12 Non-Headline Bands You Should See At Reading & Leeds

1. Childhood

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ASLyA2Fm0E Where/When: Festival Republic Stage, Reading: Friday, Leeds: Saturday Of all the bands on this list, it's doubtful that any of them can lay claim to performing at Reading & Leeds twice in one day. Childhood did exactly that in 2013, getting up at 6am so that they could open the NME/Radio 1 Stage at noon, before closing the BBC Introducing Stage that evening. They looked thoroughly knackered by the end of it all, but put in two of the finest performances that either stage has ever seen. As an indicator of things to come, it certainly turned plenty of festival goers onto their gritty, west coast sound. The fresh faced bunch formed at Nottingham University in 2011, and a heady mix of shoe-gaze, psychedelia, and blissful pop, as front-man Ben Romans-Hopcraft rarely lets a moment go by without a soaring melody that reaches the very end of his vocal spectrum. Their refreshing band mentality - which features no arrogance, last-gang-in-town self belief, or flat out annoying-ness - is born from a sheer love for their music, and from playing it to adoring audiences. That's bound to come in spades once their debut LP, 'Lacuna', is released a couple of weeks before Reading & Leeds, as their anthemic, jubilant indie rock infects a whole gig-going nation. They may be overly familiar with Reading & Leeds, but that won't stop them from being just as brilliant as they were when they first stepped on its hallowed stages. Whether you're looking for a band to sing along to, jump around to, dance to, or just get drunk to, Childhood will tick all of the boxes, and leave you with plenty of happy memories to go home with. Which of the two festivals are you heading to this year, and who are you looking forward to seeing? Let us know in the comments below!