In 2018, LASTELLE were at the bottom of the Reading Rising festival poster. Eight years later, they were back at The Face Bar to headline the event.
And according to vocalist Adam Rigozzi, that first appearance might only have been their second or third gig.
We caught up with Adam ahead of LASTELLE's headline set at Reading Rising 2026, where he reflected on returning to a festival that had supported the band almost from the beginning.
Download, Casey and taking LASTELLE around the world
When LASTELLE first started, the band would sit down and talk about what they wanted to achieve.
Playing Download Festival and 2000trees were among their ambitions, as was touring with bands like Casey, Acres and Holding Absence.
They've since played Download and toured with Casey, which was particularly special for Adam.
He remembers telling the members of Casey that they were one of the reasons he'd started making music. Now, they're his mates.
LASTELLE have also toured Europe and, earlier in 2026, travelled to Asia for shows in Indonesia, Malaysia and China.
Adam recalled playing in Malaysia, where he reckoned around 90% of the audience probably hadn't heard of LASTELLE before.
But the band never expects to arrive at a venue where everyone knows who they are. They want to get on stage and win people over.
And in Malaysia, it worked. By the end of the gig, people were asking them to come back.
"If you smile, you lose"
If you've seen LASTELLE live, you'll know they put a lot into their performances.
At Sanctum, LASTELLE managed to make a small rock venue feel like a stadium show. We mentioned that to Adam, and he told us about a rule he'd introduced when the band first started.
"If you smile, you lose."
No breaking character or grinning at your bandmates. Adam wanted their live shows to feel like a proper performance, with the audience experiencing the same emotions as the musicians.
Which makes his personality away from the stage all the more amusing.
"I'm a jolly person. I love going to gigs. I love going out. I love K-pop. I fucking love life."
Adam explained that going on stage gives him a way to release his emotions. He's even had people approach him at the merchandise stand after a show, surprised to discover how cheerful he is in person.
Even his Oxford accent catches people by surprise after they've seen him perform.
New single 'Ghosts' and a tour with Half Me
LASTELLE's new single Ghosts arrives on the 20th of November as part of Exist (Extended Edition), and Adam reckons it's his favourite song at the moment.
When they were writing it, he had a particular request for Jonjo, who works on much of the band's instrumentation.
"I want to make people jump."
LASTELLE's music is often slower and emotionally intense, but Adam says they wanted Ghosts to have more energy. He thinks it brings together some of the band's best work from recent years.
They were planning to play it at Reading Rising that evening, although Adam admitted he was starting to feel the pressure after telling us how much he wanted the crowd to jump!
The band are also heading out on a UK and European tour with German metalcore outfit Half Me, starting in late November and running through December.
Adam couldn't say enough good things about Half Me, although he did warn us just how heavy they are.
He reckons LASTELLE's post-hardcore sound will offer something different among the heavier metalcore bands on the bill, although he's certainly not suggesting anyone should stop moshing.
Watch our full interview with Adam above, where we talk about LASTELLE's return to Reading Rising, playing Download, touring Asia, the thinking behind their live performances and what's coming next.
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Reading Rising 2026 – More interviews and festival coverage