This time next week, the tents will be being put up for another year of the V Festival.
V gets a good deal of stick from some quarters due to it being one of the most commercialized festivals of the summer, but with a line up that boasts a headline set from Foo Fighters, plus appearances from Primal Scream, Manic Street Preachers, Kasabian, Iggy and the Stooges, Bright Eyes, Graham Coxon and Jarvis Cocker, and a new stage for 2007 made up of lots of new acts given their shot at attracting the big crowds, there's plenty interesting about V, even if the Fray and James Morrison are here.
That said, V is the most pop aimed of all the major festivals and this does throw up some odd combinations. You've got to wonder what Iggy Pop makes of being on the same stage as the likes of Lemar and Mcfly!
With the swapping round of Basement Jaxx and Kooks on the Channel 4 Stage, Saturday now gives a headlining quartet of Killers, Basement Jaxx, Damien Rice and Graham Coxon. Sunday dishes up Foo Fighters, Kooks, Primal Scream and Bright Eyes.
Having covered the Chelmsford leg for the last two years, Room Thirteen will be heading back to the midlands for the Staffordshire version (we had somebody there in 2004). With a bit of luck there won't be quite so many Z list celebs and former Big Brother contestants to fall over given the distance from London.
Click herefor all our previous V coverage.
This preview is based on Stafford, but swap the days round if you're off to Chelmsford as Saturday in the Midlands becomes Sunday in Essex.
As ever with these things on R13, read through the line up below, and click the links to get a relevant gig or CD review.
V Stage
Killers, Wembley Arena February 2007
Kasabian, Isle of Wight 2007
James, Brixton Academy April 2007
Fratellis, Isle of Wight 2007KT Tunstall
James Morrison
Goo Goo Dolls 'Let Love In'Rodrigo Y Gabriela
Channel 4 Stage
Basement Jaxx, Wembely Arena December 2006
Manic Street Preachers, Rock Ness 2007
Lily Allen, London March 2007Mika
Guillemots, Indian Summer 2006
Cribs, Glastonbury 2007
Mark Ronson, CD reviewsCaptain
The Hours
JJB Arena
Damien Rice 'Nine'
Iggy & the Stooges, Benicassim 2007Corinne Bailey Rae
Lemar
Willy Mason
Rilo Kiley
McFly
Sophie Ellis-Bextor
Mutya Buena
Seth Lakeman
Lena Rez
Virgin Mobile Stage
Graham Coxon 'Love Travels at Illegal Speeds'The Bravery
Stephen Fretwell 'Four Letter Word'
Bedouin Soundclash, Leeds Festival 2006
Air Traffic 'Fractured Life'
Rumble Strips, single reviewsRemi Nicole
Cherry Ghost 'Thirst for Romance'
Tiny Dancers, CD reviewsUnkleJam
Passenger 'Do What You Like'
The Dodgems, single reviews
Finally, V Festival will this year get a fifth stage, with the Virgin Mobile Sessions Tent hosting new and emerging acts.
Playing are, with day splits to come, Tom Baxter, Candi Payne, Ross Copperman, Amy Macdonald, Kate Walsh, Emma Pollock, Scouting for Girls, Ting Tings, Jamie Scott and the Town, Newton Faulkner, Ben's Brother, New York Fund, Paul Steel, Tiger Picks, The Script, David Jordan, Joe Lean and Jing Jang Jong and Terra Naomi.
To hear more of a few of the smaller bands playing day 1, take a look at these suggested Myspace links:
Dodgems
Lena Rez
Passenger
Paul Steel
Tigerpicks
Kate Walsh
The second half of this preview comes tomorrow, and check back after the event for reviews of some of those playing across the weekend.