Maximo Park - Reading 2005
This was a classic example of the festival stage running order working a treat for all concerned. Hal had just played their laid back, summery pop and it was time for the rocket up the backside treatment. Maximo Park duly delivered with one of the stand out sets of the whole weekend.
Opening with ‘Signal and Signed’, they proceeded to work through the majority of tracks from their debut record ‘A Certain Trigger’. ‘Graffiti’ and ‘I Want You to Stay’ were the big hitters mid way through the set, with the biggest reaction being saved for ‘Going Missing’ that rounded it all off.
It’s been a hell of a year for Maximo Park; sell out tours and festival appearances in far-flung places, singles making it onto daytime radio and a Mercury Music Prize nomination for the album. They seemed genuinely touched by the love that has been shown to them, and that was shown to them at Reading, Paul Smith has to be one of the most humble of front men. As well as this he had an amusing way of name checking the songs they would play as he announced a number of the titles in what can best be described as a way not dissimilar to an MC at a boxing match, or PA announcer at football and, although not needed, could have helped get an excitable crowd buzzing even more.
Sunday on the Radio 1 stage was made up of many of the alternative acts that have caused a real storm over the last twelve months, Maximo Park’s set was certainly one of the most popular.