News

Summer Festivals: What's The Attraction?

• 7th Jun 2010

For many music fans summer means only one thing: it’s festival season.

Glastonbury, Download, Reading, Leeds, T in the Park. The list seems to get longer every summer, so it would seem that many thousands of fans love these outdoor spectaculars.

But frankly I would rather watch my favourite bands in a nice dry indoor setting where I can get up close to the front without having to be there at silly o’clock in the morning. And I don’t do camping either; I like my creature comforts too much.

I did attend one day of Hard Rock Calling in Hyde Park last summer, but I only made this exception to my usual policy because Bruce Springsteen was topping the bill. And in my younger days I made it to Donnington a couple of times and also to the Loch Lomond Rock Festival way back in 1980 headlined by the Jam.

But no more. It’s simply not my thing.

Seeing a whole load of bands at the one show is pretty good in theory. But it’s a very long day if some of them are not to your taste or even just happen to have an off day. And if you’ve secured that precious square of land somewhere near the front you don’t want to lose it by moving away.

Then there’s the weather. Sure, summer should mean sun. Bu this is the UK folks, and we all know that it can pour down in July, turning festival fields into mudbaths.

I know that many people have a great time at music festivals. A weekend away with friends is often cited as the highlight of a summer. And there are often a bunch of good stories to tell afterwards.

But it’s just not for me.

Unless you can make me change my mind?