London, Apr 08: Heavy metal bands, both new and old-school, are to top the bill at two of Britain's biggest summer festivals. Mean Fiddler said on Tuesday that U.S. thrash icons Metallica, who have not played in the UK since 1999, would be headlining their "Carling Weekend" Reading and Leeds festivals, both on the bank holiday weekend of August 23-24.
The veteran rockers, who thrashed their way to fame in the late 1980s, will be joined by Nu-metal act Linkin Park, punk-metallers Blink 182 and American punk band The White Stripes.

"For the last 20 years, Metallica have been at the forefront of the rock scene worldwide with an unparalleled and utterly devoted fanbase and a string of multi-platinum LPs," said Mean Fiddler. "They have recently been named as the third biggest icon in the world."
About 110,000 music fans are expected to attend the two linked events, compared to 150,000 expected at Britain's most famous summer festival, Glastonbury.
Courtney Love, the 38-year old widow of Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain, will be making her first UK appearance since clashing with Virgin Atlantic staff in an air rage incident on her way to Britain in February.

Other notable acts include britpop icons Blur, System of a Down, The Streets and Polyphonic Spree.

Bureau Report