Boomtown Chapter 1: The Gathering

[mr flow]

1 hour ago, Old_Johno said:

Move everything to the bowl, cash free wristbands to track spending, arena style inner fence goes up… shudder 

Won't happen

[Paul ™]

9 hours ago, Neil said:

that's probably the part where LN can add some value to Boomtown.

It's where they can save a lot of ££.... as you know long term hire of infrastructure, preferred suppliers etc where kit goes from one to the next... 

[joeltg]

On 8/17/2022 at 6:20 PM, Leyrulion said:

I keep thinking back to how bloody good this festival was. I'd always heard comparisons to Glastonbury and thought it was over blown but it really does make the SE corner look tame and boring. 🤣

Agree - not sure the two can be compared but I find myself far more absorbed at Boom.

I have decided to drop out of the Glastonbury pool next year, I want to finally get to Greenman and I am not missing Boom.....so random, so fun, so edgy. I loved this year and already counting down the days!

[Boomtowner]

3 hours ago, joeltg said:

Agree - not sure the two can be compared but I find myself far more absorbed at Boom.

I have decided to drop out of the Glastonbury pool next year, I want to finally get to Greenman and I am not missing Boom.....so random, so fun, so edgy. I loved this year and already counting down the days!

Despite my reservations, I had an amazing time, for me it was more like my first visit in 2015, a wonderfully surreal experience.

However this was even more fun. The mixture of a large group and a solid, but unspectacular, line up meant that it was party central for my festival family. Spent far more time together, it was awesome. My Sunday run of Abraskadabra, Oh my God! it's the Church, Molotov Jukebox into KOOL and the Gang was as good as any ive had at Glastonbury. My legs could definitely tell the following day!

I'm with you in being more absorbed at Boom. I think a lot of that is to do with the crowd. Always loved how so many people have costumes, lights and glitter. It's an awesome spectacle in its own right. Had some beautiful moments at dusk, watching all these weird, wacky, wonderful individuals converge on Grand Central.

This year's Glastonbury was up there with 2010 as my favourite. Each time I've done Glastonbury and Boomtown in the same year, Boom's been my favourite. This year it did it again!

The only thing stopping me from definitely committing for next year are the stories about the bar staff. They said they'd sort that after 2019, but it appears they've done it again. If they're true, and Lak doesn't address it, I can't give them my money.

I didn't use the bars, didn't drink anywhere near as much due to the weather. Did anyone on here speak to anyone? I trust this forum far more than the other social media.

 

[a6l6e6x]

To summarise my thoughts as a first timer - wow

Although the heat kept me away from a lot of the day activity stuff which was a shame I absolutely loved it. The night time offerings were great fun, the actors were superb. I loved all the weird wacky stuff going on and getting involved where I could. The stage designs were mind-blowing and the sound when you were inside the arenas was better than I've ever heard

South east corner at glasto has felt a bit stale recently in comparison and they could learn a thing or two from this festival. With the incredibly positive response on social media I can see it selling out quick next year. I'd definitely go again. Thanks for the recommendations on here when I was deliberating going

[Sawdusty surfer]

Lak just released a vid on FB about this year's BT and current state of play and the future. Don't think that I can post it here but search Lak Mitchell on FB and it should be there. 

[Boomtowner]

1 hour ago, Sawdusty surfer said:

Lak just released a vid on FB about this year's BT and current state of play and the future. Don't think that I can post it here but search Lak Mitchell on FB and it should be there. 

Just watched it. He covered off the issue with the bar staff with enough integrity to warrant my custom for another year.

Roll on 2023, it's going to be a good one.

[incident]

Personally, after watching that I don't feel good about the bar staff situation at all, as it's got to the stage where it just feels like the words need actions behind them. "We were promised" / "We'll investigate" isn't good enough for something that's become a pattern - obviously it's too early to expect this yet, but at some point before the next festival they probably need to show what changes are being made.

One of the reasons I want more than words is because while the focus has been on this year and 2019, the mistreatment of (Freemans) bar staff goes back further than that - their crew had most of the exact same issues in 2018 as well, it just wasn't reported quite as publicly - but the festival were definitely made aware at the time. So that's now 3 festivals in a row where they've had these issues.

It also doesn't help that Boomtown have actually got rid of the "other" bar operator on site - Refresh West - who were there in 2018 and 2019 but not this year, and by all accounts are fantastic to work for.

On the other hand, I thought he did address the LN investment very well in terms of how it came about and what it brings to the organisational side.

[joeltg]

13 hours ago, Sawdusty surfer said:

Lak just released a vid on FB about this year's BT and current state of play and the future. Don't think that I can post it here but search Lak Mitchell on FB and it should be there. 

Any chance you can send it privately Sawdust, I don't have FB

[Sawdusty surfer]

41 minutes ago, joeltg said:

Any chance you can send it privately Sawdust, I don't have FB

Not sure if I'm able to download videos from FB. I'll try screen record on my phone and if it works, will post here. Will take a while gue to rural Somerset steam driven Internet. 

 

[Neil]

13 hours ago, Sawdusty surfer said:

Lak just released a vid on FB about this year's BT and current state of play and the future. Don't think that I can post it here but search Lak Mitchell on FB and it should be there. 

the wife watched it last night, si heard lak waffle-on  too, he used a lot of words but didn't say very much.

[joeltg]

1 hour ago, Sawdusty surfer said:

Not sure if I'm able to download videos from FB. I'll try screen record on my phone and if it works, will post here. Will take a while gue to rural Somerset steam driven Internet. 

 

Thanks buddy, but honestly no probs if it's a pain. 

I didn't experience any trouble with the bars so a bit ignorant to it all....

[Sawdusty surfer]

20 minutes ago, joeltg said:

Thanks buddy, but honestly no probs if it's a pain. 

I didn't experience any trouble with the bars so a bit ignorant to it all....

Problem with bars was the working conditions and allegations that staff were held almost prisoner. Was said that last time staff had to give huge cash deposit to work and leave their passports as security.

I've screen recorded it but keeps failing to upload. Will try again when I'm in town later with faster signal.

 

 

Edited August 22, 2022 by Sawdusty surfer

[Sawdusty surfer]

1 hour ago, Neil said:

the wife watched it last night, si heard lak waffle-on  too, he used a lot of words but didn't say very much.

I think he has done OK by putting his cards on the table and has explained some of the issues BT were facing. He was clearly between a rock and a hard place and I do think that selling part of the business really was their only choice.

I and the people who I went with all agree that it was the best event that we've been to for years. We've got some festival mileage in between us. Interestingly a whole load of my friends have said that they're going to go next year. Many will be crew of one sort or another. This reflects Lak's comment on how the demographic noticeably changed this year with more older people. I can see the average age creeping up again 2023.

As I posted earlier in this thread, you're never too old for Boomtown 😄

Edited August 22, 2022 by Sawdusty surfer

[Neil]

2 minutes ago, Sawdusty surfer said:

I think he has done OK by putting his cards on the table 

thing is, to anyone paying attention, some of what he says contradicts with stuff he's said in the past, he does try to cover the issues tho, and covid will have been a huge issue.

[Leyrulion]

Fair play to the owner being as public as this, you don't get that for other festivals when issues occur. E.g. Glastonbury this year.

[Sawdusty surfer]

3 hours ago, joeltg said:

Any chance you can send it privately Sawdust, I don't have FB

Hopefully here's the sound from it. 

Lak.aac

[Old_Johno]

11 hours ago, Neil said:

thing is, to anyone paying attention, some of what he says contradicts with stuff he's said in the past, he does try to cover the issues tho, and covid will have been a huge issue.

he skirts round the issue that they are no longer independent by painting the positives. 
 

I reckon once you get above 40k punters it’s not really financially viable to be independent, now that half their suppliers have gone belly up 

[Paul ™]

Good chance the bars will be operated differently next year anyway with the LN involvement, I'd expect to see either Central Fusion or One Circle being involved in running them, who will bring their own favourite agencies to staff them... most likely HAP. 

Good way to get rid of the link to Freemans...

[Metal Monkey]

12 hours ago, Paul ™ said:

Good chance the bars will be operated differently next year anyway with the LN involvement, I'd expect to see either Central Fusion or One Circle being involved in running them, who will bring their own favourite agencies to staff them... most likely HAP. 

Good way to get rid of the link to Freemans...

Hopefully they will bring some decent beer with them too.

[Neil]

12 hours ago, Paul ™ said:

their own favourite agencies to staff them

that'd be workers beer 

[Leyrulion]

3 hours ago, Metal Monkey said:

Hopefully they will bring some decent beer with them too.

Just not leaving the cans in the sun would be a great start. 

[Paul ™]

11 hours ago, Neil said:

that'd be workers beer 

Technically they don't exist any more, they call themselves EBC these days since the split up which created Avalon Bars. 

Not sure how many shows LN/FR use EBC for these days, it's mostly CF/One Circle that i've seen.

 

@glasto-worker will know more than me on that

[CauliflowerEar]

On 8/25/2022 at 1:28 PM, Leyrulion said:

Just not leaving the cans in the sun would be a great start. 

If i paid close to £6 for a can of Red Stripe and it was anything other than ice cold i would kick up a big fuss. Its great however to read that bar staff were giving away loads of booze to people at the bars as a result of their treatment by Freemans. I used to do this a lot when i worked for Peppermint, even though compared to Freeman's you were treated like a God. 

[dumski]

Bit late for my 2p but it was prob up there in my top 2 of boomtowns.  The other being 2016.  The weather makes a huge difference to my enjoyment.  Just being able to sit down anywhere is king.  Took my back to Phoenix ’96 and sleeping outside the whole weekend.

The other difference is the people. – everyone was  in such a good mood.  And I didn’t see any trouble.  I thoroughly enjoyed taking multiple water sprays and squirting ransoms in the face.  I may have annoyed one woman for squirting her with my spray “urgh, I’ve just done my makeup!” but worth it for the laughs from everyone else. 

Went with a 7yr old as part of group – meant we had to explore a bit more and entertain him so that probably helped. Got given some free drinks vouchers on the Sunday off some crew, who clearly weren’t gonna use them, just for bringing a child!

Entry Security – Via campervans.  Can’t fault them.  Arrived Thursday early afternoon.  No search on the way in they were just keen to get the kids wristband on and phone numbers written.   Wish we’d smuggled more.  Brought in the gas cooker fine but then it ran out the second morning mid bacon cooking.  Prob for the best.    Helped also being by the food vans as the hot water urn saved me some serious £

Thurs night had a 3am visit from police to the Campervan/tent 2 along.  Loads of security and police.  They allegedly caught someone on cctv selling Balloons to a 16 year old. They found lots of NOS gas, balloons and £12k in cash in a pillowcase – I slept through the whole thing but verified by numerous people in the morning. crazy

New Layout – Loved the fact that everywhere was easy to get to once you got to.  Could pop from Hidden woods to GC or Origin in a few mins.  Perfect.  Averaged about 15k steps less, this year than normal which could have been a killer in the heat. 

Characters were all over Letsbe Avenue and old town.  Great entertainment even if you don’t want to get involved.

The bowl at GC was better than I expected.  Not a patch on Lion’s Den but it sounds like that isn’t coming back.  Bumped into Lak a couple of times.  Said the logistics & cost of getting everything to LD and Sector 6 are just too much to make it feasible even with 80K people.  He didn’t like my other requests to bring back the hot tubs @ boutique either.  No sound clashes where we mostly were either.  Not sure how good it’ll be if it rains and can’t sit down

Only time I felt busy was the opening ceremony/Rodigan/Shyfx @ origin but that soon died down.  Not sure why they kept the city shut until then so we had to funnel round the sides.  

Indoor venues way too small for some of the acts.  Will suck if it rains

Lineup – initialling gutted about the no 2020 “headliners’ returning but more than satisfied with the acts.  Jungle and Reggae suits me 100% so had way too many clashes sadly. Highlights, Collie Budz, Dawn Penn, Shy fx, Uncle Duggs, Koffee, Dr Meaker, Ras Demo, Outlook Orchestra, Kool & the gang

Water – taps everywhere and cold.  Decent pressure most places I went.  Who needs showers when origin had the hoses!

Bar – overpriced but what can you do.   Always cold and never had a queue.  I can live with the payment system just for the lack of queues.  Auto top up worked like a dream and money refunded a few days after.

Food – Absolutely cracking sections if you looked around.  Some a bit steep but some great options.  Only downside was no jerk Chicken anywhere. 

 

Would I go again in the new set up? Yes, but may give it a year off next year to see if they actually do anything about the staff treatment.  Now sure where else to try though.  Any fests anyone can recommend with areas like hidden woods?  Dancing in sand is bliss