Reading Festival getting a bad rap from the other festival goers

[Strummer74]

Right,since i have been using this site (mainly the Glasto page)I have been surprised to see a lot of hate for Reading Festival and people who go there.

Things like "It's a f**king dump"

"Everyone just wrecks the place"

"Young crowd who dont know decent music" etc

Last year was my 11th Reading and also my 2nd Glasto. This year I'm only going to Glasto mainly as it's my brothers wedding on August bank holiday but also at the ripe old age of 36 I feel a bit more at home at Glasto,maybe feel a bit old at Reading now and dont enjoy it as much.

However,I know I will def be back and can honestly say Reading festival has provided me with some of the best,amazing,weekends of my life.

The crowds are possibly the most music savvy people I have met,always friendly and yes drink to excess but that's all part of it.

I'll stop my rambling now just wanted to say,if it's your first time or your tenth, have a f**king ball,suck it all in,have a mad Sunday and don't let anyone tell you that Reading Festival is second best.

Why I am I not going again?

[pablopablo]

Great Post.

[pryce]

been to 7 different festivals .... reading and Leeds both the worst experiences

its all down to experience .... people are allowed to complain and you are allowed to debate that

people are not wrong if they dont like what you like

Edited April 5, 2011 by pryce

[Strummer74]

been to 7 different festivals .... reading and Leeds both the worst experiences

its all down to experience .... people are allowed to complain and you are allowed to debate that

people are not wrong if they dont like what you like

[Strummer74]

Great Post.

[TomMack]

A good call i'd say.

I think the whole concept of a festival it just so difficult to imagine really, and to organize must be a hell of a task, so really no festivals as successful or even not successful should be slated since it takes so much hard work to get it into gear.

There are what we perceive as good or bad festivals depending on who you are, as is all music really. You just have to find the right one.

[Rudzkii]

RandL always have and always will have the youngest average attendance, that's why it gets raged upon and why both sites get the shit beaten out of them because Little Tommy is away from Mummy and has had a cider and a Jagerbull and therefore thinks it's his god given right to act a tool.

I'll still be there like, GO TOMMY!

Edited April 5, 2011 by Rudzkii

[mrtourette]

Reading does get a lot of hate because it's seen as a bit scummy and aggressive, part because of the music it puts on that no other festival does and partly because of the fact that there are a lot of younger fans there and the way some of them behave.

I've camped at festivals 16 times across 5 different festivals and there's only one where I've been threatened with a knife, had my tent ransacked (on more than one occasion) and seen gangs of 10 year-old Scouse kids roaming the campsite selling pills, and that festival began with a 'G'. But I've also got a lot of good memories of that festival so I judge it on those and take the rough with the smooth.

In my experience there are people who act like dicks at all festivals, if you get away with not meeting them then consider yourself lucky but if you want to look down on other festivals because you've had the misfortune of bumping into some areseholes then don't expect me or anybody sane to take you seriously. People can knock the line-up or the layout or the prices all they want, those are facts and we all have different opinions, but to start insulting the people who go to the festival (ie 'The National will confuse most people at R&L') or the festival in general based on some generalisations is lazy and arrogant.

[mrtourette]

Add to that any hate from Glastonbury people may be beacuse they're worried that they won't get Pulp or The National like us

[Banana Co]

I've been to a lot of badly organised festivals in my time but Reading is most definitely not one of them.

[AndyH]

Having been to both, I actually prefer Reading to Glastonbury

[Bisque]

I go to Reading because it is scummy & a f**king dump. Something different from the other festivals trying to copy each other. Only Reading I go to hasn't bothered.

[ar1]

Having been to Reading, Glastonbry and V in my time both as a teenager and a old f*rt that I am now, they all have their good and bad points.

If we ignore the music (as that's purely a matter of taste) my summary would be:

You have to be sensible at all of them with your stuff - don't leave anything in your tent that you couldn't cope without if it got stolen, keys, money, tickets etc - I've seen theiving at all of them but since starting going back to Reading had no issues (but I do camp in White!).

The last night of Reading had a fearsome reputation which was pretty much snuffed out last year but there's no doubt that plenty of destruction of people's property used to take place - which is wrong. Never saw "riots" anywhere else but that said camping away from the "lively" campsites meant you could avoid it.

The general service provided at Reading is quite good (if a little pricy) it seems to have the best managed queues, cleanest toilets (in the arena anyway!) most food stalls and the least overcrowding in the arena. People waiting 2 hours to get into the arena at V09!

Nearly done!

A particular bug-bear of mine is this nonsense with band-times beign kept secret - V is the worst for this, Reading about middle (they're on the website) and Glastonbury is the best - free programme for everyone

[tentgirl09]

Add to that any hate from Glastonbury people may be beacuse they're worried that they won't get Pulp or The National like us

[Straight_Outta_Trumpton]

Pulp played in 1995

[tentgirl09]

Well Glasto goers can hop into their time machines and catch that set then.

Reading has its good points and bad. The main reason for its success has been the great lineups it has been able to pull together over the years, but it does have little else to offer. Hence, with the decidedly uninspired headline acts for this years fest, we've seen slower ticket sales than previously, whereas Glasto could put Chas and Dave on as headliners and still sell-out within 2 nanoseconds of it going on sale.

[geebus]

I've been to both Reading and Glastonbury for most festivals in the last ten years. (first Reading 99, missed 06, first Glasto 00, missed 04, 07).

Reading calmed down towards the middle of the decade I'd say, then got more rowdy, Glastonbury just calmed down.

While there's been more tent-burning etc, I still feel Reading has got that real spark of 'life' which Glastonbury is missing these days. People really throwing off the shackles and having fun (in reality, 99% are also not doing it at the expense of others bar the noise) - while Glastonbury 'throwing off the shackles' seems to have gone further towards a load of London office workers sitting down listening to a poet comedian slag of the government from a cosy point of non-contribution to society.

Reading you still have half a chance of getting near the front of a crowd without every person you pass moaning because you came within 10" of their personal space.

I like both for their own charms - Glastonbury for it's massive range of entertainment, relaxed atmosphere and general diversity. Reading for the feel of true music fans, people able to have fun and usually choice of music.

[kelvinpl80]

That is true enjoying festivals in life is the great and best time. Many people visit various different places to celebrate the festivals.

[Mega Ross]

The majority of people I know go to glasto are snobby w*nkers who work in a bottom level office job in a bank or insurance company doing data input or answering phoones but think wearing a cheap tie to work in a makes them important.

You know the kind who goes out on the weekend and gets pissed on 4 wkds in their cardigan and daps, talks about nothing interesting, then goes back to mummy and daddys little suburban palace. Knocked over by a light breeze.

Theres no good old fashioned dirty fun in them, probably to afraid of getting mud on their primark daps. Pretentious twat is an understatement.

So they look down on festivals with good down to earth people and (most years) solid lineups.

Don't get me wrong I'm sure there are some sound people who go to glasto but just from my experience, there are a lot of w*nkers.

Just as there are w*nkers at reading, in a different way "I've had half a can of cider lets riot lolololololololololol" and then have a shout and scream and get told to f**k off by the people there for a good time.

Edited July 7, 2011 by Mega Ross

[thesecretingredientiscrime]

The majority of people I know go to glasto are snobby w*nkers who work in a bottom level office job in a bank or insurance company doing data input or answering phoones but think wearing a cheap tie to work in a makes them important.

You know the kind who goes out on the weekend and gets pissed on 4 wkds in their cardigan and daps, talks about nothing interesting, then goes back to mummy and daddys little suburban palace. Knocked over by a light breeze.

Theres no good old fashioned dirty fun in them, probably to afraid of getting mud on their primark daps. Pretentious twat is an understatement.

So they look down on festivals with good down to earth people and (most years) solid lineups.

Don't get me wrong I'm sure there are some sound people who go to glasto but just from my experience, there are a lot of w*nkers.

Just as there are w*nkers at reading, in a different way "I've had half a can of cider lets riot lolololololololololol" and then have a shout and scream and get told to f**k off by the people there for a good time.

[Mega Ross]

No lets go drink and meet some randomers, then go see some bands.

f**king wierdos with their piss obsession.

[knivesout]

oh come on, i'm not saying i haven't had some great times at reading but in no way does it attract "music savvy" people, demonstrable in the relatively small crowds arcade fire and radiohead have received in the past, and that the national will no doubt unfortunately receive. most of my friends going really couldn't give two shits about the lineup and are just going to get drunk with 85000 other 16 year olds fresh from doing gcses, most of whom either listen to generic indie or whiny scene bollocks. it's hard to deny that it attracts a hell of a lot of utter tools.

[Banana Co]

At a lot of festivals that I have been to in the past there has always been some idiots; Glastonbury, Reading, Bestival, Hop Farm, 2000 Trees, WOMAD and even Wychwood. Yo get a lot of different people at festivals, whereas, at artists own gigs you have more in common with the other people their.

[wellytastic]

It depends on which neighbours you prefer - swans or cows