Glastonbury 2008

[William of Walworth]

It's like a headless chicken whose legs are still moving.

And you were last there when?

I'll take notice of my OWN and others criticisms of how Glastonbury has changed thanks (criticisms that are both accurate and informed) rather than snide sideswipes from someone who hasn't been since 1990. Get over yourself.

not going out of my way to be offensive mate, but you're hardly objective are you? You could accurately say that I'm not, true, but at least I know more about it!

 

[wiskey]

not going out of my way to be offensive mate, but you're hardly objective are you? You could accurately say that I'm not, true, but at least I know more about it!

woe betides anybody who tried to know more than you about any festival eh william.

how dare these people have opinions - why wont they all just bow down to you.

i understand your frustrations.

 

[Firky]

Latitude was fantastic. I'm already looking forward to next year, headliners will be:


Saturday - Bjork
Sunday - The Flaming Lips

Oh yes.

Oh yes indeed!

I went to the first latitude and it was Mogwai, Ant' and the Johnstones, and loas of other small acts like Regina Spektor. Was excellent, red hot and a beautiful setting. Sigur Ros are dull as dish water though, sound exactly like they did 8 years ago.

 

[wiskey]

latitude always clashes with something- but i've got the dates for most of the big festivals next year and i think i'm planning about 5 which is my average recently. some of the R4 coverage of lattitude was great,

 

[Firky]

Radio 4 cover Latitude? Oh dear, am getting old

I enjoyed the poetry tent more than anything else I think, Saul Williams was sublime.

 

[wiskey]

they sponsor it dont they??

it was the comedy tent

 

[david dissadent]

thing is though i remember that this year someone said urban would make up 1% of endorse it - we make up much less of glasto

but VF had literally thousands of members all going to the same place, all spending months discussing it (in details rather than our general thread that struggles to plod along int he early months) and planning everything.

Shambala and Beatiful Days are by a long way the biggest VF festivals after Glasto and there I strongly doubt they got many more than 20 regular posters and maybe an entourage of about 60 including kids. To be fair to you I do avoid those two festivals for that reasons. But it is a world away from thousands. Hell I doubt the combined hoards of TOS, flEaFests and Urban come to 1000 at Glasto.

that has to have had an effect and one which is way over the one we have (not to mention the swapping of bank details en mass to enable people to get tickets this year - now i dont think that happened on urban but i might be wrong).

I did that, although I did it on MSN with a mate as will many thousands who are not borders, but again to be fair: their mods and sods deffo made a mini industry out of getting people tickets this year.

 

[david dissadent]

Anyone heading overseas this year? My mates are deffo looking at heading to Benicasim or something warm this time round.

 

[wiskey]

Shambala and Beatiful Days are by a long way the biggest VF festivals after Glasto and there I strongly doubt they got many more than 20 regular posters and maybe an entourage of about 60 including kids. To be fair to you I do avoid those two festivals for that reasons. But it is a world away from thousands. Hell I doubt the combined hoards of TOS, flEaFests and Urban come to 1000 at Glasto.
I did that, although I did it on MSN with a mate as will many thousands who are not borders, just there mods and sods deffo made a mini industry out of it this year.

actually to be fair i wasnt online when they went on sale (was at a footy match) but when i got home there were lots of indignant posts bout the mods ticket acquiring, so maybe i got an inflated view of the problem.

but i'm suprised you think it equals less than a thousand. but its all the discussion i found unnecessary rather than those who actually went.

i ought to point out i dont have anything against VF boards, i've posted on them sometimes (normally disastrously), and the basic info provided is useful. its all the pointless talk that you had to wade through that got to me.

 

[Firky]

they sponsor it dont they??

it was the comedy tent

News to me, I went last year. It was 3 who sponsored it in 2006

 

[wiskey]

seems you're right.

i'm sure it was lattitude cos it clashes with the glade and i was listening to it washing mud off of everything.

clashes again next year so i'll be at the glade again.

 

[TopCat]

And you were last there when?

I'll take notice of my OWN and others criticisms of how Glastonbury has changed thanks (criticisms that are both accurate and informed) rather than snide sideswipes from someone who hasn't been since 1990. Get over yourself.

not going out of my way to be offensive mate, but you're hardly objective are you? You could accurately say that I'm not, true, but at least I know more about it!

I was there for years and my criticisms are perfectly valid. Glastonbury sold out years ago, betrayed it's core punters and is a fucking offensive farce.

The one good thing about it now is that it resembles a gulag for Toby and Jemimahs and keeps them out of my way. You would defend it to the death I feel, I look forward to hearing that it's not too bad when they ban bringing alcohol onto the site and want to look up peoples arses at the gate.

See you at Endorset? Or Lattitude?

 

[William of Walworth]

thing is though i remember that this year someone said urban would make up 1% of endorse it - we make up much less of glasto

but VF had literally thousands of members all going to the same place, all spending months discussing it (in details rather than our general thread that struggles to plod along int he early months) and planning everything.

that has to have had an effect and one which is way over the one we have (not to mention the swapping of bank details en mass to enable people to get tickets this year - now i dont think that happened on urban but i might be wrong).

and yeah we might not have all met up, but we all went independently before and had a great time so so what?

Has made and still makes a massive difference to me, my life, and my circle of friends. I simply can't have such a dismissive 'so what' attitude to net based interraction and festivals

The difference interacting here and elsewhere makes is very personal for me I guess, whether we're talking online about Glastonbury, festivals, or other things. My Glastonbury timeline :

1984 : went on my own (after having been at Stonehenge! -- but also on my own)
1994 : went on my own
1997 : went with two other friends
1998 : went with three other friends
1999 : went with two other friends
2000 : went with two different friends, but I think I met Tort and moose for the first time -- it had been around then that I started posting on efests.
2002 (after getting more involved on Urban) : went with Stig and many others who between us created the first Camp Urban
2003-2005 and 2007 : Lots and lots of Urbanites and other friends, real life friends who I'd largely not have known at all but for here and elsewhere.

OK so the above might read a little sad, and also a bit misleadingly.

Misleadingly because in all the pre 2002 years I spent plenty of time chatting with randoms and meeting new if fleeting friends. Maybe if mobiles had existed then, I'd have kept more in contact with some of them, although I still occasionally bump into old schoolers at Glasto and other festies. And there's certainly a good possibility (were my memory clear enough to be sure! ) that I spent more time 'wandering' more energetically, and seeking out more new and interesting and weird stuff and cobbling together my own festival programme, I was always an away from the main stages and markets man (largely) right from the start. Actually I do have some fairly clear memories of epic random wandering and discovering stuff through the 'what's going on in that little tent over there?' factor -- this still happens. Glastonbury made me fit!!

But I can only see the Camp Urban years in a positive light for pretty personal reasons, and I think what Urban brings to Glastonbury (and for eg to Endorse It too) in a lot of ways contradicts your (apparant?) theory that gangs of mindlessly consuming automatons turn up at festivals off the back of the internet.

Raising 'V' is hardly any kind of accurate or fair comparison. Glastonbury really is still very different from BransonFest and CarlingCrapLabelWeakender ("Reading") in loads and loads of respects. I speak as someone who has my own worries about some of the similarities creeping in around the edges in more recent times, but I'd seriously argue that the differences, still, are far greater.

And both my most recent and my present relationships, to both of which festivals were/are central, would not have happened but for net based contact ....

So I'm bound to see stuff more positive .... but as I say, it's highly personal, just my take on it really. Not saying all should or will be as positive, I'm very able to discuss criticisms of which there are many valid ones. but I suppose I do think it's more than a bit sad that you seem (?) so jaded and cynical about Glastonbury now.

It's hardly any secret that I'm still full of excitement and enthusiasm for the whole shebang, even with all its faults, and I still think a lot of excellent people go -- beyond our circle of fiendship too, I still meet all sorts of very friendly and weird random stranger-friends who are not in the mindless consuimer bracket at all.

Cider glass (more than) half full and that.

 

[kyser_soze]

I'm undecided yet...my core group of mates have already booked time off work if necessary, me I'm still 'Well, where else could I go for the same money?'...was thinking Sonar maybe, or saving and heading off to Black Rock, altho I'd need to hook up with other BMers in the UK (not going there on me tod!)

 

[Crispy]

I must do burning man at some point. And do it properly - I want to build something

So let me know when you're going, kyser, and I'll be your buddy.

 

[kyser_soze]

I'm up for doing an installation project for it as well, but that will involve a good few days prep beforehand, and hire of some form of large vee-hickle...actually that could be cool...roll up in a MACK truck with a flatbed and a tank or something...

 

[Firky]

Yeah, I would have gone to Burning Man in 2004, had everything sorted for it then I met a Spanish girl @ self

 

[JTG]

WoW - surely wiskers was talking about the impact it has on the festival rather than the impact it has on you. Of course making friends with people and going to festivals with them makes a difference to your life. But the impact of such things on the festival itself can cause it to change gradually if those groups of people behave differently at the festival because of the online interaction and planning for months beforehand

 

[wiskey]

OK so the above might read a little sad, and also a bit misleadingly.

Misleadingly because in all the pre 2002 years I spent plenty of time chatting with randoms and meeting new if fleeting friends. Maybe if mobiles had existed then, I'd have kept more in contact with some of them, although I still occasionally bump into old schoolers at Glasto and other festies. And there's certainly a good possibility (were my memory clear enough to be sure! ) that I spent more time 'wandering' more energetically, and seeking out more new and interesting and weird stuff and cobbling together my own festival programme, I was always an away from the main stages and markets man (largely) right from the start. Actually I do have some fairly clear memories of epic random wandering and discovering stuff through the 'what's going on in that little tent over there?' factor -- this still happens. Glastonbury made me fit!!

it comes across as neither

and i like how you've enjoyed the festival.

But I can only see the Camp Urban years in a positive light for pretty personal reasons, and I think what Urban brings to Glastonbury (and for eg to Endorse It too) in a lot of ways contradicts your (apparant?) theory that gangs of mindlessly consuming automatons turn up at festivals off the back of the internet.

noooo, you suggest i think people only come to glasto because of the internet, not at all, people come from all over. my only (mild) irritation is that once they've decided to come they dont have that wandering around loveliness that you had because they can ask every innane question conceivable to literally thousands of people and get hundreds of replies. which imo takes away a bit of the magic.

Glastonbury really is still very different from BransonFest and CarlingCrapLabelWeakender ("Reading") in loads and loads of respects.

they dont compare at all.

but I suppose I do think it's more than a bit sad that you seem (?) so jaded and cynical about Glastonbury now.

its always bothered you hasnt it but how boring would this thread be if everyone thought everything was great.

i do have jaded elements to glastonbruy, and i was DEEPLY upset at the type of people who seem to have bought tickets this year, and yes, perhaps wrongly, i do attribute some of their behaviour to the main internet site about the festival. but not all of it, there are boring wankers everywhere.

but my impression of VF changed significantly when i suggested they got political about shirley bassey, and it seemed the entire boards was full of 'i have no social conscience, i do just as i please and you'll have to lump it' marcus types.

so on that level yes i'm jaded.

and the fact that if you mentioned drugs over there everyone went all millitant 'just say no' or even worse 'i dont know how you could do that to yourself'

having been to leeds this year i appreciate glastonbury with renewed vigour - but i do honestly believe they can do quite nicely without a discussion boards. or perhaps one that opens in april to august to answer questions.

there are loads of little glasto threads on other boards or teeny dedicated boards with a few hundred users, thats great, lots of little bubbles of individuality. rather than 'here's a really good bit of equipment i found now you can all go here and buy one too' everyone has matching wellies scenario

but with torts faq why do ou need anything mroe.

 

[May Kasahara]

Anyone heading overseas this year? My mates are deffo looking at heading to Benicasim or something warm this time round.

No doubt I'll be heading back to Primavera...best festival ever IME (I'm not a happy camper).

 

[wiskey]

Cider glass (more than) half full and that.

half full or half empty - doesnt matter cos you can fit twice as much in it

 

[david dissadent]

If you think message boards have had an impact wait till generation myface really kicks off...... this was the first myspace facebook glasto. Next year will be a hell of a lot more of them.

 

[wiskey]

nah thats cool cos you can only talk to your mates cant you?

so it would be just like here.

 

[david dissadent]

but my impression of VF changed significantly when i suggested they got political about shirley bassey, and it seemed the entire boards was full of 'i have no social conscience, i do just as i please and you'll have to lump it' marcus types.

so on that level yes i'm jaded.

My favourite post in the aftermath of this year, one was some dimwitted little jimkarna type woman complaining people kept bumping into her and her friends deck chairs when they were trying to watch the music. They were trying to chime in that they agreed that there was a great deal of rudeness this year. Its funny because they were sitting "20 rows from the font" of the main stage at the biggest music festival in the country. Fucking retards. There were plentiful examples of similar fuckwittery on VF and EFests. The hard core VF types are not that bad but they are pretty appalingly a-political. I really have bashed my head against a wall over there trying to get political discussions underway. But its like showing a dog cardtricks. They just dont give a fuck.
Personaly I reckon that is a major reason they lost there official status. Not that someone said "they are not political enough they should go", just when the questions came up about what the forum did for the festival they had a pretty bare cupboard on raising awareness on issues that the festival orginisers blatantly feel passionate about.

 

[William of Walworth]

I was there for years and my criticisms are perfectly valid. Glastonbury sold out years ago, betrayed it's core punters and is a fucking offensive farce.

Oh for fuck's sake, I really can't argue with that kind of entrenched and vitriolic hostility, which given that you haven't been there since 1990, amounts to ignorant prejudice.. I'm no fan of posh liggers, and I don't deny there are enough to be something of a pain, but it's pretty insulting to all the old schoolers and new schoolers and others (not least the crew and stall holders etc.) who still go now, and who are not all all in that category, to claim that Glastonbury has been 'taken over' by these types, they're still much in the minority, others still point and laugh at them and/or ignore/avoid them. Easy to do in fact.

Gulag my arse. Perhaps you'd like to say EXACTLY how Michael Eavis would ever have been able to get a licence ever again after 2000, without the superfence?

I had a fabulous time in 2000 (not that you did -- you were probably writing it off back then too!) and the chaos and sound systems and madness were exciting and a fucking good party, but people were getting tent-robbed right left and centre and overcrowding over much of the site was a seriously scary and dangerous fact.

The one good thing about it now is that it resembles a gulag for Toby and Jemimahs and keeps them out of my way

I keep out of their way perfectly easily when I'm there, thanks. Do you honestly think Glastonbury consists of 70 Urbanites and (possible overlap ) 179,300 Jemimas and Tobiases? Don't be ridiculous, you're talking ignorant overblown shite.

Deb and I will be working there next year anyway.

You would defend it to the death I feel

I have many and various criticisms about a lot of particular aspects of the way Glastonbury has changed. Criticms that are a lot more acurate, and thus a lot more cutting, than yours! Because I know happen to know what the fuck I'm talking about!
But attacks like yours are hardly likely to lead to constructive dialogue ...

I look forward to hearing that it's not too bad when they ban bringing alcohol onto the site and want to look up peoples arses at the gate.

Why have you ignored what I clearly said earlier in this thread? If they 'banned' alcohol from the site, I'd be very very angry and unhappy.

But they won't, for reasons I know quite a bit about, and the logistics of banning (currently pretty large) personal supplies of alcohol are far more formidable than you have any idea about. It's not worth their while, and it won't happen without logistical and security changes so absolutely huge, even from now, that yes, I really would have to seriously reconsider going. I'm not such a mindless worshipper as you think.

probably going to call it a day after 2010 anyway, next gap year 2011

See you at Endorset? Or Lattitude?

Not Latitude I don't think, clashes (?) with something else I believe. But Endorse It oh yes (we already have tickets).

I don't want to fight with you, but you do talk shite about Glastonbury ...

We're going to lots of other festivals, some small, some cheap, some free, all very varied.

Look out for my 'Dragon Festival' thread before long -- free, 10,000, sound system and small/independent band filled, Southern Spain, March.

 

[david dissadent]

nah thats cool cos you can only talk to your mates cant you?

so it would be just like here.

There is already a glasto group of face book with about 4000 members. It has a mini-message board functionality. It will be worth watching closely to see how active it is when registration starts, and thats if the festival does not have plans in that direction itself.....

 

[kyser_soze]

betrayed it's core punters

What, you mean Eavis' posh mates from Larndarn?

 

[wiskey]

My favourite post in the aftermath of this year, one was some dimwitted little jimkarna type woman complaining people kept bumping into her and her friends deck chairs when they were trying to watch the music. They were trying to chime in that they agreed that there was a great deal of rudeness this year. Its funny because they were sitting "20 rows from the font" of the main stage at the biggest music festival in the country. Fucking retards. There were plentiful examples of similar fuckwittery on VF and EFests. The hard core VF types are not that bad but they are pretty appalingly a-political. I really have bashed my head against a wall over there trying to get political discussions underway. But its like showing a dog cardtricks. They just dont give a fuck.
Personaly I reckon that is a major reason they lost there official status. Not that someone said "they are not political enough they should go", just when the questions came up about what the forum did for the festival they had a pretty bare cupboard on raising awareness on issues that the festival orginisers blatantly feel passionate about.

like recycling.

the festival goes all out, the messageboard goes against that.

 

[William of Walworth]

If you think message boards have had an impact wait till generation myface really kicks off...... this was the first myspace facebook glasto. Next year will be a hell of a lot more of them.

nah thats cool cos you can only talk to your mates cant you?

so it would be just like here.

Oh come on wiskey. Why go, if you're THAT jaded about it? And about here? Tis rather a sneery and insulting last line, that ...

Actually I do think that us working will broaden our horizons and give us a fresh perspective, but we're still going to have a fucking good time using Camp Urban as a base but not somewhere we'll confine ourselves to.

In fact I spent a lot of time this year wandering off on my own and doing my own thing, as several others from Camp Urban did. It's just a base to camp together and a pretext for a Weds/Thurs night meetup, before and after which people split off and explore for what appeals to them.

I agree that facenbook/myspace has the potential/possibility of making some big big differences and perhaps the implications are concerning, but give it a chance eh? Glastonbury will adapt and so will we ...

 

[William of Walworth]

william its the tuesday after the saturday before - i'm surprised you sound surprised at my foul mood

Oh yeah! missed this earlier

Just say no kidz!!