Lovely Reading and The 1234

Artrockers,
I had a lovely day in Reading this week, yes you did read right, I did say Reading, not a name that comes naturally to the lips when talking of lovely days out I must admit, but go there with somebody who knows the place and the hidden delights are revealed. We're based in Shoredith's Rivington Street but our design department resides in the aforementioned Reading, that's why I was there, we're in the process of re-birthing the magazine into a new and groovier product for a September re-launch, and the process starts with design. And having spent a sweaty day at the computer-face we decided to toddle off down the road in search of sustenance, ideally delivered in a pub enviroment. And right at the bottom of the road is The Kennet and Avon canal where it leaves the Thames, and right beside the canal, with a fine view of the disused gasomoeter is a fine little hostlery with it's own ale. Sure, this is a post-industrial area since Huntley and Palmer moved out, it's not some sort of rural idyll evoked by near neighbours like Datchet, Oxford or The Cotswolds, in fact it reminds me of Leicester or even parts of Salford, but those are the places I like, as a child of post-punk and a refugee from the Midlands I revel in empty factories and crumbling warehouses - they smell like opportunity, they are devoid of ponsification, they are, in short, real, and sometimes London, and specifically Shoreditch, is anything but.
However, this weekend there'll be a mighty ruckus going on there, something very real, it's The 1234 Festival featuring the Artrocker & Jagermeister New Bands Stage with; BO NINGEN / VERONICA FALLS / FLATS / DARK HORSES / THRUSH METAL / MARIA AND THE MIRRORS / THE PRE NEW / THE RULING CLASS/ RANDOM IMPULSE / NECRO DEATHMORT / PULL IN EMERGENCY / INVASION / TURBOGEIST. A full festival program is available on the festival web site: http://www.the1234shoreditch.com

I seem to recall there's something similar that happens in Reading every year....But the 1234 it aint.

Tom Artrocker