A cost-of-living crisis has hit Reading Festival. The age of the £15 burrito has dawned, and judging by the cost of the average greasy burger out in the main arena, you’d be within your rights to demand it served wrapped in gold leaf and salted down the forearm of a charlatan. The catering is priced, we’ll assume, to reflect the fact that Saturday represents what would once be a full weekend at Reading crushed into twelve hours. The traditional indie, metal and punk days piled on top of each other to be consumed in quick-fire bites.
On the morning of the festival, organisers Festival Republic are still cramming on suitable acts like expensive and unnecessary burger toppings. Hardcore screamers Wargasm turn up unexpectedly to open Main Stage East and Pendulum announce a secret set in the dance stage. Back on the advertised programme, in early afternoon both The Sherlocks and The Lathums provide ample evidence that Britain’s trade in anthemic canyon-indie northern “The” bands is perhaps the only one not yet decimated by Brexit. The Lathums even drop a hefty dose of retro Americana, à la tonight’s headliners Arctic Monkeys, into their rousing indie gallops. AJ Tracey smashes through half an hour of no-frills grime hits, replacing Kentucky rapper Jack Harlow for whom appearing at the MTV Music Awards trumped some grotty gig in Berkshire. Dance with the commercialist devil, R&L, you’re gonna get gazumped.
