Disclaimer: This is the editor’s top to bottom overview, in the coming week we will produce in-depth reviews of individual bands from a variety of staff members. So don’t be upset if your favourite band doesn’t get the full treatment first time around.

Gerard Way: Energetic And Sprightly, The Lead Singer Is Like An Anime Super Hero Come To Life

It’s been a long five years for both My Chemical Romance and Reading Festival. In 2006 My Chemical Romance played a quasi-triumphant set surviving a barrage of bottles to warble their way through a hit and miss set ending in a rousing sing-along to their then signature anthem “Helena”. Reading for its part was enjoying an instant sell out, and was still buzzing from the back to back brilliant of Arctic Monkeys and Muse on the Saturday night.

Back then The Black Parade was an unknown, a weird experiment, and an album that the 40,000 strong crowd was yet to hear, let alone love. Within a year My Chemical Romance would top the UK singles chart and Reading would have moved on. Ask any 2006 attendee, even those in MCR shirts, if Gerard Way would ever headline the main stage and they would have undoubtedly have said: “No Friggin’ Way”.

Fast forward five years, and Way is standing, smiling, and basking in admiration as he tells the once spiteful Reading crowd that they “look Ravishing”. Their set, which is a genuine triumph this time around, has a distinctive mood, and it’s that of vindication; for the band, for their fans, and for Reading festival, having finally shed, what was, whether we like to admit it or not, a bad reputation.

Musically MCR come out all guns blazing. After a Better Living Industries countdown they explode with a wildly ragged and propulsive performance of “Na Na Na…”. They maintain the momentum by blowing through an equally chaotic reading of “I’m Not Okay (I Promise)”, and a deliciously buoyant “Planetary (GO!)”. A party atmosphere consumes a noticeably undersold (under-attended) Friday night crowd, but unfortunately the jubilant atmosphere cannot disguise the headliner’s shortcomings.

Gerard Way’s voice doesn’t carry, and while his lightweight vocals aren’t an issue during the band’s big sing-along anthems, the set’s mid section suffers. Leaning heavily on Danger Days… tracks “Destroya”, “Kids Of Yesterday” and “S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W” Way’s voice whimpers rather than booms, and the crowd simply isn’t there to fill the void in the way they were on Black Parade classics “Mama”, “Dead” and “Famous Last Words”.

My Chemical Romance prove weakest on “SING”, which despite the band’s best efforts, struggles to match up to the track’s grandiose ambitions, and “Vampire Money” whose wild swagger descends into a discordant mess. Nevertheless, what the singer lacked in vocal clarity, he makes up for in enthusiasm, becoming Reading’s official party coordinator leading the crowd in song during “Teenagers” and “Helena”, and dance during “Planetary (GO!)”.

Ultimately the divisive outfit saved the best till last, creating their own “Reading Moment” when Brian May, the legendary Queen guitarist, joined My Chemical Romance on stage for a rousing rendition of “We Will Rock You” and the mind-blowing roar-along set closer “Welcome To The Black Parade”. Ray Toro, MCR’s lead guitarist, was clearly having a whale of time, appearing genuinely moved to be playing along side his guitar hero and historic forefather. The band were left smiling from ear to ear, and so was the main stage crowd, a job thoroughly well done. [4.0/5.0]

Jared Leto: Has All The Showman's Tricks, But Not The Depth Voice

If Gerard Way’s vocals were less than imposing then Jared Leto’s were practically inaudible. The Hollywood actor certainly knew how to play the part of a superstar. Dragging fans onstage, leading the crowd in fist pumps, starting chants, and, for a little while, it genuinely appeared that Thirty Seconds To Mars could steal the show. Unfortunately, where Way felt charismatic and genuine, Leto felt forced and phony. The set reached a cringe inducing low, when Leto turned to camera, struck a pose, and after a laughable dramatic pause, removed his sunglasses and winked.

Despite a some serious failings, there was no stopping Thirty Seconds To Mars tonight, and with anthems as glacial in scale as “The Kill” and “Kings And Queens”, the band were destined for success. The hokey showmanship may have been embarrassing at times, but the band created a unifying bond with their audience, possessing just enough hits, and dazzling distractions, to paper over some rather treacherous cracks. [3.0/5.0]

Noodles: Older, Possibly Wiser, But Still Capable Of Producing The Goods

In comparison to tonight’s headline duo The Offspring felt like the weary old men of the Friday line up, but if the band looked timeworn, they certainly didn’t sound dated. Firing through the hits at rapid pace they had the crowd in the palm of their hands as they speed through an Americana heavy set. The Offspring will always be welcome at Reading and Leeds; “Keep ‘Em Seperated” and “Self Esteem” are practically sewn in the fabric of festival. An entirely unsurprising success story, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. [4.0/5.0]

Those who’ve complained that Reading has moved away from its artistic roots towards more populist fare should have found a home on the Festival Republic Stage during a haunting set by The Antlers. Opting for high melodies, melding guitars, and gentle sways, the New York band beefed up their sound ever so slightly without robbing the music of its complexity or poignancy. They started fragile and cautious, but grew in strength to win over a crowd of NME tent refugees with heartbreaking airings of “Putting The Dog To Sleep” and “Wake”. [3.5/5.0]

Kirk Spencer is anything but a typical Reading act: the Nottingham producer has a taste for the sounds of India and a flair for warped electronica. Surprisingly, he won over a skeptical crowd on the BBC Introducing Stage, despite an awkward blaring start, with a series of delicious grooves and some good old fashion hard work by his female MC. He’s far from the finished article, but with an infectious sense of enthusiasm and tunes as inescapable as “Enter The Void” I’m sure he’ll be welcome on the Dance Tent this time next year. [3.0/5.0] Clock Opera on the other hand had the audience in the palm of their hand from the word go, the indie outfit didn’t reinvent the wheel but their Foalsy sound got the crowd clapping in earnest. [3.0/5.0]

The Naked And Famous Make Breaking The UK Look Like A Breeze

Kiwi chart toppers The Naked And Famous were treated to a big and incredibly receptive mid-afternoon NME stage crowd. Showing both poise and nous the band never faltered, controlling the stage and the crowd with slick hits “Young Blood” and “Punching In A Dream”. [3.5/5.0]

Dry The River are the latest band to emerge from London’s burgeoning and remarkably disingenuous neu-folk scene, and while the band possess a rousing live sound and a willing audience, their artistry felt flat and uninspired. Still with this much good will and energy, they could well follow in Mumford & Sons footsteps and shoot up the line up in the years to come. [2.5/5.0]

Mount Kimbie drew a stunningly massive crowd to the dance tent highlighting the strength of the dub-step movement. The dou’s arty leanings may not be overly approachable, but they didn’t scare anyone away, instead garnering a passionate response. A genuine turn up for the books. [3.0/5.0] 

Standing alone and playing under his own name Miles Kane appeared to be taken aback by the rapid mob that greeted him inside the NME tent. He was roared on in true superstar fashion as the crowd ate up quasi-hits like the raucous “Inhaler” and “Rerrange”, unfortunately his ramshackle charm could disguise neither the thinness of his sound nor his lack of ingenuity.  [2.5/5.0]

The Festival Republic Stage rolled into action with two brilliant but entirely contrasting sets on Friday morning. Islet took to the stage, and wowed a crowd of intrigued onlookers with their fusion sound, hoping from ironic raga chants to slamming guitar breakdowns. The sheer inventiveness of their attack had the crowd absorbed from the word go, sounding like Rollo Tomassi from alternate dimension where the band had been raised on the post-punk experimentation of 1979-84 rather than traditional hardcore. [3.5/5.0]

Speaking of hardcore, The Computers were intent to change Punk’s fundamental ethos. Employing his best Johnny Rotten impression, the band’s lead singer rebuked The Pistols’ “No Future” ideology, informing the crowd that he’d seen the future and everything is going to be okay. The Computers might not be the future of Punk, but with the madcap energy of The Hives they may just be genres latest stars. The band were on such a roll that they made a cover of “Surfin’ Bird” not only sound ironic, but visceral and daring. [3.5/5.0]

Strictly Our Opinion: With an ultra-friendly atmosphere, and a relatively spacious (under-attended) site, Friday made for a fine start to the festival. My Chemical Romance delivered, and Brian May’s surprise appearance made tonight a night to remember, even if the music itself couldn’t quite live up to the considerable pageantry.