1992 : The Year Reading Peaked + Super Mario Kart 18th Birthday Party!

Event information

n late August 1992, on a rainy Sunday evening on a farm in Berkshire, UK, Kurt Cobain was pushed out on a big stage in a wheelchair - an ironic riposte to his widely reported health problems - to perform what must surely be the greatest ever performance at the Reading Festival.
Halfway across the globe in Japan, on the preceeding Friday, what was, and almost certainly still is, the best multiplayer video game of all time - Super Mario Kart - was released.
And so, on Saturday 28th August 2010, we bring these two momentous occasions together in one room, 18 years on, for a celebration of how it used to be.

BANANIRVANA - Live Nirvana Karaoke Band!
At 10pm, a live trio of stonking rock musicians take to the stage to form Bananirvana - the world's greatest Nirvana tribute - for one night only. Jon is Krist Novoselic on bass, Dan is Dave Grohl on drums, and Sam is Kurt Cobain's hands on guitar.
And Kurt's voice? Well in addition to some very special indie-rock celebrities on guest vocals, this is YOU!
A 20 song set will be played, picking the best of the actual Nirvana set on the night, and every song will feature a different singer. Applications for potential Kurts are open to anyone, male or female, we just ask the following things :
1) That you can actually sing a bit, preferably with live stage experience.
2) That you will learn your song properly beforehand and not be (too) silly while performing it.
3) That you bring a few mates along to share in your wonderful rock and roll experience.
Please contact fourorfivemagicians[at]hotmail[dot]co[dot]uk to apply for Kurtship, saying a little bit why you'd make a good Kurt, and indicating your song preferences. The original set is here : http://www.setlist.fm/setlist/nirvana/1992/reading-festival-reading-england-13d6e101.html . No songs that are
not on this setlist will be performed on the night!

4 or 5 MAGICIANS...as Manic Street Preachers
Brighton five-piece 4 or 5 Magicians are more exciting than the prospect of Paul Daniels actually fulfilling his long-running promise to leave the country under a Labour regime. With lyrics so slick they make Alex Turner sound like a spluttering old colonel struggling with a cream bun and equal parts lo-fi bedroom fuzz and glorious art-pop melody (think Supergrass meets Shellac) we're struggling to think of one solitary loser who won't like this band. They're going to be the new Manic Street Preachers, but with less tights and eye-liner.' NME (Tip for the Top, Jan 2009)
www.myspace.com/4or5magicians

APPLICANTS...as EMF
Techinicolour splattercore as if played by dinosaurs with gnarly claws.
'The intercontinental Applicants... parallel universe popstars with a fondness for fake blood and liver-destroying quantities of booze, and that's just on the bus to the the gig. Bring your own serviettes - it's going to get messy' The Guardian Guide
www.myspace.com/applicants

KANNBERG 1664..as Pavement
Reunited for one show (after a successful show at the recent Pavement alldayer), Alexei from Johnny Foreginer, Craig from Internet Forever, Aaron from Eelectricity and Lust, and Dan from 4 or 5 Magicians join forces for ten top tunes from Stockton, California's finest.

AMY BLUE ..as Smashing Pumpkins
AMY BLUE make beautiful, dark and electrifying music that's different from every band you've heard this year, or last decade. Pitchfork said they were 'pretty clever actually'. SPIN like them. Billy Corgan liked them enough to not take them to court so it's quite fitting the throw in a couple of Pumpkins covers.
www.myspace.com/amyblue

ME AND MY SISTER..as Bjorn Again
are made up of, err, two sisters: Vicki and Becky... or VECKY as they are sometimes called. They sound like the missing link between Britney and Death Cab For Cutie; perfect for some twisted Abba covers!
www.myspace.com/meandmysistermusic

THE SUPER MARIO KART COMPETITION
Shortly after doors at 4pm, we will set in motion a massive Super Mario Kart competition. All are welcome to join in, simply register your interest at fourorfivemagicians[at]hotmail[dot]co[dot]uk . The overall winner will receive an amazing star prize that we haven't really thought of yet. But it will be amazing. Probably.
There will also be a seperate TV and SNES set up featuring classic games such as Street Fighter II, Mortal Kombat, and NBA Jam for people to play each other at all night.

BBQ
We couldn't leave the BBQ of the bill, so this special attraction starts at 5pm. It's included in the price, which incidentally is probably less than the cost of a burger at Reading!