Example tells today's (May 31) edition of The Guardian that festivals are the one time of the year people are allowed to let their hair down, and he used to be one of them. He reveals:

"I'm playing 30 festivals this summer, but I still look back to when I was 23 – when I wasn't earning much money – and all I looked forward to was that one weekend of the year where I could have a blowout and spend £400 on booze and bacon sandwiches that aren't even made of real bacon.

"It's that one time of the year, I think, where everyone is just allowed to be hedonistic".

Example is due to play 30 festivals in 2014 including T in the Park, Kendal Calling, V Festival and Benicassim, he said:

"A lot of my mates who are 25-35 work nine-to-fives all year round, some of them six days a week. They seem to look forward to two things in the year. One of them is a week away with their partner or their family, and the other is a festival.

That is the one weekend where you're allowed to go completely crazy and lose yourself. If you get dirty, get over it. If you lose your wallet, go with it. If you lose your phone, don't worry.

I've got to a position where I'm headlining festivals because I'm constantly coming back and gaining new fans. I always aim to be a crowd-pleaser, so festivals are my bread and butter.

To go from V Festival in 2005, watching Oasis as a punter, to then being on the same stage as Noel Gallagher at V 2012... It's just mad being surrounded by all these world-class acts."

Watch Example play BBC 1's Hackney Weekend, 2013's Oxegen and 2012's iTunes Festivals below: