Reading And Leeds 2012 – 50 Awesome Photos

This year’s Reading and Leeds Festivals were bigger and better than ever, a non-stop riot of special guests, epic headliners and hard-rocking upstarts. Whether the highlight of your weekend was the return of Dave Grohl, Enter Shikari’s riotous set or something unmentionable which happened in the campsite at 3am, we’ve collected some of the weekend’s best pictures to help you piece together exactly what went on.

Photo: Richard Johnson/NME

Alice Glass of Crystal Castles samples life on the other side of the barrier at Reading. Photo: Richard Johnson/NME

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Photo: Richard Johnson/NME

Dave Grohl didn’t let his emotional ninth appearance at Reading slow down the Foo Fighters’ juggernaut of a set. Photo: Richard Johnson/NME

Photo: Dan Dennison/NME

One of Leeds’ biggest ever crowds salute the mighty Foo Fighters. Photo: Dan Dennison/NME

Photo: Richard Johnson/NME

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Rou Reynolds takes one of many giant leaps for mankind as Enter Shikari storm Reading. Photo: Richard Johnson/NME

Photo: Tom Martin/NME

Enter Shikari broke the world record for crowd-surfing at Reading a couple of years ago, but Leeds weren’t going to take that lying down. Photo: Tom Martin/NME

Photo: Richard Johnson/NME

Enter Shikari’s Chris Batten was bending over backwards to bring the noise at Reading. Photo: Richard Johnson/NME

Photo: Richard Johnson/NME

Enter Shikari come down to earth after their triumphant return to Reading. Photo: Richard Johnson/NME

Photo: Jordan Hughes/NME

Paramore were on gold medal form at Leeds, but Hayley Williams’ weight-lifting training is still in the early stages. Photo: Jordan Hughes/NME

Photo: Richard Johnson/NME

Playing Reading every year is what keeps Bombay Bicycle Club on their toes. Photo: Richard Johnson/NME

Photo: Richard Johnson/NME

In this most sporting of summers, even Odd Future’s Left Brain was getting behind Team GB. Photo: Richard Johnson/NME

Photo: Richard Johnson/NME

A nice lie down for the Cookie Monster at Reading. We hope he steered clear of the disco biscuits. Photo: Richard Johnson/NME

Photo: Dan Kendall/NME

Pure Love’s Frank Carter may have been the only man at Reading wearing cufflinks. Photo: Dan Kendall/NME

Photo: Andy Willsher/NME

There were plenty of kind words for The Maccabees after they headlined the NME/Radio 1 Stage at Reading. Photo: Andy Willsher/NME

Photo: Richard Johnson/NME

Punk’s not dead, but it did have trouble getting out of bed. Photo: Richard Johnson/NME

Photo: Victor Frankowski/NME

Howlin’ Pelle throws some old-fashioned rock shapes at Leeds. Photo: Victor Frankowski/NME

Photo: Richard Johnson/NME

Palma Violets rocked so hard they managed to crowdsurf during their own set. Photo: Richard Johnson/NME

Photo: Richard Johnson/NME

Brad Oberhofer hangs out before headlining the Festival Republic stage at Reading. Photo: Richard Johnson/NME

Photo: Victor Frankowski/NME

The Cure played for two-and-a-half hours at Leeds, which is ever so slightly longer than Robert Smith spends on his hair in the mornings. Photo: Victor Frankowski/NME

Photo: NME

Festival goers at Leeds have a very literal definition of the phrase “mudbath”. Photo: NME

Photo: Tom Martin/NME

Frank Turner loses both shirt and inhibitions as he returns to hardcore with Mongol Horde. Photo: Tom Martin/NME

Photo: Tom Martin/NME

Backstage at Leeds, Mongol Horde are less terifying than their name suggests. Photo: Tom Martin/NME

Photo: Andy Willsher/NME

The Vaccines bring both hits and double denim to Reading. Photo: Andy Willsher/NME

Photo: Richard Johnson/NME

Midway through an epic festival, sitting down is the new rocking out. Photo: Richard Johnson/NME

Photo: NME

Cancer Bats can always rely on the crowd at Leeds for support. Photo: NME

Photo: Andy Willsher/NME

You can tell Fred from Spector was keeping well clear of the Reading mud. Photo: Andy Willsher/NME

Photo: Andy Willsher/NME

The missing link between indie rock and Harry Potter. Photo: Andy Willsher/NME

Photo: Andy Willsher/NME

Florence shakes it out at Reading. Photo: Andy Willsher/NME

Photo: Richard Johnson/NME

Having a ball at Reading during Crystal Castles. Photo: Richard Johnson/NME

Photo: NME

A real Horrors show at Leeds. Photo: NME

Photo: Richard Johnson/NME

Trash Talk throw themselves into the mix after guesting with Odd Future at Reading. Photo: Richard Johnson/NME

Photo: Derek Bremner/NME

We all know triangles are Alt-J’s favourite shape, and their Reading crowd happily made their point for them. Photo: Derek Bremner/NME

Photo: Victor Frankowski/NME

All Time Low get down with the fans on the front row. Photo: Victor Frankowski/NME

Photo: Andy Willsher/NME

Unannounced but undaunted, Green Day arrive at Reading. Photo: Andy Willsher/NME

Photo: Richard Johnson/NME

Usain Bolt himself would have struggled to make it to the NME/Radio 1 stage in time to get a place at the barrier for Green Day. Photo: Richard Johnson/NME

Photo: Richard Johnson/NME

The drum kit was the final clue for those who still hadn’t figured out Reading’s mystery guest. Photo: Richard Johnson/NME

Photo: Derek Bremner/NME

The early-bird Reading crowd salute Green Day. Photo: Derek Bremner/NME

Photo: Richard Johnson/NME

The secret’s out, so there’s nothing left for Green Day to do but treat fans to the classics. Photo: Richard Johnson/NME

Photo: Dan Kendall/NME

Azealia Banks leads one of the weekend’s biggest screamalongs: ‘212’ Photo: Dan Kendall/NME

Photo: Richard Johnson/NME

They haven’t taken off those little hats since the Jubilee. Photo: Richard Johnson/NME

Photo: Dan Dennison/NME

Eagles of Death Metal’s Jesse Hughes hearts Leeds. Photo: Dan Dennison/NME

Photo: Derek Bremner/NME

Grimes transforms an afternoon slot at Reading into a no-holds-barred rave. Photo: Derek Bremner/NME

Photo: Victor Frankowski/NME

Simply the vest at Leeds. Photo: Victor Frankowski/NME

Photo: NME

Howler refuse to give up at Leeds. Photo: NME

Photo: Tom Martin/NME

Ripped jeans and jarring riffs as Pulled Apart By Horses take Leeds. Photo: Tom Martin/NME

Photo: Dan Dennison/NME

This man couldn’t decide whether his favourite album is ‘Elephant’ or ‘Tusk’. Photo: Dan Dennison/NME

Photo: Tom Martin/NME

Pulled Apart By Horses win the Leeds limbo competition every year. Photo: Tom Martin/NME

Photo: Andy Willsher/NME

Surprisingly this is the crowd for Kasabian, not Band Of Skulls. Photo: Andy Willsher/NME

Photo: Andy Willsher/NME

Who needs colourful clothes when you’ve got tunes like ‘Fire’ and ‘Velociraptor!’ Photo: Andy Willsher/NME

Photo: Andy Willsher/NME

Make no bones about it, Kasabian deserved their headline slot. Photo: Derek Bremner/NME

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