Best & Worst Glastonbury Area

[Radi0Head]

RE steps in the common. Can we get some metal in the common I want to launch myself into a mosh pit off them. Please.

[gigpusher]

This jobs too hard!! 

The areas I don't like tend to be areas I've not spent enough time at for me to be judging them and there are about 7 areas that I regularly spend a lot of time at and choosing a favourite would just be wrong. I love them all. 

[Hugh Jass]

16 minutes ago, gigpusher said:

This jobs too hard!! 

The areas I don't like tend to be areas I've not spent enough time at for me to be judging them and there are about 7 areas that I regularly spend a lot of time at and choosing a favourite would just be wrong. I love them all. 

You must choose.

 

[MetaKate]

Worst has to be silver hayes. What's with the weird vibes in that place. 

Best for me is the park. That's where I feel the most magic! 

Honorable mentions to block 9 as well.

[gigpusher]

34 minutes ago, Hugh Jass said:

You must choose.

 

Best area: Glastonbury Festival

Worst area: Not Glastonbury Festival

[Rumblestripe]

Favourite stages (depending on who is on them); Avalon, Park, Acoustic, Glade, Crows' Nest.

Least favourite (independent of performers) Silver Hayes. It really is as bad as everyone makes out. Soulless, anodyne and often desolate in an almost post-apocalyptic way. As I camp in Bushy/Pylon it is that trudge through it at the dead of night/early morning that is depressing. Other stage is a bit rubbish but does get decent acts on.

But this year it will all be brilliant and I won't be there. Bugger. First miss since 2011.

[BambooShanks]

1 hour ago, MetaKate said:

Worst has to be silver hayes. What's with the weird vibes in that place. 

Best for me is the park. That's where I feel the most magic! 

Honorable mentions to block 9 as well.

It's not too bad on the Friday when everybody is loved up and full of beans but my God, is it a dark place by Sunday when there's 7 molecules of serotonin between the thousands there.

It's just such a  odd place. Theres plenty of stages yet it feels cramped and desolate at the same time. Maybe because it feels more like a thoroughfare than an actual destination or maybe it's because it's full of youths and I'm reminded of my age and mortality?

 

 

[dingbat2]

Surely Michael and co can see where the issues are. I appreciate there is a lot of loyalty there but Silver Hayes just doesnt work, it's a bit of a problem child and has been for many, many years. It's a huge area and has so much potential, it's about time Michael saw that that area just isn't working and needs a while new rebuild/redesign. I respect his loyalty to the organisers of that area but it's about time he bit the bullet and gave someone else a go at sorting out an area which could be brilliant given the right focus/vision.. 

 

[gigpusher]

8 minutes ago, dingbat2 said:

Surely Michael and co can see where the issues are. I appreciate there is a lot of loyalty there but Silver Hayes just doesnt work, it's a bit of a problem child and has been for many, many years. It's a huge area and has so much potential, it's about time Michael saw that that area just isn't working and needs a while new rebuild/redesign. I respect his loyalty to the organisers of that area but it's about time he bit the bullet and gave someone else a go at sorting out an area which could be brilliant given the right focus/vision.. 

 

It feels to me as though it suffers from not having the really big acts from its genre there. All the really good dance acts that have wider appeal end up on the main stages. Also, the acts aren't as easy to research. When I tried to find a lot of them for my playlist I couldn't find them and so I usually end up missing out that area from my playlist and so am unlikely to end up exploring it come festival time. 

[kalifire]

Crikey, are there any fans of Silver Hayes here? Seems weird to have an area to avoid at Glastonbury but this thread is delivering a pretty damning consensus. 

[timbrass]

Favourite is Avalon, then T&C (Lost Vagueness and original Arcadia if I'm allowed a time machine).  Bimble Inn is also up there.

Worst is also Silver Hayes (although the original Pussy Parlure and Cubehenge were quite good.  John Peel stage doesn't do much for me either...

 

 

[Homer]

17 minutes ago, kalifire said:

Crikey, are there any fans of Silver Hayes here? Seems weird to have an area to avoid at Glastonbury but this thread is delivering a pretty damning consensus. 

Of the dance village in general, I'll go as far as to say that The Blues is pretty good - if you go in there at the right time.

[Tommy Dickfingers]

I don’t mind Wow tent and the boat parties outside. Think they’ve always got decent DJ’s on in Silver Hayes area too myself. I certainly don’t buy they don’t get big names. 

I think the problem people have on here is it’s quite a scally crowd with it being billed the Dance Village lots just head there to get off their head all day. Suppose that can be a bit off putting if you aren’t used to dickheads.

[CaledonianGonzo]

42 minutes ago, kalifire said:

Crikey, are there any fans of Silver Hayes here? Seems weird to have an area to avoid at Glastonbury but this thread is delivering a pretty damning consensus. 

Think some of it is confirmation bias from folk who probably might not wind up there anyway. I've seen great sets there in recent years  - Jain, Stormzy, etc.

[dccool]

Never personally had an issue with the crowd in silver hayes but totally agree it's not the same vibe as the rest of the festival and know a few mates who have had some pretty unsavoury encounters.

Hopefully the new sonic tent will improve the experience of watching DJs but dont know if it will improve the vibe and general crowd.

 

[mcshed]

On 4/25/2019 at 3:27 PM, Chicha said:

Copperdollar DJs will be providing the tunes for the Mezcal Yard so expect top vibes there! 

 

7 hours ago, crazyfool1 said:

did I see somewhere about a return from copper dollar ? or was it a dream ? I've tried contacting them but no joy 

Someone did say this, not sure of the source.

[Tommy Dickfingers]

I’ll be hoping to see the following at Silver Hayes; 

Hammer, Artwork, Dan Shake, Peggy Gou, Mala, Inner City, Craig Richards, Ben UFO, Four Tet, Haai, Midland, Bruce, Jayda G, Moxie, Shanti Celeste, Palms Trax, Peach, Daniel Avery, Hodge, Paranoid London, Leon Vynehall and Elijah and Skillum.

That’s a good spread of DJ’s for anywhere in my opinion. A good gender balance too. I think it’s a good line up there this year and even if it isn’t my favourite area of the festival for a dance there’s enough going on for me to spend a lot of time there.

[pie_and_a_pint]

I would go out of my way to avoid Silver Hayes but I don't dislike it as much as the Beat Hotel. Having to litterpick endless fucking nos canisters from there and the disgusting way the staff spoke to us litterpickers in the rain in 2016 means I would never darken its door.

Theatre and Circus is my favourite area. And John Peel is my favourite place to actually see bands, not that I do that all that much.

[westholtschic]

Favourite West Holts

Worst Silver Hayes, apart from the Thursday night silent disco

[MetaKate]

29 minutes ago, CaledonianGonzo said:

Think some of it is confirmation bias from folk who probably might not wind up there anyway. I've seen great sets there in recent years  - Jain, Stormzy, etc.

We gave it a go in '17... we usually head to SEC for late night stuff and are out all night every night and something called dance village should be right up our alley. It honestly felt like we wandered into a weird section of site. Gave it a good go... the other issue is it all started to shut down around 3 which is never the end of the party for me... so we just made our way over to the SEC at that point. I think it needs a redesign/rebrand/attraction. Theres no pull for me to go there right now... it might need some weird club type place or a secret venue... something to peak my curiosity. 

[clarkete]

6 hours ago, Supernintendo Chalmers said:

Sitting on the super fence... 

I've had fabulous times everywhere so first thing that comes into my head for each - Park (Mavis Staples). 

 

WH (singing to Nils at the end), 

 

Stone Circle (as I recall they had Banksy stonehenge that year, back in the days when it was better ?). 

 

Acoustic (sitting outside enjoying tunes on a nice day). 

 

Pyramid (Al Green, Johnny Cash). 

 

Other (everyone @bombfrog mentioned plus Pet Shop Boys just because I was the only one in our group who wanted to be elsewhere but they put on a cracking and mental show). 

 

T&C (circus and all sorts of madness during the day, stand up or trapeze at night). 

 

I was gonna say that at JP I remembered everyone waving ducks to Lemonjelly, but that was back in the New Bands days! 

 

Even the much maligned SH was a welcome nearby injection of fun when I wasn't warming to Kanye (Don Letts and Fatboy I believe at the Blues stage) . Also had laughs with larger groups of friends there just finding something to dance to amongst the stages. 

 

I've enjoyed brief glimpses of SE but usually not when it's hard to get in ?

 

Tons of places I've forgotten to mention, also I've had rubbish times on occasion at most of these - on the rare chance the weather was horrid, the sound was poor or you were next to some nobs ?

[Jne___]

One of the best areas for me strummerville - feels so hidden and secluded and illustrates just how brilliant and expansive Glastonbury is - that there really are these far off hidden corners. I love that its got its own bar, toilets and stage. And of course the views! Thursday 2017 we were dancing to Joey Supernova - a big mega mix of motown funk and soul until the early hours - and as I'm not a huge fan of the SEC (political vibe is a bit too obvious and gcse art project) was great having this hidden alternative. 

Worst for me (and many others it seems) is silver Hayes - just not my bag and feels like a big walk way more than anything.

Edited May 7, 2019 by Jne___

[Zoo Music Girl]

Tough to pick a best but if it was just one I would have to go Glade. Just love that stage and area, even if I don't spend as much time there as I would like to. Honourable mentions to West Holts, The Park (used to be my second home when I camped right by it, not so much now sadly) and Avalon.

Worst for me is the Other. It is a barren wasteland, the sound is often bad, the toilets and food aren't great there and the line-up is usually shit too. Have seen some good sets there but definitely not my favourite place to do so.

I get what people are saying about Silver Hayes, but I always want to like it more than I do. The Blues and Gully are cool and the potential is there, it just doesn't quite come together for me. Also I'm a bit old for the line-up to make much sense these days. Will give it another go. But Other is not a place to give a go or hang out at on the off chance: you only go to watch a specific band and then go elsewhere in my experience.

Writing this made me realise how many awesome areas there are though. What a place. Some of my happiest times at Glastonbury have been at Pyramid and that didn't even make my top four!

 

[Homer]

Agreed that the Other is a bit of a crap 'venue', especially in the day, but once it gets dark have seen some awesome headline sets there - particularly dance: Orbital, Chems, Basement Jaxx, Groove Armada, LCD...

[bombfrog]

The only time I remember the sound being bad at the other stage was The Prodigy. It was absolutely terrible and we gave up in the end. But that was once, in 15 years and I've spent a lot of time there.