Reading Festival
1998


Ash's Tim Wheeler photo: K. Bernard


Another big guitar band Ash who used to be the best of the teenagers, have gone all committed and mature with new album Nu-Clear Sounds, which rocks like it's on steroids and slips into passages of breathtaking beauty.

Herb Wright/ TransAction's London Correspondent

Review by Minxy
September 1, 1998

The music, The Rock Festival, the atmosphere, the weather, the capacity crowd and the need for a 4 day weekend next August Bank Holiday 1999, to recover!

Many legendary performances took place between 28th and 30th August 1998 on four stages at the Reading Festival site and Reading Rivermead Centre along the road.

Seen hanging out (in the crowd, in the guest area, in the sponsors hospitality tents, in the Mushroom Records party tent or at The Beastie Boys party) at the annual rock and roll end of tour outdoor party were (among others, possibly not all standing) were Brian May, Sara Cawood, Anna Friel, Alex from Blur, Bridget Hall - the new Gucci model, Tessa Rock Chick, Ed and Colin from Radiohead, Bush, Ewan McGregor, Phil Mitchell from Eastenders, John Simms from The Lakes, Zoe Ball, Sol Patrick from Hollyoaks, Jo Wiley, Jamiroquai, Denise Van Outen, Justine and Donna from Elastica, Stereophonics, Jonathan King, Nick Moran from Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels, Chesney Hawkes, Gary Numan, Danny McNamara of Embrace, Ed from the Chemical Brothers, Marcia Thompson from "Where The Heart Is", Bobby Gillespie, Noodle from the Lucozade/Thomas Cook ads, Paul Oakenfold, Neil Tennant of The Pet Shop Boys, George Wendt (Norm from Cheers), Alan McGee and of course over 130 bands and DJs taking part in the weekend. Keith Allen joined New Order for a version of "World In Motion" that could be heard in Reading Town Centre as 50,000 music fans yelled "Eng-er-land" during the choruses!

The Mean Fiddler Organisation gave away fifteen thousand free tubes of sun cream to happy revellers for the only festival this year to be entirely RAIN FREE!

The music festival atmosphere is back. Reading 1998, a big success, and a capacity crowd to enjoy it. Thank you to everybody who helped to make it so.

Paul Draper of Mansun
Reading Fest '98.

by Frank White
(click to view larger image)

Adam Devlin of The Bluetones
Reading Fest '98.
by karena bernard
(click to view larger image)


Adam Devlin of The BLUETONES
graces the main stage at
Reading Fest '98.


Back to August issue