Lana Del Rey, ReneƩ Rapp Vexed by Technical Issues at U.K. Fest

Organizeers of the Reading festival in the U.K. apologized to both Lana Del Rey and Reneé Rapp after technical issues affected their performances. - Credit: Matthew Baker/Getty Images/ABA; Joseph Okpako/WireImage
Organizeers of the Reading festival in the U.K. apologized to both Lana Del Rey and ReneƩ Rapp after technical issues affected their performances. - Credit: Matthew Baker/Getty Images/ABA; Joseph Okpako/WireImage

The U.K.ā€™s Reading & Leeds Festival issued a pair of apologies this weekend to two of the lineupā€™s biggest acts after technical issues and weather upended sets by Lana Del Rey and ReneĆ© Rapp.

Del Rey headlined Reading on Saturday night and, by all accounts, delivered a terrific set that was unceremoniously cut short. While the songwriter has typically been concluding her shows with ā€œA&Wā€ and ā€œYoung and Beautiful,ā€ those songs were scrapped at Reading when Del Reyā€™s microphone and video screens were turned off, and a fireworks presentation began. According to reports, Del Rey stood onstage and took in the display. (She delivered her full set the following day at Leeds.)

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ā€œDue to an error by the Reading production team we accidentally cut Lana Del Reyā€™s incredible set short by 5 mins,ā€ organizers said in a statement. ā€œWe apologise unreservedly to Lana and her fans.ā€

On Sunday, Rapp had her own issues at Reading and also had her set truncated. The cause was seemingly the aftereffects of a weekend storm that canceled Rappā€™s Friday performance at Leeds. Onstage at Reading, the ā€œSnow Angelā€ singer was able to play four songs before exiting the stage after ā€œNot My Fault.ā€ At one point, water poured off the top of the stage and onto Rapp. ā€œGuys, I really really really wanna give you a good show,ā€ she reportedly told the crowd. ā€œWe are drenched. Some of our equipment is fucked.ā€

Again, Reading issued an apology: ā€œWe would like to thank ReneĆ© Rapp for her perseverance and professionalism amidst the technical difficulties we have had to continue to deal with from Storm Lilian. We are desperately hoping, like you, that she will come back to R&L in the future.ā€

Rapp returns to the road in September with shows in New York and Columbia, Maryland. Del Rey, meanwhile, is gearing up for the release of her country album Lasso.

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