Music | 25 August 1979

Robin Zander, Rick Nielsen, Tom Petersson

Taking the stage with the sun sinking in the West, Cheap Trick opened their Reading Festival appearance aptly with the raucous, quick-hittin' action of "Hello There", followed by the power pop rockin' "Come On, Come On". While Robin Zander commanded center stage in his lilly white threads and rock star cool, animated guitarist Rick Nielsen moved about the stage like a hyperactive kid on a pure sugar-binge. Between non-stop pick-flickin', spastic moves and leaps from the riser, Nielsen tortured the fretboard of each and every guitar he strapped-on.