Best Glastonbury book: something to do while it pisses it down

[Respectfatfrog]

So just finished reading turn left at the womble: how a 48 dad survived his first time at glasto. I brought it after getting tickets on sunday its a great book not too long but worth a read does anyone have any other recomendations?? full of little stories or as such.

 

 

[stuartbert two hats]

I have a lot to say about this over the next few days, but will say this for now - somehow there are two memoir series where a middle aged man went to Glastonbury for the first time with his daughter in 2010. And there was someone else called Beth involved. In both books. 

The Rick Leach books are the superior of the two, I'm particularly fond of the third one where he went with his son. 

There are other memoirs and a couple of fiction books floating about. I think I've read them all on my Kindle.

Edited October 12, 2018 by stuartbert two hats
Added year

[Respectfatfrog]

2 minutes ago, stuartbert two hats said:

I have a lot to say about this over the next few days, but will say this for now - somehow there are two memoir series where a middle aged man went to Glastonbury for the first time with his daughter. And there was someone else called Beth involved. In both books.

The Rick Leach books are the superior of the two, I'm particularly fond of the third one where he went with his son. 

There are other memoirs and a couple of fiction books floating about. I think I've read them all on my Kindle.

Yeah just finished  the first Rick leach book on my kindle i dont want to seem like im advertising him but they only a couple of quid on kindle right now reminded me of my first time so much. Great for newbies 

[CaledonianGonzo]

Looking forward to the offical 50th anniversary compendium

[Gnomicide]

5 minutes ago, stuartbert two hats said:

I have a lot to say about this over the next few days, but will say this for now - somehow there are two memoir series where a middle aged man went to Glastonbury for the first time with his daughter in 2010. And there was someone else called Beth involved. In both books. 

The Rick Leach books are the superior of the two, I'm particularly fond of the third one where he went with his son. 

There are other memoirs and a couple of fiction books floating about. I think I've read them all on my Kindle.

Intriguing. 

 

I found Rick's book infuriating (he seems a lovely bloke by the way, I told him this on Twitter and he agreed). He went for the first time the same year as I did yet had clearly done no research and as a result missed loads. He went on Thursday, spent almost all his time at the Pyramid and The Other or looking for coffee. 

People say don't read too much before you go as it can spoil It, his book is the argument against that.

I might try the 2nd one but need to get past my annoyance. 

[Respectfatfrog]

1 minute ago, Gnomicide said:

Intriguing. 

 

I found Rick's book infuriating (he seems a lovely bloke by the way, I told him this on Twitter and he agreed). He went for the first time the same year as I did yet had clearly done no research and as a result missed loads. He went on Thursday, spent almost all his time at the Pyramid and The Other or looking for coffee. 

People say don't read too much before you go as it can spoil It, his book is the argument against that.

I might try the 2nd one but need to get past my annoyance. 

Intresting take it took my first year to get enough confidence to leave the main 2 stages still had a great time didn't even realise there was a area called shangri la ? 

[stuartbert two hats]

2 hours ago, Gnomicide said:

Intriguing. 

 

I found Rick's book infuriating (he seems a lovely bloke by the way, I told him this on Twitter and he agreed). He went for the first time the same year as I did yet had clearly done no research and as a result missed loads. He went on Thursday, spent almost all his time at the Pyramid and The Other or looking for coffee. 

People say don't read too much before you go as it can spoil It, his book is the argument against that.

I might try the 2nd one but need to get past my annoyance. 

The second one isn't much less infuriating. He works it, which is admittedly interesting in of itself, but means he doesn't have much chance to broaden his horizons when off duty. Musically speaking, it doesn't get much more interesting than catching the headliners on the way back to bed  and having a nap in front of the Other Stage.

It's the next couple (yes, there are very many!) where things start to pick up. He discovers Courtney Barnett which gives him a kick up the arse, musically speaking and gets him stomping around the site, like he should have done 4 years earlier. 

It's it's book four (not three as I said earlier) which is my favourite, called "Feels Like Going Home", it's pretty clear from the title alone that he "gets it" by the time we reach this book. Lots of bimbling, much more exploration and lots of waxing lyrical about the festival and how special it is. He's still obsessed with coffee never goes to Shangri La but that's fine.

I feel a bit mean talking about the most recent one, since I've also interacted with him a fair bit on Twitter, but it's not the best. His heart didn't really seem in it, the festival didn't even start until halfway through the book. It was more of a memoir featuring Glastonbury, rather than a full on Glastonbury book. I wanted to Glastonbury.

Later I'll talk about the Meiron Williams books, of which I am not so fond.

[Gnomicide]

Cheers @stuartbert two hats, I may jump straight to book 3. I've not heard of Meiron Williams, I look forward to your thoughts.

[stuartbert two hats]

Just now, Gnomicide said:

Cheers @stuartbert two hats, I may jump straight to book 3. I've not heard of Meiron Williams, I look forward to your thoughts.

In brief, he just doesn't seem as nice a bloke and his books need a jolly good proof read. I'm sure I'll write more in due course. Meanwhile, here's an excerpt from when he was getting his stuff out of the car to enter the festival in 2017

...but before I could even put one boot in the trolley I was halted from doing so as a swarm, and I mean a swarm of Hari Krishna individuals seemed to come out of nowhere; “excuse me" he said politely “I’m a monk" "I'm not interested" was my reply and with that he walked off to stop someone else from emptying their car, but it didn't stop there; “Excuse me I'm a monk" said another one “That’s not my problem" was my response” and guess what I'm not interested" I carried on sorting out my trolley as another approached but before he could get any closer I glared at him; “Have my colleagues spoken to you" was his question...

 

Swarm? He's at Glastonbury and he refers to a group of peaceful, if overly earnest people as a swarm???

[CaledonianGonzo]

Is this not just like reading a stranger's diaries?

[GlastoEls]

I really like Rick’s books.

 

[stuartbert two hats]

7 minutes ago, GlastoEls said:

I really like Rick’s books.

 

There's a 2017/2019 book in the works.

[Respectfatfrog]

1 hour ago, stuartbert two hats said:

The second one isn't much less infuriating. He works it, which is admittedly interesting in of itself, but means he doesn't have much chance to broaden his horizons when off duty. Musically speaking, it doesn't get much more interesting than catching the headliners on the way back to bed  and having a nap in front of the Other Stage.

It's the next couple (yes, there are very many!) where things start to pick up. He discovers Courtney Barnett which gives him a kick up the arse, musically speaking and gets him stomping around the site, like he should have done 4 years earlier. 

It's it's book four (not three as I said earlier) which is my favourite, called "Feels Like Going Home", it's pretty clear from the title alone that he "gets it" by the time we reach this book. Lots of bimbling, much more exploration and lots of waxing lyrical about the festival and how special it is. He's still obsessed with coffee never goes to Shangri La but that's fine.

I feel a bit mean talking about the most recent one, since I've also interacted with him a fair bit on Twitter, but it's not the best. His heart didn't really seem in it, the festival didn't even start until halfway through the book. It was more of a memoir featuring Glastonbury, rather than a full on Glastonbury book. I wanted to Glastonbury.

Later I'll talk about the Meiron Williams books, of which I am not so fond.

Thanks for the insight theres no disagreement with What you are saying from me. I still enjoyed what i have looked at so far 

[stuartbert two hats]

Talk of the devil

 

[Phoenix Girl]

New ways to be obsessive over Glastonbury ??.

My reading for the winter sorted, thanks.

[incident]

18 hours ago, Gnomicide said:

People say don't read too much before you go as it can spoil It, his book is the argument against that. 

I might try the 2nd one but need to get past my annoyance.  

I had basically the same view as you, gave him a second and third chance and found the next two books every bit as frustrating.

They're basically the memoirs of someone who shuttles back and forward between the Pyramid and Other Stages, tells us what he thought of the bands, and then gets shocked on his third (or was it fourth?) visit when he finds out there's something called the acoustic stage and places south of the railway track.

Maybe it gets better later on, but I've given those books too many chances already.

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

Venetia Deardon. Not a readable book, but all the photos tell a story;

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Glastonbury-Another-Stage-Venetia-Dearden/dp/3868280464

 

I got married in her mom and dad's house, in East Pennard, and then went to Glastonbury a few weeks later. 

[Woffy]

1 minute ago, Yoghurt on a Stick said:

Venetia Deardon. Not a readable book, but all the photos tell a story;

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Glastonbury-Another-Stage-Venetia-Dearden/dp/3868280464

 

I got married in her mom and dad's house, in East Pennard, and then went to Glastonbury a few weeks later. 

There are no decent Glastonbury Festivals books IMHO.

But i'd read yours Yog.

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

1 hour ago, Woffy said:

There are no decent Glastonbury Festivals books IMHO.

But i'd read yours Yog.

Hello Woffy,

Really good to hear from you. I hope that you got a ticket for next year? 

I couldn't write a Glastonbury book, unless it was a collaboration with my mates. The reason for this is that I, like most people, can't actually remember huge swathes of the experience. Anything I've remembered I've probably written on here already.

The above said, I do have loads ideas for writing some short stories, or even a book. However, none of that is Glastonbury related.

I think that you've got a book in you, and a good one at that, but you also are not allowing yourself that credence.

The only book I have written so far is a children's book about a cloud. It's not exactly autobiographical, although might give that impression. Anyway, to date, there's been a sales total of exactly zero. If anybody out there reading this wants to burst that bubble, then please feel free;

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Orlos-Great-Adventure-Orlo-Stories-ebook/dp/B01JBY96AU

 

[marathonsteve]

I am just reading Glastonbury by Crispin Aubrey & John Shearlaw  and it gives a good insight to the various characters and  individuals over the years who have been associated with Glastonbury.

[Mardy]

I'm not going to buy any more Glastonbury books till they bring out a scratch and sniff version, the tang of the longdrops, the frying of falafel, the fertile, slightly acidic smell of the beer tents on Sunday evening, the petrichor after a sudden downpour on the old railway line, the hum of a sock encased in welly all day. Words alone are not enough.

[GlastoEls]

18 hours ago, incident said:

I had basically the same view as you, gave him a second and third chance and found the next two books every bit as frustrating.

They're basically the memoirs of someone who shuttles back and forward between the Pyramid and Other Stages, tells us what he thought of the bands, and then gets shocked on his third (or was it fourth?) visit when he finds out there's something called the acoustic stage and places south of the railway track.

Maybe it gets better later on, but I've given those books too many chances already.

To be fair that’s exactly what they say on the tin i.e. a middle aged Dad’s first experience of Glastonbury!

[CaledonianGonzo]

When The Wombats strode out onto the Other Stage on that early June morning I could tell we were in for another great Glastonbury set

The Wombats are an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 2003. The band is composed of lead vocalist and guitarist Matthew Murphy, drummer Dan Haggis and bassist Tord Øverland Knudsen and has been since its inception. The band is signed to 14th Floor Records in the United Kingdom and Bright Antenna in the United States. The Wombats' albums have sold over 1 million copies worldwide.

My cider was going down well as the lads tore into tracks from

DiscographyEdit

Main article: The Wombats discography

Studio albums

• A Guide to Love, Loss & Desperation (2007)
• This Modern Glitch (2011)
• Glitterbug (2015)
• Beautiful People Will Ruin Your Life (2018)

I turned round and next to me I recognised a familiar figure. Goodness me. It was Lammo.

Stephen Paul Lamacq (born 16 October 1964), sometimes known by his nicknameLammo (given to him by John Peel), is an English disc jockey, currently working with the BBC radio station BBC Radio 6 Music.

It was about then that I decided that I wanted a burger

A hamburger, beefburger or burger is a sandwich consisting of one or more cooked patties of ground meat, usually beef, placed inside a sliced bread roll or bun. The patty may be pan fried, grilled, or flame broiled. Hamburgers are often served with cheese, lettuce, tomato, bacon, onion, pickles, or chiles; condiments such as mustard, mayonnaise, ketchup, relish, or "special sauce"; and are frequently placed on sesame seed buns. A hamburger topped with cheese is called a cheeseburger.

[Woffy]

28 minutes ago, CaledonianGonzo said:

When The Wombats strode out onto the Other Stage on that early June morning I could tell we were in for another great Glastonbury set

The Wombats are an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 2003. The band is composed of lead vocalist and guitarist Matthew Murphy, drummer Dan Haggis and bassist Tord Øverland Knudsen and has been since its inception. The band is signed to 14th Floor Records in the United Kingdom and Bright Antenna in the United States. The Wombats' albums have sold over 1 million copies worldwide.

My cider was going down well as the lads tore into tracks from

DiscographyEdit

Main article: The Wombats discography

Studio albums

• A Guide to Love, Loss & Desperation (2007)
• This Modern Glitch (2011)
• Glitterbug (2015)
• Beautiful People Will Ruin Your Life (2018)

I turned round and next to me I recognised a familiar figure. Goodness me. It was Lammo.

Stephen Paul Lamacq (born 16 October 1964), sometimes known by his nicknameLammo (given to him by John Peel), is an English disc jockey, currently working with the BBC radio station BBC Radio 6 Music.

It was about then that I decided that I wanted a burger

A hamburger, beefburger or burger is a sandwich consisting of one or more cooked patties of ground meat, usually beef, placed inside a sliced bread roll or bun. The patty may be pan fried, grilled, or flame broiled. Hamburgers are often served with cheese, lettuce, tomato, bacon, onion, pickles, or chiles; condiments such as mustard, mayonnaise, ketchup, relish, or "special sauce"; and are frequently placed on sesame seed buns. A hamburger topped with cheese is called a cheeseburger.

Proper lolled!

[Crazyfool01]

I just read efests ... some of the posts are like books sometimes ... and give some decent info too