The ultimate glasto access all areas pass?

[blackg1000]

(Pointless post) I got onto the main stage at the end of the night with a mate at T in the Park in 1997 as I bolted past security, jumped about like a fanny onstage but there was literally no one there to see it as they had all buggered off. Got huckled off eventually by security. That was my 15 minutes (approx 30 seconds actually) and my 'backstage' moment.

Edited May 14, 2015 by blackg1000

[frostypaw]

I did read that he was pulled up by a naive security guy for having no wristband. Apparently a crowd quickly formed telling him the error of his ways! I wonder if Michael tried using the words "My face is my pass."?

This actually happened to a mate at BoomTown - we were scanning wristbands for staff/artists and this guy stomped in, the mate pulled him up and got "I'm the bloody farmer!" shouted in his face - didn't argue with that

[rumpola]

The group of friends I used to go with always used to get backstage Jazz World passes but only ever used them for the crew camping.

Last year we managed to get backstage Acoustic and Block 9 passes. Never used the Acoustic one but being able to get in the Block 9 crew bar (Maceos) was great because it was like an oasis of calm in the middle of the madness that is the SE corner.

Should, hopefully, be able to get them again this year too.

[matt2007]

The group of friends I used to go with always used to get backstage Jazz World passes but only ever used them for the crew camping.

Last year we managed to get backstage Acoustic and Block 9 passes. Never used the Acoustic one but being able to get in the Block 9 crew bar (Maceos) was great because it was like an oasis of calm in the middle of the madness that is the SE corner.

Should, hopefully, be able to get them again this year too.

Loved Maceos bar last year, the only big se for AAA type passes is going behind the pyramid towards the Other stage

[matt2007]

Anyone know if Maceos Crew bar will be there this year?

[Amy Lawn]

This actually happened to a mate at BoomTown - we were scanning wristbands for staff/artists and this guy stomped in, the mate pulled him up and got "I'm the bloody farmer!" shouted in his face - didn't argue with that

It's an honest mistake, I find it a little bit out of order to bollock somebody who is clearly just trying to do a job.

[Glastorob]

I had a site wide wristband but also needed individual stage lanyard passes or another wristband to get into backstage areas. I needed to get to every backstage area and it was a frigging pain having numerous passes around my neck and 3/4 wristbands!

From memory AAA will get you into dressing rooms and on stage of pyramid and other.

The only backstage area worth going to was West Holts which had a busy bar.

[carlosj]

Is there any wristband to get breakfast at the farmhouse?

[JBarbour]

It's an honest mistake, I find it a little bit out of order to bollock somebody who is clearly just trying to do a job.

Last time I worked glastonbury festival I remember the shangri la crew / staff being be a funny lot. They didn't like showing wrist bands to us. But then moaned at us lot when 'outsiders' got in their staff areas.

Edited May 14, 2015 by craigb

[frostypaw]

It's an honest mistake, I find it a little bit out of order to bollock somebody who is clearly just trying to do a job.

I get the impression he likes having events there but really doesn't like the hassle checking on his crops, some of which fall inside the fence. Considering all the different shifts it must have got pretty irritating. He had nothing on the cyclists... But that's another story

[dan05delaney]

I've worked back of house for loads of events and tbh its boring, just trucks and then portacabins as changing rooms its no fun...

but my brother works securtiy at glasto every year gonna see if it says anything in one of his handbooks if I can find one

[Gnomicide]

I've only had any sort of pass once which was for Pixies at Crystal Palace Bowl.

Was worth it though as the event was alcohol free apart from the area we had passes for, and backstage of course.

We got on MTV too by hovering in the background while Paul King interviewed various bands.

[Sawdusty surfer]

For Arcadia at least, you mean Bar Passes.... Crew pass giveaways have been massively tightened up.

Maybe, but the one I was given allowed me access to Arcadia crew friends in their trucks as well as access to the bar.

Edit, maybe my area crew wristband had something to do with it?

Edited May 14, 2015 by Sawdusty Surfer

[kingjamma]

Having been backstage of the Pyramid stage briefly, it didn't seem all that great. Just portakabins, tour buses and vehicles driving about. Seemed very lifeless. The short cut from Pyramid to Other is the only good thing I can see from having a backstage pass, but then again I've never really had the need to have access to that short cut.

[Sawdusty surfer]

Having been backstage of the Pyramid stage briefly, it didn't seem all that great. Just portakabins, tour buses and vehicles driving about. Seemed very lifeless. The short cut from Pyramid to Other is the only good thing I can see from having a backstage pass, but then again I've never really had the need to have access to that short cut.

This.

[jmarmer]

The short cut is not as useful as it used to be since they moved the wholesale market, you could at one time duck through by the Pyramid at Webbs Ash and pop out by the Glade in about 5 mins. Very handy for getting back from SE corner to Wicket Ground where our crew base is. We get hospitality bands every year but they are really only useful for getting around the site a bit quicker, you can get backstage acoustic on a steward laminate and it is a pretty good bar, especially if you're into your real ales. One year we got production bands by mistake and that was fun, my mate Gary tells a very funny story of eating himself half to death in the BBC restaurant with Jo Whiley and Stephen Merchant looking on disapprovingly as he tries to gorge himself on the complimentary food before security rumble him and kick him out with his pockets full of profiteroles. On the whole though hospitality is no great shakes.

[incident]

I wonder how many different wristbands there are now? Must be loaaaads

An insane number.

Last year I got a chance to look through the "bible" - essentially a ring binder with examples for all GFL-issued wristbands, laminates, vehicle passes, etc. From what I remember (and it was a while ago), there was approximately two dozen of each, and that's not including the the ones issued directly by specific areas. Wish I'd taken a photo, if I get a chance I'll do so this year. To make it more complicated, different combinations of wristbands and/or laminates signify different things.

[DeanoL]

The true AAA passes, other than the main organizers, are going to end up going to the people with the most mundane jobs who just happen to potentially need access to the entire site. Medical staff, head fire wardens, infrastructure managers.

I'd doubt even the headline acts get them.

[teamsofa]

1:53 in. Maybe because Lars seemed like he wanted to actually see the site?

[glasto-worker]

An insane number.

Last year I got a chance to look through the "bible" - essentially a ring binder with examples for all GFL-issued wristbands, laminates, vehicle passes, etc. From what I remember (and it was a while ago), there was approximately two dozen of each, and that's not including the the ones issued directly by specific areas. Wish I'd taken a photo, if I get a chance I'll do so this year. To make it more complicated, different combinations of wristbands and/or laminates signify different things.

I was asked to help out the mean fiddler production office at the Phoenix either 1993 or 94 and Security had a few minutes to try and memorise ' over 70 laminates ' - there is no way they could take it all in and that was a event far smaller than Glastonbury - I ended up handing out passes mainly to Bands and guests and even with the board right in front of me it would be dead easy to make a mistake and issue the wrong pass.

[mr flow]

I had access to the Orange hospitality section which was in the garden of the house at the bottom of the railway track (sort of). I walked in there and everyone was watching Wimbledon on a widescreen TV all looking clean and pampered. That year, it was particularly muddy and it just showed me how detatched from the "real Glastonbury" these hospitality areas were.

I went to the bar, grabbed two free pints and walked out.

Not for me.

[ian the worm]

Passes enable people who work at the festival to get on with their work at the festival.

There are only a few cool backstage bars and these places give out passes during the final build week. So you get a lot of crew swapping at night.

Mostly the backstage areas are full of workers working, workers eating and workers sleeping.

Don't confuse all people with passes as liggers.

[PabloCoke]

I've had passes in the past for back stage of the park, pyramid, jp when it was new bands tent and other. The bars are pretty shit. I've had production passes which us handy for short cuts. You need individual stage passes for each day to get near the stages, managed to watch Ian brown from the side of the stage when he played the other which was fucking boss!

Got hospitality this year, the interstage bit is nice for a chill out in the day time but its shit at night, the party is deffo elsewhere.

[Paul_w]

The highest level doesn't need a wristband at all - have you seen Michael with one?

About 10 years ago when i worked on Gate security a member of my team spend a good 10-15 minutes denying "some woman" access to the main worthy farm/farmhouse area, only to find out that it was actually Emily Eavis. Not sure he ever lived that one down.

[PabloCoke]

I had access to the Orange hospitality section which was in the garden of the house at the bottom of the railway track (sort of). I walked in there and everyone was watching Wimbledon on a widescreen TV all looking clean and pampered. That year, it was particularly muddy and it just showed me how detatched from the "real Glastonbury" these hospitality areas were.

I went to the bar, grabbed two free pints and walked out.

Not for me.

The orange hospitality is the only place I've seen free beer and food that isn't a dressing room in Glastonbury.