Sharing a tent with two other men brings tension especially with the amount of snoring and farting going on. 
Oh yes, there will be MUD. Stephanie managed to get me some much needed wellies. The weather was horrible this year but that British 'stiff upper lip' came into play. There was also the promise of Regina Spektor to keep the blues at bay.
My old friend Tom who, sadly, I didn't see all that much of (*cough* clingy girlfriend *cough*) The clouds behind brought shit loads of lashing rain that kept us in our tents not long after we put them up.
Natual highs: After meeting up with friends and fellow Bloggers Fork and Spoon (Jon and Nat) we headed to the hippy area where we had a couple of these bad/good boys. Worry not, concerned folk and my Mom, we were told it was perfectly natual by the dreadlocked hippy-chick that served us. It gave me a bit of pep but I didn't see the sun dripping or lots of colours.We saw a lot of bands but below is a list of my favourites:
Regina Spektor (I was transfixed by her utter cuteness), Beck (He had a puppet show and cranked out all his oldies and goldies. He even dropped a few from 'Sea Change'. Beck rules), Imogen Heap (Amazing. My highlight of the first night) , Rufus Wainwright (Although his song mentioned a different Jack Johnson, he would like to fuck the singer.), The Young Knives (Ran out of time so a crowd vote dictated the final song 'She's Attracted To'. All the members remind me of Ben Baker), James Dean Bradfield (His guitarist looked like me according to Blair. He called the crowd "Poor water-soaked bastards" and then sang 'Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head' ), Jamie T (Who was really different since I last saw him), The Delays (Blair went crazy for these) Biffy Clyro (Bearded and savage), Milkteeth (Never heard of them but they were fiesty), The Dodgems (Lively) and The Grates (Livelier with added balloons)
Passing through we saw bits of:
Bloc Party (*Meh*), Sugarbabes, Paul Weller, Keane, The Saw Doctors
Celebrity Spotting:
I saw House of Lords from The Young Knives and there was this brief 'He's going to talk to me/ I'm going to talk to him' moment that completely dissolved and I just finished my baquette. We saw someone who looked EXACTLY like my brother, right down to the attire. Freaky.
Downers:
There's a lot you CAN'T do at V being as it's so mainstream: You can't take booze into the arena (I had to dump all of my gin). You can't even take inflatables in. You can't get cash because there is only FOUR cash points for 90,000 people! The lines were insane! Thankfully, Stephanie loaned me some cash so I could get some nourishment. It's also very hard to get OUT of the venue even if you leave the night before. We were in a non-moving gridlock for around three hours (The police said we were looking at a TEN HOUR wait). They really need to have more exits. Sort it out, Branson!
Crooked rain, crooked rain!
(Had to get a Pavement reference in)
All in all, it was great fun. Good bands, good people and good times.
Come Thursday, it will be time for the Reading festival.
16 comments:
Pff. what I feel is not important. I think The Young Knives are a band of David Mitchells myself.
Well done for picking out some gorgeous music especially Imogen and Regina who I managed to catch on the awful E4 coverage (wanky camera angles and Dave Berry do not a festival make).
Hard Fi were possibly the worst live band I have ever heard ever. Bloc Party actually sounded rather lovely but then I like Bloc Party and did long before hype kicked in (early 2003 I reckon). They didnt even put their bestest song - Little Thoughts - on the sodding album.
The Sugababes want fucking drowning though.
I love tents!!!!!!!!!!!!!
LOVE them!
Richard Branston is a maniac with the way he exploits you once you get to V. you still got to buy beer vouchers that only last til the end of the day? FUCKING RIP OFF.
I'm going to Leeds this weekend and can't be assed, I just want a quiet life. Once I actually get there it'll be cool though.
Very cool! Does it ever NOT rain at the music festivals though? Hope you dry out some by Reading.
Regina Spektor plays here soon. I put her on my calendar, but am not sure I can make it. (It's on my Birthday weekend, you see.)
I've never been to a music festival. Sounds like im missing out.
I'm still transfixed by the cosmic one-ness of that first pic... there's something slightly disturbing about a picture of someone taking your picture.
You're off to Reading, too?
That's just down the road from me!
Wave if you go past my shitty town.
I had an absolutely cracking time!
good jokes, good people, good music!
also
To Regina Spektor, i found the guy who shouted 'show us your cunt' and i gave him a very sharp clip about the ear.
Honour restored me'lady
I would never survive a weekend like that. I'd either kill myself because I'd be so uncomfortable and annoyed, or someone would murder me for the incessant whining. Probably the second one.
Ben--I totally missed Hard-Fi which was a plus and My Morning Jacket which was a bit of a bummer. I stood through The Beautiful South to get a good place for Rufus Wainwright.
THAT'S sacrifice! B.S is pure run-of-the-mill music for bored, recently divorced housewives.
Girls Aloud were there too. Perhaps you could do a 2 for 1 with the Sugarbabes.
Sophie--I actually hate camping and didn't really sleep. Our tent starting getting waterlogged and I think we started to sink. Give me a caravan anyday!
Si--You're right. V is a huge rip-off and Branson must be punished!
Sophie--Regina ruled. She's beyond sweet. At one point she was so pleased with the response she was getting that she started to cry. I'd like to marry her on a mountain.
Sassy--It's worth doing. There are some cons but it's worth the money music wise.
Norton--I shall yell for you as we pass. Seriously though, we'll have to have a meet up at some point. You're high on my 'Bloggers I'd like to meet' list.
'One Time' Blair Frame--I'd like to slap that guy for being so rude to my future wife. Shame you can't make it to Reading. I think it would be more to your liking musically.
Cindy-Lou--Oh, I moaned. I do hate camping. If i could have booked a hotel I would have. Living like a pauper is something I don't like paying for.
You have lost me as a friend forever. I just hate lazy slaggings off of The Beautiful South. Sure they became a little run of the mill recently but they have at least three truly great albums to their name and a fair stock of greatest hits to be proud of.
Fuck off back to your fashionable indie sounds. I mean it. You have hurt me deeply. I will be in (but not at) Leeds this weekend. Seething at you. BIG.
any...dementors?
crikey! 90 tousand people is insane. I don't know if I could handle it...
Well that kinda makes up for my utter lack of festival action this year, and kinda makes me really full of regret and angst, for my utter, detestable lack of festival action this year. Bah.
And if you do marry Regina, can I come? Sounds good.
Ben--Funnily enough, I was talking to my friend H about the South and I had forgot about their early songs which weren't that bad as it goes. I'm talking about those novelty records they started churing out 'Perfect 10' 'Rotterdam' and all that junk.
My indie isn't fashionable, sir. No one has really heard of the things I like. In fact, if NME hate them then it's a bonus. Most likely, I'll be checking my bands on my lonesome.
Day--Steve is really busy at the moment. he does have another Korean-based blog which he uses to report on his adventures over there. He doesn't get much chance to comment because he doesn't have the net set up in his apartment and he has to make visits to the local internet cafe. I haven't had a chance to link him yet but I will do.
If you were in the U.K, all you'd be missing out on is mud, rain and bad food! I don't know why I do it! Why can't I take a holiday like normal people?
Ho--Plenty. In fact, the ratio for dementors is pretty high. Dementors in jester hats.
Maja--There is a sense of 'AAAAAHHHH!' after a while.
Awesome weekend, Christopher Bate. Thanks for everything. :)
Thanks for coming along. It was great fun.
Post a Comment