20/5/2014 Isle of Wight Festival

My ticket has just arrived for the Isle of Wight Festival (12th - 15th June). I have a lot to thank the IOW Festival organisers for. Like everyone else music had played a part in my life but the revival of the IOW Festival raised it to another and enduring level. Every year my youngest son loads my IPOD with tracks from the line up in anticipation of the big event (familiarity with the music seems to raise it to a higher level). Rudimental and Calvin Harris have been rocking the car for months - the legendary Red Hot Chilli Peppers and Kings of Leon as headliners. Some people have been negative about the IOW Festival - citing disruption and cost. The cost one is hard to understand. OK a ticket is £200 - a lot of money - but the value is incredible - 3 days worth of top bands on our door step - the same money would just about cover a trip to the O2 to see one band. Music is a very personal thing of course. For me I like to move on. So many people seem to get stuck in a time warp - 80's and 90's! Jools Holland gets the balance right with Late Live. Absorbing yourself in a band at a live festival is certainly a great thing to do. My favourites ever - The Strokes - Cold Play and Richard Ashcroft - the amazing Faithless and great Amy Winehouse - to name just a few - and so many more to come.