Reading 2012: Future Of The Left, NME/Radio 1 Stage

Reading is a rock festival. It’s not really a place for fey, tortured souls to noodle their way through with an acoustic guitar. Emotions are great, as long as they involve anger or fist pumping. The loudest band always wins. On the main stage, Deaf Havana are opening the festival. They’re not, though. Future Of The Left are.

There may be acts with more ear piercing screaming on the neighbouring Lock Up stage, and the huge structure dominating the arena certainly has a meatier PA, but Future Of The Left are the musical equivalent of a tensed muscle. ‘Robocop 4 - Fuck Off Robocop’, as well as boasting the greatest name of any song ever, is a slap round the face that’s sure to knock clear any cobwebs, while recent single ‘I Am The Least Of Your Problems’ rattles along perfectly.

There’s even the option of dipping in to the McLusky back catalogue; ‘To Hell With Good Intentions’ shouts of ‘My band is better than your band’ seeming perfectly apt; they almost certainly are.