A big
hoo-
hah was made earlier this year when the
Eavis' confirmed U2 for the Friday night headline slot. Initial fears suggested that they would just belt out the same old songs on a smaller, less ostentatiously ridiculous stage. However, this week saw our worst fears confirmed when
Bono had to pull out after having emergency spinal surgery. Even if you don't like
Bono (
proportionately speaking you probably don't), you can't help but wince at the thought of it. So whilst
Bono lies in bed, surrounded by piles of money and sunglasses and weeping himself to painful slumber thinking about all the good deeds he's not being able to do, we're left with a void that needs to be filled. Obviously not a precise void. I can't see the auditions for a "smug, sunglasses adorned know it all", "hat wearing, pedal
obsessed, name changing cock" and "other two" being
necessary. Rumours are rife and varied, much like the
pre-festival speculation. The favourite is obviously Chris Martin riding in on his middling, strumming
Coldplay stallion. You can picture him running, twirling, leaping on to stage as a surprise act only to be stopped in his tracks by the audible noise of an entire festival deflating. 6 Music reported on Led
Zep stepping up, although that's unlikely as is the many people I've seen crow out for The Libertines. One thing I'm glad I'm missing at Reading this year is watching them trying to fill a stadium on
glory's past and forgotten. They were good, but they weren't The Strokes. There's also the long shots of Dylan, Bowie,
Radiohead and even The Smiths but a lot of hope will be needed for them to come true. Best familiarize yourself with Viva La Vida then. They're not that bad really....
Flaming Lips are on the Other Stage you know.
EDIT: Literally minutes later Gorillaz are confirmed as the replacement. Glad to be wrong for a change!