As the last dregs of summer are enjoyed by the sun deprived British I always find I am beside myself with excitement. “Why is that?”, you may ask, “Are you adverse to the hot weather and are eagerly anticipating endless rainy nights?” Nope. In fact I just cannot wait for Reading, the mother of rock festivals, to kick off.

Following up last year’s stellar line-up, Reading again boasts a roster of hot bands that capture the year’s UK music obsessions into a user friendly weekend chunk. To be fair they don’t always get it right; the 2004 line-up is a great example of how not to do it. I mean, who on earth wants to see 50 Cent between Green Day and Placebo or even at all? Why on earth would anyone want to let the one-tricky-pony Darkness trudge out a short, dilapidated and at best lacklustre headlining set? Blips aside, I am looking forward to Reading 2006 and here are my top tips and blips (crap word, I know, but it rhymes so there) for the bank holiday rock bonanza.

The Tips:

Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs
We don’t see enough of them, do we? The last time I did, Karen O was swaggering around Brixton Academy trying not to fall over while singing (or to be accurate, screaming) at the same time. The main stage is going to be the perfect place for the YYYs to deliver their softly-softly-bashy-bashy second album, Show Your Bones, in an unpredictable and inevitably genius manner.

Muse
When this bunch rocked Reading with their sinister rock wailings they did so during a thunderstorm, which only underlined the grandeur of the whole occasion. Now equipped with the mixed bag that is Blackholes and Revelations, the whole world wants to see what Muse are capable of again. Expect lots of piano waltz, solo guitar, lights, lasers and wonderfulness. Although, hopefully, no storm.

Arctic Monkeys
I don’t need to say much here, apart from the fact that this will be a defining point in their career. Are they as fantastic as everyone (as in like most of the UK) think, or just another boring council estate band winging about their girlfriends’ fat arses?

The Automatic
The prospect of having another top 10 hit is doubtful although The Automatic are still the ones to see in 2006. With their own brand of pop that makes you go pop, the boys from Welsh land will no doubt make the weekend’s festival goers forget the fly-by nonsense that is the Kaiser Chiefs. Just ignore the one on keyboards, he likes the attention.

Placebo
Reading regulars and now pop-rock Gods, just ignore what the select few national music publications say (we all know who they are). Placebo are one of the UK’s most important rock bands, and one of our best exports, with their latest album Meds being lapped up a treat by critics. They play Reading to save Sunday night from the ghosts of bleary eyed ‘grunge’ past.

The improved campsite
2006 sees improved campsite facilities; all night entertainment, a 23 hour café (23?! – Ed) , better campsite directions and information and a quiet campsite for the sensible  people. There is even an antisocial behaviour campaign, so bloody well behave yourselves!

The Blips:

Secondary Barrier
If you had watched the T in the Park and Oxygen coverage on TV you would have seen a new security fad in the shape of a fence separating those actually watching the bands from those who are supposedly just taking a back seat. This is thought to stop the bulk of the 10,000 people not really caring what is going on at the main stage from supposedly pushing the thousands that are.

All I could see from the festival coverage was 10,000 miserable punters crammed behind the barrier, a gaping hole of no one, then around 2000 watching the band. With a supposed one in one out system, managed by the ever loathed festival security, the only thing this is going to achieve is a hindrance to those who like to run between stages. If this changes the number of casualties as a result of over crowding then I am the Easter Bunny and Bob is most certainly my uncle.

Dirty Pretty Things
I’ll let them dig their own grave.

Pearl Jam
Sunday night’s headliners have to be a grand finale, a well loved legendry band. Pearl Jam are legendary. They are also bloody dull but never mind, every cloud has a silver lining – Maximo Park is on the Radio One stage (phew!)

See not many blips at all. It’s going to be great. Can't wait!