53 replies to this topic

[Smally]

Vieuphoria, on 02 September 2010 - 09:03 PM, said:

didn't download have some bad riots  a year or so back?

In 06, didn't go in 07 but can't remember hearing any horror stories.

[Vieuphoria]

ahhh okay fair doos

[rexclark]

Would there be so much trouble if the festival wasn't at the end of August just at the time of exam results being delivered? I'm not saying that the teenagers are to blame but if you moved it to the middle of June would the trouble be so bad? I doubt it. There wouldn't be this end of summer blow out feel about it.

[choadus]

Think this would then clash with Uni exams and GCSE ones, however most certainly would be too near Download and Glasto so less chance of selling as well

[Scuzzball]

I think it's pretty much based on reputation nowadays.

It transcends age, it transcends 'genre' (ie it's not just punk or indie "fans"), it transcends gender.

Because of the history Reading and Leeds has of having a Sunday night blow-out I think most people decide when the tickets go on sale that they're going and they're going for this Sunday night. If they happen to like a band, that's a plus.

There's only so much the stewards can do.

9th year this year, and the first I've been directly affected by the trouble. After my tent was wrecked I just got the shuttle bus into town. There were loads of people kipping in the train station. I think if the shuttle buses are better publicised (I live in Leeds and could've gone home but didn't realise) a lot of people can get away and it'll just be the idiots running around in mostly empty fields.

[eoJ]

rexclark, on 02 September 2010 - 08:16 PM, said:

The other two I'll give you but T In The Park? There were two attempted murders and two rapes, I think they outweigh any so called riots.

Really? I didn't know it was that bad, I thought it was pretty chilled out. Mind you, at reading, there was a rape or two, wasn't there? (not to mention the people who got their tents thrown onto the fire while they were in them)

Any ideas for any other chilled out festivals?

[rockinthecasbah]

My second year at Reading, and the second year I went expecting trouble on the Sunday night, and seeing very little. Last year, though where we were camped (Purple) was relatively quiet, I do remember hearing and seeing big fires from a distance. This year, I was struck by the fact that I was walking through Yellow at about 1am, and seeing almost nothing going down. We were a bit concerned that our spot (again in Purples) might attract some people to start fires, as quite a lot of people had packed up around us, but we stayed up until about half three, and saw nothing. Apparently there were some fires and explosions near us, and Purple was about as bad as it got, but I completely slept through them. Seems that the no nonsense security presence (which was much more visible than in previous years,) had the required effect.

Obviously you can get unlucky at Reading with trouble, and I appreciate that in previous years it's been a lot worse, but I do wonder if some people on here over-dramatise the Sunday night trouble and the amount of idiots at the festival. Certainly I've seen nothing that would put me off going in the future.

[choadus]

well me and all our group of 6 separately agreed reading festival had an angry vibe to it sadly.

Good organisation and awesome music however. As to a chilled out festival I'd say Lowlands is the most relaxed, possibly too relaxed however as everyone is mainly high or away from the campsites raving till 9am.

[silencio]

Some lads were outside my tent on saturday night (this was in Orange at Leeds), pushing and shoving each other into it and laughing about how they were gonna jump on it.
I got out and told them to piss off, so they then went ahead and totally destroyed someone's gazebo.
And this was on saturday night. So glad I went home on sunday night, some idiots set fire to my mates tent with them in it.

I agree with everyone here it's not an age thing, it's a non music fan thing. I think I'm gonna go Glasto next year instead, which is a shame cos I always prefer the Leeds line up. Can't be doing with such a horrible atmosphere again though.

[rexclark]

eoJ, on 04 September 2010 - 04:44 PM, said:

Really? I didn't know it was that bad, I thought it was pretty chilled out. Mind you, at reading, there was a rape or two, wasn't there? (not to mention the people who got their tents thrown onto the fire while they were in them)

Any ideas for any other chilled out festivals?

I think the difference is when there is an issue at R&L the organisers take action, for instance because of the trouble last year at Reading, more security and also new campsite rules. There was also the fact that after the rapes at Lattitude which is also ran by Festival Republic they brought in seperate male and female toilets. At least they do something. T In The park has trouble every year but f**k all gets done.

As for chilled out fests, there are loads out there but there shouldn't need to be, If people behaved and kept an eye out for eachother we wouldn't have threads like this every year.

[Tom1889]

Unfortunately camped in red this year (Leeds), on the border with blue. Absolutely surrounded by young and old tossers. Specifically the knob camped infront of us who said 'who gives a f**k if they get hit?' whilst putting a gas canister on a fire and looking straight at us.
I dunno if it's just me being paranoid but I just can't ever relax (let alone sleep) on the sunday night, or any night, if I know I'm surrounded by people who are clearly just there to piss around and kick off.
I'll definately be camping in either green or brown next year, just for peace of mind. Just a shame I feel I have to alter my plans because of the ridiculous actions of others.

[Lithium05]

Vieuphoria, on 02 September 2010 - 09:03 PM, said:

didn't download have some bad riots  a year or so back?

2006 after a shockingly bad GNR performance funnily enough

Was the only trouble I've known of there. And it was still nowhere near as bad as Reading at its worst.

As a side note something that pissed me off was the bloke from NME in the "Instigate Debate" thing talking up the indie acts and then calling Bad Religion and some other lock-up acts shit. Confirmed my suspicions that everyone at NME is a twat

As I mentioned in another thread, I was also appauled by the ammount of "Lads on tour" types, particularly the one who, in the same debate thing got on the mic and asked "why are Libertines the only good band on the line-up?". Dickhead

[rexclark]

Lithium05, on 05 September 2010 - 02:56 AM, said:

As a side note something that pissed me off was the bloke from NME in the "Instigate Debate" thing talking up the indie acts and then calling Bad Religion and some other lock-up acts shit. Confirmed my suspicions that everyone at NME is a twat

Went to see that last year, fell asleep two minutes in. f**king tedious shite. I'd rather watch two bald men fight over a comb.

[matt123]

silencio, on 04 September 2010 - 10:38 PM, said:

Some lads were outside my tent on saturday night (this was in Orange at Leeds), pushing and shoving each other into it and laughing about how they were gonna jump on it.
I got out and told them to piss off, so they then went ahead and totally destroyed someone's gazebo.
And this was on saturday night. So glad I went home on sunday night, some idiots set fire to my mates tent with them in it.

I agree with everyone here it's not an age thing, it's a non music fan thing. I think I'm gonna go Glasto next year instead, which is a shame cos I always prefer the Leeds line up. Can't be doing with such a horrible atmosphere again though.

Had a similar situation in orange so we packed up sunday and left also.
Just seemed to get surrounded by gangs of lads on saturday intent on stealing and burning shit that wasn't there's.