The sun sets at the Reading festival in 2006. Photograph: Yui Mok/PA
The Reading and Leeds festivals aren't just about overpriced lager, riots and the flinging of bottles of urine. More than with any other British music weekend, the focus over the years has always been the line-up, as, apart from a few token fairground attractions, there's little else to entice the punters.
Reading has enjoyed a renaissance since the bleak period of the late 80s, where the likes of Bonnie Tyler and Meatloaf played as the aforementioned piss-filled projectiles rained down upon them. For nigh on two decades, then, Reading (its Leeds leg started in 1999) has delivered huge name acts and a vast variety of quality performers. But out of them all, who has been the best?
For many, the seminal Reading show was Nirvana's 1992 headlining set, a triumphant performance that cemented their position on the world stage, and saw Cobain on excellent form despite emerging in a wheelchair and surgical gown. At the other end of the scale, the Stone Roses' shocking turn in 1996 turned out to be their last official gig, hastening them towards retirement.
Elsewhere, the regular sight of rock titans playing in a suspended state of animation seems to have had the divisive effect of being merely a curiosity for some, and a near religious experience for others. This could be seen with Iron Maiden in 2005, Metallica in 2003, and Guns 'N' Roses' posthumous return in 2002. The latter saw a Leeds crowd wait over an hour for an apparent Axl Rose tantrum to pass, before he emerged with a line-up including no original band members and a man with a KFC bucket on his head - yet they somehow managed a fair approximation of their former glory.
Often, however, the real prize performances are to be found lower down the bill or on smaller stages. 2005 saw a young Artic Monkeys pack out the Carling Tent, mid-afternoon, with people spilling out from all sides. In 2001 a naked Nick Oliveri led a feral daytime performance by Queens of the Stone Age, while in 2000 Rage Against the Machine turned in one of their last great performances before they split up.
Meanwhile, the smallest stages are always a treasure trove for the potentially great. Did anyone catch Elliott Smith on the Dr Martens Stage or Spiritualized on the Melody Maker Stage in 1998, Aphex Twin headlining the third stage in 2002, or At the Drive-in on the Carling stage in 2000? Or how about the Fall, TV on the Radio or MIA, all on smaller stages over the last few years?
Over to you.
For full coverage of Reading and Leeds, visit Guardian Unlimited's special report.
