First and Last; Best and Worst

[TheBoyInTheBubble]

Just a quick one, but what were your best and worst moments from your first and most recent Glastonbury. I'll get the ball rolling.

First 1998

Best Moment: Dancing to Blur playing "There's No Other Way" and realising that life would never be the same again for many reasons.

Worst Moment: Going back to the tent whilst the football was on on the Friday night and finding that someone had used a load of our pegs for their tent and that ours was now under a few inches of water. Trying to empty it using polystyrene cups was a Herculean labour.

Last 2008

Best Moment: It all getting a bit too much for me and the tears flowing watching Kate Nash. I couldn't believe I was back there.

Worst Moment: Neil Diamond on the Sunday. Too much debauchery over the previous four days had left me on an alcohol-related comedown on the Sunday afternoon. I just wanted to start crying and go home when he was singing his downbeat, melancholy numbers. In the end, I went to watch Mark Ronson, had a few beers and a dance and I was okay-ish.

[Monkismo]

Good topic.

1995

Best moment - a random guy coming round our tents selling Tenants Super. A friend of mine popped his head out of his tent and exclaimed "Soup?? Do you have chicken noodle??". Classic misqoute.

Worst moment - losing my only pair of shoes.

2008

Best moment - first year I've taken a camelbak to the festival meaning endless supplies of vodka on tap through a tube from my back. Drinking has never been easier and I'd still like to know what happened on the friday even though I have photographic evidence!

Worst moment - the day after the friday night when I had my first ever (and I do mean ever in 14 years of festing) festival poo. Missed half the Raconteurs set from sitting on the long drops and the sun was beating straight in my face at the same time whilst having one of the worst hangovers known to man. Instantly felt better as soon as I'd got up though so this could also be my best moment.

[LRW]

First 1998

Best:- On the thursday night, going to the cinema field with our new neighbours to watch {film name escapes me, but I know it was a classic}. Fell asleep half way through the film. Then back to warmth of campfire by the tents and chatted until dawn.

Worst:- having to leave mid afternoon on the Sunday cos half our troup wanted to leave (Most of them never went back again...freaks).

Last 2007

Best:- Watching some random stuff on the Jazz stage, early Sunday whilst reading Q Daily and drinking a few Brothers, then going onto a pie van whilst having a conversation with a couple of Japanese girls.

Worst:- Getting the squits Saturday afternoon, and having to use a portaloo, cos there wasnt a longdrop near enough.

[The_Fish]

First: 2007

Best - Watching Kaiser Chiefs from the Pyramid stage. An outstanding memory, seeing the crowd from that position is amazing.

Worst - The mud.

Last: 2008

Best - Leonard Cohen on the Pyramid stage, what a performance, what a man.

Worst - Friday mornings hangover!

[hazey_jane]

First 2004:

Best- so many to choose from, dancing around to Groove Armada, chilling out in the Belle Epoque tent listening to Joolz the poet, Billy Bragg and Bill Bailey singing Unisex Chipshop in the Leftfield, the list goes on...

Worst- the weather being so miserable.

Last 2008:

Best- This was the best one I've been to, I had so much fun last year but my 'moment' last year was standing in front of the Pyramid stage in the middle of the afternoon with a beer in my hand, the sun shining down, one of my best mates at the side and singing 'Weather With You' with 10,000 others. Just marvellous.

Worst- feeling absolutely rotten on the Sunday afternoon after eating a veggie schnitzel burger from the Blue Note cafe (I think that's what it's called) after Neil Diamond and waiting for Billy Bragg in the Leftfield. Felt sick and dizzy when I stood up, had to sit down on the floor for most of his set, even though I was right at the front by the crash barrier, and a couple of minutes after leaving the set I threw up outside the leftfield. Felt much better after it!

[alibear]

I've only been once, in 2007 but here's my best and worst...

Best: Dirty Pretty Things Saturday afternoon (I think), Pyramid Stage. Wasn't my fave performance but some kids near the front were paying homage to Gary Powell by chanting his name (Gary, Gary, Gary) after a couple of songs. This had died down after a few tunes, so another crowd decided to start chanting again, except they clearly had no idea who Gary was as they shouted 'Barry, Barry, Barry' instead. Everyone started laughing and Carl dedicated their next song to 'Barry'. Maybe you had to be there...

Worst: Trecking to Lost Vagueness to catch Madness. It took us nearly an hour and we stupidly forgot to take any booze with us. By the time we arrived Madness had finished, we were knee-deep in mud and suffering the onset of a hangover. We turned round to face the same journey all over again. I'll be praying for no mud every day until mid-June.

[newguy(paranoid)]

First-2003

Best - Turning 17 while watching Radiohead, the impromptu crowd singalong of the karma police outro still gives me chills when listening back

Worst - Posing for a photo with some Elvis impersonators only for one to whisper in my ear "does your mummy know you're here". I'd forgotten about that til I read this thread!

Last-2008

Best - Probably being at the front for Elbow, One Day Like This, mmmm. That or miniscule of sound of the friday night

Worst - The rain starting up on the thursday night and that fear of what we could be in for...

[Sipperana]

Best of first (2003) - joint moments - seeing REM play Fall On Me, my fave song of theirs, and meeting an old mate on the Sunday afternoon to watch Yes in glorious sunshine.

Worst of first - the rain on the Sunday night meaning we abandoned watching Sigur Ros and went back to our tent to listen to them there instead.

Best of last (2007) - being right down the front in the Guardian Lounge for Electric Soft Parade's set, or the sheer exuberance of the Hold Steady

Worst of last - having our tent burgled on the Monday, the buggers made off with our trolleys and a large bag with wheels that I'd borrowed off my brother for the week.

[mr_bizarre]

Great thread!

First was in 2000

Best - Arriving! Very drunk and really happy. Oh and acid on the Sunday followed by David Bowie!!

Worst - Having to leave

Last was in 2008

Best - Working at Shangri-La! Early morning drinks and late night adventures, oh and Manu Chao!!

Worst - Losing 3 silver rings given to me by my mum and grandma, I still haven't told them

Edited February 9, 2009 by mr_bizarre

[IRISHMANC]

last year was my first:

best: hangover disappearing immediately when greeted with the sunshine, seasick steve's stories and

amazing blues live(first time i'd seen him), sat in a field with all my mates and realising i was only half way through what was already the best weekend of my life!

worst: having a bad moment during Goldfrapp, debauchery had well and truly caught up with me, i decided to go and find a present for the missus. bad idea. went under big time and was completely unable to purchase a water, nearly fainted a few times and walked back empty handed.

[pinback]

First -1994

Best - Orbital + LSD

Worst - Sunburn (yes, sunburn...at Glastonbury!)

Last - 2007

Best - drinking Brothers cider in the sunshine on Thursday

Worst - Non-stop rain for my final 12 hours of the festival, everyone going to bed early on the last night because it would NOT STOP RAINING.

[Rachie]

First 2007

Best Moment: Wednesday night, me and my other half just seeing everything for the first time.. and a big wooden table . .

Worst Moment: missing my new born, and not being able to sit down much lol

Last 2008

Best Moment: aww loads, watching manu chao in the sunshine, feeling very happy and alittle tipsy. Me and my best mate screaming the lyrics to loads of zutons...

Worst Moment: friday evening.. dont know why.. possibly just done too much on wednesday/thursday.. not slept.. was cold (??) bit of a come-down... just couldnt get in the swing of things...Was back to my party self next morning tho

[BlackHole2006]

Best- Finding a random tent on the thursday night where king porter stomp were playing, but I didn't even know the name so it was just like a random ska band for me. It was brilliant, everyone was dancing in a cramped tent the size of my living room.

Worst- Getting lost during kings of leons set.

Cheers,

BlackHole2006

[elfimaju]

first (2002)

best - Groove Armada's Suntoucher in the Sunday night drizzle

worst - missing the White Stripes whilst queuing for the ATM

last (2008)

best - pint of ale, plus gentle smoke at the Red Flag whilst popping in and out of Seth Lakeman in the Acoustic tent

worst - the sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach as the rain tipped down on Thursday and I was thinking 'not again'

[Crouchie]

Best - the ultimate poppers moment during live and let die just as the fireworks went off!

Worst - throwing up as i was walking back to the car last year with my hands full and rucksack on. And the journey home to manchester with the worst hangover of my life to date.

[Cheesey]

First - 1997

Best Moment

Radiohead, Main Stage, Saturday Night. After having endured three days of utter carnage due to the weather, Radiohead came on and everyone forgot about the mud. This gig definitely deserves its legendary status.

Worst Moment

Not sure which night it was, but my mates and I got involved in a genuinely frightening crush in a crowd bottleneck, moving between the Main Stage and the markets. We were being forced forwards while our feet were rooted in (literally) knee deep mud. I remember thinking that if anyone fell over they would be f**ked - they would have just been trampled into the mud and no-one would even have noticed.

Last - 2008

Best Moment

Watching Massive Attack perform Angel on the Other Stage. The sheer amount of noise and light blasting out of the stage was incredible.

Worst Moment

Waking up on Thursday to discover that I'd been robbed in the night - all my money gone

[Limpet]

First 1997.

Best moment: I completely agree with Cheesey here, Radiohead were completely spellbinding.

Worst moment: The weather. Atrocious, nuff said.

Last 2008.

Best moment: The National in the JP tent Sunday night. The only gig I have ever cried at. Finally got to see my favourite band live.

Worst moment: The stupidly long wait before MGMT appeared on the Park Stage after Shadow Puppets. It subsequently meant that when Battles hit the stage after them, they only got to play 3 songs if I remember rightly.

[Chimps in Balaclavas]

First 2000

Best = Hitchiking to the festival with my m8, jumping the fence .. surviving on £6 and finally bouncing to Travis.

Worst = The walk from Glasto to Bridgewater, blazing hot sun & dying of thirst.

Last 2008

Best = Listening to Seasick Steve, like Irishmanc it was the 1st time I'd seen him and thought he was amazing, Jay Z & introducing my g/f to the festival.

Worst = Hiking for miles around the festival for hours with all our gear looking for a decent spec to pitch the tent, then realising that we could have offloaded all our gear at the lockups lol.

[Limpet]

Worst = The walk from Glasto to Bridgewater, blazing hot sun & dying of thirst.

[

[Dark Star]

First = 1998

Best: Ian Brown in the New Bands Tent when it was over by teh railway line, I think (but don't quite remember), that it might have been the other side of the path from The Glade. First time I'd ever seen him and one of the main reasons for going.

Worst: The consistent rain on the Saturday really got us all down, we ended up spending a lot of time back at the tent listening to the rain, venturing our heads outside occasionally to get a brew on. Also, the long walk back to the bus pick-up point on the A38 on the Monday, due partly to getting lost!

Last = 2007

Best: Probably the Waterboys on the Friday night, don't remember too much of a lot of the acts due to the weather conditions etc.

Worst: The Monday morning, taking the tent down in the pouring rain, having to stand around in the cold up to my shins in water and howling gale at the pathetic excuse for a well organised bus station with nowhere open for hot drinks and no-one telling people what's going on.

[Chimps in Balaclavas]

Glasto to Bridgy!!! That is a seriously long trek. You should be awarded some sort of medal for that achievement.

[disasterplan44]

2004:

Best: arriving on my own, leaving five days later with friends for life

Worst: Waking up on the Sunday, realising what (or who) I'd done after Paul McCartney's set was over

2008:

Best: Getting about 15 Aussies together for Crowded House and ignoring the fact they're Kiwis.

Worst: The queue for international ticket pickup on the Wednesday. FIVE HOURS. Even ME came out to see what all the trouble was. We'd drank most of our booze and... well the Irish were getting rowdy. Also, getting really sick on the Sunday (too much debauchery, I guess) and not seeing a single complete performance. Silver lining: going home early meant we beat the rush AND I didn't have to decide between The National, The Verve, Groove Armada, My Morning Jacket and UNKLE (worst clash of the weekend).

[Spoon66]

First - 1987 - £18.50 tickets from Jumbo records in Leeds - over the counter no-less!!

Best - the hot weather that meant it was impossible to stay in your tent after about 7.30. Being a young man let loose in fields full of great people and better music!

Worst - the tent being trashed by a stoned hippy attempting to vault it whilst rampaging around the field naked and screaming his lungs out. Or have I got those the wrong way around?

Last - 2008 - A good deal more expensive!

Best - arriving in the rain, being met by my muddy children and the rain stopping as we got to the tents. Never been to a wet one yet! The atmosphere was as I remember it 21 years earlier - chilled out, laid back and stress free.

Worst - Having to go down on a Friday because of work commitments and setting off back at 6.00am to avoid traffic and feeling empty on the way home!

[5co77ie]

First 1990

Best: Archaos on motorbikes up the side of the Pyramid with fireballs shooting out from the top.

Worst: Looking after my mates dog, as these two guys with dog covered butcher aprons walked passed, I was a bit trollied.

Last 2008

Best: Manu Chao, in a truly international audience, with the Spanish celebrating their football exploits, before heading to Late n Live to see the Travelling Band, play until the power was shut off, and then continuing acoustically out on the tables.

Worst: realising Bella was no longer around.

[alframsey]

1990

Best moment: Entering the site!

Worst moment: Leaving the site!

(honestly, i was too young to remember any of it! Far too young!)

2008

Best moment: Having masses of fun with loads of other people around a massive mud puddle sort of thing! It was fantastic, one bird lost her welly in it! Like literally it disappeared into the mud, never to return! Me and a mate went into help some couple get out, then all four of us were stuck! All this while listening to the legendary JIMMY CLIFF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Worst moment: Probably when i got so pissed off with my 15 year old cousin that i pocked him in the eye, REALLY hard! He then decided to run off on me and f**ked the whole night up! Well, for like 30 mins anyway! It was his 16 brithday the next day and i think he was a little excited and was bein a proper norse! Me being 18 had to be a bit more sensible when he was with me.