Preview: The Rest of the Summer

So the dust has settled on a scorching Glastonbury and JT and Jay Z have put their stamp as Legends of the Summer on the Olympic Park. The city festivals are but a slightly warm memory and we’re all melting in office blocks or summery parks waiting for our next Cornetto.

You could however, go to another festival this year.
“But Sound Influx, festivals are really expensive and the summer’s already half done. Can’t I just sit at home and watch Wiley rant about them on the internet?”
No reader, whilst that could be quite fun, even Wiley’s going to get his wellies melted onto his feet at Reading and Leeds and there’s an assortment of festivals left this summer that won’t break the bank.

Y Not

Occuring on the first weekend of August, this, by means of proximity to now is the most likely one to see radiant sunshine. Having grown over the last 8 years, championing the best in new music and getting bigger headliners by the year; this year sees once Reading and Leeds headliners The Darkness join The Cribs, Ash, The1975, Dan le Sac vs Scroobius Pip, 65DaysOfStatic and The Horrors.
Future big deals Chloe Howl, Lewis Watson and Gnarwolves also fill the £80 weekender that holds the Mystery Jets as its house-band. Our friends at Alcopop! Also host a stage at what promises to be a hugely diverse festival that’s also known for it’s wonderful toilets (and we’re not even taking the p*** there!)

Beacons

The north of England really is a wonderful place; so wonderful infact that the lovely folk at Beacons in Skipton, North Yorkshire have managed to persuade everyone from Danny Brown, Django Django, Fucked Up, Bonobo  and Melody’s Echo Chamber to join in on the fun. Of course, if all of that fun isn’t up your street, you can always go to a Whisky Tasting workshop, watch a film or enjoy a talk on philosophy whilst eating one of the many wonderful food options (the food here is second to none, for a field). Four nights of this Yorkshire bliss costs under £100 and they’ll even throw in David Rodigan MBE!

End of the Road 

Closing August in utter beauty this year, EOTR sees Sigur Ros, Belle & Sebastian and David Byrne & St.Vincent join the likes of Dinosaur Jr, Savages and Daughter at a festival that also holds its own Ale Festival, Comedy stage and Icelandic Grotto. If that’s not enough for you they even have their own bicycle based Postal Service to pass on goodwill, fleeting moments and memories across the site. We’d be amiss if we didn’t mention that all of its cheapest tickets flew out of the door to be replaced by £175 ones, but frankly Sigur Ros are in the best shape of their touring careers whilst sets from Eels and Daughter won’t feel more fitting anywhere else in the world except in this field in Dorset.

ArcTanGent 

Finally but definitely not bringing up the tail quietly is ArcTanGent. It’s the rookie of the batch being in its debutant year, but hosted by the same folk that brought the world 2000Trees and held just outside of Bristol, it stands up amongst the rest straight away. 65DaysOfStatic and Fuck Buttons headline whilst SI favourites Tall Ships and infectious post-rockers And So I Watch You From Afar, hardcore outfit Rolo Tomassi, recent starlets Public Service Broadcasting and our underground favourites Nordic Giants glitter the huge lineup. It’s the cheaper (£60), louder option to EOTR and one way or another, we promise it’ll be a good one, even if it pours down with rain because the main stage is a huge Arc Tent.

We hope that one of these whets your whistle more than it wets your tent, but with weather like we're having now, its worth the risk. See you in the fields.