Not a good year

[musky]

I've got to say I loved this years festival and I'm definitely going back next year. Yes there were the annoyances that have been related over and over in this and other threads, but personally I found I could live with them (thieving excepted).

I first went in '86, with an experienced glasto goer. It was her last one - it was becoming too big and impersonal, the travellers were causing too much trouble, the place was being taken over by drug dealers, thieves would nick your entire tent and it's contents, and she was becoming unimpressed with the line ups on the one(!) stage. The spirit of Glasto was being lost.

Plus ca change.

Don't know what she would have made of the chairs. :angry:

Edited June 30, 2009 by musky

[greendotz]

where are all the hippies gone?

[Titters]

Meh,

I had a freaking excellent time.

I gave a woman a very confused stare when she shouted at me during The Boss' set for walking between a gap between her two camping chairs, which we're directly between the Pyramid Stage and the loos. Not sure where she thought she was.

My mate had his chair nicked (from by our tents, we don't take them to the stages), which was a pain. And a girl gave my jacket away, but that was an innocent mistake.

I found the crowd friendly this year - can't recall a harsh word being said.

I think the site is so big, though, that you're going to get pockets of numpties, it's bound to happen.

My on;y gripe is that there seemed fewer loos by round where we camped (in Dairy) - The few prtaloos that were there were out of action half the time, and the long drops seemed fewer and further apart than previous years. But that might just be because of where we camped.

And the flags don't really bother me - I wouldn't be able to see what's going on on stage anyway.

Try to unwind and take it as it comes.

You can always take your own drums up to the stone circle?

[MJMilz14]

I don't think anyone has a problem with people saying bad things about Glasto... if you spend 5 days in the company of 200,000 strangers then you're going to have some bad experiences as well as positive ones. They're not 200,000 people with the same mindset as you; they come from all walks of life and have all kinds of outlooks. Glastonbury tries to cater to as many people as possible and always has.

I find it a bit offensive when people complain about "chavvy types". I wouldn't expect I'd be labelled as such (far too much of a middle class accent), but that sort of classist elitism is EXACTLY what Glastonbury is supposed to be free of. I go there to see all these different people that are often painted by the mass media as enemies of each other (Goths, Hippies, Chavs, Professionals, Rich Kids, Weekend Warriors, Travellers etc etc) getting along with each other. And for the most part everyone does... when we were trapped in the one way system around Shangri La on Saturday night nobody was getting upset... everyone was too busy having a massive singalong and sharing their spliffs with each other!

I genuinely disagree that the spirit of Glastonbury has got worse in the last year. This year was way better than last year! I get the impression that some people had a bit of a grumpy weekend and rather than blaming their own short tempers or negative outlook they're blaming the festival...

[Magma]

By Chavy types i just meant generally not very nice people. I hate labelling of people, but il make an exception for generally nasty people. I don't want to around them in all walks of life. I can tolerate almost anything, but being nasty or rude for no reason is something I despise and whilst in the minority, I still came across plenty of them.

Edited June 30, 2009 by Magma

[robith]

Maybe I got unlucky then, but just saying what I saw :angry: I had a wonderful time and if it's half as good next year, it'l still be well worth the £200.

By Chavy types i just meant generally not very nice people. I hate labelling of people, but il make an exception for generally nasty people. I don't want to around them in all walks of life. I can tolerate almost anything, but being nasty or rude for no reason is something I despise and whilst in the minority, I still came across plenty of them.

[kaiser_soze13]

I have been going to glastonbury since '95, but this year was a bad year for me and my mates. As has been mentioned before, flags in front of stages, pointless fires full of plastic and chairs, tent thefts, general lack of manners, destruction of toilet doors etc and pissing in bushes really ruined glasto this year for us.

what happened to the drummers at the stone circle?

Then you have the old glasto idea of 'green futures' etc with arcadia blasting out flames (very green spirited) in the next field.

the security around trash city, arcadia and shangri la was so heavy handed and the 'one way system' is a mockery of the freedom that glasto used to offer.

Glasto used to be a place we could go to get away from the trials of life for a few days, but because of the amount of rude, violent and selfish people i saw this weekend i felt like i was at reading.

next year may be my last if it doesnt fix up

bring back glasto!!!! :angry:

[Mardy]

more and more, I can't be bothered with the Pyramid and the Other, they're ust hige outdoor c**tmagnets, but wander through the circus fields, the avalon, the green fields, trash city, club dada, all the rest of it and it's better than it ever was.

I said this somewhere else, but the teenagers this year were great, it's the mid/late 20s posh kid hooray c**ts that get right on my wick. f**king tourists. Punch the air to bon jovi records all weekend then go back to working in an estate agent on the Monday. pricks to a worthless man.

[xxtinkerbellxx]

My first Glastonbury this year and i really enjoyed it! Only thing i can say is the sheer amount of thefts really shocked me, never seen anything of such a grand scale at the other festies ive been 2. I also didnt expect there to be so many d***heads to be honest, some people camped next 2 us stayed up all night every night shouting at the top of there voices n being general nuisance. The worst thing i saw was someone tie a lad up because they were p*ssing him off and throw him in a ditch with all nettles n other crap at the bottom, he seemed like he was really in pain but everyone who tried to help got abuse of the guy who did it and was 2 scared 2 do anything!

[beadfc]

I agree with what was said about the heavy handed security at Shangri-La. There were teams of security in black uniforms with 'Special Response Team' on who were proper nobbers.

[JoeBananass]

it was definitely different from last year. Last year was more love up, this year was pissed up. Saw a couple of fights, and for the first time ever at Glasto, I saw a load of lads pissing in cups and throwing them into the crowd (at the Prodigy). It was still good, but I thought last year was great!

And I'd like to add shame on anyone that didn't tidy up their camp, and left it in a mess. The number of abandoned tents and mess was a disgrace!

[sammysundae]

i can see where you're coming from sh4rpie. but it is a constantly evolving festival. sadly, the kind of people who made it into the festival you love are not going as much. i would suggest you try to embrace it the way it is and do as much as possible to try and bring back the vibe that you loved. get involved, theres nothing stopping you.

for me and my friends arcadia, trash city and shangri-la were not only the best part of the festival, but the best thing i have ever done. a music-based theme park - what could be better?

[xxtinkerbellxx]

Uh another thing i saw that shocked me was someone through a can at a girls head and split her head open

[alexd]

Check out Rivmixx.com's Glasto Round-Up and interviews with acts at the festi, including David Guetta, Roots Manuva, VV Brown, Newton Faulkner, The Japaese Popstars and Easy Star Allstars. If you were there then try to find yourself in our Glasto 2009 image gallery. http://www.rivmixx.com/core/specialfeature_details/id/1711

[halvin]

how about move Arcadia to nearer the dance village? there should be no barriers inside the festival or you might as well start up arenas

[alframsey]

I think this year was the best ever, although there was an increased number of miserable people this time! People moaning because I was singing, because I am too tall (whats all that about?), and because I was speaking to them!!! But then on the flip side people were brilliant; getting involved with my singing and singing along, talking to me for ages and sharing a drink with me (especially some Kiwis that spoke with me about the majesty of Bruce Springsteen and the brilliance of Glastonbury.

I would say this year saw a marked increase of first timers who don't really understand the Glastonbury ideal.

Still, its the best ive ever been to!

[poddingtonpea]

This was our 4th glasto, and to be honest we had had quite a few disappointing moments, for example, like other people have said, greedy people taping off large areas of campsite is very annoying and anti-social.

People barging into you and not even giving it a second thought (very un-glastonbury in my opinion), and really just a general lack of a certain sparkle which makes glastonbury what it is.

For people that have said we're being miserable i think your living in a bit of a dream world where its a sin to say anything bad about glastonbury. We're only being honest!!

Obviously we had a great time, but sadly the negatives are starting to outweigh the positves and we dont think we'll be going back next year.

My boyfriend had the misfortune of using the urinals near the pyramid stage, and people were just urinating anywhere nearby, which quickly turned a large area into a sea of urine, by this time most people didn't have their wellies on so it was pretty unpleasant. This behaviour sounds like what you would expect at certain other less reputable festivals...

I think its important to voice your opinions on this website because otherwise the festival could start to lose what makes it special, and what a crying shame that would be.

Just my two cents worth.....

oh, and The Specials, Blur, Neil Young, Shlomo, Easy Stars... were brilliant!

[cejx]

- Love the farm, leave no trace? Laughable. I put all our camps rubbish into a big bin bag and took it down to the bins (were they ever emptied?)... I certainly didn't see a single other person doing this.

[sh4rpie]

to put a large late night area (3 in fact) in a part of the site where the traffic flow has to be regulated is a bad design problem.

split shangri la, trash city and arcadia around the rest of the 1000 acre site that way people have more space

then there will be no need for barriers, one way systems or over excited security which halvin seems to enjoy

and yes it may be a sign of the times, but this new 'culture' of destroying things and being antisocial at festivals needs to stop

Edited June 30, 2009 by sh4rpie

[halvin]

split shangri la, trash city and arcadia around the rest of the 1000 acre site that way people have more space

[chuckley]

Serious question. What small festivals would you recommend? Glasto was too big and crowded for me personally. I'd like something with a wide selection of music on no more than a few stages that are within half a mile of each other, good food and drink selection (loved the cider at Glasto!), and camping with gaps between the tents.

[LRW]

the vibe is fading and needs to be resuscitated. but without everyone making an effort its not gonna come back. festivals have started to attract 'the wrong crowd' and unfortunately glasto has been hit this year.

[chuckley]

? probably mental, but whats a troll?

am i wrong to want people to be more considerate onsite? and to not want arenas withing the superfence??

i have noticed the consideration dissappearing as have many others

[chuckley]

- Love the farm, leave no trace? Laughable. I put all our camps rubbish into a big bin bag and took it down to the bins (were they ever emptied?)... I certainly didn't see a single other person doing this.

[chuckley]

Maybe I got unlucky then, but just saying what I saw I had a wonderful time and if it's half as good next year, it'l still be well worth the £200.

By Chavy types i just meant generally not very nice people. I hate labelling of people, but il make an exception for generally nasty people. I don't want to around them in all walks of life. I can tolerate almost anything, but being nasty or rude for no reason is something I despise and whilst in the minority, I still came across plenty of them.