I don't need to tell you how good they are. All you need to do is read all the reports from last night's "live rehearsal" at the HMV forum. My favourite report was this one, written by Jeff Maysh.
They're so British, so romantic and the exciting chaos caused by their reunion has made my heart swell with every tweet I read. I can't imagine a time when they will stop being my favourite band.
2. Arcade Fire
The Suburbs was released at quite a crucial time for AF because there has just been long enough for everyone to fall in love with it and become curious whether the band can produce all the magic and love live onstage. I saw them Reading 2007 as the sun was setting and it was brilliant, so I'm curious how they will fair in an after-dark, headline slot.
3. Lady Fortune (BBC Introducing)
This is the new shit. Seriously. If you like The Libertines, Arctic Monkeys, Razorlight - all that fundamentalist indie music that solely relies on guitar chords and clever vocals then you will love these. There's not a fucking synth in sight which makes me swoon quite a lot. It's gritty and brilliant, every new song I hear astounds me lyrically. Check them out here.
4. Modest Mouse
Still relatively alien to the mainstream, Modest Mouse feel like a special secret band that no one else realises the genius of yet. With quite an early slot on the mainstage on Saturday, I wonder how their soft intimate american indie rock will come across in such a wide open space.
5. Big Pink
Phwoar, these are amazing and I can't wait to see them live again considering I missed them at Glastonbury because of Shakira, or Snoop Dogg or someone else unworthy. They're so gloriously heavy but at the same time manage to channel so much tenderness, so much intimacy, the sort of heart-wrenching emotiveness that makes me want to cry a little bit. They're one of those bands people are going to shrug off because they're not quite heavy metal and they're too noisy to be indie pop, but I hope there are some sensible people in the Reading crowd who will squeeze in that sweaty Radio 1 tent to create some frenzy.
6. Blink 182
How can you not see them? Take Off Your Pants and Jacket was released NINE YEARS AGO. Does this make you feel old? Half the kids at Reading were SEVEN when it was released. SEVEN!!! I'm going to see them for the nostalgia (as are most I assume because they haven't released an album in yonks). Dammit was the first (and last) song I ever learned to play on guitar when I was 14 and dressed like this. Love love love.
7. Band of Skulls
When I saw these babies at Glastonbury I'd just had to sit through fucking Shakira and it was an absolute breath of fresh air. The bass and the sleazy male/female vocals and the bass (have I mentioned the bass?) and the slick guitars. I'm baffled as to why these aren't as big as The White Stripes yet because they're just as good, raucous, sexy. These are a need-to-see.
8. Little Fish (BBC Introducing)
Fresh for supporting Blondie, this male-female duo are the next big thing for all the grungey little teenage girls who need a new rock n roll poster girl to idolise. Lead singer Juju is a firecracker, sliding between screamo guitar thrash into heartfelt rock ballads. It's a shame these clash (I assume) with some other big headliners because people need to see how great these are.
9. Foals
Have I ever told you my Foals story? I bought Antidotes on sale in Woolworths (lol) and I was so repulsed by it when I got it home that I returned it for my £5.99 back. I really did not want that stone-hearted disco shite in my record collection. When I heard they were releasing a second album, I couldn't wait to rip it to shreds all over again.
Sadly for the part of me that loves to hate, I LOVE TOTAL LIFE FOREVER. Those catchy synthy parts of 'Antidotes' were injected with all this emotion, all this human credibility to make an extroadinarily experimental well-produced album.
10. British Sea Power
For the foliage lols!
I'll be there. Probably pulling this face:
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