Tranquility of Solitude

Couldn’t make it to his set on the day, have just watched it on iPlayer. Looked fantastic, great singing along from the crowd. Very annoyed to have missed it now.

As this was my first Glastonbury doing bar shifts, I was completely baffled by how busy we were during prime music stage times. I get that people need a rest/drink between sets, but behind the bar I was constantly thinking why stand around here drinking when you could be watching Macca/Paul Heaton/Foals/Pet Shop Boys etc etc..... I think I’d rather stay at home, spare myself the cost and crowds if I was going to do that. When not working, I do most of my drinking Wed/Thu or post headliners. But each to their own.

But the thread is about crowd control, and my post was an opinion on my own experience of that. The point regarding sanitisation was clearly vis a vis crowd control. You’ve replied making points around food prices (which are exaggerated... I ate at least three times a day on site, food was fabulous, and I never paid more than£12.) How does the price of food impact crowd issues? How does the wealth, or cheese preferences of the clientele impact crowds? Showers? Glamping? How does the presence of a co-op impact crowd control? I tend to agree that there does appear to be a creeping aspect of money/wealth enabling access and small preferential treatments, and I think the festival is worse off as a result, but that’s got nothing to do with crowd control and probably belongs in a different thread.

Maybe I was at different long drops than you! To be fair, I never had any kind of issue filling up. I was just pointing out that the Water Aid kiosks had the outside taps removed. I should also point out that although I know it’s all the same (potable) water on the site, I have this weird icky feeling about filling up my drinking water at the long drops! I accept that’s on me, and not the festival though!

Interesting you say this... I’m unsure if yourstatement is true or not (it may well be) but something I did notice....the Water Aid kiosks have had taps outside them in previous years, so you could fill up your bottles when they were closed. They had been removed this year. Whilst I think there was still plenty of places to fill up, they were often quite a walk away, and had queues at them. Also, overall this year it was much, much cooler then 2017 or 2019, so less demand, yet in those years I found access to water easier.

Sorry.... hadn’t read this when I posted.... a shared top moment! What a privilege.

So many.... just seeing the site for the first time in three years from the coach had me in bits. But I’m going to have to go for Chris Diffords set.... first he says ”I used to run a songwriting course in London, and one of my pupils is performing in the John Peel later, so he’s agreed to do an old sSqueeze number....” Out comes Yungblud, and absolutely nails Up the Junction on the acoustic guitar.... then he says he’s got another guest.... and out comes the man who made it all possible, Michael himself, and does Send in the Clowns. Cue many, many emotional people. Absolutely fantastic, and a real treasure to witness. What an ovation.

Great post, and I agree wholeheartedly with the sentiment around many of the posts and threads on here, which just don’t give a true, balanced or fair reflection of the festival I’ve just been to. It was, as you say, utterly brilliant. Safe trip home, see you in 2023!

Any of the following... Taylor Swift Elton John Lady Gaga P!nk Queen with Adam Lambert Elvis Costello Steve Halkett

Hi maybe I’m being a wee bit dim here.... but I can’t for the life of me comprehend how a single one of your points (some of which are wildly inaccurate or exaggerated) could possibly be connected to my original post? Were you perhaps trying to respond to somebody else?

Consider volunteering. I did that for the first time this year.... toilets and hot showers available, and very little queues for them. You’ll miss quie a bit when you’re doing your shifts though.

I won’t Barry. It’s not how I roll. But maybe try to balance your posts to include some of your positive experiences.... like Diana, Olivia and Bille more often? 😎 x

Erm ... no. Possibly misled you there. It’s nice and quiet though.

Camp in Darble.

I’m going to add another for the Other sound. Chvrches in 2016 ... in what was little more than a gentle breeze.... sound was god awful at the back. Billy Eilish 2019 was little better. In a stiff wind this year, I saw several sets, from all over the field, and sound was brilliant for them all.