Hotpress Stage, Friday, 2.55pm



Describe in a Tweet: Bell X1 may need to watch their back: there’s a pretender to their throne.



What happened: It was a tough slot, but Reader’s Wives pulled a great performance out of the bag. Opening with an absolute gem of a track, the band quickly made their mark: there’s murky, searching basslines and inventive lyrics that keep you hooked on every word spoken by Niall Holohan, while there’s a strong guitar based melody to keep the masses intrigued and to lull you into a false sense of security. Once they grab our attention, they never really lose it. That lyrical edge of Reader's Wives always remains, even if the melodies may differ in terms of quality, but on the whole it’s a fascinating performance. Get Laid finds favour with the crowd due a simple yet effective chorus, while Wasted Youth is the lovechild of Springsteen and Neil Young coupled with the wit of Billy Bragg. Yes, they may not be the most cutting edge in terms of sound, but they’re a damn good band that can make a difficult crowd dance with little coercion.