So the Lock-Up Stage has been announced, and now that we’ve had a couple of days to take a breather and assess the aftermath, I’m glad that we only got under half of our guesses correct, as we’ve been treated to one hell of a line-up. It’s great to see that you can’t fully predict the stage, no matter how many bands are on tour in the run-up to the festival.

While Pennywise were mentioned on the preview, it was silly of us to forget about The Black Pacific, the current project of ex-Pennywise vocalist Jim Lindberg. We’re glad to see Teenage Bottlerocket on the line-up, who were good enough to step up to the plate last week and put on a free show at the last minute after Descendents cancelled their show. Ska-punk is in full force during the weekend, with appearances from The Mighty Mighty Bosstones,  Mouthwash and The King Blues, plus we also have the incredible surprise from Bedouin Soundclash, who will be gracing us with their fun brand of reggae.

This year has truly turned out to be the best Lock-Up that I have seen, both since my beginnings as a Reading Festival attendee in 2008, and since the birth of the stage. Heck, this line-up would give the old Concrete Jungle stage a run for it’s money too!

There is one major downside however, that due to the Lock-Up being on Reading Saturday/Sunday and Leeds Friday/Sunday, we are now faced with some major clashes between the headliners. Anyone who was considering to watch Muse play “Origin Of Symmetry” in full may now have to consider whether a rare performance by a band that can be caught on a year-by-year basis is worth sacrificing in order to see one of the very few performances by Descendents, a band that seldom tours at all anymore, let alone performs at Reading and Leeds.

Then we have the ultimate rock fan’s nightmare on the Reading Saturday and Leeds Sunday , with three stages of great headliners to choose from. Over on the mainstage we have New York’s 21st century indie pioneers The Strokes, whilst over on the NME stage we have alternative legends Jane’s Addiction and on the Lock-up we have Ska-Core party band The Mighty Mighty Bosstones. This has already been conceived as a major problem for fans, especially as many aren’t too pleased by the headliner picks on Reading’s Friday and Leeds’ Saturday to choose from. Can we not swap Beady Eye for Jane’s Addiction, please?

With the brief analysis aside, let us take a look at five of the bands playing the Lock-Up in August that we are excited to see announced this year.

1. Capdown

If there’s one band I should start with, then it has to be Capdown. The Milton Keynes Ska-punk collective were at the forefront of the modern British ska-punk boom that emerged in the first half of the last decade, showing politcal prowess yet still providing the fun that you would expect from American ska-punk. Whilst the band have split and reformed since their show in 2007, they have not lost the energy, showing that at Slam Dunk last year why they were and still are one of the big inspirations behind many punk bands around today.

2. Comeback Kid

Canadian hardcore band Comeback Kid hold nothing back when it comes to their live show. Founding member, former guitarist and now lead vocalist Andrew Neufeld kicks up a storm as the band arrives to the stage, waiting in silence until drums kick in for “False Idols Fall“, to which he unleashes fury, as do the audience in participation. Fans of the older material won’t be disappointed, as the last tour played host to a majority of songs from “Turn It Around” and “Wake The Dead“. It’s crazy to think that a band that started out as a side project to Andrew and Jeremy’s previous band, Figure Four, but regardless, they have turned the project into an established name on the hardcore scene, and their first time arrival at Reading/Leeds will be welcome with open arms by long time fans, prospectively winning many new ones in the process.

3. Your Demise

It hasn’t been an easy ride for Your Demise, with previous vocalist George Noble ditching the band just months after the release of 2009 album “Ignorance Never Dies“. Fortunately, Ed McCrae stood up to the challenge, and while his vocals didn’t completely fit the style of the 2009 record whilst out on tour, they were able to adjust their sound to a more melodic-hardcore take on the genre, releasing latest album “The Kids We Used To Be” last year. Receiving top reviews by the leading magazines, it’s great to see that they’ve found their feet again, and are ready to take the lock-up by storm with their live show that is renowned for being wild. Get tracks like “Miles Away” and “Life Of Luxury” on the go, and then go check them out at Reading or Leeds this summer as they show you that they are undeniably on top form at the moment.

4. Hot Water Music

A definite favourite amongst the punk fans here at Strictly, it’s great to see that Hot Water Music have finally been given the nod to play Reading and Leeds. Having been already treated to Chuck Ragan‘s solo set in 2009 and getting a warm reception in return, it’s good to see that along with other side project The Draft getting good feedback from their 2007 performance, that Hot Water Music feel ready to bring their incredible brand of post-hardcore to the metaphorical punk rock table.

5. Sharks

While some may know the band as being 2009′s dial-a-support to all the punk rock household names, popularity has worked in their favour recently, having toured extensively and recently releasing compilation album “The Joys Of Living 2008 – 2010“, the band are really pushing to make a name for themselves in the scene before setting off to make their full length debut. If you like your punk rock fast, heavy and loud, then be sure to check out these guys tear the Lock-Up a new one!