Their new direction is clear from the very start. From the second ‘Cellophane’ glitches into life, we’re swept into a struggle for survival. It’s tremendous and claustrophobic, a song for those longing to unplug. Their electronica has taken on the role of harbinger on ‘Hype Man’, their most Shikari-like track, which is destined to become a fan favourite when the bridge crashes into the euphoric crystals of the chorus, and ushers in a taut race into the unknown on ‘Disappear’. Sampling bagpipes is a bold move, but it just adds to the whole deep cave pool atmosphere they’re evoking. Calling in the services of Nickelback to add a bucketload of riffs takes the title track in an equally unexpected turn, with the whole song switching incredibly rapidly between rhythms and genres…but it works. Whatever spirits Don Broco are contacting via this seance of a song, they must be controlling an ambitious, interesting direction. 

It’s not all totally darkness though. ‘Euphoria’ feels the most characteristically Don Broco song here here, and it’s no great stretch to imagine vocalist Rob Damiani cavorting onstage to its robotic bridges and clashing riffs. The standout track by a mile is the collab with Architects frontman Sam Carter – ‘True Believers’ – which absolutely shines with excitement and atmospheric promise. A distinct maturity haunts each late night chord to make for a gorgeous song, and one which feels like it should have been the cornerstone for a whole different album; one which took a more thoughtful turn away from the darkness and into the light. That said, the chunky guitars that lead ‘Swimming Pools’ into the familiar shallows of the Broco sound is exactly what we need as an antidote to the fear that Don Broco have gone off the deep end, and serves as a reassurance that they haven’t completely abandoned their roots. 

It feels like a tradition now to end any album in 2026 with a slow number, and Don Broco finish with the moody, atmospheric ‘The Corner’, a song that feels like a book being gently closed after a satisfying read. This begs the question: what’s the next chapter for Don Broco? They’ve established that they want to make deeper songs that stretch into more personal territory, with a goal to take on the tougher bands in their sphere of influence. Can we expect an even darker record next year? Whatever the answer, there’s no return to their old antics after the ambitions displayed in ‘Nightmare Tripping’.

Kate Allvey

Words: Kate Allvey  //  Photos: Penny Bennett  //  Sleep Token Photo: Adam Rossi

Loathe

A huge, charismatic boom announced their presence, a blazing wake up call. Loathe’s sound is so heavy but so needed at the same time, their first main stage Download set sending the early birds slamming and kicking up the first dust clouds that will irritate so many eyes before the day is done. Vocalist Kadeem France appreciates every second of the circle pit he creates, and we’re thankful for Loathe kickstarting our brains. 

Currents

Keeping it heavy at the top of the hill, Currents temper their avalanche of sound with melodic choruses, Brian Wille’s passionate vocals tunneling their way out of the landslide. ‘Remember Me’ smashes and breaks into powerful drums, and Wille sings like he’s split his soul in two, whipping his hair as a flag while his band project total mutual cool throughout ‘The Death We Seek’. Their honesty and sheer architectural constructions, projected through sonic bursts, make them a brilliant refreshment. 

Poppy

Poppy appears as an unlikely main stage sensation in her cute red dress but she’s got a scream that commands our attention.’Have You Had Enough?’ is her chance to show off that wail before she dares us all to “beg for forgiveness” over ‘Bloodmoney’ and its furious guitar stomps. She’s a cyborg, dragging us into the future with haunted beats and robotic shred. The ferocity of her growl on ‘The Cost of Giving You Up’ compensates for the overly lolita aesthetic, and when she tells us to go mad in a frenzy of screaming, we can’t wait for the opportunity.

Mothica

Mothica’s come a long way since we last saw her. She’s “eight months sober, playing her first show since rehab”, and is ready to take her place as Gen Z’s Amy Lee. Her version of Bring Me The Horizon’s ‘Can You Feel My Heart’ magnetically draws on us to her, and her tender emotional release on ‘Buzzkill’ signals the start of her new era.  We love all aspects of Mothica, and she indulges her fun side with her blossom sweet cover of Smash Mouth’s ‘All Star’ to counter the depths she’s drawn from in her emotionally raw set. 

Polaris

Polaris are earth-shaking, literally and figuratively; we feel the vibrations from ‘Landmine’ long before we catch sight of the Australians and the tornado their pit has raised. There’s never even a second of silence, and ‘Dissipate’ invokes vivid dreams and nightmares conjured through insomniac shred and apocalyptic beats. The classic rock echoes in the riffs of ‘The Remedy’ are enough to start heads banging in appreciation for the rising metalcore stars. 

Smash Into Pieces

As soon as the wild, twisting intro to ‘Flow’ begins, there’s a rush into the Avalanche stage. We’d desperate to hear a set crammed with fire and riffs that reach into the sky, somehow packed into the smallest tent on site. It’s easy to close your eyes and imagine these guys throwing out choruses on the Apex stage. “Are you ready to jump like it’s 1997?” shouts Chris Sörbye, amping up the festival mood with ‘Let Me Be Your Superhero’, a song that’s ready for anthem status with its retro-heavy dance quality. ‘Boomerang’ gets every hand waving, its pop-rock balanced perfectly with irresistible callouts from a band destined for for bigger things. 

Don Broco

There’s a massive crowd storming the Apex, ready to hear Don Broco achieving their potential. ‘Everybody’ sees them ditching the gimmicks for a straight set inflated with party energy, and ‘Pretty’ spreads a groove across the field as we relish the most joyful act of the day so far before ‘Technology’ hooks us in with pure earworm enthusiasm. Sure, this might be the last time we see these guys for a little while as they reveal they will be working on a new record in the near future, but that only makes the sugary stylings of ‘Come Out To LA’ even more special, and the raft of t-shirts whirled around heads for ‘T-Shirt Song’ move a tiny bit faster in our sun-drenched memories.

Eagles Of Death Metal

Frontman Jesse Hughes is leaning heavily into classic rock and having the time of his life as he does it. “I feel like a solid gold erection covered in diamonds right now,” he declares after the vintage presence of ‘Silverlake’ sweeps over us. Of course, he might be in full swing as a rock ringleader, but he still apologises to his sister somewhere in the crowd for his choice of words, and seconds later their take on Duran Duran’s ‘Save A Prayer’ fills the field with devotion and class.  It’s their Bowie cover, “written for us before we were even born” as Hughes puts it, that cements Eagles of Death Metal as the future festival band of choice because he is absolutely correct; ‘Moonage Daydream’ could have been written with this picture perfect update in mind. 

Twin Atlantic

Minimal and moody in purple, the Scots offer modern realism in the form of ‘Salvation’, fizzing with earnest desperation. ‘No Sleep’ throws in chunks of Placebo-influenced distortion as we crane our necks for a glimpse of one of our Punktastic favourites. Sam McTrusty’s everyman voice, speaking his own truths, resonates so fully with shared, relatable optimism as Twin Atlantic pour everything they’ve got into each song. The wind picks up, and it feels like ‘Get Out’ is carried, light as sand, through to every eager ear milling outside.

Mallory Knox

The renewed and refreshed Mallory Knox have the power to conjure the sun. Confident and sincere, ‘Ghost In the Mirror’ emerges fully mature and their core of diehard fans light up for ‘Beggars’. Every song grows in strength and temp compared to the last, their experiences lyrically floating like suspended hopes during ‘Getaway’. ‘Shout At The Moon’ is the comfort blanket song that touches us with enough emotional fervour to raise our hands and keep us optimistic that Mallory Knox are back for good.  “There’s nothing quite like this feeling, man,” exclaims Mikey Chapman, and he’s right; seeing his band back again on a huge scale must be one of the greatest emotions for so many.

Sex Pistols

The Sex Pistols aren’t just the token legacy act on this year’s bill; whole families have gathered to see the punk icons in their latest incarnation. They’re very much reinvigorated and still necessary with Frank Carter at the helm, and he’s returned to his melodic vocal style rather than trying to imitate a Johnny Rotten sneer. He enthusiastically opens a pit during ‘Pretty Vacant’ and dives in, full of bravado and delight… until the rain forces him to rearrange and stop the fun. “Apparently you can’t have a single circle pit on a sloped hill in the rain – lesson learned!” The frontman laughs, still loving every minute of performing with his heroes. “It’s a pleasure, honour and a privilege to be onstage with these legends,” he declares and he believes every word of it. Of course, the show is a bit of a classic punk shambles, but we wouldn’t expect anything less from a band who took on the world. They’re proud of their music and don’t lean on faded headlines for relevance, and Carter knows know to keep the anarchy flowing.

Sleep Token 

No one likes to call a set “career defining”, but Sleep Token’s appearance at Download can’t really be called anything less. Gorgeously immersive and cinematic from the second the curtain dropped revealing a vast set, they’re more majestic, more metal, the living art they always intended to be. Vessel glides serenely through this window into another world, cracking the set open with a roaring ‘Look To Windward’ that transforms into ‘The Offering’, each guitar drop is just enough to consume us. ‘Caramel’ emerges from the smoke with delicacy and bass you can feel through your whole body, until ‘The Summoning’ is extended out to be its own story in a wall of scarlet fuzz. 

Vessel might be the figure we know and revere, but this show proves how he earned his moniker. He’s now only one small part of a much larger vision that’s coming to fruition after years of foundation. The ninety minutes of their set passes in seconds, as much of a dream as seeing Vessel clad in flames on huge screens during ‘Granite’, and we’re left stunned by what Sleep Token have become. They’ve always denied being a metal band, but after tonight’s cliff-like guitar and the hold they have on the fans, it’s impossible to completely agree with them. However, they’ve become so much more than that, with a set that is unlikely to be topped any time soon. 

Words: Dave Stewart. Photos: Paul Lyme and Penny Bennett

Inhuman Nature

If coffee isn’t kicking you into gear for the final day of the festival, perhaps some axe wielding, battle jacket-donning, fist-pumping thrash will do the trick. Like Gatecreeper but with a little less fuzz, Inhuman Nature are a no-holds-barred metallic storm and they’re here to deliver a sharp shock to the festival’s early risers. They put on a very enthusiastic and high energy display, and though it isn’t fully matched by the crowd they still put on a sledgehammer display. There is some chaos though, most notably a midday circle pit that includes a banana, a hot dog and Bert from Sesame Street among its ranks, and the band somehow manage to keep stern straight faces. The tent is criminally quiet, but those in attendance are treated to a pulverising dose of sonic caffiene.

HAWXX

HAWXX’s music is about as inclusive, uplifting and loving as heavy music can be, and their unfiltered aggressive delivery beckons a lot of people into The Cave to catch their set. They stomp across the stage with attitude and confidence, and it gives the entire set a powerful aura that’s near impossible to turn away from. With a set full of brutally low riffs juxtaposed by angelic vocal hooks, it’s a seriously hard-hitting display, let down a little by the muddy sound. Their vocal harmonies are on point, though, and they’re most hypnotic during ’The Death Of Silence’ where their stunning four-part acapella completely silences the tent. They bravely finish on a brand new unreleased song that they only finished yesterday; a feral and risky way to end a set, but one that pays off.

Press Club

There is so much energy spilling out of Press Club as they take to The Axiom’s stage that it’s impossible to not be enveloped by it. The band dominate the tent with an eye catching show that showcases a lot of their latest record ‘Endless Motion’ as well as all the biggest and best from their catalogue, and it’s such a joy to watch. Vocalist Natalie Foster bounces across the full width stage while delivering her impassioned and adrenaline-fuelled vocals, and the crowd give back every drop of effervescence right back to her. She repays them for their enthusiasm by leaping into the pit for the stunning ‘Separate Houses’, the entire floor jumping and moshing around her as the band lock into their groove back on stage. If that wasn’t enough, during set closer ‘Suburbia’, Foster climbs the stages central steel beam and empties her lungs while swinging from its side, and she has everyone’s undivided attention while doing so. The set is further proof that there’s something in the Aussie water that makes good bands, but above all, that this band have drank a lot of it. A festival highlight.

The Xcerts

The gathering around the main stage for The Xcerts is enormous, and rightly so. Their posi-vibes, feel good anthems are everything a festival like this is about. The weather understands this too; even though you couldn’t see the sun you could feel it, and every song they play seems to turn up the temperature up a little more. Considering there’s only three of them, they sound colossal. Every song they play, from the delicious ‘Daydream’ to the short but joy-filled ‘Ache’, shakes the ribcages of everyone in attendance and it’s enough to get your dancing feet twitching, regardless of whether you’re a curious spectator or a devoted fan. They have one of the best sounding snares of the entire weekend, too; when hit hard it feels like a bomb going off right next to you, but it gives off a tasty and delicate snap when hit softly. The set is full of minimal banter and maximum tunes, vocalist Murray Macleod using one of his few crowd interactions to dedicate the stunning ‘Aberdeen 1987’ to his now cancer-free dad. Closing the set on the immaculate ‘Feels Like Falling In Love’, helped along with a surprise guest vocal from You Me At Six’s Josh Franceschi, they leave the crowd feeling content and full. A glorious smile-fest, from beginning to end.

Angel Du$t

If you were looking for a band to knock you off your feet, you may well have found it in Angel Du$t. The Cave temporarily transforms itself from a festival stage into a gigantic hardcore party, and Angel Du$t are the function band providing all of the good vibes for everyone to lose their minds to. If you close your eyes during the set you can picture yourself skating down an empty boardwalk, sun shining, carton of cranberry juice in hand, but when you open them it’s pure chaos. The front half of the crowd is an ever-moving mass of energy; an non-stop mosh-fest, not even taking the opportunity to take a breather in between songs. The band spot Tigger amidst all the bedlam and invite him onstage as a hype man for the rest of the crowd and it works like a charm, causing the madness to stretch even further back through the tent and ending his contribution to the set by leaping from the stage to much applause. This isn’t just one of the most spirited sets of this year’s festival, but one of the most high-powered that you’ll ever see. Simply incredible.

Blanket

The Neu Stage is criminally quiet when post-rock heavyweights Blanket take to the stage. Their expansive and gut-wrenching approach to their sonics is hypnotic to those in the know, but for some reason it just doesn’t grab the curiosity of those passing by the tent. Vocalist Bobby Pook is giving off Liam Gallagher vibes today; shades on, arms held behind his back when not playing guitar, he oozes cool as he delicately sings his lullabies down the microphone. The crowd takes a couple of songs to get going, but by the time the majestic ‘Euphoria’ and the colossal ‘White Noise’ show their faces everyone in the tent is either moshing, head banging or both. It’s impossible to stand still, really; the band are so tight, and their soundscapes and incredible use of dynamics translate so well into a live setting and truly fill every inch of space around the crowd. They’re a hidden gem on this year’s bill, and hopefully the next time they play it’ll be to a bigger audience.

Lonely The Brave

There’s a real buzz in the air as The Cave awaits Lonely The Brave, and that buzz suggests that what is about to happen is going to be a tad special. As soon as the members begin to appear, that begins to become a reality, with the crowd surfing, limb flailing and mass-singing kicking into gear almost immediately. Everyone on stage is visibly delighted by what they’re seeing, and the mutual appreciation for one another ensures that everybody present will have a good time. The band occasionally come across as a tad messy and disjointed, maybe a direct result of them losing themselves in the adrenaline-fuelled chaos of the performance, but the crowd doesn’t notice at all. The tent finds itself getting extra busy during the second half of the set due to the first heavy rain of the weekend rearing its unwanted head, and the tightly packed feel adds to the vibe; it feels like a sold out venue, and the band raises their own bar. A serene and punchy display that makes everyone forget the rain even happened at all.

Creeper

As the masses crammed into The Axiom prepare to receive Creeper, Darcia the Vampire Familiar steps out to introduce the set. “Isn’t there a better band on another stage you could be watching,” she asks, and its safe to say that as far as this enormous crowd is concerned, there isn’t. Shortly after this, the band creep (sorry) one by one onto the stage to rapturous applause, and everything that follows is absolute bliss. Set opener ‘Further Than Forever’ is the perfect kick off for the set, turning the heat up from nought to a hundred within seconds as the audience explodes into action, and the follow-up punches of ‘Lovers Led Astray’, ‘Sacred Blasphemy’ and ‘The Ballad Of Spook And Mercy’ ensure that those energy levels stay high. If Mötley Crue and Billy Idol had a biker vampire baby that grew up listening to Meatloaf, this is exactly what you’d get – a theatrical, hard-hitting and fierce rock show that’s all killer and no filler. 

The band express their gratitude to the attending mob of Creeper cult members for supporting them, frontman Will Gould (currently William Von Should – vampires innit) holding them all in the palm of his hand as he steers them through hit after glorious hit. The closing moments of the set are just as epic as the rest has been; ‘Down Below’, ‘Chapel Gates’ and the stunning set closer ‘Cry To Heaven’ are all lapped up eagerly by the crowd, but its ‘Misery’ that completely steals the show. The performance is one of the most powerful not just of their set but of the entire weekend, and the acapella singalong led by the crowd caught the band completely off guard, genuinely moving them as they allow their fans’ power to take the spotlight. One of the most triumphant sets of the weekend, and if this is anything to go by they could be 2000 Trees headliners in the not too distant future. Absolutely magnificent.

Don Broco

It’s time for the main event. The final main stage band of the weekend. Not the end of the festival for everybody, but the end of the festival for some, and Don Broco are one hell of a band to close out this magnificent festival. Their stage production is the biggest that the main stage has seen all weekend; they’ve brought an enormous lighting rig with them to enhance their energy and it definitely did the trick. Kicking things off with the towering ‘Everybody’ is a masterstroke and the crowd are bouncing and dancing immediately; merely minutes into the set, the full field is completely captivated. ‘Pretty’, ‘Technology’ and the irresistible ‘Come Out To LA’ ensure the party keeps going, and the atmosphere is unlike anything else that’s happened this weekend. This is a real spectacle. 

Don Broco are one of those bands where you forget just how many songs you know until they play them one after another; every song is a barnstormer, and the crowd bathe in every glorious moment. The majestic ‘One True Prince’ is as crushing as it is trance-inducing, ‘Manchester Super Reds No.1 Fan’ is a riot-starter, ‘ACTION’ is meteoric and connects even harder thanks to a guest vocal from a very rabid Kid Brunswick; every song goes down a treat and the band seem unstoppable. 

Another thing about the band that we often forget is how far back the bangers stretch, and when they drop ‘Priorities’ into the setlist we’re reminded of how ahead of how groundbreaking they were in the beginning. Debut album cut ‘Priorities’ and old fan favourite ‘You Wanna Know’ sound even more staggering than they did back then, sitting in their setlist just as pretty as their newer output. ‘Bruce Willis’ and its deafening “yippee ki yay motherfucker” chants and confetti cannon explosions kick the set back into the now, and the main set ends with the stunning ‘Nerve’ and an ‘Endorphins’ / ‘Thug Workout’ mashup that re-forms their push-up crew in the many wall of death-prone pits scattered through the crowd. 

After playing a brief game of adult peekaboo, the band return to the stage to treat the crowd to two final songs. The first is newer cut ‘Fingernails’, its towering riffs and dark pulsating electronics summoning the final outbursts of energy from the sweaty and ecstatic field. No Don Broco set is complete without the dazzling ’T-Shirt Song’ though, and it’s the most apt way to finish proceedings. Everyone in attendance has an item of clothing ready to swing around their head before they even start the song, and by the time the chorus comes around you can barely see the stage through all the flailing garments. It doesn’t just feel like a celebration of Don Broco; it feels like a celebration of the festival, capping off a wonderful three days at Upcote Farm with a unifying belter and an incredible fireworks display.

The lights come up, the punters begin to slip away into the night, and everyone in attendance is left feeling full. Full of happiness, full of positivity and, most importantly, full of gratitude for this wonderful festival. What a weekend, huh?

don

Words: Kate Allvey. Images: Abbi Draper-Scott

All sets are from Saturday unless otherwise stated

Hot Milk

(Sunday)

For several slow minutes on Sunday, Hot Milk’s performance hung in the balance. They storm onstage… and no sound is heard. Sound engineers run frantically, officials storm across the stage, and bassist Harry Deller motions to the crowd to wait. Incredibly, we stay as the screens tactfully conceal the chaos backstage. “Let’s try that again,” grins vocalist Han Mee as she bounds back onstage, delivering us ‘Party on My Deathbed’. Hot Milk are the Prodigy’s punk bad seed kids, and they play hard on electronic samples to drag us into their underground vision. They fuse rhythm and bass, metal and harsh, and harsh and soft settings to build a lightning storm in our midst. Mee and fellow vocalist Jim Shaw try to stare each other down aggressively, then giggle during the crescendo of ‘Teenage Runaways’. Their debut album, ‘A Call To the Void’ had been released two days before, putting Mee in a positive mood. “No one would sign us for ages, it was dead annoying,” she reveals, then asks, “will you celebrate with us?”  before setting off the charge that is ‘Bloodstream’. It ignites into the right song for dreaming of better days.

Graphic Nature

Vocalist Harvey Freeman stares defiantly from the front of the stage. His flak jacket reads ‘404’, but his band are the opposite of an error. He breaks his gaze for a second to deliver a huge slam to kick off their set. The crowd instantly shuffles backward anticipating the instant pit. Live, we see a riot barely contained. Bassist Charlie Smith is a small guy and the force of his sound waves throw him around like he’s barely able to control his own instrument. As Freeman shares his experiences leaving school at sixteen over misleading garage beats, a chilling breeze slips into the arena. We’re smacked with the slab of unadulterated, dirty noise that the band calls ‘Silent’. It’s clear that Graphic Nature wear their hearts and minds on their sleeves. Freeman tells us that “this is exactly what Graphic Nature is about; not only starting the conversation about mental health with men, but with everyone…we don’t talk about our feelings, that’s why so many of us kill ourselves…” Of all the statements this weekend from artists exploring their own mental health, Graphic Nature’s feels the most genuine. Their track ‘Into the Dark’ is a black salute to the way out of depression which resonates strongly with so many in the pit. We scream to acknowledge that, amid the internet dialup guitar tones, Graphic Nature use their platform to represent a battle which anyone could be fighting.

High Vis

The honesty of High Vis matches that of their predecessors on the Festival Republic stage. “The working class is as good as dead,” intones vocalist Graham Sayle. His performance style must be based on VHS tapes of Liam Gallagher, even down to his posture. It’s less that they hop between genres and more like they’ve plucked their favourite aspects from everything from the last forty years. The result is a sound that’s extremely evocative of a time and place close to them, but we’re not sure when or where. The bass throbs like an infection behind the splintered vocals that make their way into our skin, and the intelligence in the post-punk backdrop shines out. High Vis are the band who’ve drawn older festival goers away from coffee vans and the hipsters away from Instagram snaps in front of aesthetic backdrops. They’re an intelligent mob, the product of a lifetime of eclectic musical inference, and a tremendous experience in person.

Don Broco

(Sunday)

The party doesn’t stop when Hot Milk leave the stage.  Don Broco fans in branded paper hats assemble early in jolly groups to get the most impressive view. A Don Broco show is definitely funny but not a joke, even though vocalist Rob Damiani resembles a member of Electric Callboy with his retro sunglasses and Rocky Balboa shirt. However, the effects he spins on his vocals combined with the game backdrops give Don Broco’s set a sense of cybernetic immersion. ‘Manchester Super Reds No.1 Fan’ comes across as the best song Korn are yet to write, and while they rely on nu-metal to get the crowd jumping, this isn’t nostalgia. This is an extension of the original, and where Limp Bizkit could have been if they couldn’t live comfortably on the cash from ‘Rolling’. Reading Festival holds a special place in Don Broco’s heart. “We’re from just up the road, a little town called Bedford. We’ve been coming to this place every year since our GCSEs,” reveals Damiani before ‘Pretty, “and Reading was my first ever pit!” Back in the midst of time, Don Broco volunteered at Reading for Oxfam, and stood on the main stage after the festival was finished. That was the moment they realised where they wanted to be in their careers. Their shared history with the festival explains their overwhelming joy and why they revel in their own triumph for their few minutes in the spotlight today. Drummer Matt Donnelly’s gorgeous ballad voice is revealed on ‘Bruce Willis’ and security guards grab Damiani’s shirt to prevent him from spontaneously jumping into the pit mid-song. He semi-dangles over the front row, a burly man gripping him, while he sings with every fibre of his being. Our shirts wave around our heads like sails on a thousand windmills as Don Broco closes with ’T-Shirt Song’. There were many serious topics and sombre moments of the weekend, but Don Broco reminded us that metal can just be for fun.

Scowl

Scowl are the band that could easily become a teen’s obsession after witnessing their live set. “If you don’t know who we are, you’re about to find out,” snarls vocalist Kat Moss over feedback before sparking us all with her manic X-Ray Spex DIY energy. They play anarchic fight music, but somewhere under all the discordance they open a window into the punk past and future. Some in the audience drift away when they hear how fast Scowl go (they sped through four songs in seven minutes), but most stay when they realise this is the most exciting spot onsite. Moss, in her lolita dress and acid green pigtails, could be mistaken for a manufactured pop star on sight alone. However, vocally she screams like all of Slayer compressed into a tiny package. Those who poke their noses into the tent out of curiosity are won over and the pit which springs up is joyful.

ZAND

No-one is ready for ZAND’s ‘ugly pop’. ‘Ugly’ is not the right term, though it’s how ZAND describes their music; it’s brash, compelling and the logical conclusion of every smutty innuendo or dance move in pop. Onstage, they’re like an animated latex sex doll, Chucky-style, to go on a rampage. ‘Boys Like U’ is empowered trashy gold. Their new song, ‘Leeches’, uses vocal effects to switch between Marilyn Manson atmospheric whispers and full-on banshee roaring. We’ve had hardcore realism for most of the day, and ZAND’s hardcore surrealism twists our perception of reality and rock music. Despite the porno lyrics and their intention to ‘spit on your fucking grave’, it’s an oddly heartwarming set. The pit is almost entirely female, and for just a few minutes we can slam and punch their air without concern. A hen party shakes their heads in mild disgust, but within five minutes they’ve joined the pit too and their pink cowboy hats can be seen at a distance as they stay to headbang. ZAND asks, “how many sluts are in the audience?”; we cheer and they launch into their tribute to gold diggers and sugar babies everywhere, ‘Slut Money’. It’s lurid and overtly sexual, and totally unlike anything else produced at Reading this weekend.

Mothica

A sharp switch to a different energy blew in when Mothica floated onstage. ZAND’s lyrics glamourise using men for their own gain, but less than ten minutes into Mothica’s set, she shares her story of sexual assault as a teenager. She’s got a stunning vocal range and a style reminiscent of a cabaret version of Amy Lee. However, despite their musical differences, both she and ZAND share a message of empowerment and owning yourself. Mothica addresses her rapist in ‘Buzzkill’, dragging the mountains of identity up from the sea of guitar distortion. It’s her first show in the UK (she will return supporting Halestorm in the winter) and she is not afraid to bare herself musically and emotionally in front of us. Mothica wells up with tears during ‘Forever Fifteen’, her acoustic song based on her teenage suicide attempts, and the tent silently acknowledges her brutal vulnerability. Her set is not all woe by any means, however. She’s remixed Bring Me The Horizon’s ‘Can You Feel My Heart’, taking it from a TikTok hit to a high point in her own setlist. Smashmouth’s ‘All Star’ must be one of the least expected covers Mothica could have included, but she does it anyway. Since she’d shared some of the lowest points in her life only minutes before, it felt like forced jollity. Her set ends with the energy of a children’s party after a bereavement.

SOFT PLAY

Reading apps buzz in unison as a secret set has been announced! Ignoring the fact that it can’t really be defined as a ‘secret’ if a hundred thousand people receive a text, SOFT PLAY’s decision to jump into the festival at the last minute was a delight. The duo (formerly known as ‘Slaves’ until last year) still channel the spirit of 1977 in their pure, old school noisy punk, and there is no hope of getting close to the stage unless you sprinted the second your app alert arrived. In the midst of the garage punk guitar riot, ‘The Alpha’s weird monologue feels disjointed. Seeing people attempt to mosh to an anecdote about two girls having a fight was disconcerting, but ‘Shutdown’ later proves that SOFT PLAY are still relevant eleven years later. “I just wanna be beautiful like you,” Isaac Holman pants into the microphone as a man in a Hawaiian co-ord slams on his own outside the tent, trying to catch a glimpse of his heroes. Despite the seething crowd chanting ‘we don’t want it’, it’s obvious that SOFT PLAY is everything we want and need at this festival.

KennyHoopla

The half-moon rises slowly and the dedicated 1975 fans stride towards Stage West, leaving the Festival Republic stage only half full for KennyHoopla. Those who leave deserve our condolences and commiseration because they opted for something mediocre rather than magic. Travis Barker’s influence extends beyond drumming and collaborating on an EP in 2021; KennyHoopla sounds like the spiritual successor to Blink 182 live. Aside from mentioning that the culture sometimes feels claustrophobic, he barely speaks to the crowd. He has a specific vision of how he wants his set to be as he flings himself around the stage with infectious energy; he wants to show that punk rock can touch anyone, no matter who you are. KennyHoopla breaks open his own hype with ‘estella//’, rich in slices of guitar and beautiful emotion as he drops down to an a cappella rendition of the chorus. His joyful nihilism while multitasking between crowdsurfing and singing the line ‘gone forever but I don’t care’ drifts into an echoing fade out leaving a trail of ash and stars in his wake. Critics are already declaring this to be his breakthrough moment, the set that pushes him onto the main stage next year, and it’s entirely believable. KennyHoopla could make any music he chooses with that level of talent and we leave feeling blessed that he chose punk rock.

Sleep Token

Like a hooded prophet or demon summoned from the smoke by phones aloft, Sleep Token rises to end the day. Despite selling out Wembley Arena in minutes, the tent is mysteriously half empty for his set. It’s very easy to weave your way around the front, and those of us lucky enough to be there are very aware that this will be the last time we’ll see them in a venue this small. The set was squarely aimed at frontman Vessels cultists, the fanatical few who camp all day by the barriers to immerse themselves in his glory. In a small, dark venue, his performance (inseparable from his music) takes on fresh life, his every move a graceful ritual. Cloaked backing singers emerge from the mists as ‘Chokehold”s aching extended chords ring out. At only nine songs, Sleep Token’s show is brief, but each song is displayed in its full magnificence. Of course, if you closed your eyes and ignored the hypnotic spectacle, it’s very clear that this is pleasant electronica wrapped in spooky paper but it’s virtually impossible to drag your eyes away from the stage after the first few songs. The breakdown on ‘Granite’ smashes any chance for reflection and boils the crowd into a frenzy. With each opening chime on ‘Alkaline’, Vessel takes one step forward until he virtually looms over us like a child’s nightmare. The song is saturated with harpsichord organ effects and unholy metal screams. You can’t dance, you just have to stand in awe. During ‘The Offering’ the enigmatic Vessel breaks character and dances manically, his physical slams and taps casting shadows on the walls. We visually gorge ourselves on the intimate theatre before us. We’re only reminded that he is human when he plays the piano because he never speaks or acknowledges us. Fifty minutes pass in seconds and it feels like as soon as Sleep Token arrive, Vessel reverts to his own dimension. You cannot shake the feeling that you accidentally sold him your soul.

This was a weekend of support, soul-baring and serious conversations with artists dedicated to improving audiences’ lives. It was also a weekend of boundary-pushing surprises, of acts who smashed the lines between genres with glee, and of bands who are redefining what it means to be a rock band, but there was no shortage of wholesome fun and opportunities to dance. Reading might be the first taste of festival life for most of the folk in attendance. However, it’s got the moreish flavour that will bring them back year after year, and it’s delicious enough even for seasoned festival-goers.

Opening proceedings tonight are Noisy, fresh off of supporting You Me At Six on their tour, they bring energy and start the party in fine form. Bringing a mix of Garage and Rock, the band fit into this tour with ease, high energy and big choruses being the recipe of the night. ‘Young Dumb’ and ‘Put A Record On’ are the big highlights of the set with latest single ‘Rock N Roll Raver’ getting a great reception. Noisy are a “one to watch” band, and they’ll be looking to step up from support act to the headliner at venues of Brixton Academy’s size in the coming years.

‘Amazing Things’ has allowed Don Broco to be nostalgic – their music videos paying homage to some childhood memories, seeing the band take on the roles of Power Rangers as well as splicing themselves into memorable Bruce Willis scenes. The production tonight is arena level, with transporters that the Putty Patrol from Power Rangers would arrive in dotted around the stage, supported by next level lighting. The band start silhouetted like action figures before frontman Rob Damiani starts ‘Manchester Super Reds Number 1 Fan’ which sees the crowd and band in unanimously explode into the very definition of energy. Damiani struts round the stage with his mullet hair, looking every inch the retro rockstar, and guitarist Si Delaney hits his trademark jump kicks that have now become expectations of Broco shows. Their 16 song set leans heavily on the last two albums, but this is no bad thing. 

‘Technology’ still sounds arena filling while the moody and brooding ‘Gumshield’ brings  attitude to proceedings, with throbbing bass that rumbles throughout the venue, and sees the crowd screaming back the lyrics. Live shows have taken on a new meaning since the start of the pandemic, with crowds realising that this environment could be taken away at any point and the maximum effort needs to be made of every night in case it’s the last. ‘Uber’ sees Damiani spitting his lyrics with venom, while ‘Come Out To LA’ allows Matt Donnelly’s best Jamaican accent to show itself.

The business end of the set sees Damiani declare that he wants to break the crowdsurfing record of the tour so far, before shouting out the security and launching into ‘You Wanna Know’. ‘Endorphins’ gets a remix, culminating into old fan favourite ‘Thug Workout’ which then sees one of the songs of the year being aired in ‘Bruce Willis’. This is accompanied by the man himself being projected onto the screen behind the band and 5000 people screaming ‘Yippee-Ki-Yay’ which is exactly what 2021 needed.

Closing on ‘Everybody’ and the feel good ‘T-Shirt’ song which sees a sea of shirts being swung over heads and the show is concluded.

Tonight, Don Broco prove that they are a live act to be reckoned with. Regardless of the tribulations they’ve had with the release of ‘Amazing Things’ they’ve put on a show to remember, like they always do. They’re fast becoming one of the most consistent live bands in the UK today, whether that be a headliner or a support band. It only feels like a matter of time until they’re an arena only headline act and shows like tonight will be a rarity.

ADAM ROSARIO

Live takes can be seen across a series of studio update videos on YouTube that document the recording process of the album. With the first instalment being published back in November 2020, these video diaries have not only been an intriguing insight into what it takes to produce an album, but they’ve also been a nice form of escapism for a population bound by lockdown. With 29 episodes available at the time of writing, and a bonus mini-series called Come Dine With Broco, these musicians do a stellar job of including their audience as a key part of their creative process.

The activity on YouTube is just one component of what has been an overall excellent album release campaign. With ‘Amazing Things’, Don Broco have provided a true case study in how to creatively and effectively promote an album and, in turn, the band as a whole. The first taste came with lead single ‘Manchester Super Reds No.1 Fan’ which featured a music video starring David Beckham (well, sort of). Following this premiere, the band dropped their own football kits and even showed off vintage-style football stickers for each member. If that wasn’t enough, they then went and duped everyone by convincing fans that front man Rob Damiani had been training as a boxer and would be live-streaming his debut fight, only to premiere the video for the album’s second single ‘Gumshield’.

Primarily, Don Broco’s dynamic continues to mature and expand in terms of textures and layering. As is so often the case, the foremost layer for the majority of the record is the vocals and, where 2018’s ‘Technology’ saw a notable increase in contribution from drummer Matt Donnelly, ‘Amazing Things’ isn’t far off a 50/50 split between him and Damiani. Particularly involved on ‘Swimwear Season’, the more delicate stylings of Donnelly gorgeously juxtapose, yet entirely compliment Damiani’s trademark croon.

Their most complete and impressive song to date, ‘One True Prince’ is not only another perfect example of how effective Don Broco’s approach to vocals is, but it also demonstrates just how far the band have come. Simply put, this song is nothing short of epic. The closest thing that Don Broco had released until this point is ‘Further’ from ‘Automatic’ in 2015 which is, in its own right, an exemplary display of mature songwriting combined with expertly proficient instrumental performances. However, ‘One True Prince’ takes these principles and improves on them in every area, even including a key change to die for near the end.

Despite their clear eye for canny marketing and seemingly perpetual rise in profile, these boys from Bedford still refuse to take themselves too seriously. The heaviest and most eyebrow-raising song on this record that is already so full of twists and turns is titled ‘Bruce Willis’. The blend of crushing riffs, vocals that switch from gritty to saccharine without a moment’s notice and an infectious refrain of Willis’ iconic “yippee-ki-yay” line from Die Hard makes for a fascinating experience. Don Broco are by no means a joke band, but they certainly haven’t lost touch with the fundamentally entertaining aspect of listening to music.

In fact, particularly across recent efforts, Broco are consistently striking the balance between producing fun music that operates as a vehicle for socio-political commentary. Notably so, ‘Uber’ tackles the band’s anger towards racism and the shock that people are able to so openly express their bigoted views. In a video posted to Twitter, Damiani tells of how the band experienced three separate drivers in the US do just that. In the clip, he explains that ‘Uber’ is a reminder for himself to call out that discrimination whenever he sees it. The lyrics are delivered with venom and the message rings loud and clear: “I’ve been dealing with the driver who’s sorry for my lot, ‘cause my country got us mixing our blood and it’s boiling his blood and that’s boiling my blood. He won’t shut the fuck up”.

Aggression is at the core of ‘Amazing Things’ and listeners could quickly draw comparisons with the likes of Deftones, Enter Shikari and Loathe to name just a few. Every song, bar the more downbeat ‘Anaheim’ and ‘How Are You Done With Existing?’, has a riff that hits to the very core. Emphatically dispatched by guitarist Si Delaney with his axe tuned down to god-knows-what, the most recent single ‘Endorphins’ is a particularly interesting song. In parts reminiscent of drum and bass club music, and a chorus with familiar pop sensibilities, Delaney manages to somehow make this one of the heaviest songs on the record. Microcosmic of the album as a whole, it’s impossible to shoehorn this track into any one category, and that’s a notion that should be commended and celebrated.

To build on the topic of influences, particularly that of Deftones, there are other cheeky little winks to late ‘90s/early ‘00s Nu-Metal scattered throughout the album. For example, ‘Bad 4 Ur Health’ sees Don Broco flirting with Limp Bizkit/Linkin Park-esque record scratches which pose the question as to whether this could be the advent of a revival of sorts. Tongue in cheek, but only loosely; there are plenty of raw and lo-fi segments (usually bedded in by bassist Tom Doyle) in ‘Amazing Things’ that stand out to great effect amongst what is ultimately a sophisticated and advanced record.

‘Easter Sunday’ is a fine closer that aptly punctuates a truly unique piece that shatters genre tropes and traditional approaches to what qualifies as a rock album. It’s true that various delays outside of the band’s control meant that the road to releasing this album wasn’t necessarily a smooth one and it would be a huge shame if this was to dent the record getting the mainstream recognition that it so blatantly deserves. With ‘Amazing Things’, not only are Don Broco releasing a record that is more than worthy of swatting aside any chart competition, they’ve also produced their greatest album to date. Regardless of the accolades it may or may not accrue, ‘Amazing Things’ is an outstanding feat of musicianship from a band that refuse to slow down or show any inkling of regression. Do not miss this.

AARON JACKSON