Coronavirus: music festivals, big gigs, sports events and big gatherings - going ahead and cancelled

[Teaboy]

One thing that makes Reading festival quite different to most other festivals is it's urban setting. Most festivals are held in a field in the middle of nowhere, Reading is right in the town.

I lived in Reading for quite a few years and would be amazed at how many festival goers would pop into town to go clothes shopping or go to the cinema or eat at restaurants. That sort of interaction combined with the age of festival goer at Reading will make for interesting time in the town in the next few weeks.

 

[chainsawjob]

Being confined to hospital prevented me going to Beautiful Days, weekend of Saturday 21st August.

Sorry to hear this, hope you're feeling better again.

 

[mx wcfc]

One thing that makes Reading festival quite different to most other festivals is it's urban setting. Most festivals are held in a field in the middle of nowhere, Reading is right in the town.

I lived in Reading for quite a few years and would be amazed at how many festival goers would pop into town to go clothes shopping or go to the cinema or eat at restaurants. That sort of interaction combined with the age of festival goer at Reading will make for interesting time in the town in the next few weeks.

Lots of people from the town go to the festival too, maybe just for a day, maybe just to see a couple of headliners, not camping necessarily, but still mingling with the festival crowd.

 

[Elpenor]

As said plenty of people in Reading go to the festival, and every hotel will have been full of festival goers

 

[Voley]

Whats that hotel at the end of the road where all the journalists/bands stay? The Ramada? God I bet that's a mess right now.

 

[Elpenor]

That’s the Crowne Plaza I think by the bridge

 

[Voley]

That’s the Crowne Plaza I think by the bridge

Ah right, that rings bells. You walk past it to get to the site? Donkeys years since I've been like.

 

[Elpenor]

I think so, but I only went once in over 20 years of living in Reading. But used to run along the river in non-festival times. You’d definitely walk past that hotel assuming the main entrance hasn’t changed.

 

[Teaboy]

Ah right, that rings bells. You walk past it to get to the site? Donkeys years since I've been like.

Depends which route you came in from but generally walking from the station you'd walk that way. I think most of the journos use the Penta Hotel now or at least did before it got turned into a government travel quarantine hotel.

 

[Johnny Doe]

That’s the Crowne Plaza I think by the bridge

Yeah, Caversham Bridge. (I stayed there ahead of an exam down that way a decade ot so ago, so I remember the address)

 

[souljacker]

It was a Ramada, many years ago. Had the famous three men in a boat pub, known locally as "three Trev's in a cortina"

 

[Voley]

Used to be a hotbed of vice and iniquity on festival weekend, or so the Melody Maker/NME gossip columns of the time would have it.

Young people are quite sensible compared to us though so maybe it's not like that at all any more.

You wouldn't catch me anywhere near somewhere like that just now anyhow. I'm staying in a Premier Inn in Plymouth tonight, nowhere near a festival site, and I'm slightly iffy about that tbh.

 

[Badgers]

Friend just came back from Beautiful Days with Covid ffs

Her daughter has it too now so will miss the first day's of school.

However the son (they all live together) has not tested positive so has been told to return to school

 

[what]

A friends son went to reading in a group of 20. 16 of them now have the plague.

 

[Teaboy]

The age of those who attend Reading and presumably Leeds was always going to be a massive factor. Basically its just teenagers and very early 20's. Prime plague spreader age. They simply don't give a fuck about covid and I don't blame them, I'd likely be the same if I was that age.

When I went to to beautiful days a few weeks back it was really easy to see how the different age groups behaved and pretty easy to keep yourself safe. Just stay away from anyone under the age of 25. A bit harder at Reading when that's 95% of the attendees.

 

[quiet guy]

I'm going to Moseley Folk Festival this weekend. Lots of lovely open air, just hope it doesn't tip it down

 

[Skim]

I was at Reading on Friday. Have done two Covid tests since then and both have been negative so far (will continue testing over next few days).

 

[magneze]

Going to the Roundhouse soon. First indoor gig for a while.

 

[Badgers]

Going to the Roundhouse soon. First indoor gig for a while.

It was nice to have known you

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

I'm going to Moseley Folk Festival this weekend. Lots of lovely open air, just hope it doesn't tip it down

Forecast is good

 

[magneze]

It was nice to have known you

Might be empty

 

[miss direct]

I was super careful at Tramlines and didn't get anything. Won't be going to any other festivals ever though.

 

[quiet guy]

Miss Direct - Did you not enjoy it?
I did a couple of years stewarding it with Oxfam when it was down in Devonshire Green and then a year between it being split between there and The Ponderosa. Had some good laughs with the drunks and festival goers.

 

[miss direct]

No, I didn't. Made me realise I really dont like crowds. Used to go clubbing and to concerts and never felt that way but I can't see it changing again.

 

[Elpenor]

No, I didn't. Made me realise I really dont like crowds. Used to go clubbing and to concerts and never felt that way but I can't see it changing again.

I know what you mean, more so having moved away from the south east. I’m having a few misgivings about going to rugby internationals in the future and doubt I will be going to any concerts.

 

[chainsawjob]

There are so many upcoming gigs I keep seeing that I'd like to go to, but it's all indoor venues, smallish ones (the only outstanding tickets I have from the before-times are for a gig at The Waiting Room in London, which I believe's quite an 'intimate' venue). I can't see me going to anything indoors for the forseeable. And yet I'm torn cos I'd like to help keep these small local venues afloat, and worry they'll not survive. My one gig last summer when things re-opened was at a small local venue, and the bands set up on the pavement outside, instead of inside as normal. It was really nice, plenty of space to dance (quiet street, big and open pavement and seating area), and only a handful of people. Not very lucrative for the venue I don't expect. There were more people sat in the park opposite listening with their own cans, than buying drinks from the bar. It wasn't ticketed, probably just local bands playing for free drinks maybe?

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

BB1 and Frau Bahn are off to see Mr Ben and the Bens tonight at the Boileroom in Guildford, it’s a very small venue, a proper plague pit of a place. Will report back on infections…

 

[belboid]

Southwell Folk Festival

 

[klang]

folk festies are probably the best bet atm.

 

[quiet guy]

Just back from Moseley, fantastic festival, fabulous headliners, good food and drink and glorious weather all the way through.