HoTWire Posted September 2, 2009 Report Share Posted September 2, 2009 (edited) Seeing as there are a bunch of negative threads I thought it worth saying what was good about the festival, bands and organisation. Organisation : Moving the NME/Radio 1 Stage, less of a crush in and out of it. Sound barriers around the Lock up/Dance tent (although a lot of people used these as an impromptu toilet) Security seemed good from my point of view. No Flags!! Great! Bands : Faith No More Them Crooked Vultures The xx's Pulled Apart By Horses Bloc Party Rival Schools DeadMau5 Jamie T All played good/great sets, I'm sure there were many more, but you can't catch everyone that plays great sets. Edited September 2, 2009 by HoTWire Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
serginhowardinho Posted September 2, 2009 Report Share Posted September 2, 2009 Seeing as there are a bunch of negative threads I thought it worth saying what was good about the festival, bands and organisation. Organisation : Moving the NME/Radio 1 Stage, less of a crush in and out of it. Sound barriers around the Lock up/Dance tent (although a lot of people used these as an impromptu toilet) No Flags!! Great! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lithium05 Posted September 2, 2009 Report Share Posted September 2, 2009 Hmmm... positives... right ok Bands/acts Faith No More Them Crooked Vultures Streetlight Manifesto Polar Bear Club Mad Caddies Yeah Yeah Yeahs Brendan Burns Adam Bloom Everyone else was either poor, underwhelming, or shit. Campsite Yes Buttscratcher is incredibly irritating, but that aside some of the shouts that are different can be quite funny. Being a big South Park fan some of my favourites were "I'm not your buddy guy", "Chaaaange!" and "Deytookarrrjobs!" My favourite overheard conversation was a girl walking past me and a mate saying "Can you blow bubbles with jizz?" Finally, at our campsite, the welsh lads in a teepee camped next to us sounded like they were going at it in their tent, so we put the stereo next to them and played "Gay Bar" full blast Overall it was Ok. By far the worst Reading I've been to, but still ok. Was interesting that the two mates I went with hadn't been before, so it was kind of cool to see things from a noobs perspective. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j...rox Posted September 2, 2009 Report Share Posted September 2, 2009 I'm certainly not disagreeing with the above points, but still think that the organisation of the site is appalling. The fact that there are no toilets to the left hand side of the main stage is simply absurd. The fact that those to the left of that stage need to cut all the way across the crowd and go up into the top-right corner in order to have a piss is ridiculous. What are the chances of getting from one side to the other and back to your friends in a reasonable amount of time? What if you needed to go during a headline act? You'd simply never find them again. Also, the bottle-necks created at the top of the main stage are ludicrously dangerous. Why not move a couple of stalls at the top to widen that entrance? My friend is a policeman and says he's never seen such a badly organised crowd - he actually missed KoL because he couldn't get through the crowds and says he was actually scared. I believe that the left hand side entrance to the main stage was completely closed at one point? I also completely disagree about security. They seemed quite content to turn a blind eye to all kinds of indiscretions. Leeds is the only festival i've ever attended with no uniformed police presence and i think it's a major factor in the amount of loutish misbehaviour. The only police who attend the festival are plain-clothes drugs spotters. Festival Republic need to bite the bullet next year and actually stump up for proper and effective policing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benj Posted September 2, 2009 Report Share Posted September 2, 2009 At Reading- New layout, far less congestion and more space for chilling out Never experienced a crush to get into the bogs like there has been on occasion in the past Enter Shikari, truly amazing The bad- The Weather The walk to the arena from town, why send us round about the houses through Red, a more direct entrance must be created for those already with wristbands Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ignus Reef Posted September 2, 2009 Report Share Posted September 2, 2009 At Reading- New layout, far less congestion and more space for chilling out Never experienced a crush to get into the bogs like there has been on occasion in the past Enter Shikari, truly amazing The bad- The Weather The walk to the arena from town, why send us round about the houses through Red, a more direct entrance must be created for those already with wristbands Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ilovemaiden Posted September 2, 2009 Report Share Posted September 2, 2009 Billy Talent and AFI were both superb.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flasher Posted September 2, 2009 Report Share Posted September 2, 2009 I also completely disagree about security. They seemed quite content to turn a blind eye to all kinds of indiscretions. Leeds is the only festival i've ever attended with no uniformed police presence and i think it's a major factor in the amount of loutish misbehaviour. The only police who attend the festival are plain-clothes drugs spotters. Festival Republic need to bite the bullet next year and actually stump up for proper and effective policing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benj Posted September 2, 2009 Report Share Posted September 2, 2009 Also, there are extra entrances in green & orange. With the railway line running past the arena, you can't come in from the other side. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jammy2211 Posted September 2, 2009 Report Share Posted September 2, 2009 65daysofstatic and Radiohead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonnyx Posted September 2, 2009 Report Share Posted September 2, 2009 They're no good for those coming in from town. There used to be an entrance, that had you pretty much walk up the side of the arena, this year you had to first double back on yourself, then zig zag towards the entrance. It added at least an extra 20 minutes I reckon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattyp Posted September 2, 2009 Report Share Posted September 2, 2009 I really did not enjoy this year, but this is not what the thread is about! Even though I was working, I still maniged to catch around 25+ bands, which is a simmilar amount I would have caught if I were to go as a punter. I felt alot of bands who I have seen before at previous Readings or in their own gigs were good, but as I have seen them before watching them just felt like going through the motions a little bit. Even though I felt the negatives of my festival experience outweighed possitives, The highlights of Reading this year were the following I initially was not going to go this year, but when Radiohead were anounced I had to go. From the momment I heard the first line of creep I knew I had made the right decision to go and they really did not dissapoint and out of the three times I have seen them, this by far was the best. Them Crooked Vutures took me back a few years especially the mosh pit which was really good natured and humoured. I think that was the only pit I saw/went in all weekend. They are the only band I have ever seen where I have really been able to get into their music and not have heard a single song prior to that. They were amasing!!! I have been listning to the Temper Trap all summer and Conditions is my favourite album of 2009. I was really impressed with their set and looking forward to seeing them at their own show in September. Passion Pit is another band I have been listning to alot recently and after initially geting over the singers voice (sounds way more clearer and cleaner on the album) I enjoyed their set. The only SKA I ever really listend to was the cliche LTJ and RBF and had never heard of streetlight manifesto until the friends I was with wanted to go and see them. I thought that was a good shout. Having the BBC Introducing stage is a brilliant idea, not made the most of it in previous years but every band I saw on their I had a good time watching their set. The teeth were hillarious. Overall I liked the site changes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benj Posted September 2, 2009 Report Share Posted September 2, 2009 You could have always camped. Nobody forced you to stay in a hotel?. Hence it was you’re choice to walk the extra 20 minutes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonnyHarper Posted September 2, 2009 Report Share Posted September 2, 2009 Dinosaur pile-up!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pickitoutlandreau Posted September 2, 2009 Report Share Posted September 2, 2009 Had some cracking moments over the weekend:- Getting a not unsubstantial portion of the queue for the Silent Disco on Saturday night singing, "Yer maw's a hoor, Yer da's a hoor, Ya hoor, Ya hoor, Ya hoor." Whisky and Irn Bru-gate. "Who stole oor f**kin' Tennent's!?" Bands The Joy Formidable The Horrors Arctic Monkeys Placebo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoTWire Posted September 2, 2009 Report Share Posted September 2, 2009 From what I could see the old entrance had been turned into Guest list/ Press only. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rivalschools.price Posted September 3, 2009 Report Share Posted September 3, 2009 I'm certainly not disagreeing with the above points, but still think that the organisation of the site is appalling. The fact that there are no toilets to the left hand side of the main stage is simply absurd. The fact that those to the left of that stage need to cut all the way across the crowd and go up into the top-right corner in order to have a piss is ridiculous. What are the chances of getting from one side to the other and back to your friends in a reasonable amount of time? What if you needed to go during a headline act? You'd simply never find them again. Also, the bottle-necks created at the top of the main stage are ludicrously dangerous. Why not move a couple of stalls at the top to widen that entrance? My friend is a policeman and says he's never seen such a badly organised crowd - he actually missed KoL because he couldn't get through the crowds and says he was actually scared. I believe that the left hand side entrance to the main stage was completely closed at one point? I also completely disagree about security. They seemed quite content to turn a blind eye to all kinds of indiscretions. Leeds is the only festival i've ever attended with no uniformed police presence and i think it's a major factor in the amount of loutish misbehaviour. The only police who attend the festival are plain-clothes drugs spotters. Festival Republic need to bite the bullet next year and actually stump up for proper and effective policing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rivalschools.price Posted September 3, 2009 Report Share Posted September 3, 2009 I'm certainly not disagreeing with the above points, but still think that the organisation of the site is appalling. The fact that there are no toilets to the left hand side of the main stage is simply absurd. The fact that those to the left of that stage need to cut all the way across the crowd and go up into the top-right corner in order to have a piss is ridiculous. What are the chances of getting from one side to the other and back to your friends in a reasonable amount of time? What if you needed to go during a headline act? You'd simply never find them again. Also, the bottle-necks created at the top of the main stage are ludicrously dangerous. Why not move a couple of stalls at the top to widen that entrance? My friend is a policeman and says he's never seen such a badly organised crowd - he actually missed KoL because he couldn't get through the crowds and says he was actually scared. I believe that the left hand side entrance to the main stage was completely closed at one point? I also completely disagree about security. They seemed quite content to turn a blind eye to all kinds of indiscretions. Leeds is the only festival i've ever attended with no uniformed police presence and i think it's a major factor in the amount of loutish misbehaviour. The only police who attend the festival are plain-clothes drugs spotters. Festival Republic need to bite the bullet next year and actually stump up for proper and effective policing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Im_in_a_tent Posted September 3, 2009 Report Share Posted September 3, 2009 Reading had few bottle necks the only crush i got in was all the indie kids leaving bloc party for la roux whilst i was trying to go front front front for bloc party. They also had toilets on both sides. And i saw police officers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
serginhowardinho Posted September 3, 2009 Report Share Posted September 3, 2009 will you tell your local police force not to send your copper mate,who was scared and took more than the one and a half hours that KOL were on stage to get through the bottleneck,on any 999 calls.maybe he should be on light duties. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moshing Posted September 3, 2009 Report Share Posted September 3, 2009 Perhaps you should stop being such a dismissive prick and consider the thought that perhaps he's policed at events where people have got hurt and didn't wanna be involved in something like this? Or perhaps you could consider the possibility that his girlfriend was crying as she was getting crushed? And maybe he also decided that KoL were simply not worth the hassle of fighting through a crowd for as they are shit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charmer Posted September 3, 2009 Report Share Posted September 3, 2009 Never experienced a crush to get into the bogs like there has been on occasion in the past Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.