this festival is awful

[BlackHole2006]

Not sure why. I did both this year. There were twice as many folks, if not more, from ethnic minorities at Reading. Laugh as much as you like but it's true.

[micawber]

To be honest with you I think there are equal amounts at both festivals. But if you look at statistics, or just look around, the amount of White middle class people at festivals literally trumps on every other culture going to festivals. If your talking about Race then yes I agree with you, but if your talking about Representing the cultures a.k.a being active in representing every culture in the U.K then Glastonbury literally trumps on redding in every single way. Does Reading have a Hare Karishna tent? If not then I don't need to say anything more. Religious Cultures and ethnic minorities are very well represented at glasto.

Cheers,

BlackHole2006

[BlackHole2006]

No idea about the HK tent but probably not. I have no real interest in mixing religion and music.

[micawber]

This bit basically proves (Note, I am not saying glasto is better) that reading is a completely different experience to Glasto. I positively think that you cannot say Reading is better than Glasto or vice versa because they are so radically different. People go to reading for the music and messing about with their mates, and good on them, if that's how they like to enjoy themselves then fair play. I do like listening to music and messing about with my mates but when it comes down to it I go to Glastonbury for a completely different experience all together, to experience and see something new that I havn't seen before. If the line up is really good at reading (I'm talking Pavement, Sebadoh etc.) then I will most definately go with a few mates and it will be a laugh. But for now I will settle for Glasto. But Reading and Glastonbury are both incompareable so this thread is prettey pointless.

Cheers,

BlackHole2006

[benissright]

its wasn't awful....but it aint no where near as good as it used to be. But lets face facts.....all festivals are changing because over the last few years live music has boomed....and festivals are now the "cool" thing to do.

my main complaints about Reading is that the last 2 years the mainstage sound has been shocking......its got really busy, mainly with 16 yr olds....and it all pretty much shuts down about 20mins after the main headline act has finished (other tents over run the main stage for about 20mins - then there's just the silent disco and the fair)

oh...and the line up is becoming more and more comercial. you can still have a wicked time though

Edited September 1, 2009 by benissright

[eFestivals]

There were twice as many folks, if not more, from ethnic minorities at Reading.

To look at this in proper context tho (aside from the specific "which festival has the most" question), it should be remembered that Reading town itself is a very ethnically mixed town, as is the immediately surrounding area. It's wildly different in rural Somerset, where you could spend days, weeks and even months without ever seeing a non-white face.

As all festivals attract an amount of people from the area directly around it, then this should give Reading a very significantly greater number of non-white faces if every other factor were equal.

[micawber]

To look at this in proper context tho (aside from the specific "which festival has the most" question), it should be remembered that Reading town itself is a very ethnically mixed town, as is the immediately surrounding area. It's wildly different in rural Somerset, where you could spend days, weeks and even months without ever seeing a non-white face.

As all festivals attract an amount of people from the area directly around it, then this should give Reading a very significantly greater number of non-white faces if every other factor were equal.

[eFestivals]

Fair comment. It's just a shame that they can't or wont make the same trek to Glasto that many non-Glasto locals do. And strange too, given that Glasto has a wider spectrum of music to appeal. It just feels counter-intuitive.

But they do make the trek - unlike Reading, where for many there's very probably no trek to make.

There's other aspects too: that the music at Reading is far more (proportionally) mainstream overall than at Glasto, and so appeals to that mainstream rather than the more niche aspects that attract so many of the people to Glastonbury. As youths of any ethnicity are more likely to be a part of that music mainstream, Reading gets to gain via that.

And finally, there's the fact that it's simple to do Reading without camping, either via day tickets (which glastonbury doesn't do) or with a weekend ticket and a nearby hotel (there's far fewer hotels around Glastonbury), or in the case of the more ethnically mixed locals, by going home each night. Perhaps it's a sweeping generalisation, but from conversations I've had it seems to be clear that camping isn't something within non-white cultures at anything like the level it is within the dominant white culture of the UK.

I'm disappointed how white nearly all festivals are, it's something I've been saying for many years (in the past, there were greater numbers of non-whites at Glastonbury than there are nowadays). That's something to be addressed by festival organisers, rather than for any squabble between festival goers on which fest has the most non-whites.

[emmacollege]

as this was my 1st reading festival i was susprised by how many kids there was around, but on the sunday there were a few more adults. I have signed up for glas next year

[LusciousLucy]

. I talked to people didn't go to Glastonbury because of Jay Z because it isn't what they expect of Glastonbury but went this year.

I btw went to Wireless to see Jay Z and laughed at the the moaning about it. But Jay Z and the other headliners were the cause of the slow sells given that the 1st thing the organizers did after the festival was too assure people it'll be back to normal. And for all you talk of Glastonbury being more than a gig in a field why then did the trouble happen when the headliners were weak, as ultimately festivals are decided on what the big bands are and not the poetry readings, funfairs or other fun activities.

Edited September 2, 2009 by LusciousLucy

[strudders]

I think you MIGHT just find that probably the MAIN reason for slow sales in 08 were down to the rather horrific weather that ensued the year before putting off a lot of the fair weather fashionistas. Thousands of us still returned...Glasto 07 made or broke you as a festival goer that is for certain!

We all know the lineup has f**k all to do with why the majority of people attend Glastonbury, ok, so in 08 the remaining tickets sales were a bit slow on the up take possibly but isnt it funny that due to V having a very bad weather year in 08 and the TV coverage made Glasto appear as the be all and end all festy to be seen at again not to mention the Jay Z gig going down in history as being pretty f**king utterly amazing despite all the endless pre-festy whinging...the ticket sales for 09 went through the roof and now the mad scramble for tickets is only going to be made even worse this year because V is getting shiter and shiter each year forcing many V heads to defect to Glasto, not to mention the childish ritualistic burnings and worrying your tent may no longer be where you left it at Reading!

Reading needs a bit of a fix because these childish 'riots' if you can call them that are appearing to over shadow the music, ok maybe not in the national press but many of us know it is becoming a ridiculous place to be after dark. I still cant figure out why after all these years campfires are not banned!

AND we are very lucky at Glasto that this behaviour doesnt really happen ALTHOUGH there was destruction of toilets by younger kids in some of the fields (long drop doors having been ripped off in 'fun'! (Riiiiiiiiight!)

Reading was my first camping festy back in 94, I didnt want it to be, I was planning on going to Glasto first. I recall Reading as a big menacing drunken camp (of all ages) with a shitty arena with unpleasant cattle grid like entrances and bugger all to do except take drugs and drink and get stupid after dark...I can see why madness ensues, its so bloody boring! Never returned funnily enough! I am not down on the fest, I personally just hate hearing about what is allowed to take place when the music finishes.

Its crazy and how Reading Council still allows such an event to go ahead year after year beggars belief...but hey money talks doesnt it? One day there will be a death or horrific injuries that MAY see the end of the ridiculous after hours shenanigans! But then again...a rape or two in the past, festy goers suffering bad facial injuries from shrapnel from exploding gas canisters...and it STILL goes on!

The fact that early bird tix are released 24 hours after the previous fest has finished does unfortunately mean that the V's, T's and R/Ls of this world will ALWAYS run and run! There is no chance for the local council to say HOLD ON A MINUTE WE DONT WANT THIS TO HAPPEN ANYMORE! At least with Glasto being a functioning farm it HAS to take a year off for everyone to have a breather.

Meh!

[Paul ™]

There was no trouble on the Thursday, Friday, Saturday nights.

[Sparky]

Did both this year, and have done glasto and reading lots in the past.

This year's reading was the worst in memory in terms of crowd. Not sure where all the music fans have gone?

Glasto had a much younger crowd this year - the only problem with it is that it is farrrrrr too crowded. capacity must be reduced

Here are the plus points from each festival. Notice how glastos list is miles longer.....

Reading

Younger crowd are good for lively/dancey bands

Convenient for shops/pubs/breakfasts etc

Stages close together

Glasto

A million things to do aside from seeing music e.g. comedy, poetry, cabaret, crafts

24 hour party i.e. shangria-la

Crowd in their 20s and older are generally more appeciative of moody, more intorverted bands. they're not just waiting for 'sex on fire'

Freedom to go anywhere in the site, with your own food and drink

More respectful to the environment/green issues

More multicultural (someone made the point that there are more races at reading. so what? a black middle class indie boy isn't much different to a white middle class indie boy)

Completely immerse yourself in another world.

Genuinely 'random', as opposed to just a bunch of pissed teenagers quoting family guy.

Edited September 2, 2009 by Sparky

[Sparky]

that said i do agree that glasto proportionally just as many vandals/criminals

[eFestivals]

Glasto had a much younger crowd this year - the only problem with it is that it is farrrrrr too crowded. capacity must be reduced

or you hang out in the very crowded areas then the impression you get is that it's too crowded.

I didn't walk away from Glasto this year thinking it was too crowded, and IMO it was far more crowded 15+ years ago than now.

Overall, Glasto very definitely has fewer people per square foot than Reading does.

Edited September 2, 2009 by eFestivals

[5co77ie]

Erm yes there was, just cause you never seen it doesn't mean it didn't happen

The official population of Reading campsites is 65,000. Around 50% less than Glastonbury. Not to mention that the police are limited in numbers who work inside the festival.

From all the reports I heard on site and since then, I disagree and it was worse this year.

Plenty happened

Edited September 2, 2009 by 5co77ie

[johnmcga]

or you hang out in the very crowded areas then the impression you get is that it's too crowded.

I didn't walk away from Glasto this year thinking it was too crowded, and IMO it was far more crowded 15+ years ago than now.

Overall, Glasto very definitely has fewer people per square foot than Reading does.

[5co77ie]

I haven't been following this whole thread, but I definitely agree with this. You do get overcrowding in spots at Glastonbury, but you also never, ever struggle to get away from other people if you want to. There are plenty of quiet spots.

Having said that, I didn't think overcrowding was a problem at Reading this year as it has been in the past. The new position of the NME tent really helped things.

[johnmcga]

I thought it was interesting that they implemented crowd control measures with fencing and blocked off areas for Them Crooked vultures - a measure which proved unnecessary.

Edited September 2, 2009 by johnmcga

[5co77ie]

Yeah, we noticed this on the way in on Saturday too, with the gates that mysteriously appeared overnight. I was pleased to see them actually; because it made TCV a cast iron certainty in my mind and because it proves they do think about these things and take the safety issues seriously.

We were well inside the tent down the front, but had been wondering if they had to close them. It sounds like they didn't then?

[doobie ninja]

Having said that, I didn't think overcrowding was a problem at Reading this year as it has been in the past. The new position of the NME tent really helped things.

[Paul ™]

I disagree I've seen far worst in the past. would you not concede that perhaps this year you were based in a different position to previous years and merely not noticed it in the past?

This year I did not see:

As many fires - or as much of the camping areas effected by 'blowing stuff up'.

As many gas cannisters going into fires.

As many gangs of youths just up for a fight.

Any emergency vehicles being over turned - or their occupants stoned.

As much wanton vandalism of infrastructure - toilets, lights etc destroyed.

Only saw a few fires in the arena compared to wholesale burning a few years ago - i think the cup system helps this - the pizza boxes however don't.

The use of trolleys or missiles in a violent manner.

As many casualties of violence on the Monday morning as previous years.

[5co77ie]

My position over the weekend is irrelevant as I hear/see things for myself plus speaking to the guys on Monday morning, I found out the true extent of the night. Also hearing the amoung of shouts on the the radio for assistance across the whole site was worse than I ever remember it (and that was from Wednesday onwards).

We had several of our staff assaulted, some requiring medical treatment which we never usually have. Also one of our quad bikes was destroyed on a fire, other vehicles were also damaged. Missiles were thrown at our staff, the police, CAT's.

Fires in the arena were kept in control most of the weekend, due to us having far more arena reserve teams than required (for any event).

[gooner1990]

In 2004 I saw at least ten of your guys attacked on the Sunday, I also saw both an ambulance and a fire truck rolled over and the staff in them attacked, in the latter case they were stoned with missiles. I saw flaming shopping trolleys pushed into the crowds.

Nearly every campsite had numerous gas cannister explosions going off in them - I think brown was the quietist that year - and they were still happening there - just less. That was the worst year I've witnessed to date.

Sounds like this year was pretty much the same - I guess it's a case of me not witnessing these things (rather than you) - sounds to me like it was pretty comparable.

[doobie ninja]

"Secondly when did the age of the festival really drop down? Maybe its too long ago to remember accuratly but I swear when I first went in 1999 at the age of 18, I couldn't recall too many people our age or younger. "

yeah i agree, i was 18 at Reading 99 i dont really remember many younger kids. Now its full of 16 year olds. Thing is though..... festivals are the "in" thing now so its inevitable

Edited September 2, 2009 by doobie ninja