Alternative Music Festivals UK 2012

There are ‘alternative’ festivals to the mainstream festivals - which are aimed at the more 'serious' music lovers rather than those simply seeking a party weekend. 

Green Man, http://www.greenman.net/

Hop Farm, http://hopfarmfestival.com/

Rockness, http://www.rockness.co.uk/

End of the Road, http://www.endoftheroadfestival.com/

Cambridge Folk. http://www.cambridgefolkfestival.co.uk/
Doune the Rabbit Hole. http://dounetherabbithole.co.uk/
Celtic Connections. http://www.celticconnections.com/

Hop Farm with headliners Dylan and Peter Gabrielle is the festival I would head to. but I've not applied to any far away festivals for photo passes this year. I’m not prepared to deal with a tent for two nights, although I know many provide up-market camping with Yurts and more.

In Scotland T In the Park - http://www.tinthepark.com/ is the second biggest UK festival with many well known headliners, offering a wide range of artists but this festival can also be over commercialised. While Rockness http://www.rockness.co.uk/ is a better bet for outstanding scenery and a more alternative, eclectic and indie music line up.

With the recession and debt crisis attendance at festivals was down in 2011. There are also more festivals to choose from as well as there being loads of top festivals abroad with excellent line ups (such as Benicassim http://www.benicassim.org.uk/ ) which offer the hope of better weather and avoiding mud and rain!  New Scottish festival Doune the Rabbit Hole is a good bet for seeing up and coming Scottish bands.  

The biggest and best UK festival continues to be Glastonbury as it pursues its charity approach to avoid being over commercialised. Every fourth year they have to allow the fields to go fallow to recover. There is no Glastonbury 2012 however due to a lack of Portaloos and police officers caused by the London Olympics!. There you go : )  With the Jubilee and Olympics just as well we can think of the debt crisis after? 

Best Alternative festivals - http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2009/may/17/britains-best-alternative-festivals

Radiohead

It's hard to explain in mere words the feelings this wide and encapsulating music generates - that reverberates and expands and contracts and ebbs, send shivers or vibrates you soul.
Yorke has a voice that grabs your attention as it surrounds the bass, drums, guitar, and piano. It's a fluid instrument that can be scary at times, exhilarating, escapist, mesmerising, unpredictable... In fact the opposite of your average MOR sounds! So beware! Their music is not for the weak of heart - but rather those who wish the journey to challenge, surprise and inform their senses.. If I feel full of unresolved conflicts or confusions - their music heals. I'll never forget how I felt at their gig in Edinburgh 2006 - and to appreciate this band you need to hear them live. It was a warm summer August night during the festival and it felt as if their music floated us upwards into the air, the way the wind might surge and groan... Well maybe it was simply the crowds all singing along to their songs - and jumping and waving their arms in the air or was it rather Colin Greenwood's bass thudding upwards through the grass under our feet.

In February they surprised us all, yet again, with a new album- with none of the usual pre-album build up or single releases (how wonderful!) - yet everyone wants to listen. It all reminded me of the Beatles in their day- when everyone simply couldn't wait to get their hands on their next album.

On watching the new 'Lotus flower' video - I was struck how closely photography, dance and music can be as one. One of the joys of Radiohead is knowing you'll discover more and enjoy the album more over time. Radiohead released their eighth album, The King of Limbs (2011) in a variety of formats.