Counting down the memories

[Earthwindandfire2205]

2009 was my first as well. I was working my shift in the ambulance when the news about Michael Jackson broke. I was at the Park medical tent and people all round us were asking us if it was true. Like others have said it was a wonderful festival and I have kicked myself every year since of going saying to myself " why didn't I come before when I had the chance" Will never miss another one.

 

[Wooderson]

2009 is the best of my dozen Glasters visits. I think it's one of the best weeks of my life actually. 

For lots and lots of people that Blur show turned a sublime festival into something that creeps up on them and winks "hey, remember me?" every couple months. One that pops into conversation whenever people around a table are discussing best performances or times that you found yourself in the midst of a memorable one. By "Beetlebum" I already suspected something mad was about to unfurl. The bonhomie in that audience that Sunday night was the peak of the graph for me. Marvelous time.

 

[shoptildrop]

3 hours ago, Woffy said:

Wahay! I was there Quark, sat in a camping chair, with a teeny bottle of voddy to drip into my coffee, while scoffing a bacon sarny. Cracking start to the day!

And 2009 was the year I'd gone solo and had my entire one man tent and all my stuff moved / nicked on the Thursday while watching Maximo Park. Turned into one of my best years ever though!

What did you do for the rest of the weekend tent wise then?

[dougal1]

2009 was my first glastonbury too. I remember lots of Michael Jackson in every band/DJ set and a magical Bon Iver headline slot at The Park with everyone sat on the hill with big candles, the sky full of fire lanterns. Bliss.

[bamber]

Whenever I look back it is the mid eighties that I remember the most, because I was really young then.

This from 1985

[bexj]

2009 was ace, but what about 1999?

After the wet and cold of 97 and 98, 1999 was a bit of a gamble.  Me and my hubby had been to both and he had a thoroughly miserable time so i had a bit of a job persuading him to go.  The weather gods turned up the dial and all was safe in our Glastonbury going history....phew!  Music wise, I remember nothing of it.  I remember REM headlining, but we didn't see them.   I've just looked at the line up poster and I think it must have been the year we saw 3 bands all weekend, preferring to wander about in the green fields and circus, theatre and cabaret areas!  A distinctly forgettable festival !

[Titters]

First off, I love this thread. Has brought back a fair few forgotten memories. 

 

I had a ball in 2009, withoads of variety over the festival. 

 

I remember the traffic - I travelled from Surrey Wednesday mid morning with a mate, but a few of our group had headed off first thing - so we had a heads up that the queues were huge, and took a long-cut through some side roads and very pretty villages. Ended up on site about 4 hours before the rest of the group. There was a fire in a barn or industrial unit somewhere near (but nothing to do with) the festival, which seemed to have a big impact. 

 

Anyways. It was the first time i found the stone dragon... amd the pedal powered rave bike. I remember finding out about Michael Jackson whilst watching East 17.... And realising i know a lot of East 17 lyrics... 

 

Friday night Doves headlined the JPT. My favourite band, playing to a appreciative crowd, and putting up pics on John Peel during the finale... Very special gig. That was probably the last time I saw a sunrise somewhere in the SEC. I helped out a chap who had overdone it a bit, fallen over and was covered in mud. Handed over a few wet wipes, helped him tidy up, and then watched him fall over into the same mud. 

 

The field for Rolf on Saturday lunchtime was enourmous, struggling to get a spot to even see the stage. How fooled we all were.

 

Saturday night we went to Bruce. Lasted 3 songs and decided it wasn't for us. Lost my sunglasses after falling over a row of approximately 290 chairs, with no gaps, inviting much tutting at my inappropriate behaviour. Fuelled by something lively from the cider bus, we ended up watching some Japanese Noh theatre for a bit, some excellent high wire acrobats,, thenlowed/ danced with/ annoyed a Sikh drumming group around the site. We saw Franz Ferdinand finish... And walked back to the tent with Dancing In The Dark fading across on the breeze. We definitely had more fun binning off Bruce. 

 

Sunday was great fun. Tom Jones, Madness then Bon Iver... Sunday in TRAINERS and able to sit on the floor! It's been a while (I missed 2010 and 2013). Bumped into my ex girlfriend whilst stood watching Madness... madness.

 

We managed to finish with the biggest disappointment of the week... Deciding to go to Prodigy over Blur. 

 

Other Stage sound was up to its usual, we were too far back, and Keith seemed to be more interested shadow boxing a camera that followed him around the stage. I have a habit of poor Sunday night decisions... 

 

Anyway, it was grand, and Saturday night not seeing a headliner was some of the most fun I've had at Glasto. 

[kellly]

2009=Blur, Tender, Tears.

Great year!

[Woffy]

15 hours ago, shoptildrop said:

What did you do for the rest of the weekend tent wise then?

Gave up looking, despite the wonderful campsite crew helping me. I only had what I was wearing: shorts, t-shirt, converse. Keys / wallet in lock up. Kept walking past the same group of people when looking. Eventually got chatting and they'd all had their tents moved too. 

No option but to crack the fuck on. 

Bought another tent as it was getting dark. And a sleeping bag and a rug. From Banana Joes (is that right? Was that a camping shop or have I made that up???). My feet were fucked from so much walking. 

The rents drove (an hour) the next morning and met me in the car park with clothes, food and vodka. Had another crate of beer in the car.

My parents (quite old) were overawed by the place even from outside the fence. They 'got it' that day.

They were even more impressed when, after Dad had been chatting to a steward about what happened to me and how fucked my feet were, they let my parents drive me almost to the top of the Hill of Death...each steward radioing ahead to the next to let us through.

Dad thought that was magnificent. "This is the most highly organised chaos I've seen in my whole life! Wonderful! Wonderful!"

Had a fucking fantastic Festival. Camped next to the campsite stewards caravan and had late night chats and coffee round their fire.

Bumped into a mate I made at Benecassim who was also going solo. Top year.

The weather was ok too, wasn't it?

 

[grumpyhack]

The 2009 line up just to remind you.

My last Glastonbury in a tent before graduating to a trailer tent and then a caravan.  Biggest disappointment was Springsteen. I'd seen him a fair few times and was a big fan but he just didn't seem to get Glastonbury.  The standout was the discovery of Bill Ferguson a comedy juggler in the outside circus field.  So good I went back to see his two repeat performances.

[sparkythetortoise]

What strikes me is that 2009 feels like it happened 5 minutes ago. Reading this thread I kept thinking, Micheal Jackson? Bruce Stringsteen? Blur? Was that really seven years ago? After two previous trips I think it was the first time I truly settled in and found the glastonbury that was right for me. First time I kept going til the sun came up, during which was the one and only time I saw a proper surprise act - Lady Gaga at Shangri La - and the first time I decided to carry my memory round in my pocket camera for those times when I was a tad confused and distracted.

If you will excuse the indulgence, I then struck the footage together, put it on youtube, where its been quite rightly largely ignored ever since - but who knows, it might bring memories back for some other folk, and when else am I going to have another lame excuse for posting it.

 

 

 

[moremi]

On 13/04/2017 at 9:25 AM, matt2007 said:

Guy in 2009 with a t-shirt saying "Micheal Jackson Is Dead" on the front and "Jackson 4 now available for children's parties" on the back

Remember passing this guy and thought how quick is the human mind.

[Mardy]

8 minutes ago, sparkythetortoise said:

What strikes me is that 2009 feels like it happened 5 minutes ago. Reading this thread I kept thinking, Micheal Jackson? Bruce Stringsteen? Blur? Was that really seven years ago? After two previous trips I think it was the first time I truly settled in and found the glastonbury that was right for me. First time I kept going til the sun came up, during which was the one and only time I saw a proper surprise act - Lady Gaga at Shangri La - and the first time I decided to carry my memory round in my pocket camera for those times when I was a tad confused and distracted.

If you will excuse the indulgence, I then struck the footage together, put it on youtube, where its been quite rightly largely ignored ever since - but who knows, it might bring memories back for some other folk, and when else am I going to have another lame excuse for posting it.

 

 

 

That's great. Really enjoyed it. Very very atmospheric. But it's odd, it seems like yesterday in my head, but looks like ancient history in those clips. Guess i'm getting proper fucking old. Thanks for posting it.

[sparkythetortoise]

21 minutes ago, Mardy said:

 Guess i'm getting proper fucking old. 

You and me both, matey. Was clearing out the loft the other day and came across some photos I'd taken in 2005 - actual photos that came back from Boots after you'd handed over the film a few days earlier. I was amazed I was still using film in 2005. Then found some photos of Hawkwind and the Enid from Stonehenge from the early eighties - they might as well have been taken when the stones first went up.

...now where's that nurse - I really need my colostomy bag changing.

 

[moremi]

Although I replied earlier related to Michael Jackson news in 2009, I had to re-check the title that it wasn't just about that year. My first year in 2007 aged 54, I remember sitting on the GREEN grass at Brothers (I used to teach one of them) and thinking this was the best place in the world, enjoying a cider with my daughter - then it started raining! Been every year since and intend to go on as long as possible. Now volunteering and putting something back to the event which keeps me going, even if my wife doesn't necessarily agree about the talk which starts the day after the event and continues throughout the year (she doesn't attend). This year my sister in her seventies is attending for the first time on the Sunday (she's local) and as it is her birthday on that day we are going to have a great celebration with her children, grandchildren, nephews and nieces and in laws attending. And no, we will not be sitting in a row of chairs at the Pyramid all day. But no doubt birthday cake and lots of cider will be consumed. And in terms of memories, John Fogerty, need I say more!

[russycarps]

In 2009 I remember Nick cave strolling on stage cool as fuck and announcing "we're gonna dedicate this set to the late, great ...farah fawcett." After hearing sycophantic Michael Jackson bullshit all weekend it was a great moment

1999 I remember Michael stipe dedicating sweetness follows to Jean eavis. My girlfriend of the time had sent a sympathy card to Michael eavis from us as she knew Jean quite well, and I had met her on a couple of occasions too. A lovely woman who I can still vividly remember in my minds eye for some reason. Funny what things stand out in the fog of the past. Michael sent her a hand written reply too, he must have written hundreds i expect.

 

[Neville Street]

1989 - my second Glastonbury. Just out of uni, paying off huge overdraft, but really wanted to go. Filled the car with 3l bottles of beer and plastic pint pots and set up a bar out of the back of the car. I think it was the last time you could camp by your car, because we did similar in 1990 and had to camp in the car park and carry the beers in to sell them, getting "taxed" by security and also having to take the tent down each day. But back to 1989, our "pub" was a good little social spot as there was little to do after the bands back then. We weren't a rip off, loads of people spread out rugs and sat chatting for hours.

2009 - went with a friend who we'd last been with in 1990. He was poorly with melanoma and sadly died 18 months later. We had an absolute ball, watched the Lions on the big screen at WG. MJ dieing was surreal, went in Bimble within an hour of the news breaking to Man In The Mirror on repeat until someone got Greatest Hits CD from somewhere. Loved all 3 headliners, even Bruce, still have the photo of my wife and I in the crowd as my home screen on my phone. The one and only time we took a handmade flag into the crowd at Neil Young we stood next to some people who we didn't know, and who recognised the painting of a dog on the flag as they used to dogsit for the owners - properly surreal conversation! We worked that year, potwashing in a staff canteen up by the farm, access to showers - mmmmm. Got in the night before as we were staff and set up 7 tents for friends in a prime spot in Kidney Mead

good thread!

[Hutchmaster]

My first Glastonbury was last year. I'd wanted to go for years but never seemed to have gathered enough interest from my friends, instead I ended up on holiday in Malia 2014 and TITP 2015, for my sins. Thankfully last year my housemate and his friends from home were going so I tagged along with them.

Despite the mud (my thinking is it can't get much worse!) and crippling back pain that a 20 year old really shouldn't suffer from, I really fell in love with the place. My main motivation to go was the music but the vibes in general across the festival was a real shock to me, in a good way, especially compared it to was TITP the year before! 

I've really fell in love with the place and I hope to strike gold in the resale again, even if it means camping by myself, something I don't think I could do at any other festival!

[Joshuwarr]

To sum up 2009 it would be...good weather, horrible traffic and BLUR STEALING THE SHOW.

[nikkic]

2009 will forever stick in my memory as the year I chose Prodigy over Blur. Still sends shivers down my spine thinking about it. 

[Titters]

47 minutes ago, nikkic said:

2009 will forever stick in my memory as the year I chose Prodigy over Blur. Still sends shivers down my spine thinking about it. 

I'm thinking of setting up a support group.

[Quark]

On 13/04/2017 at 9:46 PM, Woffy said:

Wahay! I was there Quark, sat in a camping chair, with a teeny bottle of voddy to drip into my coffee, while scoffing a bacon sarny. Cracking start to the day!

All the cool kids were there Woffy

[Woffy]

9 minutes ago, Quark said:

All the cool kids were there Woffy

And me and you!

[richroet]

2009 will always be a year of traffic, hearing about MJ and the bloke in the next tent whining about how he would never get to see him play now. 

Bill Ferguson was discovered and enjoyed on the sunny Sunday afternoon. 

Had a great time at the specials before being persuaded to miss Blur because the Prodigy were going to kill it and it was closer walk to the car after. They didn't, we left half way through.

Great year.

[Andeeroo]

2009 was sublime. The year that I truly caught the bug.

Bjorn Again kicking off the Pyramid on the Friday was probably the most fun I've had at that time of the day. Blur then won all the gigs there have ever been with that closing set. Never has a festival built to such a beautiful crescendo as it did that year. I was 50/50 between them and Prodigy, not really giving a toss about either at the time, but safe to say I'm happy with the decision I made.

In between there was Tap, Quo, Bruce, Florence on the JP, Gaslight Anthem (complete with Bruce cameo), Regina Spektor, Q-Tip, Bat for Lashes, Sir Tom, Emmy the Great and many others.

The weekend was also bookended by two glorious thunderstorms, complete with fork lightning, which looked stunning.

A magical year.