May 11, 1998 12:53

READING LINE-UP BENEFITS FROM ADDITION OF PHOENIX HEADLINERS

Some of the major acts at the cancelled [B]PHOENIX[/B] festival have been added to this year's Reading Festival bill...

Prodigy (pictured) and NEW ORDER, two of the headliners at the cancelled PHOENIX festival, have been transferred to the line-up at this year's Reading Festival.

Prodigy have been added to the bill on Saturday (August 29) while New Order slot into Sunday's (30) line-up.

Vince Power, the head of the Mean Fiddler Organisation which promotes both Reading and Phoenix, said yesterday: "I really regret having to cancel the Phoenix Festival this year. We have worked very hard to try and make it a successful event. The Phoenix has established itself as a unique and worthwhile addition to the festival calendar and I still believe it has a future.

"Unfortunately, there have been poor ticket sales, which I believe reflects a national trend. The current exceptionally wet weather impinges on all outdoor events and of course, there is also the big distraction of the World Cup just across the Channel. These factors have left us with no option but to cancel this year's event.

"I would like to thank all the bands who committed to this year's Phoenix Festival and the many people involved this year," Power added.

Reading Festival takes place on the established site at 98 Richfield Avenue, Reading, Berkshire, England over the UK holiday weekend August 28-30.

* New Order's 'secret' show at Manchester's Apollo Theatre on July 16, which the band planned as a pre-Phoenix warm-up gig, is currently still going ahead according to an Apollo box office spokesperson today. The concert is completely sold out and support comes from Dove and Gabrielle's Wish.

Tickets for PHOENIX Festival can now be EXCHANGED for READING Festival tickets.

Those Phoenix ticket-holders requiring full refunds can obtain them by returning tickets to the original point of sale.