So how is Silver Hayes?

[Leggins]

was it as good as Boomtown's Lion's Den?

Or even Boomtown's Beatbox?

[The60ftOctopus]

Really poor. It seemed far too busy compared to previous years, to the point I actually avoided it.

Main issues:

• Too busy. Needs another rethink in design or even location to accomodate demand and amount of stages.
• The sound-bleeding was terrible.
• The Sonic stage promised "great viewing sightlines" but actually delivered the opposite and wasn't as exciting as it made out to be.

[evilduck]

I liked the Blues and the Gully, but its not really my sort of music so I didn't spend a lot of time there. The rest of the tents were gash and I mostly just passed through on my way to John Peel. I also thought that Sonic would be a lot bigger than it was, it ended up very underwhelming and crap. They might as well have kept the old tents.

[5co77ie]

I also thought that Sonic would be a lot bigger than it was, it ended up very underwhelming and crap. They might as well have kept the old tents.

Edited October 14, 2013 by 5co77ie

[Dubious Morals]

As a dance music fan I was expecting to spend a lot of time at Silver Hayes but I was pretty underwhelmed and ended up spending not much time there.

On Thursday it was way too crowded. We had to give up on seeing Pharcyde on the WOW because it just wasn't any fun in the crush.

The Sonic Stage was terrible. Very poor sound and much too small for the big acts they had on there, imo. I think that with dance music's current popularity the main dance tent needs to be bigger, or else the bigger acts should get a slot on John Peel/Other/West Holts.

[5co77ie]

I realise Silver Hayes also needs to host a lot of venues - but it's the overall visual impression that provides the wow factor. There seemed too much space either empty or with people and no captivating reference points, apart from the boat and the cubes - both good eye candy but I feel the area needs more to keep people in the spaces between the venues.

I think perhaps I'm thinks an outdoor main stage venue too!

Edited October 14, 2013 by 5co77ie

[Supernintendo Chalmers]

Let's not forget that the images from Tomorrowland and Ultra above are their main stages. And although they make Silver Hayes look like the old disco in my town circa 1996, I would forego all of the amazing visuals above for a great atmosphere, good sound quality, a couple of decent lasers and a bit of room to move!

As I said previously, electronic music needs a large outdoor stage. It certainly worked for Major Lazer last year at West Holts and may have been equally as successful for Disclosure, Fatboy Slim, Sub Focus, Nas and Rudimental, all who played at Silver Hayes at some point.

[dan05delaney]

The tomorrowland stage looks incredible! would love to see a stage production like that at Glastonbury just any stage, I think Gully and The Blues were great stages,

Is it time to dedicate a main outdoor stage to the dance area as "EDM" in more popular than ever, Major Lazer on west holts would of felt much more at home in and around Silver Hayes

[Harry3]

Wanting a dance stage the same size as the ones at Tomorrowlands is unrealistic, seeing as thats exclusively a dance music festival. I would prefer that sort of money was spread around than just pumped into one visual feast. Tomorrowlands probably focuses on visuals because the music on the main stages is so fucking terrible, they need to give the crowd something else to focus on.

[Nickyboy]

It wasn't great but I thought it made a reasonable alternative to the 'noisy corner' if you didn't fancy tramping all the way over there later on after the main bands.

There was Arcadia as well only 10 minutes walk away.

I did quite like the WOW tent, although it was usually a little crowded after the main acts finished, and the Gully / Blues were good too.

The main tent was rubbish though. As people have said, the stage was in the wrong place for the tents shape, so you couldn't see anything.

I think it was slightly 'edgy' compared to most of the site, but no worse than seeing some of the wasted folk up around Block 9 or in the Stone Circle late on. Possibly younger and hence perceived more edgy??

[topmarksbri]

I was there for Bashmore for about 20 minutes before I had to leave because I found it all so depressing. It was just grim and felt a lot more like Reading/Leeds than Glastonbury. I think you could have walked from one side of Silver Hayes to the other on the gas cannisters that were around the floor there.

[5co77ie]

Wanting a dance stage the same size as the ones at Tomorrowlands is unrealistic, seeing as thats exclusively a dance music festival. I would prefer that sort of money was spread around than just pumped into one visual feast. Tomorrowlands probably focuses on visuals because the music on the main stages is so fucking terrible, they need to give the crowd something else to focus on.

[Matt - Ed Banger Records]

I was really looking forward to what they did with the area being a massive fan of the music that was due to be on in there, I went on the Thursday night and it was scarily busy, couldn't get anywhere near anything and with the ground muddy and the lack of any lighting by the exit towards the Other Stage the crush was quite a worry.

I went back a few times throughout the festival and enjoyed a few of the sets that were on there but the issue that I have always had with the area is that it never feels like its a destination area of the festival and just a walk through and the atmosphere suffers greatly for that. The new areas were good but the Sonic Stage was dreadful, I think it may have come a time now for them to scale back the size of the area and concentrate on having some really well thought and out and programmed stages, maybe larger in size but smaller in volume. I didn't get a ticket for this year sadly so probably won't be able to see if they make any marked improvements this year.

[coma girl]

I also thought the Blues and Gully area were brilliant, one of my favourite bits of the site.

[Harry3]

Silver hayes have just said on facebook that the terrible Sonic stage is back, but with added screens...

Fix the sound!

[zero000]

Just make it a bigger stage already the fact it's "

winged" is a pain in the arse. Silver Hayes does seem a bit of a wasted opportunity at times.

[Brave Sir Robin]

Fix the sound!

[LondonTom]

Silver hayes have just said on facebook that the terrible Sonic stage is back, but with added screens...

Fix the sound!

[Bisque]

Silver Hayes has been the biggest let down at Glastonbury for me. So much promised before but the "winged" tent was a poor choice. I've not seen many tents that shape before & perhaps for a reason.

[TheSeventhOne]

Just tear it down and start over

[5co77ie]

Silver Hayes has been the biggest let down at Glastonbury for me. So much promised before but the "winged" tent was a poor choice. I've not seen many tents that shape before & perhaps for a reason.

Edited December 18, 2013 by 5co77ie

[Field Commander Jefferson]

They just need to change the policing policy to let the place chill down - like Hell was, and add a bit of neon eye candy here and there at night to break up the open spaces at night - maybe more cubes or the like.

[5co77ie]

An area like the ID Spiral tent in the old dance area would be ideal, ambient/experimental chilled dance music late at night with projections etc. Offered a proper alternative to what was going on elsewhere and had those lit up mushrooms etc outside with also lots of low tables to sit round

[Slugworth]

Personally Dog Blood was one of my highlights this year in the Sonic tent. We were right in front of the stage though. I agree with the point it just felt like a walk through to get from JP to Other.

[Spindles]

I went on the Thursday night and it was scarily busy, couldn't get anywhere near anything and with the ground muddy and the lack of any lighting by the exit towards the Other Stage the crush was quite a worry.