Park, spesh guests on friday...

[Homer]

Special guests can work really well, especially if they're a secret. When The Specials walked on stage at Bestival in 2008, I almost sh@t 'em! But then, that's probably the benefit of having a truly iconic special guest that's reforming before your eyes as a special guest. As opposed to The Klaxons.

[Mardy]

I think wooderson is onto something here, there is a world of difference between a spontaneous happening and something like this, which is planned.

The Park is a new thing, and at first there were some hefty guests to get things rolling... Lily Allen springs to mind. It's perfect for something different, hot rats, two of radiohead, whatever. This is utterly different, this is putting a band which are clearly, demostably too big for the area into this space. One way or another it's asking for trouble. OK, they might get away with it this year, but if they keep pushing thier luck, they'll come a cropper.

And what's the benefit? why have a band you know a lot of people would enjoy in a space/time when not all of those people can enjoy. More than anything else, THAT flies in the face of any ethos that Glastonbury can lay claim too. It's pandering to the bands, and the Park stage bookers' ego.

[cejx]

Not irrelevant really though - Pulp could concievably have been the Friday night headliner this year. Granted they are not the same in terms of size but appeal at Glasters is another thing entirely.

At least we're agreed that it is a bloody pointless thing. I actually feel its a bit egotistical of Emily aswell. Just my two cents.

[cejx]

The Park is a new thing, and at first there were some hefty guests to get things rolling... Lily Allen springs to mind. It's perfect for something different, hot rats, two of radiohead, whatever. This is utterly different, this is putting a band which are clearly, demostably too big for the area into this space. One way or another it's asking for trouble. OK, they might get away with it this year, but if they keep pushing thier luck, they'll come a cropper.

[Homer]

friend of a friend of a friend. Usual shit. Don't shoot the messenger and all that!

[Mardy]

So, you are 100% sure that it is Pulp then?

[Homer]

So, you are 100% sure that it is Pulp then?

[Wooderson]

But surely things like 'surprise guests' are EXACTLY what glasto is about. You rarely get anything like this at mainstream festivals. This is all part of the unique charm of Glastonbury.

[Mardy]

Surprise guests being actively promoted as being surprise guests isnt what the festival is about in the slightest.

[Wooderson]

I think wooderson is onto something here, there is a world of difference between a spontaneous happening and something like this, which is planned.

The Park is a new thing, and at first there were some hefty guests to get things rolling... Lily Allen springs to mind. It's perfect for something different, hot rats, two of radiohead, whatever. This is utterly different, this is putting a band which are clearly, demostably too big for the area into this space. One way or another it's asking for trouble. OK, they might get away with it this year, but if they keep pushing thier luck, they'll come a cropper.

And what's the benefit? why have a band you know a lot of people would enjoy in a space/time when not all of those people can enjoy. More than anything else, THAT flies in the face of any ethos that Glastonbury can lay claim too. It's pandering to the bands, and the Park stage bookers' ego.

[cejx]

hehehe, no I'm not sure of anything. I was thinking of the Arctic Monkeys

[eFestivals]

Surprise guests being actively promoted as being surprise guests isnt what the festival is about in the slightest.

PMSL

How's it your place to say what the festival is about? What the festival is about is decided by those who run the festival, and they've decided that a part of what it's about is unannounced 'special guests' in announced 'special guest' slots.

[Wooderson]

Shit, that was about to be my next point. When you've got clearly visible 'Very Special Guests' on the lineup, along with times and locations, well, that's not spontaneous, or underground or anything else. It's cheap manipulation.

[Wooderson]

PMSL

How's it your place to say what the festival is about? What the festival is about is decided by those who run the festival, and they've decided that a part of what it's about is unannounced 'special guests' in announced 'special guest' slots.

[cejx]

Yep. When I start seeing people's must-see lists on here being topped by The Special Guests something has gone t'f9ck somewhere. No Sir.

[george424]

I am now f**ked off, I have to choose between Arctic Monkeys and Morrissey...... I never liked Pulp so it will be Elbow for me if Pulp play! But I literally cannot decide between Arctics and Morrissey, Arctics new album is brilliant and Morrissey is well...... Morrissey!

edit: that is IF the arctics play I forgot to add my name to the phone chain and refuse to take my internet phone to festivals so I will probably pop down to the park early on Friday and ask one of the tech guys or something, see if he tells me

[Bluearsedfly]

It's The Killers Saturday I reckon

[Calum stoke]

Arctic's or The Feeling would be shit for me.

I'm going up to The Park to watch Caribou, who are one of my must see's for the weekend, so I thought it made sense to go see the special guest slot.

I'll be gutted if I have to stand through an hour+ of Arctics or The Fecking Feeling

[niceandfriendly]

PMSL

How's it your place to say what the festival is about? What the festival is about is decided by those who run the festival, and they've decided that a part of what it's about is unannounced 'special guests' in announced 'special guest' slots.

Edited June 17, 2011 by niceandfriendly

[beodeejay]

bbc pushing radiohead archive in the build up.....do they know something ??

Can see LL or Edith B gurning at the side of the stage as they announce Radiohead at the Park.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00wyn9g

[eFestivals]

As a paying customer Wooderson has his right to say what he thinks the festival should be like, but you do have a point.

true, he can say what he thinks it should be like, but it's going too far for him to believe that his view of what it should be is what it should be.

As I always say with things like these, if you think they're doing it wrong then there's nothing stopping you from doing a festival in the way you think it should be done. Glastonbury's success gets to show that they're doing some things very right.

I gave up the condemnation of the things which might bug me about the fest when I looked into it and realised that the things where I think there could be major improvements are near enough impossibilities in today's over-regulated Britain. I'd quite like to run a festival in the way I think various parts should be done, but I know I'd be on a hiding to nothing.

[howlin_pete]

bbc pushing radiohead archive in the build up.....do they know something ??

Can see LL or Edith B gurning at the side of the stage as they announce Radiohead at the Park.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00wyn9g

[Wooderson]

true, he can say what he thinks it should be like, but it's going too far for him to believe that his view of what it should be is what it should be.

As I always say with things like these, if you think they're doing it wrong then there's nothing stopping you from doing a festival in the way you think it should be done. Glastonbury's success gets to show that they're doing some things very right.

I gave up the condemnation of the things which might bug me about the fest when I looked into it and realised that the things where I think there could be major improvements are near enough impossibilities in today's over-regulated Britain. I'd quite like to run a festival in the way I think various parts should be done, but I know I'd be on a hiding to nothing.

[Wooderson]

As a paying customer Wooderson has his right to say what he thinks the festival should be like, but you do have a point.

[eFestivals]

To laugh/ridulcule/get the hump at my comments above ("PMSL") shows more about your own need to defend a position than mine.

You've got me completely and utterly wrong.

I was simply laughing at yet another case of someone saying what the festival is, when the very facts of the festival are what the festival is in contradiction to that view.

It happens all the time, and it's something I've done myself in the past. The festival is not what you or I might want it to be, the festival is what it is.