The reality of working the festival......

[Bosslar]

5 hours ago, jonny2mad said:

is this part of gaia guardians or a separate group, I used to like the old green police

I think it's a new initiative following the court case Jonny - a slightly more pro-active approach to the environmental problems as a result of people peeing on the land.  Similar to the Green Police I believe - but Gaia's Guardians will be there as well as I understand it. 

We'll be given 'hot spots' to patrol on an evening. 

[carlosj]

18 minutes ago, Bosslar said:

I think it's a new initiative following the court case Jonny - a slightly more pro-active approach to the environmental problems as a result of people peeing on the land.  Similar to the Green Police I believe - but Gaia's Guardians will be there as well as I understand it. 

We'll be given 'hot spots' to patrol on an evening. 

I don't usually dwell on matters of urine, but I'm really happy to hear this.

[stutheblue]

Worked the last 3 times I've been and wouldn't do it any other way now. I'm old enough and uncool enough to have either seen all the bands I'm bothered about or never heard of the latest new thing. Love working for Oxfam and have a great time chatting to others. Would be too shy to talk to people without my tabard on, but more than happy to talk shite all day to strangers when working. Weird but there you go. You will have a ball, promise.

[sophlamb]

This thread is really interesting. I've never volunteered at a festival because I tend to only book the days I need off work for it, and I don't want to be working during my holidays if you know what I mean. However - I'm going into teaching and as I'll have a bit of time off over the summer every year I might start volunteering at a couple of festivals that are in late July/August. Everything that's been said above has made me think about how nice it would be to see things from a different perspective and be on site before the gates open!

[RichardWaller]

4 hours ago, glasto-worker said:

Its not all that bad as its busy - you just have to have the confidence to deal with the crowd all trying to push in - the busier the bar the more runners there will be so you have to get the cash up front - this does catch new staff out who are not used to it - the jokers who run may think they have got away with it but all these bars have HD CCTV and its a simple matter to burn a DVD and that is passed to the Police and Bar Security so many are spotted.

when I first started working in bars shifts used to be 8 hours but these have been reduced to 6 hours and they will end up doing a early - middle - late shift so people do have time off its just the luck of the draw if the shifts suit .

The walk in bars is a bit less hectic and at times there may be time to speak to the Customer.

sure its not for everyone but I would always remain a volunteer as long as they will have me.

I haven't pulled a pint in about 12 years hah. I know it's different to working in a pub, obviously. Bet the later busier shifts fly by but I don't want anything to fly by there.

it doesn't surprise me that people do try to run without paying either. It's a weird one, obviously theft isn't in the spirit of Glastonbury but neither ought to be ripping people off and just cos the food and drinks are in line with the premium prices generally charged at festivals, it doesn't mean it's not a rip off. Still gonna buy loads of pints and love it anyway. Ever hear about anyone being prosecuted for doing a runner? Hope so. Personally, a ban from the festival would hurt me more than anything the police would be likely to do in that instance.

I'd consider volunteering, but if I can I'd rather get a ticket and have all my time my own.

Edited May 19, 2016 by RichardWaller

[glasto-worker]

6 hours ago, RichardWaller said:

I haven't pulled a pint in about 12 years hah. I know it's different to working in a pub, obviously. Bet the later busier shifts fly by but I don't want anything to fly by there.

it doesn't surprise me that people do try to run without paying either. It's a weird one, obviously theft isn't in the spirit of Glastonbury but neither ought to be ripping people off and just cos the food and drinks are in line with the premium prices generally charged at festivals, it doesn't mean it's not a rip off. Still gonna buy loads of pints and love it anyway. Ever hear about anyone being prosecuted for doing a runner? Hope so. Personally, a ban from the festival would hurt me more than anything the police would be likely to do in that instance.

I'd consider volunteering, but if I can I'd rather get a ticket and have all my time my own.

There has been people caught but what happens to them after that - we are never told

its more likely to happen at Reading than Glastonbury - I have even seen people ' grabbing a Pint
from a Customer ' who was on a phone and left the pint on the counter and not paying attention.

I can also defend the prices - check out the O2 Dome - Last Time I was there it was £7.50 for a pint of lager and that was a few years ago.

+ every time you use a WBC Bar that helps them to pay whatever charity the volunteer represents
so the profits are not going to share holders.

Prices are set at London prices and I even know pubs that are more expensive than Glastonbury.

its expensive to trade as many Pubs who tried to set up a bar at Glastonbury soon found out.

+ people are not forced into a closed arena so they can bring their own drink.

and when its bad weather - there had been years the WBC made a Trading loss and some years it was a huge loss so running bars is risky. 

[glasto-worker]

16 hours ago, sophlamb said:

This thread is really interesting. I've never volunteered at a festival because I tend to only book the days I need off work for it, and I don't want to be working during my holidays if you know what I mean. However - I'm going into teaching and as I'll have a bit of time off over the summer every year I might start volunteering at a couple of festivals that are in late July/August. Everything that's been said above has made me think about how nice it would be to see things from a different perspective and be on site before the gates open!

When I first became a Volunteer { 1989 } - I had tried to join in 1986 but they were not taking
on people who were not connected to the TUC.

Now in the late 80's tickets were easy to buy - all you had to do was walk in to a CND shop { and many record shops } so I did not become a Volunteer because I could not get a ticket.

and it was the best decision I ever made.

There is so many aspects to it - you have a secure site - so secure I don't even bother zipping my tent up daytime as I know that all the Volunteers camping beside me will ' pull up anyone who try's to enter my tent ' just like I would pull up someone that I did not recognise as I know everyone close to where I camp .

sure you have to do shifts but once you get into it ' you will not regret it.

The facilities are first class .

its far more easy now to become a Volunteer than when I first joined as there was no Internet in the late 80's

all you have to do is plan ahead as places go fast.

give it a try 
 

[pie_and_a_pint]

On 5/19/2016 at 6:46 AM, giantkatestacks said:

I much prefer working to not, the feeling of being involved is fantastic. Plus you better campsite, food, early arrival, crew bars, etc etc

i just dont understand why people go through the sale hell when you can have your place confirmed even before the first sale happens.

I'm not sure I'd go back as a non-worker again. For me missing the stress of ticket day and the horror of getting up at bollocks o'clock to queue for hours with kit on the Wednesday morning and struggling to get a camping spot that isn't by the bogs or three quarters of the way to Shepton is priceless. Financially it's also easier for me, knowing I can budget less for food and drinks as I can use my meal tickets and the crew bars to save cash.

And after nine cracking festivals as a punter it's nice to give something back, and to be really part of this massive thing that's really only a gig in a field but that has genuinely changed my life for the better since 2003.

[RichardWaller]

9 hours ago, glasto-worker said:

There has been people caught but what happens to them after that - we are never told

its more likely to happen at Reading than Glastonbury - I have even seen people ' grabbing a Pint
from a Customer ' who was on a phone and left the pint on the counter and not paying attention.

I can also defend the prices - check out the O2 Dome - Last Time I was there it was £7.50 for a pint of lager and that was a few years ago.

+ every time you use a WBC Bar that helps them to pay whatever charity the volunteer represents
so the profits are not going to share holders.

Prices are set at London prices and I even know pubs that are more expensive than Glastonbury.

its expensive to trade as many Pubs who tried to set up a bar at Glastonbury soon found out.

+ people are not forced into a closed arena so they can bring their own drink.

and when its bad weather - there had been years the WBC made a Trading loss and some years it was a huge loss so running bars is risky. 

I can believe it being more likely to happen at other festivals. I sometimes feel like a bit of a twat about Glastonbury though, I do big it up in my mind cos I love it, it's my favourite place. I do separate it from all the other festivals cos of the history of activism and charity that goes with it and when you do focus on those aspects of the festival maybe you forget that not everyone there shares the ethos.

I wouldn't take the O2 pint prices as a defence either! That's like saying Thatcher wasn't so bad, compared to David Cameron. Same with London prices in general too, most of us don't live in London or earn the London Living Wage. 

Didn't know about the charity involvement of the WBC, I just thought it was a case of the company saying ok, work here for free and that's your ticket into the festival. Are all bars on site run by WBC? Does the festival charge the WBC bars just for being there like they do any other food places, or does their charitable status get them their spots for free or on the cheap compared to whatever the going rate is on the festival circuit? I can't understand for the life of me how WBC makes a loss, when pubs can charge a little over half what they do while their staff, spending god knows what on entertainment licenses and TV subscriptions and make a profit. 

That's one of my favourite things about Glastonbury - that people are able to bring their own food and drink onsite so they're not having to rely on whatever there is available there and they don't need to pay what's being charged. Not that anyone needs a pint.. But broadly speaking - and I'm talking more about the generic than the specialist here, the burger vans and little stalls selling snacks and soft drinks, the ice cream vans etc - I don't have a particular problem with it at Glastonbury per se as it's not forced, there are other options, but I do think that that captive audience, supply and demand side of capitalism is a huge problem in the world. Here in the UK.. I know it's only a burger and a pint at Glastonbury, but I think if it's justifiable to inflate those prices then why not education, housing, health, utilities.. I don't mind forking out over the normal odds to eat and drink while I'm there (especially seeing as I'll get paid on the Friday), I've probably over thought this a bit too much but it's the attitude behind it that I see as the problem, the opportunism, the supply and demand, the captive audience, and you do see it applied a hell of a lot all over the world and it does cause huge problems.

[clarkete]

37 minutes ago, RichardWaller said:

Didn't know about the charity involvement of the WBC, I just thought it was a case of the company saying ok, work here for free and that's your ticket into the festival. Are all bars on site run by WBC? Does the festival charge the WBC bars just for being there like they do any other food places, or does their charitable status get them their spots for free or on the cheap compared to whatever the going rate is on the festival circuit? I can't understand for the life of me how WBC makes a loss, when pubs can charge a little over half what they do while their staff, spending god knows what on entertainment licenses and TV subscriptions and make a profit. 

You're comparing to pubs who are only profit making, rather than giving proceeds away?

And there are some reasonably priced foods on site, just not next to the main stages.

[balti-pie]

It's a field  they've put up a fully working, refrigerated and powered bar in the middle of a dairy farm! I can see how that might well cost a few quid . . . 

[blackred]

45 minutes ago, RichardWaller said:

I wouldn't take the O2 pint prices as a defence either! That's like saying Thatcher wasn't so bad, compared to David Cameron. Same with London prices in general too, most of us don't live in London or earn the London Living Wage. 

Didn't know about the charity involvement of the WBC, I just thought it was a case of the company saying ok, work here for free and that's your ticket into the festival. Are all bars on site run by WBC? Does the festival charge the WBC bars just for being there like they do any other food places, or does their charitable status get them their spots for free or on the cheap compared to whatever the going rate is on the festival circuit? I can't understand for the life of me how WBC makes a loss, when pubs can charge a little over half what they do while their staff, spending god knows what on entertainment licenses and TV subscriptions and make a profit. 

 

I think @glasto-worker covered it, there are huge costs involved in running the on site bars (and catering), no one is getting rich off this (or making huge amounts for charity). I know quite a few people who do event catering for a living and the prices charged reflect the significantly increased overheads - of which the pitch is only one (refrigeration units, deliveries, staffing etc all add up). Same goes for 'London prices' (not exclusive to London), the pubs aren't making huge profits and laughing at punters - if they could reduce their prices significantly they would, and reap the benefits of the enormous boost in popularity that would bring. You will struggle to find a rich landlord anywhere in the country!

[RichardWaller]

Sorry, quote thing doesn't seem to be behaving on my phone for some reason.

@clarkete I know there are better options but like I said in my last post, what I said was more with the bog standard burger vans and stalls in mind. And as far as the bars go, course I didn't consider the increased cost of opening a pub in the middle of a field as @balti-pie and @blackred mentioned... Still, there's a hell of a lot of pints sold, would be surprised if it's under a million over the course of the week, and if that's not enough to offset the running cost there's something seriously wrong. I suppose it's a wider problem in the industry though, supermarkets sell beer cheaply and breweries don't. Pub I worked at many moons ago, the landlord would nip to ASDA or wherever and pick up cases of bottles and sell them behind the bar - totally illegal but why the hell should it be? Why should pub landlords be tied into contracts that are so obviously and vastly unfair that that becomes an option, albeit an illegal one. The law's buggered.

[jeffie]

I worked on a CND lockup one year, we got to go on site on the Monday, even got to park and unload and then move cars out.  It was a great experience, you also get showers, food etc.

[fred quimby]

On 18/05/2016 at 10:47 PM, Sawdusty Surfer said:

You'll have a whale of a time. You will be a part of the show, working with a friendly posse having a wonderful time while 'working' and will make loads of new really close friends. Afterwards you won't even consider buying a ticket if you can repeat this year's festival experience. Trust me on this. Enjoy.

Oh, and I suspect that total sobriety when working may be a hindrance. In that kind of role, a bevy will make you a more outgoing , vocal and upbeat worker . 

This.

 

Plus as you say you have Monday and Tuesday, which are really great days. Busy with all crew watching things coming togther, no massive crowd to get through, crew bars everywhere, I love those days

[clarkete]

On ‎20‎/‎05‎/‎2016 at 0:43 PM, RichardWaller said:

@clarkete And as far as the bars go, course I didn't consider the increased cost of opening a pub in the middle of a field as @balti-pie and @blackred mentioned... Still, there's a hell of a lot of pints sold, would be surprised if it's under a million over the course of the week, and if that's not enough to offset the running cost there's something seriously wrong.

It says here that it's run as a non-profit, so presumably that's a pretty fine line and there may be times when it's prudent to run at a small loss - http://www.workersbeer.co.uk/our-ethos

I believe the laws were intended to prevent us from drinking gin until we die.  Obviously 5 days in Pilton are our opportunity to undermine that effort - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcohol_licensing_laws_of_the_United_Kingdom

 

Edited May 21, 2016 by clarkete

[pie_and_a_pint]

To go from the subject of beer to the subject of, er, piss, this kind of 'hilarious' article does no favours at all to the cause of Don't Piss In The Hedges http://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/may/20/sara-pascoe-top-ten-rules-for-festival-goers

I know it's tongue in cheek but seriously, making out the loos are a horror show and encouraging people to just wee on the ground is really bloody irresponsible - the festival could lose its licence. Good for people like @Bosslar who are working to help stop people pissing in hedges!

[glasto-worker]

5 hours ago, RichardWaller said:

I can believe it being more likely to happen at other festivals. I sometimes feel like a bit of a twat about Glastonbury though, I do big it up in my mind cos I love it, it's my favourite place. I do separate it from all the other festivals cos of the history of activism and charity that goes with it and when you do focus on those aspects of the festival maybe you forget that not everyone there shares the ethos.

I wouldn't take the O2 pint prices as a defence either! That's like saying Thatcher wasn't so bad, compared to David Cameron. Same with London prices in general too, most of us don't live in London or earn the London Living Wage. 

Didn't know about the charity involvement of the WBC, I just thought it was a case of the company saying ok, work here for free and that's your ticket into the festival. Are all bars on site run by WBC? Does the festival charge the WBC bars just for being there like they do any other food places, or does their charitable status get them their spots for free or on the cheap compared to whatever the going rate is on the festival circuit? I can't understand for the life of me how WBC makes a loss, when pubs can charge a little over half what they do while their staff, spending god knows what on entertainment licenses and TV subscriptions and make a profit. 

That's one of my favourite things about Glastonbury - that people are able to bring their own food and drink onsite so they're not having to rely on whatever there is available there and they don't need to pay what's being charged. Not that anyone needs a pint.. But broadly speaking - and I'm talking more about the generic than the specialist here, the burger vans and little stalls selling snacks and soft drinks, the ice cream vans etc - I don't have a particular problem with it at Glastonbury per se as it's not forced, there are other options, but I do think that that captive audience, supply and demand side of capitalism is a huge problem in the world. Here in the UK.. I know it's only a burger and a pint at Glastonbury, but I think if it's justifiable to inflate those prices then why not education, housing, health, utilities.. I don't mind forking out over the normal odds to eat and drink while I'm there (especially seeing as I'll get paid on the Friday), I've probably over thought this a bit too much but it's the attitude behind it that I see as the problem, the opportunism, the supply and demand, the captive audience, and you do see it applied a hell of a lot all over the world and it does cause huge problems.

I am pushed for time just now as I have to go to a WBC meeting

the WBC used to run 40 odd bars but then Avalon was formed { long story } so they run less now but they tend to be the main bars.

lets say you are Amnesty International ' you form a Team ' and that team does the work but their earnings ' goes back to Amnesty International.

it soon adds up - if you have ten volunteers all being paid £7 per hour times six hours and times 
5 days £2,100 and they may work at other events so before they know they could be collecting
£21,000

there is many charities who do the same thing ' and even if the WBC makes a loss ' - all the Groups
will get paid.

There is also many trade unions involved - there can be over 1,000 volunteers all passing their wages to their group.

Now I would imagine that over 27 years  I have collected a huge amount from my various Teams
all going to small charities.

Just now I earn money to support the WBC.

Yes I know you would think ' the bars always make a profit ' but I know they don't

I don't have time to go though the years but that year when there was bad floods the WBC made a trading loss of over £100,000 { just for Glastonbury }

Don't forget - whatever happens GFL will get paid a rent { for each bar } - all the infrastructures is in place so when the bars were flooded - they had to remain closed as all the equipment was full of mud and water ' so it was unsafe to open '

be it very hot weather or very wet - the trade falls off - the best weather for the bars is a ' Overcast but dry day ' - 

All the Groups will get Paid for their volunteers work - that is set in stone.

The WBC has been there since 1986 and its tens of Millions that have gone to various Groups.

Its why Michael Eavis asked the WBC  back in 1986 as he liked the idea that all the profits were not going to shareholders and why GFL has extended the contract to 2022

The same goes for Avalon { they support Shelter }

The WBC will also pass on to Michael Eavis a extra cheque if its been a good trading year and Michael will pass it on to a charity

so the money goes around - so there is no Mr Moneybags filling up his pockets.

Its a good system and why I have stuck with it - I was offered paid work many years ago but I would rather support the WBC .

whenever the bars make a ' trading profit ' that money moves on to the next year

its BWTUC { Battersea and Wandsworth TUC } that funds the Leftfield - and it is BWTUC that has overall control of the WBC and I am a Unpaid Organiser for BWTUC.

I am just lucky they have not retired me and they still have confidence that I can do the work.
 

[budvar]

On 5/18/2016 at 10:33 PM, Bosslar said:

Evening Ladies & Gents,

Looking for a bit of a steer here. Complete and utter failure to secure tickets has been mitigated somewhat by getting a place as a 'Love The Farm' steward, seems that we're the new Green Police and will mainly be 'patrolling' known places for al fresco urinating!! Shifts are a bit of a bummer being 8pm - 5am Friday and Sunday but I'm in there at least!! 

Has anyone done anything similar before? Is it recommended and would you do it again? 

How did you come by this job, if you don't mind me asking? I can't remember if they ever put it on the website.

[Bosslar]

@budvar complete stroke of luck really - some someone on Twitter asking for volunteers as they couldn't fill their spaces. Think local charity groups have been allocated spaces for this and I got lucky!

[RichardWaller]

22 hours ago, clarkete said:

It says here that it's run as a non-profit, so presumably that's a pretty fine line and there may be times when it's prudent to run at a small lost - http://www.workersbeer.co.uk/our-ethos

I believe the laws were intended to prevent us from drinking gin until we die.  Obviously 5 days in Pilton are our opportunity to undermine that effort - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcohol_licensing_laws_of_the_United_Kingdom

 

Yeah, I can understand the government not being too keen on us drinking gin till we die but at the same time I expect politicians to see booze as a useful opiate of the masses...

I had no idea about the extent of the charitable involvement, been quite an informative couple of pages cheers.

19 hours ago, glasto-worker said:

I am pushed for time just now as I have to go to a WBC meeting

the WBC used to run 40 odd bars but then Avalon was formed { long story } so they run less now but they tend to be the main bars.

lets say you are Amnesty International ' you form a Team ' and that team does the work but their earnings ' goes back to Amnesty International.

it soon adds up - if you have ten volunteers all being paid £7 per hour times six hours and times 
5 days £2,100 and they may work at other events so before they know they could be collecting
£21,000

there is many charities who do the same thing ' and even if the WBC makes a loss ' - all the Groups
will get paid.

There is also many trade unions involved - there can be over 1,000 volunteers all passing their wages to their group.

Now I would imagine that over 27 years  I have collected a huge amount from my various Teams
all going to small charities.

Just now I earn money to support the WBC.

Yes I know you would think ' the bars always make a profit ' but I know they don't

I don't have time to go though the years but that year when there was bad floods the WBC made a trading loss of over £100,000 { just for Glastonbury }

Don't forget - whatever happens GFL will get paid a rent { for each bar } - all the infrastructures is in place so when the bars were flooded - they had to remain closed as all the equipment was full of mud and water ' so it was unsafe to open '

be it very hot weather or very wet - the trade falls off - the best weather for the bars is a ' Overcast but dry day ' - 

All the Groups will get Paid for their volunteers work - that is set in stone.

The WBC has been there since 1986 and its tens of Millions that have gone to various Groups.

Its why Michael Eavis asked the WBC  back in 1986 as he liked the idea that all the profits were not going to shareholders and why GFL has extended the contract to 2022

The same goes for Avalon { they support Shelter }

The WBC will also pass on to Michael Eavis a extra cheque if its been a good trading year and Michael will pass it on to a charity

so the money goes around - so there is no Mr Moneybags filling up his pockets.

Its a good system and why I have stuck with it - I was offered paid work many years ago but I would rather support the WBC .

whenever the bars make a ' trading profit ' that money moves on to the next year

its BWTUC { Battersea and Wandsworth TUC } that funds the Leftfield - and it is BWTUC that has overall control of the WBC and I am a Unpaid Organiser for BWTUC.

I am just lucky they have not retired me and they still have confidence that I can do the work.
 

Thanks for this . Disappointed that the WBC bars are still being charged rent at Glastonbury though, if it were Wetherspoons trying to muscle in then fair enough.. Suppose one way or another most the rent is going to charity anyway.5

[AndyRaine]

I've a couple of mates who haven't got tickets this year and gutted! Any chance of them getting work for the festival? 

Any ideas/help to sort them out would be awesome. Thanks

[Wanderlei]

I've worked the festival since 08 on the Recycling Crew, and wouldn't have a clue how to get on the 'Green Police'. Please let us know what it was like and how it all worked after the fest :-)

[glasto-worker]

2 hours ago, RichardWaller said:

Yeah, I can understand the government not being too keen on us drinking gin till we die but at the same time I expect politicians to see booze as a useful opiate of the masses...

I had no idea about the extent of the charitable involvement, been quite an informative couple of pages cheers.

Thanks for this . Disappointed that the WBC bars are still being charged rent at Glastonbury though, if it were Wetherspoons trying to muscle in then fair enough.. Suppose one way or another most the rent is going to charity anyway.5

I don't think its unfair and there is a lot of Promoters who charge a lot more and there is some events that the rent is so high the WBC believe 'it is not commercial Viable'

With 30 years experience they should know.

A Commercial Company will soon start cutting costs - mainly in staff - reduction of breaks etc etc -  cutting back on staff facilities - 

We know that at one event ' the WBC used to have a fleet of minibuses ' that would drop off the staff as it was a very long walk from the Crew site and then pick them up again ' - once a Commercial Company  took over the beer contract ' they dropped the minibuses ' so staff were stuffed - its a 80 minute walk and 80 minutes to get back again so its not just a gentle stroll

this gave local people a chance to earn some extra money being a driver and it worked out really well - the minibuses used to run from 10am to 2am so a person could end their shift - get back to the camp for something to eat and then catch a minibus back to watch a few bands and then back again to the camp - I had friends who worked it last year and they just could not face a second walk so they missed out on lots.They will not be doing it again.

I know that the WBC and Avalon treat their staff the right way and this makes for a happy bar and they wont be tempted to reduce staffing levels - this improves customers waiting time so everyone is happy - walk into a Commercial Bar and you will see a lot of unhappy staff.

so while we are working for our ticket we also have Pride that we are raising so much for Good causes hence why on a whole its a Happy Bar.