Spring King bring ‘The Summer’ to a very rainy Reading

This time last year, Spring King took to Reading and Leeds’ Festival Republic in the immediate aftermath of Zane Lowe, y’know, casually kickstarting Beats 1 for the first time with ‘City’. Word was just beginning to spread, and turning a modest crowd into a miniature riot, Tarek Musa even did a little sick onstage and everything. A year on, the band are back playing the mammoth BBC Radio 1 / NME stage, and it’s packed to the rafters with fans.

Striding out from behind the drum kit during the fairly ominous ‘They’re Coming After You,’ and chanting along with the crowd, Tarek’s more than just Spring King’s own Phil Collins these days; though his drumming’s as heroic as ever. The torrential rainwater pouring off the side of this big blue tent might beg to differ, but it’s no match for ‘The Summer,’ and the whole place transforms into beachy paradise. Predictably, it’s with breakthrough moment ‘City’ that Spring King hit their peak, nailing their return to Reading in a single fell swoop.