Where and when: NME/Radio 1 stage, Saturday, 3.40pm, Reading
Dress codification: It's a slip back to the 80s - or, at least, a chanceful jumble browse from the 80s. Guitarist Will Rees is sporting guitar-shaped Elton John spectacles, a pinko suit and green Doc Martens, whereas singer Blaine wears an aqua-green sport jacket topped with a string of pearls.
Who's watching: A surprisingly laddish crowd, world Health Organization seem up for getting lairy to, er, sensitive songs about knitting babies' shoes. Also, the bulk of the site's adolescent girls ar here in full fluoro get-up. Must be those sexy aqua-green blazers.
In a nutshell: After cancelling a string of summer fete appearances, it's great to see Blaine Harrison back onstage (he'd been receiving hospital treatment for a condition relating to his spina bifida). But today is mayhap not the triumphant render we hoped for, marred as it is by terrible acoustics and a crowd world Health Organization just don't seem motivated to take part in the stately art of chucking beer around and damaging their vocal chords. Sure, everyone goes risky towards the end for Two Doors Down, only we've been taking notes and, compared to yesterday's Richter scale-registering reaction to MGMT's big hits, it's barely a rumble.
High point: Blaine's vocals sound on the verge of break down during a tender rendition of Flakes.
Low point: We tested three different locations but the well-grounded still sucked the big one.
How hard did they rock?: Not very, unless your idea of rock involves a lot of distorted basso.
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