Drug-rug: a thick, colourful and patterned garment giving the wearer the appearance of a festival drug-dealer / what a festival drug dealer wears
White-jackets: the tabard-wearing, severe camp managers in charge of law and order
Mix: fruity, fizzy drinks used to mask the taste of Tesco’s own-brand vodka
I thought wrong. Camping mat? No. Didn’t you know the marshy terrain of Little John’s Farm is like nature’s own memory-foam mattress, Mum?
Umbrella? Don’t be silly.
Blue skies with the odd cloud don’t call for such indulgences.
So as I lay awake at 5.28 am last Friday with backache, my neck propped up on a damp, muddy jumper, I mulled over whether or not it’s a positive thing that Jersey Live doesn’t have camping.
You see, it’s my third year at Reading and every year I get the camping side of things badly wrong.
However, in my defence, fitting five days’ worth of survival equipment in one backpack is no mean feat.
And yet I love Reading. I love the common ground – actually quagmire is probably a more accurate description – that everyone at the festival has. Recently delivered exam results don’t matter here.
But despite my love for Reading, I cannot deny that this year, with torrential showers and wellies ubiquitous, I endured the most unforgiving conditions yet.
Rain did not, however, dampen our spirits as once again Reading delighted and surprised the Jersey contingent.
The best thing at the festival
YEARS and Years’, who are due to perform at Jersey Live 2015, delivered an energetic performance of songs drawn exclusively from their new album, Communion. Opening with the building, mesmerising song Foundation
and ending with the chart-topper King, the band, led by Olly Alexander (also known for his acting role in Skins and The Riot Club), had the devoted crowd grabbing at the cups of water offered by security guards after the 40-minute set, during which no one stopped dancing. Also,
the discovery of the Tesco’s ‘pizza pocket’.
… and the worst
ENCIRCLED by dirty, practically skeletal camping chairs, the festering pit/rubbish bin at the centre of our Jersey camp probably had living creatures in it on Monday morning. Perhaps almost as bad as the discovery that Foals were the secret act and I had missed them. Horrendous.
Craziest sight
MARCUS Mumford, the lead singer of Friday’s headline act Mumford & Sons, crowd-surfing inches from my friends and me, while managing to smoke and sing in perfect tune simultaneously.
The man is a rock star.
Weirdest person
THE streaker in Yellow Camp who, retaining his modesty only with a mucky grey hoodie for a fig leaf, nose-dived into an exposed mud pit.
Top tip
EVEN if it means that you can’t eat all weekend, fork out the £40 for the Seat of Luxury washing facilities – the communal showers were more like communal drips. Also, on a more practical note, bring a Sharpie to mark your camping chair to deter marauding cheapskates like myself.
Years & Years
In an interview earlier this year, the frontman of electro-dance trio Years & Years, Olly Alexander, said that the band’s music was ‘dance music you can cry to.’ Fast beats, synth and lots of clapping, combined with Alexander’s confessional tone and their bright, technicolour stage effects, makes for a brilliant festival dance experience.
Slaves
Hailing from Tunbridge Wells, this two-man band opened with The Hunter, after one half of the band, Isaac Holman, had shouted: “Reading is the best festival in the world!” – but they haven’t seen Jersey Live 2015 yet!
Palma Violets
Reading has become a mainstay in the career of the Palma Violets, from Lambeth in London. Band member Samuel Thomas Fryer said: “I think we’ve played Reading Festival ever since we’ve been a band.” The band played the mid-afternoon slot on the Main Stage, including a range of tracks from their album Danger in the Club, which was released in May 2015. They will be performing on Sunday at Jersey Live.
Circa Waves
Circa Waves opened with Young Chasers, a track which shares its name with their newest album, and closed with the hit summer song, which features regularly on Radio 1, T-shirt Weather – ironic, considering the rain and mud the crowd danced in. Fingers crossed that the weather improves for their set this weekend.
Wolf Alice
Noted as one of The Guardian’s ‘six best new acts to catch at this year’s festivals’, Wolf Alice opened with Moaning Lisa Smile and ended with the grunge track Giant Peach.
Sunset Sons
Sunset Sons: ‘I went to see them at Reading on the Festival Republic stage and they were by far my favourite act of the weekend. I enjoyed the whole act but the one song that stood out for me was Medicine. I’m excited about seeing them at Jersey Live because that will be twice in one week. I recommend everyone attending the Saturday of Jersey Live to go along and see them – you won’t regret it!’
Kelly McCullagh (19)
Blonde: ‘I didn’t know about them beforehand but stumbled on them in the Dance Tent, having previously watched someone else perform. I thought they were good and created a chilled atmosphere, which was ideal because they were on relatively early in the day so the vibes were just right. They’re good performers and I shall definitely be watching them again at this year’s Jersey Live’
Connor Spence (18)
Slaves: ‘Slaves were mental, giving 100 per cent energy to their performance. The crowd were clearly a bunch of devoted fans as they had us shouting
for “Gerald the dead goldfish” in unison! The crowds at Reading and Jersey Live will be different, and I look forward to seeing how Slaves package it in Jersey’
Matt Pallot (19)
