In many ways, Reading and Leeds is more than just another music festival. It’s a coming of age right of passage that refuses to let go.
If you’re one of the few never to experience its unique charms, you’ll probably not understand the heady mix of always-at-eleven live music and raw, endless hedonism that engulfs two sites across one August bank holiday weekend. Once out the other side, nobody is quite the same again.
It’s also a great excuse to catch up with a bunch of our favourite bands, most of whom are playing the annual who’s who of alternative music. Fickle Friends are fast becoming old hands at this, reducing Reading’s Radio 1 tent to a quivering, poptastic mess this time last year. They’re back again in 2018, so we grabbed Natti to swap notes
Hello Natti, how’s it going?
Hey! I’m good thanks! Just in the studio recording our next EP!
Have you enjoyed 2018 so far? What’ve been your highlights?
It’s been a sick year so far. We released our debut album which was in the Top 10. Sold out all our first US shows which was amazing and now festival season is treating us very well… Truck has definitely been a highlight so far.
Which of your songs typically goes down best with a festival crowd?
Definitely ‘Swim’. It’s our oldest song and the best known. I make the crowd sing a lot of it for me, ha.
Do you have anything special planned for your set, like new material or a flashy stage set up?
Always more trees. We’re currently building something so you’ll have to wait and see. We’ll be playing a couple of lesser heard tracks from the record too.
If money and time were no object, what would be your dream stage prop?
A giant palm tree light with a base at the top so I can climb up and bust some moves up there n shit. It could appear from under the stage and grow upwards like a beanstalk, hahaha.
Which would be the worst possible band you could clash with from this year’s Reading & Leeds bill?
Post Malone.
Which of the headliners is your fave?
Kendrick. Never seen him live, but man that guy is a showman. I can’t believe I didn’t go for a band, ha. Mental.
Who would you like to see headline in 2019?
Paramore… Kanye and The 1975.
Do you camp at festivals, or avoid tents at all costs?
Screw camping. I totally didn’t mind it before, but now I don’t have to… Travelodge all the way!
What’s your number one tip for surviving a weekend in a field? You’re not allowed to say staying hydrated.
Wear a jacket that keeps you warm, dry and has two big pockets that can hold two plastics bottles full of booze.
What are you up to for the remainder of the year?
We are finishing off festival season and then heading straight on a big US tour followed by a UK tour. We have a new EP coming out this year too. Lots to keep us busy!
Taken from the September issue of Dork, out now.
