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Carling WEEKEND: Headliners AND MORE!!!

Carling Weekend: Reading & Leeds Festival - Smashing Pumpkins, RHCP, Razorlight, Nine Inch Nails, Ash, Klaxons....

Chay Woodman

Date published: 20th Mar 2007

THE CARLING WEEKEND: READING AND LEEDS FESTIVALS
FRIDAY 24th AUGUST TO SUNDAY 26th AUGUST
THE FIRST LINE-UP ANNOUNCEMENT

The Carling Weekend: Reading and Leeds Festivals are back! Voted the Live Event of the Year for 2006 by NME readers, the International Live Event of the Year by the prestigious CIC Music Industry Awards in Los Angeles and Best Festival at the Nokia Music Awards, the festivals are without a doubt the greatest rock ‘n’ roll weekend of the year and the best live music weekend in Britain. Over the year’ the twin sites of Reading and Leeds have seen the opening chapters of the biggest bands in the world, from Nirvana and Muse to Arctic Monkeys and The Strokes and a host of others. If you want to see every band that matters in 2007 then The Carling Weekend: Reading and Leeds Festivals is the only place to be.

As ever, this year’s event has the biggest names in the world making exclusive performances and the brightest hopes of the year making their mark on the twin sites. Over the course of the weekend over 150 acts ranging from global superstars to the hottest new names, rock bands to performance artistes and comedians will grace the six stages with a host of other entertainment planned to ensure that there is something for everyone, from midday on Friday 24th August to late into the night of Sunday 26th August.

The Carling Weekend: Reading and Leeds Festivals is a byword for the true power of rock music. Since 1989 when Mean Fiddler took over the running of the then Reading Festival through to 1999 when Europe’s first twin site festival, The Carling Weekend: Reading and Leeds Festivals were brought to life, the event has seen some of the greatest and most memorable performances ever. NME readers recently voted Nirvana’s 1992 performance at Reading as the greatest Nirvana moment ever, whilst their mid afternoon performance the year before also made the chart. From L7’s mudfight through Guns ‘n’ Roses late night return in Leeds, from Pearl Jam’s debut UK festival performance last year to the Foo Fighters amazing debut UK festival performance on the second stage, the festivals are the stuff of rock ‘n’ roll history in the making.

This year’s headliners and supporting bill keep the quality threshold at the highest level with three bands taking to the Main Stage who are the epitome of what the festival stand for and yet another indication, were it needed, that The Carling Weekend: Reading and Leeds Festivals are the "Greatest Rock ‘n’ Roll show on earth" (NME).

THE HEADLINERS
 
RAZORLIGHT
Friday 24th August at The Carling Weekend: Reading Festival
Saturday 25th August at The Carling Weekend: Leeds Festival
 
30 plus UK magazine covers, a quadruple platinum Number One debut album, Number One single, the cover of Vogue, RAZORLIGHT can rightly claim to be one of the UK’s biggest bands with an international profile that other acts would kill for. The four, led by Johnny Borrell have taken the minds of the UK tabloids in addition to the ears of the UK public but, at heart, they are a fantastic rock band, capable of commanding the attention of a crowd of tens of thousands and writing heartbreakingly simple but effective pop songs in the vain of recent Number 2, "Before I Fall To Pieces" or it’s follow up Number One, "America". With a host of celebrity fans from Bono to Noel Gallagher to Brandon Flowers, RAZORLIGHT are at the height of their powers.
 
THESE SHOWS WILL BE RAZORLIGHT’S ONLY ENGLISH FESTIVAL PERFORMANCES.
 
RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS
Saturday 25th August at The Carling Weekend: Reading Festival
Sunday 26th August at The Carling Weekend: Leeds Festival
 
With over 50 million album sales worldwide, an album that stayed in the UK Top Forty for a year straight including 5 weeks at Number One, a host of Grammys and other international awards and a career that has taken in eight studio albums and countless huge shows including playing to over 300,000 people in Hyde Park over 3 days, the RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS are, arguably, the biggest rock band in the world. Playing their only English shows this year, the band are in fine form with current album "Stadium Arcadian" (another UK Number One with sales of over ¾ million) confirming their position at the pinnacle of the rock world. One of the world’s greatest live bands, it is a pleasure to welcome them back to the twin sites.
 
THESE SHOWS WILL BE THE RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS ONLY UK FESTIVAL PERFORMANCES
 
SMASHING PUMPKINS
Sunday 26th August at The Carling Weekend: Reading Festival
Friday 24th August at The Carling Weekend: Leeds Festival
One of the most adored of US bands in the 90’s and into the new century, the news that SMASHING PUMPKINS were set to reform was greeted with huge cheers from around the world. From their 1991 debut, "Gish", through to their final album to date, 2000’s "Machina", SMASHING PUMPKINS are amongst the elite of the rock world, picking up Grammys alongside sales of over 18 million albums worldwide. Now refocused on singer, guitarist and songwriter Billy Corgan and drummer Jimmy Chamberlin and with a new album in the pipeline, the band come to the twin sites to play new songs alongside worldwide hits such as "Tonight, Tonight", "1979" and "Bullet With Butterfly Wings".
 
THESE SHOWS WILL BE THE SMASHING PUMPKINS ONLY UK FESTIVAL PERFORMANCES

As ever, the headliners are only the beginning of the story for this year’s event.

Over the three days, a host of well known and hotly tipped names will be taking to the stages, confirmed names for the weekend are as follows.

Friday 24th August at The Carling Weekend: Reading Festival
Saturday 25th August at The Carling Weekend: Leeds Festival
 
ON THE MAIN STAGE:
With third album, "Because Of The Times", KINGS OF LEON have come back stronger than ever. With 2003’s debut, "Youth and Young Manhood", the Followill brothers, who famously toured the Deep South with their preacher father as children, returned to the road to begin a hugely successful career. Beloved in the UK and Europe, the band have established themselves over three studio albums as one of the biggest names in music. www.kingsofleon.com

With a new label (Parlophone Records) and a third studio album in the pipeline, INTERPOL come to the twin sites with a great deal of excitement focused on the new record. Breaking into the UK with debut album, "Turn On The Bright Lights" in 2002, the band were acclaimed by the music press, leading to second album "Antics" cementing their position as one of the most successful and much loved bands in the UK. www.interpolnyc.com

With a Mercury Prize nomination, over ½ million sales and four Top 20 singles from their debut album, "A Certain Pressure", MAXIMO PARK’s return to the fray with new single, "Our Velocity" which seems sure to be their biggest hit to date. With second album, "Our Earthly Pleasures", due for release on 2nd April, 2007 seems guaranteed to propel the lads from the North East to even greater heights. www.maximopark.com

This year has seen the star of Beth Ditto and her band, GOSSIP rise at an incredible speed. Voted Number One in NME’s Cool List at the close of last year, the adoption of single, "Standing In The Way Of Control" on TV’s enfant terrible show, "Skins", alongside a host of magazine covers for the singer with and without her band means that GOSSIP are one of the most talked about new bands of this year. www.gossipyouth.com

Possibly the only band in the world to fuse the worlds of gypsy music, punk and reggae and certainly the best known, GOGOL BORDELLO are rightly renowned worldwide for their live shows. Currently in the studio recording their fourth album, the New York based band have become a name known to those who look for the next big thing and their Main Stage debut is a show not to miss.

 

Saturday 25th August at The Carling Weekend: Reading Festival
Sunday 27th August at The Carling Weekend: Leeds Festival

Quite possibly the UK critics band of choice, the reception afforded "Neon Bible", The ARCADE FIRE’s second album has been universally positive. Recent live shows around the UK and 4 sold out nights at London’s Brixton Academy, have seen zealous fans baying for more, invading stages and singing to every note. With the album itself acclaimed by all comers as a work of genius, The Arcade Fire are setting out on a magnificent 2007, these festival live shows are sure to draw further critical adoration. www.arcadefire.com

With their second album, the European wide Top 10, "A Weekend In The City", BLOC PARTY built on the breakthrough success of 2005’s "Silent Alarm". With the album also debuting in the US Billboard chart at Number 12 and a total sale of over ½ million worldwide in the first week of release, the band have firmly established themselves as one of the UK’s most successful domestic and international acts. www.blocparty.com

With a world wide hit in the form of "I Write Sins Not Tragedies" from their debut album, "A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out", PANIC AT THE DISCO have seen their debut album propel them to worldwide stardom. Signed by Pete Wentz of Fall Out Boy to his Fuelled By Ramen imprint label, Decaydance, the Las Vegas four piece won over the crowd at both sites last year and are set to play the role of returning heroes this year.  www.panicatthedisco.com 

With his first band, Tom DeLonge got accustomed to worldwide acclaim. Following over 20 million album sales, DeLonge moved from the safety of Blink 182 to form ANGELS AND AIRWAVES, a veritable US alt punk supergroup, containing members of Box Car Racer, The Distillers and The Offspring. Their debut album, "We Don’t Need To Whisper" was released last year and the band are currently working on the follow up - DeLonge brings his band to the festivals for what he describes as "The next half of Tom DeLonge’s life".
Sunday 26th August at The Carling Weekend: Reading Festival
Friday 24th August at The Carling Weekend: Leeds Festival

Over nearly twenty years, NINE INCH NAILS have earned a reputation for fierce live shows, constant artistic evolution and ground breaking recordings that have seen them become one of the most respected and admired bands in the world. With their sixth studio album, "Year Zero", due in April, these shows are sure to attract huge attention from fans eager to hear songs both new and old from one of the US’s most important bands ever. www.nin.com

LOSTPROPHETS make a much awaited return to the festival scene with an appearance on the Main Stage. The band, who enjoyed a number one album last year with ‘Liberation Transmission’, have been touring the world ever since, and are currently writing for their fourth album in the US before a short UK Arena tour in April. Expect a high-octane performance from one of the only UK rock bands around who can keep their credibility whilst also scaling the charts.

Following two albums for cult US indie Fuelled By Ramen, FALL OUT BOY found themselves nominated for Grammys and MTV Awards in their native US with the release of their major label debut, "Songs From Under The Cork Tree" in 2005. Now triple platinum in their home country, the band followed this breakthrough with current album, "Infinity On High", a US Number One and UK Number 3 album placing being their reward. Lead single, "This Ain’t A Scene, It’s An Arms Race" entered the UK chart at Number 2, emphasising the band’s huge fanbase in the UK. www.falloutboyrock.com

Two Gold Selling Albums. 7 Smash Hit Top 20 Singles. 15 Front Covers. FUNERAL FOR A FRIEND have been described as 'the hottest band on the planet' by Kerrang, and 'So addictive they need to be cut out of your hair like bubblegum!' by NME, this Welsh quintet have spearheaded the post-millennial rock renaissance that has swept the UK. Their eagerly anticipated third album is released on May 14, and looks set to send the guys stratospheric.

With their debut album, "When Your Heart Stops Beating", in November of 2006, former Blink 182 members Mark Hoppus and Travis Barker’s new band +44 took up where their old band left off. A Top 10 album on the US chart, a sold out London Astoria show for their second ever gig followed by a sold out Brixton Academy and sales of over ¼ million in the US are merely the start of what is shaping up to be another transatlantic success for the pair alongside guitarists Craig Fairbaugh and Shane Gallagher.  www.plusfortyfour.com 

ON THE RADIO ONE / NME STAGE:
Friday 24th August at The Carling Weekend: Reading Festival
Saturday 25th August at The Carling Weekend: Leeds Festival
ASH may be regarded by some as a national institution and are one of those rare bands that some of their fans can claim to have grown up with. Still younger than many of their contemporaries, the now three piece band (following the departure of Charlotte Hatherley) are all set to release their fifth studio album. With a career littered with pop classics and huge success across the world, ASH are still on the top of their game and burn as brightly as ever.

With rave reviews across the board for their third studio album, "The Devil and God are Raging Inside Me", BRAND NEW are hotly tipped to break through to super stardom this year. Relentless touring since their formation in 2001 has seen the band collect 260,000 friends on MySpace and sell nearly a million copies worldwide of their first two albums through indie Eat Sleep. With a major label deal now in place, expect to hear the name a lot more and earmark this show as a must see this year. www.fightoffyourdemons.com

Having caused quite a stir with their debut album Young For Eternity and with gigs as support to Foo Fighters and Oasis, THE SUBWAYS are poised for a sensational return this year. With Butch Vig (Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins) producing their second album due for release in September, we can expect a rocking comeback from the trio with their most accomplished music to date.

The rise of ENTER SHIKARI is one of the stories of this year. Recent winners of the NME Award for Musical Innovation, the four piece have brought their fusion of hardcore rock and trance techno to the public ear through hard touring and word of mouth growth. Rejecting record company overtures having sold out the London Astoria, the band continue to be completely independent and to grow at a phenomenal rate. An incredible live band, this could be one of the year’s most talked about performances. www.entershikari.com

Saturday 25th August at The Carling Weekend: Reading Festival
Sunday 26th August at The Carling Weekend: Leeds Festival
 
What a year it has been for THE VIEW. The winners of NME’s Single Of The Year for their "Wasted Little DJ’s" track, the four piece from Dundee have seen their single, "Same Jeans" break the UK Top 5 whilst their debut album, "Hats Off To The Buskers" went straight in at Number One. In just over a year, the band have gone from virtual unknowns to the top of the charts and they seem destined to stay there for some time, hence this prestigious headlining slot.
One of the less hyped success stories of the last two years, WE ARE SCIENTISTS toured ferociously throughout 2005 and 2006 in support of their debut album, "With Love and Squalor" in the company of such bands as Editors and Arctic Monkeys (on the 2006 NME Shockwaves tour). Such hard work and a sense of fun that permeated both their shows and their interviews saw the band build a well earned and fanatically loyal fanbase who propelled the album beyond gold status in the UK. Now working on their follow up, this is a band that have done it the hard way and know how to put on a great show.
 
Over three albums and fourteen singles, BIFFY CLYRO built up a fanbase that is, arguably, the most dedicated in the world. Always praised by KERRANG!, the band recently signed to 14th Floor and have just celebrated their first Top 15 single in the form "Saturday Superstore". With their first album for the new label, "Puzzle" due in May it looks like BIFFY CLYRO are all set to make the leap from the underground to international stardom.
In the space of the first few months of this year, THE TWANG have been near unavoidable. Elected "Britain’s Best New Band" by NME prior to scooping the Philip Hall Radar Award, it is easy to forget that the band have yet to release a single. That debut, "Wide Awake" on March 19th looks set to begin one of the great rock ‘n’ roll stories with their eagerly anticipated debut album due in June.
 
Sunday 26th August at The Carling Weekend: Reading Festival
Friday 24th August at The Carling Weekend: Leeds Festival
 
With a Top 10 single in the form of "Golden Skans" and a Number 2 placing for their debut album, "Myths Of The Near Future" KLAXONS look set to fulfil the promise identified by those in the know in 2006. As part of the NME Awards Rave Tour in January (along with fellow stage mates CSS), KLAXONS proved themselves to be at the forefront of a new youth subculture, jokingly called "New Rave" but real and visible to anyone who attended the shows. A fantastic live band, this headline show is proof that KLAXONS have many more myths to write in the coming years.
 
From first listen, it was clear that "Losing My Edge", LCD SOUNDSYSTEM’s debut single, was a classic. Still hammered in clubs to this day, that first calling card from James Murphy set the tone for a career so far that encompasses Grammy nominations, high profile remixes, a clutch of classic compilations and "The Sound Of Silver", the second studio album to accompany 2005’s eponymous debut. Released this week, the album has been acclaimed across the media with NME describing Murphy as "a musical Messiah".

One of the highlights of this year’s NME Awards Rave Tour, CSS have a well earned reputation for incredible live shows. Fronted by every indie boy’s wet dream in the shape of vocalist Lovefoxxx, the Brazilians saw their eponymous album snapped up by US indie Sub Pop and then, subsequently Warner Brothers. With both a reissue of the "On The Hook" single and the album now putting them in front of UK music buyers, CSS look set to be one of the big stories of 2007. www.csshurts.com

BOOKING INFORMATION:
Three day weekend tickets, including camping and parking, are priced at £145 each plus booking fee.

Day Tickets which do not allow camping are priced at £62.50 plus booking fee.

 

National Credit Card Hotline : SEE Tickets, Wayahead : 0870 060 3775

Online:
Tickets available from:

 

www.meanfiddler.com  www.readingfestival.com  www.seetickets.com  

 

In Person:
Tickets can be bought at face value, when paid for in cash, at all Mean Fiddler Box Offices. Please note that picture ID/proof of address will be required at the time of booking.

Mean Fiddler Box Offices:

The Astoria, 157 Charing Cross Road, WC2 . Monday to Saturday 10am-6pm

Mean Fiddler Head Office, 16 High Street, Harlesden, NW10. Monday to Friday 10am-6pm

By Post:

Cheques / Postal Orders payable to 'Reading Festival Ltd'

Weekend Tickets £145.50 including 50p booking fee (+ £4.95 on overall booking for 4 or more to cover registered post)

Please enclose SAE and daytime phone number.

Send to:

Reading 2005

P.O. Box 1707

London NW10 4LW

Please note that postal booking are subject to availability and cannot be guaranteed. Postal bookings are dealt with on a first come basis. Those received after the main allocation of tickets is sold out will be returned.

Tickets are strictly limited to a maximum of six per household - for those booking by telephone or online - or a maximum of four per person for those purchasing tickets at the Mean Fiddler booking offices.

Children under 13 (12 and under) are admitted free but MUST be accompanied by a ticket holding adult. Please note there is no separate children's area at this event.

 

ON SITE FACILITIES INCLUDE:

Bars, Cash Points, First Aid & Paramedics, Food & Non Food Stalls, Information Tent, Left Luggage, Meeting Point, Market Stalls, Merchandise, Showers, Welfare Tent.

PLEASE NOTE – NEW SERVICE:

Tangerine Fields Easy Camping

Tangerine Fields brings a new camping service to both sites this year. Leave your tent at home and book into a ready pitched, fully equipped tent set in chilled out surroundings on the festival site. There’s the added luxury of extra loos and hot showers. Is there any other way to camp?
Available to anyone with a weekend camping ticket, for prices and booking visit www.tangerinefields.co.uk
 
DISABLED FACILITIES:
Mean Fiddler produces a guide to Disabled Access and Facilities for all it's festivals, which includes details of the 2-for-1 ticket scheme. Applications for the Reading 2-for-1 scheme must be received by Friday 29th July

 

Please request a booklet and application form on 020 8961 5490.

 

Mean Fiddler Information Hotline (Mon-Fri 10am - 6pm) 020 8963 0940

THE GREATEST ROCK ‘N’ ROLL SHOW ON EARTH

"I f***ing love Reading so much! I’ve been to so many festivals but this is the only one I love." DAVE GROHL, THE FOO FIGHTERS

"It really means a lot to us, as we used to go to this festival when we were kids. We always had this thing where I’d say to Dom, ‘Have we made it now?’ and he’s say, ‘Nah, not until we’ve headlined Reading." MATT BELLAMY, MUSE

"We love you Reading" JOSH HOMME, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE

"I saw them at the Reading Festival last year and whenever somebody asked me in an interview who my favourite band was, I always said the Arctics."
DANIEL RADCLIFFE, AKA HARY POTTER ON THE ARCTIC MONKEYS
 
"Each year has something about it that you can take home with you. I always take a festival poster away with me and every year you take away certain memories as to why that year was brilliant".
STEVE LAMACQ, BBC RADIO ONE and BBC RADIO SIX

"…with all its tradition, diversity and capacity for self renewal, Reading will rock on forever." THE DAILY TELEGRAPH

"It’s the finest festival of the summer and the banks of the Thames are bursting with all manner of the beautiful, the battered and the bonkers."
DAILY STAR
 
THIS YEAR’S RADIO SPONSOR:
Jason Carter, Editor of Live Events, Radio 1 said "Radio 1 are really looking forward to returning to The Carling Weekend: Reading and Leeds festival this year. It's one of the premier live music events on the UK calendar and a must for Radio 1 listeners. Once again, the festi
 
THIS YEAR’S TITLE SPONSOR:
Carling is back for the 9th year running as headline sponsor of the Carling Weekend: Reading and Leeds Festivals. Once again, Carling will be ensuring ice cold beer for festival-goers with the return of Carling’s Cold Beer Amnesty – simply swap any unopened can of warm beer for a free Carling. The Carling Stage will be featuring some of the hottest new talent around again this year; Ice cold Carling, live music and a group of mates – the perfect line up for the best festival weekend.
 
THIS YEAR’S MUSIC PRINT SPONSOR:
The NME signing tent will once again be the most rock 'n' roll place to hang out at this year’s Carling Weekend: Reading and Leeds Festival. Giving music fans the chance to meet the hottest acts from this years line-up, bands will be signing autographs throughout the weekend at both the Reading and Leeds site. NME is the official music magazine of the festival and together with NME.com, will be first for music news including all the official line-ups, and the latest festival gossip all summer.
 
FESTIVAL SITES:
The Carling Weekend: Reading Festival is at Little John’s Farm, Richfield Avenue, Reading
The Carling Weekend: Leeds Festival is at Bramham Park, Leeds
 
FESTIVAL WEBSITES / INFORMATION
The Carling Weekend: Leeds Festival – www.leedsfestival.com
The Carling Weekend: Reading Festival – www.readingfestival.com
 
 
STOP THE TICKET TOUTS -
A wee note from the Skiddle.com team:

As always, Skiddle.com strongly advises festival and gig goers not to buy tickets from any unofficial sources or website auctions, as not only will you have to pay over the odds but there is a high chance that the ticket will not exist or will be a fake.

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