I apologise if I hit you with a flag last night :: Festival Annual 09

The UK festival season runs for a mammoth 96 days – from June to September each year. For a group of countries whose frigid temperatures usually keep inhabitants snuggled indoors cradling cups of tea, the practice of getting loose in a field full of beer, bands, and babes has become an annual pilgrimage.

Documenting the memories of festival folk from the Isle of Whight to Glastonbury, Reading to Bestival and all those in between, Festival Annual 09 is a glossy retrospective of the 21 major festivals held in the UK in 2009. ‘Rain cannot dampen our spirits and we laugh in the face of mud. When we have to tighten our belts there are many things in life we’d sacrifice before giving up on a weekend at a festival.’ writes the introduction, and what truth.

Burning sun or slippery mud, the energy at every festival is the same, even though the music isn’t – a fantasy world where one can dress up in a horse suit or paint their face without judgement. Where every move is in sync with the pulse of a drumbeat or the grind of guitars. Where night becomes day without the party stopping, until all that’s left is an empty field strewn with stomped bottles, cigarette packets and other scraps.

Our fave inclusion of the book is a collection of tweets from festival goers, including gems such as If you’re called matthew and your dad’s called howard and you’ve lost your wallet at leeds, call your dad. or @JBenni is hanging, burnt to a crisp and has no voice… and I LOVE IT!! Roll on next year! and Rougher than a badger. I apologise if i hit you with a flag last night.

It was kind of hard to get a hold of (thanks eBay!) but if you live and breathe music festivals as much as we do, you’d best get your hands on a copy. As soon as you start flicking through the 300-odd pages, you’ll be aching to book your ticket to whatever’s coming up first!

Festival Annual 09 is published by Independents United and 10% of all proceeds go to Oxfam.

GRLmobile is rocking Kiss My Grass Melbourne this weekend. If you partied with us last year, you’ll know how maxxin’ it was. HURRY! Tix still available for $48.70 + BF @ Ticketmaster or call 136 100.