Reading & Leeds Festivals’ most shocking moments from emo star knock out and Meat Loaf’s nose break to POOING on stage

READING and Leeds Festivals have staged some of the most iconic alternative music performances ever. Nirvana’s headline slot in 1992 is the stuff of rock legend as frontman Kurt Cobain dressed in a hospital robe and was pushed in front of the crowd in a wheelchair before collapsing — a dig at the speculation around his health and addiction issues — before launching into a frenzied Breed. Kurt Cobain’s arrival onstage at Reading in 1992 remains the festival’s most iconic moment Credit: Getty Arctic Monkeys had the Carling Stage bouncing before releasing their debut album in 2005 Credit: Getty While Arctic Monkeys, on the much smaller Carling Stage in 2005, months before the release of their era-defining debut album, acknowledged the buzz around the set as “a moment”. But over the years, crowds haven’t always been so favourable and eager to eat up the tunes. Sign up for the Showbiz newsletter Thank you! Performers who strayed too far from the festivals’ alt-rock focused line-ups often had a torrid time that saw many cut their sets short. We’ve taken a look at some of the festivals’ most outrageous moments and the acts who ended up in R&L folklore for the wrong reasons. READ MORE ON READING FESTIVAL KNOCKED OUT Brendon Urie was knocked unconscious by a bottle at Reading in 2006 Credit: YouTube/CommonRevolt Panic At The Disco! were riding an emo-pop wave when they headed over from the States to play the festivals. The I Write Sins Not Tragedies band, fronted by Brendon Urie, were in for culture shock when they stepped onto the main stage in 2006. Just seconds into their opener, Urie was whacked in the face by a bottle and rendered unconscious and in need of medical assistance. What happened next ingratiated him into the festival family though, as he bravely declared, “You can’t take me out. Let’s see how well you guys do with my left side,” and went on to finish the set. Most read in Showbiz SECURITY BREACH Megan Thee Stallion encouraged fans to climb onto the main stage during her set Credit: Getty Megan Thee Stallion wasn’t content with just playing the festivals in 2022, she wanted to take over. The sassy American rapper flooded the stage with her fans — dubbed Hotties — leaving security on the front row flapping to contain the chaotic scenes. Megan revelled in the madness and encouraged more fans to join her as they all danced and twerked. The saucy set featured plenty to get down and dirty to from WAP to Sweetest Pie, Hot Girl Summer and Freak Nasty. ON HIS LOAF Meat Loaf had his nose broken by cider bottle in 1988 Credit: Alamy Projectiles haven’t just been reserved for young upstarts peddling the latest sounds. Even rock and roll legends have had their share of wars with the audience. Theatrical crooner Meat Loaf stuck up for his power-balladeering peer Bonnie Tyler in 1988 after she was given a hard time on the Reading stage earlier in the day. Meat was left the stage during his opening number after being greeted with projectiles. He plucked up the courage to come back out and tried to change the mood with his classic hit Bat Out of Hell, but it was to no avail and he soon felt the full force of a two-litre cider bottle that smashed into his face and allegedly broke his nose, causing him to leave the stage after just 20 minutes. EX JIBE Chappell Roan brought her larger than life persona to Reading and Leeds last year Credit: Avalon.red Chappell Roan’s performances can never be described as subtle and her headline slot at Reading last year had all the drama her fans have come to love and expect. She got the ultimate revenge on an ex by taking a raunchy dig at them in front of the huge main stage crowd. Before performing track My Kink is Karma, Chappell gave a shout out to the ex-lover, who happened to be in the crowd, while fondling her boobs in a lacy bra. She told the ravenous audience: “I dedicate this song to my ex, who is in the crowd tonight.” Chappell did similar the year before at Lollapalooza after learning an ex had been bragging about their romance in a hometown bar. She said: “This is a message for your fiancée: You should break up!” OH S**T Dillinger Escape Plan’s Greg Puciato pooed onstage in 2002 Credit: Getty Dillinger Escape Plan’s frontman quite literally took a dump on the Reading Festival audience in 2002. The act of fecal defiance was so shocking that festival organisers threatened to ban the band for life — but they returned two years later and again in 2016. Midway through the set, Greg Puciato pulled down his kecks and pooed into a bag. He declared: “This is a bag of s**t. You’re going to see a lot of it today,” before hurling it into the audience. The rocker then smeared himself in his own excrement and completed the band’s pummelling set. CUT-OFF Axl Rose paid the price for being late to the stage in 2010 Credit: Getty Guns N’ Roses frontman Axl Rose was renowned for taking to the stage late back in the day. For a festival running to a strict curfew, there were undoubtedly squeaky bums behind the scenes in 2010 when a few delayed minutes turned into 15, 15 into 30 and 30 into an hour, before Axl finally took to the stage with his bandmates. There was little boss Melvin Benn could do but shut down the overrunning set midway through 80s classic Paradise City in the encore. Axl protested by trying to finish the anthem using a megaphone, but it lacked the oomph provided by the powerful sound system. BOTTLE JOB 50 Cent refused to continue after being pelted with bottles in 2004 Credit: Alamy Four years earlier Daphne & Celeste battled through a similar situation Credit: YouTube/duncy21 Two of the most eyebrow-raising signings of the noughties were novelty pop duo Daphne & Celeste and superstar rapper 50 Cent. Though one of the biggest stars on the planet at the time, Fiddy’s gangster rap wasn’t the right fit for the heavy rock bill and the New Yorker was pelted with bottles. Like Meat Loaf before him, 50 had had enough by the 20-minute mark and hurled his mic into the crowd before walking off. Daphne & Celeste might have been smaller in stature but they showed more bottle to complete their 2000 set while being pelted with projectiles. They even found the courage to give insults back while their nifty bottle-dodging ended up winning round the audience and earning them cult hero status. Comment now