Nirvana covers, political speeches, orchestras �?? the Reading And Leeds Festivals still again brought together tribes from across the musical spectrum o'er the Bank Holiday weekend (August 22-23).
Although all the Main Stage headliners at the result, which takes place concurrent on sites in the north and south of Britain, were from the US, the acts themselves couldn�??t be more varied.
Rage Against The Machine used their slot in Reading to work a secure political point, taking to the stage wearing Guantanamo Bay-style and denouncing George Bush and Tony Blair from the stage.
Although they toned this down by the time they reached Leeds, the reunited agitprop rockers inspired such a reaction in the crowd that they had to concisely pause their set request the consultation to gradation back to avoid a crush.
The Killers wHO used their performance to preview a song from their upcoming first album, while Metallica also showcased two new songs, as they blew chunks out of the English countryside with flamethrowers and fireworks.
Elsewhere during the weekend Arctic Monkeys�?? Alex Turner and The Rascals�?? Miles Kane, defined festival convention by donning suits and bringing a full orchestra to the NME/ Radio 1 Stage as they performed their brought their Last Shadow Puppets side project to life.
The Cribs meanwhile recruited The Smiths legend Johnny Marr as a total bandmember during the festival, while The Ting Tings, Vampire Weekend, MGMT, http://www.nme.com/news/foals/39207]Foals[/url] and Pendulum all played to giant crowds.
Bloc Party performed their first gig since the shock spillage of third album �??Intimacy�?? just three days advance (August 21), battling with council imposed sound restrictions on the Reading Festival main stage.
The likes of Santogold and Late Of The Pier emerged from the host of novel talent playing the event to ground themselves among the festival�??s highlights.
Meanwhile having been so closely associated with the Reading Festival while they were a going concern, Nirvana draw a strong shadow across the weekend, as Dirty Pretty Things, Feeder and the Manic Street Preachers �?? world Health Organization dedicated their set to missing bandmate Richey Edwards �?? all included covers of Kurt Cobain songs in their set.
And that�??s just the start. Relive all the action from the weekend Reading And Leeds Festivals 2008. We have news show, blogs, pictures and television interviews from both Reading And Leeds Festivals sites online now. Get this week's issue of NME, out Wednesday (August 27) for the ultimate Reading and Leeds review.
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