Reading Festival 1980s Decade

Reading Festival followed a similar format to that established in the late 1970s during this decade, with large crowds flocking to see the era's leading rock and heavy metal acts perform on the last two days, on the opening day, with a more varied lineup including punk and new wave bands.

The Conservative Party-led local council effectively banned the festival by reclaiming the festival site for 'development' and refusing to grant licences for any alternative sites in the Reading area in 1984 and 1985. The promoters tried in vain to salvage what they could but a proposed move to Lilford Hall in Northamptonshire failed (the proposed bill was published in Soundcheck free music paper issue 12 as: Friday 24th August - Hawkwind, Boomtown Rats, Snowy White, The Playn Jayn, Dumpy's Rusty Nuts, Wildfire, Chelsea Eloy, Tracy Lamb, New Torpedoes (sic); Saturday 25th - Jethro Tull, Hanoi Rocks, Steve Hackett, Nazareth, Twelfth Night, Thor, Silent Running, New Model Army, IQ, The Roaring Boys, She; Sunday 26th - Marillion, Grand Slam, The Bluebells, Helix, Clannad, The Opposition, The Enid, Young Blood, Scorched Earth, Terraplane). The resulting gap in the British festival calendar kick-started the rise of the minor CND benefit event at Glastonbury from obscure beginnings as a "hippie" festival in the 1970s.

In 1986 after Labour regained control of the council, permission was given for fields adjacent to the original festival site to be used, with a line-up put together at just three months notice. The following year saw a record attendance at what was considered by some to be the last of the "classic" rock years of the festival, with headlining acts such as The Mission, Alice Cooper and Status Quo. Disastrous attempt to take the festival in a mainstream commercial pop direction in 1988, dominated by the likes of Starship, Squeeze, Bonnie Tyler and Meat Loaf (who was "bottled" off stage), and the ensuing recriminations eventually saw the ousting of original festival promoter Harold Pendleton by the Mean Fiddler Music Group organization.

Pendleton initially tried to continue at a new site near Newbury using the name "Redding Festival" but this failed to take off. Meanwhile, the official Reading Festival, now under Mean Fiddler guidance, continued at the Thames-side site in Reading, pursuing an almost completely Goth and indie music policy that alienated much of the traditional fan base and saw attendances continue to fall. The future of the festival looked in doubt at this point. However, things were to improve from 1992 onwards as the festival broadened its musical policy and attendances gradually increased.

Reading Festival 2011 was held on 26 August 2011. Now get ready for Reading Festival 2012 with new passion and enthusiasm on 23-26 August 2012. So secure your Reading Festival Tickets from our registered Gigsport site at cheap prices.

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