When it comes to headline acts, it doesn’t get much bigger (or older) than The Rolling Stones. Their combined age may be 28,207, but I would personally love to see them in the flesh, even if it is all wrinkly.
OK, enough with the age jokes.
The Isle Of Wight Festival has the Stones as one of their headliners this year, alongside Muse, Kasabian, Groove Armada, Keane and Snow Patrol. The 3-day event runs from June 8th to June 10th (i.e, this weekend).

This particular festival holds an iconic place in UK rock history, especially the 1970 event. Alongside the tragic events at Altamont it symbolised the swansong of the free-love era, taking place as it did at a point when many of the hippified superstars of the age sank into ego, drugs and self-indulgence. The headliners that year read like a Who’s Who of the music scene of the age - The Doors, The Who, Sly & The Family Stone, Joni Mitchell, Jimi Hendrix…
Not sure Snow Patrol will have quite the same ring in thirty-odd years, but there’s no denying that the revived festival, which returned in 2002, has a rep of pulling in the big names. The last few years has seen the likes of The Prodigy, David Bowie, R.E.M and Foo Fighters on the bill.
Don’t expect to find a hippytastic love-in if you go this year - this is the age of corporate sponsorship, after all. But considering the bill you’re fortunate that 3-day tickets with camping are still available at the time of writing.
If you decide to go along and fancy swotting up on the festival’s heritage beforehand, this is a pretty decent place to look. Meanwhile, below is The Who performing “Can’t Explain” (sampled years later by Fatboy Slim, fact fans) at the 1970 festival.
This is what you have to live up to, Keane.

Possibly related:

1. Isle of Wight - Officially the Best Fest

2. Win tickets to the Isle of Wight festival with BT

3. Sex Pistols to play intimate gig before Isle Of Wight Festival

4. Finally, a sponsor for the Isle of Wight Festival is announced

5. Weekend festival round-up: Isle of Wight, Download, Rock Ness

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Posted by sophiebruce on Wednesday June 6th, 2007 at 10:57 am