So anyone adamant they are not going next year ?

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

8 hours ago, stuie said:

Thank you Mr. Yog. It's not all bad, just change! But it would be good to see some of those beautiful places. 

That's good to hear. 

My advice?

Go to those places.

Or as many as you can.

[DeanoL]

13 hours ago, Neil said:

they  would also need fully formed new teams with  ideas to approach them and be the new team. only then could they retire some of the existing stuff.

That's just it though. Arcadia and Shangri-La weren't full formed new ideas when they first turned up. Back when it was the Afterburner and Trash City. They grew with the festival and in tandem with it.

I'm not looking for them to parachute in Punchdrunk to run some immersive experience (as cool as that would be). I'm looking for them to invest a small amount of time and space in some creatives who maybe don't have it all together already, and to see what happens.

[stuie]

27 minutes ago, DeanoL said:

That's just it though. Arcadia and Shangri-La weren't full formed new ideas when they first turned up. Back when it was the Afterburner and Trash City. They grew with the festival and in tandem with it.

I'm not looking for them to parachute in Punchdrunk to run some immersive experience (as cool as that would be). I'm looking for them to invest a small amount of time and space in some creatives who maybe don't have it all together already, and to see what happens.

I think that the apparent lack of innovation these last few years is down to budget cuts and restrictions to be honest.  Cancelled festivals and cost of living has seen area budgets on hold. That said, in the last few festivals we've still had Glastonbury on sea, IICON and a failed attempt at a new Arcadia arena.  I'm sure the festival (and the existing teams) are always looking for new talent to work with and when budgets allow, things will get a refresh.

 

[DeanoL]

I think it goes back much further than that. 2007/2008 when you had The Park and Shangri-La were the last real innovations. The Pier, IICON, nu-Arcadia, Rimski's Yard, Cinarmaggedon, Carhenge... they've all been developed by existing teams and many of them haven't really worked out well. 

The one thing I think that really has is the The Wood, which was fantastic this year and really developed slowly since 2016. I can also certainly see that things like the Spider are so synonymous with Glastonbury it'd almost be like ditching the Pyramid stage at this point, but do we really still need the (not so) secret piano bar? 

You have a point that things will change slowly and that's also why I'm not saying "never again" - I think going back in five years might be interesting as a lot more will have changed by then. It's just not something I need to try and do every year anymore. I've been to every one since 2003 and I think somewhere around 2013 it stopped being a defining part of my personality and life and became something I just did. I've noticed more and more when talking to new work colleagues and they're like "you're going to Glastonbury, wow" and I'm sort of just shrugging - "yeah it'll be a fun weekend". The excitement isn't there anymore.

[Neil]

1 hour ago, DeanoL said:

That's just it though. Arcadia and Shangri-La weren't full formed new ideas when they first turned up.

they were enough of an idea when they started, and evolved into something more?what i was saying is that:-  Glastonbury needs new things to allow older things to retire? i can't see anything retiring if there's nothing ready to go in its  place.

[DeanoL]

1 minute ago, Neil said:

they were enough of an idea when they started, and evolved into something more?what i was saying is that:-  Glastonbury needs new things to allow older things to retire? i can't see anything retiring if there's nothing ready to go in its  place.

Yeah and that'd be massively risky, which is why I think it's not really happened over the past ten years. When the site still had space, you could give the newbies a small space to try and make something happened, and if it worked, it could grow into something bigger, or even replace something already existing once that group and thing had proved it could work and had some appeal. So you either gamble, or you find more space.

(cf. rumours about moving more camping out of the festival to fit in more venues)

[Neil]

45 minutes ago, DeanoL said:

Yeah and that'd be massively risky, which is why I think it's not really happened over the past ten years. When the site still had space, you could give the newbies a small space to try and make something happened, and if it worked, it could grow into something bigger, or even replace something already existing once that group and thing had proved it could work and had some appeal. So you either gamble, or you find more space.

(cf. rumours about moving more camping out of the festival to fit in more venues)

don't think its that risky -  michael has done a great job with whats there already, so he can spot a winner. and the festival needs to keep evolving.

[DeanoL]

I'm not sure Cinarmaggedon or the pier have really been "winners". I know ICONN has had a mixed reception too although I really don't know enough about that sort of music to judge.

[Isaact]

IICON is a fantastic stage marred by bad booking, but in general the whole Block 9 area is leaps ahead of the rest of the SE Corner.

Shangri-la and the Unfairground in particular are really showing their age.

[Crazyfool01]

44 minutes ago, DeanoL said:

I'm not sure Cinarmaggedon or the pier have really been "winners". I know ICONN has had a mixed reception too although I really don't know enough about that sort of music to judge.

I mean im not sure how you'd classify the Pier tbh ... every time I've been past it looks busy ? so for me that's a winner ? is that not what its designed to do ... you'd never spend hours there id agree but its an art installation which year on year gets updated . Dance village also took some big leaps forward this year . However maybe they do need a new Joe Rush or similar and im sure theyd leap at it if there were someone out there 

[Avalon_Fields]

52 minutes ago, DeanoL said:

I'm not sure Cinarmaggedon or the pier have really been "winners". I know ICONN has had a mixed reception too although I really don't know enough about that sort of music to judge.

I tried again with the Pier this year. I just can't get enthusiastic about it. Cineramageddon was worth looking at the cars, but I'm never going to watch a film at Glastonbury.

 

[sime]

I really like The Pier. I find it a fun addition. Wished I'd seen Orbitals set there this year. I had no idea it had happened until I got back! I miss Cineramageddon. I liked liked all the old cars and planes dotted around and enjoyed watching a couple of the late night movies on their giant screen. Especially Escape From New York. 

[Ayrshire Chris]

3 hours ago, Avalon_Fields said:

I tried again with the Pier this year. I just can't get enthusiastic about it. Cineramageddon was worth looking at the cars, but I'm never going to watch a film at Glastonbury.

 

I’d agree with that. The pier is nice and worth seeing especially if never visited before, a bit of a photo opportunity and views from it are great. One thing this year I liked was the screens outside the Avalon. Watched beans on toast sitting on the field next to the bar. 

[northernangel]

4 hours ago, Avalon_Fields said:

I tried again with the Pier this year. I just can't get enthusiastic about it. Cineramageddon was worth looking at the cars, but I'm never going to watch a film at Glastonbury.

 

Yeah i think the pier is a bit done. No interest in going on it again.

[DeanoL]

5 hours ago, Crazyfool01 said:

I mean im not sure how you'd classify the Pier tbh ... every time I've been past it looks busy ? so for me that's a winner ? is that not what its designed to do ... you'd never spend hours there id agree but its an art installation which year on year gets updated . Dance village also took some big leaps forward this year . However maybe they do need a new Joe Rush or similar and im sure theyd leap at it if there were someone out there 

I guess what I mean is, are you excited to check out The Pier again next year? Do you think anyone really is?

[Crazyfool01]

3 minutes ago, DeanoL said:

I guess what I mean is, are you excited to check out The Pier again next year? Do you think anyone really is?

I've actually not been on it yet so personally I hope to .... but each year there are plenty of first timers , we often get complaints about things that aren't stages on here , but horses for courses in my opinion not everything needs to be in the same style , maybe id not be excited no but I love the creative aspects and love to see them 

[Gnomicide]

I think the pier is great, one of the things that separates Glastonbury from most other festivals. I've spent time on it each year it's been there. The little area with the stage near the entrance is also good. 

There are plenty of other areas I have no interest in but I've no objection to them being there as lots of people clearly enjoy them.

[Neil]

11 hours ago, Avalon_Fields said:

never going to watch a film at Glastonbury.

thats what i used to think but  the open air late night cinema years ago was a great way to finish the day.

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

1 hour ago, Neil said:

thats what i used to think but  the open air late night cinema years ago was a great way to finish the day.

The choice is there. That's the main thing. Something for everyone. 

[fred quimby]

10 hours ago, Gnomicide said:

I think the pier is great, one of the things that separates Glastonbury from most other festivals. I've spent time on it each year it's been there. The little area with the stage near the entrance is also good. 

There are plenty of other areas I have no interest in but I've no objection to them being there as lots of people clearly enjoy them.

So this ^

Didn't make it this year sadly. Nothing like a game of pinball when slightly wobbly. 

 

 

 

[DeanoL]

1 hour ago, fred quimby said:

So this ^

Didn't make it this year sadly. Nothing like a game of pinball when slightly wobbly. 

I mean, I guess that's what I am getting at. In this thread we've had three people defend the pier - one who actually loves it, one who loves it but not enough to actually visit it this year, and one who thinks it's great but has never actually been.

I think with pretty much the entire rest of the festival, you'll find someone who'll say "that's my favourite bit". There are people for whom Croissant Neuf is their favourite stage. I've never seen anyone *excited* about the pier. 

I'm not arguing that it's sh*t, just that's it's not amazing and honestly doesn't feel like it's going to develop into anything amazing either. (Which, y'know, given it's meant to be a UK seaside town pier, is pretty much spot on)

[gigpusher]

16 minutes ago, DeanoL said:

I mean, I guess that's what I am getting at. In this thread we've had three people defend the pier - one who actually loves it, one who loves it but not enough to actually visit it this year, and one who thinks it's great but has never actually been.

I think with pretty much the entire rest of the festival, you'll find someone who'll say "that's my favourite bit". There are people for whom Croissant Neuf is their favourite stage. I've never seen anyone *excited* about the pier. 

I'm not arguing that it's sh*t, just that's it's not amazing and honestly doesn't feel like it's going to develop into anything amazing either. (Which, y'know, given it's meant to be a UK seaside town pier, is pretty much spot on)

I really enjoy the pier especially if you get to go on early morning and actually interact with some of the things on there. I could probably name 20 other venues that people love much more that I would happily ditch over it. I think because it's the newest big thing and had a relative amount of hype from Michael that people have more of an issue with it than plenty of other similarly sized areas. It's a bit of fun. I think it has developed a little each year, whether it will reach a ceiling of how much it can develop quicker because of location I don't know but it is the kind of thing that makes Glastonbury different. I also would agree that it's not as much fun if you go on when it's busy a bit like most of SEC when it's busy I feel like all you get to do is walk through like it's some kind of museum and that's nowhere near as fun.

[Ommadawn]

22 minutes ago, DeanoL said:

I mean, I guess that's what I am getting at. In this thread we've had three people defend the pier - one who actually loves it, one who loves it but not enough to actually visit it this year, and one who thinks it's great but has never actually been.

I think with pretty much the entire rest of the festival, you'll find someone who'll say "that's my favourite bit". There are people for whom Croissant Neuf is their favourite stage. I've never seen anyone *excited* about the pier. 

I'm not arguing that it's sh*t, just that's it's not amazing and honestly doesn't feel like it's going to develop into anything amazing either. (Which, y'know, given it's meant to be a UK seaside town pier, is pretty much spot on)

Don't people get excited about the festival as a whole rather than individual aspects of it? I don't think there's any one item at the festival I would get excited about, but the festival as a whole - that's a different matter.

[fred quimby]

2 hours ago, DeanoL said:

I mean, I guess that's what I am getting at. In this thread we've had three people defend the pier - one who actually loves it, one who loves it but not enough to actually visit it this year, and one who thinks it's great but has never actually been.

I think with pretty much the entire rest of the festival, you'll find someone who'll say "that's my favourite bit". There are people for whom Croissant Neuf is their favourite stage. I've never seen anyone *excited* about the pier. 

I'm not arguing that it's sh*t, just that's it's not amazing and honestly doesn't feel like it's going to develop into anything amazing either. (Which, y'know, given it's meant to be a UK seaside town pier, is pretty much spot on)

It's an odd view really. I didn't visit it this year as I was having fun elsewhere. I didn't go to the temple either, should that go, been up the ribbon tower and that's not going to change should that go. 

As for having Favorites that is slightly odd too. It is the overall experience and not just the parts of it for me.

I'll be back on the peir next year no doubt, I will think of you

[Neil]

8 hours ago, gigpusher said:

I really enjoy the pier especially if you get to go on early morning and actually interact with some of the things on there. I could probably name 20 other venues that people love much more that I would happily ditch over it. I think because it's the newest big thing and had a relative amount of hype from Michael that people have more of an issue with it than plenty of other similarly sized areas. It's a bit of fun. I think it has developed a little each year, whether it will reach a ceiling of how much it can develop quicker because of location I don't know but it is the kind of thing that makes Glastonbury different. I also would agree that it's not as much fun if you go on when it's busy a bit like most of SEC when it's busy I feel like all you get to do is walk through like it's some kind of museum and that's nowhere near as fun.

history shows that if michael's bigging something up its probably not that good