I love festivals, but...

Having just been to 2000 Trees, a lovely festival in Cheltenham for underground and new music, and having written a review (soon on Beat Review), I compiled a list of festival pet hates.

1. The dreaded cry of 'Alan!' If you don't know what it is, it's this. Usually some equally hilarious creature retorts with 'Steve!' from twenty feet away. Universally moronic. Well done.

2. People with flourescent messages on their backs. They're usually not funny and make people want to hit you in the face, yeah? 

3. Putting the tent up / down. Something ALWAYS seems to go wrong. For example, this year so far, it has taken two hours to deflate the airbed and we tried to pitch the tent with the wrong poles. It. Was. SAGGY.

4. People who piss on your tent. This hasn't happened to me personally but I've many friends who've lost good tents due to a hefty piss. It's rank and lazy. Go and pee in a hedge or something.

5. People who sit on people's shoulders. It's great you're having a good time and everything, but please try not to kick me in the head.

6. Toilet habits in general. There is a good, clean toilet right there so why did you have to POO NEXT TO IT!??

7. Couples. You're in love, but that does NOT MEAN you can chew each other's faces off when I'm trying to watch Frightened Rabbit (They got their comeuppance).

8. Looking like shit. I love camping. I really do. But I look back at the photos and think, was it really too much to ask not to look like I've drowned and then been dragged through a hedge backwards?

9. People who have no idea who they're watching and act like their biggest fan. I have no problem with the first part but don't pretend you would travel the world to see them and scream in my ear - I JUST heard you say to your mate 'Who is this?' (I have to thank Mason for this one).

10. Really tall people. I know it's not their fault but I'm short and I can never see.

So, there are some annoying things about festivals. But then there are bits like this (that's a man from And So I Watch You From Afar lying down on some people's outstretched arms), and it all seems worth it - great bands, great people and beer.

Check back for my review of 2000 Trees which should be up on the Beat Review site soon. And more blog posts, of which there will be more as I have ideas and a laptop now (crucial).

NB: As always, I'm sure everyone (even me) is guilty of a few of these things once on a while, so this is jokes, yeah folks?