Manchester Orchestra's very best is very, very good indeed

Free from the shackles of an album campaign, Manchester Orchestra offer nothing but their very best at Reading Festival. And their very best is very, very good indeed. From the stuttering curtain drop of ‘Pride’ to the fiery pleas of ‘Cope’, the band takes the crowd by the hand.

More tent-wide choir than audience participation, there’s a special sort of atmosphere flowing around the Festival Republic stage.

The band are more abrasive than ever but those moments where they dial it back, even for a moment or two, are just as destructive. It’s an emotionally driven 45 minutes but it still doesn’t feel enough. Then again, it never does.