Pearl Jam for Reading/Leeds?

United Kingdom | | 06 February 2006

According to tabloid reports over the weekend Pearl Jam are being lined up to headline this summer's Reading and Leeds festivals - and Arctic Monkeys could be elevated to fill another of the top slots...

The Star reports that Pearl Jam, Arctic Monkeys, and Muse have been booked to headline the two rock festivals, which take place consecutively over the August bank holiday weekend (25-27).

If the claims are true, Pearl Jam would almost certainly play Leeds Festival on the Friday and Reading Festival on the Sunday, bringing the traditional 'heavier' rock day to a fitting climax.

Virtual Festivals previously revealed that Muse and Franz Ferdinand had been booked as headliners - with Arctic Monkeys also set to feature high up the bill.

Arctic Monkeys had, according to a well placed source, been offered third place on the main stage bill - behind Franz Ferdinand and Kaiser Chiefs - but their management apparently demanded a more prestigious billing, eventually settling on a second stage headlining slot.

Since then Arctic Monkeys fever has gripped Britain with their first major headling tour selling out in minutes and their album becoming the fastest selling debut in UK history.

Their sudden popularity has undoubtedly left organisers of the Reading and Leeds festivals with the welcome dilema of having too many massive bands to keep happy.

After packing out the smaller Carling Tent at Reading and Leeds last year before releasing a single record, it seems unlikely that the band's army of fans could be contained in the second stage tent - despite its capacity of 8,000.

However, if any of the planned main stage headliners were to get shifted down the pecking order it would undoubtedly be Franz Ferdinand - who would probably not be happy about it having headlined V Festival last summer.

Whatever happens, the Reading and Leeds festivals are once again shaping up to be the best live events of the summer in terms of big band lineups - without a single official announcement being made!

Other acts rumoured to be playing include Tool, Editors, Hard Fi, The Strokes, Dirty Pretty Things, Flaming Lips, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Humanzi, Boy Kill Boy, and Secret Machines.

As ever, all the above is based on reliable rumour, inside info, and press reports and nothing can be 100 per cent confirmed until official announcements from organisers Mean Fiddler.

Reading and Leeds festivals takes place at Little Johns Farm, Reading, and Bramham Park, Leeds, from 25-27 August.

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