Glastonbury 2007 pt2: the festie!

[aqua]

that night with me you bees skim and derv at the stone circle was my fave bit of the lot, and bees' too I think

utterly perfect

 

[William of Walworth]

The more and more I think about it now, the more and more I feel that Glastonbury has died as a social and poltical event. Other than at the Urban meet I am struggling to think of conversations I had with people about politics and society. Its stand on issues like poverty and climate change seem to be written in a language that would now be comfortable to a party political broadcast by the conservatives or the faux labour.

It does sterling work in raising funds for charity and so on, but beyond that Im not really seeing what its positive impact is anymore.

Anyone else find this a major change? Or was it just that I was not in the left field enough?

So much to say about this, but I was too busy at Glastonbury 'having fun' and I'm just back from the pub

I think you're a bit too negative though ... -- although I do understand and recognise your points ...

My take would be that the more Glastonbury's changes do drive out radicals and alternatives whether new or old school, the more it becomes dominated by 'apolitical consumers' ... so my determination is to resist or at least dilute that by continuing to go ...

Of course some of the driving out is done by expense, organic changes to the Festival, people being put off by the changes and size, etc., but I'm a stubborn twat determined to keep going!

I created a Temporary Artistic Installation in the Acoustic Field beer tent on Saturday afternoon. This consisted of four supplements, displayed on a whole table, of Saturday's Guardian. Big sign saying FREE ART NOW. Each front page of which 'altered' to read : Abolish Work, Free Money, Travel To Glastonbury, Your Glastonbury Family, with loads of other more erm 'challenging' (including drunk) slogans further down to attract peoples' intention. It failed as art, because most people were either too preoccupied by sheltering from the rain, or pissed, to look or pay attention.

But it sparked off a few conversations. some very political, that might not otherwise have happened.

Little things of zero impact in the long run, but if I hadn't been there, it probably wouldn't have happened.

 

[JTG]

so, what do we all make of Mr Pop's comments about 'Paki Shops' in his interview on the BBC?

Only read the one report on it so dunno much more about it.

 

[Dubversion]

somebody mentioned this in a text - anyone know any more? was he being clueless, lazy or racist? or was it a language gap thing....

 

[JTG]

that night with me you bees skim and derv at the stone circle was my fave bit of the lot, and bees' too I think

utterly perfect

Sorry I had the last balloon... I was in the middle of doing it and the group behind us were pulling the most quality expressions whilst they were doing theirs that I lost control. Funny as fuck

I'd have liked to have been more fucked than I was to be fair but I'd peaked too early already and was a bit concerned about wrecking myself too badly before my next shift. Perils of working there innit.

After we left you we had an utterly bizarre and strange experience sitting outside Tiny Tea.

And then I never saw you again

 

[William of Walworth]

so, what do we all make of Mr Pop's comments about 'Paki Shops' in his interview on the BBC?

Only read the one report on it so dunno much more about it.

Linky?

Know nothing of this ...

 

[aqua]

those 4 lads were priceless weren't they don't worry about the balloon, I did way too many of DrRingDings on the Wed night that my chest had only just recovered so I truely didn't mind

 

[William of Walworth]

somebody mentioned this in a text - anyone know any more? was he being clueless, lazy or racist? or was it a language gap thing....

I really hope the latter ... even that's not great ...

 

[aqua]

who th fuck is mr pop?

 

[William of Walworth]

who th fuck is mr pop?

The Iggster ...

 

[aqua]

ahhhhhhhhhh

 

[William of Walworth]

After we left you we had an utterly bizarre and strange experience sitting outside Tiny Tea.

Do tell ....

 

[William of Walworth]

ahhhhhhhhhh

Just want to say a big THANK YOU for being so nice and above all supportive to me on Wednesday night! -- or was it Thursday?

I really appreciated that, and it helped loads

 

[ddraig]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6238680.stm

BBC 'sorry' for Iggy racist word

The BBC has apologised after rock star Iggy Pop used a racist term during the coverage of the Glastonbury Festival.

During a studio interview after his performance, the veteran musician made the remark while talking about visiting shops in north London.

Hosts Jo Whiley and Mark Radcliffe made no on-air apology on Saturday night, prompting three viewer complaints.

A spokesman for the corporation said: "We would like to apologise if anyone was offended."

The rock musician gave the interview after a set with his band The Stooges, which was temporarily halted as 200 fans stormed the stage.

In the interview, the singer launched into a long anecdote about going to Camden, and visiting "Paki shops".

The presenters on the BBC Two programme made no reference to the word after it had been said.

 

[aqua]

Just want to say a big THANK YOU for being so nice and above all supportive to me on Wednesday night! -- or was it Thursday?

I really appreciated that, and it helped loads

anytime chicken

 

[david dissadent]

I think you're a bit too negative though ...

That is always very possible. It is just a feeling having come back from a long hard week in the mud.

 

[JTG]

those 4 lads were priceless weren't they don't worry about the balloon, I did way too many of DrRingDings on the Wed night that my chest had only just recovered so I truely didn't mind

One of these days I'll blag the early shift at Glastonbury (starts Saturday, finishes Tuesday) and do the whole festival with you. And get properly fucked

 

[JTG]

Do tell ....

it involved a topless woman with a mud 'bra', a guitarist, a wandering fiddler and random percussionist of some variety, a landrover, various random passers by and then heaps of police and security passing through after they'd gone (probably unconnected)

Truly odd

 

[William of Walworth]

anytime chicken

'Chicken'??

Or should it be 'duck' ? .... thanks though!!!

Re the BBC Iggy story, posted by ddraig

That's not great, at all, but I suspect it REALLY IS linguistic-nuance differences between US and UK.

 

[William of Walworth]

it involved a topless woman with a mud 'bra', a guitarist, a wandering fiddler and random percussionist of some variety, a landrover, various random passers by and then heaps of police and security passing through after they'd gone (probably unconnected)

Truly odd

Best act of the festival by the sound of it ...

I saw the mud-bra woman .... but I didn't notice the others ...

 

[JTG]

That is always very possible. It is just a feeling having come back from a long hard week in the mud.

this thread has actually made me more positive about the festival - I was deeply unimpressed when I left but I think that was just my own experience (and wiskers' and derv's as well - suspect we all helped drag each other down in some respects)

 

[Diana]

but there were stickers in the toilets this time, a lot more political or campaign stalls in the main markets rather than tucked away in the Greenfields, a massive increase year on year for Leftfield etc etc etc

I used to feel bombarded with leaflets and I think politically left organisations were allowed in free.

I didn't feel like this this year. I preferred it though.

 

[Diana]

this thread has actually made me more positive about the festival - I was deeply unimpressed when I left but I think that was just my own experience (and wiskers' and derv's as well - suspect we all helped drag each other down in some respects)

I loved it but felt like there was a bit of an anti-climax.

 

[david dissadent]

I loved it but felt like there was a bit of an anti-climax.

Nail head.


Loved it when I was there, but thinking back it never really reached those super highs you carry around for months. Kinda feel like I just missed out ona great glastonbury somehow.

 

[editor]

I loved it but felt like there was a bit of an anti-climax.

Did you forget to bring your pack drill? It got pretty cold if you only walked around in flimsy clothes.

 

[JTG]

Nail head.


Loved it when I was there, but thinking back it never really reached those super highs you carry around for months. Kinda feel like I just missed out ona great glastonbury somehow.

exactly, there was a great festival in there, but I never found it for a variety of reasons

 

[JTG]

Did you forget to bring your pack drill? It got pretty cold if you only walked around in flimsy clothes.

 

[colacubes]

It leaves out the Leftfield stuff too, despite Leftfield being a big stage. They do mention a Leftfield act as one of their highlights, but then don't include it in the timetable.

That was a total fucker for us (I was working there) . We got some good crowds but some of the acts who should have been a big draw (Lethal Bizzle, Akala) had a quite small audience.

Anyway - only read the last couple of pages so haven't caught up properly but my highlights were:

Broken Family Band
Lethal Bizzle
Neville Staples
Marcus Brigstocke
The Beat
Billy Bragg
Hard-fi

Broken Family Band were the only band I got to see outside the Leftfield as we were so run off our feet (apart from the last 10 minutes of Damien Marley on Friday).

Anyway from my point of view I didn't have the best time this year cos I was pretty much constantly working. However, the sense of achievment of being part of a (too) small team making the Left Field work is amazing.

The fucking weather was a nightmare though. Having been there a week our tent and bedding was really damp and the mud was a bit of a nightmare on the way out (we had to be towed out of the field we parked in ). I was so tired once we got out that we just couldn't face the journey home and ended up going to Wells and finding a B&B last night so we could cope with it.

I am broken

 

[JTG]

nipsla - feel proud of the effort you put in. Having a limited look behind some of the scenes at Glastonbury makes me appreciate what a massive operation it is for all involved. I packed tabards and laminated passes before doing my smiling and pointing act - you did your bit, others did theirs. It's an awesome thing to see

The more I read about the bus station fiasco on Sunday night/Monday morning, the more I feel it was a mistake to increase the numbers yet again. How on earth is a site in the middle of the countryside, surrounded by country lanes and half a dozen miles from the nearest (pretty small) town supposed to cope with such a massive operation to get people on and off site?! The fact is that it failed dismally and a huge rethink is needed before they even consider such a vast capacity next year. I was extremely lucky to be able to walk straight on to the Oxfam Stewards' coach but looking at the thousands of people queueing in the mud and pissing rain with all their gear and no idea when they may be able to get on a coach let alone get home and dried off made me wonder what the future holds for the festival. Is this going to be repeated next year and the years after that? it'd be just as bad in 30+ degrees heat so it's vital this gets sorted or the numbers are cut.

Sorry but everything I heard about the coaches - whether National Express, shuttle buses to Glastonbury/Shepton Mallet/Bristol or the See Tickets operation - was so ridiculous it simply wasn't funny.

 

[onemonkey]

our coach driver set off from earls court with four other coaches following him.. out onto the M25 people queried him when he passed the M3 and M4 turn offs.. he suggested that we let him do his job.. and phoned his mates to check they were still following him..

a few more conversations ensued when it turned out he was looking for the "M7" ???

eventually half an hour past the M3 we got him to turn round and then he had the whole coach shouting directions at every junction and lane change. and then he'd relay to the other four coaches

This was the trip there so it was quite funny at the time