Reading and Leeds

In my tiny room on my tiny telly I get four channels and most of the time these channels cover news, football, or British travel. The most exciting thing about about British free television is the festival coverage. Last night they broadcast highlights from the first day of the Reading and Leeds festivals. Reading alone has 35,000 attendees. Dave Grohl has said from playing there with both Nirvana and Foo Fighters that it’s the festival that scares him the most. People go absolutely crazy and the crowds are so big you just hope no one dies during your set. So I was perfectly fine watching from the comfort of village life. I stayed up long enough last night to watch performances by Razorlight (yawn), Kings of Leon, Jack Penate, and The Gossip. I love The Gossip’s single Standing in the Way of Control. Beth Ditto has a powerful voice, and after hearing her live performance, that voice is not studio magic. HOWEVER, Beth is a large gal, the kind of large you don’t see in pop music. During the set she stripped down to a black bra and black granny panties to reveal lots of pasty flesh that looked like it never sees the sunlight and should stay that way. Wow, thank goodness they showed some other bands after The Gossip so I could let go of that visual. --J