Smash hit

Worst It’s probably being at the centre of a hailstorm of abuse last year in the run-up to the festival (the decision to book Jay-Z was met by vociferous protests from the festival’s traditionally guitar-rock-loving clientele, and from some bands, too). It was tricky dealing with the onslaught .

James Allan, Glasvegas

Best My favourite memories are about the energy and the lack of inhibitions when all these people are in the middle of nowhere with a bunch of drugs, alcohol and romantic aspirations. Like the first time I went to T in the Park, in 2003; I met a girl called Anne, I had milk cartons filled with Jack Daniel’s, and we just had a laugh together in the tent. We didn’t even watch any bands, which she still moans about to this day — I think she really wanted to see Doves, but she just knocked about with me instead.

Worst Back in 2006, Carl Barât of Dirty Pretty Things phoned me up and asked if I wanted to come to T in the Park and hang out. I think Alan McGee, who was managing Dirty Pretty Things at the time, could tell I was feeling down, so they dragged me up there. It was quite a tough time then for a few reasons — love issues, no job, no money, problems at home that were pretty dark. Standing in a field with everybody having a ball just made me feel even more lost. When you’re feeling like that, a festival can be the loneliest place in the world.

Geoff Travis, founder of Rough Trade Shops/Records

Best When I was managing Pulp with my wife, Jeanette, I remember getting the call the week before Glastonbury 1995: John Squire had hurt himself, the Stone Roses couldn’t headline, and would Pulp be able to do it? It took me all of 15 seconds to decide that it was a great idea, and it was perfect timing, because Common People was just becoming huge. The show really was something to behold, a great communal moment that we watched from the middle of the crowd.

Worst Last year at Glastonbury, I went to the site with two of my friends, and we made arrangements to meet later, to go back to where we were staying. During the day, though, I got a message saying there was an emergency I had to attend to in London. I had to drive back immediately, and there was no way of getting in contact with my friends to tell them. So not only were they waiting for me, they then had to walk four scary miles back in the dark without knowing what had happened. I still feel very guilty about that.

Alison Mosshart, the Kills

Best Glastonbury 2008 is the only festival I have stayed the whole weekend at, which says a lot, because typically I hate mud, hate drinking cheap beer, hate the sun and hate drunk, red-faced sports dudes wandering around listening to bad music. We played around midnight on the Friday and the show was wonderful . I stayed with a bunch of girlfriends on site in a Winnebago (anything but camping), and I got to see the Raconteurs, Jay-Z and Amy Winehouse. They were all incredible. I’ll never forget that weekend. I think I had the giggles for 72 hours straight.

Worst One of the most recent when I was in Australia for V Festival. It was awful. Terrible sound, burning sun, bad organisation — the promoter changed the set times at 6pm the day before the festival. The vibe was weird. All these new corporate, straight, vibeless, soulless festivals do nothing for me.

Simon White, manager of Bloc Party, CSS and Phoenix

Best I was at Nirvana’s first UK festival appearance at Reading in 1991. It was the show where Kurt jumped into the drum kit at the end of the set. Far from being contrived, it seemed like the logical conclusion. After all the noise he’d made, there was nowhere else for him to go. I remember everyone looking at each other afterwards with huge grins and a sense of disbelief at how incredible the set had been. It was just magical, and a wonderful weekend that I will never forget.

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