When people talk about the great live bands of the modern era the you don't have to wait long before Muse, Coldplay, the Killers, Faithless, Arctic Monkeys, Radiohead and dozens more are mentioned ... and rightly so, these bands have shaped and defined contemporary music and continue to thrill audiences worldwide with unforgetable live shows... but is this what live music is really about? Strobe lighting, flashing screens twenty feet tall, pyrotechnics, enough electricity to power a small village until the end of time and even rotating a guy and his drum kit 360 degrees whilst cracking out an amazing drum solo (fair play to Blink 182 there) for 45 quid a time. True live music descends far beyond these glamorous sell-out shows... right the way the 'grass roots' level where bands play in tiny venues in there hometowns to audiences you count count on two hands just because they love doing it. I genuinely believe its at this level where the true music fans emerge; fans who are there for the music rather than the cheap three and a half minute thrill of hearing a song they've heard on the radio or danced to at a club!
I, like many other thousands of music fans, spent my bank holiday weekend raving it up in a muddy field in Reading (Festival that is, not some kind of deranged drunken brawl). This festival is bathed in history and regularly draws some of music's heavyweight acts who grace the main stage year after year with some of the finest live shows in the world, the nature of which i have already eluded to. Despite the obvious draws that they bring, I urge you to take note that there is another side of the festival, a side that i am delighted to say has blossomed since its introduction to the festival in 2008... the BBC Introducing Stage (one of my favourite stages at any festival).
The reason that this tiny stage holds such a special place in my heart is simple: I love of new music. Although there are five other stages offering many more experienced live acts, there's something about being able to get up close to these bands on this most intimate of forums that makes the music seem so much more personal. There is also a great sense of self-achievement and satisfaction having discovered a new band that you can then follow and enjoy away from all the masses; a band you love purely for their music, not just because some radio DJ has given them a stamp of approval. I guess I just feel that once a band is considered "cool" by the masses, I've lost that original connection that i had with the music. This fantastically unique and accessible stage really allows the true music fan to connect with music in a way other platforms can't quite match.
Anyway, before i get too carried away with praise for the BBC Introducing Stage, let me give you a run down of some highlights... I was absolutely delighted to see the crowds swell at the BBC Introducing Stage this year at Reading and I speak for the vast majority when i say they were not disappointed! Here is a little run down of the best bands i was 'Introduced' to at Reading Festival...
Our Fold - like a splash of ice cold water in the face first thing in the morning, these Bolton-based indie rockers brought the festival to life early on Friday afternoon. Symbolising all that is good about rock and roll these lads set to their task brilliantly - their uncomplicated blend memorable hooks, mesmerising guitar solos, powerful vocals and tight rhythm section culminated to form one of the best opening bands i can remember seeing at any festival or gig. As an added bonus, it was only once I got home that I realised that the band have recently acquired the services of former Stone Roses member Aziz Ibrahim ( which would explain sheer the quality of the guitar solos: distinctive in their mentalism and unique in their execution). Although vastly becoming the talk of their home town I am convinced with more performances like this it wont be long before the name "Our Fold" is uttered up and down the country.
Check them out here and see what i mean - http://www.myspace.com/ourfold
Shockparade - undoubtedly the best atmosphere i have ever experienced on this stage in all my five festivals. This band came on just as the sun had bowed its head over the horizon and their sounds was unbelievable, a real injection of energy and life into what was to be an extraordinary night of live music at the festival. A fantastic composition of soaring vocals, driving drum beats, euphoric guitar sounds and fresh synthesisers come together in the most spectacular way to form energising dance anthems that leave you no option but to leap up and down to the infectious beat. Shockparade were my golden nugget of the festival, glimmering like the last Galaxy Caramel in a box of Celebrations. This new and exciting band are summed up very effectively by the BBC...
"Shockparade exist somehwere between Faithless, Underworld, Leftfield and the uplifting beauty of Sigur Ros played by Doves in the Manchester era"
I'd recommend them to anyone. Out of the 47 bands i saw over the weekend, they were undoubtedly a huge highlight. Check them out here - http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/festivals/readingandleeds/2010/artists/shockparade/#p009q3xk
The sheer plethora of acts that graced this quaint yet iconic stage were exceptional in their diversity; from the interesting "tribal rythmns" and "mesmerising sample loops" of Amy's Ghost (who drew the largest crowd of the weekend - http://www.readingchronicle.co.uk/news/roundup/articles/2010/08/28/48138-amys-ghost-set-a-crowd-record-at-reading-festival/) to the awesome blend of hip hop, soul, RnB and rock displayed by the G.A.N.G. Even the more established bands like Young Guns, Everything Everything and The Drums played some memorable and intimate acoustic sets for fans who were eagle-eyed enough to notice the "special guest" slot on the festival programme.
Although still only in its infancy on the Reading Festival grounds, the BBC introducing Stage continues to provide a forum for true music fans to indulge in an abundance of new interesting sounds - making that unique connection with music that just cannot be attained on the larger stages. For the acts themselves, the honour and the privilege of playing at such a momentous festival as Reading is all too easy to see on their faces and a very special thing to be a part of. The BBC Introducing Stage is the vessel through which cutting edge new music is transported to the crowds who are adventurous enough to seek and embrace it. Indeed, this special stage is the very beating heart of Reading Festival.
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