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Name: Gen Williams
1. Evening Session Tent: Six By Seven
...always, ALWAYS stunning live. Turn up and be pummelled in the head and slugged in the chest by uncompromisingly violent riffs, and lulled by Chris Olley's remote, sparse vocals. At their best, Six by Seven reach dizzying, deafening climaxes that most bands can only dream of. Expect: glazed stares and headbanging.
2. Evening Session Tent: ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead
...Texas' very own ...Trail of Dead are like those party guests who turn up with crates of Möet and then proceed to trash the place. 'Possessed by the twin ghosts of hedonism and rock'n'roll', Trail of Dead bring chaotic, ruinous destruction to every stage they grace, but not before they've justified their presence with a volley of angular, fervent anthems. Expect: drumkits flying in every direction.
3. Main Stage: Amen
...you know you want to. Go on. Just dive into the pit. Sure, you'll probably emerge minus your head, but it'll be worth it. Few bands provide a live experience as exhilarating as Amen - they're brutal, rhythm-laden and heavy as fuck. Expect: mayhem and broken limbs.
Also excited about seeing: Muse, The Hives, Vex Red, The Prodigy, Offspring, Incubus, Raging Speedhorn, Feeder, The Breeders, Guided by Voices, Finch, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, The Cooper Temple Clause, Spiritualized, Sparta, The Polyphonic Spree, Fu Manchu, Princess Superstar, The Rapture, The (International) Noise Conspiracy, The Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster, Serafin, Easyworld, Hell is for Heroes, Jetplane Landing, Aphex Twin, Lo-Fidelity Allstars, Peaches.
Name: Adam Anonymous
1. Main Stage: GUNS N ROSES...Oh yeah, I know what you're thinking. Guns N Fucking Roses. Stadium rock sucks ass doesn't it? Think again punks. Back at the end of the '80s, Axl Rose and his motley bunch of attitude-soaked hair rockers were the chosen band of the metal masses. One of the last true rockstars, enigmatic frontman Axl returns, almost 10 years since their last UK gig, but minus Slash, Duff and, er, anyone else from the original line-up. Will they turn up? And how chuffing cool is their new logo?!? You'll have to be at Leeds to find out; they don't appear at Reading! Expect: Classics and the odd new song, rants from a fattening Axl.
2. Main Stage: RAGING SPEEDHORN...With the most uncompromising album of the 2002 'We Will Be Dead Tomorrow' tucked firmly in their leather studded belts, Corby's finest fucked-off sons are ready to do what they do best - batter some hapless souls into submission with their live carnage. Sorry Leeds crew - this one's Reading only. Expect: Bursting blood vessels, scary shouty men and cowering record industry blaggers who release that this is the band they royally screwed a few months back.
3. The Boutique Stage: APHEX TWIN...So what are you gonna be doing come the end of Friday night at Reading (or Saturday if you're at Leeds)? Of course, The Strokes top the Main Stage and Feeder, post-Jon Lee, are making a comeback on the Evening Session Stage. What a choice, eh? What will you decide? There is no choice - COME ON YOU CUNTS, LET'S HAVE SOME APHEX ACID! Thank god for Richard D James. Expect: The absolutely unexpected. And perhaps some jungleaciddrumnbass dancefloor action.
Also looking forward to: Alec Empire, And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead, The Dillinger Escape Plan, The Streets, Unkle, The Reindeer Section, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Otis Lee Crenshaw [Comedy Stage].
Name: =Raz= (Manchester/London)
1. New Bands Tent: CAVE IN
...they released one of my favourite prog-rock albums of recent years over and over again here and they also toured with the mighty Hundred Reasons. They sound like the Bostonian cousins of Muse. And no, they do not sound like Radiohead.
2. The Boutique: APHEX TWIN
...if you disagree with me you are wrong.
3. Radio 1 Tent: THE BREEDERS
...yeah, they're back with their chill-out album. You KNOW they're gonna play some of Last Splash and it's worth it just for Cannonball. Trust.
Also totally gonna check out: Strokes, Jane's Addiction, Foo Fighters, White Stripes, Prodigy, Incubus, Raging Speedhorn, Mew Found Glory, Fu Manchu (doh), Dandy Warhols, Muse, Puddle of Mudd, Hundred Reasons, The Vines, Finch, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Yeah Yeah Yeahs (doh), Jimmy Eat World, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Icarus Line, ...Trail of Dead, 6x7, Interpol, The Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster, Hell is for Heroes, THISgirl, Aphex Twin, UNKLE, Peaches, Alkaline Trio (doh!).
More Dis Staff previews to come... who do YOU think people should see?
