Free of Charge

I'm not too sure where to start with this post. Reading is a complete blur - four days mushed into one long weekend. I can't believe how much I've learnt from it. I'm aware that sounds slightly ridiculous as it's nothing more than a music festival but there’s something about having full responsibility and control over yourself, even for a few days, that seems to bring the best out of people. I'm going to restrain myself from expanding on any profanity in relation to the festival and attempt to focus more upon what we actually did there.

My normal day was as follows;
->Wake up fully clothed engulfed in (usually own) sweat
->Emerge from tent and be blinded by sun. Hear retina's sizzle.
->Search for sunglasses for 20 minutes.
->Realise they were on head already. Chuckle at stupidity.
->Get changed, brush teeth, use main arena toilets and return to tent.
->Have crisps, a nutrigrain and (if feeling naughty) bread for breakfast
->Sit on mat with friends and discuss nothing of importance. Laugh lots.
->11.00am. Open first beer. Discuss who we want to go see and that we want to go to the Silent Disco that evening.
->Watch 2 or 3 bands and return to campsite. Drink more.
->Stop drinking as 'it's too early to be getting pissed'
->Have another beer.
->Gather with a few friends and make way to arena whilst saying 'HALLA' to random people.
->Go watch some bands.
->Get separated from everyone and lose phone signal so nobody can be contacted.
->Befriend person standing next to you in crowd.
->Get crushed during performance and move further back into the crowd.
->Become frustrated as you're now even more crushed than before.
->Return to campsite and wait for evening performances for hours. Drink.
->Complain about how expensive a burger is.
->Watch headliners and feel self conscious about appalling dancing.
->Go back to campsite. Vow to go straight to bed due to extreme tiredness.
->Stay up for another 4 hours.
->Forget to go to Silent Disco.
->Go to sleep at 3.45am after body abruptly shuts itself down.

This cycle was repeated.

Sadly, the camera I brought with proved to have the battery life of a mayfly and died after just one day. I didn't take enough photos but still managed to get a handful of nice ones;

I got on with everyone around our campsite and enjoyed the company of countless people. I do regret the name we gave to our tent though. One tent named itself the 'Pussy Palace' and to rival this, our tent (formally Tentzilla), got the name the 'Vaj Mahal'. This became 'famous' amongst our fellow campers. The reason I regret it is rather self explanatory in that I stayed in a tent for four days called 'The Vaj Mahal'.

A few posts ago in 'A Pretty Mundane Post' I mention meeting up with a friend in Starbucks. Even though our meeting wasn't awkward I still thought I would somewhat resent her presence at Reading. She stayed a few tents away from the 'Vaj Mahal', and I thought this might dampen the fun. Thankfully it didn't. Far from it.
It made Reading better and without her being there I would have had less of a good time. I think it’s amazing how a handful of long conversations and the exchanging of knowing smiles can rub off on me so positively. I'll always have a soft spot for her.

Oddly, I wasn't that fussed about the music-side to the festival. I had a handful of bands that I wanted to see and I discovered a few that I liked. With that said, I quickly realised that I hardly went to the festival for the music - more for the social side and for the experience. Either way I absolutely loved some bands.
I thought that Noah and the Whale, The Macabees, Bombay Bicycle Club and White Lies were brilliant.
I really enjoyed Kings of Leon too even if the front man started having a go at the crowd. A handful of their songs bring back some nice memories from recent times. I thought that songs like Be Somebody, Closer and Use Somebody would make me depressed, and at first I was right. The more I listened though, the more I realised I could only associate them with good times I've had. That made me smile and I wished I could've been with somebody in particular when I heard them. If a song makes you happy then that’s a reason to like it. I love those three songs.
Other great bands were Radiohead (obviously) and Bloc Party. The Arctic Monkeys were a complete let down and their new, long hair/leather jackect-clad, image is nothing short of a joke. Such a dry performance. Oh well.

I learnt that when somebody says 'things will sort themselves out, don't worry' they actually make a valid point. Perhaps it’s true.
I learnt that when at a music festival I really don't like being in the mosh pits. A bit of jumping and pushing is fine but it gets to a point where you can't enjoy the music and are more worried about the massive, 30 year old, skin head called Ray, who keeps elbowing you in the ribs. I hate that guy.
I learnt how great it can be when you lose your inhibitions, just for an instant, and can be yourself. I reckon 'being yourself' is easier said than done. For some reason though, when I just let go slightly I find that people respond better to me and I have a inkling that that applies to everyone. After all, we all just want to have a good time and have a laugh.
I learnt that I'm unlikely to do Reading again. It's an experience. For me, that's the extent of it.
Finally I learnt that hearing a particular song or sharing a smiling glance can make a weekend for me. It sounds crazy - I paid £180 for a ticket and one of my highlights of the festival I got free of charge.