My Chemical Toilet

Vote in the Festival Awards and win a prize!

The summer is over and festival season has officially come to an end. Now it's time for you to vote, which Festival was the highlight of your summer! The UK Festival Awards will be taking place in Central London (where else?) on November 6th and is the industry’s only awards voted for solely by the people who really matter – the fans. Although it's unclear whether those that matter - the fans - are allowed in.

With so many festivals to choose from brace yourself for a hard decision. There are over 20 categories to vote in this year, including Best New Festival so it’s not all about the big guns. The UK has arguably the most vibrant festival scene in the world, and it is time to honour those who made this year a little more special. Have your say and set the standard for next year by voting now at www.festivalawards.com. As well as making a difference to the festival scene, your vote will also qualify you for an exclusive money-can’t-buy prize draw to win a pair of tickets to every winning festival in 2008! You can vote on a whole host of things, from Best Act to Best New Festival... and even Best Toilets. Sadly, we aren't in that category...

Leeds 2007 - The Aftermath

Leeds 2007? A royal mess in need of a tidy. Phew.

In-Tents Questioning: Carling Weekend (Reading) - Clare Joslin

1. Kindly tell us your name, age and where you’re from. Now.

Well Cilla, my name’s Clare, I’m 25 years old and I’m from Bristol.

2. Which festival have you recently attended?

After missing out on Reading festival weekend tickets, I managed to blag a Sunday ticket so went for that day.

3. Have you attended this festival before? If yes, how does this year compare?

Yes, I have. This year was darn good but it’s difficult to top Placebo and Maximo Park (last year) in my eyes.

4. Which act gave the best performance, and why?

Nine Inch Nails, by far. They were astounding. The power in “the pit” was unbelievable. Trent Reznor is much more imposing now he’s beefed up than in his poncey “long hair and make-up” days.

Carling weekend link round-up: bottling, bridges and "Beat It"

- British outdoor festival hit by "shit sound" unshock. Sort it out, festival sound sorter-outers

- Fall Out Boy in "avoid a bottling by covering Michael Jackson and Akon" wise decision

- Panic! At The Disco in "bottled" non-surprise

Smashing Pumpkins go acoustic on 1979 at Leeds 2007

Want a fan's eye view of Billy Corgan crooning 1979 acoustic style at last weekends Leeds Festival? Looks great, doesn't it?

Early bird tickets on sale for Leeds and Reading festival

Heard all your mates' tales of debauchery after this weekend's Leeds/Reading festivals and don't want to miss out next year? Well, luckily for you, early bird tickets are on sale for Reading and Leeds festivals 2008, at 2007 prices. The tickets are priced at £145 for the weekend including camping. Also available are weekend tickets with car-parking, and early entry permits for the Wednesday. To buy the tickets, click here.

Posted by Mof Gimmers on August 28, 2025 2:59 PM in Leeds / Reading
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Nine Inch Nails perform "Head Like A Hole" at Carling Weekend, Reading

Judging by the glazed eyes and gibbering mouths returning from the Carling Weekend, it's fair to say Nine Inch Nails made quite an impact. This is why (warning: contains strobing and the like).

Was the BBCs Carling Weekend coverage the worst ever?

After watching the coverage of the Reading/Leeds Carling Weekend on the BBC at the weekend, it struck me that Auntie's coverage was hitting new lows. For the most part, the choice of band to watch was uninspired. Sticking to only those with big records out (or the NME's soup de jour) and the headliners, rarely giving the smaller, more interesting bands a chance. However, that was the least of my worries. The bands weren't even a blip on the radar when compared with the dismal presenting.

The biggest culprit of the shambolic shows was Edith Bowman. Meandering in thought, often looking far too... err... I'll say tired to avoid legal action... to ever really do a decent job and completely free of any kind of charisma. So, maybe we should look to the back up presenters? Well, Colin Murray didn't help by virtue of the fact that he is the second smuggest man on TV. First place? Zane Lowe, also presenting. Bizarrely, we were left with the ridiculous Rufus Hound, complete with drab waistcoat, daft moustache (no son, you look nothing like Billy Childish... you look more like the product of an orgy between Kaiser Chiefs and a walrus), trying to hold everything together.

Carling Weekend round-up: Effects of rain linger, aerial map of festival site, BBC coverage

- Rain isn't even forecast this weekend, but parts of the Reading site are going to be closed off thanks to the general pissing down-ness of the "summer"

- NME and 192.com are planning to produce a detailed aerial map of the Carling Festival, so that punters can get a birds-eye look at their tent after the event. The point of this exercise is not entirely clear

- If you're not going to Reading or Leeds - and if you're reading this you're probably not - you can enjoy pretty extensive highlights on the good old Beeb

Bands to watch out for at the Carling Leeds/Reading festival

Now, for those of you who are going to Leeds or Reading this weekend, I'm sure you've already had a look at the line-up and have decided who you'll be watching. You may have had to toss a coin over the Ash/Razorlight clash (I'd like to toss a grenade at the pair of 'em to be honest), but delve a little deeper and you'll get a lot better than Smashing Pumpkins scowling through Zero.

Leeds/Reading has always thrown up some gems early in the bill. In a few years, half of 'em will be playing much higher up the bill, so why don't you catch 'em in a more intimate venue... or tent? Read over the jump to have a look at some of the hidden gems of the Carling weekend.

+44 cancel all European dates including Reading and Leeds festivals

%2B44_band.jpg +44 (what a terrible band name eh?) have decided that writing their new songs is more important than playing their slots at this year's Reading and Leeds Festivals, which take place at the twin sites of Richfield Avenue, Reading and Bramham Park, Leeds over the August Bank Holiday weekend.

In a statement from the band (which include members of the woeful Blink 182), they announced that they will be cancelling their entire European tour, and going back to the studio to begin recording the follow-up to their debut album, 'When Your Heart Stops Beating'.

The band commented "We want to start writing new songs and and we are really excited about the direction we have planned, so we're going into the studio instead of playing these few dates. We hope our fans will forgive us for the cancellation; in the end, this will make for an even better live show when we come back."weekend after Reading and Leeds takes place.

Fancy being a Green Messenger at Leeds or Reading festival?

The people who put on the Reading and Leeds festivals are looking to recruit up to 280 Green Messengers to spread the word about the iCount campaign. Your job? Mooch around a festival and spread the green gospel and encourage everyone to be more environmentally aware. The Green Messengers will be patrolling around the campsites at both Reading and Leeds, and will be educating festival goers on the environmental impact of burning their tents and possessions instead of taking them home or donating them.

Global Hand and festival organisers Mean Fiddler will both be working together at both events to collect any left behind tents and possessions for reuse in disaster relief. The Green Messengers will work with Global Hand on the Monday and Tuesday following the festival, and will help recycle any tents that have been left on site.

Posted by Mof Gimmers on August 7, 2025 2:51 PM in Leeds / Reading
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Classic Performances - Nirvana @ Reading '92

With the Reading/Leeds festival just around the corner, lets have a look at arguably the most famous gig from the festival. Of course, it's 1992 and Nirvana.

Klaxons, Arctic Monkeys, Amy Winehouse - The festivals where you can catch Nationwide Mercury Prize nominees

You may have noticed that the shortlist for this year's Nationwide Mercury Awards was announced the other day. So it's only a couple of months until the papers go mental over the odds of the potential winners, in marked contrast to how much the record-buying public actually cares.

If, however, you would like to see which festivals all these marvellous folk are playing, you may do so below because I've typed that very information there.

Bat For Lashes - ‘Fur And Gold’

You can catch Bat (pictured), or "Natasha" as she's know to her friends, at Field Day, Connect Festival, Electric Picnic and Bestival. She's also playing Rock En Seine if you happen to be in France towards the end of August.

The Young Knives - 'Voices of Animal and Men'

Ashby de la Zouch's favourite sons have already played Glastonbury and will also be playing the Redhill Park Music Festival, the Electric Gardens Festival, Leeds / Reading and the Underage festival at London's Victoria Park.

Jamie T - ‘Panic Prevention’

Jamie T will be inspiring severe brappage at Lowlands, Leeds / Reading and also this weekend's Benicassim fest in Spain.

The most ridiculous band names on the festival circuit: Sportsday Megaphone, The Trouser Trumpets are just the tip of the iceberg

Remember how stupid you felt when you tried to make your mates buy tickets to see a random teenager called Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly? Or when you raved about the unknown New Young Pony Club? Or you heard somebody snigger when you tried to tell them that the Victorian English Gentleman's Club is actually a group of teenagers?

Yes, they're ridiculous names, but I can now reveal that next year's successful-yet-stupidly-named band will feature the words tree or monkey and / or be called Dave. Honest.

So if you're off to a festival and you arrive early, I suggest you check out these bands or DJs. I've got no idea if they're any good, but it's worth a snidey snigger at their name now, and possibly a smug smile and getting to say "Oh yes, I saw them live last year. Keep up" when they make it big.

Panic! At The Disco singer gets knocked out at Reading 2006

Are Panic! At The Disco really unpopular? I'll be honest with you and tell you that the band mean nothing to me. That said, watching this video, which sees the singer getting knocked out cold, they appear to mean even less to the crowd of the Reading festival in 2006

THAT Nirvana performance from Reading '92

Perhaps the most famous and incredible festival performance of the past decade or so is Nirvana's headlining spot at Reading in 1992. The show had everything... Cobain faking his own death / collapse... attitude... unity... chaos... and most importantly - the tunes. Watch in awe as they scream through Aneurysm while at the peak of their powers. Amazing.

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