Nathan Rowden: Have a party and forget the selfies

There have also been some pretty infamous sets too – a Reni and John Squire-less The Stone Roses headline slot at Reading in 1996 stands out as being pretty bad, while Daphne and Celeste’s bog roll and bottle throwing infused one-song set at Reading in 2000, where they barely made it through their chart hit ‘Ooh Stick You’, is one that will go down in the history books.

There have been lots written about these performances and they are the moments that those who were there will remember and talk about for the rest of their lives.

Sadly though, over the last decade those iconic performances are becoming few and far between. The Foo Fighters drew rave reviews at Glastonbury in 2017 but recent headline slots from Adele, Kanye West and Ed Sheeran attracted a less than positive response. But it’s not even like they’ve been terrible, just a bit boring.

There are accusations that festivals and music as a whole have become too sanitised – and I tend to agree. Where are the personalities and the Nick Wire-esque controversial outbursts?

But worse than the drop in the calibre of acts at festivals is the change in the crowd and of festival-goers themselves.

Music festivals are a bit like a bubble, you become part of this community for a few days.

Now maybe I’m just getting old and grumpy, but music festivals are getting to the point where they are unrecognisable. Although I suppose my parents would have said the same to me.

For many now a day at a festival is like a fashion show. They are for those who are uninterested in the music (and who could blame them) and just want to get their impractically dressed bodies on camera.

Have you even been to a festival if you haven’t worn glitter on your face and been on the stage-side big screens, attention seeking to the cameras on some poor person’s shoulders?

I have no problem with dancing, crowd surfing, circle pits, moshing – that’s all good fun and I’ve done a decent amount myself over the years. The festivals I remember used to be wild.

But the wildest thing that seems to happen now is that people get 1,000 likes on Instagram for their outfits. One to tell the kids about...

I say this with the best will in the world – but no-one cares what you’re wearing, and no-one will care in years to come what you were wearing.

I’m a pretty simple guy. Shorts, T-shirt, trainers, a hat and I’m good for the day. The chances are I’m not going to get many shares or likes on Facebook – but guess what, I won’t be putting a picture up of my outfit on social media.

Festivals were always known for being dirty, sweaty and disgusting affairs – this was all part of the charm alongside seeing the world’s biggest acts.

But they weren’t giving the impression of the perfect weekend people so desperately want now for their socials.

It’s all about having glamping weekends where you can stay in swanky tipis and get freshly cooked breakfast bought to your tent every morning, and there are more charging points for your phones than you can possibly dream of. The whole experience has gone VIP camping and the music is a bit of an after thought.

And then there’s the food.

Last summer I was at a one-day festival in London.

I went to get a drink from the bar but the queues were at least an hour deep.

Instead extra bars lined up around the edge of the festival site, there was instead food van after food van. If you like over-priced cuisine from around the world then you’re sorted. If you want over-priced lager, get in line.

Maybe I’m being harsh on festival-goers, and maybe should the finger really be pointed at the huge promoters who run the festivals?

I suspect it’s a little bit of both.

Personally I feel sorry for the younger generation – yeah I’ve gone full on granddad mode now.

Festivals will never return to what they once were, not only in terms of the performances but also the wider experience.

And while that is slightly depressing the one thing I do wish, as the festival season kicks off this weekend at the Isle of Wight, is that people ditch the phone, ditch the fashion statements, and do their best to go and live for a weekend.

Go and have a massive party and stop worrying about what you look like, how greasy your hair is and how smelly you are.

Wallow in it, wallow in everyone else’s, you’re all in the same boat and this is what going to a festival is all about.