Frank Carter joins the big boys with massive Reading 2016 set

Frank Carter is more than well acquainted with Reading and Leeds by now. It’s today, however, in the roaring summer sunshine, that he gets to play his finest hand yet. Having made his return to the festival with the Rattlesnakes during an incendiary set at The Pit last summer, this year, the ante has been upped again: the band have been invited onto the Main Stage.

It’s an opportunity that’s not lost on the frontman, as he strides out on stage in a two-piece floral suit, louder than anything Harry Styles could possibly pull off. “I’ve been waiting for this day for seventeen years,” he bellows as introduction. “Three bands later, they’ve finally let me on the big boys stage!”

What follows is a slice of Carter’s finest madness. Opener ‘Trouble’ is venomous, before ‘Fangs’ whips the crowd below into a free-for-all frenzy. What’s most exciting, though, is that the magic that possesses his smaller shows is still present here today. Clambering into the crowd and directing the mosh pit himself, the size of the stage doesn’t seem to matter, he’s still just as mesmerising a frontman. Today may have been a long time coming for the frontman, but it’s been the worth the wait.