Lower standards

[mrpman]

Haha. I saw one girl wearing those big headphones wandering through the Pyramid on the Sunday. Couldn't beleive it.

[autoinflate]

We can all agree that wearing Beatz Headphones at a festival should result in being kicked out though can't we?

I thought the Ipad filming thing was annoying as it could get, but this is far worse!

[mrpman]

It's just something that struck me as being very funny.

When I said "should be kicked out" I meant it tongue in cheek.

[sl1ppy]

I've been to 18 Glastonbury festivals in a row, and most of my mates a similar number. We all agreed that this was just about the best we'd ever been to, certainly can't remember a better one.

We just go round the site in an endless meandering loop having a great time, being nice to people, looking after each other, soaking it all up.

On the rare occasions we find ourselves near something or someone we don't like, we move on.

I thought the litter, hedge-pissing, junk-leaving etc was improved other previous years, didn't see any violence and met really top notch folks all through the day, every day.

I feel that Glastonbury today has the safest, friendliest vibe it's ever had, plus the most creative/diverse entertainment you could wish for. I don't see how they could possibly organise it any better, and if that's not good enough for anyone, then it's simple...just don't go.

[frostypaw]

Far too much... "It's not like it used to be" talk going on. I'm sure people who have only been 4 or 5 times are thinking its not how it used to be. Unfortunately we are getting old or older. Funnily enough my friends and family used to say it about the party people and ravers (me being one) who gatecrashed "their glastonbury" in the early 90's. Then I found myself saying the same ten years later

I thought it was cleaner than previous years, didn't see as much open drug doing like it used to be and arcadia was definitely in the wrong place...

[funksoulfever]

As a glasto noob but not a fest noob me and friend literally couldnt stop saying ok it has problems but you dont get.......at any other festival

[ltfckimbo]

I saw vastly less weed smoking and a huge increase in people using "bullets" the subtle little powder takers that those not in the know probably wouldn't even spot.

This is the end result of the anti-drug pressure, people have just moved onto more subtle methods. Never seen so much of it in 10 years! I'm no anti-druggy I just think it's a very odd shift when you go from people having a spliff to chill out not fearing being busted to where the spliff smokers are worried and everyone's doing Ketamine for that chilled trippy vibe instead

I know which of those two drugs I'd rather folk did for that. Looking at some of the threads on here it's a clear answer.

And I love a crowd, and doing what I do I'm as spritely now as I was ten years back much to my mates amusement - but it was still more rammed in the main areas. It's nothing nasty, it's just simply more people and it's been more enjoyable when there's been less squish and room to dance

[whisty]

This

I am convinced it is because our accent is so easy to distinguish. It isn't that everyone from Liverpool is a twat... More that those who are are so easily recognisable

[mimimomo]

We were surrounded by idiots who would go back to their tents at 4am to chat really loudly, waking everyone up in the vicinity. These people would also sit around their camps during the day bemoaning that there was 'nothing on' (?!).

This year it seemed impossible to chill out due to the noise level. It was just constantly noisy. There was pumping music till 5am each day. It seems their is a massive emphasis on dance music now. Before there used to be a dance tent and the lost vagueness that continued into the night. Now Lost vagueness is gone and everywhere else continues playing dance music until dawn, which seems to encourage the dickish behaviour. That's just my opinion anyway.

I also got the vibe that many people didn't seem to get the spirit of Glastonbury and just saw it as place where 'anything goes' - that includes shitting next to a tent (no one can tell you off - tee hee) - and as another way to just get utterly shit faced until you vomit inside your tent (which you can then just abandon). Some seemed to think they were at Butlins or something.

I saw a fab jazz band play in Avalon, but was sat next to a group of girls in hotpants, with long blonde hair who thought it was like totally uncool and pulling a 'this is like soooo lame' face at each other, in between giggling at the performers. Then one of them noticed the that one of the singers was like kinda hot, then they all agreed, stood up and moved in front of the stage to dance while making eyes at him. Harmless behaviour, I know, but it was an interesting/depressing observation and made me wonder why they were at Glastonbury.

I found the green fields and healing fields to be a good antidote, but there is still an overwhelming amount of noise. When I visited the Peace tent a few years, it was actually silent around there. Now all you can hear is, 'boom boom tst tst' coming from every direction. Even the tea tents that I like to retreat to in order to wind down at the end of the day felt they needed to play loud music (sometimes just shitty chart stuff).

[giantkatestacks]

The reason the litter was better away from the campsites ws that there was the biggest ever team, 1700 litter pickers, 300 for the Pyramid alone. And good god its hard work. I never want to see a bottle of piss or ripped open travel john again.

The amount of coke and pure mdma bags/other unidentified stuff was enormous after the stones, no wonder there was so much aggro.

I think it has been ever thus though to be honest.

[clarkete]

I've been to 18 Glastonbury festivals in a row, and most of my mates a similar number. We all agreed that this was just about the best we'd ever been to, certainly can't remember a better one.

We just go round the site in an endless meandering loop having a great time, being nice to people, looking after each other, soaking it all up.

On the rare occasions we find ourselves near something or someone we don't like, we move on.

I thought the litter, hedge-pissing, junk-leaving etc was improved other previous years, didn't see any violence and met really top notch folks all through the day, every day.

I feel that Glastonbury today has the safest, friendliest vibe it's ever had, plus the most creative/diverse entertainment you could wish for. I don't see how they could possibly organise it any better, and if that's not good enough for anyone, then it's simple...just don't go.

[georgiebarn]

This

I am convinced it is because our accent is so easy to distinguish. It isn't that everyone from Liverpool is a twat... More that those who are are so easily recognisable

[Teddington]

The only issues I saw this year were 4 drunk twats at the Stones who insisted on taking pictures of themselves every 2 mins and banging into people, then deciding that my "be careful please" request was an incitement to fight them........

Also (again at the stones) some fat middle aged bloke on (something) saying "20 years Stones fan - yeah I know .......but that was the reason given.... coming through" and barging his way through everyone to try and get to the front.

In all honesty I did let him go so as not to cause a scene but ffs .......

Apart from that it I thought the vibe was very friendly indeed.

[iamstreety]

First time I have been covered in piss at Glastonbury (other than my own of course). Happened twice during Mumford and Sons and was just missed by a third.

I did think that there were a few more muppets in crowds trying to push through. It was mental up by the Rabbit Hole on Thursday night for Dermot.

[giantkatestacks]

The pushing and aggro was a problem. Often by absolutely munted young men but by women as well and young woman who when I told them to go behind me if they were going anywhere just looked completely surprised like they didnt even know it was a problem.

Do these people go to any other gigs?

[Mr.Tease]

Not sure I understand the reasoning that 'I didn't see anything bad so therefore there was no problem' sentiment a few people have posted- are you saying people are lying about seeing people weeing, pushing, pooing and being completely selfish, or are you saying that's alright? Bizarre. I suspect if you didn't notice any tossers there this year, it's probably because you were one of them!

As has been said before, and I think has been the case every year, it is possible to avoid the tossers if you stick to certain areas at certain times, though it means giving up some areas you might like. I don't go to the stone circle anymore- I don't really know why anyone does! Just move a field or two next door to the viewing areas.

There are some places with really nice atmospheres and people who you might find it easier to connect with. Plus I always think that a single conversation with someone you can connect with, cancels out an entire day of interactions with tossers!

I'm really sad to hear a lot of people experienced behaviour that they probably go to glastonbury to escape from- I encountered some of it myself- but I hope you managed to find some places and have some experiences that helped to recharge your spirits.

[markeee]

DEFF youngercrowd

[frostypaw]

The reason the litter was better away from the campsites ws that there was the biggest ever team, 1700 litter pickers, 300 for the Pyramid alone. And good god its hard work. I never want to see a bottle of piss or ripped open travel john again.

The amount of coke and pure mdma bags/other unidentified stuff was enormous after the stones, no wonder there was so much aggro.

I think it has been ever thus though to be honest.

[Mr.Tease]

The pushing and aggro was a problem. Often by absolutely munted young men but by women as well and young woman who when I told them to go behind me if they were going anywhere just looked completely surprised like they didnt even know it was a problem.

Do these people go to any other gigs?

[pedmills]

Not sure I understand the reasoning that 'I didn't see anything bad so therefore there was no problem' sentiment a few people have posted- are you saying people are lying about seeing people weeing, pushing, pooing and being completely selfish, or are you saying that's alright? Bizarre. I suspect if you didn't notice any tossers there this year, it's probably because you were one of them!

[pedmills]

One thing I noticed a lot this year is people having conversations about how Glastonbury is different (better) than Reading or V.

It is a good thing that they think this, but I can't remember ever hearing these conversations before. Therefore I think there were more newbies than ever before. The demand for tickets suggests this too. It could explain why the northwest of the site was more crowded than usual.

[stokelad84]

That's a very good point pedmills, I would agree with you.

The only way for the festival to move away from that crowd would be not booking so many commercial acts. But I can't see that happening.

[mail1234]

Not sure I understand the reasoning that 'I didn't see anything bad so therefore there was no problem' sentiment a few people have posted- are you saying people are lying about seeing people weeing, pushing, pooing and being completely selfish, or are you saying that's alright? Bizarre. I suspect if you didn't notice any tossers there this year, it's probably because you were one of them!

[Spindles]

Well put.

[formed a band]

There were soe deeply ungrateful bastards