But aside from the lame controversy over whether or not a hip-hop artist like Jay-Z should be headlining what is traditionally a rock-based festival, there was at least one interesting fact about this
year's Glastonbury.

When the gates opened 48 hours before the first bands took to the stage, there were still 3,000 tickets available – the first time the event hadn't been a sell-out in advance since 1993. The Velvet Underground, Suede, Lenny Kravitz, The Stereo MCs and Rolf Harris were among the performers that year, which remains my one and only Glastonbury experience.

Unlike the mudfests of recent times, it was three days of
glorious sunshine.

Arriving at dusk and looking out across the Vale of Avalon on to an endless sea of tents and campfires was akin to watching
a pitched army on the eve of a medieval battle.

It's the same jaw-dropping scene that many wide-eyed youngsters will have marvelled at before and since, but for all the hype there's a sneaking feeling that the festival may be starting to lose its lustre.

In the past few years, tickets have been snapped in a matter of hours, with groups of friends up and down the country synchronising their attempts to get through to the box office.

But this time the anticipated stampede didn't happen. However, Glastonbury isn't the only music festival to experience slower ticket sales this year, with some even being cancelled.

Much of this has to do with money. The average cost of attending a festival in the UK is now £402, which is a lot to pay for the privilege of standing knee-deep in mud in the middle of a field rubbing shoulders with people you might normally cross the road to avoid.

Of course, if you get the weather and you aren't camping next to the Clampetts, then it might well be blissful – but that's a big if.

And when you consider for the same price you could enjoy a European city break complete with a comfortable hotel bed and, if you're lucky, a pair of complimentary slippers, then it doesn't exactly add up to a summer bargain. Especially at a time when everyone's keeping a closer eye on their pennies and pounds.

But the credit crunch is just part of the problem. Twenty years ago, Glastonbury and Reading were pretty much the only big rock music festivals around.

Now, though, the likes of the Leeds Festival, T in the Park and the Green Man Festival have established themselves with promoters falling over themselves to climb on board the gravy train.

But there's only so much people can afford before they start questioning whether it's all really worth it. Which is why I'll keep my own rose-tinted festival memories, because I doubt I'll be going back. It's better that way, and easier on the wallet.