Clairo's late-afternoon set at Reading 2019 is fantastic

Anyone up for a cry? Anyone? No? Shame because Clairo's just done her first Reading set and we're feeling emotional. It'd be easy to call some of the songs on her debut 'Immunity' dull when Charli XCX just polished off a bangerrific set on the Main Stage and Hayley Kiyoko is taking to the Radio 1 stage straight after. But this isn't dull, Dear Reader. Not one bit. Firstly, it's 4pm, it's scorching hot, we're ready for a little sway instead of a full bounce. Secondly, oh my god Clairo is just fantastic, isn't she? She's a tiny human, but she's got such a voice in her. A voice that translates maybe more impressively live than on record? The little runs she keeps doing at the end of each line shows us a side to her voice we don't get to hear through the headphones. Clairo's reserved on stage, saving her energy for her vocals, but it matches her diary-entry songs wonderfully. She keeps the tearjerkers in the first half of her set, blasting through 'Closer To You' early on, and when we've all had chance to chill out, she throws some bops our way. Closing with her early singles' Pretty Girl' and '4ever' brings us right back to life. It's rare we praise ballads over bangers, Dear Reader, but there's a lot of love for Clairo in Camp Dork, and this chill Friday set was near enough perfection. Words: Abigail Firth