14 replies to this topic

[blackcapsteve]

Just home.. loved it! I had a feeling that there seemed to be less people there than last year, but I left it until Saturday to buy a programme, only to find they had sold out. This was really my only down spot of the weekend. The whole thing seemed better than last year. There was a better mix of music styles, The great thing about this festival is the people. There is an incredible mix, which I love. All types just rub shoulders, and get on well together. People who used to scare me a bit before I came here, are now people with whom I have had some really good chats. I tend to wander back to my tent when it gets dark, because it becomes a bit like a scene from Blade Runner, and I am just an old fart in his fifties. The security is fantastic and it all feels very safe. I witnessed a couple of very minor incidents, all handled with the minimum of fuss. A masseuse in the healing area had her massage advert board taken in the night (not theft, but high spirits) and guess what.. security went looking for it, found it, and brought it back. This is a gem of a festival. Thanks once again to the organisers.

[Flounder]

Thanks for that - it was a top time xx

[guypjfreak]

blackcapsteve, on 15 August 2011 - 05:29 PM, said:

Just home.. loved it! I had a feeling that there seemed to be less people there than last year, but I left it until Saturday to buy a programme, only to find they had sold out. This was really my only down spot of the weekend. The whole thing seemed better than last year. There was a better mix of music styles, The great thing about this festival is the people. There is an incredible mix, which I love. All types just rub shoulders, and get on well together. People who used to scare me a bit before I came here, are now people with whom I have had some really good chats. I tend to wander back to my tent when it gets dark, because it becomes a bit like a scene from Blade Runner, and I am just an old fart in his fifties. The security is fantastic and it all feels very safe. I witnessed a couple of very minor incidents, all handled with the minimum of fuss. A masseuse in the healing area had her massage advert board taken in the night (not theft, but high spirits) and guess what.. security went looking for it, found it, and brought it back. This is a gem of a festival. Thanks once again to the organisers.

i get quite anxious but was a lot better this year i help out banding people as they arrive on fri/sat and love meeting and talking to every one had a great time as for programs lol we could have sold double 2 times over but hey ho thats the way it goes     
did try to meet you  Flounder  soz i didnt thanks for the week end  

[eFestivals]

my first visit to Endorse It for a few years (since it had the outdoor stage), and I've got to say I liked it loads more this year than then - it seems to have lost some of the sharper edges while still remaining nicely vibrant.

Keep it up.

[sparky1888]

This was our 3rd year running,and once again we weren't let down. Met lots more lovely people(and they're children).

Big thanks to all the bands,volunteers,and the people who put it all together.

See you all again next year

[Greenish]

I had an amazing time.  

The good: Loved the cheery friendliness of folk.  The comedy line up was great.  Too much good music to mention (except to cheer NMA, Random Hand and Poze), but I enjoyed the variety, and the early start.  It really kicks off each day at 10am, and the music and dancing doesn't stop all day.  There was a decent choice of yummy foods, good job too as I didn't have time to cook as I was too busy tearing around stages.  The size is just perfect, so easy to wander round and get pulled towards whatever tunes take your fancy.  Litterbugs were everywhere, but the litterpickers kept it looking great.  Even the security seemed human this year.  Oh, and nearly forgot to mention the stalls ... The china smashing stall, and the free makeover for 'ladies'

The bad:  Saturday and Sunday the Cheddar Valley was all gone by 5pm, which made me sad.

The ugly:  I was looking forward to seeing zodiac mindwarp, but a 40something year old man singing about wanting to f**k a schoolgirl, and other unmentionables was disturbing.  

One question, what happened to the composting loos?  I'm sure the website said we'd find them in the area, but I found none.  I do hate the plastic turdis.

[5co77ie]

I found the whole of Zodiac disturbing shame as I was really looking forward to them. A tip top weekend!

[Flounder]

5co77ie, on 18 August 2011 - 11:20 AM, said:

I found the whole of Zodiac disturbing shame as I was really looking forward to them. A tip top weekend!

I'm with you there, really disappointed - I'll never book them again. Apart from the aforementioned comment where they lost the crowd, the moment for me that summed it up was when they were chatting together onstage and someone shouted out " come on then , entertain us!!"
We left, but I had a peek in towards the end and they had all but filled the tent.

[Towncrier]

Might be a bit biased but so much was positive, little not.  Music wise I was worried that is seemed less reggae but it was not the case and satisfied all round!  big love to all  DUBMATIX be the show fer me.

[Onlyasking]

Greenish, on 18 August 2011 - 11:02 AM, said:

I had an amazing time.  

The good: Loved the cheery friendliness of folk.  The comedy line up was great.  Too much good music to mention (except to cheer NMA, Random Hand and Poze), but I enjoyed the variety, and the early start.  It really kicks off each day at 10am, and the music and dancing doesn't stop all day.  There was a decent choice of yummy foods, good job too as I didn't have time to cook as I was too busy tearing around stages.  The size is just perfect, so easy to wander round and get pulled towards whatever tunes take your fancy.  Litterbugs were everywhere, but the litterpickers kept it looking great.  Even the security seemed human this year.  Oh, and nearly forgot to mention the stalls ... The china smashing stall, and the free makeover for 'ladies'

Couldn't agree more. I arrived at the festival from Dublin with my lovely English wife (born, bred and buttered in Dorset  ), and had one of the best weekends of my life, no kidding. Given that I'm 49 and have had many a great weekend, that's quite a tribute, for me as well as for the festival organisers.

A few highs: absolutely top, top people, from 2 to 70, from normal looking middle-aged mums (how looks can deceive, eh?) to teen ravers, everyone I met was a bit of a gem - warm, funny, and unfailingly polite (in the real sense i.e. with a bit of sauce added). The fact we were with some of our gem-like English friends helped, but I had countless enjoyable exchanges of banter with strangers.

Great music, can't list everyone I loved, but Random Hand, RDF (twice) and Subgiant stood out for me.

Great late night warped house til about 6am (I may be nearly 50, but I could show my teen kids about full-on partying, but I couldn't possibly allow them to cramp my style).

Nice bonfire to warm me up when the hypothermia threatened in the wee hours.

Decent food, great site layout, toilets acceptable most of the time. Great interactive sculpture, plenty for kids (other peoples', hah) to do.  

My first attempt at lady-dom on ladies' day - I actually attempted realism, bought a wig etc, and got far more loving attention from girls then is the norm in my manly form - will do that again.

Great English ale. Most Irishmen don't get real ale - the flavour and temperature are just too wildly different to Guinness and crap lagers. Me - I drink nothing else on my many trips to England, and the stuff was dynamite. My Irish buddy, who has lived in London (as I did) for many a year, was on the black stuff and said it was good too

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The bad:  Saturday and Sunday the Cheddar Valley was all gone by 5pm, which made me sad.

I'm sure you found an acceptable replacement to rectify that little tragedy, heh!.

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The ugly:  I was looking forward to seeing zodiac mindwarp, but a 40something year old man singing about wanting to f**k a schoolgirl, and other unmentionables was disturbing.

I actually never really liked them that much, so I was spared what sounds like a complete break with the warm and friendly tenor of the festival.

We had arrived in England a week previously, just as the MET was concocting a cover story about the shooting in Tottenham, which was followed by an outbreak of totally unjustifiable scumbaggery plus the lamentable streams of racist and authoritarian poison it brought forth. We had yet another great camping holiday in North Devon before arriving at the festival, but I was aware of the darkness at large. Endorse-It was a world away from all of that darkness, and a beacon of humanity and sanity (before midnight anyway). I simply cannot wait for a repeat next year, and the year after, and the next, hopefully for as long as I can hear music. I'm still buzzing over a week later.

Festival organisers - change as little as possible please, you have done us all a service. A massive, heartfelt thank you.

PS: - I'm really hoping to see reams of photos, as we were having too much fun to bother with cameras. I've found a few limited collections, but does anyone have any pointers to bigger collections, or any info as to when there'll be some stuff coming online?

[iamamole]

Hi Flounder

My fifth Endoresit, and still my favourite festival.

Pluses: great lineup, as usual. Beforehand, I thought it might be a bit too heavy on the punk - and I speak as an old punk - but I couldn't have been more wrong. Plenty of old favourites, and plenty of new & interesting bands - just right.

Despite cheddar valley running out, good beer & cider availabilty throughout the weekend. Much better than last year, when I think a number of bars didn't have any at opening time.

Security presence seemed about right, although to be fair we were a bunch of middle aged fellas, so not likely to attract too much negative attention.

Negative: one of the things we always enjoy is having the room to spread out in the family / quiet camping area - a lot more than most other festivals. Fair enough, the late calving meant that there wasn't so much room this year, which is no-one's fault - but it still felt a lot more cramped, busy and noisy than usual. Partly, I think this was because there were several groups of youngsters on day tickets, who spent most of the day and night sitting around their tents getting off their faces, with some never even venturing into the festival site. I realise as I write this how middle aged I'm sounding, and I'd never begrudge kids having a good first festival experience, but it did feel there was a slightly different vibe this year. Maybe a few too many day tickets this year? Small grumble aside, I absolutley love this festival, and can't wait to next year. Keep up the good work!

[Ninfa]

What Onlyasking said, all of it, we had our third and best time this year, loved it. Please don't change a thing!!!

Also, Onlyasking, I'm a Londoner and what you said about the darkness made me cry, it was good to be in a field with you and everyone else instead of my mad, lovely, ugly city.

Thanks to EVERYONE and see you next year, and the next, and next, and next...

[Greenish]

Endorset has ensured a place in my heart forever.  Clearly a fertile farm, with it's oak trees, harvest moon and cheddar valley... and it turns out getting pregnant at endorset gives you a due date of star wars day (may the forth)

[eFestivals]

hey, congrats

[Greenish]

thanks