first time and with young team :-)

[saramo]

I made the huuge mistake of pinkie promising my son that the next time metallica played in the UK I'd take him to see them. I didn't think they'd be back quite so quick!

So, I'm now planning the immense roadtrip down from Scotland to Knebworth for Sonisphere and getting family camping tickets.

Has anyone else taken kids - I'm assuming that it's not a massive chav fest given that rockers tend to ber far to busy in the pit to be causing riots ;-)

[ScottishMetalHead]

I've been both years so far, all the way from Dundee, not with kids myself but there are plenty of families there with children of all ages, very relaxed atmosphere all round.

[Matticus]

its a very relaxed festival, i mean most "metal" festivals are friendly anyway, but when i went to sonisphere it was less hectic then Download.

[ampersand]

yeah it is very chilled out around the campsites and majority of the crowd. obviously there's pits at the front if that's your thing.

sunday night was a different story though when some people became arseholes and started pushing down fences and such. sounded quite scary from inside the tent when you can only hear but can't see what's going on. maybe best to leave sunday night if you don't fancy him experiencing that.

[bekimo]

I was surprised at the number of kids there last year. I'm used to festivals with very few and Sonisphere is not like that at all. There are loads of kids there. It's very family friendly (I'm thinking its the free kids tickets that pulls them in!)

Just don't forget that just because the atmosphere is chilled and laid back, it's still very much chaos and mayhem in the crowds at the front of the stage! For example.... By friday last year, I had a broken rib. By Saturday, my best friend had a concussion and a black eye (from a 60 year old crowd surfer I kid you not!) and we were both laid out on the Sunday high on Painkillers and unable to watch Iron Maiden!!

[saramo]

Cool - thanks for this.

He's pretty tall for his age but we won't be venturing anywhere near the pits (not broken that news to him yet )and we all have to start getting our rock related injuries at some point. Best to start as you mean to go on I say.

Seriously though, he'll not even be allowed to go for a pee by himself!

[bekimo]

Cool - thanks for this.

He's pretty tall for his age but we won't be venturing anywhere near the pits (not broken that news to him yet )and we all have to start getting our rock related injuries at some point. Best to start as you mean to go on I say.

Seriously though, he'll not even be allowed to go for a pee by himself!

[saramo]

That's the tickets bought! Super excited now.

We're not telling him he's going as he'll be a nightmare to live with for the next 3 months.

Any suggestions on our 'web of lies' for the journey down would be appreciated

[the_hedge]

I'm taking the boy to his first festival this year. I have heard good things about Sonisphere and with him loving Metallica and Slipknot I couldn't resist. He's only 10 so I have opted for family camping, it might be the first festival where I get a good nights sleep.