‘Cos it always rains for Glastonbury weekend… Well, maybe not this year, judging from the forecast: my poor potatoes will continue to suffer. However, the point of this post is to ask: anyone got any good advice for a couple of festival virgins, so to speak? Anyone actually going?
I’m not going and am happy to admit that I have never been.
Toilet paper. Lots of toilet paper.
have been, take a hat and lots of sun tan cream, enjoy yourself!
Would start out at a smaller festi – although even at Glasto there are (or used to be) some quieter areas for a base camp. The crowds can be overwhelming & it’s good to have an oasis to retreat to. Would recommend all go at least once per lifetime.
All tomorrows parties sounds like a lot of fun. More intimate with more creature comforts. Ask Mnemonic – she’s an ATP vet.
Never been to Glastonbury, and now seriously doubt I ever will.
I tend to limit myself to the occasional day at Leeds/(Reading) these days – and if three of us can ever get our act together to be up for it at the same time, we’ve agreed we prefer to have a day each driving there & back from our comfy beds and bathrooms, rather than return to the hell of camping amongst 50,000 drunk students who still think it’s funny to set fire to Chemiloos.
Damn, I’m getting old!
Time to head for that HMfan retirement village at Rockland, methinks, eh, Shane?
do you need ear plugs?
I don’t like going to anything larger than 10,000 people so would strongly recommend End of the Road (5,000) with a superb setting (Larmer Tree Gardens) and a great atmosphere. The food is good too. Green Man (10,000) ought to be good but the mud levels are appalling.
ATP is THE place for creature comforts. Beds, bathrooms with shower, flushing loos,Kitchens, civilised bars, no rip off prices, seats in two of the venues, the best music quiz on the planet, Tourettes bingo; we’ve even had a chalet with flat screen tv and DVD player before now. Oh, and the line-up is totally different from any other festival. Where else would you see Chris Corsano and C. Spencer Yeh sit in with Comets on Fire, or the Labeque Sisters on pianos or Han Bennink with Peter Brotzman. Go for self-catering though. The food on site is not great.
DarceysUncle loves End Of The Road; he lost his festy virginity there last year, and immediately rebooked for this year. Unfortunately for me, EotR 2010 coincides with DarceysSis’ birthday weekend, so I had to refuse the offer to go with him.
But talking of large social gatherings of a musical bent in the South West, is there any update on the next RR Social?
Or have I been accidentally-on-purpose missed off an emailing list again??
Off to bed now … *SIGH!* … ten minutes before MFF!
PaulMac seems to have cured my RR addiction, sadly.
Goodnight all.
Having just seen the South America a and b lists, DsD, I think he’s giving me the same therapy!
Dsd, Sorry you won’t be on the blog. Maybe you’ll feel better after a few weeks away.
Next year take DarceysSis to EotR for her birthday present. It is such a lovely festival.
If you’ve been missed off any lists, so have I. I think the West Country social is still at the earliest of planning stages.
those ear plugs are always useful at a festival – to block out the un-sleeping tent next to you.
wet wipes/ bog roll – just to make you feel slightly clean.
wind up torch.
hat, sun cream long sleeve cotton shirt – the dole queues down south used to be so funny with everyones Glastonbury nose (sunburn), after the weekend.
wellies / pac-a-mac – don’t ever believe the forecast.
a wheel barrow load of class A drugs – this blocks out the fact that you are in a field with 120,000 idiots on class a drugs – it makes you one of them.. but hey – it’s glasto!
…and go when you are young and can stay awake for three whole days without it affecting you.
but if you keep to your own pace and interests you can survive it easily- there will always be a great small stage with the less sheep like audience to entertain you – but it got too big… as said above, smaller more interesting festivals exist….
last year we went to Latitude (it was full of right on Guardian reading middle class families – that all needed shooting – but we coped, in our Guardian reading middle class family kind of way)
I’ve been to small, local festivals where I could go home easily but not Glasto. I like the idea but there are way too many people. Perhaps save it for when I’m really ancient and can embarrass my son by turning up with a zimmer frame and a purple hat.
Very sorry about the SW Social idea. I’ve had a pretty horrible couple of months, on various fronts, and just haven’t been able to think about it. And now one of the cats has gone AWOL since yesterday… Maybe next year.
next year sounds good Abahachi, hope the festival is being enjoyed.