S Poddar
The Indestructible Spirit of Live Music Affirmed: Even the second day of Reading Festival in 2024 still had some sound clashes which pitted the artists against each other in unintended battles. From melodic metal to alternative rock and soulful ballads, it was a concoction of diverse music styles that really could have never failed in entertaining even the most unfortunate of fans; however, some scheduling decisions really ruined the performances.
It was an early start for Glasgow five-piece Dead Pony, who, due to a sudden downpour, found themselves onstage in front of a jam-packed Festival Republic tent. This winning formula of melodic metal with a tinge of rave rock—this time rather charmingly aided by their black, blow-up mascot, Derek the Dead Pony—captivated the audience rather quickly. Over on the main stage, however, Boston’s Dead Poet Society worked up a lot more energy, despite their set falling short of the visual dynamics presented by Dead Pony. Both bands hammered the point home that melodic metal is far from dead, yet this day surely belonged to the world of alternative rock.
The Last Dinner Party flung itself onto the main stage with a grotesque theatricality: a tour de force, mesmerizing and somewhat macabre. Dressed more like haunted Victorian dolls, the whole band seemed to be playing out a Gothic rock opera. Indeed, their sound, a crossbreed of dramatic pop and rock also seemed more befitting for this type of festival. Powerful ballads were complemented by Abigail Morris’s emoting across the stage. Their set is something with the anthem that spans generations in “Nothing Matters” and a camp cover of Sparks’ “This Town Ain’t Big Enough for Both of Us”.
Another strong act that completely took to reimagining both vision and sound was Fontaines DC. The punk-inspired Dublin five-piece strutted around in absurdly loud getups, lead singer Grian Chatten crooning in a green jacket radiating rebellion of the highest order. It was an emergence, one after another, set through different musical landscapes—from a Smiths-influenced “Favourite” to a Cure-like “I Love You.” Experience ready for songcraft, as in “Starburster,” became growth with more tantalizing new possibilities already in store.
Over in the Radio 1 tent, London’s Wunderhorse thrashed around with a post-punk intensity that rivalled the best of Fontaines DC from a few years back.
It was raw and impassioned, a performance light-years from the more hallowed performances to come on that stage many hours later. Even Jack Antonoff—he of some recent Taylor Swift collaborations—showed he can fly that alt-rock flag with his band Bleachers, although their set on the main stage was a straight-on nod back to classic American rock, turned modern. Cuts like “Chinatown” and “I Am Right on Time” were a crashing of indie-rock giants, but somehow, Antonoff just made them sound his own.
The afternoon seemed to allow the festival to catch its breath—only to make sure the audience gasped for one—before bleeding out once again in front of the night’s big acts. Indeed, finally, the Chevron stage just cascaded with the Balearic beats of Barry Can’t Swim. On the main stage, Raye emerged as one of the most visually exciting performers backed by a visible choir and string section, while she delivered soulful pop songs directly to the heart of the audience, especially with lyrics like “Ice Cream Man,” where she speaks out about her experience of abuse. There was effective emotional stacking within her set. Lana Del Rey also pulled off a good performance, although she arguably faced the most technical issues, to begin with. Her stage setup was flashy, featuring a castle-like backdrop with ivy-clad balconies and gold pianos. The whole thing proved quite time-consuming and left her reluctantly giving up 15 minutes from her set.
Unfortunately, this coincided with the start of Australian DJ Sonny Fodera’s set at the nearby Chevron stage, which it didn’t sound like there was any hope of Del Rey winning the sonic battle against. With Fodera’s beats blasting loud and strong from across the festival site, Del Rey soldiered on to deliver a performance both fragile and visually powerful. Her set, like “Without You” and “Video Games,” was pointed out, gut-wrenchingly beautiful – a tour de force of widescreen heroics—all of which was only somewhat dampened in impact when the competing noise coming from across the field overpowered it.
As the night despaired of running out, Fred Again jumped to the main stage with a mission to close the day stronger. He was hoisted up on a scissor lift, and he filled the space in some truly immersive and creative ways. Fred Again is not just a DJ; he’s quite the showman. Through cameras capturing his every move, he revealed himself to be playing keyboards and singing along with guest vocalists, sending an energy that moved the crowd to and fro between the two stages. His set was a testament to the evolving nature of live DJ performances, blending the spectacle of a traditional headliner with the intimacy of a club set. Songs like “Turn on the Lights Again.” and “Angie (I’ve Been Lost)” showcased his ability to connect with the audience on a personal level, proving that dance music has a place at the heart of a festival like Reading. Every huffing and puffing thing out of the way, the second day of Reading Festival 2024 was nothing less than a shindig for music in itself, incorporating its absolute widest range. Be it The Last Dinner Party’s theatrical rock or an emotional ballad fest by Lana Del Rey or maybe even its claim to forever glory by way of the groundbreaking performance by Fred Again, it kept that spirit alive and kicking one more year.
