Time to ban flags from the stages?

[Mackem]

Sorry but that is pish, the atmosphere was class before they got out out of hand and it'll be class when they're gone. Can someone explain to me how a piece of cloth on a stick improves an atmosphere?

[Hiphopopotamus]

Spot on. How would the atmosphere be worse if they went? It's people and bands that create the atmosphere, not bits of cloth. I just don't get the appeal.

[windy_miller]

Just to give an example of what it looked like from fairly close to the front, heres a photo I took of the guy from Madness flying around the stage! Luckily I could see him on the screen or I would have had no idea what was happening...

[Storm_NL]

Compare that photo to one I took during Goldfrap last year and you can see how many more flags there were this year

http://www.windymiller.net/phpPhotoAlbum/m...%2FDSCF0104.JPG

I had exactly the same problem during madness, I would have had no idea what was going on if it wasn't for the screens which some of the time were blocked by flags anyway, and if not, you usually ended up with a camera shot of a flag

[spammachine]

Compare that photo to one I took during Goldfrap last year and you can see how many more flags there were this year

http://www.windymiller.net/phpPhotoAlbum/m...%2FDSCF0104.JPG

I had exactly the same problem during madness, I would have had no idea what was going on if it wasn't for the screens which some of the time were blocked by flags anyway, and if not, you usually ended up with a camera shot of a flag

Edited July 3, 2009 by spammachine

[Poppydog]

Another factor of how ridiculous this became, is watching the TV re-runs, recorded on the BBC.

There are hardly any wide shots of bands/groups on the stage.

Blur, Kasabian, Bruce and the E-Street Band, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, The Specials, Madness, even Status Quo - hardly any shots of the group as a whole, because of the trouble the cameras had shooting between the flags.

The only ones were Amadou & Miriam, only because they stood still, rigidly side-by-side.

If the BBC recognised the problems or read about them, I'm sure a quiet word would suffice, to put a stop to what was the only disappointing thing, about the whole 5 days for us.

[Hotmustard]

I've skipped a few pages here, but a flag is quite useful as a meeting point after going to the bar/toilet. We don't get too close to the front and have just a little fish on a pole!

But they do spoil the view from the back.

What they need is some sort of a thin cable in the air marking off the front of the field, beyond which no flags (or chairs for that matter) are allowed...

Then a big crane can come from behind and take away the flags in front of the barrier, and anyone claiming the flag back can be beaten with it a few times!!! :angry:

[Mackem]

FTM!!

[grandadcollective]

It's one or the other really. While I can attest to Santa Monica being a lovely peaceful beach, I don't go to Glastonbury for lovely and peaceful. I'll take less rules and restrictions thanks because I have plenty to deal with the other 360 days of the year.

Edited July 4, 2009 by grandadcollective

[hoils]

That seriously puts it into perspective...

[OneLittleFish]

We don't get too close to the front and have just a little fish on a pole!

[akradiabra]

Guess the Artist/Band ?

[Kyelo]

Ban the sale of flags on site and a sh*t load of them wouldn't be there.

[dvjj]

Glasto has (generally) succeeded in appealing to people's better judgement regarding rubbish, peeing in the hedges, etc. I'd hope something like a note with the tickets saying "please respect other festival goers and do not bring large flags to the main arenas". The odd small one is alright, but some need several people to hold them up.

Also, the flag wavers just show what a lack of imagination they have - I didn't go this year but all weekend you could see the same flags in the main arenas - they clearly didn't go anywhere else in case they missed their vital 15 minutes of TV fame.

If you want to get on the telly at Glasto, get a band together and get a gig...

[grandadcollective]

I agree wholeheartedley (spelling?) something needs to be done about the flags Madness was one of the worst I think though the Pyramid stage in general was bad.

Off Topic the NOT peeing in the streams, hedgerows things was observed everywhere I think, except in the Dance village/John peel area, Yobos!

[emmmmma]

Ban flags. They're extremely annoying.

[ampersand]

Guess the Artist/Band ?

[allantrotter]

the flags do my head in.

every body who has one should be hit over the head with it until it snaps!

[ampersand]

just watching a video i made and a bloody welsh flag blocks my jamie cullum close up!

[grandadcollective]

just watching a video i made and a bloody welsh flag blocks my jamie cullum close up!

[ampersand]

So they are useful for something then.