Festival Season Is Near... Part 2

Hmm, maybe it's just me but Reading/Leeds seems to be going back to its old heavy rock roots after turning into more of a Glastonbury spin-off in the last couple of years.

Personally, I would be happy to see none of the main headliners here this year. The Killers are now barely tolerable (despite me having their albums on my rack), Metallica really isn't my scene and despite Muse being very into Rage Against the Machine, that's not enough to persuade me that they're any good (in my opinion only, please feel free to contradict me).

So, I know a few people who are going to Leeds this year and one of them said "I've got serious problems - The Cribs and Metallica are on at the same time and I don't know what to do!" Er, try not going to either. Backing up on the main stage are the likes of The Fratellis, The Enemy, Queens of the Stone Age, Biffy Clyro and Taking Back Sunday. Yes, it has truly back-pedalled. Add to this two more days of bands such as The Subways, Dirty Pretty Things, Slipknot, Tenacious D (seriously!) and Dropkick Murphys and we have a really weird and almost unbearable time on the main stage.

If I was going, I'd be heading over to the NME/Radio 1 stage where there are actually some decent bands on. There we have MGMT, Vampire Weekend, The Wombats, Justice, Foals and the wonderful Manic Street Preachers. But honestly, how did the Manics not get a place on the top of the main stage bill? That's really bugging me.

Ahh, looks like this is one festival that's really regaining its reputation for being hard-rock central...