Reading Festival has undergone some drastic shifts over the years. In the early 80s, it was an event dominated by hard rock and NWOBHM bands (it was, famously, at Reading '81 that Rod Smallwood approached Bruce Dickinson - who appeared with Samson at that year's event - to audition for Iron Maiden).
As the 90s dawned, Reading became a smorgasbord of alternative music, seeing everyone from Nirvana to Public Enemy to the Chemical Brothers play prestigious slots on its main stage.
