ‘Ever Seen’ swoons every person standing in the tent, and’ Together’ is roared back in a way that we’re pretty sure the whole of Reading can hear. Everything Beabadoobee has done up to this point plays into the world that she now finds herself in, as if she was placing clues for the alternative cinematic spectacle to come. The sound of going into battle against the world and of a jubilant, uplifting sign of hope, a grin sits firmly on Bea’s face throughout. JM
Liam Gallagher headlining Reading isn’t exactly… headline news, what with it only being three years since he last staggered on stage clad in a parka to shake the world’s most famous maracas. This year’s set isn’t the standard fare, however, being a celebration of seminal Oasis album ‘Definitely Maybe’. What that means in practice is a set which is heavier in bangers than most bands would ever manage, but also one in which Liam has to shout “LASAGNE” on stage (courtesy of Digsy’s Dinner).
Rumours abound before the set of an Oasis reunion announcement. These spiral so much that before he comes on, we’re basically hearing that Noel will parachute into the crowd while belting out ‘Don’t Look Back in Anger’. The anticipation is at such a fever pitch that Liam even tweets, “Can we not just enjoy 1 day at fucking time”. A hell of an atmosphere to live up to, even when you’ve got ‘Cigarettes and Alcohol’ in your back pocket.
In the event, it’s the tour set as usual right up until the end, even including a now routine cover of ‘I Am The Walrus’. It’s only when he walks off stage that a date – Tuesday 27 August, and a time – 8AM, flash up on the screen. See you there? JH
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