Despite being in one of our favourite locations at The FaceBar in Reading, this is actually the first time Devolution has been to Reading Rising. It’s a two-day event again but this year it’s on the Saturday and Sunday. The days are also split by genre, whether this is a conscious decision by the organisers is unknown, but it works well and ensures that whoever is there each day has plenty of music that they want to see. This year the festival truly rises, as fire almost brings disaster, but the team rises like a phoenix to pull off a great weekend.
Reading Rising Day 1
Villumier open up in the back bar. They’re a young looking band, but the music is well polished and they sound great. They’re from Bracknell so this is about as close to a home town show as they can get. In case anyone had forgotten that this is a metal festival Kulan Gath are here to remind them. They’re crushingly loud and heavy and not for the faint hearted. Sypha from Brighton put on a good show. The lead singer switches vocal styles seamlessly and she growls her way through the choruses. Compounds have the energy of a punk band. The local Reading lads start as they mean to go on, full throttle and no brakes. It’s Reading Rising’s own Inair up next. For such a technical band there’s an air of chaos around them as they only decide on a set list with minutes to spare. To be fair though it’s a good set list. This Dying Hour are nice and energetic and the crowd naturally draws in for them. There’s plenty of banging heads in the crowd for what is the band’s final show. Royals are the odd ones out for the day, it’s pure pop punk from them and it goes down a storm. This might be helped by a small but vocal fanbase at the front but they can’t be blamed for all the dancing going on. Continents do great considering they’ve ran into technical difficulties before the set even starts, they’ve got no backing tracks but it really doesn’t matter, they’ve pull it off well. Crushed By Waves put on a party. It’s non-stop bouncing from start to finish with the guitarist and singer ending the show in the crowd. Devil Sold His Soul are a brutal metal band with a powerhouse twin vocal. There’s not much being leftover, they’ve pull out all the stops and give their all screaming into the mic. It’s too much and the set is cut short as one of the speakers catches fire. Two Year Break restart the party in the other room. With the main room evacuated from the speaker fire it’s pretty full and they make the most of it. It’s a fantastic set from them. With the speaker replaced Still Remains take to the stage a little later than scheduled. Thankfully no one has called it a night so the room is still full. If you thought any of the other bands were energetic they’re nothing compared to this band
Best Of The Day
There’s no competition, Still Remains blow everyone out of the water. Quite simply they are too big for the Facebar, and certainly too big for the venue’s stage. Singer T.J. Miller ends up in the crowd several times during the show, he’s a machine and just doesn’t stop. The crowd invasion doesn’t stop at T.J. though as even their keyboard player does a turn in the crowd, complete with keyboard. They may be a metalcore band but they’re acting and sounding more like an old school hardcore band at heart and the crowd absolutely love them.
Reading Rising Day 2
The guitarist is pulling double duties and is back with his main band, Within Reach. For the first band on a Sunday it’s a bouncy show of metalcore. Fountain Island bring some pop punk to the main stage. It’s catchy tunes and a chance to bounce along again. Perpetual Paradox try to blow the roof off. It’s brutal heavy metal, did they get booked for the right day? Wrex put on an absolute masterpiece of a set seeing half the band spending most of the set bouncing around. It’s not Sunday without a black mass and Forlorn are here to provide. It’s a set filled with pagan ritual. All Ears Avow setup a party, it’s great fun. Claire Sutton shows off some powerhouse vocals and the four piece get the crowd moving with some catchy songs. Overthrone carry on with the heavy bands in the second room. This is definitely the room for those that want to mosh. Hawxx angry punks with queer politics who make their position on the events in Gaza known to everyone. Waterlines aren’t content with the singer singing with a broken voice, they’ve pull take the ceiling down with them. Millie Manders and the Shutup are the headline for the Sunday. No issues with any of the equipment today so they’re on time and on form.
Best Of The Day
Wrex’s set early in day is phenomenal, it’s pure raw punk. Mae Seaton might as well be wearing a wire harness she spends so much time in the air. Not to be outdone George Donoghue sets his bass down to take over vocals later in the set and joins in the airborne antics. There’s enough energy from the pair of them to power a small country. They also get the attention of the crowd who are happy to draw from this energy source and get a mosh pit going. Thankfully this won’t be the last we see of them as they already have lots of dates lined up for 2026
Best Of The Weekend
There’s not really any surprise here as Millie Manders always puts on a great show. As always she’s wearing her heart on her sleeve and politics to the front. That doesn’t mean there’s no fun to be had though, everyone’s enjoying the show and the crowd are moshing away energetically. It’s a good sized crowd for a Sunday night as well with plenty of people out to see a day of music focussing on punk. By the end of the night the fun is ramped up some more, someone has a bubble machine and the venue is filled with bubbles as punk goes pop.
Review and Photos: Mark Bestford / Alienation Photography
Reading Rising Day 1 Gallery
Reading Rising Day 2 Gallery
