FESTiVal FirSTS: ThE highS aNd lOwS OF ThE FirST TaSTE OF FrEEdOm pagE - 20

My first experience of a music festival was Cardiff’s Big Weekend in Gorsedd Gardens. I went every year with my family and friends ever since I was old enough to be pushed around in a pram: it was a free event which made it the perfect way to spend an August weekend. As well as a wide variety of musical acts across the three days, it also included a funfair that spanned the roads of Cardiff University and the museum. As a child, the funfair was definitely my favourite part- the rides were really fun and one year my dad even won us a giant horse toy from one of the archery games. One year that stands out to me the most is the 2009 festival where the headliners included The Lightning Seeds and The Zutons. I remember listening to the original version of ‘Valerie’ on the shoulders of one of my family friends during The Zutons’ set which concluded the Big Weekend that year. The downside of this festival was that I was so young when I attended, which meant I would be half asleep by the time the final acts performed! If Cardiff Council ever decides to revive the Big Weekend, I would be more than happy to attend again.

Words by: Rhiannon Farr

Words by: Frankie Salmon

Aged seventeen and with my pivotal A-level exams all to come in the following year, Reading Festival seemed like a good opportunity to let loose before the wrath of year 13 hit. It was a chance to go crazy while we still had the time, and it’s a period of my life I will never forget. My first real festival experience, it exceeded all expectations while showcasing that when it comes to festivals, you really can’t predict anything. August 2018. There wasn’t nearly as much summer sun as we had anticipated, but being so young and optimistic, none of us had even thought to check the weather app before our arrival. The walk to our camp seemed eternal and I could feel myself rapidly turning into Quasimodo under the weight of my 40kg bag. We were greeted by sunset scenes, but our departure was characterised by sinus infections, a hangover that persisted for the next three days, and a mud slide that seemed to say ‘Good riddance’ as it carried us out of the camp and onto the motorway back home. The aftermath though horrific, could never tarnish the pervasive feeling of euphoria that Reading still evokes in me. Sweat mingled with dirt kicked up from the ground of the dance tent was merely a byproduct of chaos. Pushing to the front of Don Broco and feeling the vibrational thump of the bass in my chest reminded me why I loved rock so much. It’s evocative of disaster but a happy mayhem. When I think of myself at seventeen, I think Reading…

the highs and lows of the first taste of freeedom...