True music fans don't leave festivals when it rains

Author: Laura Foster

So, the gates have barely opened for the Isle of Wight Festival, and already some fair-weather festival-goers are packing up, chickening out and heading for home.

"It's a shame that so many have lost faith in the festival organisers"

Whatever happened to that British stiff upper lip, the belief that we can prevail through adversity? It seems to have been washed away with a bit of bad weather.

It's a shame that so many have lost faith in the festival organisers, who've busted a gut to bring in a top lineup that includes Pearl Jam, Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, and who are seasoned at pulling off top events which lead to memorable weekends for all involved.

I have one word - or name - for those deserters: Glastonbury.

Site conditions there have been far worse in previous years. What about 2005, when rainfall was so heavy that some camping fields were turned into temporary lakes with only the peaks of some people's tents sticking out?

It's this sort of Blitz spirit that really brings out the best in a big group of people

Rather than moan, those affected (a lot of whom had the entire contents of their tents washed away) picked themselves up, got looked after by the festival welfare services, and continued to have a good time.

It's this sort of Blitz spirit that really brings out the best in a big group of people, as Michael Eavis is often found saying whenever his festival has been turned into a mud bath from rains of biblical proportions.

Fans are meant to care about their artists, they're meant to do stupid things for them like follow their tour bus up and down the country, and buy their latest release in all formats - digital, vinyl and everything in between.

What's a little mud between you and your favourite band?

People who go to festivals are supposed to be fans of this kind, who've gone there for the music. They've paid a small fortune and put the effort in to travel there after all, so why give up at the last hurdle? What's a little mud between you and your favourite band?

Call yourselves true music fans? Then pull your wellies on, whack a smile on your face, and get involved. It may just be the best weekend of your life.

What do you think? Are festival-goers wimps for crying off when the weather's bad? Let us know in the comments section below or join in the debate on Twitter with the #socialvoices hashtag.

Laura Foster is a freelance music journalist who has written for Q, Clash, Mojo, Kerrang! and more.

Follow Laura on Twitter @LauFoster