27 replies to this topic

[eagles69]

I went to My Morning Jacket at Somerset House and when the rain came down alot of people put umbrellas up. So the people behind them could not see luckily the rain didn't last long. Is this new I was watching footage of Latitude and noticed the same thing. With the summer we are havin it's a good chance it could b raining at the EOTR. Will you b happy with two stages outddors to stand behind a wally with a brolly.

[RedRockRick]

Ah, I feel a long range weather forecast thread coming along.

[ElGanzo]

eagles69, on 18 July 2011 - 07:45 PM, said:

I went to My Morning Jacket at Somerset House and when the rain came down alot of people put umbrellas up. So the people behind them could not see luckily the rain didn't last long. Is this new I was watching footage of Latitude and noticed the same thing. With the summer we are havin it's a good chance it could b raining at the EOTR. Will you b happy with two stages outddors to stand behind a wally with a brolly.

This is a serious pet hate for me - I remember a couple of years ago at Field Day it was a particular problem. One of the guys from Efterklang tried to get people to take down the umbrellas but to no avail!

Recently at the Bob Dylan gig in Finsbury park we resorted to a chorus of "Put your umbrellas down" which a surprising number of people joined in with and amazingly people actually got embarrassed and took them down - people power!  

[Joe_the_Great]

Brollys should be banned from festivals. They should set up check points at entrance to stop any entering into the site.

[Sipperana]

It's not beyond the wit of man to bring a hat, or coat with a hood.  I'm self-conscious of blocking people's view just wearing a hat, don't these people think about whether others can see or not?

[shoebox]

A man of my diminutive height would never block someone's view, umbrella or not.

Not that I'd use an umbrella. I prefer to just get wet. It gives me something to feel sorry for myself about.

[Elfy]

I'm another brolly hater. I don't even own one.

[geofelgie]

Umbrellas should be banned full stop....walking down a rainy high street is like trying to negotiate my way through a knife fight in Camberwell sometimes.

I was at Latitude and some of it was really bad.....I was stood behind someone in full waterproofs with hood and wellies who still somehow felt the need to hold a huge brolly three foot above their head.

(Rumours that I jogged said brolly so it poked the back of the head of a huge, angry-looking, bloke...who then made the brolly holder damn near fill those everso flash looking waterproofs are entirely unfounded!)

[Nigey_boy]

geofelgie, on 27 July 2011 - 02:34 PM, said:

I was at Latitude and some of it was really bad.....I was stood behind someone in full waterproofs with hood and wellies who still somehow felt the need to hold a huge brolly three foot above their head.

The Forestry Comission have banned them from all their concerts at High Lodge, Thetford
Think it's about time they are banned from festivals in general including latitude and EOTR.....just wear a waterproof jacket with a hood FFS!

[eagles69]

i think u will hav to b brave to have one at the EOTR. I will personally politely ask them to take down their umbrella, if we all do the same then they will have no choice

[talulah]

Well I actually remember putting my umbrella up last year when watching Iron and Wine on the Garden stage and no-one objected - although I suppose as I'm only just over 5ft tall, my brolly wasn't high enough to obscure anyone's view.  I did check who was behind me and I was standing to the side rather than in the middle of the crowd.  

Perhaps it might be a good idea (while we're at it)to ask people over 6ft to stand at the back so they don't block anyone's view??  

Edited by talulah, 27 July 2011 - 08:53 PM.

[Thowky]

Using one when you are stood to the side is fine but it's amazingly inconsiderate to use one near the front.  Even if you ignore the fact that you are blocking peoples view you end up dripping water on the people next to you.

geofelgie, on 27 July 2011 - 02:34 PM, said:

Umbrellas should be banned full stop....walking down a rainy high street is like trying to negotiate my way through a knife fight in Camberwell sometimes.

This is more due to the people using them to be honest.  I've been to Japan a few times where cities are generally more crowded than here and almost everyone uses an umberalla when it rains (even while riding bikes) and have never had a problem with it as people are considerate with them and shops/buildings all have somewhere you can leave them outside.

[talulah]

I suppose it also depends on whether you're talking about those huge golf umbrellas or little 'fold up' ones and also how close people are standing to each other ...

Could be almost as annoying as three six-footers ambling their way in front of you part way through a set.

[paulwa]

Being over 6 feet tall and wanting to get fairly near the front for most gigs, I do get self conscious about my height and the potential for blocking the view of others, but what can you do? We've all paid the same money and have the same rights to every square inch of turf for the weekend. You win some, you lose some.

[eagles69]

paulwa, on 28 July 2011 - 10:31 AM, said:

Being over 6 feet tall and wanting to get fairly near the front for most gigs, I do get self conscious about my height and the potential for blocking the view of others, but what can you do? We've all paid the same money and have the same rights to every square inch of turf for the weekend. You win some, you lose some.

You can't help being tall but you can wear a coat with a hood and not use an umbrella. It's not rude to be tall but it is rude to block someone's view with an umbrella when their are other ways to keep dry

[ElGanzo]

I think the complaint is more about tall people walking to the front while a band is already playing and standing right in front of someone who is a good deal shorter? I definitely agree that's really annoying, though at 5'11 or so it's not such an issue for me. But you see it happen quite a bit.

End of the Road is definitely a festival you can wander up to the front for a lot of bands, even after they've started playing. But it's fairly easy to select a spot that's not in front of someone who is a lot shorter than you. Or just let them stand in front of you, that's what I often do.

[Better Late...]

ElGanzo, on 28 July 2011 - 10:40 AM, said:

End of the Road is definitely a festival you can wander up to the front for a lot of bands, even after they've started playing. But it's fairly easy to select a spot that's not in front of someone who is a lot shorter than you. Or just let them stand in front of you, that's what I often do.

Agreed, and thank you to the people who do just that. I'm thinking of running off a set of stickers to take with me this year saying TALLEST MAN AT THE GIG, to stick on the backs of people who transgress in this department...

[talulah]

Yes, that was my point ElGanzo.  Essentially it's just about being considerate isn't it, whether it's brollies or height or anything else (chairs anyone?).  Last year was my first EOTR and I found people were (in the main) really considerate.  I don't know how people go on at bigger festivals where there are lots of flags being waved and people sitting on each other's shoulders etc.

[paulwa]

@eagles69 - I totally get your point and you'll be OK with me, I don't even own an umbrella!

@Better Late... - I think I'd better get some "Tallest Man at the Festival" t-shirts printed for me and my fellow lanky freaks. Maybe the bag searchers can be asked to spot anyone over 6 foot and force them upon us  ;-)

@ElGanzo - it ain't as easy as you think. If you kept letting the next shortest person in front of you, you'd soon be at the back, even at EOTR. Obviously one tries to be considerate, and let people in where possible, especially if there's some humour in the situation, but ultimately you have to say "well that's enough, I'm stopping here now".

[Thowky]

It's not a case of letting the next shortest person in front of you, it's just not walking in front of someone who is already stood there and blocking their view because you are taller than them.  If you are there first then it's fair enough.