FESTIVAL DIARIES

Reading

By Linda Serck

Presenter of BBC Radio Berkshire's The Session Introducing, Linda is back at Reading for her 7th festival to check out new bands

It's hot

It's soooo hoooootttttt. It's only 11 in the morning and already the sun is burning up my neck. Damn those bright orange plastic bibs. Not only do I look stupid but it's a makeshift sauna.

At the moment I'm scooting off to the Carling stage to grab a quick interview with Pete and the Pirates, the only Reading band on the festival bill this year.

I catch the lads shuffling about backstage with beers. They say it's too early to get nervous and laugh off my response that perhaps it's also too early to start supping alcoholic beverages.

Pete and the Pirates

Pete and the Pirates are midway through their set and despite being in the photographer's pit I can't help but jig along.

Steve Lamacq is in the crowd, being one of the hundreds who've made the effort to get up to see this first band on the Saturday bill.

The band tell me afterwards that Steve Lamacq goes to virtually all their gigs and is a fan. Not a bad groupie to have really.

The Shins

Work stops now for half an hour. I simply must head down to see The Shins on the main stage.

Annoyingly the stage's side screens aren't working so visually I'm staring at what look like black ants with hats on and playing guitars.

No matter though - their music is just perfect for a hot summer's day like today.

Speaking of which - I've brazenly walked out into the oven hot sunshine with no sunscreen on. My neck now knows what bacon feels like sizzling under the grill.

Swollen toes

It's still hot - I'm still wearing wellies. This is despite the fact most girls have abandoned all fancy footwear and have given their swollen toes a bid for freedom.

The grass is practically turning hay-yellow before my eyes. It's that hot.

Filming gig reviews

I've just done some filming in one of the campsites. The idea was for some festival-goers to give us a gig review of the favourite act they've seen so far.

I counted on a level of tipsyness for this time of evening, but some couldn't even speak! Also a few who I spoke to hadn't seen any bands at all because they were too busy drinking.

I wonder why they've bothered spending £150 odd quid on a ticket when they could've just gone down the pub.

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