Reputation?

[fred quimby]

Every time Swinning starts his anti-Glasto wind-up - this is not the first time - it always ends up centreing around the fact that Reading is better because there's shops and resturants up the road so that you go shopping or go off-site to eat.

Which is highly amusing, because he's clearly trying very very hard but being able to leave the site is ultimately the only thing he's able to say about Reading which makes it better than Glastonbury - and that's from the mouth of someone who loves Reading but hates Glastonbury.

So even in Swinning's eyes, Reading is clearly a load of rubbish.

[jamseyboy]

I dont get the comparrison that always happens between Glastonbury and Reading or V as they are poles apart and generally cater for a different audience? Over the years I have noticed a change in the crowds at Glastonbury with what appears to be a different level of expectation....a lot of which is caused by a fast food mentality towards music in general. I dont mind the variety we now experience as I have very varied tastes but I do hope that the difference between festivals is maintained. I dont want to go to Reading or V however many do and enjoy it....I just dont want Glastonbury to end up with the same profile as them so that a comparrison becomes justified. So if you want to slag off Glastonbury thats fine as long as you place your views within a fair context.....who knows some of the now smaller festivals that reflect the Glasto feeling of old may be the must see festivals of the future.....but I dammed sure that T4 wont be one of them!

[Swinning]

Every time Swinning starts his anti-Glasto wind-up - this is not the first time - it always ends up centreing around the fact that Reading is better because there's shops and resturants up the road so that you go shopping or go off-site to eat.

Which is highly amusing, because he's clearly trying very very hard but being able to leave the site is ultimately the only thing he's able to say about Reading which makes it better than Glastonbury - and that's from the mouth of someone who loves Reading but hates Glastonbury.

So even in Swinning's eyes, Reading is clearly a load of rubbish.

[fred quimby]

which is probably why today we don’t all live in tents?

[James Bolivar]

As for the music, Glastonbury had about 3 bands I’d like to have seen this year. Glastonbury does have more T4 friendly music than Reading does. It also has to put on all the other stuff like skateboarding etc because all the music’s so bad, keeps people happy between acts. If I went, I’d just watch the skating all day but seems a bit pointless when it was pissing down with rain for most of it... Reading doesn’t really need to do any of this stuff because most of the music is good enough, there’s usually never a big enough gap either, just enough time to grab a drink and get back to watching another great band.

[jamseyboy]

As for the music, Glastonbury had about 3 bands I’d like to have seen this year. Glastonbury does have more T4 friendly music than Reading does. It also has to put on all the other stuff like skateboarding etc because all the music’s so bad, keeps people happy between acts. If I went, I’d just watch the skating all day but seems a bit pointless when it was pissing down with rain for most of it... Reading doesn’t really need to do any of this stuff because most of the music is good enough, there’s usually never a big enough gap either, just enough time to grab a drink and get back to watching another great band.

For me, Glastonbury was OK years ago, I almost went in 1993 but Reading 93 was still the much better choice. Over the past 20 years, Reading has wiped the floor with Glastonbury’s line-up (IMO) Bruce Springsteen has been your best headliner for many years but I went to see him in Hyde Park and again without all the stresses of living in a field.

[eFestivals]

It’s funny then... that Glastonbury tries very, very hard to recreate a small town every year, so why does it feel it needs to do this? Maybe because you’re in the middle of nowhere and maybe it’s so you can all have a drink, eat food etc, or don't people use these facility's at Galstonbury??

Reading is already a large town/city and already has everything that Glastonbury could never recreate on its doorstep, Reading doesn’t have to build pretend wooden bars, shops, cafe’s etc. it’s already got all those things and more within a shorter walking distance than Glastonbury has.

so what you're saying is that a festival doesn't matter for how good that festival is. It's all about the town down the road from it.

For me, Glastonbury was OK years ago, I almost went in 1993 but Reading 93 was still the much better choice. Over the past 20 years, Reading has wiped the floor with Glastonbury’s line-up (IMO) Bruce Springsteen has been your best headliner for many years but I went to see him in Hyde Park and again without all the stresses of living in a field.

Yep, Reading wipes the floor of every other fest if you're mindless enough to love indie-landfill-pap and just indie-landfill-pap.

Some of us have bigger musical minds, thank f**k.

[ukslim]

without all the stresses of living in a field.

[BlackHole2006]

See, to me living in a field (for a few days) is a big part of the attraction.

[mrtourette]

Yep, Reading wipes the floor of every other fest if you're mindless enough to love indie-landfill-pap and just indie-landfill-pap.

[Rufus Gwertigan]

without all the stresses of living in a field.

[eFestivals]

You're being very narrow-minded, there a variety of forms of indie-pap and Reading caters for all of them, not just landfill. Generalising that glassjaw, DFA1979, the Descendents, Mariachi El Bronx and Deftones are the same sort of indie pap as Pulp, The National, Elbow, Seasick Steve or The Joy Formidable is the same as saying "all that ethnic and jazz crap at Glastonbury sounds the same".

hmmmm .... if you were treating Swinning's posts as literally as you are mine, then you'd not have time to address my posts. Just a thought.

I was generalising no less than Swinning was. While - as you say - Reading does have a variety of indie-pap, it still remains the case that the music on offer at Reading is very musically narrow-minded in comparison to Glasto.

[eFestivals]

When is the last time you saw a sad sheep or cow eh??

when I visited an abattoir.

[fred quimby]

Camping at a festival can be good fun when you’re young or for a first time camping experience. Getting away from Mum & Dad

[whatmidlifecrisis?]

OP - fair dos....you pays ya money and takes ya choice. You like Reading, I get it. Thanks.

Glastonbury is for me Reading isn't. I have bought my son a ticket for Reading this year - he'll have a blast I am sure.

Glastonbury isn't perfect ( I would love not to have to walk miles form the car laden with stuff for eg) but for me it is the best 6 days of the year bar none. Reading would not be - I have not been but know enough to know it is just a set of gigs in some fields (and a fair ground?). If I want gigs I go to the O2. If I want a festival I go to Glastonbury.

Comparison is pointless (apart from the fun reading these posts of course).

[mrtourette]

hmmmm .... if you were treating Swinning's posts as literally as you are mine, then you'd not have time to address my posts. Just a thought.

I was generalising no less than Swinning was. While - as you say - Reading does have a variety of indie-pap, it still remains the case that the music on offer at Reading is very musically narrow-minded in comparison to Glasto.

Edited July 14, 2011 by mrtourette

[ukslim]

Glastonbury isn't perfect ( I would love not to have to walk miles form the car laden with stuff for eg)

[whatmidlifecrisis?]

Take less stuff!

(Here begins my 2 year campaign; prepare to get bored of those three words.)

[Rufus Gwertigan]

when I visited an abattoir.

[Ian_Mackay]

It’s funny then... that Glastonbury tries very, very hard to recreate a small town every year

[MyTwistedWords]

Weirdest town I've ever been to.. with the possible exception of Nimbin...

[indisguise]

Camping at a festival can be good fun when you’re young or for a first time camping experience. Getting away from Mum & Dad as you say... Any normal person over the age of about 25 would swap a tent and a portaloo for a hotel, B&B or a house which is probably why today we don’t all live in tents?

[James Bolivar]

What a total load of tosh, there are loads of us normal over 25 year olds who still love camping

[neilloggie]

What a total load of tosh, there are loads of us normal over 25 year olds who still love camping

[Jackmypie]

@Swinning, Glastonbury sold 130,00 of their tix in 4 hours in october, that's with the line up not even announced.

Reading's tix have been on sale for 4 months now and still have a third left to sell, that's with like -80k+ to sell. HMMMM.

Also you said you haven't been since 93'.. 18 years is a long time and things change