Cruz Beckham and his band The Breakers drew a strong turnout for their set on Reading Festival's Canopy Stage, with proud parents Sir David and Victoria Beckham watching on.
The 21-year-old looked at home on stage and every bit the frontman, beaming as he energetically danced about with guitar in hand. His father sang along to every word from the sidelines, while Victoria waved to the crowd.
A brave move in the music industry
Entering the music industry as a Beckham kid is a brave move, with the spotlight and famous parents making it an uphill battle to be taken seriously. Choosing music when your mum is a Spice Girl adds extra pressure.
The Canopy Stage was this year's replacement for BBC Introducing and was dubbed the 'nepo stage' in harsher online circles. While nepotism might get you in the recording booth, a live performance separates the wheat from the chaff, and festival crowds vote with their feet.
Strong set despite the rain
The rain might partially be to thank for packing out the tent, but it was the music that made the crowd stay. Cruz's influences are easy to hear, with every indie guitar band before him having similar songs in their discography.
His evident skills on guitar, better than average vocals, and the group's stage presence could be the ingredients for something magic if they get a good songwriting team behind them. Cruz has been songwriting, with some lyrics seemingly taking a dig at his big brother Brooklyn.
Other acts on the Canopy Stage
Cruz wasn't the only nepo on the Canopy Stage, with Raye's sister Amma performing a short set on Saturday. She performed tracks from her debut album Middle Child, but it was her cover of Unwritten that got the crowd singing along.
Even Sombr, who drew a massive crowd, faced dead spots and tech issues, with both screens going black for an entire song and the bass drowning out his vocals.
Whatever the cause of the movement-resistant crowds, it's hoped it will be gone by Glastonbury next year. As for Worthy Farm's 2027 line-up, Cruz and The Breakers could be primed for a Woodsies debut.
