Newbie

[guypjfreak]

10 hours ago, Jasonbee said:

So I've done T in the Park twice & V Festival 3 times... This will be my 1st year at Glastonbury! I'm very excited!

Other than a different variety of music... What can I expect;

More of?

Less of?

Better?

Worse?

Than what I am used to

It's a load of rubbish old son......... Well it is by Monday anyway llllooooooooolllll... 

Soz but you'll see wot I mean when you're there AFTER its blown your mind in to spreads 

[Rubber Soldier]

4 hours ago, eFestivals said:

Hmmm ... not really sure about that.

I'm not sure there's a (decent) comedian I've seen on TV for the last 20+ years that i've not seen at Glastonbury first - tho the difference might be they tend to do Glastonbury on their way to huge fame rather than when they've got it... tho there's still plenty of very decent names, they just don't jump out at you in the Glasto line-up cos there's so many other things of interest.

A well oiled Josh Widdecombe practically jumped out the crowd in front of me at the back of The Other last year. Does that counnt? 

[Guest]

11 hours ago, Scruffylovemonster said:

Am always jealous of a newbie

Don't be daft, it gets better each time you go. I'll take knowing how to squeeze the most out of it every time. First time I just headed for what was big and missed out on a lot of the good stuff, the most tragic case in point being the infamous Arctic Monkeys show when Beth & The Lads were on the Other. The romantic notion of getting lost is all well and good, but the reality is not knowing where No Bones Jones is, perish the thought.

[Tyonks]

14 hours ago, Jasonbee said:

So I've done T in the Park twice & V Festival 3 times... This will be my 1st year at Glastonbury! I'm very excited!

Other than a different variety of music... What can I expect;

More of? Its effectively a mini city, so everything including much more walking (so prepare for that bit)

Less of? Kids going on the lash for the first time after their GCSEs/A Levels

Better? Huge variety of music, food, beer/cider, generally friendlier people

Worse?Post Glastonbury is like going cold turkey after a Meth addiction - not that I would know anything about that mind 

 

 

[JacquelineS]

Best thread ever. I too will be a first time Glastoner and this thread has made me smile so much!

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

29 minutes ago, JacquelineS said:

Best thread ever. I too will be a first time Glastoner and this thread has made me smile so much!

It's good to hear that you are getting some smiling practice in, because Glastonbury is virtually full of smiling people. I think it's probably to do with the 'release' from the pressures etc of the outside world. You'll forget that there is an outside world after a day or so. Have a lovely festival.

[DropBeat]

You lucky lucky thing. This year will be my third, and I'll never forget my first experiences of the place.

Glastonbury is the most relaxed/cut off from real life/part of a community I have ever felt at a festival. The music is only a small part of it. There is fun around every corner.

Prepare to walk a lot, speak to people and do not plan your days too much. Try new things. Eat new things. Go up the hill and sit by the sign as it gets dark on Wednesday.

As others have said: There are far less of the knobheads you see on mass at other festivals. In fact you see a much wider spectrum of people, young and old, families etc.

Every genre of music imaginable is right there for you. Try and see as wider range of acts as possible. Try not to queue for anything. Talk to the people near you, everyone there is having one of the best weeks of their year. The shared experience and community at Glastonbury is something very special.

Prepare for mud. Hopefully it's gonna be fucking sunny. It is gonna be fucking sunny. But best to be prepared for anything.

Prepare for the worst comedown and withdrawal ever. And then start counting down til ticket day 2019.

Hope you have a good one! We have a newbie in our group and seeing their reactions will be a lot of fun.

[Tartan_Glasto]

I still get lost. This year I left William's Green to go back to my tent at Pylon. I walked for about 45 minutes and found myself back at William's Green! It was muddy, I was drunk and tired, so I got a bit emotional haha Cut to me making another 45 min walk. My friend calling to say she lost her boyfriend and me responding drunkenly with "I've really only got time for my own emotions right now..."  That was all on the Friday. 

[CaledonianGonzo]

Maybe over-familiarity does breed - if not contempt - then at least feeling a bit jaded.  In your first year curiosity might drive you to traipse all the way up to The Park or the Acoustic from the far side of the site to take a chance on something by the name alone, but there's a reasonable chance that the more seasoned punter will think 'Nah, sod that'.

[joeltg]

The first year I went I walked through those gates and could not quite believe what I was seeing once we had set up. Glastonbury looks amazing in the daytime but come night. well it's a completely different story. I just love how it feels like a completely different festival after dark.

We went back to the tent around midnight, and most of my group said they usually got an earlyish night on the first. I stepped out of the tent, looked across the farm and said fuck that, see you tomorrow. Things are happening from the minute you get there, just ramble all night...I had the time of my life doing that. Meeting strangers, experiencing whatever I felt like.

I love the Wednesday & Thursday, because you know your at the most amazing party in the world and it is all about to start!

Edited January 5, 2017 by joeltg

[Quark]

13 hours ago, GETOFFAMYLAWN said:

The romantic notion of getting lost is all well and good, but the reality is not knowing where No Bones Jones is, perish the thought.

5 visits in and I still can't remember where half my favourite food places are.

Expect to see more than a few very, very spangled people stumbling about the place.  And to hear some absolutely outstanding snippets of conversation, one liners, and people arguing with their own shoes.  The "Overheard at Glastonbury" threads will give you an idea of the joys that you have to look forward to.

People watching remains one of my favourite ways to pass time at Glastonbury.

[evannn]

20 hours ago, Yoghurt on a Stick said:

I haven't been to Latitude so can't compare. What I can say is that you must use the free Lock Ups to store your valuables (especially overnight while you are sleeping). Glastonbury is mesmerising and has a beautiful vibe, but (unfortunately) there are people who go whose aim it is to steal from tents. If you use the Lock Ups then you are free to have no care in the world while you are at the festival. As for it's scale and diversity of entertainment it'll blow your mind. It is, afterall, Europes largest festival of the performing arts.

What's the situation with the lock ups then? Is there enough space/lock ups for everyone? Are they well situated wrt good tent spots?

 

My experience with festival facilities tells me there might be a massive queue

[Twisted Melon]

13 minutes ago, evannn said:

What's the situation with the lock ups then? Is there enough space/lock ups for everyone? Are they well situated wrt good tent spots?

 

My experience with festival facilities tells me there might be a massive queue

No need to worry about that. There are loads of them dotted about the place and you will never need to queue for more than a couple of minutes 

[marcoolio]

7 minutes ago, Twisted Melon said:

No need to worry about that. There are loads of them dotted about the place and you will never need to queue for more than a couple of minutes 

Except for the lock up near gate A on Sunday, when loads of punters pack up early and stash their stuff there. Queued for about an hour there this year.

[marcoolio]

^ last year, dammit.

[Gnomicide]

53 minutes ago, marcoolio said:

Except for the lock up near gate A on Sunday, when loads of punters pack up early and stash their stuff there. Queued for about an hour there this year.

Was about to say the same. We camped near there this year due to carmagedon and the queue Sunday morning with people putting stuff in was massive. They did though let people taking stuff out queue separately. 

[grumpyhack]

My main advice to a newbie at the start is orientate yourself well.  Make sure you know where your car is parked, if you've come by car, and where your tent is pitched.  Do both those things by noticing things around you that don't move - like pathways, hedges and pylons.

One year I parked my car next to a big red van.  But come departure time the big red van had already left.  Took me ages to find my car.  Now I note the field it's in and where it is relative to the hedges. (I even scribble a little map for myself).

The same is true of where you've pitched your tent. "Next to the big blue one" is useless because when you return there will be a hundred more big blue ones that weren't there before surrounding yours.  And if you are returning at night you'll have big problems.

But "up the roadway until I'm level with the urinals and then 30 metres off to the right" and you've got some chance.

We also put up a big, illuminated, flagpole by our tent which can help finding your way home. (It stays by the tent - don't take flagpoles into the festival, they won't be appreciated).

Remember you'll be going into the festival from your tent by daylight and probably sober.  But you'll be returning in the dark and possibly after a few, so you need to be sure how to find it.

I also take a headlight torch, which can be very helpful picking your way through the guy ropes of the surrounding tents.

 

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

3 minutes ago, grumpyhack said:

My main advice to a newbie at the start is orientate yourself well.  Make sure you know where your car is parked, if you've come by car, and where your tent is pitched.  Do both those things by noticing things around you that don't move - like pathways, hedges and pylons.

One year I parked my car next to a big red van.  But come departure time the big red van had already left.  Took me ages to find my car.  Now I note the field it's in and where it is relative to the hedges. (I even scribble a little map for myself).

The same is true of where you've pitched your tent. "Next to the big blue one" is useless because when you return there will be a hundred more big blue ones that weren't there before surrounding yours.  And if you are returning at night you'll have big problems.

But "up the roadway until I'm level with the urinals and then 30 metres off to the right" and you've got some chance.

We also put up a big, illuminated, flagpole by our tent which can help finding your way home. (It stays by the tent - don't take flagpoles into the festival, they won't be appreciated).

Remember you'll be going into the festival from your tent by daylight and probably sober.  But you'll be returning in the dark and possibly after a few, so you need to be sure how to find it.

I also take a headlight torch, which can be very helpful picking your way through the guy ropes of the surrounding tents.

 

Very fine advice. There's only one time (at Bestival) when even following your suggestions didn't help me. I just knew I was close to my tent but was that off it I spent 2 hours in the same vacinity trying to find my tent but simply couldn't. In the end I got so cold that I crawled in to a tent that was flat on the ground ie it hadn't been erected, in order to retain body heat. I woke up in that tent to hear people outside discuss whether there was someone in their unused flattened tent or not. I heard someone say 'give it a kick and see'. It was at this point that I thought it best to make my presence known, so I crawled halfway out of the tent and explained my situation. They, very kindly, indicated that I could stay in the tent. One young lady even brought me a spare blanket from her tent to help keep me warm. When I woke up again it was light. I folded the blanket and left it in the tent. I then looked around and realised that I was within feet of my own tent.

[grumpyhack]

That's why I go for the illuminated flagpole.  Over the years of festival-going you gather all sorts of equipment and I added the illuminated flagpole after seeing one at Wychwood. It's 12 metres high and has over 200 flashing LED lights that run from bottom to top.  You can see it from about a mile away.  It's powered by a dedicated 12 volt car battery and is a sure way of getting to your festival home.

It might seem a bit of a luxury but with, previously, a trailer tent and now a big caravan, it's easy to take and does at least ensure you have your own bed for the night.

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

11 minutes ago, grumpyhack said:

That's why I go for the illuminated flagpole.  Over the years of festival-going you gather all sorts of equipment and I added the illuminated flagpole after seeing one at Wychwood. It's 12 metres high and has over 200 flashing LED lights that run from bottom to top.  You can see it from about a mile away.  It's powered by a dedicated 12 volt car battery and is a sure way of getting to your festival home.

It might seem a bit of a luxury but with, previously, a trailer tent and now a big caravan, it's easy to take and does at least ensure you have your own bed for the night.

I don't need an illuminated flagpole at Glastonbury as we have always camped in the same area since I started going some 20 festivals or so ago. With this in mind I thought I'd be OK at Bestival. Come to think of it I got lost at my first Shambala too. Just goes to show that the points that you made in your post above should be heeded. If you arrive early set up camp, wander off, get pissed and stoned etc then when you get back to the general area that you pitched your tent in then that area no longer resembles the one that you happily left all those hours ago.

Edited January 5, 2017 by Yoghurt on a Stick

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

Just now, Yoghurt on a Stick said:

I don't need an illuminated flagpole at Glastonbury as we have always camped in the same area since I started going some 20 festivals or so ago. With this in mind I thought I'd be OK at Bestival. Come to think of it I got lost at my first Shambala too. Just goes to show that the points that you made in your post above should be heeded. If you arrive early set up camp, wander off, get pissed and stoned etc then when you get back to the general area that you pitched your tent in then that area no longer resembles the one that you happily left all those hours ago.

 

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

How I've managed to quote myself whilst trying an edit is beyond me. I pulled an all nighter last night and think the affects are beginning to show.

[Guest]

7 hours ago, Quark said:

People watching remains one of my favourite ways to pass time at Glastonbury.

There's bands and stuff on for if you're bored you know

[oneeye]

2 minutes ago, GETOFFAMYLAWN said:

There's bands and stuff on for if you're bored you know

And randoms to speak randomness too; magic

 

[grumpyhack]

Our flagpole.  It was steady but I wasn't