Flags or iPhones?

[dentalplan]

Why do people bring flags? It's not just for the telly is it?

[ThomThomDrum]

There are folk trying to stop/minimize it

http://www.nme.com/news/alt-j/70339

But I did recently hear of a software company (cant remember the name) that encourages folk to record gigs on their phone using video and then upload them to their site where their software edits all the footage from a paticular gig and (I suppose gets a good quality sound track somehow) and splices it altogether for people to watch/consume online............cant for the life of me remember the company/website

[Pinhead]

Can't for the life of me understand the point...

[ThomThomDrum]

Why do people bring flags? It's not just for the telly is it?

[The Nal]

There are folk trying to stop/minimize it

http://www.nme.com/news/alt-j/70339

But I did recently hear of a software company (cant remember the name) that encourages folk to record gigs on their phone using video and then upload them to their site where their software edits all the footage from a paticular gig and (I suppose gets a good quality sound track somehow) and splices it altogether for people to watch/consume online............cant for the life of me remember the company/website

[ybelgrave1]

Is it a modern thing? I used to do that more when I was a nipper. Now I'm an old git, I can't be bothered impressing anyone, mainly because I spend most of my time working and looking after my family. I suspect that cultural capital was always part of it. The Grand Tour springs to mind, as does back packing around Europe http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Tour

[stuartbert two hats]

oh definitely its always been a part of it, but social media and smartphones (and the massive increase in the presence of people who are that way inclined at festivals) has turned it into something that you actually really notice now. i think there's a big difference between proudly telling people about an unusual experience you had and recording 20 videos, taking 600 photos and giving live updates through twatter...

Edited February 28, 2014 by stuartbert two hats

[ThomThomDrum]

Which crowd of c**ts tried to get everyone waving at the camera on the Pyramid Stage a few years ago to use in their new ad? Orange was it?

c**ts.

[FuzzyDunlop]

Phones have helped kill the atmosphere of gigs in general IMO.

Flags don't bother me either way.

Re: efestivals post: I'm 6ft 4. I am generally being given dodgy looks during gigs, tough shit. I'm tall. "you are not standing there". Yes I am.

Re glastonbury: The only time I've had anyone moan at me for being "in the way" was during stevie wonder's set.

I had put up with Jack Johnson, I have the right to stay there.

I dont want to get in the way, but what am I expected to do? Only stay at the back of the field on my own?

Edited February 28, 2014 by FuzzyDunlop

[The Nal]

Dont remember that but I recall during half time of the England WC match on the Wed in 2010 they did take a "group photo" with a 360 lens or something and the people could go online to the Orange website or Facebook and tag themselves in it and show their friend how cool Glastonbury is.......... Twas very cheddar..........

Edited February 28, 2014 by The Nal

[dentalplan]

Helps old school communication also. It says "We are here". I find this use to be acceptable personally, so long as the flag is not simply held up permanently during the gig.

eg. Someone is going to the toilet and says they will be back in 15 minutes. Their friend sticks up the flag in 15 minutes time for 5 minutes to aid their friend navigate the crowd and get back to where they where. Triangulation of points when pissed is not as effective some times and use of a phones during gigs can be problematic and annoy people even more than flags as one shouts "NO, TO THE LEFT AS YOU LOOK AT THE STAGE!! DO YOU SEE AN ICE CREAM VAN? WHAT FIELD ARE YOU IN?? ILL STAND BESIDE SOMEONES FLAG...........CAN YOU SEE A BIG LONG PURPLE FLAG?..........I THINK IT SAY SOMETHING ABOUT SAUSAGE".........The sushers hate that sort of phone call!

[ThomThomDrum]

Go to 37 seconds in

Could you imagine this amount of jumping a Glastonbury nowadays with everyone holding a phone, a flag or sitting on camp chairs?

[GlastoSimon]

Go to 37 seconds in

Could you imagine this amount of jumping a Glastonbury nowadays with everyone holding a phone, a flag or sitting on camp chairs?

[The Nal]

Could you imagine this amount of jumping a Glastonbury nowadays with everyone holding a phone, a flag or sitting on camp chairs?

Edited February 28, 2014 by The Nal

[stardustjunkie]

I don't really think there will be much of a phone issue at Glastonbury anyway, at least, not for a while. Phones that are good enough to take photos and films of festival sets from so far away, aren't going to have the battery life to last the whole festival. People buy those solar chargers etc, but no one wants to be without a phone so most people don't want to risk draining their battery unnecessarily.

Chill n Charge tent could do with being swallowed up by a gigantic hole in the ground.

[LondonTom]

Yeah, point taken.

Actually, this is why I'm so looking forward to Glastonbury. I'm something of an Internet addict. I'm permanently glued to my phone in the evenings, and as a programmer, I'm on the web all day.

[FuzzyDunlop]

"as I'm not that short but it's the 6ft 4" giants that push in front of you just as the band starts that annoy me!"

-------------------------------------------------------------

I agree, get your spot early on. Like I say I'm 6ft 4. I will get my spot early enough for people to have to deal with me.

[Vanderlyle]

I'll normally take a video of one song during a gig, maybe one or two photos. If I take the video I do it in front of my face (if that makes sense) so it's sort of not blocking views.

I think it's about balance. It's nice to have a personal memento of a gig. Glastonbury especially - you spend so much of the weekend smashed that memories can be lost easily - it's good to have something to jog the memory.

As for flags... we'll they're fine so long as they're not shit. Why would someone bring a West Bromwich Albion flag to Glastonbury? Anyway, if not for anything else, flags give a really great way of finding your friends. Lost count of the number of conversations I've had along the lines of:

"We're by the pink flag in front of the central speakers"

"The pink tits flag?"

"No, the pink flag with a sausage on it"

"Ah ok, next to the 'Fist me Jesus' flag"

"Yeah"

[ThomThomDrum]

To be fair, that clip is rolled out a lot to romanticise the past a bit. A digital beacon for the "festival isn't as good as it used to be" warriors.

Neil Young 2009. From 2 mins 45. Hardly a phone in sight.

The place went batshit crazy to "Bonkers" a few years ago too if I remember.

[Supermerv]

Personally I like the flags, think it adds to the vibe, also why is it so important that you see whats going on, surely hearing the music is more important than seeing thw people who are makng it?

As for the phones, doesn't bother me that much, just feel sorry for the people who think that the best way to engage with the world is through a 5 inch screen, then later on describe it to loved ones by posting ot on facebook rather than describing its brilliance through he spoken word, but thays just me!

[Meatball]

Phones have helped kill the atmosphere of gigs in general IMO.

Flags don't bother me either way.

Re: efestivals post: I'm 6ft 4. I am generally being given dodgy looks during gigs, tough shit. I'm tall. "you are not standing there". Yes I am.

Re glastonbury: The only time I've had anyone moan at me for being "in the way" was during stevie wonder's set.

I had put up with Jack Johnson, I have the right to stay there.

I dont want to get in the way, but what am I expected to do? Only stay at the back of the field on my own?

[frostypaw]

Flags more annoying for sure.

I think the problem in talking about it though is always in agreeing what you mean by flags. A few is lovely and does add to the atmosphere and everyone would agree but when you've been spending half the year looking forwards to seeing a band and all you can see is a sea of flags fluttering then I think everyone would agree they're not good.

[bsolxiv]

Flags don't serve any useful purpose IMHO. They're usually held by people near the front, and ruin it for everyone at the back. It all smacks of "look at me - I've got a flag - look at me - I'm near the front - look at me - my flag is hilarious - look at me". At least an iphone can record the event in some way (albeit a blurred shit way).

[GlastoSimon]

Skip to 3 minutes and tell me that some kid gurning whilst staring through his iPhone screen could help create something as cool as those flags do.

Sure, the view is a little obscured from the back of the hill when watching an act, but if you desperately want to *see* an act you'd watch from the front wouldn't you? If you're hundreds of yards away and are able to get closer to *see* an act, the complaint about an 'obscured view' due to flags is complete crap.

Any type of recording during an act, particularly one which headlines, ruins the atmosphere at the front, which is half the reason I started going to Glastonbury in the first place - watching people have such a good time during Tender looked like the sort of place I wanted to be.

Flags > phones every day of the week.

Edited March 1, 2014 by GlastoSimon

[dentalplan]

Sure, the view is a little obscured from the back of the hill when watching an act, but if you desperately want to *see* an act you'd watch from the front wouldn't you? If you're hundreds of yards away and are able to get closer to *see* an act, the complaint about an 'obscured view' due to flags is complete crap.