I was rolling up to Hop Farm festival a month or so ago now, and had to trundle past the boutique campsite. I always see it and think 'one day', though it does seem terribly boring, all the action happens in the main campsites at night!

But as I was walking past a guy turned away from the campsite in comical disgust, when he saw me looking at him he shouted "Fourteen hundred pounds!"

I thought there was no possible way that that was how much it cost to stay in boutique camping, but apparently so! For the full weekend Thursday to Monday morning it costs £1400.

That's £350 a night for tipi tent or wooden shack with solar power. You have to provide all your own stuff! For that price I could stay in a plush hotel with a real bed, shower, hair dryer, Bibo water dispenser and room service! What a joke!

Photo: workname (Flickr)

Starts in 24 days! The first on the UK calendar are Donington Park's Download Festival, Scotland's Rockness Festival and The Isle of Wight Festival, all over the June 10-12th weekend.

Sales of tents, gazebos, wellies, flowery women's dresses and animal onesie outfits have probably started to rise as the summer festivalites get themselves ready for an awesome summer of music.

The Isle of Wight Festival has an impressive line up this year, with headliners Kings of Leon, Foo Fighters, and Kasabian and Iggy And The Stooges, Manic Street Preachers and Seasick Steve featuring over the weekend.

American rockers Blink182 have pulled out of their European tour and appearances at T In The Park and Oxegen, but the festivals are still well-stocked with stellar live acts including Foo Fighters, Coldplay, The Strokes, Arctic Monkeys and Pulp.

What festivals are you going to this year?

Photo: Erik Hartberg (Flickr)

The ever-political, musically ferocious Rage Against The Machine.

The Los Angeles, Californian band formed in 1991 and consists of vocalist Zack de la Rocha, guitarist Tom Morello, bassist Tim Commerford and drummer Brad Wilk. Rage have been described as "fiercely polemical music, which brewed sloganeering leftist rants against corporate America, cultural imperialism, social inequality, and government oppression into a Molotov cocktail of punk, hip-hop, and thrash."

Their music is amazing, but what's so great about Rage is how much they care, and stick their neck out to talk about the issues nobody else wants to talk about. Heck they filmed "Sleep Now In The Fire" at the New York Stock Exchange and forced it to close its doors during trading hours - for the first time ever! Imagine doing that here? I'm sure Charles Stanley and Rowan Dartington and all the other stock brokerages wouldn't be able to stand in their way!

And I also award a load of awesome points for the fact that they arranged the free show in London after "Killing In The Name Of" beat the X Factor to number one!

Photo: StephenMcleod (Flickr)

I love Coldplay and I am so excited to see them in June at Glastonbury!

In my opinion I think they are one of the best British bands ever and last year I was lucky enough to go and see them at Wembley on their tour and they were amazing.

My favourite song is Yellow, and on their tour they released huge yellow balls into the crowd! I wonder if they will do anything like that at Glastonbury?

I already have my hunter boots, my bright pink tent and a pink rain mac! All sorted for the weather as I expect it to be pouring of rain like normal – but nothing will spoil Coldplay!

Picture:

A recent toon band currently standing out from the crowd is . A band that if we are to believe the hype, could easily become the new saviors of British rock.
With their layers of heavily distorted bluesy riffs and soulful vocals the band has already built up a reputation both on record and in live performances since forming just under a year ago.
Early demos earned the respect of Radio 1’s Zane Lowe and Kasabian front man Tom Meighan, the latter being prompted to call them, “Some of the most authentic music I have heard for a long time.” It seems of little surprise that the band have recently been picked up buy Arctic Monkeys manager Geoff Barradale and hit number 5 in the Radio One Indie Chart with debut double A-side release Rivers and Rainbows - Silver.
Detroit Social Club’s debut album Existence saw them work alongside Kassabian and Arctic Monkeys producer Jim Abiss was released back in May and is a mere glimpse into their genius.
This is a band that has a great potential and providing they do not become a victim of their own hype they will almost certainly be one to watch in 2010. (www.myspace.com/detroitsocialclub)
Catch the band at the Ruby Rooms on October 11.
Image:nathan gummery photography
2010-09-27