Glastonbury - the new V Festival?

[The Pumpkin King]

Certainly felt that way this year...never seen anything like it..

The festival's been pushed so far away from its origins with the clientelle it attracts...crazy seeing a Green MP beeing booed offstage ahead of a Hip hop act...had to check I was in the right place

As for the music - dominated by stuff Cheryl Cole would pull together...rewatching BBC coverage and they've provided an urban/gossipy style coverage reducing it to a superficial 'Party in the Park' vibe...where's the substance and soul suddenly?

Stomping out the anti-U2 Protest while the same heavies surround Wayne Rooney for protection and allow him and his crackhead bird to swan round the fest for a photoshoot..

Eavis wants to make it as 'accessible' as possible, but in doing this is pushing the concept miles away from its origins and making it as synthetic and mainstream as meaningless shite like V Fest

Why did he have to make it something that 'everyone could come to'? I don't like Formula 1, but I'm not expecting Silverstone to adapt their schedule to accomodate me as someone more into football and music just to get my custom...stupid as f**k analogy but makes perfect sense when you think...by wanting 'everyone' to come down, he just dilutes the aspects that made it special

Let's hope the mud and few remaining crusty Ket fiends put the TopShop brigade off for good, and hopefully we'll never see a dull miming shopping mall act like Beyonce dominating ever again

Michael Eavis seems totally ignorant/abrasive to any form of feedback, but hopefully the soul destroying sight of his beautiful farmland trashed by irresponsible kids will provide all the feedback he really needs to know about the direction he's pushed his festival by 'opening the floodgates'

Cheers

Edited June 27, 2011 by The Pumpkin King

[prestonmike]

i agree in one respect, when jessie j gets a bigger crowd than primal scream, there is something wrong!

[Alcatraz]

What happened to Caroline Lucas?

Other things, namely the BBC coverage which you complain about have nothing to do with Glastonbury.

The rest of it, like Wayne Rooney. Dude, its one guy that I fortunately didn't come across. Instead I came across 1000's of f**king brilliant, talented, intelligent and amazing people. And you don't really get that V

[slat]

I've only been going 5 years and it already feels different, might try something different for 2012 in the gap and see what i think then

[The Pumpkin King]

What happened to Caroline Lucas?

Other things, namely the BBC coverage which you complain about have nothing to do with Glastonbury.

[Alcatraz]

Caroline Lucas was heckled and booed throughout - to be honest, the tone of the speech wasn't great but f**king hell...people shouting down green sentiment and politics at Glastonbury while building up for a Hip Hop act summed it up for me..

youre right about the BBC coverage; but it shows how it's now perceived that they've tailored the way they protray it to reflect new urban acts/V Festival crowd vibe..gossipy/trashy coverage..looked like Ch4 on a Sat morning.

Eavis wanted to make the festival super accessible but in doing so has diluted a lot of the points that made it magic

[austingz]

Caroline Lucas was heckled and booed throughout - to be honest, the tone of the speech wasn't great but f**king hell...people shouting down green sentiment and politics at Glastonbury while building up for a Hip Hop act summed it up for me..

youre right about the BBC coverage; but it shows how it's now perceived that they've tailored the way they protray it to reflect new urban acts/V Festival crowd vibe..gossipy/trashy coverage..looked like Ch4 on a Sat morning.

Eavis wanted to make the festival super accessible but in doing so has diluted a lot of the points that made it magic

[DJL]

The Caroline Lucas thing was unfortunate, it was probably the worst point in the festival for her to get a good reaction, before wu tang and everyone was cold wet and muddy - tough crowd. Before Paul Simon in the sunshine and I'd like to think it might have been a bit more positive though as you say the tone of it could have been better.

I think the BBC should do their highlights programmes with loads of fearn and co chatting about the celebs they've spotted for all those who aren't really fussed but then have online entire sets for everyone else to watch without the constant interruptions...

Edited June 27, 2011 by DJL

[padders]

all very well Liam gallagher saying he wouldnt go back but oasis were so dire in 04 theres not a chance of being asked back anyway - not wrong in a lot of what he says tho

[Amii]

As the music industry and life around it evolves, the festival must do too to be sustainable. I don't think saying the old festivals were "better" is right - they were just different.

That said, Kesha can do one. Whoever booked her needs the sack.

[Alcatraz]

As the music industry and life around it evolves, the festival must do too to be sustainable. I don't think saying the old festivals were "better" is right - they were just different.

That said, Kesha can do one. Whoever booked her needs the sack.

[BlackHole2006]

I for one had an absolutely incredible weekend watching bands I wouldn't normally go and see and just experiencing the whole vibe and atmosphere in a different light with a great mate of mine.

Glastonbury is not the new V festival and Liam Ghallagar is a tool.

[richroet]

everything changes and evolves - not always for the better - but dont think that glasto has suffered more than others - no where near the vibe at V which at times is completely out of order - rare to get piss thrown at you through crowd at glasto where is almost expected at some other festivals

Glasto still the tops in my view and when you have something deemed to be the best you will get new people coming to sample the delights some less welcome than others - do we want to get back to the Glasto of not that long ago with the fences being pulled down and hordes invading the site of even the traveller riots - I think not we just want our festival to be what we want which will not always be the case - also have to remember that we change and we want and expect changes over time sometimes only noticeable by other people

Onwards to 2013 and the greatest festival in the world

@richroet

[amfy]

Those stages have always been close to V. I have seen Pulp and Primal Scream at V. It's nothing to do with the line up and everything to do with people going because they've seen it on the telly rather than because they have any interest in any of the political messages or charities the festivals support.

There can be no vetting procedure for Glastonbury, political awareness is not a pre-requisite for a ticket, - although someone once suggested an idea where instead of the current ticket lottery, registration for tickets was processed via performing a certain number of hours voluntary work for charity. It'd be brilliant for restoring the vibe of it being something worthwhile, raising awareness, and on the face of it, the charities would also benefit, but I have a horrible feeling that many "volunteers" might not be quite as much help as they might be.

[austingz]

Those stages have always been close to V. I have seen Pulp and Primal Scream at V. It's nothing to do with the line up and everything to do with people going because they've seen it on the telly rather than because they have any interest in any of the political messages or charities the festivals support.

There can be no vetting procedure for Glastonbury, political awareness is not a pre-requisite for a ticket, - although someone once suggested an idea where instead of the current ticket lottery, registration for tickets was processed via performing a certain number of hours voluntary work for charity. It'd be brilliant for restoring the vibe of it being something worthwhile, raising awareness, and on the face of it, the charities would also benefit, but I have a horrible feeling that many "volunteers" might not be quite as much help as they might be.

[Big Vern]

ive only been to 2 festivals, V last year and Glasto this year. Punter wise, Glasto is soooooooooooooooo much better. I never saw any trouble and any drinks/piss thrown AT ALL. At V last year it was just full of drunken c**ts and constant piss throwing.

The only thing I prefer about V is the fact that you can get from stage to stage quickly and take in a lot of acts which I couldn't do at Glasto and the amount of litter at Glasto did shock me, I thought the Glasto going public would be better at using bins that the V lot, but sadly not.

However, Glasto all the way for me from now on

[Mikeydread]

I agree with most of the sentiments above - although there has always been loads of rubbish left in the Pyramid stage - certainly since the mid eighties. I took some before and after pics in 1985 of the Pyramid stage and ok the volumes were less- but the end result was pretty similar. If I get the chance - I will scan the photos in and post.

The vibe was certainly different this year and that's a subjective good/ bad thing. However the problem for me remains - too many people for the size of the stages.

[Bubblepopelectric]

ive only been to 2 festivals, V last year and Glasto this year. Punter wise, Glasto is soooooooooooooooo much better. I never saw any trouble and any drinks/piss thrown AT ALL. At V last year it was just full of drunken c**ts and constant piss throwing.

The only thing I prefer about V is the fact that you can get from stage to stage quickly and take in a lot of acts which I couldn't do at Glasto and the amount of litter at Glasto did shock me, I thought the Glasto going public would be better at using bins that the V lot, but sadly not.

However, Glasto all the way for me from now on

[Dirty_Dave]

Im off to V soon for a stag do and to be honest not really looking forward to it, in the sense of going to a festival, rather more of a phish up (being a stag and all).

If Glasto ever ever goes the same way as V I will cry!!

i.e. No campfires, no booze in the arena, nothing to do after the bands, no 'carefree attitude', piss throwing yobs causing trouble and no nakeness

[amfy]

Getting back from the Dance Village on Thurs in all that mud scared the life out of me and my sister. But can't imagine doing V again.

[Gary]

This year I watched 3 acts. Last year i watched 5. Instead, i spend my time wandering round the greenfields, arcadia, the markets... went on a pub crawl this year...

Spent a lot of time chilling in the park.

I'm a 25 year old major label marketing department employee. I'm not a crusty, I'm not a veteran and I'm not someone that's seen every act on the big stages. However, If I wanted to go to a regular festival, I wouldn't be at Glastonbury. There's so much more to it than the main stages. If you stick to Other/Pyramid/Dance then don't come out of it all expecting to have had the time of your life. Live a little and explore. You'll find Glastonbury has so much more to offer than it blows every other festival out of the water.

[robith]

There were a lot of uni students there "doing" Glasto this year I noticed. So many uni hoodies and I lost track of how often I heard "So what did you get in finals?" in the urinals. In the five years I've been there's always been a laddie element though.

This year I went to the Pyramid loads more than usual. It was horrendous. Atmosphereless, and the chairs, christ the chairs. The other stages totally made up for it though

[jish]

I thought that it was a bit like the V Festival too this year in terms of the line-up. I mean, Beyonce! Howehhhhh!!!! This was the first year (out of 10 visits) that I hadn't watched a headliner on the Pyramid. (Can't abide U2 and Coldplay 3 times in 10 years is a complete piss-take, and I don't even mind them)

I also though that there seemed to be loads of knobheads shouting stuff all of the time. Whilst walking around the site. Before the acts. During the acts. After the acts. At the tents at all hours. Have a bit of respect for God's sake. I'm all for folk having fun but you have to draw a line somewhere. I was on the verge of sparking folk out many times. I'm putting it down to youngsters not being able to handle a drink.

One final rant, The Park stage is an absolute disgrace. You can see bot all, unless you are right in front of the thing. The mud was dangerous in many parts of it and I can imagine a few insurance claims heading to the festival organisers. It also doesn't help when security guards throw their weight around. It was hard enough walking in 3 feet of hardnening clay without some idiot security guard shoving you about. I saw this happen a lot.

Despite all this, I managed to have a decent time.

[The Pumpkin King]

Some really interesting points for and against..

If you deliberately try to appeal to the mainstream you have to accept a huge cultural dilution

Think some of my points are totally backed up by various reports coming in...Especially the littering situation, people not really knoiwing what the Festival's about/booing a Green MP etc.

Eavis seems totally ignorant/abrasive to any form of feedback, but hopefully the soul destroying sight of his beautiful farmland trashed by irresponsible kids will provide all the feedback he really needs to know about the direction he's pushed his festival by 'opening the floodgates'.

[brfcstar]

Having not gone this year and watched it on the bbc got me thinking about weather they are having a say on the line up and whos playing where/what slot they have etc.