As you may have noticed we've thrown ourselves into festival season like nobody?s business this summer.
We’ve already had some great weekends and it’s still so early!? If you still haven’t decided where to go this summer, then please allow us to make some recommendations! So what's in store for July then?
Apart from shouting ‘bollocks’ in a field and hoping everyone will join in, as opposed to bricking your tent to death…
If you’d like to spend some time with some dogs-on-string, people in awful novelty hats while drinking warm cans of lager which cost you ?20, roll up, roll up, step right this way…
Wakestock 8-10 July, Cardigan Bay
Curious one this- music and wakeboarding. No, us neither but you have to admit it sounds interesting doesn't it? And at ?100 a ticket, pretty good value too considering music-wise you get Biffy Clyro (who are the closest thing you get to a sure thing at a festival), Subfocus, Chase & Status, Kelis and of course Ed Sheeran who, it has been predicted, will have been seen by every man, woman and child in the UK by the end of the summer.
Sonisphere, Knebworth 8-10 July
The one remaining essential weekend for metal. They’ve bagged themselves an outrageously good line-up this year including the big 4 (Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth and Anthrax), Biffy Clyro, Slipknot, Mastodon and (cleverly) Bill Bailey.
Latitude, 14-17 July, Suffolk
Always a great bet for grown-up left-of-centre music, the heasdliners aren’t up to its usual high standards (Suede, The National and Paolo Nutini) but there are plenty further down the bill including My Morning Jacket, Iron & Wine, Foals, British Sea Power, Deerhunter, CW Stoneking and Ed bloody Sheeran. The atmosphere is very friendly but sometimes it's a little too polite and is like spending a weekend inside a Guardian music supplement. Not for those who think Glastonbury has gone too middle-class.
2000Trees, 14-16 July, Gloucesteshire
Along with Oxford?s Truck festival, our best bet for underground rock and pop. Our favourites include Frightened Rabbit, Los Campesinos!, The Twilight Sad and Amplifier. A line-up put together by people who clearly spend too much time listening to music so that you don’t have to. Trust them.
Camp Bestival, 29-31 July, Dorset
Run by Sunday Best who know their festival shizzle, this is the ultimate family festival. We don't mean it's the ultimate kids? festival, simply that it's utterly inclusive. If you want to dance to the early hours or would rather hang out with your kids and retire early, all options are available. Everyone can have fun without having to compromise. Line-up wise they've got Primal Scream, Blondie, Beardyman, The Wonder Stuff, Mr B The Gentleman Rhymer and obviously Ed ?I'm actually just following you around at all times? Sheeran.
Global Gathering, 29-30 July, Stratford-Upon-Avon
If you prefer telling strangers you love them all night whilst dancing to a line-up that features every kind of dance music we can think of, then this is the one for you. Big name-wise they have Underworld, Ritchie Hawtin, Pendulum, Sasha and others but at this kind of event it's about the quality of the lesser-known DJs that make the night. The buggers have got them too.