Your first Glasto: Five best and five worst

[Buddhafish]

1990....

Best...

1. Being amazed at the feeling of freedom the place gave me, unlike any other festival I had been to. The fact that it was truly 24 hour a day partying, sound systems going off all night, little raves in front of wagons, bands playing all over the place.....

2. Seeing so many like-minded people in the same place, the feeling that you could talk to anyone...

3. Watching Archaos going nuts with flame throwers and chainsaws, and realising how many other people in the crowd were as nutted as I was.

4. Sitting in cafes and chilling for hours listening to impromptu acoustic sets with a brew and spliff.

5. Feeling like I had found my spiritual home.

Worst...

1. Misjudging the strength of the hash fudge and not getting enough sleep before taking it.

2. Seeing a seriously nasty incident between some travellers and security.

3. Having to leave at the end of it all....

4.

5.

[CrispyRed]

2004

1. Watching Elbow on the Pyramid stage in the warm sunshine on Friday afternoon (the first full set I watched on the Pyramid)

2. Being backstage at the Left Field, dozing off in the sunshine and dreaming I could hear Billy Bragg and Tony Benn discuss the 1984 miners strike, then waking up and finding they actually were - right in front of me.

3. Kosheen in one of the dance tents. I don't know why but I felt so happy and liberated

4. A very heavy down pour of rain on Sunday evening which was followed by a magnificant rainbow. There was a euphoric and defiant roar that went up around the site when this happened. It epitomised the saying about having to have your rain before your rainbow and all the while Supergrass were playing Punmping On Your Radio.

5. Seeing a bloke drop his ice cream in the mud and then this little girl, who I'm sure didn't know him, offer him her ice cream. That's when i realised how special this festival really is!

----

1. Hearing the rain on Saturday morning

2. Oasis (big let down)

3. Large blisters on my feet (especially by Sunday)

4. My mate constantly blowing his spliff over me, 6 weeks after I had given up smoking

5. Going home and my car getting stuck in the mud in the car park

[FunkyDenz]

My first was 2008

Best:

1) First visit to the Stone Circle, on the Thursday evening, there was a naked Hippie guy sitting by a campfire, and looking round at the Festival, a truly magical moment

2) Wandering around the GreenFields

3) Watching the Editors

4) Listening to The Verve - The Drugs Don't Work, and proving them wrong

5) Going to watch a mate's sister's band, The Amigos, playing in The Dragstrip, and realising that they were very good.

Worst:

1) Having to park a couple of miles away from mates, so having to carry two trips worth of bags on the first trip.

2) The rain on the Thursday night dampening the festival's spirit, esp with memories of 2005 and 2007.

3) The mahoosive crowd inside and outside John Peel Tent for The Ting Tings

4) The crush when trying to leave the Pyramid Field after Amy Winehouse

5) Being woken up at 5am on Monday morning by my mate, an hour after I'd got in to bed, and having to pack the tent up and walk two miles to the car, luckily the hangover didn't kick in til afterwards.

[greenfairy43]

My first was 1986.

Best Memory:

Arriving & as I was driving I had to stay in the car (obviously) to get a ticket on the gate to get in. My mate jumped out of the car a way down the lane & planned to climb through the hedge & meet me in there.

Pre mobile phone, I was rather relieved to see him come wandering past me just as I was putting the tent up on my own. Right nest to the car.

Worst Memory:

I don't have any, as I can't remember anything else after what I wrote above

[Boris]

Whoa! Me too GF! 1986 1st time! (Never missed one since!)..

Still can't actually believe that we DROVE up Pennards and CAMPED NEXT TO THE CAR!!

Oh if only again!!

In my dreams!

Heh.. not really complaining... but you know... you tell that to the kids of today... and they don't believe yer!

[greenfairy43]

Whoa! Me too GF! 1986 1st time! (Never missed one since!)..

Still can't actually believe that we DROVE up Pennards and CAMPED NEXT TO THE CAR!!

Oh if only again!!

In my dreams!

Heh.. not really complaining... but you know... you tell that to the kids of today... and they don't believe yer!

[St.Jimmy]

2009

I must 1st point out that in my first fest i actually saw lily allens bare boob!!!!!

Best

1.Finally experiencing a festival (really glad it was glasto, the last fest i attempted to get tickets to was reading back in 03!)

2. Pendulum's awesome sunset slot (i am now obsessed with them)

3. Attempting to drown out the neil young crowd with bloc party (their encore was immense) along with rocking out to madness

4. Chillin at the stone circle, i'll never forget when me and my mate were sitting on a stone and he noticed a guy near us needed a lighter so he just launched it at his head then we all sat together chattin, smokin and drinkin all night.

5.the atmosphere in the heat, it was surreal it was almost like a 5 day long muddy southern spanish beach party!

Worst

1. The bloke behind me at madness kneeing me up my arse thru the whole gig except for it must be love, still loved the set and had a great time

2. Not being able to see neil young due to a clash with bloc party

3. the torrentful rain that cleared the stone circle at about 1 am monday morning!

4. Not being able to remember any of tom jones's set!

5. the sound quality and the really annoying junkies on speed and coke in front of us chattin the whole way thru the prodigy for them not to even bother with an encore tho it did me and my friend a favour really!

[Redwinevino]

Good

After walking for what felt like forever opening that first tin felt like heaven.

Realising that our worry about going with just the two of us oing was unfounded after meeting the people camped near us.

Stone Circle/Vodka jelly/Noz/Sun rise/

Trash city

Walking about being amazed by everything

Bad

Despite a brutal carry out running out of alchol before the last day

Walking to the wrong end of the camp site when leaving

It ended

That's it really

[1mills]

First Glasonbury 2008

In no particular order on each and probably forgetting many things.

Best

1. All the smashed people walking up to us outside our tents asking how to get to the "giant squid". (This was the tower by the park).

2. Mooching about site on the Thursday then just sitting off around a mini-stage watching random little bands.

3. The fact it was sunny the majority of the time and I got ludicrous tan, which compared to what we'd been expecting from the previous 2years was a massive bonus.

4. Realising that the daily paper had the wrong times for Last of the Shadow Puppets secret gig and them coming on 2hours before advertised then Jack White coming on stage (although the sound was awful, was still kind of cool).

5. Sing-a-long to Sweet Caroline, I didn't want to see Neil Diamond but friend wanted to see him. I actually love this song because of memories now.

Worst

1. Trying to escape the rain on the Friday afternoon and going into the JP tent and hearing the Ting Tings (not really minding them beforehand) and then walking back out into the rain.

2. Getting home and finding out that the Ting Tings stormed it to a JP tent that was heaving when they came on (no mention of people hiding from the rain).

3. James Blunt saying this is the last song 4times, as we're watching him waiting for the Racontuers, but proceeding to continue of playing the same song over and over with different words.

4. The Fratelli's. I read on a forum afterwards some bloke claiming they should have headlined instead of Kings of Leon, as the Kings of Leon were unknown and had no hits.

5. Listening to my mate who suggested we leave the wellies so we could carry more alcohol, then having the heavens open late Thurs night and having to walk around in sludge all night and also the next day on Wellie retrieval duty.

Edited November 6, 2009 by 1mills

[shazzlee]

Brilliant thread!!!!

Love reading everyone's good and bad stories. Hate wishing away my days but wish 2010 Glasto was already here.

in short best bits

1. 99 - finding out an hour before leaving that I had a ticket... awesome!!

2. seeing Faithless play insomnia on the Pyramid stage at dusk

3. 5 people searching for my friends bag thinking it had been stolen with glasto ticket inside only to find it 40mins later in the flat, HUGE RELIEF

4. watching my nephew's face fill with excitement when driving over the hill for his first Glasto. All the way from Auz.

5. every year getting there early and hearing the cheers go around the site.. gives me goosebumps everytime.

The bad

1- the mudfest and going through a relationship breakup.. ugh!

2.- falling face first into the mud pit.. again ugh!

3. - missing way too many bands due to toilet breaks.

4. - the dreaded 8 hour drive there and back 2009

5. - leaving and waiting for the next year to happen.

[parkgrange]

First time in 2009...

Five Best

1. Pitching the tent around 6pm in the Dairy Ground, cracking open a Stella with the neighbours and feeling the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end listening to what sounded like a Mexican Wave style cheer resonate across the site.

2. Exploring the site for the first time and trying some super strength Pennards Organic Mead and experiencing the friendliness of Glasto as we were joined for an hour by some young young lasses, and a older fella with a spliff that just asked if they could join us.

3. Meeting a load of Geordies on the Thursday and power drinking all day before heading up to the park with em all and a Welsh lass that we found on the way, to see Jamie T, and then power drinking all night as well.

4. Having my my head mashed in Trash City, Shangrila and Arcadia on Friday night - complete sensory overload and possibly my most amazing night out ever.

5. Wearing full ska gear, black suit, tie, shades, trilby etc and charging full skank across The Park from the bar as Supergrass launched into Mirror in the Bathroom

... I could go on and on and on with the best, but the 5 worst?

1. The journey down - streuth. Nearly 13 hours. Not good.

2. Carrying our far too excessive luggage half way around the site looking for a decent spot (well any spot !) to pitch the tent.

3. Seeing some 'i'm as strong as 10 men' off their head dickheads in the dance village try and pick a fight with some innocents.

4. Being too nervous to visit a long drop for a number 2 until Friday. Jeeez - that wasn't a pleasant experience.

5. My poor feet on the Sunday.

[VCK]

First Glasto 1990

The Best:

1. Totally different to any other festival I'd ever been to, it was a wonderful sunny weekend, and as we lolled in the sun everyone we knew there would wander by at some point, the vibe was amazing.

2. Archaos!!! - motorbikes, flames, and chain saws up the side of the pyramid and fireballs shooting out from the top of the stage - awesome!

3. At night sat at our tent, there amongst the tents it was awash with colourful wandering people coming up to chat randomly, crazy characters, bizarre costumes, you could have a fire and friendly banter, soundsystems going all night - it was amazing!

4. The amount of weird new experiences to try out, the size of the place meant new areas like the Green Fields were there to explore and discover like minded people with similar political views, there were loads of workshops, crafts, dance and the kids field was amazing, as was the tipi field.

5. The Travellers Field - a crazy world of weirdos and some fantastic bands I'd never heard of that were amazing.

The Bad

1. Thinking the acid wasn't working and being offered more and more - until it all kicked in at once and for a few hours I was totalled - fortunately I found Hawkwind playing, and then Gong and with Fruit Salad type lighting it was jaw dropping, and I felt very, very at home.

2. Big rasta type guys selling small 'teenths and carrying machetes - freaked me right out when my girlfriend argued we were being ripped off and he pulled a knife on us.

3. Having no money for food / drink (ran out on the first day) - although there was a caterer who on the last day gave us a french stick and a hunk of bread each for free, and then we found the CND HQ and they gave us cups of tea.

4. We had a mate with a puppy, they let dogs in then, suddenly two guys walked past wearing cooking aprons with dogs on - suddenly became paranoid they were going to cook the puppy.

5. The toilets my first experience of them was in the dark, my second wasn't.

[Buddhafish]

Actually, I have a question about the 1990 festival. Did Happy Mondays headline that year. I know they played, and it was a reportedly shocking set.

Although I did have the bootleg of it and it didn't sound any worse than your average Mondays gig. Some of the songs do sound improvised though, but that was their charm, that their songs sounded different live compared to on record!

[Bort]

Best:

1. Blur and Tender. The singing along was unreal, especially how it continued during the encore breaks and after the show on the way back to the tent. And during the song, this group grabbed me, and we all formed a circle and sang along at the top of our lungs arm-in-arm.

2. Feeling completely overwhelmed with the sheer amount of things to do and see in my unfortunately limited time.

3. Getting to chat with Emmy the Great

4. insanity in Trash City and Shangri-la

5. Neil Young closing with "A Day in the Life"

Worst:

1. The 9 hour coach ride from London.

2. Wasting a few more hours looking for the efests camp, getting lost, trying to find a tent, setting up tent in darkness, with the wrong instructions, and no help.

3. Taking a shit in the longdrop on Thursday morning. Ugh, never again.

4. Someone pissing all over my tent.

5. The laws of time/space being broken in an effort to prevent me from beating the crowd to the latenight areas on Saturday and missing Emmy the Great's campfire set, which I never even found.

[mr_monkey]

first (and only) was 2005

best:

1) being on the barrier for yourcodenameis:milo and getting a hug from the lead singer

2) doves on the pyramid at sundown with a pint and a smoke

3)Van the man playing brown eyed girl and deciding that it would be out first dance at our wedding

4) Discovering brothers pear for the first time and turning from a larger to cider drinker over night

5) Watching all the people leave on the friday morning with their suitcases on wheels getting stuck in the mud

worst:

1) getting sunburnt and smashed on the thursday and loosing about 6 hours of my life to be awoken on friday morning with my legs soaking wet as they had been out of the tent all night

2) the mud and river by the jp tent and getting stuck there

3) Ryan adams pulling out

4) Primal scream being utter 'see you next tuesdays'

5) thinking i had run out of beer on the sunday, only to find some whilst packing up my tent on the monday morning, bad times

[timespeedsup]

It was 94 & if I can string 10 memories together I'm doing well.....

1. The walk from the coach to the entrance, seemed like ages down deserted paths etc.

2. Said walk included buying some homebrew cider off someone. When finally tasted, was proper washing-up liquid.

3. That me and another tall fellow survived the weekend in a 3-person tent (somewhere in Pennards). How we found other mates I don;t recall but presume it must have been via a note on the central meeting triangle thing.

4. How huge was the Pyramid Stage! (it was my first fest)

5. Ride on said stage was probably the first act I saw there, probably enjoyed it, main memory is Andy Bell wearing a flappy-eared cap.

6. Consuming something that should ordinarily be smoked. Consequently being quite bewildered, in a happy way, by the crowd singing along to Blur. They were hardly favourites of mine at the time.

7. Being down the front for a monging 2nd stage headline set by Spiritualized. Musical nirvana.

8. Finding my jaw refusing to work after the above set. One and only time to have been that monged, a very strange sensation.

9. Falling well-asleep on the train home.

10. Thinking the walkabout bloke selling ice-cold Stella was the solution to my over-indulged dry mouth problems on the Thursday night