Getting through the crowd- Thoughts?

[grumpyhack]

With a dodgy back I can't do standing gigs any more.  So I'll happily sit at the back with me chair. But the rules about plonking yourself in front of someone still apply.  Always look round and make sure that the people behind you can still see.

The nice thing about chair people is that we usually also strike up a conversation with our neighbours.

[weirdforces]

I've been wondering about chair people, how far in the back are you normally? I've never been to Glastonbury and the crowds just seem enormous, is it even possible to see the stage from the back with all the flags and are the screens big enough to actually see what's going on?

[clarkete]

6 minutes ago, weirdforces said:

I've been wondering about chair people, how far in the back are you normally? I've never been to Glastonbury and the crowds just seem enormous, is it even possible to see the stage from the back with all the flags and are the screens big enough to actually see what's going on?

It just depends which stage you're at and who is playing

Eg. at the Park or West Holts you can get some cracking stuff you can see pretty well and sit and soak up the sun, that does happen at the pyramid too though, as long as it's not someone massively popular.

[gerardfenton18]

Theres 135,000 punters. At some stage someones gonna bang into you. Theres rude ppl, blanket on the floor of the pyramid field people, flag people and just darn right ignorant people but you know where youre going, you know 99.9% of the people are sound so as taylor swift said shake it off and enjoy the rest ofbthe week!

Edited April 17, 2016 by gerardfenton18
I have no problemwith

[jparx]

4 hours ago, Vanderlyle said:

It's just a case of striking the right balance. When you see groups of 7 or 8 holding hands and walking directly forward - pushing through people... it's kind of grating. When people are just moving sideways to find friends etc, then of course we should get out the way

That really bothers me. 

It also annoys me some rowdy dude comes barging through the crowd halfway through a set. If you really love the band that much, why are you turning up halfway through? 

[jparx]

But yeah if people are polite about it then there's no issue. Just find natural gaps in the crowd and slide on through. 

[gerardfenton18]

1 minute ago, jparx said:

That really bothers me. 

It also annoys me some rowdy dude comes barging through the crowd halfway through a set. If you really love the band that much, why are you turning up halfway through? 

In all fairness that happened me in 2014. I wanted to see kasabian but stumbled across heaven ( the hole in the wall where you had to take your wellies off and the ppl that worked there give me md ) so i turned up late.

It glastonbury show up when it suits you?

( dont agree with the barging bit )

[Andeeroo]

Generally doesn't bother me as long as people are polite about it.

Can't be arsed with barging through myself and tend to only go down the front for sets earlier in the day.

Crack on though - just do it with a smile on your face.

[stuartbert two hats]

26 minutes ago, gerardfenton18 said:

In all fairness that happened me in 2014. I wanted to see kasabian but stumbled across heaven ( the hole in the wall where you had to take your wellies off and the ppl that worked there give me md ) so i turned up late.

It glastonbury show up when it suits you?

( dont agree with the barging bit )

I'm with you. If someone turns up halfway through a band, I couldn't care less. Maybe they don't love the band, but just really like getting to the front. It doesn't bother me, any more than the fact that there's no carpet and I can't drink out of glass. 

Very little gets on my nerves atGlastonbury. Apart from tutters+evil givers, of course. Those are the worst

[jparx]

34 minutes ago, gerardfenton18 said:

In all fairness that happened me in 2014. I wanted to see kasabian but stumbled across heaven ( the hole in the wall where you had to take your wellies off and the ppl that worked there give me md ) so i turned up late.

It glastonbury show up when it suits you?

( dont agree with the barging bit )

Turning up late doesn't bother me at all. It's when people are aggressive about it, barging through everyone and justify their aggression by saying it's their favourite band 

[hfuhruhurr]

It's a gig. Be polite and wriggle to wherever you want to be, I'll put my arm on your shoulder and help you on your way.

Crowds are patchy,  some bits totally crushed, other bits completely open, so move, everyone should move and congratulate those on the move.

Standing still grumbling - you're unhappy and the people getting past are made to feel unhappy. Stop it, let them through in the nicest way you can!

[jparx]

7 minutes ago, stuartbert two hats said:

I'm with you. If someone turns up halfway through a band, I couldn't care less. Maybe they don't love the band, but just really like getting to the front. It doesn't bother me, any more than the fact that there's no carpet and I can't drink out of glass. 

Very little gets on my nerves atGlastonbury. Apart from tutters+evil givers, of course. Those are the worst

Actually I'm with you on that. The crowd stuff only really bothers me at gigs, where I'm usually less inebriated than I am at festivals 

There's a direct correlation between extra curricular activities and getting irritated with people. Funny how that works 

[stuartbert two hats]

19 minutes ago, jparx said:

Actually I'm with you on that. The crowd stuff only really bothers me at gigs, where I'm usually less inebriated than I am at festivals 

There's a direct correlation between extra curricular activities and getting irritated with people. Funny how that works 

Inverse correlation, surely?

[midlifecrisis]

I don't usually mind if I'm on the outer edges of a stage, but it always seems that as soon as I politely move a little to make room for someone comming past, everyone seems to see the movement through the crowd and where I'm standing suddenly becomes the main walk way in, which is a bit annoying if your trying to enjoy a set! The only time I really mind is if Im in a complete crush and can't get nearer the front than I'm already standing and people seem to think that theres room for them further forward. Funnily enough then I seem to turn to stone to make it as hard as possible for them to get past! FatBoySlim at the Blues last year was a classic example of this, but then the sound was so bad at the side where we were standing I didn't really blame them I suppose!

 

[Junglist1981]

The Pyramid field on Sunday is by far the worst for this, particularly on the right hand side. Sad to say it but, in our experience, some of the local day ticket people can be incredibly rude. They turn up and pitch out thier spot for the day, then give shit to people who are harmlessly trying to make thier way past.

One year when the field was packed we made the mistake of trying to cut across about 2 3rds of the way back. It was really hard going trying find a route between all the pop up chairs and blankets. At one point some bloke actually stuck his arm out quite aggressively to block my Mrs and said "you're not coming through here love". She just ducked it and carried on, but seriously WTF is that all about. 

[jparx]

24 minutes ago, stuartbert two hats said:

Inverse correlation, surely?

You're on the ball as always 

[willd255]

I think it all depends on how it's done. When I was younger I used to turn up late to gigs (or lateish) and just make my way through without a bother but I can see how annoying it is now. I think if people are polite about it then there's no issue whatsoever. If you're in a spot that you are happy with then what's the big deal about letting people pass? 

What I hate is people who just barge their way through without asking anyone. Especially when they end up on your toes right in front of you without space for you to do so much as move. That's the worst. Or blanket folk. If you want to take a chair to the back of the field by the tree or something and sit and watch by all means go ahead but if you're taking a blanket to sit down on towards the front I will deliberately crush your picnic.

[NoBallGames]

I'm a big believer in respecting other people's music. With that said if I want to be up really close I'll get there an act or two early. Wait until there is a break between acts and make my way into the crowd. 

Aside from that people are going to come through being nice is always a huge plus. Try and be nice to everyone. You never know other people's situations. It is easy to think "This boozo just arrived and has no respect for this music or my space!" And it is also just as easy to think, "These people are just trying in life. Let the world dance." 

[stardustjunkie]

5 hours ago, JoBalls said:

The most annoying thing for me is when people look like they are moving through to get closer to the front and so you move to let them past and then they decide to stop right in front of you... And they are all at least 7ft tall.

I was going to say the same! I understand that people can't help their height but when it's mid-performance and you've been happily watching for the past 20 minutes or so, it's really annoying to then have to move because someone tall has decided to randomly appear and stop in front of you.

I guess it's the price we pay for being so short

[filmguy]

I don't mid people politely pushing through, what I do mind is when they push through get in front of you and then proceed to have a shouty conversation all the way through the set.

[bennyhana22]

Over the years at festivals and gigs I have both moved through and been passed by movers. As others say, so long as there is politeness then no big deal...unless...after moving front of me the group, now in a cracking position up front, spend the entire set TALKING!!!!

Ben

[grumpyhack]

2 hours ago, weirdforces said:

I've been wondering about chair people, how far in the back are you normally? I've never been to Glastonbury and the crowds just seem enormous, is it even possible to see the stage from the back with all the flags and are the screens big enough to actually see what's going on?

With The Pyramid, which is in a sort of bowl, you can sit a very long way back up the hill and still watch clearly on the screens.  Often if there are crazy flag wavers you can see more on the screens than in the crowd.

At other stages like West Holts you can see quite well sitting around the edge of the crowd.  With the Acoustic, which is actually a huge tent, you can't take chairs in, apart from in a small 'disabled/general' seating area at the back. Most people will be standing, so if you sit in your chair you won't see much. Sometimes you can be better off sitting in your chair outside the tent and looking in.

[Mollyanne&Mike]

44 minutes ago, stardustjunkie said:

I was going to say the same! I understand that people can't help their height but when it's mid-performance and you've been happily watching for the past 20 minutes or so, it's really annoying to then have to move because someone tall has decided to randomly appear and stop in front of you.

I guess it's the price we pay for being so short

Being a taller than average person, as the crowd shifts I tend to invite shorter people who are trapped with a blocked view to shift sideways so they're in front of me.

All seems very polite and friendly.

it does get annoying if you find yourself on the sudden corridor in or out, but hey ho, as long they're passing through and not stopping so they're standing on my toes, good luck and enjoy !

[ICGenie]

26 minutes ago, bennyhana22 said:

Over the years at festivals and gigs I have both moved through and been passed by movers. As others say, so long as there is politeness then no big deal...unless...after moving front of me the group, now in a cracking position up front, spend the entire set TALKING!!!!

Ben

Don't even get me started on the talkers 

[stardustjunkie]

1 minute ago, Mollyanne&Mike said:

Being a taller than average person, as the crowd shifts I tend to invite shorter people who are trapped with a blocked view to shift sideways so they're in front of me.

All seems very polite and friendly.

it does get annoying if you find yourself on the sudden corridor in or out, but hey ho, as long they're passing through and not stopping so they're standing on my toes, good luck and enjoy !

Short people appreciate that kind of nice gesture

It's just when it's not politely done (pushing etc) and then they stand in front of you and block your view halfway through a set.