The one you wish you'd been at...

[Rose-Colored Boy]

6 minutes ago, Muppetmark said:

2014, would have loved to have seen arcade fire on el pointo.

Another horror year for weather though. Dolly would’ve been even better if most of the weekend hadn’t involved trudging around in mud the came up to the calves.

Edited April 18, 2022 by Rose-Colored Boy

[stuartbert two hats]

16 minutes ago, Superscally said:

 

2005 wasn't bad, apart from the apocalypse morning. Of course if you were in the blast zone, it was awful. 2007 however was the pits. Interested to see what the 97/98 crowd think if they went to 2007 this year. 25th anniversary of 97 and 15th anniversary of 2007... 

 2007 was worse. 1997 was quite similar to 2016 if that helps calibrate.

And whilst 2000 was great and all, there was fuck all to do at night for most people unless you knew about the unauthorised stuff happening in the SE corner. And the crushes were awful - tiny bridges, bugger all stewarding, and a real fear that you were going to get crushed.

And the light shows were pathetic compared to modern times - if you watch old pyramid performances, it looks like the lights are broken, so little is happening.  Plus all those great bands on the lineup that are still going now hadn't written most of their good songs at the time.

And the coffee was shit.

Of course it was brilliant at the time - cultural moment, no doubt. However, if you got in a time machine, you'd probably rather come back to modern times after a few hours.

[stuartbert two hats]

2 minutes ago, Rose-Colored Boy said:

Another horror year for weather though. Dolly would’ve been even better without mud up to the calves.

2014 was not a horror year. Medium wet at the worst, certainly no mudbath.

[incident]

1995, 2000, or 2003 for me.

1995 because I'm a huge Pulp fan and that lineup in general is exactly to my taste on damn near every stage.

2000 because Bowie, mainly.

2003 because it was the first year I was properly trying to go - only to miss out because mates were dithering, under the assumption that it wouldn't sell out (it did, fast). Then spent the entire weekend bitterly watching it on TV - didn't help that it had fantastic weather and another strong lineup.

[gfa]

2019, 2017, 2016... and every one before it!

2019's lineup was phenomenal for my taste, i'd also love to have done a fuck off mud year and pre superwall.

[dogeggs]

1999…for no other reason than to have prepared me better for 2000. I didn’t know what the hell I was doing through most of the festival (it was my first tbf), missed a lot and still hold regrets today. If only the teenage me could go back and redo it all over again.

[irnkrtn]

 

1 hour ago, am00 said:

Hmmm maybe I'm being naive then. 

Or maybe that post belongs in the controversial opinions thread? 

There is nothing less controversial that this. It would be more controversial to say Michael Eavis is a nice man. 2016 was a delight compared to 2007. The BBC ran an article shortly after about trench foot at the festival - something I remember due to getting trench foot. Won't be able to sleep now 😂

2000 was absolutely amazing, line up wise. Elliott Smith and Bowie stand out in my mind but I'm sure I saw a lot more that was brilliant. More people should be saying 2010 - by far my best Glastonbury for the atmosphere, the weather, the whole setup. It was sweet. 

I would say 1995. That was the year I really knew Glastonbury existed and was absolutely agog about it. Surprised people aren't saying 1997. In my memory that was an absolutely epic year. That Radiohead set was world changing. 

Edited April 18, 2022 by irnkrtn

[Beaver89]

36 minutes ago, stuartbert two hats said:

2014 was not a horror year. Medium wet at the worst, certainly no mudbath.

I raised an eyebrow at this too. It was no horror show but the ground got very slippy and slick with the mud. Getting to and from our preferred spot in the pyramid field was wrought with danger. My partner came back from the loo and getting some chips looking like 2-face having stacked it and lost the chips.

A pair of lovely (and drunk) blokes behind us started wiping her down with wet wipes and as she was a little teary from the shock of suddenly meeting the ground at pace a lady in front asked if she needed a drink and stole a can of cider off her 13/4 year old son.

It was too late by the end of all of that to replace the chips before Metallica came on sadly.

[am00]

3 minutes ago, irnkrtn said:

 

There is nothing less controversial that this. It would be more controversial to say Michael Eavis is a nice man. 2016 was a delight compared to 2007. The BBC ran an article shortly after about trench foot at the festival - something I remember due to getting trench foot. Won't be able to sleep now 😂

I meant my statement about wishing I was at 2007 belonged in controversial. 

I think I'm underestimated the weather impact.  

[irnkrtn]

2 minutes ago, am00 said:

I meant my statement about wishing I was at 2007 belonged in controversial. 

I think I'm underestimated the weather impact.  

Oh no, it was a bloody brilliant year. I wouldn't change being there in the slightest. Just the trenchfoot haha. It rained, without stopping, from like 9pm on the Thursday night until the day we left. Every so often there would be the tiniest break in the rain. For 10 minutes. You'd be like - ok we can do this. Then it rained again. Constantly. By Friday PM I was wearing a full waterproof bodysuit. Every morning you woke up, is it.... yes. It's raining. I can still feel the feeling in my feet as I put my wellies on when I think about it. Never had a Glastonbury before it or after it the same. So much has changed about drainage on the site I'd hope we won't. 

Edited April 18, 2022 by irnkrtn

[am00]

15 minutes ago, irnkrtn said:

Oh no, it was a bloody brilliant year. I wouldn't change being there in the slightest. Just the trenchfoot haha. It rained, without stopping, from like 9pm on the Thursday night until the day we left. Every so often there would be the tiniest break in the rain. For 10 minutes. You'd be like - ok we can do this. Then it rained again. Constantly. By Friday PM I was wearing a full waterproof bodysuit. Every morning you woke up, is it.... yes. It's raining. I can still feel the feeling in my feet as I put my wellies on when I think about it. Never had a Glastonbury before it or after it the same. So much has changed about drainage on the site I'd hope we won't. 

Drainage or not, incessant rain has gotta be disheartening. 

But I was 17 or 18 at the time and the lineup for me at that age 👌

[am00]

16 minutes ago, irnkrtn said:

 Then it rained again. Constantly. By Friday PM I was wearing a full waterproof bodysuit. Every morning you woke up, is it.... yes. It's raining. I can still feel the feeling in my feet as I put my wellies on when I think about it. Never had a Glastonbury before it or after it the same. So much has changed about drainage on the site I'd hope we won't. 

The weather will be PERFECT this year and we won't have to worry about it 😇

[Spindles]

2014 for me.  I've managed to make it to every festival since 2009, but that year I was supposed to be working and it all fell through.  

2009 was the first time back for me since 2000, which was a festival so intense I needed 9 years to recover. 

[sedra]

1 hour ago, am00 said:

How bad would it have to get to make you leave? 

I left Sunday morning in 2007 we had had enough by then - it wasn’t just the mud it was the incessant rain from Thursday to Sunday. It was a bit like 98 in that regard - I also left early on Sunday morning then ( family emergency). Wish I’d been at 94. 

[Wanderlei]

I remember really wishing I'd been at the 2004 one at the time (Paul McCartney, Oasis, Muse, if I've got my year right).

[Deaf Nobby Burton]

Any before 2015, the earlier the better and preferably as early as 2000 when I would’ve been in my late teens, might have stopped me dicking around doing other less good stuff for 15+ years of my life 

[Supernintendo Chalmers]

I'd have to say 1997

[Hugh Jass II]

2008 - because it’s the only one I l’ e missed since I first went in 04.

[bexj]

I'd have to say 1971, it just looked so laid back! 

[Divein]

9 hours ago, Beaver89 said:

2016 wasn't even as bad as 2011. A mate was at 2007 as well and he has said it was the worst he had seen. (Was his first year - aware 2005 was also vile)

I don’t know if time clouds people’s memories but this isn’t true. 2016 was the worst year I’ve ever been since 2009.

In 2011 the rain in the queue wasn’t brilliant but I’d take that over 14 hours sat on a coach like 2016. The mud was quite sticky and deep in 2011 for a few days but not as bad as the relentless slush surface type stuff of 2016 which is very slippy. It was glorious on the Sunday in 2011 and you could get away with trainers in parts. 2016 was just horrible all weekend.

 

 

[gooner1990]

In terms of the line up 1994, 1995, 1997 & 1998 were all spot on for me....I can recall seeing the one for 1999 and being a bit underwhelmed by it.  I've got the 'best of' Glastonbury 1998 on my Sky box and like to air it fairly regularly. 

I've mentioned this a few times on here, but 1999 and 2000 I should have gone to....summer of 1999 I turned 18 and as a collective group all of me and my friends decided the big end of college/a-levels thing was to go to Reading Festival, which was fantastic and I had a great time.

However, I also had a Saturday job at a local supermarket and a group of guys who worked there were all really into music and a couple of them had gone to Glastonbury in 1998 and now an even bigger crowd of them was going in 1999, they invited me, I looked at the line up and decided 'no' and dismissed it completely.  Although funnily enough I was with one of them when he went into HMV in Oxford to get his ticket...simpler times!

The same crowd then went again in 2000 and a few just went on the Sunday to jump the fence for David Bowie and offered to take me but again I turned it down (no idea why?!)

By the time 2002 rolled around they were all finishing uni, or had just done and were on a gap year travelling so none of them went, for whatever reason no one bothered in 2003 but by that time I was watching it wall to wall on TV and decided 2004 I had to go and now not missed one since. 🙂 

So, for the pure carnage I wish I had been at 2000 (and should have been!)

Edited April 19, 2022 by gooner1990

[LoraMaze]

17 hours ago, Superscally said:

I think anyone who doesn't say 2000 is wrong. 

I concur

[clarkete]

It's the wrong question really...every year you go there's stuff you regret missing due to clashes, weather, getting bolloxed too early in the day or making compromises to stay with pals or partners. 

I was at many of the years mentioned, as were plenty of other regs but one way or another we'd have been watching some crap whilst the "set of the century" took place elsewhere. Tbh that's why much of the time I won't watch coverage of the acts I didn't see live. I'm OK wallowing in nostalgia but I carry more than enough regret already 😉

[kingbadger]

2009 for Blur's set. One of the few acts I've loved since childhood and the stuff of legend on here. 

[BluePaul]

I had to look back at old photos and the lineup for 2014 as had absolutely no recollection of any rain that year.  What I remember now is rain Thursday afternoon (spent in the Kasbah watching Tony Bowen), it pissing down when Robert Plant was on, and stage closures for a while when Vintage Trouble were on West Holts.

Otherwise blue skies and little mud underfoot.

Probably 3.6 roentgen.  Not great, not terrible...

Oh and as others have said, the right answer is 2000.

Edited April 19, 2022 by BluePaul