Glasto 1997

[danegg]

This thread makes for a very enjoyable read- thanks all!

Surprised at all your memories, though. My first glastonbury was in 2011 and I can barely remember anything!

[gooner1990]

 

[glasto-worker]

4 hours ago, gooner1990 said:

 

Love the TV report have never seen that before - well done for finding it  

1985,1997,1998,2007,2016 were all Dead Muddy years {2005 was dead wet but does not come close to the other five} - now in 87 we were walking somewhere and there was people going on about the Mud - they clearly had not been there in 1985 because there was no comparison - There had been a bit of Mud up in the travellers field but it was not widespread - I just wish I had a time machine so I could transport them back to 1985 and they would know what Mud at Glastonbury was really like.

In the Mud Top 5 - 1985 is very near the top but only people who were there that year will know what I am on about - its the only year that I have seen tractors towing out human beings { not in their cars } - once a person went down it was near impossible to get out - I saw one  tractor toss a rope and there must have been 10 people who were able to reach it and they all were dragged out - I am sure it would be against health and safety rules now - sadly no shots as I could not risk dropping my SLR in the Mud as I would never see it again.

Edited April 6, 2017 by glasto-worker

[waterfalls212434]

dont know about 97 but watching the videos on the sidebar led me to this gem 

who is `neg` the festival organiser at 3.27? one of eavis`s helpers? or did eavis not have so much to do with it back then? 

also the bloke at 5.17 may be the most spaced out guy ive seen in these videos haha

[eFestivals]

22 minutes ago, waterfalls212434 said:

who is `neg` the festival organiser at 3.27? one of eavis`s helpers? or did eavis not have so much to do with it back then? 

he's a new one to me, but Eavis has always had a team of helpers that run various bits of the festival as their own little empires, with the people changing now and then. Two of the longer serving ones would be Bella Churchill who ran Theatre & Cabaret, and Mark Simpson who ran 'stage 2' (nowadays West Holts) for several decades until he emigrated about a decade ago.

Edited April 6, 2017 by eFestivals

[clarkete]

On ‎03‎/‎02‎/‎2017 at 5:34 PM, glasto-worker said:

but by the 90's it was fenced off and when they were landing a helicopter they used to send out a few stewards who would form a square on the outer edges although it was still possible  to stray into it .

Cant recall when they moved the chopper pad but I am sure someone will have a date.

Not as crazy as that surreal year with The Cure on the pyramid where they flew one near to the crowd.  Mental. 

1990 apparently.

My 97 was fuzzy, like most years I'd have to check programmes to see if I can remember who I saw

Less muddy than 98 by some margin as I recall.

[amfy]

I love that 1990 film - it really brings back memories of just rolling out of bed and partying. No trace of make up, no-one even looks like they've washed or looked in a mirror. It was a complete kind of freedom back then.

[stuartbert two hats]

13 minutes ago, amfy said:

I love that 1990 film - it really brings back memories of just rolling out of bed and partying. No trace of make up, no-one even looks like they've washed or looked in a mirror. It was a complete kind of freedom back then.

Of course not!

[PretentiousThinkpiece]

3 hours ago, waterfalls212434 said:

dont know about 97 but watching the videos on the sidebar led me to this gem 

who is `neg` the festival organiser at 3.27? one of eavis`s helpers? or did eavis not have so much to do with it back then? 

also the bloke at 5.17 may be the most spaced out guy ive seen in these videos haha

 

jesus i need to show this to my mum (was involved with the festival just around this time) she'd be able to tell you how he got involved, i do know that he used to be her postman i think lol

 

he died from cancer a year or so ago I think

Edited April 6, 2017 by PretentiousThinkpiece

[Janaka]

My first Glastonbury.  I had no idea what to expect and was woefully under-prepared for even a fairweather festival, let alone a mudfest.  I'd never even seen a tent before, let alone put one up.  I prepared very well chem-wise though so have little recollection apart from Radiohead playing what is still to this day the only musical event I consider a life-changing experience.  An astonishing experience that I thankfully still have a few shards of memory of.  Suprised no-one else has mentioned Daft Punk's incredible closing set in the Dance Tent on Sunday?  I saw the Pyramid shows and this - pre-robot masks and huge visuals - was better IMO.

My boots were crap, I only had 1 spare pair of socks and so my feet were permanently wet for 5 days.  I came home and peeled an entire layer of skin off both feet, couldn't walk for a couple of days after.  Took 2 years to get over the mud trauma.  Have only missed a couple since then.  In retrospect it wasn't so bad, 2007 being worse for actually being cold and rained on, 2016 being even muddier but fun, but these days we prepare like it's an arctic expedition.

 

[Simpo]

On 1/21/2017 at 1:33 AM, Simpo said:

These memories are great. Can we have a discussion like this for different Glastonburys every week please?

Really keen to start this. I think on Wednesday with it being 10 weeks til the festival I'll start a thread "Memories of 1970, 1990, 2000, 2010", then the week after "Memories of 1979, 1989, 1999, 2009", til we get '71, '81, '11 when we're 1 week out.

It's the specific memories of a certain year that I enjoyed in this thread, and just having a "Glastonbury memories" thread would be too generic and diluted.

[mickmcmicklemick]

2 hours ago, Janaka said:

My first Glastonbury.  I had no idea what to expect and was woefully under-prepared for even a fairweather festival, let alone a mudfest.  I'd never even seen a tent before, let alone put one up.  I prepared very well chem-wise though so have little recollection apart from Radiohead playing what is still to this day the only musical event I consider a life-changing experience.  An astonishing experience that I thankfully still have a few shards of memory of.  Suprised no-one else has mentioned Daft Punk's incredible closing set in the Dance Tent on Sunday?  I saw the Pyramid shows and this - pre-robot masks and huge visuals - was better IMO.

My boots were crap, I only had 1 spare pair of socks and so my feet were permanently wet for 5 days.  I came home and peeled an entire layer of skin off both feet, couldn't walk for a couple of days after.  Took 2 years to get over the mud trauma.  Have only missed a couple since then.  In retrospect it wasn't so bad, 2007 being worse for actually being cold and rained on, 2016 being even muddier but fun, but these days we prepare like it's an arctic expedition.

 

97 was my first Glasto too, and I can echo the Radiohead thing! I went with 2 people I worked with after after buying my ticket in the free-ads the week before. I barely saw the couple I went with and turned up in trainers lol. How things have changed. 2017 will be my 12th Glasto, and seeing Radiohead on the pyramid again will be so special!! Whilst my memory of 97 is very hazy now, I do remember The Smashing Pumpkins blowing me away! I was also a massive prodigy fan and loved everything about the anarchic set

[baggienick68]

1997 was my first. Went because I wanted to see Radiohead. Was on my own. Muddy as hell and I loved it. Not an exaggeration to say that it changed my life. 20 years on I am looking forward to my 14th visit. I agree with Mick that as well as Radiohead being wonderful Smashing Pumpkins and Prodigy were both great. Lots of good acts though. I remember on the Friday dashing back and forth between the Main stage and the Other. Wouldn't have the energy now.

[maclauk]

1997 was my first Glastonbury. I went with my brother and a friend we grew up with, both of them having been before. We pitched our tents just north of the railway track, right in the area that would become submerged in 2005. And it rained pretty hard and constantly on what was probably the Thursday, enough to discourage ventures out.

In those days there was little information available in advance as to what was on and who was playing so the first opportunity to find out was the programme you got handed on the way in. We read these cover to cover, as well as the charity leaflets in the pack and the free samples stuff. All three of us in my fairly small two man tent. Not drinking much as that would require you to go out for a piss, but a few smokes helped. Unfortunately that created three small holes in the ground sheet, noticed when the water under the tent started coming up through them. Three squares of silver gaffer tape soon patched them and a blanket put down to protect the floor. (As an aside that same little tent was the accommodation of the same friend in 2015, with the same three silver patches.)

Friday morning brought still more rain, but it was stopping as Mark and Lard opened the NME stage as the Shirehorses. A few songs in the band was pulled off stage as it was sinking. From then on I think the rain stayed away but the ground was wet with a thick heavy mud. My old Doc Martins with split leather at the heels were really not up to the job. An attempt to keep  dry feet by wearing plastic bags over my socks inside the boots didn’t work either.

You quickly learned if you needed to cover any distance you used the railway line or the metal track ways.  I was amazed by the sheer scale and variety of the whole place. I hadn’t expected the markets or the green fields and I certainly hadn’t anticipated the atmosphere of the people.

You could always easily get a spot at the main stage just to the right of the Pyramid and if you needed to meet people that’s where you would head. If you ran out of cans watching a band then one of many walking traders would sell you more from a pack they were carrying through the crowd. Wax flares and small fires burned all over the back half of the main arena, wood to start with, the wax cups later.

The most memorable acts were the Chemical Brothers bombastic set on the other stage and Radioheads spine tingling performance on the main stage. After the headliners finished on the Sunday we headed to the stone circle to look back over it all giving me time to reflect on this new world I had just experienced.

And leaving the next day I had an acute feeling of leaving this wonderful new world and heading back to a quite separate real world. I was hooked on the special place that was the festival and of course I had done it in the worst muddy conditions you could ever expect. Or so I thought till next year…

[Heather90]

On 1/19/2017 at 5:28 PM, baggienick68 said:

I was in two minds whether to go and left it too late. When I heard it had sold out and didn't know the exact price I sent a begging letter and a blank cheque to Michael Eavis. Over the moon when the ticket arrived.

This might be my new favourite glastonbury story ever. Incredible! 

[baggienick68]

True story. 20 years later still obsessed.

[Eyebrow]

On 04/02/2017 at 1:24 AM, bamber said:

Some Very Good things happened in 1997. Very good indeed.

 

First thing I hear is MJ Cole and it tells me all I need to know.

Upvoted

[bamber]

On 06/04/2017 at 7:24 AM, waterfalls212434 said:

dont know about 97 but watching the videos on the sidebar led me to this gem 

who is `neg` the festival organiser at 3.27? one of eavis`s helpers? or did eavis not have so much to do with it back then? 

also the bloke at 5.17 may be the most spaced out guy ive seen in these videos haha

This more than many representations, depicts a time and place. There was a subtext of meaning back then. That flame never extinguished, just fainted.