My first timers' review of Glasto 15

[greenchicken]

The Friday and Saturday were utterly, utterly minging though. Easily enough water and mud packed into those two days to call it a mudbath IMO.

 

I remember going down to the Other stage on Friday to get a Growler, once it had finally stopped raining, and the entire field was literally a lake. A huge shallow lake about a foot deep. Within a couple of hours it had all turned to type 1 mud.

 

I found some old pictures of the Other stage taken on a really crap phone (it was 2005!):

 

 

 

 

Did they carry on with the schedule of acts? Surely encouraging tens of thousands of people on to that mud is a bad idea?

[Cheesey]

Did they carry on with the schedule of acts? Surely encouraging tens of thousands of people on to that mud is a bad idea?

 

IIRC there were some delays getting the music started on the Friday morning. No restrictions on where people were allowed to walk, although I do remember stewards trying to stop people from walking in the vicinity of a set of portaloos which has been overturned by the flood. I remember them shouting "YOU ARE WALKING THROUGH PISS AND SHIT" at people wading through it in their flip-flops.

 

The Other stage wasn't the biggest problem though. This was the scene at the bottom of Pennards:

 

[Mr.Tease]

[greenchicken]

IIRC there were some delays getting the music started on the Friday morning. No restrictions on where people were allowed to walk, although I do remember stewards trying to stop people from walking in the vicinity of a set of portaloos which has been overturned by the flood. I remember them shouting "YOU ARE WALKING THROUGH PISS AND SHIT" at people wading through it in their flip-flops.

 

The Other stage wasn't the biggest problem though. This was the scene at the bottom of Pennards:

 

 

No thanks.

[Cheesey]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJi56wIE93Q

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkJGXzI_sU4

[greenchicken]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJi56wIE93Q

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkJGXzI_sU4

I mean, where do you even start getting your shit together after that happens? How do you even get home?!

[stuartbert two hats]

I mean, where do you even start getting your shit together after that happens? How do you even get home?!

You buy a new tent, then start drinking.  You don't go home.

[frostypaw]

I mean, where do you even start getting your shit together after that happens? How do you even get home?!

I knew a bunch of folk in the flooded area via various forums

Almost all of them stayed - other people sheltered the stuff they managed to rescue, friends bought them drinks and put them up in their tents and they carried on

A lot of folk left, don't get me wrong, but it's when this sorta horror happens you really get to see the festival. without a single beat everyone pulls together and helps each other - or they retreat to their £6k luxury retreat with a mimosa and ignore it

We spent that morning getting a fire going above the ground so we could dry out under our gazebo, had a slow line of visitors drying themselves out. spent much of the weekend rescuing people from mud sometimes in long chains was great fun tbh. That then 2007 wiped a lot of the casual element out and the festival went back to taking months to sell out

didn't last lol. 08 went well, 09 amazing then back to mental ticket days as everyone wanted to come again. The crazy demand seems only down to the casuals who only really want to be there if it's nice weather and they approve of all 3 pyramid headliners.

[BlackHole2006]

didn't last lol. 08 went well, 09 amazing then back to mental ticket days as everyone wanted to come again. The crazy demand seems only down to the casuals who only really want to be there if it's nice weather and they approve of all 3 pyramid headliners.

 

That's the thing, I reckon the sale this year will last a little longer due to all the extensive and mostly bad media coverage that Kanye is getting at the moment.

 

Saying that, my local BBC News programme is absolutely obsessed with it. Calling every single event going on in the county "The Glastonbury of *insert topic here*". Just today they were talking about something that was "The Glastonbury of agriculture".

[stuartbert two hats]

That's the thing, I reckon the sale this year will last a little longer due to all the extensive and mostly bad media coverage that Kanye is getting at the moment.

Saying that, my local BBC News programme is absolutely obsessed with it. Calling every single event going on in the county "The Glastonbury of *insert topic here*". Just today they were talking about something that was "The Glastonbury of agriculture".

Nah, the sale time is limited by the speed of SeeTickets' servers. Providing our sells out on the first day, you can't infer anything meaningful about the demand for tickets from the sell out time.

[eFestivals]

Nah, the sale time is limited by the speed of SeeTickets' servers.

 

not correct.

 

The sale time is pre-set by Glasto. See could sell the tickets faster than they're being sold.

[amfy]

This is my favourite - it still makes me cry laughing!

[McCor]

This was my first year, and if it hadn't had rained, I would have felt cheated! But, yes, I think we got off very, very lightly!!! Couldn't have asked for better weather this year.

[stuartbert two hats]

not correct.

The sale time is pre-set by Glasto. See could sell the tickets faster than they're being sold.

Even this year? Are you sure? I has the impression that cap was removed on the last sale, with all the reports of *payments* timing out.

Either way, it doesn't change my point - you can't infer anything useful about overall demand from the time it takes to sell out. It's like trying to work out how much water is in a jug from how long it takes to pour out a glass.

[frostypaw]

This is my favourite - it still makes me cry laughing!

that is brilliant - so much of that - everywhere

I remember a point where I figured I'd get around a lot faster if I laid down and wriggled along so I didn't sink in, but was in no way in the mood to try it. did giggle along for a while imagining if it caught on

[Quark]

Don't always remember how lucky I've been until I see some of the vids from '07.  Every year I've been ('09, '10, '13 and '15) the weather's been top notch, with maybe one of two showers at worst.  Genuinely have no idea how I would react to weather like that; I'd like to thin I'd make the best of it and just crack on, but a little part of me worries that I'd just chuck a strop and go home!

[johnmcga]

My first Glastonbury was 2007 as well. The only reason I went back in 2008 was because I thought it deserved another chance to impress me. I'm so, so very glad I returned that year. Been hooked ever since.

 

I sometimes wonder how many first-timers from 2007 never went back again. I know at least one guy who's never dared to return.

[frostypaw]

It's not worth chucking it in - I mean I can understand for the folks whose stuff is totally ruined but it can be harder surviving the heat like in '10. That festival was ruined for my flatmate, he couldn't leave the shade and that was still tough going.

Suitable footwear, waterproofs including trousers, bin bag to get the lot off and a warm tent and it was fine. Getting about was slow, the mud tiring but you did less - and the atmosphere was great as only the really keen made it to gigs. Felt very crowded and some people got stroppy, but generally you'd all been through the blitz together and had stories to share.

I had a crap year on the whole but for unrelated reasons, when that wasn't in the way had as much fun as any other, just slowly.

[Cheesey]

My first Glastonbury was 2007 as well. The only reason I went back in 2008 was because I thought it deserved another chance to impress me. I'm so, so very glad I returned that year. Been hooked ever since.

 

I sometimes wonder how many first-timers from 2007 never went back again. I know at least one guy who's never dared to return.

 

My first was 1997 and I didn't return for five years. If 2002 had been muddy as well........ who knows?

 

I remember walking about on the Thursday in 2002 thinking "wow, so this is what it's supposed to be like!". I was hooked from that point onwards.

Edited July 9, 2015 by Cheesey

[eFestivals]

Even this year? Are you sure? I has the impression that cap was removed on the last sale, with all the reports of *payments* timing out.

I'm not entirely sure that they capped it this year, but it's certainly the case that they've capped it in the past and that the See system could have sold the tickets significantly faster without the cap.

Either way, it doesn't change my point - you can't infer anything useful about overall demand from the time it takes to sell out. It's like trying to work out how much water is in a jug from how long it takes to pour out a glass.

that part I agree with.

[Cheesey]

Here's a picture from the markets in 1997. Rank.

 

[frostypaw]

I find the rapid sales kinda unpleasant. I prefer the idea of it going on a few hours so there's a smaller proportion of casuals who'd give up in the first hour

[stuartbert two hats]

but it's certainly the case that they've capped it in the past and that the See system could have sold the tickets significantly faster without the cap.

That part I agree with.

How disappointingly uncontentious!

[eFestivals]

This. The cap should be 24 hours. Sort out the truly dedicated still f5ING at four am.

I dunno about 24 hours, but I reckon the 20 minutes it's been recently is too fast. It makes it too easy for casuals to get tickets.

Sadly, I can't see them being happy to announce "Glastonbury sold out slower this year".

[Cheesey]

This. The cap should be 24 hours. Sort out the truly dedicated still f5ING at four am.

 

2004. The Horror.

 

<rocks slowly>