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| View below to see what festivals Q thinks are unmissable... |
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CARLING WEEKEND: READING AND LEEDS FESTIVALS |
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The granddaddy of all modern rock festivals, Reading was joined in 1999 by its Leeds sister and has now developed into one of the major highlights of the festival season. Always biased towards rock (50 Cent was given a less than warm reception at Reading in 2004), this year's line-up boasts headlining sets from Franz Ferdinand, Muse and Pearl Jam, with Arctic Monkeys, Kaiser Chiefs, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Streets and Placebo filling out the main stage.
The NME/Radio 1 stage plays host to Primal Scream, Maximo Park and Jack White's new outfit The Raconteurs and there are three other main stages playing an eclectic mix of rock and dance throughout the August Bank Holiday (August 25 – 27). Put simply, the Reading and Leeds dates are a major event in the musical calendar of Britain, and many a reputation has been made on its stages.
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| ACTS YOU MUST SEE: ¡Forward Russia!, The Long Blondes, The Guillemots, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Wolfmother |
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V FESTIVAL |
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Once a young pretender to the festival pantheon, V has quickly established itself over the past ten years to become a major player in the live music canon. Held over two sites in Staffordshire and Chelmsford on the weekend of August 19 and 20, this year's headliners include Morrissey, Faithless, Kasabian, Razorlight and a summer-stopping appearance from Radiohead, who might preview some of their new material at their only UK festival show this year...
Elsewhere, connoisseurs can lap up a solo set from Manic Street Preachers singer James Dean Bradfield. If you're into the soft rock vibe, you can relax in a field to Orson, The Feeling, or Phoenix, or get all hyped up over the pure pop of Girls Aloud or Sugababes. Eclectic? We think so.
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| ACTS YOU MUST SEE: Editors, We Are Scientists, The Go! Team, Groove Armada, The Charlatans, The Ordinary Boys |
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BENICASSIM |
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Now the European answer to Reading, Benicassim is located at a beach resort in the province of Castello on the Costa del Azahar in Spain. The event has attracted dozens of major British and American names, making this a pretty safe option for a great weekend. Shows start late and go on late to avoid the Spanish heat, so it's an ideal opportunity to combine a festival with a decent holiday.
This year's four-day extravaganza includes indie rock legends such as Depeche Mode, Morrissey and the always-brilliant Pixies, but to stop it looking like Reading circa 1989, there's also Placebo, Franz Ferdinand, Scissor Sisters, The Ordinary Boys, The Kooks, Editors and a host of new European acts. There's plenty of dance-tent action with the likes of Coldcut, Tiga, RadioSoulwax and Justice all manning the decks and the festival winds up on the Monday with a set from Camden trendies Queens Of Noize.
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| ACTS YOU MUST SEE: White Rose Movement, The Walkmen, The Rakes, Art Brut, The Kooks, |
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T IN THE PARK |
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Running since 1994, T In The Park has got bigger and better over the last couple of years, proving itself to be a serious contender to V, Reading and Leeds. Held in Balado, near Kinross in Scotland on July 8 and 9, the festival has started attracting some major names and its extensive coverage on TV has made it one of the highlights of the summer. This year, it's host to some major rock bands, including Red Hot Chili Peppers and The Who, returning to blast some classic hits out across the Scottish countryside.
Also appearing on the main stage this year will be The Strokes, Kaiser Chiefs (them again) and Franz Ferdinand, playing on home turf and always a festival favourite. With six other main stages, there's more new music than you can shake a stick at, including the eternally brilliant Sigur Ros. See the Icelandic band in the right mood and situation and you've got a festival highlight to treasure forever.
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| ACTS YOU MUST SEE: Dirty Pretty Things, Zutons, Felix Da Housecat, Manu Chao, Corinne Bailey Rae, Sigur Ros |
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BESTIVAL |
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The low-key alternative to all the frantic, packed out festivals, Bestival is the brainchild of DJ Rob Da Bank and is a spin off from his Sunday Best club nights. The music isn't the point of this jolly three day event at the tail end of the season – September 8 - 10 – but a chance for you to investigate new performance art, DJs and generally act silly.
Last year, the festival broke the world record for people in fancy dress, and this year's theme is circuses, so come prepared. Musically, expect to see the Pet Shop Boys, Scissor Sisters, The Fall, Mystery Jets, and hundreds of DJs including Erol Alkan, Ricardo Villalobos, Justin Robertson and Mr Da Bank himself, but there's so much more to explore...
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| ACTS YOU MUST SEE: My Robot Friend, Jamie T, DJ Yoda, Hot Chip, The Stranglers, The Fall, Jim Noir
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Whatever you’ve got to say, we want to hear it! Call
0207 182 8933 to rant, rave, confess, share or wibble and you could be part of our summer podcast. |
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Check out all the action from the summer’s top events, see if you and your mates have been spotted, then send in your photos and we’ll put them up right here. |
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Our esteemed Professor has all the answers to your festival worries, so send in your questions and he’s sure to turn your muddy hell into total summer joy. |
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Take hundreds of songs with you this summer on the Sony Ericsson W810i Walkman phone, plus get all your pics with the 2 mega-pixel camera. Check it out! |
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