Tranquility of Solitude

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.

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.

Note to Self. Visit SE corner and have a dump Saturday night 2023.

We should have met up. This is exactly what I did.

Love the festival? Trust me, not only will you get used to the drops, you’ll grow to love them. And perhaps.... if you really, really, begin to love it like I do, and if there’s another pandemic, you’ll actually begin to miss those drops.

Yes. Just that.

Gonna add this in here, because it’s the best place for it..... loads of people in the top 3 sets putting Kendrick in there. I wasn’t there so have just watched it on iPlayer. God it was terrible.

Gonna post my own experience this year. I was never in a crowd that bothered me (have been in years past). That obviously has to be qualified by a couple of things. I was working Thursday pm when I hear there were serious issues around Williams Green. I was also working Saturday when Macca was on. However I was at Diana.... and at the risk of being shouted down... knowing there would be a huge crowd, I went in via Acoustic stage, back of Kidz Field, entering Pyramid from the back, avoiding Mandela or Cider Bus side. It was easy. I’m not saying that to be smug, but to perhaps highlight some of the earlier points made. The issue is the choke points and layout, not the numbers. Not saying I have any answers, but there’s no avoiding the fact that a bit of preparation, and knowledge can help the festival incorporate the crowds. I hate to say it, but I’m convinced the larger problem isn’t the numbers, or the organisation...... it’s the minority of fuckwits who attend. They stand and chat in choke points, they have no self awareness, they put blankets, chairs etc down.. (there was someone pitched a tent at the back of Diana for their small child to stay out the sun). Basically.... there was no problem this year that we haven’t seen before. Everyone bleating about health and safety, and danger to life etc. They’re winding me up. Sanitise the festival to suit your agenda if you like, but be careful what you demand. The experience will be greatly reduced.

Personally, I want Spandau Ballet. Not that I think it’ll happen, given the Hadley/Kemp relationship, but let me dream.

Will always accept a pint... it’s a date! (Ticket Gods permitting!)

Should have added. @Barry Fish. The Glastonbury person in here wants to reach out and check you’re ok. Feel free to DM me.

Doesn’t surprise me. Sadly, my shift prevented me from being there, however I’ve just watched it on iPlayer. Was perhaps partly hoping it was shit, because I missed it..... but no, I’ve got after the event guttedness that I wasn’t in that field. Superb. Regarding Barry.... and in complete non Glastonbury fashion..... he’s as close to I’ve ever been to blocking someone on an online forum. If there one thing I cannot stand, and completely ruins my Glastonbury vibe, it’s a human being who can never, ever, see the positive in anything. Read his posting history, and compare it to anyone else’s. Mine if you like. If you can find a single uplifting post, you’re a better efestivals contributor than I.

Wee bit gutted we didn’t meet up..... I was once (2017) in a very low place at the festival, and some of the people on here really helped me (special call out to @Lizzim and @dizzymoo). So you’re never alone. Be safe, be happy.... get a ticket 2023. If you don’t.... and you may not.... please consider volunteering again. I missed out this year, so volunteered for the first time. I know I was happier there than I would have been at home watching it on telly.

I was chatting with the travellers in T&C. Apparently they go "tapping" (scavenging the site on the Monday for items they can use or sell on). They do this with Michaels blessing. Whilst it's disgraceful so many people leave stuff, this struck me as a great example of reuse and recycle at work. Also just one more bit of proof of what legend Michael is.