Mobile Phones

[tjamest]

1 hour ago, shuttlep said:

when i was growing up Mobile Phones were things of fantasy. 

 

They still are in my world - Never taken a selfie, never sent a text and can only remember making a call on one twice.  I was given a cheap pay as you go phone about 15 years ago, never got further than taking it out of the box for five minutes and ended up sending it to some guy I met on holiday in the Gambia.

[DeanoL]

2 hours ago, shuttlep said:

It was nice it was a total escape from the outside world.

One thing people should be aware of with threads like this is that this statement is absolutely true. And it's also why a significant number of people are put off from going or intimidated doing it.

I had a year where I unexpectedly ended up doing the festival on my own (it was 2005 too) - I got some enjoyment out of it in the end but also struggled a fair bit - I'm not the type that can go talk to random strangers, probably spoke to around 3 people all weekend. I wouldn't do that again now. Except I would if I had a phone. If I had a way to retreat back to the normality of the outside world.

For every person you see going "you used to be able to lose all your friends and it was great" there was someone going "oh god, what if I lose my friends and can't find them".

I appreciate some people want it to be how it used to be, but you can get 95% of the way there by not taking your phone. Or turning it off. And try and spare a thought for those for whom a phone actually helps them deal with the experience. Maybe that girl you're seeing taking a selfie and posting it on Facebook isn't conceited, maybe she just needs an outside connection to help her cope with the sheer enormity of the festival.

People filming the headliners when they know full well the entire set is shown on the BBC can fuck off though.

[Adamon]

10 minutes ago, DeanoL said:

People filming the headliners when they know full well the entire set is shown on the BBC can fuck off though.

God damn snapchat at gigs is the bane of my life. I hated it when people filmed (and still do) but kids these days (im only 24 so not exactly "old") are now snapchatting the whole thing! For those not in the know, this means they're filming the whole thing but in 15 second segments that they then broadcast to their friends. It's beyond the whole "you're not even going to watch this back" argument, 15 second segments! ARGH!

[russycarps]

1 minute ago, tjamest said:

They still are in my world - Never taken a selfie, never sent a text and can only remember making a call on one twice.  I was given a cheap pay as you go phone about 15 years ago, never got further than taking it out of the box for five minutes and ended up sending it to some guy I met on holiday in the Gambia.

Location:Bournemouth

why am I not surprised..........

 

[Skoo]

1 hour ago, Jakkkkobz said:

I just use my smart phone to get there and back for my work emails, then stick it in a locker and go dark on my shite phone till Monday. Its the only holiday I can go on and have an excuse not to reply to my emails and answer calls.

This. Glastonbury is the only holiday I have where I have the perfect excuse as to why I won't be responding to any email from my office. It's so refreshing to completely disconnect.

Having said that, I do keep my phone on me for meeting up with mates etc, but just refuse to even glance at work stuff!

[tjamest]

25 minutes ago, russycarps said:

Location:Bournemouth

why am I not surprised..........

 

Dignitas on Sea

[dannygrif]

40 minutes ago, Adamon said:

God damn snapchat at gigs is the bane of my life. I hated it when people filmed (and still do) but kids these days (im only 24 so not exactly "old") are now snapchatting the whole thing! For those not in the know, this means they're filming the whole thing but in 15 second segments that they then broadcast to their friends. It's beyond the whole "you're not even going to watch this back" argument, 15 second segments! ARGH!

Agree with you, but then I do send four or five video snapchats when I'm at a gig for the music blog I write for. Fully aware of how it must come across to others but our readers seem to appreciate a little snapshot into the gigs we attend. 

Edited April 21, 2016 by dannygrif

[Adamon]

@dannygrif It's tricky mate, i've got a fairly good phone and I like to stand nearer the back at gigs, that usually means i would be able to take some good video and often i'll take a 30 second or minute long video and since the quality is so good I often wish I'd taken more. I would never complain to a person doing it unless it was really intrusive and consistent but the odd video is generally ok in my eyes. It's also different at festivals, the worst people for it are at gigs.

[Chris Zoidberg]

I'll be taking my phone as it's also my only camera. It's old and needs replacing so don't care if it gets wrecked. Would love the idea of going without a phone, but I need to say goodnight to the kids and my wife will want to know I'm still alive (I think)

Edited April 21, 2016 by Chris Zoidberg
Spelling

[Madyaker]

I don't video gigs because the sound quality isn't great. Smartphones are too useful to leave behind. I can take good photos, Twitter for secret gigs, I can use maps to navigate the festival and it would be impossible to find people without one.

[Pinhead]

They did take something away from the random disorganisation and spontenaity that was Glasto of the past, when people left post it notes all over the concrete bollard at the meeting point at the bottom of muddy lane in order to locate their mates. As people say though - times will forever change...

[Chimps in Balaclavas]

I don't take my smartphone anymore due to me being absolutely spangled most days, I now take a cheap Nokia. This year though I've bought a couple of cheap walkie talkies too, so I can keep in touch with my mate on site.

[DeanoL]

1 hour ago, Pinhead said:

They did take something away from the random disorganisation and spontenaity that was Glasto of the past, when people left post it notes all over the concrete bollard at the meeting point at the bottom of muddy lane in order to locate their mates. As people say though - times will forever change...

It's also that in and of itself, that was exclusionary to people who couldn't deal with that sort of thing. It's part of a number of things over the past 10-15 years which have opened the festival up to more people, starting with the super fence. Obviously a lot of people object in general terms to the 'sort of people' who do attend the festival these days, but I always find making it more welcoming is for the better.

[Lizzim]

My other half always videos a quick 30secs on his phone.  Drives me mad.   When I look at them they are completely indistinguishable,  I have  no idea what I am looking at. I like to live the moment. 

My first Glastonbury was 2009 and I remember how hard it was to confirm the MJ rumours.  Ah those were the days.  Nostalgia ain't what it used to be. 

[shoptildrop]

I have no problem using my smart phone at festivals as good to keep in contact with the group, odd photo (use my proper camera instead as not keen on phone camera) and checking for secret set 1st thing in the morning at camp..

Most of the day it's in the bottom of my back pack and I have portable charger, again just have it charging in my backpack when it needs to so I never have an bother tbh

[NoBallGames]

When it comes to phones at a festival Buddy Wakefield's poem sums it up pretty well for me:

"let it all go from the get go
let go, let god let it go
leave it alone, let it pass
let it be,c’est la vie, whats done is done 
hang up on it
land the plane, don’t get on that train
the bus has already left
this too shall pass

shake it off, cut your losses
bust loose, break free,
its water under the bridge
what comes around, goes around 
go around, get over it, get it together
get a grip, get moving, keep moving
move on, move forward, forward march
stop, drop it, squash it, release
relax.

spilled water cannot be poured back.
don’t look back. enough is enough. quit dwelling.
forget it, forgive it, right now, as is. 
nothing is against us.

our craving for annihilation will be laid to rest,
with the apocalyptic resentment and the compounding stress.
yes, said the answer.  
yes, said the breath.  
the consequences are immediate.
so when you breathe,
you might try freeing both lungs up."

[weirdforces]

21 hours ago, zico martin said:

with an extra fag in the packet and a 10p stuck to the box!

Luxury!

[shuttlep]

i did start this complaining thread, but I will have my smart phone with me 

 

 

do as I say not as I do

[Spindles]

20 hours ago, russycarps said:

I'm eternally grateful for a some of the stuff people put on youtube, but I always assumed the good clips on there arent filmed by people's phones. Are they that good now? I cant remember the last time I used the video function on my phone

This was made with pieced together phone footage and the proper soundboard tape from the gig.  Shows the best and worst of their capabilities I think.  5 years down the line you'd expect quality to be much higher.

[dizzymoo]

Bit of a saddo but I keep the texts from the festival and they're an instant reminder that sends me back there. Best was in 2013 when other half  had decided to see another band (Savages I think) which finished just before the Stones were due to begin,  rather than joining us to stake out our place well beforehand.  He was stuck in the crowd trying and failing to get to the Pyramid field.

Him: 'Can't get in.  It's like something from Dante here'

Me: 'Surrounded by flames with demons sticking spikes up your bottom?'

Him: 'Pretty much'

[Spindles]

Same, I have an old nokia that did several festivals, the conversations saved on there are golden.  I don't take photos and prefer little nudges to the memory like that.