Which was your best year and why?

[MrHew]

This is really tricky because they all blend in. 1st in 95 is a standout, as is 99. Had some great ones early to mid 2000s but cant really tell them apart. Never had a bad one I don't think.

[hatman]

been to every one since 2002, bar 2008 and last year. 2003 was great, and 2009 had great headliners and backup but its 2010 for me. great weather all weekend, the wombles, and watching the mighty LCD Soundsystem playing one of their last ever shows on the other stage as the sun dipped was a special moment

[The_Amazing_Oblong]

Perhaps because we have managed to get tickets every year prior I was getting a bit blase over the festival. For the last couple of years I have been debating wether I am getting too old or would prefer a change and then I failed to get tickets last year.

That really struck home and I was suprised how gutted I was not getting a ticket. So much so I managed to get in by working the West Holts Bar and no longer take getting a ticket for granted. It has brought back a feeling of excitement for the festival and I was over the moon when we managed to get punters tickets again this year.

This year will be may favourite.

[RossTC]

2010 in that glorious weather seemed special, care free.

But other than that they all merge in with certain bits sticking out in every year really.

[russycarps]

This is really tricky because they all blend in. 1st in 95 is a standout, as is 99. Had some great ones early to mid 2000s but cant really tell them apart. Never had a bad one I don't think.

why didnt you go in 2014?

[Stu H]

2010 in that glorious weather seemed special, care free.

But other than that they all merge in with certain bits sticking out in every year really.

Yep, 2010. First one for me and absolutely glorious. But musically, some of the best experiences I've ever had.

[Cuboid]

Loved 2004 but I'll be the first to say 2008 as the favourite:

- Group I was with

- Camping spot (park Home ground)

- the smug feeling of sticking with the festival having been through the endless showers of 05 and 07 where many cried off

- Jay Z convinced an entire field of doubters with one of the most exciting headlining performances I've seen

[russycarps]

Loved 2004 but I'll be the first to say 2008 as the favourite:

- Group I was with

- Camping spot (park Home ground)

- the smug feeling of sticking with the festival having been through the endless showers of 05 and 07 where many cried off

- Jay Z convinced an entire field of doubters with one of the most exciting headlining performances I've seen

Jay Z was shit.

[Dr Glasto]

First one in 2000 is still my favourite. Finished my last exam and jumped in a car with my mates, a tent, and barely any money. We hopped the fence (after some altercations with angry crow-bar wielding scousers) and I will never forget that first moment of seeing the festival and the haze of hash smoke that was hovering above it.

It was definitely a very different festival to those that have taken place post superfence - the comparisons to Mad Max are spot on! I can't say I miss certain aspects of that festival (twice as many people using the portaloos as planned is something that will probably stay with me for a long time!), but I loved the edginess and sense that literally anything could (and probably would) happen.

Had an absolute blinder

[russycarps]

First one in 2000 is still my favourite. Finished my last exam and jumped in a car with my mates, a tent, and barely any money. We hopped the fence (after some altercations with angry crow-bar wielding scousers) and I will never forget that first moment of seeing the festival and the haze of hash smoke that was hovering above it.

It was definitely a very different festival to those that have taken place post superfence - the comparisons to Mad Max are spot on! I can't say I miss certain aspects of that festival (twice as many people using the portaloos as planned is something that will probably stay with me for a long time!), but I loved the edginess and sense that literally anything could (and probably would) happen.

Had an absolute blinder

I really miss the smell of smoke and weed at glastonbury.

[FakeEmpire]

I've been to 5 so far (2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014).

2009 was very special because it was my first Glastonbury experience; I was completely blown away by every last thing about it. I also had some of my all time favourite music moments topped off with Blur playing my favourite live set EVER.

2014 is my favourite so far though - I feel more privileged each year that I succeed in getting a ticket and felt more excited last year than ever before. I've also started going with people who share a lot of the same musical interests and so I can share a lot of these moments.

[tombertb]

Just to detract from the theme for a moment, I'm really intrigued how bad the weather was in 05' and 07' in how debilitating it was.

I've been in 11, 13, 14 and apart from the storm last year and a bit of a mud in 11 the first 2 days, I've never had it too bad.

Can anyone enlighten me to the conditions, any funny stories etc?

[Dr Glasto]

I really miss the smell of smoke and weed at glastonbury.

Yeah me too - it used to be a real defining feature of the festival for me. It was literally a permanent cloud over the entire site wasn't it.

Now we just have the sound of nitrous...

[russycarps]

Just to detract from the theme for a moment, I'm really intrigued how bad the weather was in 05' and 07' in how debilitating it was.

I've been in 11, 13, 14 and apart from the storm last year and a bit of a mud in 11 the first 2 days, I've never had it too bad.

Can anyone enlighten me to the conditions, any funny stories etc?

2005 was fine. Horrific downpour on the thursday but other than that fine, culminating in the hottest sunday afternoon I can ever remember.

The only amusing thing I can recall was watching some pissed up fellows diving into a huge lake of water to recover their cans of ale from their flooded campsite...............just meters away from a set of turdis's lying on their side with fresh stools clearly visible in the water and floating towards our brave heroes...

2007 was relentless rain. Couldnt even smoke. I've never drunk more than I did that weekend. Didnt even take much else, it seemed like alcohol was the only thing that helped.

[incident]

Just to detract from the theme for a moment, I'm really intrigued how bad the weather was in 05' and 07' in how debilitating it was.

I've been in 11, 13, 14 and apart from the storm last year and a bit of a mud in 11 the first 2 days, I've never had it too bad.

Can anyone enlighten me to the conditions, any funny stories etc?

2005 and 2007 are both very, very different.

2005 was great weather, for the most part. The first couple days were boiling hot, and I don't recall a lot of rain on the Friday, Saturday, or Sunday. The only blip was the unprecedented amount of rain falling on Thursday Night / Friday Morning which caused some major floods in certain areas - aside from that it was great though. I'd switched back to trainers by some time on Saturday. Unless you were camping in one of the affected areas (bottom of Pennards), 2011 was worse for mud.

2007 was like 2011, just much worse. Extended rain showers throughout the weekend, mud everywhere.

[Dr Glasto]

Just to detract from the theme for a moment, I'm really intrigued how bad the weather was in 05' and 07' in how debilitating it was.

I've been in 11, 13, 14 and apart from the storm last year and a bit of a mud in 11 the first 2 days, I've never had it too bad.

Can anyone enlighten me to the conditions, any funny stories etc?

2007 was hard work to be fair and is definitely my least favourite Glastonbury. The rain just didn't stop the entire time and it was cold persistent drizzle.

I still had an amazing time, but it was just so tiring trudging around in all that mud. Some parts of the site were almost inaccessible and there seemed to be a lot less seating than there is now (or at least it appeared that way when every single person was fighting for it!) so it was bloody knackering. It's probably the only time I've been ready to go home at the end (I normally don't want to leave).

EDIT: Forgot about the amusing story.

Best thing I saw in 2007 was a girl who had been completely submerged in the mud (presumably from a drug/alcohol induced stupour) rear up like a zombie, realise she was covered from head to toe and then run straight towards a group of (remarkably) clean looking lads shouting 'Fear the shit monster!'. The lads looked completely terrified and tried to run away, but promptly slipped over in the mud. Whilst most of them were somewhat disgruntled, one of the lads looked down, realised he was covered in mud and ran at another group of people shouting 'Fear the shit monster!'.

I very much hope that game continued for some time...

Edited May 6, 2015 by Dr Glasto

[The Nal]

2007 wasn't even muddy in the traditional sense. It was slush. Really wet brown stuff everywhere. 2-3 inches of water sat on 6 inches of mud.

My most lasting memory from 07 - memories really - is walking almost exclusively on the paths (as anywhere else was too fucked) and mud splashing up from others boots, as we were all so crammed together walking about, and hitting me in the mouth.

Everyone you met looked like their faces had been pebble-dashed by a rabbit with the shits.

Edited May 6, 2015 by The Nal

[frostypaw]

2005 was a brief spectacular disaster - unless you were in the actual flood zones it was like a more exciting version of the wet years since, but it did drive a few folk away - shame as noted above it was fine by midday saturday.

2007 drove a LOT of people away from the festival for years. Even fairly hardcore regulars just couldn't face it again - it was that bad. I remember arriving in glorious sun to green grass and then it all went utterly to hell. Leaving was one of the saddest sights I've seen - the whole site was ruined from edge to edge a lake of mud and ruined tent parts and wellies as far as the eye could see. Crossing the pyramid field where they'd taken up the repeat towers there was a small patch of perfect clean grass and a mud-soaked couple slowly waltzing on it barefoot and I had to choke back a sob for what it should have been

[BlackHole2006]

2009 without a shadow of a doubt was my favorite year. 2008 was my first year but I tried to do too much but 2009 was just perfect. I selected only 5 bands each day, that I really really wanted to see and stuck to those bands, the rest of the time was spent at the circus/green peace areas. That was the time when I truly fell in love with the place and realized how incredible it was.

Edited May 6, 2015 by BlackHole2006

[incident]

2007 drove a LOT of people away from the festival for years. Even fairly hardcore regulars just couldn't face it again - it was that bad.

That's definitely true. For all the rubbish talked about the headliners and especially Jay-Z the following year, there's no doubt for me that the 2007 weather is the real and only reason 2008 tickets didn't sell out in advance. If we ever get another year like that, it'd probably be my last. I still get flashbacks from time to time.

[Peroni]

Just to detract from the theme for a moment, I'm really intrigued how bad the weather was in 05' and 07' in how debilitating it was.

I've been in 11, 13, 14 and apart from the storm last year and a bit of a mud in 11 the first 2 days, I've never had it too bad.

Can anyone enlighten me to the conditions, any funny stories etc?

Not to thread hijack... I find youtube helpful to show 2005 in its glory.

https://youtu.be/fkJGXzI_sU4

Sunny -deluge- sunny

[tombertb]

Not to thread hijack... I find youtube helpful to show 2005 in its glory.

https://youtu.be/fkJGXzI_sU4

Sunny -deluge- sunny

Oh my word. That's pretty grim.

Thanks for sharing, and to others as well. Massive respect for sticking with stuff like that.

[MrHew]

why didnt you go in 2014?

Our nipper was due to arrive the week of the festival. She arrived on the 18th June so I watched a lot of it while feeding her her bottle.

Missing this year too (unless we get lucky in a competition?. The reality is just starting to sink in. Hoping to make up for it with Bearded Theory.

[Wrigley The Troll]

i was there in 05 for the floods. didn't bother me

[TheParkAfterDark]

I also had some of my all time favourite music moments topped off with Blur playing my favourite live set EVER.

2009 for me too. Out of all the Glastonburys I've been to that's the only one where the band I wanted to see most have headlined on the Sunday night so my whole weekend was working towards it. No matter how much fun I had I knew Blur were still to come. Initially I was worried I was building it up too much but my goodness it was 100x better than i could have imagined!

Coupled with fantastic friends both old and new, THAT Thursday night, a stellar line up and general all round fun it really was the year I look back on with most fondness.

2007 was relentless rain. Couldnt even smoke. I've never drunk more than I did that weekend. Didnt even take much else, it seemed like alcohol was the only thing that helped.

Probably the reason I really enjoyed 2007 despite the conditions!