Flags

[frostypaw]

It is, no doubt. Just no good in crowds really.

Hey go for both - many did. Very strange

[MoilyX]

... particularly as there isn't a waterproof coat on the planet that is actually really waterproof. ...

[eoJ]

Personally I don't like flags blocking my few of people I paid to see in the flesh! Yes there are screens, but If I wanted to watch them on a screen would of saved my cash and watched at home....

[Ted Dansons Wig]

It always amazes me when I'm in say the 5th row, and there are still people watching the screens...

[progue]

I tend to watch on the screens as I'm scared that if I see the real thing that my eyes might burn in their sockets.

[LondonTom]

I tend to watch on the screens as I'm scared that if I see the real thing that my eyes might burn in their sockets.

[progue]

So the flag wavers are actually considerate people trying to help us avoid an Indiana Jones Raiders Of the Lost Ark situation?

[Ted Dansons Wig]

And in one particular case they serve as a useful reminder as to how much I love sausages.

Edited July 11, 2014 by Ted Dansons Wig

[jameshunt]

I think the pro-flag folks in this thread are simply trying to wind people up and get a response. Either that or they really are as selfish as they come across, or possibly are too thick to get the point?

Why should 90,000+ people, the majority who paid good money to be there, have to watch your f'ing flags instead of the stage show the whole time? What's that? You can't see anything from further back anyway? That response would be complete bollocks. If that was the case why would any act bother to dress their set? Just for TV and the few folks at the front who have an unobscured view?

Try thinking about others. Take a flag, mark your camp with it by all means. Walk around the site with it. Brighten people's days with humorous ones. But don't erect them in the mosh pit or in front of stages or screens.

[progue]

Remember James, that there will only be around 5 people out of the 90,000 who actually give a fuck. The rest of them will be oblivious and just happy to be alive and enjoying a good time.

Plus what would all the 'grumpy old men'have to grump about if their weren't any flags....These people are keeping grumpsters like you in grumpiness...

I mean let's face it there's no dog muck to grump about at Glasto, no People with supermarket trolleys that bump into you etc... so without the few ignorant flag bearers, the odd person keeping dry with an umbrella and the occasional poor sod who just happens to have decided to rest on a seat in YOUR way, what else would you have to grump and groan about?

[verrymerry]

But what does CJJ mean?!

[Bluebeth]

Just watching coverage from T in the park and spotted 2 flags at the main stage. If you don't know where your friends are, have a meeting point. If you want to get on TV, get a career in tv.

[michael eavis' beard]

Just watching coverage from T in the park and spotted 2 flags at the main stage. If you don't know where your friends are, have a meeting point. If you want to get on TV, get a career in tv.

[Staff_Sav]

Remember James, that there will only be around 5 people out of the 90,000 who actually give a fuck. The rest of them will be oblivious and just happy to be alive and enjoying a good time.

Plus what would all the 'grumpy old men'have to grump about if their weren't any flags....These people are keeping grumpsters like you in grumpiness...

I mean let's face it there's no dog muck to grump about at Glasto, no People with supermarket trolleys that bump into you etc... so without the few ignorant flag bearers, the odd person keeping dry with an umbrella and the occasional poor sod who just happens to have decided to rest on a seat in YOUR way, what else would you have to grump and groan about?

[faymondo]

Have to admit I am a flag knobhead (or we as a group are for the last two years) I also admit to seeing the flag on TV after and going thats our flag when at a TV venue. It is also a great focal point to meet wherever you are on site and the leader has the flag so follow it when away from the TV stages or generally around the site. So easy to spot and also putting up at base camp when first home at night. The flag we have (Tyskie Polish beer flag) has over the last two years got us into over 20 plus situations were random people (Polish) come up to us and often have a Glastonbury moment regarding the flag with them and enhances our experience of Glastonbury.

Edited July 11, 2014 by faymondo

[frostypaw]

Remember James, that there will only be around 5 people out of the 90,000 who actually give a fuck. The rest of them will be oblivious and just happy to be alive and enjoying a good time.

[progue]

A Flag Poll eh!

Each to their own Frosty..if someone's not trying to purposefully hurt me or mine, I'm not going to get too het up about it.

I suppose I can understand why other people would, but it feels like wasted emotion to me.

Incidentally how did they conduct the poll?

Edited July 12, 2014 by progue

[Midnight Man]

I was flicking through the BBC coverage last night and came across probably the definitive argument against flags: the unspeakable Gemma Cairney thinks they're great! Only the true Glastonbury 'enthusiast' uses them as they're a great way to meet up with friends in front of the main stages, apparently. Just waiting for conformation of that opinion from the equally knowledgeable Greg James...

[amfy]

I was flicking through the BBC coverage last night and came across probably the definitive argument against flags: the unspeakable Gemma Cairney thinks they're great! Only the true Glastonbury 'enthusiast' uses them as they're a great way to meet up with friends in front of the main stages, apparently. Just waiting for conformation of that opinion from the equally knowledgeable Greg James...

[frostypaw]

I go with the flags only because I prefer not to spend as little as possible of Glastonbury being angry, and to enjoy what I've got instead of what I wish I had.

[progue]

I thought it might be something like that....

With those sort of polls it's almost inevitable that the vote would be skewed quite heavily towards those who are anti flag...Simply because they would be bothered enough to conduct the poll, whereas those who are either indifferent (i.e. not bothered at all about the flags) would simply have no reason to be involved in the poll.

I'd imagine that likely means that in an average Glasto Crowd you might have 10% who are anti flag, 10% who are pro flag and the other 80% who really aren't bothered.

Like I said in my original point really....Most people simply don't give a fuck and why should they really?

If you want to conduct a survey and get proper results then you need to take a proper random sample of individuals and ask them to answer the question. Inevitably as I say online surveys of that nature will attract the interest of those who actually care one way or the other.

It's usually just the odd folk who tend to always have to have something to moan about, who will have an opinion. You'll generally find there's a whole host of other things that 'other people' do that will annoy them as well, whilst they have a ready made justification for everything they like to do that others don't find to pleasant.

I also don't think it is really fair for anyone to make judgments over how a person should act at a live gig and whether there way of enjoying that gig somehow has less merit than someone elses.

Some people like to see the stars on the stage, others might just soak up the atmosphere from the crowd and simply enjoy the different sound etc.

Some people won't like having smoke from flares up there noses and in their eyes and sparks flying in their faces and might consider the people who set them off attention seekers who just want to get on TV, others will see them as adding to the atmosphere....Flags are no different.

It's a small world and we have to share it with a lot of other people..

So I think I'm inclined to say if you have a massive issue with flags that is probably your personal problem for you to deal with. So chances are that might mean you might have to inconvenience yourself and find an alternative position in the crowd that is suitable for someone with that particular issue.

I mean if you are actually wanting to properly see the people on a stage like the Pyramid in any case, I'd imagine that you'd need to be so close that the flags are unlikely to impact on your sight trajectory in any case??

[frostypaw]

TLDR

Not so. You're just wrong *shrug* other polls conducted on sites like this are usually just anti flag

Not really for you to tell other people what they should be bothered about mate, bit presumptuous. Rather reads like you've not read any of the other flag related threads, could be good before bothering typing so much

[eoJ]

I'd agree while there you're better off not letting things get to you but how about not having those annoying things there in the first place?

TBH if going to live gigs isn't about seeing the gig for people then I lose a little interest in their view on flags. I can go watch music on big screens elsewhere and not worry about flags. I can go listen to music in a club or pub... that's not what going to a live gig is about - it's pretty much the defining difference!

I'm not saying you're doing it wrong - folk can do it how they want, but if you're not bothered the vote needs a "not bothered" option not purely yes/no to stop it skewing the vote

The poll, btw, was conducted on the main Glastonbury website open for anyone worldwide to click.

[Guest]

I get personalised flags to one extent but why oh why do people bring `sponsered flags` into these things? I lost count of the amount of flags with an advert on them for some brand without anything personalised at all on there.....I mean are these people paid for free advertising? or do they just who want a flag and dont care what it says on it?

Funniest moment of the weekend flagwise for me was the guy who had the idiocy to erect a flag promoting `armed forces day` during robert plants set(that was one of the sponsered flags it had one bit as the official forces merch promoting armed forces day and the other bit was a benson and hedges advert....why?).....that didnt get a good reaction, talk about wrong place wrong time...helping to glorify war at a festival well known for its peace and anti war vibe.

Well that and the `flag` battle while waiting for start of metallica, anyone else here see that? 2 flag holders trying to take each others flags out with the crowd cheering them on? comedy moment

Edited July 12, 2014 by thatcrazypenguin

[progue]

TLDR

Not so. You're just wrong *shrug* other polls conducted on sites like this are usually just anti flag

Not really for you to tell other people what they should be bothered about mate, bit presumptuous. Rather reads like you've not read any of the other flag related threads, could be good before bothering typing so much