All About The Music at Glastonbury

I've been to Glastonbury a couple of times and every time I visit I'm always amazed at the multitude of things to do. As far as I can make out there are three ways to enjoy the festival; either you're all about the music, a mixture of the music and beer, or just the beer and the 'food'. The people who go and end up seeing no bands are the ones who get wrecked on day one and can't find the way back to their tent. These people spend the majority of the weekend falling over in mud, trying to be cool and knowing very little about bands. These people don't deserve tickets.

John Peel - the late, great and legendary DJ – always tried his best to see as many bands as possible. He would curse the bloke who puts his girlfriend on his shoulders, or the troops of teenagers who watched one band and then went to get a burger. Peel wanted to watch the Amateur Macaroons or Area 25.071 in the new bands tent, therefore avoiding the crowds who ran over people's heads to see Radiohead.

I take Peel as my inspiration when I go to Glastonbury and I mix the 'having a beer' part with seeing as many bands as possible. This can irritate my friends who bemoan me, saying things like "you don't really like them do you?" and "you're just trying to be cool, why don't you just watch the big bands". Sadly people who spurt out this kind of drivel belong at Reading, on the Sunday afternoon, watching a metal band create a torrid noise. Glasto is about enjoying the mornings with some real food, a wonder round the stalls and then straight to the first show before lunch.

On a good day I like to see about ten bands, some people will say that's impossible and some will say you can do more. But ten is roughly the optimum number for having seen the majority of a set but not having wasted your time waiting for the sound check and the will they/won't they arrival of Babyshambles. I like to arrive when the band has finished their first song, watch about seven or eight tracks and then hurtle to the next stage. This behaviour, I admit, isn't very chilled out and not entirely sociable. But that's what normal gigs are for and there's plenty of time to talk in the long nights and early mornings.

To fully enjoy the Glasto experience, sleeping isn't really an option. If, like me, you wish to see as many bands as possible, you have to socialise when the boring people are sleeping. The festival comes around once a year if you're lucky, and although tiredness has overcome me on many an occasion, surviving three days with no sleep can be done. Avoid those weird supplements that keep your eyes open at a strange angle and don't eat any of the vegan food (you'll fall asleep on the 'toilet'). Instead, drink a steady amount of beer and only eat packaged stuff. If that means eating 72 Mars bars, then so be it.

So, remember the three key rules to a real fan's Glasto experience: Firstly, think, what would John Peel do? Secondly, perfect the art of running to a stage and then through the crowd. Lastly, never eat anything that doesn't look like food, stick to packaged stuff. Follow these simple guidelines and you'll be the obsessive music fan we're all supposed to be.

Find the best flights offers with UK Net Guide’s flight search – we bring the best of the web, to you!