431 replies to this topic

[Cooter]

I've read what's going on, and to be honest I expect much hassle and trouble. In the last few years the security has been needless and annoying on the railway track, diverting and causing crowd trouble. I've been going to Worthy for decades and I've not complained about any modifications uptil now but this year it really is becoming a festival within a festival. Not to mention, the well predicted one way overcrowded PGC area after 11pm. Perhaps GF should be reminded, the people in the long fenced in que are humans!

So basically, if you want late night entertainment make sure you get eastside before 10pm!!

[posthuman]

Cooter, on 17 May 2011 - 08:29 PM, said:

I've read what's going on, and to be honest I expect much hassle and trouble. In the last few years the security has been needless and annoying on the railway track, diverting and causing crowd trouble. I've been going to Worthy for decades and I've not complained about any modifications uptil now but this year it really is becoming a festival within a festival. Not to mention, the well predicted one way overcrowded PGC area after 11pm. Perhaps GF should be reminded, the people in the long fenced in que are humans!

So basically, if you want late night entertainment make sure you get eastside before 10pm!!

I see a lot of complaining there, but not one suggestion on how to do things better.

What do you propose that GFL do to prevent the area becoming dangerously overcrowded? Or should there just be a free-for-all and to hell with the consequences?

Edited by posthuman, 17 May 2011 - 08:43 PM.

[BlackHole2006]

What I would do if I were you is I would go around the park or west holts or wherever has late night areas till about 1 in the morning then slowly make your way to Shangri-La maybe get a bite to eat during that and by the time you get there it will be less busy.

I hate all this it's not as good as it's used to be stuff though because it's the same as it always has been just evolved.

[bexj]

Cooter, you know, as a festival veteran, that the squash getting into that area has been dreadful/dangerous for years - ever since the dance tents switched off "early".  At least GFL is trying something new, and knowing them, if it doesn't work they won't do it again.  But it has to be worth a try.

[Cooter]

Personally (uptil now and even 2000) I don't believe overcrowding is an issue there until ME was told to get some more security to that area to stop people and cause overcrowding to justify their jobs. I've only seen hassle there since the diversions have got involved, before that it's been fine, busy but fine. If any areas need to be more monitored by security it's up by the higher paths of the Pyramid field before,during and after the headliners. The railway line has always flowed through nicely without security telling us to go elsewhere, even in 2000.

[daley]

To be honest with you, I think we should wait till we experience the new system to see if its works until we start complaining about it. I agree its a massive walk just to get into the area and maybe two entrances would have been better.

[Cooter]

daley, on 17 May 2011 - 08:56 PM, said:

To be honest with you, I think we should wait till we experience the new system to see if its works until we start complaining about it. I agree its a massive walk just to get into the area and maybe two entrances would have been better.

Yep I agree with that but it shouldn't even need/have a new system. Glastonbury has always been "once you're in you're in and then it's free for all". This is a big step back imo. If something has become that much of an attraction for every punter in such a small space then the festival of performing arts is doing something wrong.

[muddyslingbax]

Cooter, on 17 May 2011 - 08:55 PM, said:

Personally (uptil now and even 2000) I don't believe overcrowding is an issue there until ME was told to get some more security to that area to stop people and cause overcrowding to justify their jobs. I've only seen hassle there since the diversions have got involved, before that it's been fine, busy but fine. If any areas need to be more monitored by security it's up by the higher paths of the Pyramid field before,during and after the headliners. The railway line has always flowed through nicely without security telling us to go elsewhere, even in 2000.

Rubbish. Last few years the railway line has been anything but fine. Perhaps you have been stuck by the Pyramid after headliners in those awful bottlenecks and not actually experienced the absolutely awful and panic inducing crush that goes on forever on the railway line.  

I find your sweeping statements regarding overcrowding (or lack of it),security having to justify their jobs and how you seem to know that crowds have 'always flowed nicely' anywhere a little bemusing.

Although a pain in the arse, i welcome any herding by security to ensure safety. I want to have a memorable time for all the right reasons.

[thesecretingredientiscrime]

Free Glasto? I don't understand what you mean. They're just advising people to get there earlier, are they not?

[Cooter]

muddyslingbax, on 17 May 2011 - 09:11 PM, said:

Rubbish. Last few years the railway line has been anything but fine. Perhaps you have been stuck by the Pyramid after headliners in those awful bottlenecks and not actually experienced the absolutely awful and panic inducing crush that goes on forever on the railway line.  

I find your sweeping statements regarding overcrowding (or lack of it),security having to justify their jobs and how you seem to know that crowds have 'always flowed nicely' anywhere a little bemusing.

Although a pain in the arse, i welcome any herding by security to ensure safety. I want to have a memorable time for all the right reasons.

I've experienced both at peak times for 30 years and I can say to you I've only seen overcrowding and unrest on the eastside railway track since the security have been involved in diverting crowds more and more but with less and less punters since 2000. The expression "non-jobs" comes to mind. Put it this way, I've always gone to these areas after/during headliners but never struggled until security put up their barricades to earn a wage.

[johnnyred]

Wether you have traffic systems or not, being around Shangri La and the surrounding areas in the first few hours after the headliners have finished is an absolute ball ache anyway. Half the people who make their way up there are going for a "look" anyway, and turn around straight away, when they see how rammed it is, compunding the problem even further.
Fair enough to GF if they want to implement a safe system. Lets face it they do a pretty good job on the whole.
Ignore the queues, go to the Park, Croissant neuf or Stone Circle  for a few hours, and hit Shangri La when all the lightweights have crashed and burned. It's a marathon not a sprint you know!

[gizmoman]

You can't compare the situation now with that of years gone by, the number attending has been increased and the popularity of this part of the site is far greater now, they should have split shangri la / arcadia in two and moved half to the other end of the track (park area) this would split the audience and made the areas more enjoyable, at the moment IT IS too crowded and the festival would be negligent if they simply left people to try to crush into the area (in the dark and possible mud).

[sisterofmercy]

It's fine congestion wise until the headline act finishes, so saying you'd have to be there at 10 was a slight exaggeration. It is a bit of a pain when it's busy but considering the amount of people who go to the late night areas I'd rather it was made as safe and organised as possible really. I'd gladly walk a bit further if it meant I won't get crushed by crowds at least until I'm actually in the field.

Edited by sisterofmercy, 17 May 2011 - 10:02 PM.

[freeak]

Cooter, on 17 May 2011 - 09:28 PM, said:

I've experienced both at peak times for 30 years and I can say to you I've only seen overcrowding and unrest on the eastside railway track since the security have been involved in diverting crowds more and more but with less and less punters since 2000. The expression "non-jobs" comes to mind. Put it this way, I've always gone to these areas after/during headliners but never struggled until security put up their barricades to earn a wage.

Security have become involved as the entertainment in this area has become much more focused, creating the demand. There use to be the Radio 1 soundsystem, energy 24 and the saloon bar in the markets, drawing people to other areas. With only a small area at the end of the railway track. The nightime areas at the end of the track have tripled in size in the last few years.

[drewsstrat]

Getting people to enter through a longer entrance makes sense due to shear numbers. I found it worse last year and not pleasurable. It's not the fault of security, they certainly don't look to create queues! And I for 1 won't change plan and miss headliners to skip a queue

[LondonTom]

The only other way is to split the areas up, but that can't be done for other reasons. I don't think its really retracting on the free spirit of go any where, you still can go there, you just have to go that way. If they stop allowing you to bring booze and stuff into that area then you might have a point.

[5co77ie]

Knowing Glastonbury if they're doing all this it's not where the party's really at.

Edited by 5co77ie, 17 May 2011 - 11:12 PM.

[budvar]

I seem to recall this being one of the areas that GFL were asked to look at it by Mendip Council. Far better this than no Glasto or, even worse, someone getting seriously hurt.

[MamaJojo]

5co77ie, on 17 May 2011 - 11:12 PM, said:

Knowing Glastonbury if they're doing all this it's not where the party's really at.

I found that whole area to be a complete ballache last year just too rammed- had a much better time up the park etc

[DeanoL]

LondonTom, on 17 May 2011 - 10:32 PM, said:

The only other way is to split the areas up, but that can't be done for other reasons. I don't think its really retracting on the free spirit of go any where, you still can go there, you just have to go that way. If they stop allowing you to bring booze and stuff into that area then you might have a point.

The thing is, that's because of noise. Which is understandable. But as the Silent Disco has established, stuff doesn't need to be loud late at night. I wish they'd experiment with that a bit more.

I know Strummerville needs to be by the Strummer Stone but the concept... acoustic music late at night could be stuck somewhere down in the park. Keep a tent open in Arabella's Field and run some late night stand-up, cabaret and such (Latitude did this and it was the busiest place on site).

As it stand, half the site trudge down to the "late night" area as it's known as that it's just what one does darling.

The biggest problem with this new system is I think it's going to cause even more crowding, not because of the system, but because it makes it hugely obvious to everyone that "this is where you go after 11pm" ...

I like the idea, I think it'll be fairer and safer, but it's a band-aid, not a solution.