Yes, so I could go on and on about how this was the best Pilton Pop Festival for a long time, give you a long boring essay for each day detailing my every crazy move, the nice hot showers, great food, mad people, awesome fire...

But it has been a month already, and what a month! Weddings, holidays, DIY, gardens1, so I will leave it as a long music review, with the bands I managed to actually see reviewed in some form of clumsy haiku.

THURSDAY

Charlene Soraia

A song about space,
Stuffy tent hushed and brooding,
Rain drips in my beer.

The Gentle Good

He sings about Jane,
But the strings are too quiet,
Finger-picking good?

Interlude

Later we attempt a rehearsal of the festival fire show, so we know what's going to be happening tomorrow. There is much deliberating and standing about while the various factions of fiery folke make up a 'show'. There is a huge mechanical fire-breathing Garuda Bird , professionally known as 'the chicken'. I have to walk in front of a big mechanical elephant which threatens to topple forwards into me in the mud.

There is some sort of mythological theme going on, the top of the field is dominated by three large totems of Isis and Anubis, but the Garuda and elephant are Indian and really it's all about dancing around and setting things on fire. As usual, my job is to try and stop wasted hippies from touching the shiny stuff. We assure ourselves that it will all be fine. There is no actual fire tonight and the eventual plan sounds so complicated we all go out drinking instead...

Green Room Funk Band

Some random funk band
and we all dance like madmen.
Backstage is spinning.

I slink away from the fire early, it has been a hard week at work and I don't want to be tired all weekend. As I settle into the nice comfy camp-bed, the real rain begins.

• 1. Yes, my life is THAT exciting!