So now the most of the summer festivals have announced their line-ups, where are you pitching?
Me? I’m back at Bearded Theory for a 3rd year, along with a post 15 year return to Towersey. Victoria Park and Blenheim get a good look also in for what is turning out to be a good year to taunt the rain gods.
http://www.beardedtheory.co.uk/line-up
http://www.towerseyfestival.com/wp-content/uploads/TF18-LineupPoster.pdf
https://www.allpointseastfestival.com/presents/the-national
https://www.allpointseastfestival.com/presents/nick-cave
https://www.nocturnelive.com/news/elvis-costello-announcement
Burglars? I’m flying solo, the missus and the dogs will be guarding my record collection.
http://pack793.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Camping.jpg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMyHO0qepPk
(FACT: my dad actually closed this festival down in 1969, on Health & Safety grounds……..)
Going to my second Green Man and my ninth End Of The Road festivals this year.
Too old, grumpy and creaky-jointed for camping out now, I’m sorry to say. Prefer my music indoors, preferably. Comfortably seated if possible. Close to a bar or other refreshment station.
I know what you mean. Still love camping, but these days, I prefer to do it in a camper van.
Just about the only thing I miss about festivals with camping is that moment when you stop at some services on the way back, catch sight of yourself in a mirror in the loos for the first time in days, and realise that you look fucking insane, like the sort of person you would cross the street to avoid if you saw yourself heading towards you at 2 in the morning. It’s a fleeting pleasure though, and these days I could probably achieve the same effect just by staying up till 2 in the morning and sleeping in my own bed, without the accompanying creaking joints and only queuing for the toilet with people I actually know well.
I have to admit the endurance aspect gets harder, year on year. I regularly went camping, as in family holidays with a tent, in the 80’s thru’ to about 2003, with festivals all part of the yearly plan. I kept the tent when my then wife and I divorced. And the dog. But the tent went in the bin as my next wife had a hatred of anything like that. It couldn’t last. I kept the dogs. I bought a tent and kickstarted my canvas redux days with Cambridge in 2014, getting in at least a couple of festivals a year since. The current Mrs Path doesn’t indulge, but indulges me in my solo escapades. The downsides tend to be the aching bones in the morning, even tho’ I now have an excellent airbed that is easy to inflate. I still wake in the wee hours unable to get to sleep again, meaning I am wilting often by the time of the headliner, but the feeling of exaltation when a field is fully in the grip of an all cylinders firing band is tremendous, and I wouldn’t miss it for the world.
Bearded Theory for me as usual (ninth in a row). Not blown away by the line up this year, but there’s always a great vibe there, and my gang buy our tickets as soon as they’re on sale.
Doing Beautiful Days as well. This will be a family event, going with my BT compadres again but with wives and children in tow this time. Less rolling around in puddles of cider, more craft activities and children’s theatre workshops. Had a great time last year, and my daughter is insistent on going again. Line up not announced yet (delayed thanks to recent sad news from the Levellers camp), but if it’s anywhere near last years’ it’ll be a corker.
It’s a considerably longer trek to Derbyshire than in previous years having moved to Scotland since the last one, but am planning to go to Indietracks for the third time in four years.
http://www.indietracks.co.uk/
Probably won’t persuade Mrs D along this time, so may well not be camping as our tent’s a bit big to put up on my own!
The only festival I will be going to this year is this one – Hidden Door 2018: http://hiddendoorblog.org Music includes Young Fathers, Admiral Fallow and the marvellous Gwenno. There will also be a huge amount of art, theatre, film and spoken word. All in a fantastic Art Deco abandoned theatre.
I won’t be camping though. I’ll be walking 10 minutes round the corner to my own house, cosy bed and clean toilet.
PS film features me eating a burger.
End of the Road again for me – 11th in a row. Not yet overwhelmed by the lineup but generally find plenty to keep me entertained. Will the man clad head to toe in purple make any changes to his wardrobe? Will I finally get to the comedy stage? Is Goan fish curry on my agenda? Will I grumble that it seems to get busier year on year?