Festivals of course, what else would I be talking about?! As I sat on the train bound for London on Thursday whilst lots of eager post A-level teens boarded the train to Southampton for the IOW festival I reminisced on my first festival experience…V-Festival, Stafford 2005.
I was very fortunate to be heading to V with work to manage a ‘Fashion Funfair’ and even more fortunate a) not to have to do any work and b) stayed over in Malmaison – as you do. So, with a clear schedule for Saturday and Sunday it left me to do what I do best and enjoy the music.
Saturday – highlights were seeing Scissor Sisters and nearly losing a work friend who reappeared a worried hour later (for us not her!) with some new eye-candy – well her type, not mine. Scissor Sisters were on a real high with their self titled debut album and lived up to my expectations with a high octane, eccentric performance. I can still hear the lyrics of ‘Laura’ playing clearly now.Sunday – after an amazing night’s sleep, hot shower and proper full English breakie at Malmaison we were ready to hit day 2.. It wasn’t until after my work colleagues left at 3pm that the fun times started to kick in and the more well known acts came on stage.Thankfully my bessie mate was there with her boyf travelling home that night, meaning getting to work on Monday was do-able, however, that was the last thing on my mind!Magic Numbers – played some fun loving beardie folksie tunes, perfect warm up for probably one of my favourite live bands and the pinnacle moment where nothing else in the world mattered apart from that moment in time – The Kaiser Chiefs!It’s hard to explain the emotion unless you’ve been to a festival, but there is nothing that can quite beat that feeling: live music, the ground vibrating from live music and thousands of people bouncing, the sun shining, happy, slightly dirty but merry people who all become your new best friends for a few hours- well you are pretty much standing on one another, cider in hand and a mesmerising lead singer conducting the crowd. Again Kaiser Chiefs were basking in the glory of their new album Employment where all the songs were a festival anthem. ‘I Predict a Riot’ literally did cause one, with a circle of lads play fighting in a ring – crazy, and slightly scary as a festival virgin. Oh and another first experience coming into contact with an airborne warm pint of liquid – I’ll let you work that one out!The rest of the festi went by in a blur – Bacardi mojito’s, Streets front man Mike Skinner getting the crowd to wave their trainers in the air, Liam Gallagher pouting and stomping around on stage, playing the Beatles ‘I am the Walrus’ as their last song, leaving Weston Park with lots of twinkly fairy lights lighting up the sky, waiting for the RAC to jump start the car, snoozing under the duvet on my friends back seat, and 2 hours sleep before work!
 |
| Clockwise left to right: 1) Me & my bessie Rach on left; 2) Trainer wave to the Streets; 3) I Predict a Riot – Kaiser Chiefs; 4) The one and only Liam Gallagher |
So many weird and wonderful memories from my first festival experience. Every festival I’ve attended or worked is unique in its own right, but you certainly never forget the first time. So, what was yours?
