Charli xcx Unveils 3-Storey Reading Set as 14-Month Reset Recasts Her Festival Show
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Aug 29
Charli xcx Unveils 3-Storey Reading Set as 14-Month Reset Recasts Her Festival Show
2 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Aug 29
Summary
Reading Festival got Charli xcx’s only UK festival appearance of the summer, with the singer delivering her biggest live production yet on a three-storey scaffolding stage backed by a full band and dancers.
Most of the set drew from two albums released in the past 14 months, especially last month’s Music, Fashion, Film, which marked a sharp turn from Brat’s rave pulse toward glitchy micro-rock and darker themes.
New songs such as Rock Music, Card Declined, House and Playboy Bunny framed the show’s monochrome late-2000s aesthetic, while a brief run through Brat hits including Von Dutch and Guess triggered the loudest crowd response.
The performance closed on Nothing Lasts Forever, looping David Cronenberg’s voice over a stark tableau that underlined the review’s verdict: no banter, no compromise, and a full commitment to Charli’s new era.