Given Up On Leeds

[spwan-of-the-devil]

Yep I was amazed I found the people so much friendlier too not sure if it has anything to do with it being smaller.

[Rossc88]

It seems to be getting bigger though. I've been going to Leeds since '03, and there does seem to be more and more idiots going. I think it's because they hear that pretty much anything goes on the sunday with (correct me if I'm wrong please!) minimal arrests.

Unless it's a f**king stellar lineup next year, don't think I'll bother. Glasto is riot-light I hear, might go there if the lineup is similar to this year.

[Cardboard Box City]

This year I will only be going to Glasto as it was a much better festival.

[farmer_andy]

i wholeheartedly agree that too many idiots go to it, but ill never stop going to leeds its the best weekend of the year

[moss265]

i wholeheartedly agree that too many idiots go to it, but ill never stop going to leeds its the best weekend of the year

[Durkin]

I agree! I went to Leeds three times, and in 2007 I finally had enough. I thought it was organised terribly and full of absolute idiots that were more there to cause trouble rather than to get into the festival spirit. But then I thought to myself, where was the festival spirit at Leeds anyway? After my constant searching I couldn't find it.

I don't mind people taking drugs at festivals...damn I would even consider doing it myself...I just don't understand why they have to act like such idiots too!

I'm going to try Glastonbury this year.

[popcornmaster]

went the first time this year

and it sure as hell going to take the most amazing line up for me to ever returm

i've been to quite a few festivals over the years and that was easily the worst

Considering it generally has the best line up of all the english festivals

it seems full of people who just dont like or get music, and even less so dont get festivals

just little scene kids, with their first time away from home. Obviously thats greatly generalised

and there were plenty of nice interesting people but they seemed in the minority sadly

i found it really badly organised also, aimed more at taking your money than having a good time

Overall i did have a good time, but mainly due to music (leed's only saving grace)

and my friends, it seemed an effort to have

a good time, which a festival shouldn't be in my opinion

shame i really wanted to like it

i'll be sticking to glastonbury and another european festivals like last year from now on

[biscant]

The problem is people I know who go to Leeds simply go and take drugs in a tent and be a c**t. I don't see why they bother booking good bands to be honest they could very easily cater for Skins watching ketamine abusers by booking a bunch of day glo bands and Pendulum headlining every night. The amount of people who have never expressed interest in heavy rock music in their lives that went this year was surprising. They all just sat around a tent all day getting wrecked because all the bands were for "moshers". What's the point?

[TalkShow Bob]

Did you just call yourself and everyone on this board a dickhead? You're right though. Good bands - might just stay at my mates place in Leeds next year instead of camping so I don't have to encounter them at their worst in the campsite. I'll have a much better time - cheaper; cleaner; and a nice bed. God; I'm getting old before my time.

[craig123]

they need to sort the site out or move it, the mud was unbelieveable, i know it was bad weather around that time of year, but people were getting stuck in it in their cars and everything, and with there being a single track through that wood into, and out of the site, it needs sorting out.

I had VIP last year so i was allright lush green campsite, showers, bar, car parked 200 yards from my tent, and the best bit, being allowed to take beer into the arena!

[biffoire]

180 quid a ticker. A bit of hay wouldn't go a miss. Or metal pathways.

[TalkShow Bob]

Hay wouldnt do too much good. It will just become muddy hay and track ways are suprisingly expensive and hard to get hold of large amounts...

[Salt_On_Everything]

this thread makes for some worrying reading... me and my mates quite leeds after 2002 because of the nobhead contingent, i f**king dread to think what its like these days...

and yes, poor shout on the 'scouser' dig, you f**king arse...

[goodoldfashionedmosher]

where do you go now? i've not been to a festival yet where i've not feared for my life, and i'm not a wimp.

[festchick2007]

I kinda second a lot that's already been said. 2008 was my first year at Leeds (been to V about 3 times & going again this year), don't get me wrong, I had a great time but I won't be going in 2009 because....

I'd heard the rumours about Leeds e.g. the riots, burning tents etc so expected some nob head behaviour but not quite so much as I encountered.

I haven't really experienced it at V (maybe coz they have a no unaccompanied under 16s policy) but at Leeds there seemed to be a huge amount of very young teenage lads in big groups acting very silly without any adult supervision. Don't want to sound like an old fart (I'm only 27) but they seemed to get really out of hand and no one was regulating it. I see the appeal of being-let-out-for-the-weekend-without-your-parents but their irresponsibile and immature arson attempts spoil it for the rest of us!

I kinda liked it that Leeds seemed less policed than other festivals & that they trusted people to police themselves by allowing campfires etc. My opinion of this quickly changed by the nightime on the campsite (we were in orange & I think this was tame in comparision to some of the other campsites). We just didn't feel safe - no one was patrolling the site (other than those on the rob ), huge bonfires were springing up all over and not a fire officer in sight despite the organisers threats....and as for the gas canisters - me and my festie friends were terrified on the sunday night that one would fly off a bonfire onto our tent & set it on fire while we slept inside. If we hadn't been drinking we would have driven home.

I'm not a festie whinger, I actually like the fact the mud (albeit a safety nightmare), grotty toilets and car park queues are part of the experience but IMO being frightened and feeling unsafe is not so sorry Leeds...It's V fest alone this year

[scaryclaireyfairy]

i went to leeds in '04 and '05. we were in yellow the first time and somewhere up a hill the second. both times we ended up sleeping in the samaritans tent near the arena on the sunday night. i've never felt so unsafe. i'll never go back again. the lack of reasonable (not thug) security and police etc is inexcusable given melvin benn is now heavily involved in glastonbury where lessons have been learned from the past, and widespread trouble like happens at leeds is unheard of.

it's a pity cos the atmosphere on the friday and saturday in the camp was amazing and the line ups always really good. ah ,well.

[Chris12345]

Too many kids who can't hold their drink, and too many people who seem to go just for the sake of going rather than actually being into it... but f**k it, quality bands, and a lot of people who are up for a party... anyone's being too dickheadish, it's easy enough to avoid them or tell them to shut the f**k up is it not?

There's brown camp and whatever for people who want to sleep and valley and village for those who want to party, would it not just be easier to camp with like minded people?

[MartinGooding]

i think this sums it up for me why 2008 will probably be my last year, unless someone completely unmissable is announced, on the friday on the way back from metallica i overheard a conversation between a quite emo looking girl, and quite a chavy looking lad, apologies for the stereotypes but it just seems like the easiest description, the lad asked the girl who she'd seen, she replied witha list of around 6 or 7 bands, the girl then asked the lad who he'd seen and hes replied, "i hadnt heard of any of the bands so me and my mates just got wasted all afternoon at my tent and then went to the duracell tent and had some pills" i have no issues with drugs but the idea that if youve not heard of the bands you give up is obsurd at least give something a try!