Flares banned.

[LondonTom]

I'm always in two minds over them, love the atmosphere being semi nearish to them when they go off in a proper moment in a field...

 

But I can see the downsides and there to many in the wrong hands, 3 months seems a bit over the top for a bit of stupdity

[FatAmmy]

Point of order: drugs are considerably more discreet than flares (usually)

[clarkete]

4 hours ago, FatAmmy said:

Point of order: drugs are considerably more discreet than flares (usually)

*deploys kinder egg*

[Platt073]

I'm glad, they always pissed me off, smell terrible and thought I'd get burnt by a close one.

[russycarps]

I sincerely hope the brave flare setter-offers continue to bring their flares to the festival. They contribute more to the atmosphere than miserable busy bodies who stand there tutting and reporting them to the police.

The festival needs less police-enforced rules and regulations, not more.

Cue the lies. "B-b-but my friends sisters wifes brothers uncles son got terribly burnt once upon a time. Honest!"

 

 

Edited April 4, 2017 by russycarps

[The Nal]

I hope people bring more flares now. 

[Mezhyp1]

The kids want pyro. I might go and watch the Courteeners just so I'm guaranteed to see a great selection of pyrotechnic devices and a load of geared up youths fucking the system 

[Supernintendo Chalmers]

#BanChairsNotFlares

[Havors]

They have been banned from football for a while... still get one idiot setting one off next to a kids head and choking everyone

I would hazard a guess we will see plenty at glasto this year still. 

[simian_mobile_mushrooms]

Flares are the last bastion of human freedom, fuck da po-leese! 

[Quark]

10 hours ago, ___S_o_m_a__ said:

No maritime distress flares, sky lanterns, dogs on blue rope or Shangri La alleyways?

It's going down the shitter.

The rest I agree with you; the sky lanterns I'm happy to see gone.  Everything else is pretty self-contained, but the damage those things cause to land and wildlife completely removed from the festival can be horrible.  And the last year I remember them going off (2009/10?) they were coming down still alight straight into the campsites. I'm all for atmosphere, but equally I don't particularly want flaming debris from above landing on my tent while I'm unconscious!

[CaledonianGonzo]

24 minutes ago, russycarps said:

Cue the lies. "B-b-but my friends sisters wifes brothers uncles son got terribly burnt once upon a time. Honest!"

I dont have strong feelings on this either way, but it's a bit if a stretch to say that no one's ever been injured by pyrotechnics

Someone threw a smoke grenade into the crowd during Morrissey a few years ago and it hit my sister in law in the back of her head.  It was just as well that it was raining and she had her hood up as her jacket got scorched to fuck.

Can't be bothered watching it back, but you can actually see it on the BBC coverage.  I think afterwards someone here posted saying they saw it and saw the guy who threw it getting rugby tackled by the security.

[russycarps]

18 minutes ago, CaledonianGonzo said:

I dont have strong feelings on this either way, but it's a bit if a stretch to say that no one's ever been injured by pyrotechnics

Someone threw a smoke grenade into the crowd during Morrissey a few years ago and it hit my sister in law in the back of her head.  It was just as well that it was raining and she had her hood up as her jacket got scorched to fuck.

Can't be bothered watching it back, but you can actually see it on the BBC coverage.  I think afterwards someone here posted saying they saw it and saw the guy who threw it getting rugby tackled by the security.

I dont deny there are incidents, but nothing so commonplace or deadly as to warrant a ban. I'm sure an unopened can of lager hurled into the crowd could do a lot of damage too. Education and self-policing are much more preferable to threats of prison sentences and seeing the police storming the crowd.

The festival banning things is one thing. It's their party. But some faceless lawmaker telling us what we can and cant do at a festival, and threatening us with a prison sentence? Nah. It's none of their business.

 

 

 

[Quark]

8 minutes ago, russycarps said:

I dont deny there are incidents, but nothing so commonplace or deadly as to warrant a ban. I'm sure an unopened can of lager hurled into the crowd could do a lot of damage too. Education and self-policing are much more preferable to threats of prison sentences and seeing the police storming the crowd.

The festival banning things is one thing. It's their party. But some faceless lawmaker telling us what we can and cant do at a festival, and threatening us with a prison sentence? Nah. It's none of their business.

For once I'm in full agreement Russy

Back in the day before plastic bottles were introduced in clubs I remember catching a glass one just before it smashed into the back of someone's head; some pissed up twat had chosen to just fling it in the general direction of the dancefloor for shits and giggles.

Legal implications and prison sentences are stupidly OTT in this case.

[kemosabe]

12 hours ago, Bisque said:

I was forced along to see them at Leeds. The flares were the best bit of the set.

With the exception of the ones at the front of the third photo all these are smoke bombs, not burning hot flares, smoke bombs are still allowed right? Courteeners will still go up I am sure.

[mjsell]

I see flares the same as I see hammered people that are in an absolute state, as long as you are far enough away to only see the carnage they are great, but if you are close enough for the bastards to start touching you its fucking annoying.

 

Although saying that, if you are the person in an absolute state, flares up close are bloody fantastic. Chemical Brothers 2015 being the case in point for me. That flash of red appearing from behind me felt like I was entering a dimension of reality that had previously only been a myth.

Edited April 4, 2017 by mjsell

[___S_o_m_a__]

1 hour ago, Quark said:

I'm all for atmosphere, but equally I don't particularly want flaming debris from above landing on my tent while I'm unconscious!

Jesus man! Where's your sense of adventure?

[Quark]

1 minute ago, ___S_o_m_a__ said:

Jesus man! Where's your sense of adventure?

I'm old and scared.  Leave me alone.

[thatcrazypenguin]

1 hour ago, russycarps said:

I sincerely hope the brave flare setter-offers continue to bring their flares to the festival. They contribute more to the atmosphere than miserable busy bodies who stand there tutting and reporting them to the police.

The festival needs less police-enforced rules and regulations, not more.

Cue the lies. "B-b-but my friends sisters wifes brothers uncles son got terribly burnt once upon a time. Honest!"

 

 

yeah people should totally put up with burning hot embers dropping onto them and all around as they watch a band, im not in favour of police action rather people sorting it out themselves but if you let off a firework in a close knit crowd with the danger to all around that poses, your a fucking unthinking dickhead. nuff said. 

Edited April 4, 2017 by thatcrazypenguin

[russycarps]

2 minutes ago, thatcrazypenguin said:

yeah people should totally put up with burning hot embers dropping onto them and all around as they watch a band, im not in favour of police action rather people sorting it out themselves but if you let off a firework in a close knit crowd with the danger to all around that poses, your a fucking unthinking dickhead. nuff said. 

Yet you are in favour of people being punched and shoved to the ground and trampled while watching a gig.

Quite incredible.

 

[The Nal]

The flares during Sympathy for the Devil in 2013 were incredible. A ceiling of red everywhere. 

As Russy said, an unopened can of beer can do damage. As could a tent peg if it was driven into the back of somebodys neck.

Penguin calling people unthinking dickheads?!  

[thatcrazypenguin]

37 minutes ago, russycarps said:

Yet you are in favour of people being punched and shoved to the ground and trampled while watching a gig.

Quite incredible.

 

Yeah a moshpit full of willing participants that really isnt dangerous is tottally akin to someone setting off a lit firework inches above peoples heads in a packed crowd with the potential to set fire to people who have no choice but to stand next to said firework. 

Edited April 4, 2017 by thatcrazypenguin

[simian_mobile_mushrooms]

Seriously though, I see flares/smokes bombs as an added annoyance with minimum atmosphere added. They're similar to people with flags and people with their mobile phones up in the air for the entire set - all are fucking annoying, but flares have the added distraction that they're red hot, more dangerous if they're dropped and the smoke moves around like a mother fucker. Just look at those photos above - you can barely see the band - the band that everyone has paid 250+ quid to watch. If you've paid all that money, but some idiot wants to let off a flare for a "laugh" then is it really worth pissing off everyone behind you? Plus no one generally throws mobiles or full cans of beer - but I have seen flares been thrown. Also, an added point, it's not some outside source telling the festival what to do - or "the man" trying to crush people down. The festival explicitly says that they don't want them in their packing list advice, which has been there for years and I think Michael and Emily's wishes should be respected for that too -

NO animals (except registered guide dogs), sound systems, generators, sky lanterns or kites, unauthorised fireworks, or wax flares

Edit - you can't see the band at all in the photos - not barely

Edited April 4, 2017 by simian_mobile_mushrooms

[thatcrazypenguin]

1 minute ago, simian_mobile_mushrooms said:

Seriously though, I see flares/smokes bombs as an added annoyance with minimum atmosphere added. They're similar to people with flags and people with their mobile phones up in the air for the entire set - all are fucking annoying, but flares have the added distraction that they're red hot, more dangerous if they're dropped and the smoke moves around like a mother fucker. Just look at those photos above - you can barely see the band - the band that everyone has paid 250+ quid to watch. If you've paid all that money, but some idiot wants to let off a flare for a "laugh" then is it really worth pissing off everyone behind you? Plus no one generally throws mobiles or full cans of beer - but I have seen flares been thrown. Also, an added point, it's not some outside source telling the festival what to do - or "the man" trying to crush people down. The festival explicitly says that they don't want them in their packing list advice, which has been there for years and I think Michael and Emily's wishes should be respected for that too -

NO animals (except registered guide dogs), sound systems, generators, sky lanterns or kites, unauthorised fireworks, or wax flares

Beat me to it.......the argument above is just laughable, your talking about a firework, held inches above people, spitting burning embers onto them .....its not a `someone may get hurt` situation its a someone `pretty likely will get hurt`  or do you want to tell me fire and a tight packed crowd is no danger? fucking common sense is all thats needed! 

[The Nal]

21 minutes ago, thatcrazypenguin said:

Yeah a moshpit full of willing participants that really isnt dangerous  

It is if you're standing in front of the apes with your back to them and then your missus takes 3-4 consecutive elbows in the head, then gets knocked to the ground and you end up having to punch someone in the face. 

More of this please

 

Edited April 4, 2017 by The Nal