Buzzin Music

Last night the headline acts for one of the UK’s most prestigious summer music festivals were announced; and as Glastonbury had already announced their 2009 headliners, the Leeds & Reading Festival were looking for a wow factor when the official press release and Leeds & Reading Festival tickets were finally released yesterday at 7pm.

Though not officially confirmed, Kings of Leon & the Arctic Monkeys had both been mentioned, but it was the third act that had spawned rumours such as the mighty AC/DC. Now that would have been something special, and also made sense as it would have seen the band return to the UK after the massive success of last year’s studio album, Black Ice, selling no less than six million copies.

If it wasn’t going to be difficult enough to buy festival tickets this year, the third headline act at the Leeds & Reading Music Festival is … [drum roll] Radiohead; a massive wow factor that has pushed all other festival headline acts into the shadows.

Surprisingly, Radiohead have never headlined at either the Reading or Leeds Festivals, but it promises to be a great live spectacle; and if there wasn’t a rush for tickets before the announcement, there soon was!

Radiohead last headlined Glastonbury in 2003 with an unforgettable set, and already I’m thinking this will be the live performance of summer 2009. With no suggestion of new material to promote, let’s hope they do a ‘greatest hits’ show with a grand finale of Creep.

Kings Of Leon proved they are headline material with a great opening night performance to kick start last year’s Glastonbury Festival amidst reports of poor ticket sales and ‘rock against rap’ controversy. They also headlined at T in the Park and V Festival in 2008, and their UK festival performances helped to boost their commercial success. Their fourth album Only By The Night was their most successful to date and spawned the hit singles Sex On Fire & Need Somebody.

It’s good to see the return of The Arctic Monkeys too, after a year off while singer/songwriter Alex Turner performed with Miles Kane to promote side project, The Last Shadow Puppets.

The Arctic Monkeys played an excellent sets at the 2006 Leeds & Reading Festivals, though were overshadowed by an amazing over-the-top headline performance by Muse; and in 2007 they played a great sing-a-long Saturday night headline set at Glastonbury.

The Arctic Monkeys are currently recording their third album, so expect a live set of old and new songs.

These headline acts alone are going to make this year’s Reading and Leeds Festival tickets the ones to have. This is by far the best festival headline act line-up so far this year. If you haven’t already got your tickets, good luck!