Jump to content

Recommended Posts

Almost everyone who moans about it now either:


A: Has never actually been themselves OR


B: Is one of those "you should have been here in 1985" types


It's hard to explain the once in a lifetime experience of standing in a field with 120,000 roaring on Rolf Harris and his wibble board. The usual rules just don't apply to the Glastonbury experience. It's rarely about the headliners although David Bowie's epic set in 2000 still gives me goosebumps.

MrBen Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Almost everyone who moans about it now either:

>

> A: Has never actually been themselves OR

>

> B: Is one of those "you should have been here in

> 1985" types


Arf! So true. I fall into the latter category. My one and only experience of Glastonbury in '83 or was it '84? Can't remember and anyway, who cares. I'd been up a few days on the powder before I arrived in the early hours of Saturday morning, took some acid, drank a vat of bloody awful cider, smoked large amounts of marijuana and woke up on Michael Eavis's pool table back at his farmhouse before venturing off to do pretty much more of the same.

As a sidebar, I once made an hilarious remark concerning Beyonce during an information session on benefits.


We were asked if we knew anything about JSA (Job Seeker's Allowance) and for the purposes of comedy I deliberately confused the initials with the name of Beyonce's husband.


At least half the room were falling off their seats in helpless mirth - the others knew nothing of pop music and were perplexed at the response to my remark.


Glastonbury, though, no I won't be going.

*Bob* Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> The 'line-up' (by which people usually mean the

> main acts) at Glastonbury has, notoriously, always

> been 'crap'.. but you'd have to be blind deaf and

> dumb to not stumble across at least a couple of

> dozen acts that surprised you. And stumbling

> across things has always been the way to go.. not

> stubbornly traipsing in line with your NME lanyard

> with various bands tediously circled in red pen so

> you can tick bands off like some sort of mundane

> musical treasure hunt.

>

> I preferred the old festival before The Fence went

> up - and probably won't go again - but anyone

> could see (especially in the last couple of years

> prior) that it couldn't continue in the way it was

> - and clearly plenty of people like the way it is

> now.

>

> The best thing about the new security is the

> burgeoning of dozens of smaller festivals -

> including those to cater for the 150,000 people

> who used to arrive without a tent and pay a nice

> man from the north west ?5 for 'special entry'.


Yes, it's not about the headliners. Rarely have all the headliners been quite so crap though.


I prefer the sub-10k festivals. Without lanyards or the rest of it. Roll on Glade (this weekend), the mutant offspring of Glastonbury.

I've just looked at the line up and there are frankly dozens of acts I'd like to see.

Wild horses however couldn't drag me into a field full of a hundred and fifty bloody thousand people. I can barely cope with lordship lane of a Saturday afternoon.


http://www.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk/line-up-poster/ its not just coldplay you know.

mockney piers Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I've just looked at the line up and there are

> frankly dozens of acts I'd like to see.

> Wild horses however couldn't drag me into a field

> full of a hundred and fifty bloody thousand

> people. I can barely cope with lordship lane of a

> Saturday afternoon.

>

> http://www.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk/line-up-post

> er/ its not just coldplay you know.



You're right - and thanks to the link I've found out I'm playing 'WOW' on thursday (got to get a diary secretary)

I like Bob's views


I thought everyone had dropped that stupid pyscophantic shortening of the name to Glaso - what a load of wank (first time I have sworn on this forum).


Anyway, almost off my soapbox. Some of the new acts will be worth watching, it is a shame that the telly only covers the old farts. I rang the BBC to complain when Paul Macca was on. Also how does an audience that was not born when Blondie were in the charts know all the words?


I'm off to Beautiful Days to be a grumpy old man.

It's an entirely different festival now, post 'superfence'.


One element remains - the stage / bands half. But the other half - the apocalyptic, 24-hour Mad Max-esque area centred around the Green Fields, has gone. This was where the party was always at for me and I rarely ventured out of it. It was comparatively dead after the fence.. transformed into a cross between a vegetarian food court and the Lambeth Country Show.


Not that it was all roses near the end.. No Police, with dubious drug dealing by endless streams of dubious shady characters rife to the point of absurdity. I saw people wearing sandwich boards with prices on. Casualties littered the ground by morning, with the paramedic vehicles constantly sweeping through. Tents pillaged nightly. Some genuinely scary people and an occasional air (or worse) of intimidation and violence.


But it was a genuine experience. A totally unpredictable, random experience. Tens of thousands of people (many, completely unhinged) on an unfettered four day path to total excess.


It used to feel like a giant party - with some festival/bands thing on the other side providing an atmospheric backdrop. Now I think it just feels like 'a pop festival'.

*Bob* Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Now I think it just feels like 'a pop festival'.


Ah, but they have the leftfield tent, hosting "debates" earlier in the day ("POWER IN A UNION", "ANOTHER WORLD IS POSSIBLE", etc)... and then Billy Bragg sings some songs. You can't go wrong with that, can you?

You're right.. 'just a pop festival' is unduly harsh.

It's still a great festival and I'll still wish I was there when it starts.


But it's definitely less of a party. A lot of party people who used to make it really swing (daddio) have decamped to other smaller festivals - ones that cater more specifically for them, only with less associated hassle and more chance of it not pissing down!

My first year was 84, only about 30,000, sunny, sit on the grass and the hippies came round selling 'red leb' 'acid' 'speed'. Four years later it was organised drug dealers and much more threatening, and the new age traveleers were getting more unfriendly. Which is why the police were called in. But their gig was pretty bad, probably owing to the spat between sting and the others.


Also saw half man half biscuit on the second stage.


Please change the name of this thread to Glasonbury.

People not at Glastonbury begin enjoying plight of those who are


Meanwhile, meteorologist, Jane Thompson, explained: "Scientifically speaking, if you insist on booking Bono and putting him on a pedestal to be worshipped, God will try to drown everyone within a five mile radius."

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Latest Discussions

    • Does anyone know if the above is taking place this year. Can't seem to find it mentioned anywhere?   Simon
    • Hello, with the weather improving, I thought I would flag up the free access to leisure centres in southwark. 1. If you are experiencing poor mental and physical health and live in the borough, the GP exercise referral service allows up to three months of free use of leisure centers. There are three levels of support, and you can even refer yourself. read more for more info: Kickstart, Active Boost and Cardiactive - Everyone Health Southwark   2. If you don't have challenges with physical ands mental health, you can access the free swim and gym for a year. for more info: Free swim & gym eligibility requirements – Leisure Facilities in Southwark 3. Are you a blue badge holder? you can apply for the AD Permit, a virtual payment which allows disabled drivers to part on single and double yellow lines without the need of displaying a blue bae in the windscreen. there is also information for disabled residents to use the Low Traffic Neighborhood (LTNs) around the borough.  Exemptions for Blue Badge holders | Southwark Council Want more information? use the councils website: www.southwark.gov.uk               
    • I am about to tomorrow. I only just realised after asking some neighbours today. Agreed that smaller households should of course pay less, like discounted council tax bills for those on benefits for example. However as our bills have gone up astronomically generally in the last few years, I do feel hardworking families are being penalised... also avid gardeners will be penalised in the summer when gardens are watered no doubt. 
    • Hello Womanofdulwich, I had a meter installed in the summer of last year. Currently my bills have fallen massively. Can you remember which month your water meter was installed? Also I received two appointments, one from a group of staff in orange who decide if the property is suitable for the water meter, and then a second appointment for the meter to be installed, did you have the same thing? Are you saying as well that you was cold called regarding the water meter, or are you saying someone from Thames water turned up, at your door unannoyed?   Lastly (so sorry to through so much questions at you) how many bedrooms do you have and how many people live at the property?    
Home
Events
Sign In

Sign In



Or sign in with one of these services

Search
×
    Search In
×
×
  • Create New...