Site changes

[Ben7amin_]

I'm a little surprised that the solution was to get rid of the whole stage. 

Clearly booking the big names on there particularly Thursday, were causing issues.

But no problem with the smaller acts on the rest of the wknd.

That being said the absence of the William's Green stage had no negative impact on my Glastonbury 23

[Memory Man]

Just now, Ben7amin_ said:

I'm a little surprised that the solution was to get rid of the whole stage. 

Clearly booking the big names on there particularly Thursday, were causing issues.

But no problem with the smaller acts on the rest of the wknd.

Exactly. This is why it can only really be cost savings. 

One stage doesnt ruin your entire experience but its the removal of choice and a venue that offered something slightly different

[bennyhana22]

Everyone knows how much I adore the festival, but losing Williams Green still really hurts. There was and is no other venue that had/has that identity and curated line-up. It was like a small version of the 'New Bands Tent' that JPT was once and for many of us was a key part of our daily line-up schedule. Yes, the big bookings, especially on Thursday with so much less on around the site, became untenable. Fine. Stop booking those bands. But, that combination of upcoming bands and also daytime sets by more established artists who were playing elsewhere during the weekend (Everything Everything, Courtney Barnett etc) was unique to Glastonbury, and its passing is one small step towards the Farm feeling more like 'all the other festivals'. And that's a huge shame. With the loss of The Rabbit Hole, the only vaguely comparable daytime venue (though I do understand the reasons for its end), that type of experience at Glastonbury has taken another huge hit for those of us less interested in chart popular stuff and nostalgia acts. I truly hope they knock it out of The Park with a replacement for the ol' Hole. 

Ben

Edited March 28, 2024 by bennyhana22

[Guest]

57 minutes ago, Memory Man said:

Unless theres any other knowledge it can only be costs?

they could have just stopped opening it on the thursday, if that was the issue. Or booked stuff most people hadnt heard of / given a leg up to emerging bands.

can you tell i am still annoyed about it 😂

glasto at this point are asking the the rest of the festival sector and industry to do the new bands / talent development for them and book acts 2/3 years down the road on park / woodsies that have already done the festival circuit by the time they reach that level

you can already see the stars of tomorrow at green man and end of the road usually 2 years before they get anywhere near glastonbury. Removing the main tent these acts have available to them is piss poor.

All of this!

[Long Drop]

The iicon field is very underutilised, how about using it as a Williams green stage during the day into the evening? (I seem to remember the original williams green finished fairly early so shouldn't impact on iicon's lineup)

Edited March 28, 2024 by Long Drop

[danbailey80]

22 minutes ago, Long Drop said:

The iicon field is very underutilised, how about using it as a Williams green stage during the day into the evening? (I seem to remember the original williams green finished fairly early so shouldn't impact on iicon's lineup)

Making more use of the SE corner more during the day seems a no brainer for spreading crowds. Yes Icon is a massive venue and should be utilised.

 

[clarkete]

9 hours ago, incident said:

I'm not convinced that Carhenge was a cheap option. At least, not in Year One.

If it was just a straight chop and weld, that'd be one thing. But putting down foundations for it (as they seemingly have done) requires proper planning and a decent wedge of cash. I'd be very surprised if it came in any cheaper for 2023 than Williams Green would have. Where it potentially becomes cheaper is if they insist on persisting with it going forward.

I know many folks surmise that if they booked less popular acts the overcrowding before Friday would no longer have been an issue, but isn't it the case these days that anything can be a huge draw on those days and in this case the location being such a busy thoroughfare is what creates that potential for overcrowding? 

[tarw]

2 hours ago, bennyhana22 said:

Everyone knows how much I adore the festival, but losing Williams Green still really hurts. There was and is no other venue that had/has that identity and curated line-up. It was like a small version of the 'New Bands Tent' that JPT was once and for many of us was a key part of our daily line-up schedule. Yes, the big bookings, especially on Thursday with so much less on around the site, became untenable. Fine. Stop booking those bands. But, that combination of upcoming bands and also daytime sets by more established artists who were playing elsewhere during the weekend (Everything Everything, Courtney Barnett etc) was unique to Glastonbury, and its passing is one small step towards the Farm feeling more like 'all the other festivals'. And that's a huge shame. With the loss of The Rabbit Hole, the only vaguely comparable daytime venue (though I do understand the reasons for its end), that type of experience at Glastonbury has taken another huge hit for those of us less interested in chart popular stuff and nostalgia acts. I truly hope they knock it out of The Park with a replacement for the ol' Hole. 

Ben

It was never a “New Bands” tent. It was a replacement for the “Bands Tent”. 
Sorry to be pedantic but that’s me. The New Band tent is probably BBC Introducing 

[-TLR-]

2 hours ago, bennyhana22 said:

 unique to Glastonbury, and its passing is one small step towards the Farm feeling more like 'all the other festivals'. And that's a huge shame.

 

i know i've said this before, but - with every passing year at the moment it just feels like more and more of a five day "Wireless Festival".

 

[-TLR-]

4 minutes ago, tarw said:

It was never a “New Bands” tent. It was a replacement for the “Bands Tent”. 
Sorry to be pedantic but that’s me. The New Band tent is probably BBC Introducing 

mmm... i cant be bothered to go and dig out old programs.. but i'm pretty sure it was indeed called the New Bands Tent way back...

[tarw]

12 minutes ago, -TLR- said:

mmm... i cant be bothered to go and dig out old programs.. but i'm pretty sure it was indeed called the New Bands Tent way back...

That’s what’s been said on here before. I think by @Neil .  Unless it was one of his monorails. 

[HotChipWillBreakYourLegs]

11 hours ago, Neil said:

good attitude: -  backstage is the most boring place on site the action is out front.

Having worked the bar between Pyramid and Other one year I concur.  Dull and full of boasting industry w*nkers.

[The Nal]

Just now, HotChipWillBreakYourLegs said:

Having worked the bar between Pyramid and Other one year I concur.  Dull and full of boasting industry w*nkers.

Had tickets for back there one year. Boasting industry w*nkers taking pride in not going to any gigs. Like it was beneath them.

[t0paz]

17 minutes ago, -TLR- said:

mmm... i cant be bothered to go and dig out old programs.. but i'm pretty sure it was indeed called the New Bands Tent way back...

It was but they meant it was a new tent for bands, rather than a tent for new bands. That, along with Other, shows how unimaginative some elements of the festival used to be!

[Splonk]

22 minutes ago, -TLR- said:

 

i know i've said this before, but - with every passing year at the moment it just feels like more and more of a five day "Wireless Festival".

 

Sadly agree. Apart from West Holts, the stages lack personality and decent curation.

Too many are acts rebooked, too many beige Radio 2 acts and some baffling site changes.

Williams Green is a massive miss.

[HotChipWillBreakYourLegs]

2 hours ago, bennyhana22 said:

Everyone knows how much I adore the festival, but losing Williams Green still really hurts. There was and is no other venue that had/has that identity and curated line-up. It was like a small version of the 'New Bands Tent' that JPT was once and for many of us was a key part of our daily line-up schedule. Yes, the big bookings, especially on Thursday with so much less on around the site, became untenable. Fine. Stop booking those bands. But, that combination of upcoming bands and also daytime sets by more established artists who were playing elsewhere during the weekend (Everything Everything, Courtney Barnett etc) was unique to Glastonbury, and its passing is one small step towards the Farm feeling more like 'all the other festivals'. And that's a huge shame. With the loss of The Rabbit Hole, the only vaguely comparable daytime venue (though I do understand the reasons for its end), that type of experience at Glastonbury has taken another huge hit for those of us less interested in chart popular stuff and nostalgia acts. I truly hope they knock it out of The Park with a replacement for the ol' Hole. 

Ben

Rabbit Hole is gone?  How have I missed this news!

[The Nal]

21 minutes ago, -TLR- said:

mmm... i cant be bothered to go and dig out old programs.. but i'm pretty sure it was indeed called the New Bands Tent way back...

Was called the "New Tent" until 05 when it changed to the Peel

[Neil]

11 minutes ago, tarw said:

That’s what’s been said on here before. I think by @Neil .  Unless it was one of his monorails. 

the news bands tent (a new tent for bands,not a tent for new bands) became the john peel tent, and now woodsies.

Edited March 28, 2024 by Neil

[Neil]

35 minutes ago, tarw said:

It was never a “New Bands” tent. It was a replacement for the “Bands Tent”. 
Sorry to be pedantic but that’s me. The New Band tent is probably BBC Introducing 

williams green was a replacement for nothing.

[The Nal]

7 minutes ago, Neil said:

williams green was a replacement for nothing.

Just a few random stalls wasnt it?

[tarw]

2 minutes ago, The Nal said:

Just a few random stalls wasnt it?

Leftfield used to be there in a big shed

[Ayrshire Chris]

21 hours ago, al_coholic said:

What a pointless waste of time, money, effort and space Car Henge is. It adds absolutely no value to the festival and took over a really good stage. The festival never seems to learn with these things, and most of the other stuff Joe Rush seems to deposit all over the site. Look how long it took to get rid of cinemarmageddon, no doubt car henge will be here for years as well. 

 

Car henge is an homage to the original car henge constructed in 1987, the travellers were turned away from Stonehenge. 

[Neil]

5 minutes ago, tarw said:

Leftfield used to be there in a big shed

Lefield was along a bit on the corner up towards acoustic 

[The Nal]

9 minutes ago, tarw said:

Leftfield used to be there in a big shed

Aha yes

[-TLR-]

9 minutes ago, The Nal said:

Aha yes

thats where it was the year Levellers played in there on the thursday.