The first day of Are You Listening? 2025 saw crowds flock to a Reading town centre church for an evening of music and fun.
Sprints headlined the evening, held at Saint Laurence’s in Blagrave Street.
The garage punk band visited from Dublin, and they are a group that’s on the rise.
Their debut album Letter to Self made the Top 20 chart, while they have supported IDLES and Pixies. They also performed at Glastonbury, End of the Road and All Together Now festivals, making their appearance at Are You Listening? quite the coup.
Letter To Self has received five-star reviews from the likes of NME, DIY and Dork. It is said to have resonated deeply with a fervent, diverse audience for its dark and deeply introspective songs.
The band say they have a goal of forging a purity of musical expression – one which arises from community and connection.
In a piece on their website, band member Chubb notes: “We are doing all of this with compassion for each other and the people we play music for. That’s something to be really proud of.”
The night opened with a performance by Manchester based synth-punk-risers Yaang. They gave a high energy set that delighted their fans.
Also performing was Mandrake Handshake, a band described as a “technicolour whirlwind where krautrock, art-pop, and a dash of flamboyant charm swirl together into something truly unpredictable”.
The Oxford-Buckinghamshire-based musical collective perform unique sets with every show, and this was no exception.
In between the sets, DJ Tracks & Grooves kept the sell-out crowd dancing.
Siren Craft Brew had a pop-up bar at Are You Listening?, selling its unique beers brewed just down the road in Finchampstead.
In a post on social media, the Are You Listening? team wrote: “Incredible opening night last night at St Laurence Church thanks to Sprints Mandrake Handshake and YAANG”.
What is happening on Saturday, May 10 at Are You Listening? festival?
A full list and stage times are available on the Are You Listening website, https://www.areyoulistening.org.uk/stage-times/
Music starts in Market Place from noon with a performance by Ben Marwood, while Saint Laurence’s opens the day at 12.15pm with Tigers on Vaseline.
The Purple Turtle comes on board from 2.15pm with House of Women,
The Face Bar at 2.45pm with Skunkworm.
Sub89 welcomes Doops from 4.30pm, while the Will McCrea Trio start at 5.45pm at Milk.
Last out of the blocks is South Street, which hosts music from 7pm thanks to Nostromo.
Market Place acts
- Noon Ben Marwood
- 12.45pm Tracks & Grooves
- 1.15pm Kah’nya
- 1.45pm Tracks & Grooves
- 2.15pm Henjila
- 2.45pm Tracks & Grooves
- 3.15pm Ma Bessie
- 3.45pm Tracks & Grooves
- 4.15pm Harmonic Motion
- 4.45pm Tracks & Grooves
- 5.15pm Cholly
- 5.45pm Tracks & Grooves
- 6.00pm Oh Dear
Saint Laurence’s
- 12.15pm Tigers on Vaseline
- 12.45pm Y
- 1.15pm Tigers on Vaseline
- 1.45pm Zyad Al-Samman
- 2.15pm Tigers on Vaseline
- 2.45pm Honeyglaze
- 3.30pm Tigers on Vaseline
- 4pm Dog Unit
- 4.45pm Tigers on Vaseline
- 5.15pm Joshua Idehen
- 6pm Tigers on Vaseline
- 6.30pm Nathan Fake
- 7.15pm Tigers on Vaseline
- 8pm Master Peace
The Purple Turtle
- 2.15pm House of Women
- 3.15pm The Dazed Minded
- 4.15pm Magnolia
- 5.15pm Human Interest
- 6.15pm Tukan now playing a longer set
7.15pm Makeshift Art Barare no longer able to perform- 8.30pm Clt Drp
The Face Bar
- 2.45pm Skunkworm
- 3.45pm Benefits
- 5pm Pej
- 6pm Truck Violence
- 7pm The Pink Diamond Revue
- 8pm Alien Chicks
- 9pm Thick Richard
- 9.30pm AK/DK
- 10.45pm Man/Woman/Chainsaw
Sub89
- 4.30pm Doops
- 5.30pm Black Fondu
- 6.30pm Shelf Lives
- 7.30pm Coach Party
- 9pm Big Special
Milk
- 5.45pm Will McCrea Trio
- 6.15pm Paul Vinyl
- 6.45pm Josh Roberts
- 7.15pm Paul Vinyl
- 7.45pm Bethia
- 8.15pm Paul Vinyl
- 8.45pm Miette
- 9.30pm Tracks & Grooves
- 10.15pm Means of Production
- 11pm Mat Carter
- 11.30pm Nathan Fake DJ set
- 1am Mat Carter
South Street
- 7pm Nostromo
- 8pm Paige Kennedy
- 9pm White Magic For Lovers
- 10pm Anna Erhard
What is the age range for Are You Listening venues?
All venues except Milk and The Purple Turtle allow people aged 14 upwards to attend, as long as they are accompanied by an adult.
Milk and The Purple Turtle are for over 18s only.
How much are tickets for Are You Listening? and where can I get them from?
Are you Listening? has teamed up with Gigantic.com to sell tickets for the two-day festival.
Friday night tickets cost £27.50, or £20 for teenagers. Four adult tickets can be bought in a group for £25 each. These are expected to sell out in advance, so don’t expect them to be available on the door.
Saturday tickets cost £44.50, or £25 for teenagers. A community pass allows access to the smaller venues for £29.50, while a four-adult pass costs £39.50 per person.
For more details, log on to: https://areyoulistening.gigantic.com/are-you-listening-festival-tickets
All pictures: Dijana Capan/DVision Images
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