It's not a music festival

[davros666]

The worst festival ever. Badly set up and populated by chav divs and posers who are more concerned about how they look, rather than enjoying the music. A most irritating festival, and thankfully my last ever visit to V. Truly awful.

[mfeltham]

The worst festival ever. Badly set up and populated by chav divs and posers who are more concerned about how they look, rather than enjoying the music. A most irritating festival, and thankfully my last ever visit to V. Truly awful.

[davros666]

Spot on. It never used to be like that. V has been declining for the past few years and will only get worse.

[Tribble]

Glad it wasn't just me .... It was a shocker wasn't it ?

Apart from the bands themselves it has very few redeeming features.

Have to say though - while I'm not defending chavs, the worst behaviour I saw was from middle class types unable to handle their booze.

[youngie]

Glad it wasn't just me .... It was a shocker wasn't it ?

Apart from the bands themselves it has very few redeeming features.

Have to say though - while I'm not defending chavs, the worst behaviour I saw was from middle class types unable to handle their booze.

[mickg]

Living in Chelmsford I go to V every year purely because of its proximity, but having serious doubts about next year as this year was awful on almost every level:

Line up : Average at best apart from Biffy, Pendulum, Fatboy and Human League surprisingly

Crowd: More chavish than usual

Bars: Half an hour waiting time why not increase the number of bars and man them adequately

Security: As usual zero communication even when it got heated in the Arena area for Ladt GaGa and MGMT where do they bus these people in from????

Food: A few decent outlets but the rest were the usual rip off merchants

Weather: Excellent

[Tribble]

Living in Chelmsford I go to V every year purely because of its proximity, but having serious doubts about next year as this year was awful on almost every level:

Line up : Average at best apart from Biffy, Pendulum, Fatboy and Human League surprisingly

Crowd: More chavish than usual

Bars: Half an hour waiting time why not increase the number of bars and man them adequately

Security: As usual zero communication even when it got heated in the Arena area for Ladt GaGa and MGMT where do they bus these people in from????

Food: A few decent outlets but the rest were the usual rip off merchants

Weather: Excellent

[Phil-itfc]

my mate discribed it best in a few words,

its just topman throwing up in a field.

normally I'd go all weekend and even camp but this year went just on Saturday to see the specials and 2many dj's. on Sunday I thought I'd be gutted not to be going but hinestly I didn't miss it at all. I think next year I wont bother.

[Tarquin]

The worst festival ever. Badly set up and populated by chav divs and posers who are more concerned about how they look, rather than enjoying the music. A most irritating festival, and thankfully my last ever visit to V. Truly awful.

[Beerqueen]

I'm not trying to be all "Staffs is so much better" but you really don't get the posers (or celebs) there and I thought the crowd there this year were in most ways far better this year. There were more kids - especially ones with their parents - but I don't mind that, they were enjoying themselves and not bothering me. And there seemed to be less really bladdered people around - maybe our long-awaited sunshine contributed to the good mood.

So I'm not just trying to sound smug, but get up to Staffs if you don't like the celebs and wannabes and so on! The crowd are mainly just people having a good time!

[Tunster]

The worst festival ever. Badly set up and populated by chav divs and posers who are more concerned about how they look, rather than enjoying the music. A most irritating festival, and thankfully my last ever visit to V. Truly awful.

[mfeltham]

Tunster how many have you been to? V is loosing the loyal crowd, who have just had enough of the idiots that see it as a weekend of getting wasted and causing trouble. Organisation is not really an issue for me, although more toliets is a must! The food and beer prices are expected as its a festival.

[norfy]

i have been every v since its beginning in 96...this was just my last im afraid!..when i first attended it really was the best one for me with plenty of bars and toilet facilities and a decent music loving crowd...its decline has always been noted year to year......i have enjoyed this years one only coz my last v was not going to be a downer...reckon praps i had my time n it belongs to a different generation....enjoy people!!

[Tunster]

Tunster how many have you been to? V is loosing the loyal crowd, who have just had enough of the idiots that see it as a weekend of getting wasted and causing trouble. Organisation is not really an issue for me, although more toliets is a must! The food and beer prices are expected as its a festival.

[davros666]

For the 2 posts, ya hardly going to get any credit for slagging it off with no constructive feedback.

There are a few things that they need to do (improve camp site - more loos!, cut back the numbers and stop food chains doubling their prices). Anyway, from the previous comments made on here - if you dont like it, don't go.

I loved my first year camping and made a huge difference to the experience! You'll always get a little aggression tension wherever you go, but just move if it gets too much. If you cared so much, e-mail the organisers about your disappointments.

[Tribble]

I don't think its acts that have changed so much (hell - I thought I was having some drug induced flashback during the James/Elbow segments yesterday) but the attitude to punters.

In the past few years festivals have become an event in their own right, you don't need to be a music fan - or even after a festival vibe ... they are fashionable in their own right. As a result some promoters think they can treat punters like crap and they will still sell out. I think they are probably right.

Lets be honest - most people posting who have only been to a few festivals had a great time .... it would be stupidly arrogant of me to say that made their opinions less valid.

Overall I agree with you ... but V has never been a cosy festival. Things change, but I hope they don't forget important things like safety and that in their rush for cash - the stupid crowding around the arena yesterday doesn't give me confidence.

[Luce]

well having got back today i can agree with the fact that there are a lot of posers n that, saw no celebs other than GLC selling their slot which we met them by the NME tent and they were so chilled out

tbh if people really clearly cannot stand it why bother? just dont go, leave the 'sold out' tickets for those who do want to go - and go to another festival.

or is it that you can't be arsed cos it's soo close to home? was refreshing to meet a few people from other parts of the country this year (being from nr nottingham), as having been to staffs in 07 there isnt much difference - in staffs neighbours don't speak to you nor do they look out for your tent etc but on the other hand there are far less t***s, seems to be the opposite in chelms! think there are bound to be differences between the sites so is a matter of choice & opinion

dont like it? stay at home

[Tribble]

tbh if people really clearly cannot stand it why bother? just dont go, leave the 'sold out' tickets for those who do want to go - and go to another festival.

[Luce]

I won't go again promise. Unfortunately though, my crystal ball was f**ked and I was unable to tell I wouldn't like it before I went

[Tribble]

lol sorry am off my soap box now

just bugs me when people go and dont like it yet go again then moan even more

[Luce]

No worries - it was a fair point. I really don't expect V to change to suit me. Though it would be a most interesting festival if it did. For a start there would be more candy-floss. And bands would have to play in roller skates.

[mfeltham]

Sums it up for me. As I was saying previously. This is the new V crowd.

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Edited August 25, 2009 by mfeltham

[beadfc]

I went to V in 2007 as I got complimentary tickets. Having been to six Glastonburys, I thought it would be along the same sort of lines. Alas I was wrong. Just the most corporate whore festival with a load of tossers getting drunk. The atmosphere had an air of 'dodgyness' about it. After going in 2007, I said I would never go back and stick with Glastonbury and thats what I have done.

[karlpowell]

I enjoyed V , i think it is what you make it , I was with friends and had a great time ...and |I have been to every V since 1996

[BrandonFlowersTache]

As a V Festival regular, I can safely say that V Festival (at least the Chelmsford one) has degenerated into some kind of chav fashion show, where young kids turn up in their best burberry clobber, get absolutely hooned, throw bottles at people and generally cause as much trouble as possible.

Pros

Most of the bands I saw were excellent

Cons

Massive queues for toilets in campsite

Massive queues for toilets in arena

Massive queues to get into the arena

Massive queues for food

Massive queues the bar

Massive queues for soft drinks

Appalling sound quality on the main stage

About 5,000 more people than the event can comfortably accomodate

Permanent underlying tension where you feel it could just kick off at any moment

Ive always tried to defend V Festival from people who always wanted to slag it off as a corporate whores day out, but for the first time in god knows how many years, I cant. Needless to say, I wont be going next year.