Britain’s annual celebration of mud and rain, otherwise known as the rock festival season, is almost here again. During the next few months, some 400 events will take place, many of them underwritten by corporate sponsors, with varying degrees of effectiveness for the brands in question.

Whatever the weather, the soundtrack of the summer will be played at such events as Virgin’s V Festival, Tennent’s T In The Park and the Reading and Leeds festivals, otherwise known as the Carling Weekend. Late June brings Glastonbury, which guards its unbranded status like the BBC of festivals.