Backstage at Reading Festival 2016: All The Bits You Didn’t See

Reading Festival is over for another year. Foals, Chilis and Biffy smashed it as this year’s headliners and the weather (mostly) held out. We caught up with some of the acts backstage. Here are the bits you didn’t see.

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Fall Out Boy‘s Pete Wentz told NME that he’s been listening to Frank Ocean’s latest album ‘Blonde’ to “get the extra gains” in the gym.

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The Courteeners are back. We caught up with Liam and the lads for a quick chat.

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Metronomy‘s Joseph Mount delivered a DJ set in the wee hours on the Alternative Stage.

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The Courteeners performed on the Main Stage, but frontman Liam Fray vowed not to compromise for a mainstream crowd, saying beforehand, “I certainly won’t be covering Dolly Parton or bringing fucking balloons out and all that nonsense.”

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Crystal Castles played their first Reading Festival without Alice Glass. NME‘s reviewer praised new singer Edith Frances’ efforts, but found “the atmosphere and excitement beneath the canvas was lacklustre at best”.

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Experimental electronic musician The Japanese House played the BBC Radio 1 Dance Stage, telling DIY magazine afterwards: “I was so shocked by how many people were there… “I’m so excited about it. I nearly cried when I came off stage. I was a bit overwhelmed.”

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It was Frank V Frank on the Main Stage, as Frank Turner (playing a staggering 10th Reading Festival in a row) took to the stage with his band The Sleeping Souls just before Frank Carter did the same with his band The Rattlesnakes. We reckon Carter just about came out on top in terms of entertaining the crowd. Frank’s got a great t-shirt here, though, so there’s that.

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