The latest additions to this year’s Reading and Leeds Festivals have been announced and amongst the fresh batch of acts is the former My Chemical Romance frontman, who will play his first live shows as a solo artists at this year’s dual mega-event. Gerard Way’s iconic band had recently become defunct after mutually deciding to lay the group to bed. The multi-million record selling giants of emo rock recently released a greatest hits album entitled May Death Never Stop You but have failed to announce any farewell tour dates, much to the chagrin of their huge and loyal fanbase.

Gerard Way At NME Awards
Gerard Way Is Heading to Leeds and Reading

His Reading and Leeds performances will herald a new chapter in the singer’s career as he puts the finishing touches on an eagerly-awaited solo album, the direction of which is still shrouded in mystery. The musician and prolific comic book artist has directed fans to his new website, which features a brief snippet of an as-yet unnamed song.

The project arrives alongside the inclusion of a song for the new Kevin Smith film, Tusk. The song is a version of an 16th Century English folk song entitled ‘Oh, Waly, Waly’ which Smith described as an “achingly beautiful, haunting declaration of undying, hopeless love” in a recent interview. Way will play on the NME/Radio 1 stage alongside the likes of Metronomy, Warpaint and The Courteeners.

Other acts announced for the cavernous confines of the NME/Radio 1 stage are rapper Schoolboy Q, soul-inflicted vocalist Maverick Sabre, Aussie party-punk duo DZ Deathrayz and sensitive post-hardcore types La Dispute.

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The Festival Republic stage, always a cesspool of hotly-tipped emerging talent has added the likes of King Charles, Southern, We Are Scientists, The Amazing Snakeheads, American Authors, Little Matador, The Minutes. Leaders of Men, The Sunshine Underground, The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart, Sivu, Drowners, Lucious and last but not least, Saint Raymond.

The Radio 1 dance tent has also fattened its line-up with the new inclusion of Sigma, Indiana, RUFUS, Panama, Kove, Mø, Lxury and Billion. Meanwhile, The Pit (formerly known as the Lock Up Stage) has added We Came As Romans, Crosses, Muncie Girls, Brutality Will Prevail, Lesser Key, The HELL, Beasts, Masked Intruder, Emily’s Army and Vales.

Elsewhere, the brand new BBC Radio 1 Xtra stage features the freshly declared talents of Mista Jam, Raleigh Ritchie, Dirty Dike, Edward Scissortongue, Dominique Young Unique, Tempa T, Little Simz, Newham Generals, Adian Coker, Kwabs, Eli Ingram, Hawk House and My Nu Leng.

Paramore, Queens Of The Stone Age, Arctic Monkeys and Blink-182 headline the event which takes place over August bank holiday weekend between the 22nd and 24th of August.

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