Reading first rocked 50 years ago (although its origins go back even further), but at times this year the genre has felt almost peripheral, as the festival moves on – as festivals that last for five decades must do – to new sounds and thrills. But not tonight. Biffy Clyro stand loud and proud on the Main Stage, after dark in front of a massive crowd and armed with an even bigger sound. They’ve brought along a spectacular light show, but really this is Biffy unadorned, notwithstanding Simon Neil’s decision to play the world’s greatest festival while wearing your Nan’s curtains. Thankfully, they’re soon jettisoned in favour of his naked torso, and the set also triumphs based on the bare essentials: guitar, bass, drums, vocals, passion, tunes. So Mountains and Many Of Horror provide the big emotional moments, Living Is A Problem Because Everything Dies and Cop Syrup hammer down hard as hard as anything from the last 50 festivals and Simon is visibly moved. “Savour this moment, because we don’t know what’s around the corner,” he warns before a final, supremely poignant Machines ('I’ve forgotten how good it could be to feel alive') and everyone here will surely treasure it forever. Reading still rocks and nobody does it better than Biffy Clyro. (MS)