Your first Time ?

[mrfunk]

"The Best Weekend of my Life"

 

Year 95. (age20)

 

After much debate with my mates who couldn't aford to go to Glasto. I decided Feck this I'm going anyway. No ticket !!

 

Woke up on the Thursday morning, grabbed a handfull of clothes, threw them in a bag and caught the train to Cardiff.

Whilst wandering around the platform trying to work out the trains, "that "sweet smell wafted my way. I followed the smell to group of peeps hanging about, they looked way more prepared than me. We chatted and they were heading down to Glasto, Ben, Rich & Chris who were also ticketless.  We laughed and chilled out on the train. They explained how we could jump the fence.

 

Finally arrived at Castle Cary, joined the queue for the buses, and headed towards the site. I was eager to get a glimpse of Glasto from the bus window, nothing but fence. Got off the bus and was constantly hassled by touts and dealers keen to push their wares. Rich tugged my arm, suggesting we "make a move" and find a way in........

 

After walking for some time following the steel wall, we met a two guys with a rope ladder.

"£20 and your in" they were shouting from the top of the fence.

 

We joined the desperate queue of ticketless excitement.

 

I climbed the ladder paid the guy at the top. I gasped as looked across the site. WTF the site just looked amazing, so many people, so many tents...

 

The "magic ladder man" suggested I hurried as he spotted a landrover heading our way.

 

I flung myself off the fence as the landrover pulled up. Rich and I ran into the tented city, with 4 security hot on our tails . we split up.

 

I felt I gave them the slip, but lost the guys I met on the train. With heart pounding I sat down beside some people outside their tent. After polite introductions, they let me set up my tent next to theirs. 

 

As I began to setup my tent I was greeted with the chants "hash 4 cash, Grass, Dreams 4 sale".

 

Three sellers appeared with various goods to buy. everything from ZeroZero, Rocky to Northern lights.  I purchased a selection, at a very reasonable price

 

I began to consume the Northen Lights, and passed it around to my new neighbors.. there was a strange noise in the distance, like white noise, it got louder and louder as it travelled towards us.. It was cheering, people screaming and shouting.. we all joined in this overwhelming noise as it passed us and headed around the valley. this "mexican wave shouting", seem to go on for some time, Each time it swept passed we all jumped up and cheered... My god my whole body just glowed with excitement !!

 

It finally hit me..... I'm in Glasto !! My jaw was really starting to ache with my stretched smile, so with tears of you in my eyes I went for a bimble.

------------------------------------------------------------------
 

I walked down to the pyramid, and was just amazed at the size of everything, the stage the sound system the field just everything. Listened to the sound check, was like listening to worlds best HiFi. I could hear and feel every bit of the music. They were playing Star 6789 by the orb..

 

I found the outdoor cinema field that early evening and sat down to “relax” . Leftism started to play and the screen was displaying some amazing video that Leftfield had produced for their album. Was just truly awesome, as the sun slowly sank into the green fields.

That evening a total blur, just remember walking around gobsmacked at the sheer size of the place. Getting totally lost, and couldn't even rember where I had camped. Took me 3 hours to find “home”

 

I made some amazing friends, and was always greeted with a smile.

 

The next few days I discovered the other  stages , which hosted “the shamen, prodigy, massive attack"

I remember watching the old bill giving it serious shapes... the place was kicking as the lasers punched holes through the sky. “we are phorever people” we all chanted....... as the beat kicked us off our feet.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0U7E8QLUkZs(Shamen)

 

 

Orbital on the pyramid was something else !!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgAcxu60z_s  ( im the dude with baseball hat and goaty nodding like feck at 7.17 clinging to the front barrier) turbosound kicking

 

 

Oh my god Pulp on the Pyramid

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftEyTRNTKN0

 

So many amazing things happened that weekend, I felt like I had discovered another life, another part of me that I really never knew existed.....I have never ever felt so euphoric !!

 

So many highlights... I've waffled quite a bit ..

 

 

This weekend changed my life, I hope it changes yours !

Never ever take Glasto for granted !!!!

 

Can't wait to be home

 

Funk x

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Thearg]

BOO YAA! 

[marke1]

yaa boo

[Sofa]

Best post I've seen on here for months .

[MrZigster]

'95 was my first time. Epic wasn't it

[mrpman]

Brilliant!

3 work days left (not counting today I'm already here) and got a serious buzz on in the car this morning!

Ramped back up again after reading that. 

[funkyuk]

 

This weekend changed my life, I hope it changes yours !

 

Proper goosebumps happening here thanks .. wish I could do my first glastonbury again

[THEBOILERMAN]

 Amazing post

[Space Shanty]

Proper passion in that post.

Fair play to you sir!

[Pinhead]

'95 was my second year, but I sort of consider it my first as it was just post-graduation and I was with a lot of mates and I got to explore more and see more bands I was into at the time. Learned to play a didg - didn't everyone then!

 

Weather was amazing too.

[glasto-worker]

just cant believe it - I started going 36 years ago and have not missed any since 1979

 

in the late Seventies I and most people who live in London had never heard about Glastonbury which is no big surprise seeing the last official event was held in 1971.

 

Late 78 or early 79 a friend of mine was playing at The Half Moon in Putney and they were approached by a Glastonbury band booker who asked them if their Folk Band would be willing to play at Glastonbury Fayre 1979 - they were offered free tickets { which were worth £5 each } - I was asked to help out with the driving even although I had no clue where Pilton was { this is long before the WWW so information was a lot more difficult to gather in those days } - anyway we had been told to head for Glastonbury Town and look out for signs for Pilton.

 

Dont forget that a car atlas at that time just did not show Pilton so we really did not have a clue where it was.  

 

Unlike now the roads were not blocked off and in fact there was no real traffic management at all { and no oxfam stewards that year  } -

 

Trust me - it was far different to what you see these days - there was a few hippy's hanging about but you would never know anything was on - I do know the lane we did drive down although its all blocked off these days.

 

cant recall when we arrived { well it was 36 years ago } but somehow we found the lane and at the bottom was a single gate with what looked like a Garden shed on the right - showed our tickets and we drove in 

 

even although the map shows ' cars ' { middle right } I know that is where we parked and put the tents up and I know I parked and camped there for a few years and no it was not a performers area - anyone with a ticket could use it

 

it was only in 1981 where they changed the name to Glastonbury Festival and its that year where it got more publicity as they had brought in CND so all of a sudden tickets were available all over the UK { up to then there was only a few record shops } - they used to place a advert in the NME listing who was on  ' before tickets went on sale '

 

this is long before it was covered by Broadcasters so it was more word of mouth.

 

most of my friends dropped out after the mud bath that was 1985 - shame really but I cant blame them as it was a really rough year and they really thought I was Nuts to keep on going - I am still in touch with some of them ' and they have never been back ' - I brought down new friends in 1986/87 and they did enjoy it but in 1989 I got offered a volunteer job but they were not keen on working at it - crazy really because it was only though that how I was able to attend every year. 

 

in later years they still used the lane although sometime before 1989 cars were directed to a field so it got more organised

 

anyway if my friends had not been booked in 1979 I cant say when I would have discovered it .

 

[bennyhana22]

So, Mr Funk, we are both 45.

 

You did your first Glastonbury 20 years ago. I am about to do my first.

 

I like this 'connection'.

 

Rest assured, I will not 'waste' my first GF. It will be everything it should be for someone with an inherent Glastonbury spirit. And I have that in spades.

 

Thanks for your post, and have a wonderful festival.

 

 

Ben

[Avalon_Fields]

Great posts mrfunk and glasto-worker, keep kicking myself for not going in earlier years.

[rumpola]

So, Mr Funk, we are both 45.

You did your first Glastonbury 20 years ago. I am about to do my first.

I like this 'connection'.

Rest assured, I will not 'waste' my first GF. It will be everything it should be for someone with an inherent Glastonbury spirit. And I have that in spades.

Thanks for your post, and have a wonderful festival.

Ben

I really want to bump into you Ben, and say "so then, what do you think now then?".

From your posts, I just KNOW you'll have the time of your life.

[robin]

'95 was my first year as well. Have made every year since, except '97 due to being hospital bound shortly beforehand.

 

20 years after my first Glasto I get to take my daughter along. She won't remember a thing being only teeny tiny, but really looking forward to still discovering new things about the festival again each year. Will possibly drink a bit less cider this time.

[Dog Burger]

I'd like to answer this more fully, but I'm on deadline for the mag at work today,so can't. But, in short, here's how I summed it up when I was asked to provide a short summary of my first time at a Glastonbury for a festival guide a while back: 

 

 

I remember the first time – Glastonbury 1998, 17 years old, hopelessly naïve, with £35 to my name, one change of clothes, a leaky pair of Adidas Sambas and what resembled a child's play tent for accommodation. It rained relentlessly from start to finish and my tent collapsed on the first night, taking on the form of a soggy body bag for the rest of the festival. We walked from the drop-off point with all our stuff for what seemed like days. I remember the wandering bands of scallies outside the fence offering cut-price entry via their tunnels and rope ladders; the all-night soundsystems seemingly everywhere; my first visit to the Stone Circle; watching Bernard Butler play the Other Stage while sitting alone and sleep-deprived on a lilo amid the deluge; Robbie Williams murdering Hey Jude; Blur's lazers blowing my mind during This Is A Low; and Pulp closing the show with Common people, my friends and I about to go our separate ways off to university. We left arm in arm, wading through the knee-deep water as the main stage PA played Stand By Me, tears in a few eyes as we knew life would never be the same again. I vowed to never set foot on Worthy Farm again. I've been to every one since…

[Becks12]

1998 was my first one too. A bus load of us went down together but only a handful of us stayed to the end. I tell people about the rain and the mud but it really had to be seen to be believed!

I recall watching the Deftones nearly knee deep in water. I'm not sure if everywhere was that bad or if I was stood in a pond or something though!

[___S_o_m_a__]

"The Best Weekend of my Life"

 

Best post in absolute yonks.

[glasto-worker]

Great posts mrfunk and glasto-worker, keep kicking myself for not going in earlier years.

 

trust me there was many years I was kicking myself for going - this is us { four adults in that mini } about to set off to what I believe was 1985 which turned out to be a very muddy year and I really did not think we would make it out - even RAC Landrover's had to get a tow from a tractor - it was very touch and go and I had my friends trying to hold some people back as I knew that once I got moving I just could not stop and I was not expecting it to work - I flew out of there - still cant believe it even now - all I know is the mini did not get stuck and in fact there has been no year I ever required a tow

 

as you know Glastonbury is fantastic when its dry but a right pain in the arse when it floods or gets real muddy .

 

[chrismac1986]

excellent post, i only started going in 2011, but it makes me wonder what the festival will be like in 2031, as clearly things are very different now from 1995.

[picicata]

1998 was my first one too. A bus load of us went down together but only a handful of us stayed to the end. I tell people about the rain and the mud but it really had to be seen to be believed!

I recall watching the Deftones nearly knee deep in water. I'm not sure if everywhere was that bad or if I was stood in a pond or something though!

 

'98 was also my first and I would have been stood somewhere close to you as I also watched the Deftones. As I remember it the Other stage area had turned into basically a large muddy lake so if you were watching a band you had no choice but to stand near knee deep in soup like mud.

[Bernie Kosar]

first time for me this year!