The general highlights/positive things thread

[Infinite Jest]

Post up the best/most memorable things about the festival (other than specific sets, which have their own thread...)

In no particular order:

* Meeting many of you lovely lovely people

* The marriage proposal (accepted) during Allo Darlin's set.

* Tune-Yards excitedly telling us about seeing peachicks backstage (and my first-timer friend seeing her first peacock on the wall by the Garden Stage: "it's a PEACOCK!!!")

* Recognising Ben before I'd been introduced to him, purely from his catchphrases

* Realising that basically everyone at the festival was called Simon.

* Everyone's joy as Treefight for Sunlight did Wuthering Heights (and looking across the front row and seeing 10 or more forum members singing along)

* the Tibetan food stall. Friendly people and delicious food.

* Gordan Gano guesting with Clap Your Hands Say Yeah

* Leisure Society covering Paul Simon

* The general happy smiley demeanour of most of the bands (and audiences)

* The amazing efficieny of the pizza stall (food not bad either)

* The fact that Pieminister and the Moroccan food stall exist (though sad that Pieminister ran out of chorizo pies)

* Chatting to the singer from Slow Down, Molasses (which technicallly took place in Brixton, but I only went to the gig because they were on at the festival).

* The Woods stage for Beirut - looking down from the top at all the happy people (including the (bad but enthusiastic) ballet dancers)

* The comedy stage being bigger and accessible (well, unless you were in a wheelchair or on crutches)

More as I remember, no doubt...

[riverlodge]

a few on their own from josh t pearson, set and pre set:

- "turn that f***ing awful music off" about the background track playing in his warm up

- "hi i'm josh" plus a handshake for the stage manager who clearly was in awe as he walked up to him

- the peacocks being the only noise at one quiet point

- getting the jelly and jam joke wrong, then doing so again

- the rain puddle splashing down on the front row, unfortunate for the couple right in front of me, but both funny and poignant

- discussing other bands: "shit shadow" (i thought he can't do that surely, but he just did)

- after the set, walking back up the garden (and this is really true) a bloke trying to explain the mickey and minnie joke to his girlfriend exasperatedly "it's because goofy was his friend"

there were others, and he must have winked at girls at the front half a dozen times. what a guy.

[tomtrumps]

The great selection of ale.

My friend convincing onlookers the peachicks were in fact chickpeas.

And then enjoying the chickpeas at the fabulous veggie curry place.

Hearing a member of Midlake say "fish and chips...TOGETHER, wow!"

Scrabble Sunday and the amazing biscuit lady.

The tiny figures in the trees in the woods.

The feeling of a wait worthwhile after having a shower on Saturday.

My fiancee and her friend touching Jesse from Other Lives as he signed their new CDs.

But most of all just being with great friends in great surroundings, with great music and hot cider.

[Fat_Buddha]

Beautiful women. Thousands of 'em.

[killyourtv]

Non-music highlights:-

- Watching "Tangled" with my ten-year old son and more grown men than children

- Getting to tell the bloke who'd chosen the proper ale how good it was (the house beer Late Red beat the micros though)

- Getting a decent night's sleep 3 nights in a row

- Tibetan food, though the veggie stall next door was also great, as were the chips on the walk to the car etc etc

- Not hearing anyone talk about the England match, or shout request for old stuff

- Losing my family in the dark before Midlake; finding them just as "Branches" started

- Pucket - should have bought one there and then, even at £35

[Phildo]

* The marriage proposal (accepted) during Allo Darlin's set.

[GTG]

- "hi i'm josh" plus a handshake for the stage manager who clearly was in awe as he walked up to him

[perfectpassion]

a few on their own from josh t pearson, set and pre set:

- "turn that f***ing awful music off" about the background track playing in his warm up

- "hi i'm josh" plus a handshake for the stage manager who clearly was in awe as he walked up to him

- the peacocks being the only noise at one quiet point

- getting the jelly and jam joke wrong, then doing so again

- the rain puddle splashing down on the front row, unfortunate for the couple right in front of me, but both funny and poignant

- discussing other bands: "shit shadow" (i thought he can't do that surely, but he just did)

- after the set, walking back up the garden (and this is really true) a bloke trying to explain the mickey and minnie joke to his girlfriend exasperatedly "it's because goofy was his friend"

there were others, and he must have winked at girls at the front half a dozen times. what a guy.

[Yokel Again]

The Kids fields were ace. The Song Doctors were fantastic, had great fun with them.

Hot n Spicy.

[GTG]

Not really musical highlights at all, although some feature music. Probably my 5 biggest grin-inducing moments of the weekend:

Shortly after arriving, watching my tent take off and start flying across the site, it's journey to the Tipi only thwarted by a magnificent interception by the diminutive, but lightning-reflexed, Tor. (Thanks!)

Watching several Bo Ningen fans being flayed alive when Big Chris decided it was time to (literally) let his hair down

The (not exactly feminine OR otherwise attractive) bass player doing the female vocal on 'Indie Queens Are Waiting'. "Are we cool now?" had me in stitches.

What was probably the worst clue/pun in either session of 'Ringo's Music Bingo' - if you weren't there, see if you can work out whose record he was playing. Something like "What someone wears who isn't bothered about upsetting animal rights activists at a posh social occasion"!

The 8/9 year old kid who set up and played a gig on the lawn outside the Rough Trade tent. Bit rough musically but his patter was outstanding and if confidence and personality count for much, we saw a future headliner there!

[claireh12]

- The Happy Campers, lovely people!!

- The real ale - ok a little pricey, but so worth it. Also great to chat to some of the bar staff who were enthusiastic about the ales Entire Stout - wow!

- The relaxed, friendly atmosphere, I really didn't at any point come across anyone that wasn't friendly

- The food, vegan heaven - Wide Awake Cafe was excellent, vegan pizza, spoilt for choice.

- Ringo's Music Bingo on Sunday morning

- Discovering things in crevices and round corners and saying 'oooh' and 'wow' quite a lot

- The sun - not under anyones control, but it was very nice for it to join us for most of the weekend

Such a great festival, looking forward to next year already

- just remembered another one - the kids collecting the plastic cups to get their 5p's - I asked one lad how much he'd made...over £67 and that was on Saturday!!

Edited September 8, 2011 by claireh12

[riverlodge]

The 8/9 year old kid who set up and played a gig on the lawn outside the Rough Trade tent. Bit rough musically but his patter was outstanding and if confidence and personality count for much, we saw a future headliner there!

Edited September 8, 2011 by riverlodge

[GTG]

I liked his closing bit along the lines of "If you want to talk about anything I'll be available after the show"

[airwaves]

I saw this too.

A great line in patter - better than many professional artistes [don't mention the Fleet Foxes]

Edited September 9, 2011 by airwaves

[acstalker]

He was at the Cambridge Folk Festival too. Is it some kind of UK tour?

[SweepingTheNation]

Maybe it's viral advertising?

Where did he get the mike from?

[sadwitch]

I saw this too.

A great line in patter - better than many professional artistes [don't mention the Fleet Foxes]

[perfectpassion]

bump

[GeordieMartin]

Maybe it's viral advertising?

Where did he get the mike from?

Edited September 11, 2011 by GeordieMartin

[ronan from corksongs]

hello Claire -

Ringo: Music Bingo returns this year - all three days!

hopefully we cross paths!

make sure you introduce yerself

www.facebook.com/events/370145743053796/?context=create