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So, the Summer festival season is slowly coming to an end, it seems like a good time to ask everyone if they've been to any festivals this year, what their experiences have been like, what their favourite acts have been and what they're still looking forward to. Although there's only about another month or so until mid-September when pretty much all the big festivals have come to a close, there are still some of the biggest hitters yet to come:
V Festival
22nd - 23rd August
Headliners: Oasis, The Killers, Razorlight, The Specials, Snow Patrol, Elbow, Keane, Fatboy Slim, Pendulum, The Enemy
Info: Seen by many hardened festival goers as a bit of a 'clean' festival. I've never been to this one, it usually seems a bit too full of indie bands for my liking. That being said, if you like more mainstream music and are a festival virgin this could be the perfect introduction to the wonderful world of music festivals.
Reading / Leeds
28th - 30th August
Headliners: Radiohead, Arctic Monkeys, Kings of Leon, The Prodigy, Kaiser Chiefs, Bloc Party, Faith No More, LostProphets, Gossip
Info: Although looking at some of the headliners it does look a bit of an indie-fest as well, Reading has always benefitted from quite a wide variety of stages. This year the main stage features many throwbacks to the late 90s / early 00s 'heydey' of nu-metal and punk with acts (Deftones, New Found Glory, Funeral for a Friend, Brand New). While none of these may appeal that much to fans of more underground music, there's also two days of well-respected punk bands at the Lockup Stage and there's an abundance of other stages: the NME / Radio 1 stage, the Festival Republic stage (featuring the awesome 65DaysOfStatic and the intriguing Marmaduke Duke), the BBC Introducing Stage and the Alternative Stage... Lots to do then. However, Reading / Leeds are usually at the more 'chaotic' end of the festival scale. Sunday nights often end in burning of tents and mayhem. Sometimes the mayhem is good natured, but I haven't been in a few years after going every year 4-5 times running... The atmosphere became less and less fun as more people seemed to spend all their time sat in the campsite getting wasted and stealing other peoples belongings (clothes, beer, etc), breaking other peoples tents and just generally acting like idiots.
Bestival
11th - 13th September
Headliners: Kraftwerk, Massive Attack, Elbow, MGMT, Fleet Foxes, Seasick Steve, Klaxons, Bat for Lashes, Lily Allen, Soulwax, Doves, 2ManyDJs
Info: Something of the Joker in the pack, Bestival takes place on the Isle of Wight, but rather than trying to compete directly with the biggest festivals (including the Isle of Wight festival which takes place some months earlier) Bestival appeals to those who just want to have fun. I've never been too taken with any of the line-ups at Bestival, but the one year I did go (working as a volunteer in exchange for free entry) I had a brilliant time. Bestival thrives off a fun atmosphere, every year culminating in a fancy dress competition on the Sunday - some people put huge effort into elaborate costumes and you'll see many wierd and wonderful things roaming the site. There are many stages catering for all kinds of tastes, and there's a lot of DJs and more 'dancey' acts, as well as plenty of bands, a comedy stage, a burlesque tea tent, a bollywood bar, the bandstand (mainly for smaller acoustic acts and some local Isle of Wight acts), a wide variety of 'hippy-style' shops and stalls and and a creche to leave the kids at. It's also renowned for having some great 'secret' acts - the year I went Madness played which was a very nice surprise indeed! If you want a unique experience and you want to discover some new music, then Bestival is a good one to head to, although being so late in the Festival calender means increased chances of downpours...
Of course, there are plenty of other small festivals that go on away from the tens of thousands at the bigger events.
Check out efestivals and Virtual Festivals for info on a wide-range of festivals.
So, are you going to a festival this year? Have you already been? Let everyone know what you're looking forward to, what you've enjoyed or hated, and hot tips for next year.
V Festival
22nd - 23rd August
Headliners: Oasis, The Killers, Razorlight, The Specials, Snow Patrol, Elbow, Keane, Fatboy Slim, Pendulum, The Enemy
Info: Seen by many hardened festival goers as a bit of a 'clean' festival. I've never been to this one, it usually seems a bit too full of indie bands for my liking. That being said, if you like more mainstream music and are a festival virgin this could be the perfect introduction to the wonderful world of music festivals.
Reading / Leeds
28th - 30th August
Headliners: Radiohead, Arctic Monkeys, Kings of Leon, The Prodigy, Kaiser Chiefs, Bloc Party, Faith No More, LostProphets, Gossip
Info: Although looking at some of the headliners it does look a bit of an indie-fest as well, Reading has always benefitted from quite a wide variety of stages. This year the main stage features many throwbacks to the late 90s / early 00s 'heydey' of nu-metal and punk with acts (Deftones, New Found Glory, Funeral for a Friend, Brand New). While none of these may appeal that much to fans of more underground music, there's also two days of well-respected punk bands at the Lockup Stage and there's an abundance of other stages: the NME / Radio 1 stage, the Festival Republic stage (featuring the awesome 65DaysOfStatic and the intriguing Marmaduke Duke), the BBC Introducing Stage and the Alternative Stage... Lots to do then. However, Reading / Leeds are usually at the more 'chaotic' end of the festival scale. Sunday nights often end in burning of tents and mayhem. Sometimes the mayhem is good natured, but I haven't been in a few years after going every year 4-5 times running... The atmosphere became less and less fun as more people seemed to spend all their time sat in the campsite getting wasted and stealing other peoples belongings (clothes, beer, etc), breaking other peoples tents and just generally acting like idiots.
Bestival
11th - 13th September
Headliners: Kraftwerk, Massive Attack, Elbow, MGMT, Fleet Foxes, Seasick Steve, Klaxons, Bat for Lashes, Lily Allen, Soulwax, Doves, 2ManyDJs
Info: Something of the Joker in the pack, Bestival takes place on the Isle of Wight, but rather than trying to compete directly with the biggest festivals (including the Isle of Wight festival which takes place some months earlier) Bestival appeals to those who just want to have fun. I've never been too taken with any of the line-ups at Bestival, but the one year I did go (working as a volunteer in exchange for free entry) I had a brilliant time. Bestival thrives off a fun atmosphere, every year culminating in a fancy dress competition on the Sunday - some people put huge effort into elaborate costumes and you'll see many wierd and wonderful things roaming the site. There are many stages catering for all kinds of tastes, and there's a lot of DJs and more 'dancey' acts, as well as plenty of bands, a comedy stage, a burlesque tea tent, a bollywood bar, the bandstand (mainly for smaller acoustic acts and some local Isle of Wight acts), a wide variety of 'hippy-style' shops and stalls and and a creche to leave the kids at. It's also renowned for having some great 'secret' acts - the year I went Madness played which was a very nice surprise indeed! If you want a unique experience and you want to discover some new music, then Bestival is a good one to head to, although being so late in the Festival calender means increased chances of downpours...
Of course, there are plenty of other small festivals that go on away from the tens of thousands at the bigger events.
Check out efestivals and Virtual Festivals for info on a wide-range of festivals.
So, are you going to a festival this year? Have you already been? Let everyone know what you're looking forward to, what you've enjoyed or hated, and hot tips for next year.
A festival of sorts for anyone who has nothing to do on Saturday and is in London: The No Sweat Festival!
For a measly fiver you get entry to an all day gig, starting at 2pm, with 2 stages and over 20 acts! It's located at the Cross Kings, a nice little bar 5-10mins walk from Kings Cross train station in North London.
Check out the Facebook event
Upstairs - No Sweat Stage:
The Skints - www.myspace.com/theskintsuk
Tofu Love Frogs - www.myspace.com/tofulovefrogs
Duncan (Snuff) - www.myspace.com/snuffbanduk
The Arteries - www.myspace.com/thearteries
Jakal - www.myspace.com/jakal
ICH - www.myspace.com/ichcolchesterpunx
241ers - www.myspace.com/the241ers
Chillertons - www.myspace.com/baileygregandjack
Near the Knuckle - www.myspace.com/neartheknuckle
Black Radio - www.myspace.com/blackradio
Captain Black No Stars - www.myspace.com/captainblacknostars
Basement - Out of Step Stage:
Resolution 242 - www.myspace.com/resolution242
Clayton Blizzard - www.myspace.com/claytonblizzard
Al Baker - www.myspace.com/alandhisguitar
Apologies I have None - www.myspace.com/apologiesihavenone
The Ruby Kid - www.myspace.com/therubykid
Livers & Lungs - www.myspace.com/liversandlungsband
PJ & Gaby - www.myspace.com/pjandgaby
Perkie - www.myspace.com/perkiekicksthings
The Leano - www.myspace.com/leanoland
Mega Games 2 - www.myspace.com/themegagamestwo
The Casual Terrorist - www.myspace.com/thecasualterrorist
Captain of the Rant - www.myspace.com/captainoftherantpoetry
Beer Garden - Open Mic and Food
I'm not 100% but I don't think this is the full line-up (the flyer here shows some acts which aren't listed on the main page eg. The Dauntless Elite and The Zatopeks).
So, should you come down, what can you expect?
Well, it's mostly within the punk/ska/dub genre, but there's a fair bit of variety. A lot of the Out Of Step stage is more acousticy / folky stuff, while the No Sweat stage is more straight up punk.
Personal recommendations:
Perkie - Basically a female singer-songwriter type act, but with really good heartfelt vocals, and she's playing a piano / keyboard rather than acoustic guitar which makes a nice change (disclaimer: some songs do involve acoustic guitar).
The Ruby Kid - Intelligent / sometimes political Hip-Hop from Sheffield
Clayton Blizzard - Armed with an acoustic guitar and sometimes a ukulele and sort-of rapping, it's a bit unorthodox but actually pretty brilliant.
The Arteries - No nonsense punk rock / pop-punk. Fast, melodic, and with the occasional bit of shouting thrown in for good measure. Not the most inventive formula, granted, but sure to get the crowd going.
For a measly fiver you get entry to an all day gig, starting at 2pm, with 2 stages and over 20 acts! It's located at the Cross Kings, a nice little bar 5-10mins walk from Kings Cross train station in North London.
Check out the Facebook event
Upstairs - No Sweat Stage:
The Skints - www.myspace.com/theskintsuk
Tofu Love Frogs - www.myspace.com/tofulovefrogs
Duncan (Snuff) - www.myspace.com/snuffbanduk
The Arteries - www.myspace.com/thearteries
Jakal - www.myspace.com/jakal
ICH - www.myspace.com/ichcolchesterpunx
241ers - www.myspace.com/the241ers
Chillertons - www.myspace.com/baileygregandjack
Near the Knuckle - www.myspace.com/neartheknuckle
Black Radio - www.myspace.com/blackradio
Captain Black No Stars - www.myspace.com/captainblacknostars
Basement - Out of Step Stage:
Resolution 242 - www.myspace.com/resolution242
Clayton Blizzard - www.myspace.com/claytonblizzard
Al Baker - www.myspace.com/alandhisguitar
Apologies I have None - www.myspace.com/apologiesihavenone
The Ruby Kid - www.myspace.com/therubykid
Livers & Lungs - www.myspace.com/liversandlungsband
PJ & Gaby - www.myspace.com/pjandgaby
Perkie - www.myspace.com/perkiekicksthings
The Leano - www.myspace.com/leanoland
Mega Games 2 - www.myspace.com/themegagamestwo
The Casual Terrorist - www.myspace.com/thecasualterrorist
Captain of the Rant - www.myspace.com/captainoftherantpoetry
Beer Garden - Open Mic and Food
I'm not 100% but I don't think this is the full line-up (the flyer here shows some acts which aren't listed on the main page eg. The Dauntless Elite and The Zatopeks).
So, should you come down, what can you expect?
Well, it's mostly within the punk/ska/dub genre, but there's a fair bit of variety. A lot of the Out Of Step stage is more acousticy / folky stuff, while the No Sweat stage is more straight up punk.
Personal recommendations:
Perkie - Basically a female singer-songwriter type act, but with really good heartfelt vocals, and she's playing a piano / keyboard rather than acoustic guitar which makes a nice change (disclaimer: some songs do involve acoustic guitar).
The Ruby Kid - Intelligent / sometimes political Hip-Hop from Sheffield
Clayton Blizzard - Armed with an acoustic guitar and sometimes a ukulele and sort-of rapping, it's a bit unorthodox but actually pretty brilliant.
The Arteries - No nonsense punk rock / pop-punk. Fast, melodic, and with the occasional bit of shouting thrown in for good measure. Not the most inventive formula, granted, but sure to get the crowd going.
Alfonse wrote:
> I still can't believe Arctic Monkeys are headlining Reading.
They headlined (or maybe it was second on the bill...) quite some time ago, just after their first album came out with all the hype surrounding it. They sounded nowhere near good enough to be that high up and didn't seem to have enough material to fill the set. I didn't even realise they were still *that* popular...
> I still can't believe Arctic Monkeys are headlining Reading.
They headlined (or maybe it was second on the bill...) quite some time ago, just after their first album came out with all the hype surrounding it. They sounded nowhere near good enough to be that high up and didn't seem to have enough material to fill the set. I didn't even realise they were still *that* popular...
Warhunt wrote:
> A very good post. I went to a few festivals couple of years back,
> greatest was Reading.
>
> Never saw much of the stuff you mentioned, but we did hang a
> banana up to avoid trouble (it was an anti-assualt banana) so
> maybe that was why.
>
> Ahhhh good times.
I think it depends where you camp as well... The year we had trouble we arrived pretty late in the day on Thursday (still light, but probably 3-4pm) so all the 'prime' spots were taken. We ended up camping near some people who were just off their faces the whole time and on the Sunday ending up jumping onto another tent (at the time we presumed it belonged to them / someone in their group), collapsing the tent completely. About an hour later some girls turn up with a "What the HELL happened to our tent?!?" and the guys that did it start justifying it with "It's a Festival!"... This was at about 5 in the afternoon on the Sunday. By about 6 they'd also started burning all their own tents which smelt pretty foul. Hence we missed the Sunday evening of bands sat around our tents protecting them from these idiots. Fortunately it started raining Sunday night / Monday morning and they had no shelter which cheered us up mildly.
Another year someone I knew had their bag stolen from their tent. It had nothing in it apart from clothes, so can't imagine it was a 'proper' theif (second hand clothes don't generally have much re-sale value), just someone acting like an idiot being 'random' because "It's a Festival!!!".
But yes, the first couple of years I went were brilliant.
> A very good post. I went to a few festivals couple of years back,
> greatest was Reading.
>
> Never saw much of the stuff you mentioned, but we did hang a
> banana up to avoid trouble (it was an anti-assualt banana) so
> maybe that was why.
>
> Ahhhh good times.
I think it depends where you camp as well... The year we had trouble we arrived pretty late in the day on Thursday (still light, but probably 3-4pm) so all the 'prime' spots were taken. We ended up camping near some people who were just off their faces the whole time and on the Sunday ending up jumping onto another tent (at the time we presumed it belonged to them / someone in their group), collapsing the tent completely. About an hour later some girls turn up with a "What the HELL happened to our tent?!?" and the guys that did it start justifying it with "It's a Festival!"... This was at about 5 in the afternoon on the Sunday. By about 6 they'd also started burning all their own tents which smelt pretty foul. Hence we missed the Sunday evening of bands sat around our tents protecting them from these idiots. Fortunately it started raining Sunday night / Monday morning and they had no shelter which cheered us up mildly.
Another year someone I knew had their bag stolen from their tent. It had nothing in it apart from clothes, so can't imagine it was a 'proper' theif (second hand clothes don't generally have much re-sale value), just someone acting like an idiot being 'random' because "It's a Festival!!!".
But yes, the first couple of years I went were brilliant.
I still can't believe Arctic Monkeys are headlining Reading.
A very good post. I went to a few festivals couple of years back, greatest was Reading.
Never saw much of the stuff you mentioned, but we did hang a banana up to avoid trouble (it was an anti-assualt banana) so maybe that was why.
Ahhhh good times.
Never saw much of the stuff you mentioned, but we did hang a banana up to avoid trouble (it was an anti-assualt banana) so maybe that was why.
Ahhhh good times.
So, the Summer festival season is slowly coming to an end, it seems like a good time to ask everyone if they've been to any festivals this year, what their experiences have been like, what their favourite acts have been and what they're still looking forward to. Although there's only about another month or so until mid-September when pretty much all the big festivals have come to a close, there are still some of the biggest hitters yet to come:
V Festival
22nd - 23rd August
Headliners: Oasis, The Killers, Razorlight, The Specials, Snow Patrol, Elbow, Keane, Fatboy Slim, Pendulum, The Enemy
Info: Seen by many hardened festival goers as a bit of a 'clean' festival. I've never been to this one, it usually seems a bit too full of indie bands for my liking. That being said, if you like more mainstream music and are a festival virgin this could be the perfect introduction to the wonderful world of music festivals.
Reading / Leeds
28th - 30th August
Headliners: Radiohead, Arctic Monkeys, Kings of Leon, The Prodigy, Kaiser Chiefs, Bloc Party, Faith No More, LostProphets, Gossip
Info: Although looking at some of the headliners it does look a bit of an indie-fest as well, Reading has always benefitted from quite a wide variety of stages. This year the main stage features many throwbacks to the late 90s / early 00s 'heydey' of nu-metal and punk with acts (Deftones, New Found Glory, Funeral for a Friend, Brand New). While none of these may appeal that much to fans of more underground music, there's also two days of well-respected punk bands at the Lockup Stage and there's an abundance of other stages: the NME / Radio 1 stage, the Festival Republic stage (featuring the awesome 65DaysOfStatic and the intriguing Marmaduke Duke), the BBC Introducing Stage and the Alternative Stage... Lots to do then. However, Reading / Leeds are usually at the more 'chaotic' end of the festival scale. Sunday nights often end in burning of tents and mayhem. Sometimes the mayhem is good natured, but I haven't been in a few years after going every year 4-5 times running... The atmosphere became less and less fun as more people seemed to spend all their time sat in the campsite getting wasted and stealing other peoples belongings (clothes, beer, etc), breaking other peoples tents and just generally acting like idiots.
Bestival
11th - 13th September
Headliners: Kraftwerk, Massive Attack, Elbow, MGMT, Fleet Foxes, Seasick Steve, Klaxons, Bat for Lashes, Lily Allen, Soulwax, Doves, 2ManyDJs
Info: Something of the Joker in the pack, Bestival takes place on the Isle of Wight, but rather than trying to compete directly with the biggest festivals (including the Isle of Wight festival which takes place some months earlier) Bestival appeals to those who just want to have fun. I've never been too taken with any of the line-ups at Bestival, but the one year I did go (working as a volunteer in exchange for free entry) I had a brilliant time. Bestival thrives off a fun atmosphere, every year culminating in a fancy dress competition on the Sunday - some people put huge effort into elaborate costumes and you'll see many wierd and wonderful things roaming the site. There are many stages catering for all kinds of tastes, and there's a lot of DJs and more 'dancey' acts, as well as plenty of bands, a comedy stage, a burlesque tea tent, a bollywood bar, the bandstand (mainly for smaller acoustic acts and some local Isle of Wight acts), a wide variety of 'hippy-style' shops and stalls and and a creche to leave the kids at. It's also renowned for having some great 'secret' acts - the year I went Madness played which was a very nice surprise indeed! If you want a unique experience and you want to discover some new music, then Bestival is a good one to head to, although being so late in the Festival calender means increased chances of downpours...
Of course, there are plenty of other small festivals that go on away from the tens of thousands at the bigger events.
Check out efestivals and Virtual Festivals for info on a wide-range of festivals.
So, are you going to a festival this year? Have you already been? Let everyone know what you're looking forward to, what you've enjoyed or hated, and hot tips for next year.
V Festival
22nd - 23rd August
Headliners: Oasis, The Killers, Razorlight, The Specials, Snow Patrol, Elbow, Keane, Fatboy Slim, Pendulum, The Enemy
Info: Seen by many hardened festival goers as a bit of a 'clean' festival. I've never been to this one, it usually seems a bit too full of indie bands for my liking. That being said, if you like more mainstream music and are a festival virgin this could be the perfect introduction to the wonderful world of music festivals.
Reading / Leeds
28th - 30th August
Headliners: Radiohead, Arctic Monkeys, Kings of Leon, The Prodigy, Kaiser Chiefs, Bloc Party, Faith No More, LostProphets, Gossip
Info: Although looking at some of the headliners it does look a bit of an indie-fest as well, Reading has always benefitted from quite a wide variety of stages. This year the main stage features many throwbacks to the late 90s / early 00s 'heydey' of nu-metal and punk with acts (Deftones, New Found Glory, Funeral for a Friend, Brand New). While none of these may appeal that much to fans of more underground music, there's also two days of well-respected punk bands at the Lockup Stage and there's an abundance of other stages: the NME / Radio 1 stage, the Festival Republic stage (featuring the awesome 65DaysOfStatic and the intriguing Marmaduke Duke), the BBC Introducing Stage and the Alternative Stage... Lots to do then. However, Reading / Leeds are usually at the more 'chaotic' end of the festival scale. Sunday nights often end in burning of tents and mayhem. Sometimes the mayhem is good natured, but I haven't been in a few years after going every year 4-5 times running... The atmosphere became less and less fun as more people seemed to spend all their time sat in the campsite getting wasted and stealing other peoples belongings (clothes, beer, etc), breaking other peoples tents and just generally acting like idiots.
Bestival
11th - 13th September
Headliners: Kraftwerk, Massive Attack, Elbow, MGMT, Fleet Foxes, Seasick Steve, Klaxons, Bat for Lashes, Lily Allen, Soulwax, Doves, 2ManyDJs
Info: Something of the Joker in the pack, Bestival takes place on the Isle of Wight, but rather than trying to compete directly with the biggest festivals (including the Isle of Wight festival which takes place some months earlier) Bestival appeals to those who just want to have fun. I've never been too taken with any of the line-ups at Bestival, but the one year I did go (working as a volunteer in exchange for free entry) I had a brilliant time. Bestival thrives off a fun atmosphere, every year culminating in a fancy dress competition on the Sunday - some people put huge effort into elaborate costumes and you'll see many wierd and wonderful things roaming the site. There are many stages catering for all kinds of tastes, and there's a lot of DJs and more 'dancey' acts, as well as plenty of bands, a comedy stage, a burlesque tea tent, a bollywood bar, the bandstand (mainly for smaller acoustic acts and some local Isle of Wight acts), a wide variety of 'hippy-style' shops and stalls and and a creche to leave the kids at. It's also renowned for having some great 'secret' acts - the year I went Madness played which was a very nice surprise indeed! If you want a unique experience and you want to discover some new music, then Bestival is a good one to head to, although being so late in the Festival calender means increased chances of downpours...
Of course, there are plenty of other small festivals that go on away from the tens of thousands at the bigger events.
Check out efestivals and Virtual Festivals for info on a wide-range of festivals.
So, are you going to a festival this year? Have you already been? Let everyone know what you're looking forward to, what you've enjoyed or hated, and hot tips for next year.