Plain White T's draw a huge crowd at Reading Festival 2008Â Credit: Festival Republic

From the wonder of seeing Muse drummer Dominic Howard revealed from under a giant glowing orb to the absolute comedy of a rapper who’s been shot six times (and survived) being driven off stage by a camping chair, music has given me some unforgettable experiences.

Part of the reason for such a fanatical devotion to music is the magic of the music festival. This year marks my seventh Reading Festival Weekend, and in the past I’ve also attended Download, and Give It A Name.

The rules of life go out the window when people who are just as crazy and devoted as you surround you. You can walk around for ten minutes in the early evening and spot at least two or three people you know, or at least someone drunk/outgoing enough to just talk to you anyway for the hell of it. Singing around campfires and endless moments that will stay with you forever bring music to life in a way that your iPod never could.

I’ve witnessed moments that have become festival lore, such as respectfully nodding as the Panic! At The Disco singer jumped back into a song after being knocked unconscious for over half a minute by a flying bottle, being part of the world’s biggest circle pit (which Less Than Jake initiated in 2003, around the sound and light box in the middle of the field) and feeling genuine sympathy for The Rasmus as they took to the stage and immediately left it, as the crowd brandished signs reading “Burn The Rasmusâ€�. Of course these are but a few of the bigger moments, but what will this year’s festivals hold? They can’t do much worse than Reading in 2000 when pop ‘sensations’ Daphne and Celeste (yes, those people who did “U.G.L.Y.â€�) caused bleeding ears on the main stage.

The music this year is no exception, with legends Radiohead topping the bill on the Sunday to skew the traditionally metal/hardcore day in favour of the masses. As much as it may anger frenzied Slipknot fans, who may not have been completely calm to begin with, the weekend’s lighter tone will give limelight to some of the smaller bands looking to grace the stages.

AFI, Placebo, Enter Shikari, Eagles of Death Metal, brandnew, Friendly Fires and recently announced NME/Radio 1 Stage headliners Lostprophets are all bands to look out for, and there will undoubtedly be more stars of tomorrow lurking in the wings. Just look back to the festival line-ups of old to spot Franz Ferdinand and Kaiser Chiefs starting on the smallest stage.

It’s not that I’m not interested in the headliners, Arctic Monkeys particularly will be looking to stave off their main stage embarrassment of a few years ago when half way through their set lead singer Alex Turner remarked: “Are you having fun? We don’t know!â€� Victims of their own success, the Monkeys were propelled into the public eye so quickly they’d gone from playing dingy pub basements to headlining a major rock festival in only a few months.

Despite the imperfections, the festival will still surpass expectations as it always does, and offer unique opportunities to meet and have fun with more people than you’re ever likely to be exposed to in one place.

All that remains now is to battle through the horrifically changeable summer months to get to the aural relief on the other side.

By James Parry