12:00-12:30 The Walkmen//The New Yorkers opened up Saturday on the Main Stage with a look into new album "Lisbon", released in September. They also got the crowd headbanging along to the eccentric drumming of Matt Barrick, through 'The Rat.'
12:45-13:20 The Futureheads//The Sunderland rockers returned with a new album in tow, "The Choas", this year and their return to the festival was treated with a hommage to the new album, 'Heartbeat Song' and 'I Can Do That.' Alongside those tracks, was a greatest hits collection of older classics, 'Skip To The End', 'Decent Days and Nights', 'The Beginning of the Twist' and of course the Kate Bush cover of 'Hounds of Love', with the entire crowd chanting back the 'Oh Ohs.'
13:35-14:05 Band of Skulls//Blues rock from Southampton now, with Band of Skulls. The, err, Band played a host of songs from debut album "Baby Darling Doll Face Honey", including 'I Know What I Am' and 'Death By Diamonds And Pearls', to get all the Jack White wannabees in the crowd headbanging along in the NME tent.
14:35-15:20 The Gaslight Anthem//The New Jersey band brought along their 'American Slang' to the Main Stage. Their energetic afternoon set included songs such as 'The 59 Sound' and the aforementioned 'American Slang.'
15:40-16:20 Modest Mouse //With The Cribs soon to follow on the Main Stage, expectations were aroused over the possibility of Johnny Marr rejoining the band on stage, as he had done for previous album "We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank." However even without Marr, Isaac Brock and the boys still livened up the crowd in sunshine, playing songs such as 'Float On', 'Bukowski' and 'Tiny Cities Made of Ashes.' Maybe it's time to stop being so Modest, lads.
16:00-16:40 The Rats//The festival's worst kept secret was that The Rats were in fact Gallows. Everyone in the Lock Up Stage were not expecting anyone else when Frank Carter marched onto stage. During 'In The Belly Of A Shark', he yelled at the crowd to form a 'Wall of Death', before promptly saying, "Leeds were better than you cunts" and arguing with fans. Ah, bless.
16:45-17:35 The Maccabees//The Brighton quintent returned to the festival on the Main Stage, after packing out the NME Tent last year and headlining the Shockwaves NME Tour in February. They brought their tales of sunshine, love and happiness to the teenage audience. They were assisted in their performance from the crowd throughout, making it a nice, blissful late afternoon session.
18:45-19:35 Serj Tankian//Without his ex-System bandmates, but instead joined by a London orchestra, anyone expecting a similar atmosphere to SOAD would be pleasantly suprised, as Serj's solo set is a rather tame outift in comparison. However you wouldn't get his dancing during SOAD, would you?
20:20-21:30 The Libertines//Without a doubt, the biggest story of the festival was the return of the perenial bad-boys of Indie, for the first time in six years. Doubts had surrounded whether they would turn up in the right piece, but they gave a flawless and emotional performance to (probably) the biggest crowd of the weekend. The crowd played had their part too, with the band forced off stage midway through 'Time For Heroes', as they were being far too rowdy. The band ended with 'I Get Along', before the biggest cheer of the night was saved for a Pete/Carl hug and later the band all going to salute the audience. One of the best comebacks Reading will ever see.
21:10-22:00 Enter Shikari//After packing out the Main Stage last year, you had to wonder whether they would be enough space to fit everyone in the NME Tent for the St Albans hardcore band's set. Despite suiting the darkness, the band and audience clearly don't fit into the NME tent, so perhaps next time they should be on the Main Stage. Good atmosphere, though.
22:00-23:30 Arcade Fire//If any band could take the mantle from The Libertines on Saturday, it would have been the Montreal band. The modest outift played to a somewhat mid-sized crowd on their first headline appearance at the Berkshire festival. Playing tracks from all three of their albums, the highlights would have to be the terrific blend of 'Neighbourhood #3 (Power Out)' and 'Rebellion (Lies)' and the fantastic awe-inspiring ending on 'Wake Up', with the entire crowd in full voice. A superb set, truely deserving of their headline status, probably just edging out The Libertines' set.
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