Strength of line up

[CaledonianGonzo]

Rio Carnival? Cannes? Mardi Gras? D@b down old sons, there's noone there whittling spoons.

[Twiggy553]

40 minutes ago, CaledonianGonzo said:

Rio Carnival? Cannes? Mardi Gras? D@b down old sons, there's noone there whittling spoons.

Rofl

[jadedj]

In terms of my music preference last years line up was pretty incredible and had some of my favourite artists. This year is slightly underwhelming in comparison but there's still a few I'm pretty ecstatic to see. I'm holding out quite a bit for the extra acts that are going to end up on the pyramid and other stage 

[donthaveacoolname]

Could it be that this conversation is happening 2 months too early, and would be of more use post festival....

here's my 2p, almost every year someone somewhere complains about the line up and that x year was so much better etc, yet I can guarantee on the run up to x year people were giving out about the line up for that year and it's not until get get to see the whole picture and how all the parts fit together that we get a true feel of how good or bad a line-up was....

Also does it really matter how strong or weak the line up is? I know that over the 5 days I'll probably see perhaps 20 acts that I will be able to name when I get home, the rest of the time I'll stumble across bits and pieces of bands I've never heard of and will never hear of again but for that 20 minutes while waiting for X to come on I was hooked. Some of the best festivals I've had was when I was excited about very few on the line up and was able to enjoy the festival not the bands and the worst festival was the one I was supper excited about seeing loads of acts I really wanted to see and zipped about the site but got to see very little of the festival 

[Blisterpack]

13 minutes ago, donthaveacoolname said:

I know that over the 5 days I'll probably see perhaps 20 acts that I will be able to name when I get home, 

Twice as many as me. 

[Fishinginthelongdrops]

7 minutes ago, Blisterpack said:

Twice as many as me. 

Fist day back at work, every year

“Who did you see at Glastonbury?”

”Umm, I can’t really remember. Please don’t ask me any questions. I’m feeling a bit fragile.”

[philipsteak]

1 minute ago, Fishinginthelongdrops said:

Fist day back at work, every year

“Who did you see at Glastonbury?”

”Umm, I can’t really remember. Please don’t ask me any questions. I’m feeling a bit fragile.”

I tend to just say the biggest headliner I saw plus "loads of others". Seems to keep them happy.

[donthaveacoolname]

6 minutes ago, Fishinginthelongdrops said:

Fist day back at work, every year

“Who did you see at Glastonbury?”

”Umm, I can’t really remember. Please don’t ask me any questions. I’m feeling a bit fragile.”

 

3 minutes ago, philipsteak said:

I tend to just say the biggest headliner I saw plus "loads of others". Seems to keep them happy.

My point exactly regarding the strength of the line-up debate

[downtherabbithole]

My 7th Glasto so I know it really doesn't matter too much about the line-up (although of course you want at least one act you wanna see each day). However, as my 7th glasto I can confidently say this year is most underwhelming for me. And sadly the few acts I would like to see are quite likely going to clash (The War on Drugs, Caroline Polachek, Thundercat). Guns n Roses certainly stand out as a bad booking. If Taylor Swift had headlined like originally planned then the set of 3 headliners would look so much stronger than it does. Anyway, let's hope there's a couple more big hitters in the final line-up to boost it a bit - ideally Pulp or The Prodigy. Both of them would make the overall line-up look a lot sturdier. And throw in an Aphex Twin set in the common and then we're cooking.

[Skip997]

Going to be a bit different this year.

Normally I'll see a headliner on one of the three big stages every night (Friday, Saturday, Sunday), but there's nothing I'm interested in on Saturday or Sunday, Kelis on Friday.

So earlier into SH or SE corner or maybe something in The Glade.

[Supernintendo Chalmers]

1 minute ago, Skip997 said:

Going to be a bit different this year.

Normally I'll see a headliner on one of the three big stages every night (Friday, Saturday, Sunday), but there's nothing I'm interested in on Saturday or Sunday, Kelis on Friday.

So earlier into SH or SE corner or maybe something in The Glade.

I'm the same...but I'm very excited by that prospect!

[Skip997]

Just now, Supernintendo Chalmers said:

I'm the same...but I'm very excited by that prospect!

Same here

Proper party time!

[blutarsky]

20 hours ago, philipsteak said:

I tend to just say the biggest headliner I saw plus "loads of others". Seems to keep them happy.

You're doing it all wrong. hit them with a "Lekkido, Beans on Toast and Mik Artistik" combo.

Edited May 24, 2023 by blutarsky

[Supernintendo Chalmers]

Just now, Skip997 said:

Same here

Proper party time!

Exactly. Extra bonus, not facing the crazy crowd surge, post-headliner

[RichardWaller]

Every year there’s less and less I’m familiar with but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. There are a few must sees on the lineup and enough that I’d like to see if I can to make it worth going, I’d like to make a few discoveries.

Kinda feel at a bit of a cross roads. This’ll be number 8 and first since 2016. I turned 40 in April and if it weren’t for my family clubbing together to sort a ticket I wouldn’t be going. Part of me had written off going again and I’m really not sure if I’ll try to again either. Like probably so many others in here, my late teens to mid 20s I was a sponge. At the time I felt like I really had my finger on the pulse, I’d absorb music from here there and everywhere, I wouldn’t just stumble upon artists, I’d be actively discovering them. Fell by the wayside a lot through my 30s and I really miss the thrill of discovering an act that’s new to me, I’ve not had it for such a long time. I dunno, I know inevitably there’ll be loads of stuff out there I’d love if I found it, listened to it, if I absorbed it and remembered it. Even if it’s not new to the world, but just new to me, whatever. Just feel like I’ve lost that passion, lost that spark, become so jaded and disillusioned.

But in a few weeks time I’ll be in a place that I’ve had some of the best times of my life. Course it’s not going to be like it was when I was 20 but if being there means something halfway close to what it once did, that’ll do.

[philipsteak]

2 hours ago, blutarsky said:

You're doing it all wrong. hit them with a "Lekkido, Beans on Toast and Mik Artistik" combo.

Doesn't that just invite more questions? Which I really don't want at that stage. Or does it scare them off?

[MEGATRONICMEATWAGON]

2 hours ago, RichardWaller said:

Every year there’s less and less I’m familiar with but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. There are a few must sees on the lineup and enough that I’d like to see if I can to make it worth going, I’d like to make a few discoveries.

Kinda feel at a bit of a cross roads. This’ll be number 8 and first since 2016. I turned 40 in April and if it weren’t for my family clubbing together to sort a ticket I wouldn’t be going. Part of me had written off going again and I’m really not sure if I’ll try to again either. Like probably so many others in here, my late teens to mid 20s I was a sponge. At the time I felt like I really had my finger on the pulse, I’d absorb music from here there and everywhere, I wouldn’t just stumble upon artists, I’d be actively discovering them. Fell by the wayside a lot through my 30s and I really miss the thrill of discovering an act that’s new to me, I’ve not had it for such a long time. I dunno, I know inevitably there’ll be loads of stuff out there I’d love if I found it, listened to it, if I absorbed it and remembered it. Even if it’s not new to the world, but just new to me, whatever. Just feel like I’ve lost that passion, lost that spark, become so jaded and disillusioned.

But in a few weeks time I’ll be in a place that I’ve had some of the best times of my life. Course it’s not going to be like it was when I was 20 but if being there means something halfway close to what it once did, that’ll do.

That's really great, they must really love you!

Also, fwiw, I don't know hardly anyone on a lot of the line-ups. I haven't attended a festival since 2023 and staying on top of discovering new music is hard work when you've got to fit in your regular job, kids, extended family, other hobbies, holidays, etc etc. Hopefully that spark comes back and you go through some of the posters and find some diamonds in the rough!

And even if it doesn't, I'm sure once you get on the Farm, it'll almost be like muscle memory and you'll have the time of your life.

[noplacelikehome]

2 hours ago, RichardWaller said:

Every year there’s less and less I’m familiar with but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. There are a few must sees on the lineup and enough that I’d like to see if I can to make it worth going, I’d like to make a few discoveries.

Kinda feel at a bit of a cross roads. This’ll be number 8 and first since 2016. I turned 40 in April and if it weren’t for my family clubbing together to sort a ticket I wouldn’t be going. Part of me had written off going again and I’m really not sure if I’ll try to again either. Like probably so many others in here, my late teens to mid 20s I was a sponge. At the time I felt like I really had my finger on the pulse, I’d absorb music from here there and everywhere, I wouldn’t just stumble upon artists, I’d be actively discovering them. Fell by the wayside a lot through my 30s and I really miss the thrill of discovering an act that’s new to me, I’ve not had it for such a long time. I dunno, I know inevitably there’ll be loads of stuff out there I’d love if I found it, listened to it, if I absorbed it and remembered it. Even if it’s not new to the world, but just new to me, whatever. Just feel like I’ve lost that passion, lost that spark, become so jaded and disillusioned.

But in a few weeks time I’ll be in a place that I’ve had some of the best times of my life. Course it’s not going to be like it was when I was 20 but if being there means something halfway close to what it once did, that’ll do.

This could be that spark you need! My other half had a similar thing in his late 20's early 30's used to love music then it fell by the wayside due to life getting in the way. He then met me, I made him come to Leeds fest with me and it reignited the interest. Try using the Spotify glasto playlists to listen to new stuff before you go, it is the way I discover loads of new music these days. You will have a blast I am sure!

[Skip997]

2 minutes ago, noplacelikehome said:

This could be that spark you need! My other half had a similar thing in his late 20's early 30's used to love music then it fell by the wayside due to life getting in the way. He then met me, I made him come to Leeds fest with me and it reignited the interest. Try using the Spotify glasto playlists to listen to new stuff before you go, it is the way I discover loads of new music these days. You will have a blast I am sure!

At Glastonbury I read the program (thanks to all the punters that dump them on entry) and identify acts I like the look of from the write up.

Works 90% of the time.

[RichardWaller]

24 minutes ago, MEGATRONICMEATWAGON said:

That's really great, they must really love you!

Also, fwiw, I don't know hardly anyone on a lot of the line-ups. I haven't attended a festival since 2023 and staying on top of discovering new music is hard work when you've got to fit in your regular job, kids, extended family, other hobbies, holidays, etc etc. Hopefully that spark comes back and you go through some of the posters and find some diamonds in the rough!

And even if it doesn't, I'm sure once you get on the Farm, it'll almost be like muscle memory and you'll have the time of your life.

Oh I’m massively grateful, I’d written it off so to get the email to say a deposit has been made was a shock. Me mam and sister plotted it between em, sister’s been a few times, went solo last year and it’ll be just the two of us this time. Just like our first time in 2002, lot had changed since then, mind.

I am looking forward to it but am a bit ambivalent in ways, partly the aforementioned and partly just being able to hack it! I think that’s a good way of putting it though, bits will be like muscle memory. 

7 minutes ago, noplacelikehome said:

This could be that spark you need! My other half had a similar thing in his late 20's early 30's used to love music then it fell by the wayside due to life getting in the way. He then met me, I made him come to Leeds fest with me and it reignited the interest. Try using the Spotify glasto playlists to listen to new stuff before you go, it is the way I discover loads of new music these days. You will have a blast I am sure!

I don’t think I’ll ever be able to articulate the impact Glastonbury has had on me. First time I went I think we’d only decided about a month before to go, only other festival I’d done before was Leeds twice. I didn’t know anyone else who’d been at the time and yeah expected it to have that a kinda right of passage feel and it did, but I’d not really done any homework to speak of. But each time I’ve been I’ve had this feeling unlike anything I’ve had anywhere else, that I’m somewhere special.

I suppose the lineup isn’t as important as it used to be to me. I’ve been to Glastonbury without seeing any of the Pyramid headliners and had a great time. 

[Skip997]

2 minutes ago, RichardWaller said:

  I’ve been to Glastonbury without seeing any of the Pyramid headliners and had a great time. 

No idea what you mean

[RichardWaller]

7 minutes ago, Skip997 said:

No idea what you mean

Not sure what’s not to get?

Course headliners are a big draw for festivals but people, myself included, will go to Glastonbury cos it’s Glastonbury. Wouldn’t go to Isle of Wight cos it’s Isle of Wight or Leeds cos it’s Leeds or whatever. 

[Skip997]

Just now, RichardWaller said:

Not sure what’s not to get?

Course headliners are a big draw for festivals but people, myself included, will go to Glastonbury cos it’s Glastonbury. Wouldn’t go to Isle of Wight cos it’s Isle of Wight or Leeds cos it’s Leeds or whatever. 

Full disclosure

I was hoping one of the regulars on here would react before you. I was trying to elicit an amusing reaction.

I've only seen about 6 Pyramid headliners in 24 Glastonbury's.  I don't go for the headliners.

[MEGABOWL]

3 hours ago, RichardWaller said:

Every year there’s less and less I’m familiar with but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. There are a few must sees on the lineup and enough that I’d like to see if I can to make it worth going, I’d like to make a few discoveries.

Kinda feel at a bit of a cross roads. This’ll be number 8 and first since 2016. I turned 40 in April and if it weren’t for my family clubbing together to sort a ticket I wouldn’t be going. Part of me had written off going again and I’m really not sure if I’ll try to again either. Like probably so many others in here, my late teens to mid 20s I was a sponge. At the time I felt like I really had my finger on the pulse, I’d absorb music from here there and everywhere, I wouldn’t just stumble upon artists, I’d be actively discovering them. Fell by the wayside a lot through my 30s and I really miss the thrill of discovering an act that’s new to me, I’ve not had it for such a long time. I dunno, I know inevitably there’ll be loads of stuff out there I’d love if I found it, listened to it, if I absorbed it and remembered it. Even if it’s not new to the world, but just new to me, whatever. Just feel like I’ve lost that passion, lost that spark, become so jaded and disillusioned.

But in a few weeks time I’ll be in a place that I’ve had some of the best times of my life. Course it’s not going to be like it was when I was 20 but if being there means something halfway close to what it once did, that’ll do.

You’re a few years behind me here. I’m 46 and around my 40th I was struggling a bit with music. I went to Glastonbury 2016 having done no research and not having many acts I wanted to see, end result being that combined with the weather it was the worst year I’ve had there. 
 

Didn’t go in 2017 but by 2019 I’d learnt and I really got stuck into the line up listening to loads of stuff I’d never heard before, something I continued in 2022 and then this year. It’s hard these days with the overwhelming amount of new music available to know where to start. So I now use the Glastonbury line up as a filter, like a curated window into new music. 
 

I find loads each year, and not just stuff of a ‘worth a look’ standard but genuinely amazing new stuff that I listen to well past Glastonbury. I don’t actually know whether I could really say I have my finger on the pulse but that feeling of finding something new and exciting doesn’t fade, it gets stronger as you get older. There’s shitloads of good new music out there and if you make the effort that adrenaline rush will return.