36 replies to this topic

[DragKnuckles]

Hi All,

Another great year at EOTR...I had a GREAT time and will definitely be going again next year...highlights for me were Vetiver, Low Anthem and Richmond Fontaine...but there was a whole lot more...

However...

As a big fan of the Bimble I was really disappointed with the new Tipi Tent. Although it looked lovely from the outside I did not get to see one band that I wanted to see in there because it was 1) usually "1 in 1 out" packed and 2) designed in a strange 'L' shape so nobody at the back could see (or sometimes hear) anything!

Anyone else have problems with this? Maybe I was just trying to get into the most popular gigs? (J. Tillman, Peter Broderick etc...).

Am I the first (or only) to ask to bring the Bimble back?!

Knuckles x

[ljsawyer]

DragKnuckles, on Sep 14 2009, 04:29 PM, said:

Hi All,

Another great year at EOTR...I had a GREAT time and will definitely be going again next year...highlights for me were Vetiver, Low Anthem and Richmond Fontaine...but there was a whole lot more...

However...

As a big fan of the Bimble I was really disappointed with the new Tipi Tent. Although it looked lovely from the outside I did not get to see one band that I wanted to see in there because it was 1) usually "1 in 1 out" packed and 2) designed in a strange 'L' shape so nobody at the back could see (or sometimes hear) anything!

Anyone else have problems with this? Maybe I was just trying to get into the most popular gigs? (J. Tillman, Peter Broderick etc...).

Am I the first (or only) to ask to bring the Bimble back?!

Knuckles x

Yeah I'd agree with all of that - the queue for First Aid Kit was at least 50 people long!

[airboy paul]

Yeah, I wasn't too keen on the new tipi either. although, I think the old one was a bit of a hassle also. It's okay if you manage to get there early to sit down near the front (at least 15 minutes before the next band are due on), but if not, then there's no chance. I had to change my planned scheduling of stage hopping to take in to account the chance that I wouldn't be able to see a band playing at the tipi unless I got there early enough.

[airboy paul]

oh, and the tipi was way too close to the local stage (or vice versa). it was a bit annoying hearing loud music from the local when at a quiet set at the tipi. ok, i think that's all my moaning done for this cool festival.

[Fareham Grecian]

Spot on. First time for me this year, so have no Bimble experience to compare to, but after trying to get into the Low Anthem set on Friday we wrote off the Tipi completely. Why an L-shape? And it was the only area with conspicuous/heavy looking security too.

But apart from the Tipi....

WHAT A FESTIVAL!! Just fantastic in every way.

[tom225]

Fareham Grecian, on Sep 14 2009, 05:12 PM, said:

Spot on. First time for me this year, so have no Bimble experience to compare to, but after trying to get into the Low Anthem set on Friday we wrote off the Tipi completely. Why an L-shape? And it was the only area with conspicuous/heavy looking security too.

But apart from the Tipi....

WHAT A FESTIVAL!! Just fantastic in every way.

i know! It was a shame about the tipi not enough room

[cherrytree]

Whoever booked the tipi tent made a HUGE mistake!!!
This type of tent is just not suitable for large numbers of people to 'gather' in to listen to great live music. The very nature of it's design from looking at it from outside could tell you that having a band play in one of the 'domes' of the tent would mean that majority of the sound would just be contained within that area!
Such a shame, we tried to see (and listen) to lots of bands in there but ended up giving up as just couldn't hear them.
The 'L' shape of it also didn't help and the only way to get in was by the bar and then you had to try and squeeze past packed area in front of sound desk, two entrances would have helped.
Also the noise from the Local drowned out a lot of what was a very, very poor PA system set up in the tipi.

Please don't book tipi tent again next year!

Apart from that we loved the EOTR weekend, great music, lovely people, sunshine, cider and pieminister

ps. Bob Log III is our new anti-hero!

[spooky]

i rather liked the tipi and the area outside, the local and big tops aren't really sited so you can relax outside and have a smoke, the tipi was good for that. yes we had to queue for blitzen trapper, but security were perfectly friendly and not at all "heavy" ime. no queue for charlie parr (1st set).

but yes, having the local so close (was it there last year? it was down by the comedy the year before wasn't it) didn't work at all.

i say keep the tipi but move the local.

[Tmeister]

I thought the Tipi was a tad strange having an L Shaped bit so people at the back couldn't see plus what was annoying to i found people where coming in and standing where it says keep clear so people sittin near the back couldn't see so in the end we had to stand... i like the tipi idea though but maybe use it for smaller bands... also people have commented on this already but next year can you move the Local because when J Tillman was on you could hear the sound from next door funny thing was he tried to play with the beat.

[ljsawyer]

Valid point about the Local being too close - you can hear Get The Blessing really loudly in the background!

[Heddwch]

I was stewarding the 'exit' of the Tipi tent on Saturday night from 9pm to 3am and totally agree with most of the comments made in this thread so far.

We passed on all the complaints we had to our Team Leader, hopefully something might be done to rectify the situation next year.

[sadwitch]

I actually really liked the new Tipi. The path through the middle meant people could fill up the far end of the L. Yes there wasn't room for everyone but that's because it's a very small tent. The Bimble was very long so only the people at the front could see/hear while the design of this meant it forced people to sit around the edges so people standing at the back could see (most of the time anyway). The Bar at the Bimble was also impossible to get to most of the time. I think the only solution to the problem of people not getting in to see bands would be to make it two or three times the size which would sort of defeat the point of the place or to not put anything remotely popular on in there. Other than that it's like any small venue you have to get there early to make sure you get in (though that would probably interfere with sticking to the laminated schedule).

[cherrytree]

sadwitch, on Sep 14 2009, 07:14 PM, said:

I actually really liked the new Tipi. The path through the middle meant people could fill up the far end of the L. Yes there wasn't room for everyone but that's because it's a very small tent. The Bimble was very long so only the people at the front could see/hear while the design of this meant it forced people to sit around the edges so people standing at the back could see (most of the time anyway). The Bar at the Bimble was also impossible to get to most of the time. I think the only solution to the problem of people not getting in to see bands would be to make it two or three times the size which would sort of defeat the point of the place or to not put anything remotely popular on in there. Other than that it's like any small venue you have to get there early to make sure you get in (though that would probably interfere with sticking to the laminated schedule).

Path through the middle?!?! Are you serious?! Everybody ignored that and either sat or stood in it.

I did manage to see a glimpse of the words 'KEEP CLEAR' written on this area when someone stood up to leave but then watched a bunfight rush for people to barge through and grab the space left by vacating bums!

[chunt]

sadwitch, on Sep 14 2009, 07:14 PM, said:

I actually really liked the new Tipi. The path through the middle meant people could fill up the far end of the L. Yes there wasn't room for everyone but that's because it's a very small tent. The Bimble was very long so only the people at the front could see/hear while the design of this meant it forced people to sit around the edges so people standing at the back could see (most of the time anyway). The Bar at the Bimble was also impossible to get to most of the time. I think the only solution to the problem of people not getting in to see bands would be to make it two or three times the size which would sort of defeat the point of the place or to not put anything remotely popular on in there. Other than that it's like any small venue you have to get there early to make sure you get in (though that would probably interfere with sticking to the laminated schedule).

i agree the tipi was excellent yes "the local" was a pain and if either one moved it would be fine and apart from the odd dick who stood up in the middle of the tent and then refused to sit down sometimes and like you said its small if you wanna see something so bad go early. we did. went over an hour early for peter broderick and then hung in there for j tillman. the bands in there were well sorted for that type of setting (maybe not blitzen trapper diserved a. a later slot b. a bigger louder venue) but other than i reckon it was the highlight of the festival .

[DragKnuckles]

sadwitch, on Sep 14 2009, 07:14 PM, said:

(though that would probably interfere with sticking to the laminated schedule).

Is that a dig?

There were two entrances to the Bimble and even if you stood at the bar there you could see and/or hear the band...this was not the case with the new Tipi Tent...maybe it is just disappointment because I did not get to see two of my must sees but I have a feeling that there may be more to it...

[spooky]

i had no problem hearing the band either outside or at the bar (at least when there was nothing on at the local) and tbh after years of gig going i've given up on actually seeing the band most of the time cos i'm usually shorter than at least half the crowd.

[angelheaded hipster]

Have to agree with what's been said - the Tipi Tent was undoubtedly the worst thing about the festival for me this year. There were major problems with the Bimble last year, with people being able to get in/see anything/hear properly, but I thought it was far worse this year. It was a real shame as there were a few bands I really wanted to see in there, but by the time of the later sets it seemed that if you hadn't been camped out for a long time already you had no chance of seeing or hearing anything. It was lovely in there, but especially by later on at night there appeared to be about 10 people in front of the stage who could see, and everyone else had no chance.

I fully understand the issue of making it larger meaning that it detracts from the very idea of the stage - ie. that it is intimate, etc., but I really think that it is the one area that needs some serious brain-storming before next year as there must be something that can be done to improve the situation. Perhaps having more than one stage that continued until 3am with 'secret' and small sets would make a serious improvement - that would split the crowd and improve the chance of being able to see something.

Also, something definitely needs to be done about the sound from the Local. A very touching and wonderful set from Sam Baker was marred by being able to clearly hear the very loud bassline from the Local.

This is all very much meant as constructive criticism though, I truly love this festival, had another wonderful weekend and think they are spot-on with pretty much every single other thing.

[chunt]

DragKnuckles, on Sep 14 2009, 07:30 PM, said:

Is that a dig?

There were two entrances to the Bimble and even if you stood at the bar there you could see and/or hear the band...this was not the case with the new Tipi Tent...maybe it is just disappointment because I did not get to see two of my must sees but I have a feeling that there may be more to it...

no but the odd "dick" did stand up in the middle of the tent in front of the stage whilst everyone else sat and people politely asked em to sit down but rudely refused which pissed off the majority of the tent i mean if it was motley crue id understand

[sadwitch]

DragKnuckles, on Sep 14 2009, 07:30 PM, said:

Is that a dig?

Yes but it's a gentle and well meant dig at everyone at the festival including myself.

I'd really like it if they had two tipi-esque stages late at night as it's the nicest place. Perhaps I didn't go to the more popular people in there but we didn't have a problem though I noticed it got very busy at one point when we were already in there on Sunday.

I found a lot more people sat down in the Tipi compared to the Bimble Inn which made for a nicer view and experience. I don't really know what the solution is but I preferred this year's set up.

[DragKnuckles]

sadwitch, on Sep 14 2009, 07:57 PM, said:

Yes but it's a gentle and well meant dig at everyone at the festival including myself.

Sorry - post festival paranoid android that I am...only thought it was a dig because I did the "unofficial clash guide"...no worries!

Edited by DragKnuckles, 14 September 2009 - 07:00 PM.