It
seems that the only good thing anyone has had to say about this
year's festival is that the toilets were better than in previous
years. Therefore, I presume it was down one of these pristine conveniences
that the spirit of the festival dived in a desperate attempt to
escape from 'revellers' (I use the term loosely) reading The Guardian
as they sipped their cappuccinos whilst sitting comfortably in their
portable chairs.
Going
to Glastonbury used to be an adventure, and it is with great nostalgia
that I remember stumbling around in the dark, falling into ditches,
and genuinely losing one's friends. The festival was like a beating
heart, alive and pulsating with vitality and energy. I appreciate
that in order to be granted a licence, safety requirements have
to be met, and over the years, although the haphazard nature of
the festival has disappeared, I have embraced the changes, but this
year's festival was nothing more than a parody of previous years.
(I was offered 'pills' by a girl who appeared to be on an exeat
weekend from Cheltenham Ladies Colleges, and the (no longer) Sacred
Space was awash with sensible fleeces and comfy walking boots. Everyone
appeared to be going through the motions, but not many people actually
appeared to be having fun.) Perhaps expectations for the festival
to be wonderful every year are too much for it to live up to - if
my memory serves me right, 1990's festival wasn't great, and neither
was 1995, but at least the festival's spirit was there, albeit in
malevolent mood. It must also be noted that last year's festival
was one of the best, but I really believe that the festival is at
the top of a slippery slope, and is in danger of sliding into mediocrity.
May
I suggest the following:
Get rid of Select magazine - the rubbish it publishes on a daily
basis is reductive drivel. It serves no purpose whatsoever -
messages, if important, can be left at the information point.
Don't allow The Guardian to be handed out on a daily basis -
the beauty of Glastonbury used to be that you were cut off from
the outside world. No news was good news ... (also, for a 'green'
festival, the waste of paper is shameful.)
Don't allow Orange to have an aerial so all the w**kers on mobile
phones will be silenced.
MOST IMPORTANTLY - get rid of the TV coverage and publicity.
Eastern religions believe that if a person is photographed,
their spirit it taken away ...
The
festival has clearly become a victim of its own success and for
those who truly love it, it was a heartbreaking experience this
time. If getting rid of the above sponsors means the return of filthy
toilets and general confusion, then I'll go for shit and chaos every
time!!
Glastonbury Festival 
