Friday, June 09, 2006

Shandy, Sangria, Festivals

These are the things that my mind tends to wander to whenever the sun comes out.

Ordinarily, this isn't a much of a problem, but I'm trying to curb my alchohol intake and even worse, for the second year running it doesn't look as if I'll be going to any festivals . This is after having been to at least one every year for the 10 years before that - not always the full festival (I'm not a natural born camper), but always to something involving music outdoors.

Two years ago, we went to Glastonbury. I loved every minute of it, even though it poured with rain on the Saturday, turning the whole place to mush and I got a bit emotional watching Billy Bragg and had a sneaky cry (left-wing politics, talk of unions and the working man always does this to me - I blame my grandad who was a big union man). There were so many highlights (Orbital for the last time, Arthur Lee, hysterics at James Brown, Edie T-M playing 'Engerland' and the final night party with Arthur Baker, Bez and the Loose Canons).

Last year, we couldn't get tickets, so returned to our previous tactic of watching it on television while getting as hammered as if we had actually been there - 'Indoor Glastonbury' as we always refer to it. But even that pleasure has been taken away this year as it isn't happening at all. I did try to get some people to go to Spain for Benicassim but I think I'd left it 5 years too late with most of our friends.

I'm hoping that I might still persuade the usual suspects to go to Cross Central, (which admittedly hasn't got a great line-up, but its not far to travel & isn't affected much by bad weather) or D-Percussion in Manchester (which may not even be happening).

No comments: