Amidst all the hullabaloo of Radiohead’s South Park bonanza it might be easy to forget that there’s another big local outdoor music event happening in Oxfordshire this month. But we shouldn’t forget because Steventon’s Truck Festival, now in its fourth year, is the epitome of what music festivals used to be all about. No corporate sponsorship, no poncy hospitality areas and no cramming far too many people into too small an area. You might also add that it’s got the friendliest atmosphere of any festival you’re ever likely to attend, reasonable bar prices (courtesy of the local village pub), burgers served up by the local vicar and most importantly, two days of eclectic music with a Toploader count of precisely zero. Prices have gone up a wee bit this year to £20 but really, it’s a small price to pay for three stages of music, especially when you realise that all the profits go to Amnesty International and local children’s charities.

Organised by Oxford’s own Truck Records - currently enjoying a monumentally successful year in itself with national acclaim for the likes of Goldrush, The Rock of Travolta, Four Storeys and Black Nielson - Truck Festival, for the uninitiated, does what it says on the tin - the main stage is a truck with a PA on it.

Saturday’s headliners this year are The Rock of Travolta, who should still be flush from supporting Radiohead and, for all the debate about them, are the best new band to have come out of Oxford in a good few years - clever but exhilarating instrumental hardcore post-rock with nods to everyone from Shellac and Add N To (X) to Mogwai and Ennio Morricone. Anyone who has failed to witness their live spectacle over the past six months has seriously missed out.

Joining them are fellow Truckers and festival organisers Goldrush. Still not entirely sure about the name change from Whispering Bob but their melancholy blend of new country, lo-fo electronic pop and all-round mellifluous vibe has had Steve Lamacq swooning lately and greater success now seems imminent. Other ones to watch for on the main stage on Saturday include the divine acoustic delights of south London’s Grand Drive, the refurbished, replenished Dustball, back to their punk rocking best, the mighty rap-core blitzkrieg of JOR, Electralane’s buzzing, Neu!-influenced post-rock, Vade Mecum’s full-on grunge-metal showmanship, The Samurai Seven’s perennially exuberant punk-pop, a rare chance to see psychedelic jazz-pop collective Blue Kite and recent Oxford Punt stars Marconi’s Voodoo with their wild instrumental funk-metal antics.

Of course if for some ungodly reason that don’t take your fancy, or you’re getting sunburn or - perish the thought - it’s pissing down, you can wander over to the Barn Stage. Here you’ll find a more esoteric breed of bands, from the likes of Meanwhile Back in Communist Russia with their sprawling art-rock mantras and deathly poetry; Welsh electro-pop weirdos Mo-Ho-Bish-O-Pi; Fierce Panda’s latest stars, KaitO, with their robotic new wave tendencies; Nottingham’s Panzer-heavy groove-rockers Manatee, or maybe the new wave of shoegazing-country-punk-pop offered up by Captain Howdy, a local super-group made up of members of The Rock of Travolta, X-1 and Wingnut. And when they’re all done with messing your head, local drum’n’bass club Depth Charge will take over ‘til the early hours with Kenny Ken and a host of others providing sounds old and new skool to mess with your heads some more. Feeling spoilt yet? Of course, if all this is just a little bit too hectic for you there’s an enlarged acoustic tent with a mellower strain of bands, including the angel-voiced Theramin, the wonderfully quirky Eeebleee, Juno Pixie, KTB and Kate Garrett amongst others, before it all gets a little groovier in the evening.

Right, that’s Saturday done. Now, assuming you’re not dead in a ditch come Sunday morning, you’ll need some doughnuts and several pints of Old Phlegm Lovely to clear your head. Cos there’s another day of music to come.

Those whose constitutions are still a little delicate might like to return to the acoustic tent where the outlook remains mellow for the whole day. Being equally kind to your fragile sensibilities so early in the day, London’s alt-country club Twisted AM Lounge will be hosting early afternoon in the Barn with live sets from Menlo Park, Chinese Burn and Lincoln. After that things take a turn for the heavier as The Club That Cannot Be Named hosts The Barn That Cannot Be Named. Headlining several hours of hardcore, thrash, metal and punk will be One Dice who are joined by Faith In Hate, Stoo*fa, Shouting Myke, Dr Beak, Caliber and Coma Kai. And if that don’t clear the cobwebs out of the corners, nothing will.

Back outdoors Black Candy reap the rewards of last year’s blistering set by headlining the main stage. Now firmly cemented at the pinnacle of local metal they’re starting to make serious inroads into the national consciousness. The magnificently monstrous Six By Seven provide the big name thrills, set to prove once again that they have few equals in the art-noise stakes. Spiky Sonic Youth acolytes Seafood return after last year’s headline set for more paint-peeling fun, Southampton’s psychedelic dreamers Black Nielson provide a mellow foil, while veteran trouper John Otway provides the lunatic turn of the day. Current hot new techno-rock prospect Six Ray Sun get a chance to shine in the open air while Medal open the day’s proceedings, showing that their major label disasters have merely been a catalyst for greater musical creativity.

All this and plenty more still to be added and tweaked round the edges. Truck Festival is now closer to the true spirit of the original Glastonbury than any other festival around, combining great music with an almost village fete-like ambience. If you like your festivals with all the fun and none of the corporate trappings, you really can’t afford to miss it.

Please note that weekend tickets for Truck are available in advance only, priced £20 online from oxfordmusic.net, or from Polar Bear Records on Cowley Road, Music Box in Wallingford, Modern Music in Abingdon and Baby John’s in Didcot. There will be no payment on the door available. Info: www.truckrecords.com