Rhian Teasdale strides forward on Brixton Academy’s stage, raising her arms either side of her head and flexing her biceps like a prize boxer. It’s a pose that feels like both a challenge and a statement of intent – Wet Leg are back and they’re coming out swinging.
Tonight (May 23) marks the second night of the band’s first UK headline tour in support of their second album, ‘Moisturizer’ (due in July), and presents the Isle Of Wight band in new and improved form. Previously, the group – centred around Teasdale and guitarist Hester Chambers – often looked bemused and in awe of the stages they were performing on and the crowds they were performing to. The whirlwind that started with ‘Chaise Longue’ in 2021 quickly grew to hectic levels, leaving the band little time to settle into their new roles as the next anointed stars of British indie.
Now, though, a shift is evident. New songs like recent single ‘Catch These Fists’ and the swooning indie-pop of ‘Davina McCall’ see Teasdale putting down the guitar and stepping more into the frontwoman role, her moves backed by intention and a fresh confidence that ooze star power. Chambers maintains her position at the back of the stage, happy to stand sideways on to the crowd, but there are glimpses of the pair’s dynamic that started this whole thing during the likes of ‘Being In Love’, when Teasdale joins her friend and bandmate to dance with their guitars in front of the drum riser.
Between songs, the old Wet Leg shine through, too. Teasdale’s banter is still half-mumbled into the microphone and courses with that awe of old. “This is a big room,” she remarks at one point of the 5,000-capacity venue, but it pales in comparison to the stadiums and outdoor spaces they were becoming a fixture in as support act to Harry Styles and Pulp. The band’s performance tonight suggests it’s far from the biggest venue they’ll be seeing as they release and tour this new album.
A good chunk of that record is on display tonight, but frustratingly, many of Teasdale’s vocals are hard to hear. When you can make them out, though, they suggest another album of memorable songwriting. There are kiss-offs in the same vein as those on ‘Wet Leg’’s ‘Ur Mum’. “You think I’m pretty / You think I’m pretty cool / You wanna fuck me / I know, most people do,” she shrugs in the alt-country twang of ‘Mangetout’.
There are also sweet admissions that nod to a new loved-up era. “You’re my sweet baby angel,” Teasdale declares on ‘Davina McCall’. “You know that I would do anything for you / It’s like a dream come true.” When the singer picks up an old-school phone receiver on the closing ‘CPR’ – a jagged, grungy anthem-in-waiting – she cries into it: “I / I / I / I’m in love!”
What Wet Leg excelled at the first time round was whipping crowds up into giddy states with their bouncy indie. The enthusiasm for those songs has only grown stronger since the last time they toured, the “longest and loudest scream” in ‘Ur Mum’ a deafening, venue-wide effort, and every surreal line of ‘Wet Dream’ bellowed back at them with vigour. By the time ‘Chaise Longue’ rolls around, the crowd – and band – are more than warmed up for a suitably spirited version. Sound issues aside, Wet Leg’s return is a knockout.
Wet Leg played:
‘Catch These Fists’
‘Liquidize’
‘Oh No’
‘Being In Love’
‘Wet Dream’
‘Supermarket’
‘Pillow Talk’
‘Davina McCall’
‘Piece Of Shit’
‘Ur Mum’
‘Too Late Now’
‘Jennifer’s Body’
‘Mangetout’
‘Angelica’
‘Chaise Longue’
‘CPR’
LIVE REVIEWS
The closing hours of Reading 2026 have finally arrived. Florence + The Machine brought the rain during ‘Dog Days Are Over’ at The Grid, opening the heavens and leaving the festival site completely soaked. The weary fans who have stayed behind are wet, exhausted and clearly feeling the effects of the weekend. What they need now is one final enormous celebration to make the wait worthwhile.
The Gallery tent comes alive as the speakers blast ‘Favourite’ by Friday’s headliners and fellow countrymen Fontaines D.C., receiving the kind of reaction usually reserved for ‘Mr Brightside’ at a drunken wedding reception. Moments later, Kneecap display their familiar statement accusing Israel of carrying out genocide against the people of Palestine and Lebanon, with support from the UK government. It captures the Belfast rap trio perfectly, combining serious political messages with an unapologetic party atmosphere.
“We use our platform to talk about what we believe is right,” Mo Chara explains during the performance, before recognising those who “aren’t so fucking lucky” and whose voices have been suppressed. He soon encourages the audience to roar “fuck Netanyahu” and “free free Palestine”. Later, he starts a powerful chant of “Aaaaaa-ndy Buuurn-ham’s a waaaaaaan-ker” to the melody of ‘Seven Nation Army’, targeting our new Prime Minister over his claim that “a united Ireland is off the table”. Laughing, he asks: “The BBC won’t broadcast that, or will they?” As it turned out, they did not.
Away from the headlines and the controversy, there is no denying the connection Kneecap have built with their audience. Politics may shape the conversation, but the crowd also came to enjoy themselves, ready for a rave after the rally. The performance begins carefully with the heavy rumble of ‘Smugglers & Scholars’, before exploding during the Grian Chatten collaboration ‘Better Way To Live’ and the threatening energy of ‘Sick In The Head’. “Are ya ready for a mad one?” Mo Chara shouts. The response is already obvious.
The atmosphere becomes increasingly chaotic as the hip hop rhythm of ‘Cold At The Top’ and the hypnotic trance sounds of ‘An Ra’ send the entire tent into motion. The trio jokingly thank the UK for everything it has given Ireland, listing UKIP, fish and chips, a mental health crisis, Jimmy Saville, HP Sauce and Bloody Sunday. However, the show reaches another level once the second half begins. The explosive ‘Sayonara’ brings the ‘beef’ to ‘IBEEFA’, while ‘Get Your Brits Out’ and ‘Guilty Conscience’ give the crowd every reason to obey Móglaí Bap’s demand to “oooopen up the piiiiiit”.
Anyone watching closely may have questioned why the cameras continued to focus on Móglaí Bap and Mo Chara. The pair eventually reveal that they have spent recent weeks performing alongside a “provisional” DJ Próvai. Wearing the familiar tricolour balaclava, the temporary replacement handles his role as the crowd agitator with confidence while their bandmate enjoys some paternity leave. “Some things are more important than music, and that’s family,” they explain. How sweet. Móglaí Bap quickly destroys the tender moment by adding: “As you might know, the Brits took all our potatoes from Ireland; they took all our cocaine,” before declaring, “but we still have all our caaandy.” The group then charge directly into one of the biggest tracks ever written about extremely powerful ketamine.
‘Liar’s Tale’ sparks another huge reaction with its response to Keir Starmer, “genocide armer”, while the group warn that “you’re not getting away with doing nothing”. It is a politically charged message hidden inside an irresistible anthem from musicians who have experienced the “belly of the beast” through the legal system. Their latest album, ‘Fenian’, has helped Kneecap fully embrace the celebration that has always been part of their identity. Their live production now feels capable of filling arenas, blending the intimacy of a late night lock in with the rhythmic force and visual scale of The Chemical Brothers, the reckless electronic punk spirit of The Prodigy, and the fearless political honesty of Public Enemy. The spectacular visuals complete the experience.
Kneecap fans at Reading 2026. Credit: Andy Ford for NME
Kneecap fans at Reading 2026. Credit: Andy Ford for NME
Closing with the powerful combination of ‘Fenian’, ‘H.O.O.D.’ and the enormous ‘The Recap’, Kneecap bring our final celebration at Reading to a thrilling conclusion while also finishing their last festival appearance of the summer. “It’s been a pleasure to spend it with you mad c**ts,” Mo Chara says before leaving the stage. The feeling is mutual.
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