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Sometimes I find myself asking how on earth my life has managed to be so involved and intertwined with so many festivals each summer. When the proliferation and popularity of live events and festivals in particular has seen the calendar stretch from January to December, I seem to have joined the opinion of a few festival weary punters, feeling like its time for a change of musical scenery, there are other ways to get your musical kicks! Yet still, work, or certain names on the line up, or a gathering of excitable friends, will drag me to the middle of the shenanigans again and again despite myself.

In winter there are city festivals, in the summer, we want to camp out in soggy fields. However, on the plus side, we do have some of the best festivals in the world. Having been to a few from South By South West to All Tomorrow's Parties Australia, I can vouch for the fact that UK festivals are held in some of the most stunning locations. The concrete jungles of Oz's Big Day Out and Barcelona's Primavera festival are no match for the stages nestled amongst the hills of mid Wales. Which brings me to...

Green Man Festival

Green Man site

Glanusk Estate in Crickhowell is always the most welcoming sight at the Green Man festival. The main stage is overshadowed by the hills in the background, and the whole site is a fair climb if you want to travel from stage to stage. Despite showers, and bouts of sun, it's smiles all round at the festival this year, as the ground is solid beneath our feet and the activities can commence without a boat to take you around. I'm straight in with a day packed full of radio interviews on the Friday, the highlight of which was meeting Howard Marks!

Early evening I join the ranks of Green Man FM, and was joined in the portable cabin by Admiral Fallow playing a stunning acoustic session, just guitar, voice and clarinet, and Ellen And The Escapades - this time four of them squeeze into the cabin, and sound so divine.

It's late by the time radio duties are done, but I manage to catch some headline sets by Explosions In The Sky and Holy F**k.

Saturday begin with a dazzling array of live radio sessions by some of the Welsh acts at the festival, including Tender Prey, Sion Russell Jones, Martin Carr, Chailo Sim and others, and I am completely spell-bound by Hannah Peel who plays a stunning session with her custom-made music box.

Saturday afternoon I am making up for lost time by jumping around stages seeing a bit of Yoke, H Hawkline, some brilliant comedy, and the wonderful Fleet Foxes headlining on the Saturday night. I can't think of a better headliner for the event.

Reading Festival

Bethan and The Vinyl Vendettas at Reading festival

Righto, where do I start at the biggest festival in my working calendar? It's the 11th year for me to host the Radio One/NME stage at Reading, the second stage of the festival and the biggest tent in the world! It's always a rush of bands, a flurry of activity, a weekend of long hours, and a general whirlwind of excitement.

The highlights in brief this year are the hilarious and ridiculous rider demands of the last minute pull outs Janes Addiction, the swagger of Liam Gallagher playing with Beady Eye, the closing DJ set from 2 Many DJs and The Streets, charm personified, and with a jumping set which might or might not be one of his last UK appearances. My personal highlight is F**ked Up's singer Damon's crowd antics, and massive Circle Pit. Totally engaging. Yuck, Warpaint, Death From Above, there are loads of great bands once again, and loads of great cake backstage - win win!

Merthyr Rock

Last but not least, I close the Radio Wales summer road show activities by hosting a live show from the ground of Merthyr Rock, in Cyfarthfa Park, at the foot of Cyfarthfa Castle - a stage which is soon nicknamed the acoustic stage, to our delight!

The energy at Merthyr Rock is fantastic, the atmosphere totally exciting. I walk in to the sounds of Cuba Cuba on the second open air stage echoing very loudly around the arena. I catch Town and Tiger Please on the main stage and Broken Vinyl Club back on Stage 2. It's a seamless flow of excellent bands, with a great crowd engaged and having fun.

We start our broadcast at 5.30pm and finish at 8pm, with a flood of acoustic acts playing and a fun pop quiz between Goldie Lookin' Chain and hometown heroes The Blackout.

Here's a video from the Ö÷²¥´óÐã Radio Wales activities of the band whose name was on everyone's lips that weekend - The Blackout:

And so ends another summer with a new Welsh festival finding its stride and finding a keen international crowd up for the occasion. Just Cardiff's Sŵn festival to go in October and I'll be able to retire from festival activity for another year! Time to hang up those wellies...