writergirlSummer is a time for relaxation, some occasional sun (if you’re based in the UK), and spending time with friends and family. However, if you’re a music and festival lover you will be more concerned with the Download, Bestival, Isle of Wight, V, Creamfields, Glastonbury, and Reading and Leeds festival bonanza…to name a few. If you are, then read on and see why I’m looking forward to the cider fests. Not necessarily a big festival fan? Here are my three reasons why I’m excited for Reading 2013.
Tradition
More often than not, if you’re a regular festival-goer you have ‘your’ festival that you’re renowned for attending. You remain loyal to the pictures from 2008,2009,2010 onwards; you get the picture, and have frayed wristbands aplenty…one of my friends has still got all 6 Reading wristbands on his arm from each consecutive year he went. Dedication.
With traditional locations come traditional camping groups, unless you’re like me and you like to mix it up each year, festivals spell the time where you can forget work, university, school even, and enjoy listening to the music you love come rain or shine (and let’s face it, it quite often is rain and mud)…but that always adds an exciting element to the festival experience.
Confirmed acts so far
I was thrilled to hear this morning that recently reformed band Fall Out Boy are going to be performing in prominent slots at Reading and Leeds 2013. Aside from my teenage-self screaming within for Pete Wentz once again, I know that their presence will bring back memories from dancing to Dance Dance while I say thanks for the memories that they’ll be providing me on the August bank holiday weekend to come.
Biffy Clyro are also fantastic, and no doubt they will put on a fantastic show for the music lovers, I personally cannot wait to hear Bubbles blaring across the fields with a cider in my hand. Eminem? Originally I was unsure of his place at Reading Festival, but despite not falling into the Rock genre, he too remains as one of my favourite rappers, and I know the 14-year-old version of myself will be rapping every single word along in time to him..there’s no shame in that.
Subfocus is also on the agenda, for all of you looking forward to the Dance tent. Safe to say, I cannot wait to see what other acts are in store.
Volunteering
When I went to Reading in 2011 I camped with a mixture of friends; a best friend from home, two close friends from university, and two friends of my friend. Safe to say a few hours in to the weekend we were already a solid group (we’d called ourselves Fort Boyard), and this led the way for a fantastic weekend.
Summer 2012 saw us graduating, leaving university, solidly in jobs or leaving school and so Fort Boyard was unable to reunite for the festival. Reading 2012 saw a completely different term of events for my festival experience. On a whim and desperate to go to Reading I signed up to work voluntarily at Reading, and in return get my ticket for free. It was one of the best things I could have done. It allowed me to make a new group of friends, fellow volunteers, and it looks like we’ll all be volunteering and camping together this year instead..I had enjoyed being on the festival-goer side of Reading, but it was time to experience it on the other side, and this is an element that I am most excited for in the Summer.
So..what will you be doing this summer? Will you be reading, revising, getting ahead on next year’s work? I’ll be in the thick of my MA dissertation but I am betting on allowing myself to have the weekend of Reading off to go and enjoy. Whatever happens, I’m certain the weekend of the 23rd-25th will be fantastic.