Commeth the Summer...commeth the festivals!!

The amount of festivals that occur in Korea during the Summer months are unbelievable. There is always something going on somewhere. Music festivals, food festivals, sand festivals, firework festivals, flower festivals arts festivals....it goes on. THE festival I wanted to go to this year was the Ansan Valley Music Festival. Moved from Jisan this year, I missed it last year because I went home, so no matter what I was gonna make it happen this year.

Being Korea, where rock music isn't particularly popular, the line up is a little mish mash. But headlining the three nights were The Cure, Skrillex and Nine Inch Nails.....acts also included: Stereophonics, the XX, Vampire Weekend, the Foals, Yellowcard, Fun., Coheed and  Cambria and a bunch of other Korean and Japanese acts. 

Punching out of work early because no one was there I trek up to Ansan from Daejeon which is a ballache and a half and took the best part of 4 hours. I make the journey with a couple of girls I know and we labour our way up there. 

We get there and it's not exactly Glastonbury, but the weather is great and the vibe is cool. Until we realise that the campsite we are gonna stay in is a car park and the ground is actually harder granite. but i'm sure my good friend Mr. Beer will help me sleep past that problem. 

One of the cool things about this festival is that it's cash free. You use your T-Money card. Which is the Korean equivalent of an Oyster Card. So no worries about losing cash....just don't lose your card. With my card fully charged and a beer in hand I wait for Andrei and Adnan to arrive. Andrei  brought a tent with him, but in true A Team fashion we find some shelter, drop everything off and then go off into the compound (which was a good 15 minute walk away).

The next three days consist of listening to music, drinking waaay too many beers, meeting the Mayor of Ansan, Andrei meeting Skrillex, Andrei being surrounded by 8 bouncers, taking Adnan to the hospital because his ankle ballooned to the size of a melon, torrential rain, MUD everywhere, kebabs, late night swimming, sunrises and sunsets.....and above all a really good time. Probably my favourite weekend in Korea. It's a shame that Andrew T couldn't make it.