Reading & Leeds Festival 2012 The Alternative Stage line up announced | Festival News

24TH – 26TH AUGUST 2012 THE GREATEST FESTIVAL ON THE PLANET RETURNS

BIGGEST AND BEST NAMES IN COMEDY, MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT ANNOUNCED FOR THE ALTERNATIVE STAGE

Not only does READING & LEEDS FESTIVAL present the most exciting names in music to the most enthusiastic fans in the world, it also provides a chance to watch some of the most famous comedians who would usually be found performing in arenas all over the country. With music and film also on the Alternative Stage line-up this stage is one of the most popular at both festivals.

REGINALD D HUNTER, LEE NELSON, JASON BYRNE, STEPHEN K AMOS, SEANN WALSH and AL MURRAY aka THE PUB LANDLORD will all appear on The Alternative Stage and headline a host of prime comedy talent. There will also be musical delights in the form of SCROOBIUS PIP playing a full band set and the top DJ KID KOALA plus the amazing BENJAMIN ZEPHANIAH.

These acts join FOO FIGHTERS, THE CURE, KASABIAN, THE BLACK KEYS, PARAMORE, FLORENCE AND THE MACHINE, THE MACCABEES, SLEIGH BELLS, SOCIAL DISTORTION, THE VIEWS, AT THE DRIVE-IN, JUSTICE, FEEDER, LESS THAN JAKE, ANTI FLAG, YOUNG GUNS, METRONOMY and many more over the August Bank Holiday at Little John’s Farm in Reading and Bramham Park in Leeds.

The BBC Introducing Stage is yet to be announced showcasing the best in new bands set to dominate the airwaves in years to come.

THE ALTERNATIVE STAGE

American born but UK based stand-up REGINALD D HUNTER has seen his career trajectory soar since his arrival on the circuit back in the early noughties. Subsequently picking up Edinburgh Festival nominations and garnering plaudits for his candid observational comic genius.

The Sunday Times hailed him as such, “his presence and intelligence make him one of the most brilliantly unpredictable comics in the country”.

Brought to a wider audience following regular appearances on the small screen whilst guesting on the likes of ‘Have I Got News For You’ , ‘8 Out Of 10 Cats’ and ‘Would I Lie To You?’, Hunter makes his headline debut this year, miss at your peril.(Reading Saturday 25 / Leeds Friday 24)

Delve into the world of LEE NELSON’s outrageous, hilarious mayhem which is witness to his anarchic brand of good natured ribbing, somewhat dubious life lessons and general mischief as he brings a show especially created for Reading & Leeds to the festival this summer. LEE NELSON’S WELL GOOD PARTY features THE PETEBOX which sees an entirely new approach to using beatbox skills to create music, the live show is akin to that of a full band with fully crafted songs as well as demonstrating his world class beatbox skills and featuring graffiti artists. (Reading Saturday 25 / Leeds Friday 24)

Plus JASON BYRNE’
(Reading Sunday 26 / Leeds Saturday 25)

STEPHEN K AMOS
(Reading Sunday 26 / Leeds Saturday 25)

SEANN WALSH i
(Reading Sunday 26 / Leeds Friday 24)

AL MURRAY aka The Pub Landlord
(Leeds Sunday 26)

GLENN WOOL (Reading Sunday 26 / Leeds Friday 24)

CHRIS RAMSEY
(Reading Friday 24 / Leeds Sunday 26)

HOLLY WALSH
(Reading Sunday 26 / Leeds Friday 24)

KATHERINE RYAN
(Reading Sunday 26)

DOC BROWN
(Reading Saturday 25 / Leeds Friday 24)

CHRIS COX
(Reading Saturday 25)

JIMMY MCGHIE
(Reading Saturday 25 / Leeds Sunday 26 )

NAZ OSMANOGLU
(Leeds Saturday 25)

NATHAN CATON
(Reading Friday 24 / Leeds Sunday 26)

MARTIN BIGPIG (Leeds)

DAMO CLARK i
(Reading Sunday 26 / Leeds Friday 24)

TOM DEACON
(Leeds Saturday 25)

JOEL DOMMET
(Leeds Saturday 25)

ABANDOMAN
(Leeds Saturday 25)

POPCORN COMEDY
(Reading Sunday 26 / Leeds Friday 24)

LATE NIGHT GIMP FIGHT
(Reading Friday 24 / Leeds Sunday 26)

DAVE TWENTYMAN
(Leeds Friday 24)

JEFF LEACH
(Reading Saturday 25)

World-renowned scratch DJ, KID KOALA, has made a name for himself with his three solo albums on Ninja Tune; ‘Carpal Tunnel Syndrome’, ‘Some of My Best Friends Are DJs’ and ‘Your Mom’s Favourite DJ’. He has also been involved in collaborations with the likes of Gorillaz, The Slew and Deltron 3030, with the latter hip-hop supergroup featuring Dan The Automator and Del The Funky Homosapien gearing up for the release of their much anticipated second album later this year. Be sure to check out one of the best turntabalists around at this year’s Reading & Leeds Festival.
(Reading Saturday 25 / Leeds Friday 24)

Distinctively attired in a trucker cap, charity shop suit and beard, SCROOBIUS PIP has been an unmistakable face in the UK’s music scene in recent years. Best known as one half of the unlikely chart bothering duo dan le sac Vs Scroobius Pip, he released his solo album ‘Distraction Pieces at the latter end of 2011. The record features a roll call of collaborators from the worlds of rock and leftfield hip-hop, including the likes of Renholder, Richard Russell (XL) and Steve Mason. Be sure to get down the front early for this very special full band set.
(Reading Friday 24 / Leeds Sunday 26)

BENJAMIN ZEPHANIAH.
(Reading Saturday 25)

SECRET CINEMA,
(Leeds Thursday 23)

CHRIS SHEPHERD is a BAFTA nominated director who blends live action with animation to examine the humorously dark side of life. He's worked on funny shows such as ‘Big Train’ and ‘Nathan Barley’ while directing award winners such as ‘Dad's Dead’, ‘Bad Night For The Blues’ and his collaboration with David Shrigley ‘Who I Am And What I Want’. More recently he's been directing a film for, as well as curating for Channel 4's art strand ‘Random Acts’.
(Leeds Saturday 25)

The UK’s biggest indie night, PROPAGANDA, takes over the Alternative Stage on Friday night for an incredible audio-visual extravaganza. Regularly playing to 25,000 people per week in 22 cities across the UK, Ireland and Australia, Propaganda are experts in keeping the party alive into the early hours. With a little help from local boys The Pigeon Detectives, the Propaganda residents will bring you music from the likes of Arctic Monkeys, The Black Keys, The Vaccines, Florence & The Machine, Mumford & Sons, The Stokes, Bombay Bicycle Club and much more.If you’ve been to Propaganda before, you know this will be unmissable. If you haven’t, now is your chance.
(Leeds Friday 24)

LINE UP ANNOUNCED FOR THE ENERGY SESSIONS ARENA, SPONSORED BY RELENTLESS ENERGY DRINK, AT THIS YEAR’S LEEDS FESTIVAL

Relentless Energy Drink is excited to announce the DJ line-up for the Energy Sessions Arena, sponsored by Relentless Energy Drink, which will take pride of place in the campsite at this year’s Leeds Festival, providing banging tunes late into the night.

The Energy Sessions Arena, sponsored by Relentless Energy Drink will get going from 10pm to 3am each night of the festival, including Thursday night when this stage will be getting the party started for the early arrivals before the music stages start on the Friday.

Rudimental are currently on a mission to bring soul to electronic music, with the east London quartet winning support from Zane Lowe, The xx, Mistajam and Fearne Cotton. With them set to dominate dance floors in the coming months, their headline DJ set will kick-start the weekend in fine style.

Purveyors of high quality D&B, and Hospital records favourites, fast-rising producers Fred V & Grafix will also be lighting up the stage over the weekend. These two West Country natives have been making a lot of impact with their scorching sounds and are one of the DJ acts of 2012 to keep a firm eye on.

Electro-pop/R&B superstar Mr Hudson will be bringing some magic to Leeds via his headline DJ set. Known for his exciting collaborations and tours with the likes of Kanye West, Jay-Z and Amy Winehouse, Mr Hudson has also DJed all over the world and played for Louis Vuitton, Formula 1, Elton John and former US President Bill Clinton. Expect him to bring an incredibly broad collection of music to the decks for a set you won’t want to miss.

Best known for melding politically-charged dubstep and post-hardcore rock Rout & Sgt. Rolfy – AKA Enter Shikari frontman Rou Reynolds and drummer Rob Rolfe, who are playing on the main stages at Reading and Leeds with their bandmates over the weekend – will be closing the festivities at the Leeds Festival on the Energy Sessions Arena, sponsored By Relentless Energy Drink.

"We shall be busting out the re-energising tunes for a long night of partying,” explains Rou. “Expect enough bass to rupture stomachs and invert ear drums; from the darkest drum & bass, to the biggest booty shaking dubstep, plus plenty of surprising remixes!"

It’s set to be a banging weekend with the Relentless Energy Drink flowing at the Arena bar and all bars across Leeds Festival.

Full stage line-up

THURSDAY AUG 23rd
Plastic Thumbs
Ben Casey
Gemini
(Headliner) Rudimental

FRIDAY AUG 24th
Ben Casey
Plastic Thumbs
B. Traits
(Headliner) Fred V & Grafix

SATURDAY AUG 25th
The Beat Medics
Doorly
(Headliner) Mr Hudson

SUNDAY AUG 26th
Plastic Thumbs
The Beat Medics
Kissy Sell Out
(Headliner) Rout & Sgt. Rolfy