Over this past weekend, the twin premiere U.K. festivals known as Reading and Leeds overtook the English countryside as acts like Smashing Pumpkins, Nine Inch Nails, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Fall Out Boy, Panic! at the Disco and dozens of British buzz bands took turns rocking out in the two cities (more than 150,000 people packed the events, known as Carling Weekend, combined). Festival-goers and bands were treated to uncharacteristically sunny weather, which meant that celebrity attendees like Kelly Osbourne got to wear snazzy heels instead of wellies. And despite some artists exchanging words before the concerts even got underway, the event went off almost totally violence- (and beef-) free.
The three-day weekend’s standout moments: Billy Corgan crooning an acoustic version of “1979″; Fall Out Boy delivering covers of Michael Jacksons “Beat It” and Huey Lewis “The Power of Love.” Less electric moments: Anthony Kiedis accidentally unplugging a crucial cable resulting in sound problems for the remainder of his bands set; Panic! at the Disco getting pelted with detritus for the second fest in a row. Last year, Panic! frontman Brendon Urie was briefly knocked out after being hit by a bottle; this year bassist Jon Walker received only a mild nick. “I was happy to take one for the band,” Walker told the NME. Take our bottle-free visual tour of the action at Reading and Leeds via our Carling Weekend photo gallery.


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