52 replies to this topic

[Cheesey]

tazbang, on 06 July 2010 - 02:58 PM, said:

I've been stewarding JP for a couple of years, and it rarely gets so busy that you can't get inside the tent. Most people approach from the south, but even when that side is packed, there is often still plenty of room on the north side. (also, you get a better view from the north as its slightly uphill).

We watched Groove Armada from the north side this year, and saw exactly what you describe - the south was rammed but there was still loads of space on the north side, and no-one at all on the sloped area. I guess most people don't bother moving round to see if there's space.

Admittedly, the only reason we were on the north side was because we approached from Wicket Ground. I'd never watched anything from the north side before this year. Goes to show though - the JP tent often isn't as packed as it looks...

[robith]

West Holts is more than just a stage area though - it's a lovely place to hang out, have a drink, sample the lovely food and relax. Thsi year before Hot Chip I spent a lovely hour there eating a pie, drinking Brothers sat on a bench watching Nouvelle Vague. Lovely stuff.

Also - hats off to the programming on the stage this year - maybe the name change freed them up, but I thought they delivered an excellent and properly eccletic line up - shame that cos of all the clashes I didn't get there more!

I have one bug bear with the JP stage. In 2008 they doubled the size to accomodate all the bigger acts they put on their. But when more interesting and ergo less popular bands play it's half full.

It's really bummed me out watching Broken Social Scene, Band of Horses and The National play to what would've been a full old tent but now is like a third full.

But that also ties into a more general point I've noticed that when really interesting, often North American ATP friendly bands play, they seem to be ignored. Makes me sad.

[eggyrocks]

The John Peel stage correctly scheduled with new bands would rarely get massively over-capacity other than in cases like Mumford / Ellie / Marina whom in January was a relative nobdody and now is pretty mainstream - not that those artists are particuarly in the John Peel vein either if you ask me.
Bands like Foals should have been on the Other stage as they are harly new and have a quite large following.

Personally think the JP stage should return to the new band stage and do as the name says.

[barrychuckle]

tinners, on 06 July 2010 - 03:23 PM, said:

West Holts was rammed to the gills twice and very busy for most of the weekend. Crowds were up a lot on previous years

Really??? How do you know???

Personally I thought it was shamefully quiet for a lot of acts.  Nouvelle Vague should have been huge but was not for example.

There is a problem with any tent or stage at a festival when the cider and pies are a bigger draw than the stage!!

[fur_q]

eggyrocks, on 06 July 2010 - 04:00 PM, said:

The John Peel stage correctly scheduled with new bands would rarely get massively over-capacity other than in cases like Mumford / Ellie / Marina whom in January was a relative nobdody and now is pretty mainstream - not that those artists are particuarly in the John Peel vein either if you ask me.
Bands like Foals should have been on the Other stage as they are harly new and have a quite large following.

Personally think the JP stage should return to the new band stage and do as the name says.

As has been already said in here it has never been the new bands tent it was the new tent although it did tend to host newer indie bands during the day I remember (off hand) seeing lemon jelly and spiritulized there circa 03 04

[Breeze]

barrychuckle, on 05 July 2010 - 07:15 PM, said:

Many times through the weekend, I noticed that the West Holts Jazz stage was nowhere near capacity, indeed Pieminister and the Brothers Bar often seemed a bigger draw in that field. By contrast the John Peel tent was near enough rammed every time I walked past.

I don't know about switching them but until the last two or three years our group has usually ended up at Jazzworld by default, but no more, the lineup criteria (if there is) seems to have changed dramatically over recent years.

[LondonTom]

No thanks!, as packed and as hard was it was to get to John Peel, I would change a thing about West Holts, its a brilliant area, so much more relaxed than the other stages. If you want to get in the crowd you can but if you want to sit down with a brothers and relax while listening and watching fairly close you still can

[Beaver89]

I quite like West Holts. Watched a full set there for the first time this year having only caught half sets previously. (Tunng - field empty when we arrived and sizeable crowd by the time we left!)

It was a constant niggle though that I reckon the John Peel tent could be another 2 pillars bigger if you get me. you know how it is 4 peaks - should be at least 6. It would make sure more people were inside and alleviate the problem experienced with many bands. I went to see 5 bands over the weekend and only got inside once!

Sod moving things or swapping. an extra 2 or four pillars, job done.

[johnmcga]

I don't really think there are any problems with the set up as is. West Holts is a great area for a chill out and to watch some more unusual music. And like a previous poster said, I do think it's important that this more eclectically-programmed stage remains near the centre of the site, and isn't shoved off to the edges.

Maybe the JP could do with being a bit bigger when the odd act plays there with a big buzz around them, but honestly, how often does that happen over the weekend? I reckon Avalon fills to capacity about as often (what about the Wurzels this year?), yet nobody's asking them to increase its size.

If you want to watch a "hot" band play a tent at festivals, you have to get there early. It's true of Glastonbury and it's true of other festivals. Ok, you could bump the size of the tent up a bit, but with acts like Mumford (this year) and Florence (last year), I reckon that tent would be full too - and you'd lose the intimacy for the smaller bands.

[tinners]

[quote name='barrychuckle' date='06 July 2010 - 09:32 PM' timestamp='1278448367' post='3365972']
Really??? How do you know??



Because I saw the crowd for every set from the field and / or the stage.

Edited by tinners, 07 July 2010 - 08:56 AM.

[crow]

Good idea, JP is just too tiny for all the people, and for the size of the great bands they get. West Holts was embaressingly quiet most of the time.

[scorp]

MrZigster, on 05 July 2010 - 08:06 PM, said:

Er...Rolf 2009.

but it was jazz world back then :-)

[scorp]

NeilVJ, on 05 July 2010 - 08:32 PM, said:

I think one of the reasons for the JP Tent being where it is means that people are drawn away from the busy areas of the site so I do think it is in a great spot. The West Holts is more of a chill out place where as the JP Tent feels as though your at a proper gig which suits the acts who play there.

just gotta say JP [the man] would have been really pleased to see how JP [the tent venue] has blossomed.