19 replies to this topic

[tommmy]

Us Glasto goers appear to get by, for a few days a year, without the constraints of modern society. We overstep moral, social and legal boundaries without causing anyone any harm. One big lovefest of peace and harmony even if we are drunk, high, naked, gay, straight, cross dressers or Welsh. If only everyone in the real world could show this tolerance towards their fellow Man.

Edited by tommmy, 26 May 2011 - 09:08 PM.

[whateverman]

...And Glastonbury used to be even more like this, before the fence, with the travellers, and blaggers, dealers, and unofficial raves.

It's the thing I love most about Glasto - stepping outside of some of the constraints of society, testing both the boundaries of social group dynamics and the boundaries of your own personality.  It's almost like a feeling of relief to be able to do this, a releasing of burden.

But I am also aware that it is a temporary laboratory.  We call it a little town, but Glastonbury is actually a party, and none of it's (social) infrastructure could last beyond the few days it runs.

Imagine if they were to seal the walls and we were stuck there forever.  Putting side any practical concerns (food supply, etc.), how long would it take before the Glastonbury spirit faded?  It would be Hells Angels at Altamont within about a day and a half.

Having said all that, like Strummer said Glastonbury is about inspiration.  I've truly learned many things about myself, society, and even the interaction between small groups of people in the relatively few days I've spent there.  I would very much love to live in a world that had more of the Glastonbury spirit in it.

[Spindles]

It is the result of it's constituent parts and, as you say, as a result of the clear expectation of it being temporary everyone behaves in a particular way that, were the gates closed from the outside, would rapidly change.

Each year it is different, as the audience changes and trends of behaviour are occuring, sometimes noticably (2009 was markedly different in character to 2010) and sometimes more subtly (I'm sure you could make a nice graph showing the number of whippit containers collected on site each year as an example).

It mostly works because everyone there wants it to, WE are the festival and it is what we make of it, sadly in 'the real world' there is no such common goal that everyone agrees on (at glastonbury it is "have a great time") and so competing desires and aspirations among us all lead to the dischordant, directionless squabble that is western society.

What I don't understand, however, is how Tommmy has started a thread that doesn't have some sort of punchline along the lines of "and then I shoved it up the wrong 'un"

[Detective McNulty]

It really is the freest place in the World. I am looking forward to is so much, and have been for so long, I shudder to think how fed up I will be when it's over.

[tommmy]

It's the self governance that I like and the fact it works. The law is too black and white, for instance, an 18 year old can quite legally drink enough to kill himself whilst a 17 year old can't have a couple of pints on a Sunday afternoon without breaking the law.

[devonhammer]

tommmy, on 27 May 2011 - 01:29 PM, said:

It's the self governance that I like and the fact it works. The law is too black and white, for instance, an 18 year old can quite legally drink enough to kill himself whilst a 17 year old can't have a couple of pints on a Sunday afternoon without breaking the law.

I'm searching, but I can't find the wind-up. Have you turned over a new leaf?

[Spindles]

I'm finding the whole situation confusing.

[cejx]

tommmy, on 26 May 2011 - 09:06 PM, said:

Us Glasto goers appear to get by, for a few days a year, without the constraints of modern society. We overstep moral, social and legal boundaries without causing anyone any harm. One big lovefest of peace and harmony even if we are drunk, high, naked, gay, straight, cross dressers or Welsh. If only everyone in the real world could show this tolerance towards their fellow Man.

Indeed Tommy.  A little different, for some reason it reminds me of the demise of the football hooligan - and how this was directly attributed to the use of Ecstasy in the late 1980's.

[geebus]

Much as it's a nice thought, not sure I agree really.

You are expected to conform to the society you are in - a different society, but one with it's own rules still.
See plenty of 'intolerance' to what others don't feel conforms to their view of the Glastonbury society.

The police busting people for all sorts of things suggests that there's certainly 'law' in the usual sense too.

Freedom only exists when you you WANT to conform to the rules .


If you want a bit more REAL freedom, try Sunday night at Reading a couple of years ago.
In reality 98% of people weren't harming others, but were still doing what they hell they wanted.

Edited by geebus, 27 May 2011 - 02:14 PM.

[mrtourette]

tommy is still trolling, he's just taking the piss out of the people who think that his OP is the gospel and how things actually are.

[geebus]

Ah, my bad; was a bit obvious bait re-reading.

[staggerlee]

Struggle to find any of his 'trolling' attempts in the slightest way funny really.

Edited by staggerlee, 27 May 2011 - 03:42 PM.

[devonhammer]

Was it Tommy who started the weapon of choice thread a few years ago about which concealed weapon you would carry to protect yourself?

That was quite funny. People went ballistic.

[YetAnotherOldHippy]

cejx, on 27 May 2011 - 02:13 PM, said:

Indeed Tommy.  A little different, for some reason it reminds me of the demise of the football hooligan - and how this was directly attributed to the use of Ecstasy in the late 1980's.

I always found it strange that the only place other than Glastonbury (except a few gig venues) to have a smoke-haze of that distinctive style and smell was The Den, which usually had many angry looking men spliffing while staring through the fence at away fans shouting all kinds of abuse and threats.

I can't imagine how angry Millwall would have been in the 80s without the drugs

[Clareno7]

Doesn't anyone see the key words in there?  Or are we just trying not to feed him  

[sjhande]

Even if we're Welsh? A step too far...

[Clareno7]

sjhande, on 27 May 2011 - 05:25 PM, said:

Even if we're Welsh? A step too far...

LOL, I think you're supposed to be extra offended, if like me, you're a Welsh Woman.  

[tommmy]

I'm not suggesting that it would be a good idea to do away with legal boundaries in the real world. After all the forbidden fruit wouldn't taste so sweet if it was not forbidden.

Edited by tommmy, 27 May 2011 - 08:55 PM.

[Spider43]

tommmy, on 27 May 2011 - 08:47 PM, said:

I'm not suggesting that it would be a good idea to do away with legal boundaries in the real world. After all the forbidden fruit wouldn't taste so sweet if it was not forbidden.

I was waiting for the punchline. Good restraint..

[Wanderlei]

Xena Warrior Princess has got to be one of the sexiest women of all time!

...sorry, you just reminded me of Lucy Lawless with the thread title.