2023 - The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly...

[Hooskerdoo]

My toilet prediction is that eco concerns will override comfort and the wheelie bins will be back next year, but urinals will be provided to show they are listening to concerns.

[Yoss]

Superlative weekend as ever.

The good - and this is worth stressing in light of the stick they got for it: the line-up. I was in the same boat as many others when it was first announced, in thinking that there was less than usual that I knew towards the top of the bill. But what we got when it came to it was the best, most interesting and most diverse line-up we've had in the ten years I've been going. It was tremendous, so many great acts in genres I don't listen to at home and that I'd never have discovered otherwise, so much of it international. Also worth reminding ourselves that they've added more stages since covid to increase the range further - as far as I know they were under no kind of pressure to do that and could instead have put that money higher up the bill to make more headlines.

Can't give them enough credit for being willing (and evidently able) to do it that way despite the criticism and the commercial risk. Anyone who cares about music and musical diversity should be lauding them for that line-up regardless of how well it suited their own tastes. It'd be a real shame if they gave in to the naysayers and went back on it. I don't think they will.

Bad and ugly: nothing worth mentioning.

[Skip997]

4 hours ago, LowerMead said:

The Ugly  I've got to join in with a lot of other people - the lack of urinals, see separate toilet thread.  We had a look behind the workings of the composting toilets, each composting container (effectively a glorified wheelie bin) had a drain hose running out of it to collect urine, so it's not as if they are gaining much by NOT having urinals - that liquid still has to be tankered off somewhere, but better it be via a urinal than having blokes piss all over the seat that someone has then got to use after them.  We all mourn how great Andy Loos were and know they are not coming back, but these composters just seemed a cheap, poorly designed ineffective replacement masquerading as a green alternative. Nobody is fooled by that. I really hope that EOTR listen to the critical feedback.   

 

 

Don't understand. The same system has been used at Shambala for years.

Works well

[Hurray4theWhiffWhaff]

The Good

Best in Show for me was Charlotte Adigery & Bolis Popul - just joyful, & she seemed genuinely overwhelmed by the crowd reaction.  Great light show too (one of the few benefits to being in the big top) 

Ezra Furman, Nina Nastasia & Anchoress (piano stage) were the most emotionally impactful for me.  

Joan Shelley; Angeline Morrison; Kara Jackson (twice) were stunningly good and Sylvie; Three Spoons & Caitlin Rose (piano) also brought me nothing but happiness

Panic Shack were the most fun, with honourable mentions to (the fabulous) Courettes (twice); Mary Wallopers (twice); Wet Leg; Be Your Own Pet (surprise set)

The Karaoke and the Stick Competition are pure joy with charming hosts.

MadMadMad & Elkka DJ had me dancing the most even though I joined both halfway through

Deerhoof, Moin and Horse Lords were excellent and the most intriguing of the things i probably wouldn't normally listen to 

I also thoroughly enjoyed: Last Dinner Party, Wilco, Charlotte Cornfield, Say She She, Greentea Peng, Samia (piano), Floodlights; Gretel Hanlyn; Teke:Teke; Charley Crockett; Murder Captial; Kokoroko; Hot Wax; and the free pink bags with the guardian.

I'm sure the festival I missed was also brilliant & I heard great things about Fat Dog, Panda Bear & Sonic Boom, Arooj Aftab, Fatoumata, Mabe Fratti, University, Bodega, Sam Burton, John McKiel and more. 

The Bad

1. Not bad but slightly underwhelming... I was so looking forward to the piano stage as Line of Best Fit had built it up to say it was by far their best line-up ever, so I diligently turned up for most of the slots expecting to be wowed & I don't think it quite lived up to expectations (not helped by the piano tuning issues).

Anchoress, Caitlin, Samia & Kara were all superb (although Kara not any different to her main set).  Lilo were fine; Angel I only caught the end through a crowd of people, and she appeared a bit drowned out by Horse Lords; & we turned up on saturday afternoon for what seemed like a chat with future islands which we quickly left

So actually nowhere  good a line up as last year (Margo Cilker, Soccer Mommy, Magnetic Fields, Cassandra Jenkins, Kurt Vile, Lucy Dacus) & I feel i probably invested too much time hoping for a wow experience and missing out on some main sets that i might have enjoyed more.  

2. I went straight to the boat after Gretel Hanlyn to catch the second half of Jessica Winter & there was nobody there, just a straggle of teenagers.  Maybe I'd got my timing's wrong and it was already later than I thought.  She must have played as it was in the Guardian's review 🙂

3. Going to Lou Sanders over Panda Bear/Sonic Boom was, in hindsight, not a wise choice.

The Ugly

For a festival that's so well-run there were a few unfortunate mis-haps (a) issues paying for things with phones (b) the hopelessly out of tune piano stage piano (c) the panic shack electricity failure.

 

[JDB63]

21 hours ago, Bee bird said:

Good: Charlotte Adigery and Bolis Pupul put on an absolutely stunning show which was my favourite set of the festival; Fatoumata Diawara; Deliluh; The Anchoress; Personal Trainer; Ezra Furman (My Zero and cover of Gloria particularly); Deerhoof; Enys Men live score; Open Sesame kebabs!

Bad: I felt very sorry for The Anchoress being unlucky enough to clash with Wet Leg as she was great. Also Saturday evening being so jam-packed between 8-10pm that I missed Crack Cloud, Lime Garden and most of H Hawkline.

I really enjoyed UMO's set but the crowd was sparse and there was so much talking which did spoil it. Things improved when the volume was turned up midway through.

Boat stage still not quite working with a big crowd

Being too shattered to make it to the secret sets on Sunday night

The ugly: Ezra going on indefinite hiatus and of course the toilets 

Do you know who the later Sunday night secret set was? overheard an incredible song and would really like to find it

[puppy blip]

8 hours ago, Caspar201 said:

The Ugly: too many cargo shorts and t-shirts, please make more of an effort! a nice shirt is enough, but it makes the festival so much more festive when everyone is dressed nicely

You sound like a f**king twat.

[Caspar201]

12 minutes ago, puppy blip said:

You sound like a f**king twat.

Now now... This was a bit of a joke given the set-up of the topic, and cargo shorts generally being considered ugly. I do think it's nice if people make an effort with their dress, as people often do for other special and festive events. It's the altruistic choice as it will give the people around you something nice to look at! Of course no one is under any obligation to wear something they don't like, but surely some gentle encouragement isn't overstepping the mark? Apologies if the pun on the topic title didn't come across.

Edited September 5, 2023 by Caspar201

[Stillill42]

24 minutes ago, JDB63 said:

Do you know who the later Sunday night secret set was? overheard an incredible song and would really like to find it

After Hot Wax? Personal Trainer. Seem like a great set of lads and I really enjoyed them. Twice.

[puppy blip]

24 minutes ago, Caspar201 said:

cargo shorts generally being considered ugly. I do think it's nice if people make an effort with their dress, as people often do for other special and festive events. It's the altruistic choice as it will give the people around you something nice to look at! Of course no one is under any obligation to wear something they don't like, but surely some gentle encouragement isn't overstepping the mark?

 

[benali]

4 hours ago, jamesrain said:

Anyone got any suggestions for an alternative to eotr? Looking for something a bit smaller in size with similar music, thanks.

Supersonic, but it's the same weekend. They shared quite a few acts.

[Yoss]

4 hours ago, jamesrain said:

Anyone got any suggestions for an alternative to eotr? Looking for something a bit smaller in size with similar music, thanks.

I'm on the lookout for something to do in addition to EotR. Ideally much earlier in the season to bookend the summer.
(Wondered about Bearded Theory but I dunno.)

[carwynnen]

5 hours ago, LowerMead said:

Wut? Not sure if trolling! 

Seriously?  You haven't scored any EOTR house points until some other middle-aged bloke compliments you on your obscure 90s indie t-shirt, after which you engage in a bit of chat and maybe exchange contact details to engage in nerdery over said band.  'Twas ever thus:  

"Kitchens of Distinction? Great band. Did you see them at Spunkbridge Poly in November '91? Absolutely amazing, sonic cathedral. Is that t-shirt original or a reissue?"

I usually turn out my orig Kitchens t-shirt on at least one day of the festival 😂

[benali]

6 minutes ago, Yoss said:

I'm on the lookout for something to do in addition to EotR. Ideally much earlier in the season to bookend the summer.
(Wondered about Bearded Theory but I dunno.)

Depends what music you like. Truck is at the start of the school holidays so could be an option although it's pretty indie heavy.

Kite festival in Oxford has an eclectic line up and lots of talk stuff if that's your thing.

2000 Trees?

We Out Here is the weekend before Green Man in August so may not be early enough but it's one that I have heard a lot of good things about.

[goldengirl]

The good

I wasn't disappointed by a single act I saw. The sound quality was also great.

We attended every late-night tipi set and think I will do so going forward, the crowd has a lot more energy than usual. Personal trainer secret set, Bodega, the Last Dinner Party, CVC, Crack Cloud, Panic Shack were my musical highlights.

I did end up watching first half of Ezra and 2nd half of KGLW and got a good view at both so I'm happy with my choice.

Food was good, boutique showers were good, weather was good, overall festival vibes were great.

 

The bad

My friend was stung by a wasp at the piano stage.

Sad Ezra cancelled her piano stage set.

 

The ugly

I don't like people repeatedly saving spots at the barrier for their mates to get drinks, particularly if they aren't big fans of the acts... Also not letting kids in front when you are 7ft tall.

Toilets (for women, kids, mobility issues, need improving). I never saw the seats getting cleaned... 🤢

Powercut x2 during Panic Shack.

Edited September 5, 2023 by goldengirl

[Kempleton]

What a great festival. Always my favourite weekend of the year, and this year was no different.

The good: The music. It’s a wonderfully curated lineup and there was so much I enjoyed this year. Angel Olsen, Kokoko!, Ezra Furman, Master Peace, Murder Capital, Kara Jackson were highlights, but I could easily mention another 10.

Sound quality - particularly at the Garden Stage - was immaculate.

Food, as always, was amazing. Rendang from Makatcha, the Mexican Fiesta from Hot P’Tatoes and the breakfast burrito from the Bacon place were especially good.

The people - so many lovely random conversations with friendly people.

Accessible Camping - the people that organise it and the people camping there are the most wonderful people you could ever share a festival with. Truly a second family for us.

 The Bad: Talkers - Oh my days. Especially at the Garden Stage. I don’t expect silence during performances, and it was beautiful seeing people meet up who clearly hadn’t seen each other for a while, or (briefly) discussing the performance. However, if you’re facing away from the stage and shouting to make yourself heard over the music, maybe have a think about whether you’re really in the right place.

Wasps. There were many. I don’t especially like them. But to be fair to the stripy, pointy bastards, they didn’t attack me or anything - they just tried to share my food and drinks.

Some performances, i didn’t particularly enjoy, but that’s on me. I can see from reading through this thread that for everything I thought was bad, there are multiple other festival-goers that thought otherwise. This year, I decided to leave anything I wasn’t feeling and go and find something else. It worked really well.

The ugly: Nothing. Seriously. Not even the abundance of cargo shorts.

TLDR: Our fifth EOTR, and probably my second favourite so far. We’ve already bought tickets for next year.

[wolfamongwolves]

2 hours ago, benali said:

Supersonic, but it's the same weekend. They shared quite a few acts.

Supersonic is way way more experimental than eotr 

You wouldn't have Future Islands playing more Sunn O))) 

Its normally not this late in the year,  usually June or July,  I hope next year its earlier . I always do supersonic 

 . . .

[Justiceforcedave]

The Good:
Nina Nastasia, Avalanche Kaito, Joan Shelley, Daniel Norgren. Great good, great company. All of the installations and magical sh*t in the woods. Cocktails in a can. Not having phone signal for four days.

The Bad:
No Lageritas (though we made our own using frozen margaritas and beer... expensive though!) People talking even nearer the front for Daniel Norgren and Angel Olsen. Angel in particular I suspect suffered from having a 'I don't want to watch UMO' crowd'.

The Ugly:
The bit when the WIFI stopped working, the cash machines ran out and we got worried they must have to shut the festival (If people couldn't buy food!)

[noisenoiseandmorenoise]

15 hours ago, Caspar201 said:

Now now... This was a bit of a joke given the set-up of the topic, and cargo shorts generally being considered ugly. I do think it's nice if people make an effort with their dress, as people often do for other special and festive events. It's the altruistic choice as it will give the people around you something nice to look at! Of course no one is under any obligation to wear something they don't like, but surely some gentle encouragement isn't overstepping the mark? Apologies if the pun on the topic title didn't come across.

My experience of Green Man is that those who come dressed in the bright shiny 'look at me' outfits are more likely to be the ones who barge their way through the crowd, talk loudly for 3 songs then go elsewhere.

The dull blokes in old band t-shirts however are there for to hear the music. So I'll take more of the latter thanks.

[killyourtv]

16 hours ago, Hurray4theWhiffWhaff said:

The Good

Best in Show for me was Charlotte Adigery & Bolis Popul - just joyful, & she seemed genuinely overwhelmed by the crowd reaction.  Great light show too (one of the few benefits to being in the big top).

Mrs KYTV just reminded me the Charlotte Adigery & Bolis Pupul set in the Big Top was her favourite too, euphoric. She also loved Yeule and Heloise Werner & Colin Alexander's weird classical crossover to close the wonderful Talking Heads stage, so clearly she didn't worry about the lack of better-known names this year. Or cargo pants, whatever they are.

She walked away from caroline in the Garden, in fact she wasn't sure if they were "still practicing".  To be fair it didn't make much sense sitting among the chatterers, but brilliant down the front for me.

[jplewes]

If I was to do another slightly random good - the alcoholic selzer/cocktail things called 'Love Jus'?

My wife isn't much of a drinker but she really liked them, got a bit of a buzz off them and to be fair they did taste really good. Much better than the white claw seltzers you get everywhere that it was last year.

 

[Neville Street]

2 hours ago, jplewes said:

If I was to do another slightly random good - the alcoholic selzer/cocktail things called 'Love Jus'?

My wife isn't much of a drinker but she really liked them, got a bit of a buzz off them and to be fair they did taste really good. Much better than the white claw seltzers you get everywhere that it was last year.

 

At the opposite end for me, the non music discovery of the weekend was the Zero IPA on Draft. Drank more of that than anything else. Really delicious. Alternated I’m the evenings with Ale. No hangover, no dehydration. It’s a “new normal” for me 🙂

[The Nal]

6 minutes ago, Neville Street said:

At the opposite end for me, the non music discovery of the weekend was the Zero IPA on Draft. Drank more of that than anything else. Really delicious. Alternated I’m the evenings with Ale. No hangover, no dehydration. It’s a “new normal” for me 🙂

No hangover, no dehydration and no fun.

[Neville Street]

2 minutes ago, The Nal said:

No hangover, no dehydration and no fun.

Lots of fun! But not drunk fun. I did drink proper beers all night Sunday, but was in bed by 130am. No longer a late night person it seems. Hey ho

[wolfamongwolves]

8 minutes ago, The Nal said:

No hangover, no dehydration and no fun.

No alcohol lots of fun 

[shoebox]

16 minutes ago, Neville Street said:

Lots of fun! But not drunk fun. I did drink proper beers all night Sunday, but was in bed by 130am. No longer a late night person it seems. Hey ho

1:30am is a late night as far as I'm concerned! 😁