This weekend, we’re ‘on the ground’ at Reading 2022. Featuring some of the biggest and most exciting bands and artists on the planet, alongside the buzziest new acts, we’ll be bringing you coverage of everything you need to know. That includes photos of all the key sets, including these snaps of Wallows, who took to the Main Stage West on Friday (26th August).
Bringing their luxuriously lo-fi indie pop vibes across the pond, Wallows’ laidback energy isn’t lost on the crowd, who turn near feral as soon as the Indiana Jones theme backs the trio’s entrance. Opening with ‘I Don’t Want To Talk’, a cut from March’s ‘Tell Me That It’s Over’, Dylan Minnette’s lead vocals start off rough but quickly shake off the jet leg – a delightful turn on the harmonica seems to help. When Braeden Lemasters joins him with harmonic backing, their charm is irresistible.
Their first-ever UK festival performance is a clear home run, as the gang affirm that they have missed the British crowds and their fans back home should take note. Bringing listeners in with the accessibility of their early offerings and then ambushing them with the ambitious scope of more recent releases, Wallows serve up luscious soundscapes no matter where you look. A quick cover of 1D’s ‘What Makes You Beautiful’ also riles up the audience, although it isn’t needed; a total of six moshpits collide just before ‘Scrawny’. Although the band’s evolution towards progressively braver decision-making is affirming to observe, their momentum inevitably barrels towards their biggest viral moment and obvious set closer ‘Are You Bored Yet?’
