Basement point to a blossoming future at Reading 2016

“For people our age, Reading is the festival,” states Basement frontman Andrew Fisher as their slot upon the festival’s huge second stage draws to a close. Stating what an honour it is to return, they draw a crowd that their punk beginnings could never have dreamt of.

From the off, there’s a horde of devotees at the front belting back every word. Cuts from ‘Colourmeinkindness’ sound re-energised post-reunion, every chug of ‘Whole’ hitting like a wrecking ball. As they hop-skip and bound about the stage, grins spread wide, new album ‘Promise Everything’’s melodic sensibility comes to the fore. Its title-track houses the breathlessness they built their passionate fanbase on, but in ‘Aquasun’ they showcase a boundary-pushing potential progression, all tidal melody and slickness.

Closing with ‘Covet’, it’s a singalong that bands playing far later would beg for. Basement are long-since past that reunion chatter – it’s their future that’s set to define them.