Alexisonfire

21st Century Reading Appearances: 2009 Main Stage, 2009 Lock Up, 2008 Main Stage, 2006 Lock Up, 2004 Concrete Jungle

The Defining Reading Moment: Cementing their superstardom by pulling double duty, thrilling the main stage in the morning and stealing the show on the Lock Up come the evening.

It has been said that Alexisonfire once described their music as “the sound of two Catholic high-school girls in mid-knife-fight”. Now, I have no idea what that means either, but it definitely sounds like the making of a kick ass band. Although the Post-Hardcore outfit eventually burned out and split this year, they still crammed in five all-energy performances at Reading in their ten year career, including  a Main Stage/Lock Up double slot in 2009. Many may argue that the band had run it’s course, and this year was the right time to split, but the band enjoyed many of their best years at the festival, and who knows? They may be back in some capacity, with all of Dallas Green’s efforts now focused on City And Colour and with Wade MacNeil taking over as vocalist from Reading favourites Gallows. Tom Forster