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Glasto 2020: Passing the torch?


kalifire
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I honestly can't believe what I'm reading!

My parents went to their first in 2010, and have been to every one since and it's their favourite thing in the world.  Admittedly they nearly didn't go this year due to an actual, serious condition my Dad had but gritted teeth and made it on Saturday and Sunday, staying at a B&B rather than the normal campervan.

Amfy has it spot on: you're a long time dead.

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I'll be going for as long as the festival is around and as long as my body lets me, the festival is part of who I am, I'm 35 now so hopefully have a lot of Glastonbury to look forward to. 

I took a year off in 2016 to do some home improvements abs returning this year seemed to revitalize me, the year off really freshened things up, ended up being my best year yet. I really chilled on the Thursday and Sunday this year, hit it hard Friday/Saturday and I think that really helped as I was up early every day, didn't miss Hacienda Classical or Bootleg Beatles and it meant it felt like a really long festival, I really savoured as much of it as I could.

The fallow year always seems to refresh people as well, I know it's hard not having a festival next year but everyone's returns in the same boat of having to miss a year together, 2013 was my favourite year until this year as the atmosphere was very special that year.

I love how eclectic the lineup gets year on year, really is something for everyone and I think future headliners are in safe hands for a while, whether it be returning of first time headliners. Although I think it's way too soon to pick Stormzy as a future headliner, he's had one album out and there's lots of acts who are now 3,4, or 5 albums in that deserve it before him. Still think they need to think about the stage bookings a bit though, LG and Rag and Bone Man were far to big for the Other Stage. The Smyths have become a Glastonbury institution and need to open the pyramid in 2019, and the bands on the Sunday night were def places to maximize the size of Eds crowd, which is wrong ! 

My only complaints this year was the littering and peeing on the land, there needs to be some sort of punishment for this, a lot of people love the farm but they don't respect it. And the talking around the smaller stages, there's massive fields at Glastonbury if you want to sit and have a chat, why people did it around the back of the tent for London Grammar is beyond me when the singer has such an amazingly beautiful voice 

 

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Working in The Glade Bar, I was surprised how old that area is - being a dance music area I expected it to be younger, but I guess because that genre didn't really arrive til my 30s, I think it is newer than it is! Also - maybe the level of substance use involved means that people haven't worn well! 

I didn't get to The Pyramid side very much - that seemed younger. 

Overall - I generally think it is a good mix, and the young people I encountered seemed far friendlier & open than in recent years.

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Music tastes and trends change all the time. By 2020 Grime and X Factor could have fully ran its course (not saying it will) and be utterly irrelevant to this discussion and guitar music (not sure ehy you singled out white people when black and Latino have a huge, if not more so than white influence on this style) could be back in. 

Festivals will just go with the flow of whose pipular at the time and who they thibk will go down well with the audience. Also theres no set genres these days and if anything most festivals are looking to incorporate a range of genres catering to all audience. 

In terms if people moaning, itll happen every single year regardless of who is booked. People have their favourites and people have their dislikes and the festival will pan out really good for some and really shit for others. 

Personally I think Kanyes music is shit, good producer but his music doesnt do nothing for me. Wouldnt whinge about it though, would just see someone else or go and get pissed elsewhere. I like Metallica but the same shit happened to them, happened to Jay Z, people moaned about the Killers, Kings of Leon, people will moan about Arctic Monkeys etc etc

Music is subjective to taste. Moaning about people moaning is such a wate of time though (and yes I do see the irony of me moaning about someone moaning about others moaning and I am a hypocrite but I dont give a shit).

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I actually think there's great variety after hours. Agree se corner is too heavily skewed towards dance especially dnb (but this year I enjoyed Shangri la the most I've done for years, I enjoy a bit of dance after hours but found some wonderful weird other stuff going on, some acts that play green fields etc. Also seemed less busy?)

Always some fun things going on around theatre and circus fields, glasto Latino and some acts in the park, spike bar sometimes, all have some great non-dance, and best place of all especially if you're feeling a bit tired is the green fields and some places around tipi fields. Some weird and wonderful things going on and such a nice vibe as always around there. Plus the many countless impromptu moments to stumble upon.  Just have a wonder!

In terms of the age thing, I'm hopefully taking my parents next time and they're in their sixties, but I'm sure they'll love it!

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My mum loved it when I took her at nearly 70, but I gave her a clear brief before we went.

I have been going to Glstonbury for a long time, but that doesn't mean it belongs to me, or to my generation. If I reach the stage that the young people, their behaviour, and their music, is so annoying to me that I feel the need to spoil it for them, then it is is time for me to move on. This is true even if I seriously believe the way they behave is wrong, and I am right, because it's not my place to dictate that.

when I think young people are too loud, or pushy, or that their drugs are rubbish, I  make myself take a breath and remember the space Glastobury gave me, to just be me, when I was young - and now I need to allow them that. 

......but just by having that attitude, it stops them annoying me that much! So I am still here!

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On 01/07/2017 at 10:00 PM, stuartbert two hats said:

To be clear, I woke up last Sunday with the words "I've had a good innings" going through my head, but I gave myself a stern talking to.

I'm not old, I'm unfit. Whilst obviously I don't know the specifics of anyone else's situation, I do know that being in your late thirties is a rubbish excuse for a body creaking too much for Glastonbury.

I'm 40 next year BTW.

I had the same thought myself. 

For me, this year was so perfect, it felt like the most fitting good bye to Glastonbury I could do. The weather was perfect, I did it justice and felt I got as much out of it that I could. In a way, I was ok with this one being the past because it was so good. 

In recent years, I've found I can not sustain the levels of excess and partying that I did in the past without being a husk of a human being by sunday. This year i was able to pace myself and had a better time  (even though I worked out that there have been hours in previous Glastos where I had taken more illicit substances than I did all weekend).

It may have nearly took me a decade, but I've finally learned how to party smarter and harder.

So I've still got a few more in me!

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11 hours ago, Alex DeLarge said:

I have a question for those who have been going for years: have you found more younger people or older going in the past few years? I found this year paticularly young but maybe that's just me.

I turned 58 just before the festival and I find myself obsessively spotting people that are older than me... makes me feel better, less like an old fart in the wrong place...

i think there it still a good spread of ages.. but of course that may be skewed by the acts you see and the venues you visit (I again didn't walk thru Silver Hayes or the SE Corner)..

the beauty of Glastonbury is that I don't need to visit those areas to have a great time.. similarly my daughters rarely visit Avalon or Acoustic.. 

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23 minutes ago, Kinkyinuit said:

It may have nearly took me a decade, but I've finally learned how to party smarter and harder.

Exactly this, every year despite the slight age increment,  I feel like I'm partying more (maybe not 'harder') and still feeling better and better after each festival

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I'm 43 now so can't go at as hard as I used to and thought this would probably be my last but took my 10yr daughter for the Friday and Saturday and that's given me a lease of life. Seeing it through younger eyes make me appreciate it more and I'll definitely be f5ing in two years time. There's some threads on here that magnify the bad things about the festival but this year was one of the best I've had..

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On 02/07/2017 at 0:34 AM, gooner1990 said:

I came away from this years feeling something was missing for me that 'spark' I used to get from going...I wonder if its because i've been so many times now (done the last 12 in a row) that it's lost its zing for me?

Has anyone else reached a similar number and given it a miss for a couple of years or re-found their enthusiasm for it somehow?

I certinaly think its time for me to give the class-A drugs a massive scale down if I go in 2019, as that just seems to wipe me out until early afternoon the next day!

I'll be nearly 38 by the time the next one rolls around, has anyone else had to have a change in tactic/approach to the festival to be able to still enjoy it? 

Yeah missing the odd one has helped keep enthusiasm up. 2013 was close to being perfect but still after doing a few in a row, come the end I felt a spark was missing. Missed 2014 due to my son being born a few days after the Fest and then absolutely loved 2015.

The only way we could get tickets for 2015 was in the resale, Coach Tickets from Taunton on the Thursday. Sacrificing Wednesday sounded horrible but actually worked as we were still bouncing come Sunday evening (we had more energy than the Who TBH).

 

So in 2016 we actually chose Thursday Coach Tickets, going from Bristol this time. Don't get me wrong,both Wednesday nights we've got pretty pissed but a night out somewhere different and an extra night in a hotel bed plus a shower made a big difference again. The other difference was I really got my fitness up and come the Sunday I was still hurtling between stages no problem at all.

 

Missed this year as my wife is heavily pregnant and it was terrible watching on TV as it looked a brilliant year. However that's the test, I missed it horribly, so I'll be chomping at the bit in 2019. Don't get me wrong, had real life not got in the way I'd probably have gone every year but missing out has taught me some lessons.....

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On 7/1/2017 at 6:32 PM, kalifire said:

At the moment there feels like such a disconnect between the daytime and night time. The day appeals to the array of musical talent, and the night bends towards people into a far more narrow band of musical appreciation, to the extent that if you're not into pounding, relentless dance music which is better to appreciate via substances, you might as well go to bed early.

 

On 7/1/2017 at 7:59 PM, Larraht said:

I would like to see a wider availability of things at night too, after headliners. Theatre and Circus may be good? Some of the weirder acts on until 2/3am maybe? 

I think you need to explore the site more. There was loads going on until 2/3am that was nothing to do with thumping dance music.

Rabbit Hole went to 4am

Toad Hall / Small World /  Mandala - 2/3am

Croissant Neuf - 2/3am

Circus fields - 2am

Avalon Cafe - 3am

Strummerville - 2am

Cabaret - 2am

Crows Nest - 1am 

This year, more than I can ever remember before, there was more going on outside the SE post headliners.

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Re: all the fitness / health talk.

I've always treated Glastonbury as my annual fitness test. 2016 utterly broke me and made me realise how unfit and unhealthy I was in terms of energy and Cardio. I've always been a skinny runt but had little stamina. So after 2016 I went on a massive health drive, improving my diet, drinking a bit less, etc.

This year I had no energy issues at all. The new issue was the bottom of my back constantly aching from the hard ground which became frankly unbearable after Foo's and I very reluctantly had to call it a night so that I was ok for the following sunday day and night. So 2017 has made me realise that actually sitting on my arse all day at work has given me a very weak lower back and all my 2016-2017 gym work has not focused enough on this. I'm also getting back in to yoga as a result.

 

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21 hours ago, Alex DeLarge said:

I have a question for those who have been going for years: have you found more younger people or older going in the past few years? I found this year paticularly young but maybe that's just me.

I found 2011 very young, girls mainly, in a a Daily Mail "how to dress for a festival" kind of way. Hanging around in the Park drinking Pimms. 

This year was a good mix. Most of the yoof seemed to be up for it as opposed to posing and taking pout selfies hitting peace signs. 

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17 minutes ago, The Nal said:

I found 2011 very young, girls mainly, in a a Daily Mail "how to dress for a festival" kind of way. Hanging around in the Park drinking Pimms. 

This year was a good mix. Most of the yoof seemed to be up for it as opposed to posing and taking pout selfies hitting peace signs. 

Yep, was a good crowd this year, though the weather obviously helped with that. 

It was heartening to see the yoof getting absolutely fucked on god knows what, and I saw barely any of that dreadful NOS. Had a great time at metronomy (never heard of them) sharing the remains of my stash with a group of friendly scousers who were all <25. Happy days!

Still loads and loads of old fogies sat around on chairs and picnic blankets cluttering up the place though. But thankfully those sorts keep their misery away from the late night areas. I guess because the "pounding, relentless dance music" is too delicate for their sensitive ears :lol: 

 

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1 hour ago, russycarps said:

Yep, was a good crowd this year, though the weather obviously helped with that. 

It was heartening to see the yoof getting absolutely fucked on god knows what, and I saw barely any of that dreadful NOS. Had a great time at metronomy (never heard of them) sharing the remains of my stash with a group of friendly scousers who were all <25. Happy days!

Still loads and loads of old fogies sat around on chairs and picnic blankets cluttering up the place though. But thankfully those sorts keep their misery away from the late night areas. I guess because the "pounding, relentless dance music" is too delicate for their sensitive ears :lol: 

 

The chair brigade were much better this year, again due to the weather. 

I never liked the pounding, relentless dance music so would like to see it culled a bit in the SE Corner in favour of some of the little nooks they had over the last few years. Was fun wandering into a tent of madness. Naked portrait painting etc.

Enjoyed Wednesday and Thursday nights up there this year but its a basically a huge drugged fuelled rave up from 8pm onwards which was never my thing.

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I'm 22 and just had my 3rd fest - although I've been trying get tickets since 2011 and due to much older siblings who had gone in years 2000 and 2003 had always longed to go! Thought I'd just weigh in a little. 

Part of the charm of glasto which I absolutely love is the plethora of ages!! My boyfriend and I always say that it is a part of what makes it so great because it a.) shows how brilliant the festival is itself, how much of a draw it is and how much people love it 

and b.) gives us hope that we can keep going well well in future (should it still be running) and not worry that we are starting to stick out!

 

 

also I agree about dance music - I have never really been a fan and while there can be some decent little discoveries late at night (on Thursday we were up at Strummerville with a DJ playing load of Motown and soul - and it was one of the best atmospheres of the weekend) I would love there to be some spaces for more small bands after dark - not on the main stages or anything, but it would be good to not feel it a real mission to seek out not dance / Dnb 

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I'm 27 and this was my 3rd year. I drink but don't indulge in any illegals and I'm not into dance music of any variety. The bars serve me well for late night entertainment at the weekend. I try to watch the Arcadia rehearsal Thursday and then head to see the SE corner before the chaos of the weekend. 

This was the calmest of my 3 years and by far the one I enjoyed most because I wasn't hungover and tired every day. I generally went to bed at 1 or 2ish each night and got up early to eat and have a wander before the 11am bands. Hoping to get my Dad to come in 2019 (he's 50 this year) and I would assume we will end up with similar schedules. 

I had a few gaps where I couldn't find anything I actively liked on the line up. When this happens I head to Circus/Cabaret/Acoustic area and lose myself for hours. In fact the line up this year was at risk of becoming too good! 

A year of 21st Century headliners:Royal Blood, The XX and The 1975.....yes from me! 

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On 7/1/2017 at 8:30 PM, Hugh Jass said:

I've been planning to hang up my wellies after 2020 for a while now. Will be close to 40 by then and time to step aside and let the kids enjoy it.

I think you must have been berated enough by now - but i just can't stop myself - utter bollocks;) the youngsters have no more rite to enjoy it than us old farts, we just have to learn to adapt each year or every few years, you can still have loads of fun and you probably have the same amount of enjoyment as any of them. The festival doesn't need the place to be filled with any one type of person or age group, it would be rubbish if filled with all youngsters and almost as bad if filled with only over 40's:)

On 7/1/2017 at 9:45 PM, Sack truck said:

I'd struggled after 2016 so made a concerted effort to get much fitter and lost 2 stone for this years. Felt much better and still think I could do a bit more beforehand. Will be 45 at the next one, still think I have a few left in me! I did feel a bit wheezy after this one but reckon that was the dust on site

Age does affect us all for sure and getting fit can certainly help, but in the end we just have to cut back on the amount we do when there, virtually everyone tries to do and see everything all of the time, it's just impossible and i've always felt guilty if i'm not almost constantly on the move, but this year i had the youngsters with me again, so had a double decker pram to push around so decided that we just had to limit what we did - we still did an average of 11 miles a day but for the first time ever there were parts of the festival that we never even attempted to visit - we know now that it's just too much.

I've said at least three times that the latest festival would be my last, but then realised i could still enjoy it if i went again, i just needed to change my mind set, it was my 49th birthday just before we went (and fitness down from last year) and i have a 3 and a 5 year old and we still had a great time, possibly one of the best i've ever had and certainly the best family one.

Back to the OP - getting a better mix of late night action would definately be a benefit - and no you can't have my 2020 baton, if i get one in the SEE tickets lottery that is!

 

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4 minutes ago, The other Bellboy said:

I think you must have been berated enough by now - but i just can't stop myself - utter bollocks;) the youngsters have no more rite to enjoy it than us old farts, we just have to learn to adapt each year or every few years, you can still have loads of fun and you probably have the same amount of enjoyment as any of them. The festival doesn't need the place to be filled with any one type of person or age group, it would be rubbish if filled with all youngsters and almost as bad if filled with only over 40's:)

 

I can take the berating, don't worry.

I've never said people should stop at 40 and as I've said before I love that people carry on well into their 60's and even 70's. This is a personal thing. I've been going to festivals for the best part of 20 years now, they're a massive part of my life, but I personally can't see me carrying it on much longer. I'm starting to creak and they are starting to loose their sheen for me. I've been to Glastonbury eleven times and I've seen pretty much everyone I'll ever want to see. This might just be post-festival blues or a feeling of overfamiliarity with the site. I could easily change my mind over the next 12 months and be bang up for it again next October. Right now with 2020 being the 50th anniversary and me turning 40 it just feels like the right time for me to step down.

That might change though, who knows?

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2 minutes ago, Hugh Jass said:

I can take the berating, don't worry.

I've never said people should stop at 40 and as I've said before I love that people carry on well into their 60's and even 70's. This is a personal thing. I've been going to festivals for the best part of 20 years now, they're a massive part of my life, but I personally can't see me carrying it on much longer. I'm starting to creak and they are starting to loose their sheen for me. I've been to Glastonbury eleven times and I've seen pretty much everyone I'll ever want to see. This might just be post-festival blues or a feeling of overfamiliarity with the site. I could easily change my mind over the next 12 months and be bang up for it again next October. Right now with 2020 being the 50th anniversary and me turning 40 it just feels like the right time for me to step down.

That might change though, who knows?

The blues and site familiarity will play a part i'm sure and i understand the lack of sheen, the last 'magic' festival for me was 2010, after that it's been different, really enjoyable (mostly) but different.

I do understand where you are coming from personally, i just don't think it's purely an age thing, there are many other factors at play.

Enjoy the year off and i hope you get your mojo back, if not for glastonbury then for the next thing to fill your life:)

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There was definitely a point where I got jaded and had to let go of the idea that Glastonbury has some magical properties. Once I stopped thinking it was magic, I started being able to enjoy it for what it is - a really outstandingly amazing festival - that is all it is!

There is no longer a surprise around every corner, and I no longer think that everyone I meet will have been sprinkled with the fairy dust that makes everyone kind and friendly and helpful, & I know I don't HAVE to be there for every Glastonbury or my heart will shatter, but I also know I'm not really going to find anywhere else that does quite as much to make sure I have a good time. So it would be churlish not to.

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7 minutes ago, The other Bellboy said:

The blues and site familiarity will play a part i'm sure and i understand the lack of sheen, the last 'magic' festival for me was 2010, after that it's been different, really enjoyable (mostly) but different.

I do understand where you are coming from personally, i just don't think it's purely an age thing, there are many other factors at play.

Enjoy the year off and i hope you get your mojo back, if not for glastonbury then for the next thing to fill your life:)

It's not just an age thing, just a coincidence that 2020 ties in with my 40th.

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