Glastonbury

[Cupcake]

Louisiana - I am rather tempted by the windsock as we are regular campers. The bean is rather appealing. We take a blow-up mattress always and then use whatever comes to hand for a pillow. We take pillows and duvet when camping which is lovely but not for festivals especially as this year we are going by coach. The best of all is a camper van!

[TillieTrotter]

You bunch of ole softies! In my day (2005) all we took was a tent, sleeping mats, sleeping bags and a big bottle of brandy to keep us warm.

Actually thats not at all true as last one we took 2 blow up sofas (?4 each from Argos) and they were brilliant for sitting around our camp fire (apart from one which got black attacked).

Fond memories. Am going to go somewhere for a quiet cry now. :'(

[*Bob*]

I've been without a sleeping bag or a tent. Do I win?

[SeanMacGabhann]

For the whole weekend?? Indeed you do *Bob*

Actually I do bring stuff - I just remembered. Fold up chair with beer holder.. essential

[*Bob*]

Indeed.

And on that occasion I hitched down as well (from Sheffield) - more extra points, surely!?

The last leg of the hitch was in an 18-Wheeler, who kindly detoured some 50 miles or so to take us as close as possible to the festival - and played Radio Avalon all the way in to help get us in the mood. Well done that man.

This was some time ago, of course. This year I shall be taking an inflatable lilo, like a wuss.

[SeanMacGabhann]

But still... I owe you a pint

My most extreme fest exxperience was 96 - Phoenix Festival. Initially planned to go the whole weekend but I ended up having an interview on the Friday. Undeterred myself and Lady Macgabhann caught the train to Stratford early in the morning.. Many delays later and arriving in a sweltering Stratfrd centre we were greeted with gridlock so we had a bite to eat and assumed thing would work out... they didn't. No car or bus moved so much as an ince but we saw people heading towards the site on foot so thought what the hey..

Didn't realise it was 8 miles did we??? In 30 degrees + temperature. Carrying big huge blanket (no tent - we thought we would just "be" for the evening)

We made just in time for last 2 acts - Prodigy and Bowie and then meandered for a bit. Fry up at 5am and then a journey back to Exeter for my interview...

As IF I would do that again. But both acts were absolutely blinding and it was well worth it

[Asset]

I was at that one - pregnant, missed Bowie.

ooops - just given away gender

[badger]

a thread on Glasto? (sob) - didn't get any sodding tickets because I have the most rubbish broadband

(6)

[SeanMacGabhann]

Ah poor badger... it took us 3 lost Sundays and got the scraggiest coach ticket in the end...

(I used to think it was all about the broadband connection but am now convinced it's how many people try en-masse. Once one person is in they book for all their mates)

[badger]

This may be true. A bad workman always blames his tools.

Am going to Reading though :) which is probably for the best as am a rock chick at heart

[SeanMacGabhann]

Make sure to buy Keef a drink while you are there

[badger]

Keef Wrote:

>I also think "Glasto" is the most pretentious festival of the lot.

>[badger: no comment] Going to Reading because I like 2 bands on the line-up,

> but a big bunch of us are going to spend the

> weekend absolutely off our trollies...

Sounds like he won't need me to buy him a drink :)) I like 5 bands on the line up so have hopes of remaining vaguely compis mentis for them :) Besides which, watching 15 year old kids set light to their own tents on day 1 is always entertaining.

[SeanMacGabhann]

My only must-sees right now on any of the main stages are Rufus & Arcade Fire

Rest of the time I'll be skulking elsewhere

[Keef]

I'm hoping I'll like more than 2 once I'm there, but haven't actually looked at the full line up yet :-S Smashing Pumpkins will be awesome though ;-) Know what you mean about the kids though, spent new years at a festival in Australia, full off pissed up macho kids... Very annoying! Was still the best New Years though!

[badger]

And don't forget the two great teenage games "bomb" and "trolley trolley":

Bomb entails throwing gas canisters on fires

Trolley Trolley entails obtaining by dubious means two shopping trolleys, cramming them full of people then playing a form of 'chicken' on a runway with them - only the aim of the game is to dislodge more people from the other person's trolley than are dislodged from your own.

Awesome.

I don't remember being that bad when I was south of 20. We just sat around campfires playing guitars singing "American Pie" very badly and err smoking.

[*Bob*]

If you don't mind watching teenagers showing-off and possibly vomiting on your tent at some point during the night - Reading is the place for you. Generally I think more people do go there specifically to watch bands they like, so fairy nuff on that one, Keef!

I tried Reading a couple of times and hated it (even when I was a teenager). No atmosphere, terrible food, crappy location, too many idiots.

To be honest though, I do miss the pre-fence Glastonbury days more than a little - when it really was complete madness of the highest order. That said, I was one of the lucky few to never get my tent pillaged!

[louisiana]

Cupcake Wrote:

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

> Louisiana - I am rather tempted by the windsock as

> we are regular campers. The bean is rather

> appealing. We take a blow-up mattress always and

> then use whatever comes to hand for a pillow. We

> take pillows and duvet when camping which is

> lovely but not for festivals especially as this

> year we are going by coach. The best of all is a

> camper van!

Mr L has swung round 180 degrees on this one: last year it was no camper, no way; this year it's camper is the best solution. So I'm living in hope that we'll be acquiring a camper in the not too distant future...

[Keef]

I do go more for the bands than the other stuff to be honest. Maybe I should try Glasto sometime, haven't been since my teens (at which point I never played trolly trolly, I just did the smoking bit ;-) ). I actually quite fancy download as at the end of the day I like loud guitars! Shame it's not Monsters of Rock anymore ;-)

[James]

A "gay field" at Glastonbury? What will this include? Jimmy Somerville selling bondage gear?

I do wonder whether it's necessary. I share the view that this sort of thing can be counter-productive for gay people as it tends to be divisive. Not to mention that way it often portrays us all as hedonistic, sex-crazed muscle Marys. Some years ago I went to Pride in London and was disgusted to see what was going on in the loos at a festival where there could be children about... Not only is it grossly disrespectful to everyone - gay and straight - it does us a massive disservice in terms of the way straight people perceive us.

Would be v interested to know how the gay area turns out at Glasto.

[*Bob*]

I read that it will be three themed club nights (NYC 70's street-scene, Vogue, and 'Cloned' theme) and then cabaret, burlesque and bingo till dawn. I think it's kind-of been brought in because of the popularity of the 'Lost Vagueness' field, which is always rammed - there's a bit of crossover in what's being offered here.

I will 'report back'! It will be interesting. As a straight man with a lot of gay friends who likes clubbing, I more often than not go to gay clubs (apart from anything else they're just better than straight clubs on the whole). But if you're a straight man who doesn't go to gay clubs, you wouldn't just end-up in one by chance. Whereas here will be the opportunity for people to end-up in one - by chance.

It offers the possibility of of both being an inclusive/positive experience or (on the downside) becoming a bit of a 'let's go look at the gays' freakshow affair.

My experience is that Glastonbury tends to bring out the very best in people so I think it will be the former. We shall see!

[TillieTrotter]

I agree with James in that once you start carving up groups it loses the wonderful mix of the weird and the wonderful. The best part of Glasto is the spirit of everyone excepting everyone else. It would be a shame for any kind of segregation. Anyway I could be completely wrong as has been know (once) in my life!!

[*Bob*]

I wasn't mad about the idea at first (for the reasons you say, Tille) - but I've come round to the idea now.

The festival is full of different areas - themed areas in many ways - with people doing their own thing. Everybody gets to mix and mingle and see and do stuff they otherwise might not do.

And I really don't think it'll end-up segregating anyone. If the 'club nights' they're putting on at Glastonbury are anywhere near as good as the best gay clubs in London, they'll become one of the best places to be - and they'll be jam-packed every night with allsorts, gay or straight.

[badger]

:( I feel I should start a 'who's going to reading festival' thread - but I really don't have the energy and I suspect only Keef and I will be on it (unless you lot start taunting me for my glasto ticket-deficincy problem).

[*Bob*]

Sorry, Badger..!

I have felt the pain of a 'ticketless year'. I couldn't even bring myself to watch any of it on telly.

[louisiana]

Anybody got their Glasto tickets yet?