Over here in Britain, ‘to festival’ has become the fashionable verb of the in-crowd. Everyone ‘does’ them, so to speak – from Kate Moss to David Tennant (our current Dr. Who). Indeed, 2008 could well be the year of the trendy festival. But when did – with all the celebrity buzz and media hype – festival makers begin caring too much about photo opportunities with stars and less about the actual artists hitting the stage? Basically, when did line-ups take backstage?

 Yes, there is more to Glastonbury than the headliners – so why are the number of ticket registrants down on last year? Similarly, Leeds and Reading festivals still have day tickets available some two days after they went on general sale. Take a look at the line-ups and it is not hard to see why. Festivals should be about catching that new hyped-up band for the very first time, about rushing home to by an act’s CD because you stumbled across the wrong stage at the right time, about being blown away by the oh-so-now act – not about watching The Killers, Metalica, Editors or Kings of Leon perform the same set list as you saw them last year.

Where are our favorite acts? MGMT, Hot Chip, Foals, Vampire Weekend, Robyn, Justice, Bonde de Role, Sebastien Tellier so name but a few… C’mon festivals – we’ve been soul mates for a good five years now, don’t start letting me down now!

 As a new writer on this here pretty amazing blog and in a bid to allow you to get to know me, I have opened up by iPod and below are the first five shuffled tracks to appear - 

Regina Spektor – Buildings:  Download | Link 2

Cocteau Twins – Sugar Hiccup: Download | Link 2

Hercules and Love Affair – Blind: Download | Link 2

Goldfrapp –  Caravan Girl:  Download | Link 2

Digitalism – Pogo:  Download | Link 2