You get the impression that Black Honey consider Reading to be ‘their’ festival. All glitter and bangers, they’re a band that thrive on the big horizons, surrounded by their indie peers, adjusting the scale to something far more widescreen and cinematic.
There’s also the hint that the feeling is mutual. This isn’t Black Honey’s first stint in the leafy Berkshire (not-quite-so) greenery, and it certainly won’t be their last. Their set is packed full of future, and current, festival anthems. ‘Somebody Better’ soars through the Festival Republic tent, clearly looking for a larger home next time around, while ‘Hello Today’ struts like a super-confident pack leader, already certain that it’s on its way.
Like so many of their contemporaries, this weekend Black Honey are a band preserved in a moment – but only for a snapshot. This is the last time we’ll be seeing them in an arena so small at Reading Festival. More than prepared for that next step, bigger things await.
Photos: Sarah Louise Bennett / Dork
