What got you to go to Glastonbury in the first place?

[bexj]

I started going to Reading when I was 18, and so Glastonbury was always spoken about but always seemed out of our grasp for some reason, I think it was time of year and clashing with exams probably. Anyway I had a "fake" glastonbury on the floor of my poststudent flat, with the sofa's pushed together and a tent made of blankets....(yeah ok, sad right?) and vowed I would go the next year. I didn't - and moved to Leeds instead, and fell in with a bunch of people that were all up for going to Glastonbury in 94. So, I wandered off to the record shop, a couple of weeeks before the solstice (because you could, in those days!) and bought a ticket. I went the next year, with the same bunch of people, and then every since with my fiance. This will be my 15th now, I think and can't think of a better place to spend my late June

[fingers_mark]

First was in 1999, just after A-levels.

Me and two mates bought tickets two days before (£75 each I think) and had to pick them up from Castle Carey station on the Thursday morning.

Camped in a field nearby on Wednesday night to make sure we could get them early! SFA, Gomez, Skunk Anansie highlights.

Only missed one since, as I was away travelling when tickets went on sale, so missed out.

Been with different people each time, but there's a core group of six or so now settled.

[K8P]

I popped my cherry in 1993. I didn't know what to expect, I just had to go, ok I was a fence jumper it was an opportunity that had to be taken.

An old Austin 1100 pushed up against the fence, on the bonnet then up on top of the fence. Dusk, lights in the sky, booming humming beat of bass, sea of tents and a slow stream of people quietly trudging on the metal track. It was quite a surreal sight.

Didn't see any bands, just wandering around through the night, saw a bit of Kiss my Axe which gave the place a Mad Max feel.

I went throughout the nineties until 99 then back in 07.

I understand why the fence jumpers where and still are frowned upon, but I feel that negative time gave the festival a prominent purpose, it gave it a future and has made it a lot safer as it was quite a scary place.

I still don't know why I love it maybe it's a community thing, you can be what you want or just be your true self, maybe it's a detox from modern life that we all crave for and just don't realise it.

Free the Battery Human : )

[ian the worm]

I still don't know why I love it maybe it's a community thing, you can be what you want or just be your true self, maybe it's a detox from modern life that we all crave for and just don't realise it.

Free the Battery Human : )

[guypjfreak]

1996 in a pub drinking .some one said free party at traveler site up at Glastonbury me and wife hoped in car with 2 blokes we had never met got to traveler site meet some friend walked into the festival had a great time for 3 days and never looked back .

been every year since although the reason for going has changed [ think ive grown up abit]

oh and ive never seen the 2 blokes since so thanks to them who ever and where ever they be

Edited April 22, 2011 by guypjfreak

[Peaceman]

So many wonderful things on this thread. Sums up completely why I'm still working there and loving it every single year. Even in the years where I've stood on a gate for a 12-hour night shift and it hasnt stopped raining (1985), battled to shut the gates before the baying mob outside could rush through (late 80s) or watched along with lots of ticket holders atthe turnstiles as hundreds poured over the fence (1999). Doesnt matter - there's nowhere better!

[ghandi]

Having seen it on the box for so many years and never having anyone to go with, my friends not into it at all, i eventually went in 2009 with a mate from work and his cousin and had just the best time. I am at a place now in my life that the last week in June is all i really look forward to, sad as it might sound to some. You spend your life working hard to pay for over inflated goods and housing , petrol whatever just to live and try to obtain a decent life with all of it's stresses and i found one week where i can forget everything and do what i love most, Listen to live music and have a beer with my brother and his son ( now that i have educated them, first timers last year )and forget all of the ills in my life!

[Late]

Watching the Channel 4 coverage of 1994. I then went for the first time in 1995. Done every one since and enjoyed every one (98 was my worst).

[grumpyhack]

My love affair with Glastonbury has ended now,i shall miss it but all good things have to come to an end sometime and at 63 i think i am to old now.

[redhotchilly]

Having seen it on the box for so many years and never having anyone to go with, my friends not into it at all, i eventually went in 2009 with a mate from work and his cousin and had just the best time. I am at a place now in my life that the last week in June is all i really look forward to, sad as it might sound to some. You spend your life working hard to pay for over inflated goods and housing , petrol whatever just to live and try to obtain a decent life with all of it's stresses and i found one week where i can forget everything and do what i love most, Listen to live music and have a beer with my brother and his son ( now that i have educated them, first timers last year )and forget all of the ills in my life!

[bucko]

Really good thread this...Lots of oldies wishing they had gone earlier including me...I don't think i would have liked it when they had all the trouble though, its far safer with the fence, and limited numbers. So if your a youngster all i can say is if your lucky enough to get a ticket..GO..you will never regret it. My love affair with Glastonbury has ended now,i shall miss it but all good things have to come to an end sometime and at 63 i think i am to old now.

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

My brother and a couple of his mates went when you could drive your cars, vans etc up to the fields and have them there just next to your tent ie no lugging stuff around. I would have been old enough to do this myself. Rather regret not doing so. Never mind, discovered it eventually and have been many times since.

I can't recall what got me to my first one. Oh yes, I remember now - it was fate.

[Bobs]

I sat down on my bed on a lovely summery day and turning on BBC, and there on the screen was Tom Jones, and Then Followed Madness, and i got a variety of Enter Shikari, Yeah Yeah yeahs, then a bit of Blur, and i just thought, look at the people this is 'THE FESTIVAL' and i let onto my mate and 3 months later we had tix

[grumpyhack]

i'm looking forward to meeting folk of your generation. have a beer with you and listen to all them tales of the good old days.

maybe if under 12s go free so should over 60s.

[Guest musiclove123]

I went through recommendation-had been to another festival before that and it paled in comparison. By far the more relaxed, chilled out and nicest festival you can go to

[Freewheelin]

First one was 81, as a result of 2 mates having been to the previous one in 79 and spent the next 2 years going on about it. Wild times, I think it was £8 to get in and between the 3 of of us we scrabbled together about £15 (in coins) which this amazing woman at the gate accepted, gave us a big hug and welcome. Got bitten by the G bug and never looked back.

In 82 I worked for CND on the gate (as in a farm gate on Muddy Lane, I think), had to do 1 x 24hr shift. Completely bonkers - i remember letting one guy in during the wee hours after hours of rambling conversation/blag, when he guessed my star sign.

Had a break 87-97 but been at all the others. For me, it's always been the chance to seriously get away from the outside world for a few days, getting overloaded on an unbelievable feast of music and much much more: Green Fields, Circus, Theatre, Caberet.... The whole thing feels cocooned within the beauty of the setting with a feeling from punters and crew that 'we're going to make this work, look after each other and have a good time'.

[Gnomicide]

I only went for the first time last year.

Over the years I've been to a good few (mainly rock orientated) festivals, Donington, Reading, Cumbria...

Watched Glastonbury on the tv for years and always fancied it but my gig going mates have been somewhat skint over the last 10 years or so. Then last year my mate's sister bought tickets for him and his mrs (her 40th). He told me in a pub in December '09 that they were going. Couldn't believe it, I'd always wanted to go. he wasn't really arsed. I love U2, he hates them. So... I registered and managed to get a ticket in the re-sale.

We all went and despite a mainly poor line up, we all loved it.

This year I'm off on my own, they missed out in the resale as they didn't fancy going on a coach. Don't really care now if I'm not with anyone I know, I know I'll have a great time.

[p.pete]

Amazing thread - I've really enjoyed reading it, while waiting for a chance to give a reply of my own.

I used to love watching the coverage with John Peel, but I was living in Ireland so had no real notion about heading to it. I loved listening to him talking about music, such passion and such a wonderful person to hear ramble on. I remember also about 10 years ago an elderly course mate of mine who'd spent some time in England saying 'I must go to Glastonbury'. His biggest recollection was of being flat on his back staring upwards and uttering 'where am I?', to the reply of 'Glastonbury!', sounded good to me!

I moved to England late '03 and remember a workmate going in '04. I didn't really know him that well yet, and was itching to invite myself but didn't, and regretted it hearing about it after. I finally made it the next year, in my mid twenties, making sure I was involved when people started talking about it that year. I'd been to several festivals before and always enjoyed them, including Rock Am Ring which is maybe a similar scale in terms of the campsite stretching forever (and still parking where you camp back in '00), but there really was no comparison once I'd arrived. Coming through Gate B and walking down past the pyramid was wonderful, and then having the site open out and walking through the market on that first day with all our bags on our backs, the memory will always stay with me.

We pitched roughly where the park stage is now, and the rain on the Friday morning was incredible - several hours spent looking nervously upwards at the lining of my tent and repositioning plastic bags to catch drips. Seeing streams of water running down the hill the next morning and the mini-river that had formed at the bottom of Park Home and Pennards, and the carnage that had been caused, what struck me was how everyone got on with things. The site recovered amazingly well (and the knowledge that drainage has been improved further since 05' and other improvements like to the water system, new bridges, solar panels etc), and I can't imagine any other festival coping so well. I couldn't help but tutting at Reading festival later that Summer when a small bit of water (which I know had been around the Reading site for about a month before hand as I went jogging around the area) seemed to be dealt with so badly - I knew Glastonbury had spoiled me for other festivals forever!

06' was fallow which was a shame, I was away in 07' and completely broke in 08' (not knowing about things like oxfam stewarding), and I finally made it back the last two years. I hope I'm going for many years to come, and thanks again for starting this thread.

Edited April 23, 2011 by p.pete

[LusciousLucy]

Great thread.

Was a full on indie kid and I got into the Levellers in early 1994, got all political protesting against the CJB in London, became VERY aware of the G from the NME and other sources and had it all planned to go that year but Mother dearest wouldnt let me go despite my Latin GCSE exam finishing at lunchtime on the Thurs and heading off would not have been an issue. So instead I literally camped in my bedroom and watched every single live broadcast over the weekend on C4. Was truly memorable. I had been to a couple of small one day fests already and 2 months later I was allowed to attend Reading with a guy I had only met 2 weeks earlier. Go figure!!! The 94 C4 footage was so good I felt like I knew the place really well before I had even visited in person. The greatest G I never went to.

1995, there was NO way I was NOT going. Ticket purchased for £52, travelled down by car with same chum I was planning on going with the year before. Spent weeks preparing (painting tent, buying tranklements etc). On arrival that was it...I was home and I knew it. 5 solid days of intense partying, indulging in things I had never indulged in (even coffee!). Tbh, despite being 17 and it nearly is half my life ago, it is still my most memorable G. The heat, the beauty, the vibes, the people, the music, the indulgences...I have missed just 2 since 95 (00 as I had absolutely no money and 05 because 04 really pissed me off with the way the fest had changed). I have flown back twice from Oz to visit the festival too.

Whenever I hear Deborah by T Rex or Turn On, Tune In by Freakpower, I am returned to thinking about those wonderful first G's for me (they were the linking tunes on the C4 footage). Last year's G was a total near repeat of G 95 for me. It was utterly perfect, hot, the way the sunsets fell and the vibes were almost exactly the same.

I am going back this year mainly just because. It's not the same as the good old days of the mid 90s but it still a very magical place.

[Leaaa]

Amazing thread.

For years I'd heard amazing and completely surreal stories about Glastonbury from my older brother who absolutely loved the festival. I would sit at home watching footage, expecting to be able to spot my brother (at the age of about 13 I clearly didn't realise quite how big the site is).

I was so keen to go and experience it myself, especially as I only live a few miles away! So, in 2007, I managed to persuade a school friend to go with me after we finished our GCSE's. Seemed like the perfect celebration! We were both 16 and neither of us had camped before so was a little daunting...but then we arrived on site and fell in love with it straight away. Even though it rained 24/7 and we were up to our knees in mud, we had the best weekend ever!

I've been every year since and have persuaded many skeptical friends to give it a try (they all obviously love it and kick themselves for not going in previous years). Even my Mum and her friends, at the age of 53 (and after 2 bottles of wine) decided to give Glastonbury a try in 2009 and thought it was breathtaking and never want to miss a year. My Dad has now been roped into going aswell. I love how Glastonbury has something for everyone, any generation, any type of music taste, etc.

This will be my 5th year and I'm more excited than ever!

Edited April 23, 2011 by Leaaa

[glasto-worker]

I know at the time very few people { well in London anyway } would have a clue what Glastonbury was and when you consider there had only be two official festivals held this is not a big surprise but I had a mate in a folk band and they were playing so I went down with some friends to see them and that was 1979.

One big difference was you could drive onto the site { without a special permit } park in the camping area and put the tent up beside the car - so no carrying at all.

That was the last year it was called Glastonbury Fayre - I was well pissed off when it was not held in 1980 but was back again in 1981 even although the price had jumped from £ 5 to £ 8 and of course the name was changed to Glastonbury Festival and I have been to everyone since then.

[Leedspete]

Some great stories.

June 1998 - Dewsbury

Me and 2 mates were sat at one of their houses getting smashed and listening to tunes and just chatting rubbish. The CD we were listening to finished and I said something like "put the tv on for a bit, see what's on". On the first channel he turned onto (BBC2) was loads of flashing lights and a massive drum loop going on and on and on. We were right in that kind of mood so sat transfixed. The camera then started changing and panning out to reveal a stage and a massive crowd going mad, which as it reached full view the chords of Born Slippy came in, and of course it was Underworld at Glastonbury. We all just went "we're off there next year!"

And so all 3 of us did, and even better Underworld were on, and we were together watching them one year on. It was amazing and will always be a very special gig.

At that point we were all really into clubbing, and I'd always been into metal/rock and indie as well. Don't know why we never thought of going ourselves before then!

The best thing for me is still that generally, whatever music you want at whatever time you want it, you can usually find it.

[rhysieg]

i went to other major festivals and thought they were amazing... and on glastonburies reputation as the daddy got a few people into the idea, all registered etc... (this was after the official sale for 2010) a week before the re-sale and everyone backed out... so i was a bit gutted*, anyway on the saturday night before the re-sale my brother phoned me and said "f**k it" (he was skint but managed to scratch it together last minute) tried and managed to get 2 tickets by 9.02am!! beautiful.. from it seeming like id be watching from the comfort of my armchair to chatting about what we wanted to see/do in under 24 hours - amazing... had an absolute blast (ended up with a big group of veterans from the same town as us) , and i will never miss a glastonbury ever again - mark my words

roll on june...

*i was only a "bit" gutted because id never been before, if it happened now i'd be devastated...

[Spindles]

@leedspete, it was that very same underworld clip in '98 that persuaded my wife and I to get our asses back there in '99 (it was her first time), underworld was a real highlight for me

Edited April 23, 2011 by Spindles

[chopmanski]

Walked into the site in 2007 and fell in love with the place, Can't imagine not going would rather cancel Xmas, I am like a kid in a sweet shop when I am there and I'm only 51!