My Chemical Toilet

Fflam, Lodestar, Rock The Rock - festival failures, cancellations and catastrophes

Untitled-2%20copy.jpg This year has been jam packed, like a pikey’s pockets in Primark, overflowing with festivals of all sizes. With a calendar as saturated as the summer’s flooded fields it was inevitable that some would sink.

This summer’s abysmal weather has resulted in a number of 2007 festival cancellations. For events like Cambridge’s self-proclaimed “new music” LodeStar festival, set to feature The Rakes and Idlewild, and Cheshire’s Acoustic Festival of Britain, due to play host to The Bluetones and The Saw Doctors, the rain stopped play leaving sites and access routes unfit for use.

Lily Allen’s foolproof festival get-out clause

Do you remember when you were little and didn’t want to do P.E. because it was raining and muddy and… well – just like a festival really? What did you do? That’s right, got Mum to write you a sick note. That or forged one yourself. Step forward Lily Allen.

Madrid's Summercase festival - Jarvis Cocker, Flaming Lips and no rain

This year, Hippyshopper editor Abi Silvester decided to ditch the Glastonbury mud for sun, sangria and a great deal of dust at one of Spain’s newer festivals: Summercase, Madrid. Travelling from London by eco-friendly train, she explains how the trip was not your average festival bender.

There are all sorts of reasons to love European festivals, particularly those that take place in sunnier climes. Most importantly, no mud (I was more than happy to endure the dust storms instead), a built-in holiday somewhere foreign, and in my opinion, a better choice of bands – Spain is relatively big in the festival stakes, with Benicàssim proving an international success. The country still hosts fewer events than the UK however, meaning you get a good spread of big names at each festival and more bands for your money.

Festivals round up – the weather rains on everyone’s parade

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You may have noticed a teeny tiny bit of rain across the UK this weekend. And BOY did it affect the festivals!

- The Glade Festival was one of the first to be badly hit by this weekend’s apocalyptical storms. With the Overkill Stage under nearly 2 feet of water and tents being washed away, organisers were forced to stop letting ticket holders in and many frustrated fans headed home without setting foot on site.

Klaxons, Arctic Monkeys, Amy Winehouse - The festivals where you can catch Nationwide Mercury Prize nominees

You may have noticed that the shortlist for this year's Nationwide Mercury Awards was announced the other day. So it's only a couple of months until the papers go mental over the odds of the potential winners, in marked contrast to how much the record-buying public actually cares.

If, however, you would like to see which festivals all these marvellous folk are playing, you may do so below because I've typed that very information there.

Bat For Lashes - ‘Fur And Gold’

You can catch Bat (pictured), or "Natasha" as she's know to her friends, at Field Day, Connect Festival, Electric Picnic and Bestival. She's also playing Rock En Seine if you happen to be in France towards the end of August.

The Young Knives - 'Voices of Animal and Men'

Ashby de la Zouch's favourite sons have already played Glastonbury and will also be playing the Redhill Park Music Festival, the Electric Gardens Festival, Leeds / Reading and the Underage festival at London's Victoria Park.

Jamie T - ‘Panic Prevention’

Jamie T will be inspiring severe brappage at Lowlands, Leeds / Reading and also this weekend's Benicassim fest in Spain.

Festivals round-up: Everyone loves Latitude, Live Earth most watched entertainment event in history, Jarvis has the Eye of the Tiger

- The opinions on Latitude, in general, seem to come down on the side of "delightful" (apart from the litter). Even a self-confessed miserablist enjoyed it

- Hold onto your hats - an MP went on a jolly to Glasto courtesy of the BBC and some people aren't pleased

- Guilfest gets some better press from The Sun, after reports of problems with speaker stacks and, well, open sewers

Top 5 European Festival Countdown

That’s right pop pickers, summer 2007 has arrived (can someone please tell the weather?) so it’s time for a round up of the Top 5 Music Festivals in Europe. Hold on tight because here we go, etc…

Roskilde 2007 - the most laid-back of Euro festivals

This weekend in the UK, thousands will be thronging up to Scotland for T In The Park. Thousands more will be on the way to Wembley for Live Earth. Meanwhile, over in Denmark, our Euro neighbours will be preparing for Europe’s other biggest music festival (alongside Glastonbury of course), Roskilde.

So while T In The Park is swamped in security and buying a ticket for this year’s Glastonbury was like a military operation, do the Danes do it differently?

Festivals round-up: Hot Chip go Wild In The Country, Ricky Gervais to rock Wembley

- Hot off the presses (OK, almost a week after it was announced) - this weekend's Wildchild Outside festival in London has changed venues from Shoreditch to King's Cross. It will be familar ground for folk who have been to TDK Cross Central before

- Also Wild-related, and also occurring this weekend, is Wild In The Country. It's taking place at Knebworth and the line-up is an electro-dance fan's wet dream - Hot Chip, Justice, Simian Mobile Disco and 2ManyDJs are all on the bill. The £40 tickets are still available here if you fancy 'avin' it

- Rockworld.tv will be screening two shows this Friday full of interviews with acts who performed at Download. Interviewees include My Chemical Romance, 30 Seconds To Mars, Enter Shikari, Megadeth and Slayer. You can find the channel online or on Sky Digital channel 368 - the shows go out at 7pm and 12am.

- Does the Concert For Diana count as a festival? Who cares when it means that Ricky Gervais and Mackenzie Crook will be performing "Free Love On The Freelove Freeway" at Wembley Stadium this Sunday?

- At the same event Tom Jones will perform with Aerosmith axe legend Joe Perry

- Last week Lost Weekend wrote about the French festival Eurockeennes. It's happening this weekend if you fancy your chances at the last minute - the line-up est tres bien

Greek festival somewhat ruined by weapon-wielding masked anarchists

It may rain, it may get muddy, you may lose the number of that hot swamp-monster you danced with under the stars... but however bad it gets, your festival experience will surely not feature masked anarchists armed with CS gas, iron bars and baseball bats. This is what happened at the Ejekt Festival in Greece at the weekend, with one of the injured parties including a performer - Rick Smith of Underworld.

The incident took place during the Beastie Boys' set, and the event was then evacuated while the injured were taken to hospital. Fortunately Rick has returned to the UK for further treatment, so let's hope that means he wasn't too seriously injured. The incident raises further questions about Greek authorities' ability to deal with large gatherings, following the trouble at the Champions League final last month.

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