Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes make it a family affair at Reading 2015

Today’s set was always going to be a special one for Frank Carter. Having appeared on various stages around the site almost every year for the past decade, twelve months ago it wasn’t entirely clear as to whether he’d ever back.

The moment during which he appears on The Pit stage today it all comes rushing back. A performer of the finest - and possibly most unhinged - calibre, the look on his face as he’s greeted by cheers is like a kid entering his favourite sweet shop, and by the looks of things, he’s going to devour everything.

Blitzing through cuts from his new album ‘Blossom’, there’s a ferocity to his performance that’s unmatched and it feels incredibly satisfying to see him finally back on the stage. It’s not just him and the Rattlesnakes that the crowd meet today: after two songs, he introduces his baby daughter Mercy Rose to the crowd, who’s seeing him play for the first time, while explaining that today also doubles as his third wedding anniversary.

It’s an unmistakably touching moment in the midst of the chaos of his show – which, in contrast, includes the biggest circle pit of the weekend and all manner of crowd surfing – that showcases the beauty of his raw, human and cathartic offerings. It might’ve taken him a while to figure himself out and come back to music, but after today, it’s clear, music is more than glad to have him back.