READING THE RUNES: ANOTHER READING ROUND-UP

The Reading Festival always want to be an international event, and nothing goes round the world like an emo kid being slapped in the head with a bottle: Brendan Urie's injury got covered by sources as far-flung as Conneticut-based Starpulse, Austria's Pressemitteilung service.

Totally Loveable was in the crowd when it happened, and she wasn't impressed:

anyways i stood over at the side waiting for them to come on and when they did i was dead excited.. anyways they started off amazin Brendon is just soo fine and he has the most incredible voice... anyways this is the part that has me seriously pissed off.. some fucker decides that it would be a laugh to bottle him and it hit in square in the eye, all i saw was him lying on the stage, i was so worried i started crying.. it's not a fuckin nice thing to do you fuckin asshole whoever you are... it's fuckin ridiculas and i swear if i was in the pit i would have smacked you one... fuckin ass... anyways he got back up and continued the set which i think was incredible.. YOU FUCKIN LEGEND!! i have so much respect for him, he's fuckin incredible...

Tossing bottles is mindless violence, and best answered with, erm, more violence and some swearage.

We hadn't realised - not being at Reading and all - until the wrongly-subtitled NME editor Conor McNicholls appears on BBC Three last night that Urie had been unconscious for several minutes, which makes his decision to plough on with the set even more foolhardy ("impressive"). Urie plays it down, says Gigwise:

“I’m doing I'm doing alright now, I could be way worse, I could be dead.

"What I remember is I got hit, got knocked out, woke up and finished the set! I was out for a couple of seconds, I guess. Then we played some music, it was good. I've got a bruise, but looks good. It makes me look rugged and tough."

It's a bruise, honey, it's not a set of distorting eyes for everyone who looks at you.

Of course, it wasn't just PATD who were getting stuff thrown at them - Fightstar were, too, but Steve Renwick figures that might just have been valid critical analysis:

Apparently getting that much crap thrown at you is not a sign of appreciation.

Steve's blog naviagates through the first day via the medium of the grip quality of shoes, ranging from Ninja plimsoles for The Vines through to CAT boots for Franz Ferdinand.

Testicles Hennesey wasn't inpressed with wait for Franz Ferdinand to set up their fabulous backdrops, although it wasn't all bad:

Waited for Franz. And waited. And waited. They played Tenacious D over the speakers and EVERYBODY sang along, even to the speaking parts. Jarvis Cocker 'Cunts are still running the world' came on next, with sing-a-long words on the big screens. Great fun to see a security guard singing the chorus. You can probably guess how it goes.

Although admitting he enjoyed himself, Jan wasn't satisfied by the overall experience:

To demostrate just how commerical Reading is, and how justified Eugene is in his attack on our music scene, the only beer you can now buy at the festival is Carling. They were even searching bags for booze at the entrance. Given that the point of the festival is in equal parts music and drunkenness, this is a horrible transgression. The only thing worse that the taste of Carling is the chummy, laddish promotion that is fired at you from every direction as you navigate the festival.
[...]
The headline act for Friday night was Franz Ferdinand, who were granted a 1 1/2 hour slot. These guys exemplify everything I didn't like about the festival. Generic, completely unchallenging. The only slightly unusual things about them at all is that they all look quite handsome, and that they are very good at what they do, in so far as it is possible. Just a few youngish white guys and their boring instruments. We have had enough of the standard five-piece band now! That has been the standard for the last forty years!

Hmm. The fact the boys-with-guitars standard has had forty years of history doesn't automatically make it worthless - it's a bit like someone emerging from the Proms going "violins and cellos every bloody year." And to use "good at what they do" as a criticism is equally puzzling - "it's a pity they weren't a bit more inept, that would have been good."

Jan's festival tip was Gogol Bordello - "a ray of hope", apparently.

And while Urie might be getting kudos for having been injured onstage, let's not forget that most people who turn up at festivals expect to return home looking like they've battled through the Somme: Sophi lists the result of her day down the front:

Festival injuries were that much more spectactular this year than previous (past years had mainly boring ones like sprained wrists and bruises but honourable mention to by little bro having his earrings ripped through his ears last year), Rosa got concusion and some great bruises on her head and I got a split eyebrow (butterfly stiches cos I chicken out and wouldn't let them sew it) and a blackeye!

The police are praising the crowds at Reading - with NME.com reporting only - only 205 crimes and 50 arrests:

Thames Valley Police say they have been pleased that "revellers have been well behaved and in good spirits" - in other words, there haven't been any Vietnam-exit type scenes yet. Yet.

The NME blog, meanwhile, has been rubbing shoulders with the famous:

Jack White stood next to me to watch firstly Be your Own Pet and secondly The Fall (Priya may claim he was standing next to him and not me, but this is nonsense). I think The White Stripes/Raconteurs front fella is trying to pluck up the courage to ask me out. I will probably accept, but only if he behaves like a gentleman.

This Is Fake DIY haven't said anything since nine last night - let's hope they're not one of those "only" 205 thefts.

Apparently, everyone's talking about Pigeon Detectives. That may be, but nobody seems to be typing about them.

music reading 2006 franz ferdinand jack white gogol bordello