Glastonbury - the new V Festival?

[GlastoSimon]

My favourite quote from the post-V Festival discussion on their Facebook page.

"Stone Roses on the main stage and Ed Sheeran in a tent, are you for real? I think you got that wrong V."

Sounds like those who went suffered problems with the crowds/people there, though some of the acts were good. I was thinking of going this year as a Glastonbury replacement (closest 'major' festival to me aside from Reading/Glasto) but I'm glad I didn't, thankfully I was warned before tickets went on sale that it's not that great by somebody who went before.

I think we might be overreacting calling it the new V festival, there's always going to be Jessie J type acts on at some point, the variety is what makes Glastonbury unique. Roll on ticket day!

[markeee]

It's one redeeming feature is that its about 20/30 minutes from london So its good if your going for the day (I went in 2008 to see Muse, and it wasn't to bad but we stayed out of the crowd most of the day until Muse came on, then I was next to this massive bloke standing there like a stone protecting a couple of young girls (must been his daughters or something, there was massive dickheads about and I did see lots of liquid being thrown about even if none hit me.)

[AiiShotTheDJ]

I really hope it's not - had major gripes with V this year and will never set foot in it again! Hoping to try Glastonbury next year (provided I get tickets!) and really hoping it's nothing like the nob-fest that was V this year!

[wilko8]

"Stone Roses on the main stage and Ed Sheeran in a tent, are you for real? I think you got that wrong V."

[Spindles]

I really hope it's not - had major gripes with V this year and will never set foot in it again! Hoping to try Glastonbury next year (provided I get tickets!) and really hoping it's nothing like the nob-fest that was V this year!

[AiiShotTheDJ]

Sorry to hear it sucked (although from comments I have read here, not too surprise).

I don't think you ever have to worry about Glastonbury being that bad, some years there might be a higher percentage of people in the audience who aren't brilliant people than others, but most people there are brilliant just the same. Avoid trying to go to the most popular thing at the most popular time and you will likely avoid such people all together.

Edited August 21, 2012 by AiiShotTheDJ

[LondonTom]

Thank you. That's really reassuring to hear - I genuinely didn't feel safe this weekend. I was scared to leave my tent but scared to be in it and I'm not hard to frighten at all - I'm happy to go with the flow and understand the whole "live and let live" phiolosphy but 16 year olds off their face on ket throwing bags of crap, piss and anything they could find and 40 year olds punching women square in the jaw really scared me.

[AiiShotTheDJ]

I meant that I'm quite hard to frighten haha - my brain is too full of rants. I'm really glad that Glasto should be a lot better - I know there are idiots everywhere, on a Saturday night, down my street etc but this year at V was just animalistic. I''ve seen that video - shows the state it was in this year! The fact V posted it themselves, now that's another matter. I wonder if Richard B is happy to be associated with that!

Edited August 21, 2012 by AiiShotTheDJ

[dan05delaney]

hey, I've jsut got back from working V and have been to Glasto for a couple of years and can happily say they are a million miles apart, working it there were a few moments where I looked around and had to ask myself why some of the people were there it seemed that they just wanted to get pilled off their face and cause trouble, or piss everywhere... seriously women there are toilets you know!

can say that glasto has a totally different feel about it, it is strangely one of the places I feel quite safe, yes there ill be a small percentage of people their for the wrong reasons but I don't know anyone personally who has had problems...It would take an epic failure on many levels for Glasto to ever be like V

[amfy]

With the vast number of people attending Glastonbury it would be ridiculous to claim there are no idiots there, but I've spent some time reading the "Never again" thread on the main V page, and the "Going Downhill?" one on the Stafford page, and it's actually jaw dropping!

I last went to V about 4-5 years ago and stopped because it was the first time it had rained on us there, and we realised how boring it is when you can't just relax in the sunshine between bands. It was a bit lairy back then, but there seems to be a whole new level now.

Having said that, 2 of my friends went and had a great weekend this year. They are late 30s and one of them goes every year and wouldn't miss it. She has already signed up for the early bird tickets for next year. This would leave me feeling that the incidents described are isolated, except I've seen her fb pictures every year of her heading off to see bands with her pac-a-mac hood up and sunglasses on regardless of weather as routine protection against whatever is flying through the air!

I would think that I might just be getting old, but there are 20/21 year olds posting that V isn't what it used to b,e and that the kids are out of control!

[Craigston]

With the vast number of people attending Glastonbury it would be ridiculous to claim there are no idiots there, but I've spent some time reading the "Never again" thread on the main V page, and the "Going Downhill?" one on the Stafford page, and it's actually jaw dropping!

I last went to V about 4-5 years ago and stopped because it was the first time it had rained on us there, and we realised how boring it is when you can't just relax in the sunshine between bands. It was a bit lairy back then, but there seems to be a whole new level now.

Having said that, 2 of my friends went and had a great weekend this year. They are late 30s and one of them goes every year and wouldn't miss it. She has already signed up for the early bird tickets for next year. This would leave me feeling that the incidents described are isolated, except I've seen her fb pictures every year of her heading off to see bands with her pac-a-mac hood up and sunglasses on regardless of weather as routine protection against whatever is flying through the air!

I would think that I might just be getting old, but there are 20/21 year olds posting that V isn't what it used to b,e and that the kids are out of control!

[AiiShotTheDJ]

With the vast number of people attending Glastonbury it would be ridiculous to claim there are no idiots there, but I've spent some time reading the "Never again" thread on the main V page, and the "Going Downhill?" one on the Stafford page, and it's actually jaw dropping!

I last went to V about 4-5 years ago and stopped because it was the first time it had rained on us there, and we realised how boring it is when you can't just relax in the sunshine between bands. It was a bit lairy back then, but there seems to be a whole new level now.

Having said that, 2 of my friends went and had a great weekend this year. They are late 30s and one of them goes every year and wouldn't miss it. She has already signed up for the early bird tickets for next year. This would leave me feeling that the incidents described are isolated, except I've seen her fb pictures every year of her heading off to see bands with her pac-a-mac hood up and sunglasses on regardless of weather as routine protection against whatever is flying through the air!

I would think that I might just be getting old, but there are 20/21 year olds posting that V isn't what it used to b,e and that the kids are out of control!

[Gnomicide]

I'm the "Going Downhill?" threader and only 21 but this year I couldn't believe what I saw - it was more akin to a riot than a festival! I tried my hardest to avoid it and enjoy the weekend so I camped on the red/gold border when I knew I would avoid more idiots but I still couldn't help avoiding them. I went to see Tinie Tempah and Example for our friend who came as his first ever festival and the crowd were mental and out of control in the area where we stood. We weren't right in there and sort of on the edge as I knew the type of people they were likely to attract but it was just carnage in a bad way. I can't explain how out of conrol it was with security doing nothing at all - just watching people fight all over the place- even when a man punched a woman square in the jaw in full view. It took a group of men to get him off of her. I'm all game for a laugh and understand the whole thing of drinking to excess and having a laugh with your mates but it really was something else this year. The festival I know and love is gone. Saying that, our friend who we took loved it and thought the piss throwing, puking, shouting at random girls, pill popping and destroying the campsites was all part of the fun and part of a decent festival but I've never known it that way and I don't want it to be part of my festival

[bexj]

Good god, that sounds horrendous. Let me give you a little comfort...in my 15ish years of Glastonbury, I don't think I've even heard anyone shout anything in anger, let alone fighting. That's not to say it doesn't go on, but I've never seen it. Welcome to Glasto AiishottheDJ, you'll have a ball.

[AiiShotTheDJ]

You sound like you've moved on. Well done. Welcome to Glastonbury. You'll love it.

I know I will (If I get a ticket).

[AiiShotTheDJ]

Good god, that sounds horrendous. Let me give you a little comfort...in my 15ish years of Glastonbury, I don't think I've even heard anyone shout anything in anger, let alone fighting. That's not to say it doesn't go on, but I've never seen it. Welcome to Glasto AiishottheDJ, you'll have a ball.

[markeee]

That was seriously an accident waiting to happen. It was seriously poor crowd management, but in fairness relied on the self management of crowds which has been a hallmark of Glastonbury in the past.

Things are different now, and H&S on site need to get to grips with this. One Oxfam volunteer up a pole with a tiny megaphone didn't cut it.

Unfortunately, the pushing and shoving, and literal fights breaking out all over the place, gave a completely different vibe from anything I have experienced at Glastonbury before. With people going down in the mud as people continued to push from behind, it could have easily been Micheal Eavis' dreaded Roskilde. Me and my husband raised our hands and shouted STOP as loudly and authoritively as we could manage, and it seemed to work for a moment whilst we got the people who had fallen up, and grabbed those who looked the most wasted, and got them out of there as quick as we could before the chaos re-started. I really felt sick afterwards wondering whether everyone had got out OK behind us.

We didn't go back to Dance Village all weekend, and there were people I really wanted to see.

[Spindles]

Thank you. That's really reassuring to hear - I genuinely didn't feel safe this weekend. I was scared to leave my tent but scared to be in it and I'm quite hard to frighten - I'm happy to go with the flow and understand the whole "live and let live" phiolosphy but 16 year olds off their face on ket throwing bags of crap, piss and anything they could find and 40 year olds punching women square in the jaw really scared me.

[cheeseisamazing]

In regards to the OP

1. i like the green party and the women, but in regards to Caroline Lucas's speech before Wu tang clan: It was terrible. it wasn't a speech it was her shouting out liberal ideas at the crowd, don't get me wrong i agreed with lots of the stuff she said such as 'trident is a waste of money' but your not going to get support by coming on stage and shouting at people; like i said i like the girl but she just came across as some far-out left wing idiot. To contrast i remember in 09 the local priest coming on stage and saying a verse from the bible and say a few nice things in a calm and soft manner, now i'm sure a lot of people at Glastonbury don't have strong christian views but everyone was polite, applauded and listened. i'm sure if Caroline had given us a strong argument or thought out speech i'm sure people would have given her respect

2. More people went to Jessie J than primal scream possible because there were less clashes, i went to see Jessie J as it didn't clash with anyone. I wanted to see U2 instead of primal scream because i was intrigued. to contrast this Masses of people flocked to see Radiohead and Pulp at the park.

3. The BBC is going to cover all the rubbish, because people are sad and want to see the music in the charts.

I don' think Glastonbury is becoming V, I've never been to V and the reason is because of what people have been saying above. I'm 20, i wear 5year old clothes to festivals, i shower under the tap, i go to the harry Krishna's for my lunch and then listen to people chatting around the green fields, one of my Favorite activities at the festival is chilling with random people in stone circle. I've never seen a fight at Glastonbury and no one has ever been mean or even rude to me. yeah i see people walking around in topshop and not learning about any of the festival values, but i assure you most people are.

To but some spirit in your heart my friend bought the daily mail a year or 2 back and the newspaper seller booed him, and everyone boo'ed him for about minuets as he walked back to the tent

[markeee]

In regards to the OP

1. i like the green party and the women, but in regards to Caroline Lucas's speech before Wu tang clan: It was terrible. it wasn't a speech it was her shouting out liberal ideas at the crowd, don't get me wrong i agreed with lots of the stuff she said such as 'trident is a waste of money' but your not going to get support by coming on stage and shouting at people; like i said i like the girl but she just came across as some far-out left wing idiot. To contrast i remember in 09 the local priest coming on stage and saying a verse from the bible and say a few nice things in a calm and soft manner, now i'm sure a lot of people at Glastonbury don't have strong christian views but everyone was polite, applauded and listened. i'm sure if Caroline had given us a strong argument or thought out speech i'm sure people would have given her respect

2. More people went to Jessie J than primal scream possible because there were less clashes, i went to see Jessie J as it didn't clash with anyone. I wanted to see U2 instead of primal scream because i was intrigued. to contrast this Masses of people flocked to see Radiohead and Pulp at the park.

3. The BBC is going to cover all the rubbish, because people are sad and want to see the music in the charts.

I don' think Glastonbury is becoming V, I've never been to V and the reason is because of what people have been saying above. I'm 20, i wear 5year old clothes to festivals, i shower under the tap, i go to the harry Krishna's for my lunch and then listen to people chatting around the green fields, one of my Favorite activities at the festival is chilling with random people in stone circle. I've never seen a fight at Glastonbury and no one has ever been mean or even rude to me. yeah i see people walking around in topshop and not learning about any of the festival values, but i assure you most people are.

To but some spirit in your heart my friend bought the daily mail a year or 2 back and the newspaper seller booed him, and everyone boo'ed him for about minuets as he walked back to the tent

Edited August 23, 2012 by markeee

[JoeyT]

I disagree that the BBC should show more of the late night areas / stone circle / dance village.

Let the general public see the main stages fine but think glasto should retain some of it's magic/mystery by letting the farout places only be talked about through word of mouth.

Stumbling across a bloke mc'ing over the humming of a didgeridoo in chai wallahs after drinking your body weight in cider isn't something I am going to watch on replay after the festival finishes. It's one of those 'ahhh this is why i bought my ticket'

If these people want to sample EVERY aspect of glastonbury then they can buy a ticket like the rest of us!

I'm not sure some of things which take place in these places are very 'BBC' either so some poor sod would have to edit lots of the footage!

[elias]

While Glastonbury cannot be in any way compared to V, bad things do happen from time to time. In 2010 we were putting up our tents next to a couple of ladies (in their 30's I would guess) from Middlesborough, who seemed chatty enough. We went off to see the England game on the Pyramid and came back to finish unpacking. Next thing we know there is shouting and screaming going on and one of the women launches herself at a bloke who has turned up. She is trying to hit and scratch him with a dirty great ring she has on. In return he pushes her to the ground and they are rolling around all over the place punching and kicking. It wasn't pretty.

We sort of look at each other trying to decide whether to get involved, but the woman seemed to be just as bad as the bloke. Anyway, they calmed down eventually.

As a more humerous ending to the whole episode - we came back to camp the same night and I notice that the zip on our tent is undone. I tell my wife that I think we may have been robbed, but when I go into the tent, there is the same woman who was fighting earlier fast asleep in my bed! We wake her up and she is obviously completely out of her head, mutters something about 'Oh, I've never done that before' and staggers off back to her own tent. Needless to say we didn't have too much to do with them for the rest of the festival.

Kev

[Spindles]

CheeseIsAmazing, great post which very much reflects my own views and my own festival. Glastonbury is just a setting, it is the people who are there that are the festival and the part you spend it in dictates the experience you have. I DO still go to the pyramid/other on Fri/Sat/Sun, sometimes seeing up to 3 or 4 bands a day there, but I mostly only go there if I REALLY have to and my policy is, if the people around me seem inconsiderate, move until they don't. My kids and I went to the Pyramid for Elbow last year, we met a really nice young couple from Wales who were enjoying the same and ended up staying for Coldplay (who I had no previous interest in seeing) because they were nice company and it was making for a great evening. It ended up being the happiest night of my year.

[queenelly]

Have you been to V?

Just returned from Weston Park to see Stone Roses and there is absolutely no comparison.

The hippy ideal may have got a little lost at Glastonbury but the large proportion of the people I saw at V behaved like mindless animals with no respect for anyone or anything. I have been going to Glastonbury since 2003 and have never encountered anything other than chilled happy people and great music.

[cheeseisamazing]

CheeseIsAmazing, great post which very much reflects my own views and my own festival. Glastonbury is just a setting, it is the people who are there that are the festival and the part you spend it in dictates the experience you have. I DO still go to the pyramid/other on Fri/Sat/Sun, sometimes seeing up to 3 or 4 bands a day there, but I mostly only go there if I REALLY have to and my policy is, if the people around me seem inconsiderate, move until they don't. My kids and I went to the Pyramid for Elbow last year, we met a really nice young couple from Wales who were enjoying the same and ended up staying for Coldplay (who I had no previous interest in seeing) because they were nice company and it was making for a great evening. It ended up being the happiest night of my year.