So...do you remember your first time?

[Kay95]

15 hours ago, elbongo said:

Didn't get one in 94 or 95 I'm quite sure ?

My first was 95, I worked the gates for Oxfam.... UV ink stamps in very bright sunshine, great fun

[NaturalWine]

After not understanding the procedures of getting tickets from 2010. I finally got myself registered before the actual ticket sale! Typical rookie group of friends asking each other when do Glastonbury tickets go on for sale after they were sold out, so took me 3 years to even understand i need to registered. Didn’t have a iPhone back then and hardly went on the internet in them times as I was trying to be the next benga or skream, was too busy trying to make basslines and kick&snare drum patterns!

fast forward 2014 me, my girlfriend and 2 mates in my car full of beer after making a pit stop on the way and a couple tents. Just about managing to make it up a hill. 

After setting our tents it was a massive blur! Seeing elbow preform while the sun came out at the pyramid stage was a eurphoric moment for me. Also stumberling to Arcadia just before the show which I was not expecting and getting warmed up by the fire cannons was epic! Also going to see or not actually see 2ManyDjs do there set in a circled dome where they hid themselves behind a panel so you could only hear the music, we didn’t know what to do or which way to face, made it feel like a proper house party. 

Also that I am never driving home again after mates fell asleep before we left the car park and didn’t wake up until I got home.

great times 

Edited October 12, 2018 by NaturalWine

[henry bear]

1 hour ago, glasto-worker said:

You Must Have Been Well Out Of It 

Because Marillion was the first band to play - they may have been pencilled in to play later but they went on first due to Peter Gabriel's farm house studio booking hence why they did not hang about - it was the very first time Derek had been to Glastonbury and he was kicking himself that they did not have to to stay - In 1983 they were not well knowing outside of  Aylesbury { Marillion's home town } so most people there would not have a clue who they were.

so they would have started at either 11.00 or Noon.Did not know they played Reading in 1983 but I only started going either 1988 or 1989.

So perhaps you have mixed up the two gigs as I know 100% they went on late morning or noon time. 

We’ll have to agree to disagree on this as your version is not how I remember it all. I recall the laser being switched on during their set, but seemed a waste of time as it was still light. 

[shuttlep]

2004 was my first, I rocked up with a tent and a bag of drugs. i lived on a pie a day and pounding dance music

 

I was massively under prepared for the festival. these days I need 2  - 3 trips back to the car  to carry all my gear. I have fond memories of 2004 , but they are mixed in with 2005. I can't remember much really. safe to say I must have enjoyed it as here we now are in 2018 and i love it still. 

 

I have missed some , not getting a ticket one year , deciding not to go another year and giving my ticket up. one year I got in on someone else's ticket. need must .

 

I am getting old though , my festival these days is massively different to what it was like back then, this is what I love about Glastonbury your experience of the festival can evolve as you do .

 

 

[glasto-worker]

2 hours ago, henry bear said:

Great photos. The bottom one must be late 80’s or even 90’s? I took a load in 1984 but sadly have no idea where they are.

from the same year but much closer

 

[fred quimby]

1982 was 16. My Brother had been the year before a waxed lyrical about it. I was into my Pink fairies, hawkwind type bands and Reggae so the festival scene was something I was wanting to experience. So bought a ticket, finished school and jumped in a mates car and off we went. 2 were ticketless but they just got in the boot and in we went. We set up a tent and went off to see Randy California. At some point we got back to the tent that had flooded so spent the weekend sleeping in a car. We must have had about £10 and spent that all on acid for the weekend. I remember seeing Aswad (think it was 82 they played, and again maybe the following year).

Been to everyone (except 2009 for a wedding) since and started working there in 98 or 99 as a mate ran a backstage bar and we started doing odd jobs for Arabella Churchill (had to guard her caravan one night, might have been her portacabin)

Went with my soon to be wife in 95 who had been there in 85 as well but see left the site very early due to the mud, and boy what mud it was that year. One of my memories of that was stood in a food stall looking for something hot to eat (cat in the hat which was amazing food) bin liners inside my boots wrapped up against the rain covered in mud. Behind me comes a voice "this acid is just rubbish can 't believe it" I turn around and there is a chap with his mate all pupils with nothing on except a bow tied round his cock. He was absolutely spotless not any mud except his feet. Still makes me smile.

[fred quimby]

On ‎10‎/‎11‎/‎2018 at 11:05 AM, glasto-worker said:

well as you can see it was simple to get from A to B - red dot is where we drove in - note key words 'drove in' - no special pass required and most people parked by their car - this was shot in the 80's { long before digital cameras so there is time stamp on it } - note the white mini although he was pushing his luck as a very daft place to camp taking in the crowd falling over it in the dark - after 1979 we were dead surprised that it was not held in 1980 so really did think it had gone but then the adverts came up in CND shops - and they did list who was playing.Even although there was two dodgy years for bad weather in the 80's - that to me was the best decade - it was not rammed packed with people - easy enough to get a drink and the early 80's did have Reggae cafe - now that was special - completely un licensed - My mates and I were pissing ourselves with two 19 years olds who were put off with the massive bouncers who were standing on the outside trying to persuade each other to go in - then some random guy walked up ' spotted what was going on ' - it was clear to us why they wanted to walk in - the random guy offered to buy whatever and these two handed over their money - random guy went in and amazingly was not long before he came back and handed what he bought - with stuff like that going on ' who needs to watch anything on a stage '

The so called cafe was run by a bunch of Rastafarian from Bristol - never did see anyone buying a cup of tea !!! sad when they were asked not to come back { or they decided not to go back as the Police was wandering about } 

they had a cracking Marquee but many missed it because of the two very heavy looking bouncers. 

 

I remember the Dub tent. A place of wonder and thundering bass. Remember sat in there sharing a chalice or 2 having my ribs vibrated by the bass bins.

Edited October 12, 2018 by fred quimby

[grumpyhack]

My claim is that I went to Glastonbury-2 and Glastonbury -1 - the Bath Blues Fest in 69 and then the Shepton Mallet Festival in 1970, which mutated into Glastonbury proper.  The two events were attended by Michael Eavis and were said to be part of his inspiration for Glastonbury.

Shepton Mallet was one of the the first big UK festivals after Woodstock and featured many of the Woodstock bands.

[henry bear]

1 hour ago, glasto-worker said:

from the same year but much closer

 

Pretty sure that’s 1989. Probably the hottest GF I attended. Incidentally, the old Pyramid stage looks so much smaller than the current one. I’ve looked for dimensions of the two for comparison, but can’t find any.

Edited October 12, 2018 by henry bear

[henry bear]

43 minutes ago, grumpyhack said:

My claim is that I went to Glastonbury-2 and Glastonbury -1 - the Bath Blues Fest in 69 and then the Shepton Mallet Festival in 1970, which mutated into Glastonbury proper.  The two events were attended by Michael Eavis and were said to be part of his inspiration for Glastonbury.

Shepton Mallet was one of the the first big UK festivals after Woodstock and featured many of the Woodstock bands.

Great line ups, especially the 1970 event. I think Zeppelin were paid a fortune for that one. Think these were their only UK festival appearances (not counting their own Knebworth shows)?

[Matt - Ed Banger Records]

I was taken by my parents in 1993, although I don't remember all that much of it apart from watching Bram Stokers Dracula in the cinema field, I went again in 1998 because my mum and some of her friends had a stall and small venue in the Green Futures fields. So the first time I bought a ticket as an adult was 2010, and I think that was mostly because I had started going to festivals a bit more, and I got back from London really hungover on the Sunday morning and bought a ticket on a whim, thankfully some friends had also bought tickets that day. I think that was the last time I actually got through and purchased tickets myself.

[glasto-worker]

1 hour ago, henry bear said:

Pretty sure that’s 1989. Probably the hottest GF I attended. Incidentally, the old Pyramid stage looks so much smaller than the current one. I’ve looked for dimensions of the two for comparison, but can’t find any.

it may have been 1990 - its the banner on the speakers -  It was the twentieth anniversary of the first Festival 

you will find lots of information over how much larger the new stage is compared to the old one on efest although I was not keen when they did not point it straight up the way .

[ivan]

1999

Bought my ticket on line the day Gill Dando got killed !!!

I had done plenty of festivals so I was not worried about coping or anything

Always wanted to go but the line up was never my cup of tea although I would loved to have seen Husker Du in 1987 and had a bootleg tape of that set for years " They won't come back on " says Andy Kershaw in his Lancashire accent.

Plus I never knew anyone that went but that changed in 1999 when I got offered a lift down in a 1970'sVW Camper Van .

It was OK - problem was too much time was spent hanging round the van in the CV fields as my mate was not good on his feet I guess I should have gone out on my own more but hey. 

Highlights were the banter in the van on an evening and spending one afternoon in a rum bar at the side of the other stage drinking rum and lime and ginger cocktails on a sofa watching the world go by.

[fred quimby]

3 minutes ago, ivan said:

1999

 

Always wanted to go but the line up was never my cup of tea although I would loved to have seen Husker Du in 1987 and had a bootleg tape of that set for years " They won't come back on " says Andy Kershaw in his Lancashire accent.

 

That reminds me of the stall in the 80's and maybe early 90's that used to sell bootlegs of all the acts (well maybe not all). So you could see a great set and then an hour later go over and you were able to buy it. Most were very good quality and some from the mixing desk.

[glasto-worker]

4 hours ago, fred quimby said:

I remember the Dub tent. A place of wonder and thundering bass. Remember sat in there sharing a chalice or 2 having my ribs vibrated by the bass bins.

I know what you mean as those speakers were massive - its a shame that not more looked in - to me having lived in London for so long it was more like a Brixton shebeen but without the Guns !!! - one thing is very true ' if you were not stoned when you walked in to the Reggae cafe you were certainly stoned when you walked out ' and I don't smoke joints. It certainly was a interesting place and the music was cracking .

Edited October 12, 2018 by glasto-worker

[deadpheasant]

Only been twice both as volunteers in 2014 & 2015. 2019 will be my first as a proper punter though.

I was doing stewarding up on worthy view with Festaff which was a very pleasant experience, time just went by so quickly while I worked. I was incredibly lucky to get a double shift on the Wednesday and a morning shift on the Thursday meaning I have Thursday night & the whole weekend to enjoy the festival. I made the mistake though of planning who I was going to see down to the minute so I was running between stages to catch everyone. Distinctly remember being really hungover and not arsed to see Blondie so I saw TWOD open to Pyramid stage. Hardly anyone there and the sun had just come out and it was beautiful. After the Friday my legs felt like cinder blocks lol. All in all such a wonderful experience.

[mashedonmud]

My first time is a private matter.

[fuzzy_logic]

1992 - weather was great, went by train with my then girlfriend, the train staff kept calling it the "pilton pop festival" lol the pyramid headliners didn't start until 11:30 back then. Blur played the NME stage and Damon smashed the equipment up 

[Martin Ashford]

My first time was 1978 aged 20. I had seen the Glastonbury Fayre film and Woodstock in the cinema towards the end of 77 and had done Reading that summer so was well primed. Somehow I came across an advert for a festival at Worthy Farm. I enlisted my mate David and off we went. It was very small (500 people?) completely free and very anarchic. The stage was a flat bed truck with a pyramid shaped tarpaulin over it. I'm sure this was Nik Turner related as we saw it again that year and again in 1979 where it became the second stage. I made up some epic poetry on the stage and David jammed with some band long into the wee hours. Most of the time it rained. This was fun but the next year was the ONE. It was £15, 15,000 people and there was lot of effort invested plus lots of bands we had heard of like The Only Ones, Alex Harvey, Peter Gabriel  and Steve Hillage who I was already a huge fan of and was largely responsible for the shape of the event. I still think of it as my all time favourite festival. I think I've missed about 5 since then.

[henry bear]

9 hours ago, glasto-worker said:

You Must Have Been Well Out Of It 

Because Marillion was the first band to play - they may have been pencilled in to play later but they went on first due to Peter Gabriel's farm house studio booking hence why they did not hang about - it was the very first time Derek had been to Glastonbury and he was kicking himself that they did not have to to stay - In 1983 they were not well knowing outside of  Aylesbury { Marillion's home town } so most people there would not have a clue who they were.

so they would have started at either 11.00 or Noon.Did not know they played Reading in 1983 but I only started going either 1988 or 1989.

So perhaps you have mixed up the two gigs as I know 100% they went on late morning or noon time. 

@glasto-worker, found this image of Marillion at Glastonbury 1983 online 

 

[Peroni]

....such great memories. I love reading all of these memories.

 

What about the newbies who've not yet been?  What made you take plunge (assuming you have a ticket?)

[glasto-worker]

3 hours ago, henry bear said:

@glasto-worker, found this image of Marillion at Glastonbury 1983 online 

 

well give me 6 months as one of my friends who was with me that day ' did take some shots using a semi pro SLR ' - it was the first ever semi pro SLR that recorded time and date on the negative and he is going to hunt it down.Problem is he has a shed full of negatives so its going to take some time.

[henry bear]

28 minutes ago, glasto-worker said:

well give me 6 months as one of my friends who was with me that day ' did take some shots using a semi pro SLR ' - it was the first ever semi pro SLR that recorded time and date on the negative and he is going to hunt it down.Problem is he has a shed full of negatives so its going to take some time.

I’ll look forward to you finally conceding defeat 

[Flysheet]

7 hours ago, glasto-worker said:

it may have been 1990 - its the banner on the speakers -  It was the twentieth anniversary of the first Festival 

you will find lots of information over how much larger the new stage is compared to the old one on efest although I was not keen when they did not point it straight up the way .

90 was muddy as hell the first two days till it dried out, certainly not hot. 92 was scorching as was 93. 

Can’t remember the weather in 89...

 

[Beerqueen]

For some reason, I never really went to many gigs, and certainly not festivals, when I was younger.  The odd gig or two but nothing more.  and then kids happened, so even less likely.  I enjoyed watching on tv but thought of it as something that other people did (don't know why!).  My eldest son in particular loved music and I gradually realised that people of my age actually went to gigs.  So - we live half an hour from the V festival site in Stafford so me and my friend thought we'd take the kids there.  I went for a few years with different friends and really enjoyed it until it started getting ridiculously poppy (when we started going it was bands like Radiohead, Oasis, so stopped going but had started getting into the habit of going to gigs - far more than I had in my youth.

My son grew up and worked at Glastonbury.  And then, I'm not sure how/why but me, my daughter, my son and my niece decided to try for Glastonbury tickets - and we got them (thanks niece!).  2014.  First time I'd camped at a festival (we'd always just been day visitors to V) but I'd camped loads so that wasn't a problem.  Fell in love - especially the places like Circus and Theatre mixed up with the main stages you see on TV and have been back in 2016 and 2017 and now 2019.  

So my first time was 2014 aged 52 - but I hope to go for as many as I can.