Fred Again.. was pretty much the perfect artist to soundtrack this new, post-COVID world.
His introspective, vulnerable lyrics speak of anxiety, uncertainty and a resilient lust for life while the glitching rave offers a much-needed sense of euphoria. 2021’s debut album Actual Life made Fred Again..
. the hottest name in dance but he quickly broke out of that scene as well, helped by a mesmerising sunset slot at Glastonbury last year and a headline gig at Coachella 2024 alongside drum & bass hellraiser Skrillex and electro maestro Four Tet. This summer, Fred Again.
.’s been busy helping a number of European festivals break all-time attendance records. It’s been a rapid rise to the top, which is perhaps why Saturday night’s headline slot at Reading Festival saw Fred Again.
.cling so desperately to intimacy. “Holy shit, I’m nervous,” he admitted early on during his biggest UK gig yet.
The show started with him in the middle of the crowd on a floating platform for the laser-strewn “Turn On The Lights Again..” while the clever production used the various speaker stacks dotted across the arena, which made the absolutely massive audience feel as close to the action as possible.
That closeness was showcased throughout the show as well. Sarah Benaim’s tumblr poem “Explaining My Depression To My Mother: A Conversation” was turned into an atmospheric interlude while Fred Again..
encouraged the crowd to repeat the mantra “I’ll let you take a piece of me, I hope .