As we enter summer, many people are cleaning their wellies and teenagers everywhere are making the crucial choice between Strongbow or Carling, main stages and tents are being erected and line ups are being planned. Summer is here and aside from the ongoing football tournament, everyone's attention has turned to music festivals. What to wear, what to drink, who to see.
In the last two years we have been to many festivals, both inner-city and camping. Yet, while the smell of a BBQ, and the euphoric freedom that comes with camping remains a summer highlight for many, in our humble opinion, inner city festivals have overtaken them as the music events of the year.
Yes, camping festivals remain a rite of passage. Losing your festival virginity, camping with your mates, it signals a step towards adulthood and the feeling of relief as you sneak your alcohol through security will be forever remembered. That first foray into the arena, the aroma of greasy food invading your senses, the sight of the main stage producing a tingling sensation throughout your whole body, it's irreplaceable. Outdoor and camping festivals still have a uniqueness unmatched by anything in the world. However, we at The Rodeo are beginning to prefer the inner city festivals that have been cropping up. In the last couple of years inner city festivals have got bigger and better whilst camping festivals have been ridden with problems, their line-ups declining and becoming more homogeneous as a result.
Inner city festivals evade the issues some outdoor festivals have sheepishly succumb to. Granted, city festivals don't have to contend with the unpredictable English weather in the way camping festivals do however, torrential rain is always a possibility and some festivals have increasingly struggled to cope with the English summer. Even when the sun is out we all complain anyway. Outdoor festivals simply cannot win whereas inner city festivals cannot lose. Indoor venues provide respite from any torrential rain, but also from any intense heatwave. No contest.
There's an increasing variety on inner city line ups too, there's a freshness to them. Aside from the big guns like Glasto and Reading & Leeds, camping festivals tend to have relatively bland, repetitive line ups. Most festivals nowadays feature two-three days of guitar music and nothing else. Inner city festivals contain a wide variety of acts and their line ups are increasingly unique. They always aim to feature the best new bands from the region too creating a friendly, community feel.
Finally, we like a shower and a bed. Simply as. We're not going to hide and we certainly ain't afraid of anyone calling us boring. We're glamorous people who need a mirror in the morning, you don't get that in a tent, deal with it. A city offers more than a field does, and inner city line ups offer more than camping festivals do too.
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