BoomTown 2013

[Harry3]

Awesome weekend! All a bit of a blur.

Probably the loudest festival iv been to the sound was spot on everywhere except Arcadia, but even that was louder than it had been last year and at Glastonbury this year. Tribe of Frog was my favorite addition!

I really hope they dont make it bigger, I felt it was better last year with the whole town in the bowl and it all connected up. Also saw some c**ts smashing up the tills behind the bar in the hidden woods on sunday, put a downer on things.

I have a feeling with the death Hampshire police might do to Boomtown what they did to Glade and put the price of policing up so high that Boomtown cant afford it and would have to go elsewhere. I hope im wrong.

[Flounder]

That was one of the most full of festivals I've been to in a long time- beltingly good fun. Interesting cross section of people which is always good news and the effort put in is second to none. The production & engineering behind the Lions Den was immense. Security were fine/lovely in my experience, no hassle at all and dealt with the crowd clearance at the end of Gentlemans Dub Club ( due to medical emergency) beautifully.

Yes it was messy, but not half the amount of casualties that I thought we'd see.

Well done to all concerned

[dumski]

Blown away by it to be honest, great size, plenty to explore, good mix of music and we didn’t really need to make many plans to get about/meet. The size certainly helped that. But the hill when tiddly was a pain. Reminded me a bit of my early raving days with the fair rides J

Price of the ticket to be commended too for the effort gone in to it

Boomtique sauna, hot tubs and showers were worth every penny, just a shame so far from Campervans.

The banquet too was quality for comedy value but food better elsewhere. Hosts very nice though.

Everyone we met was friendly and not noticeably young (our lot in our early 30’s). Met plenty who got in over the fence (allegedly)

The searches for camper vans were very thorough. Luckily we let driver go in and we went in car entrance. They kept him an hour, checked everywhere, sent in 2 dogs (one got tired) and found nothing as we had nothing. They quizzed him for 25 mins about his multivitamins FFS - not the best use of resources.

My only complaint would be needs more loos and why no troughs around site for the lads to pee in?

Who was the Circo Baile secret headliner?

Did Arrested development play Sunday?

[eFestivals]

Security were fine/lovely in my experience

Hmmmm .... I saw more punters being 'detained' by security at this festival by more than double the worst I've seen elsewhere in more than 30 years. I've no idea what for.

Also, at the Lion's Den, security in the pit were hassling anyone who they thought might be smoking a spliff - tho everyone I saw them hassle was only smoking a rollie!

I even saw security hassle an old-ish guy who was holding an (innocent!) balloon, presumably because it was thought to be NOS ... and then the embarrassment of that security guy rocketed to the moon when it was explained to him that guy was deaf.

I asked that security guy why he was hassling spliff smokers when the acts on the stage were encouraging people to smoke. He said that he didn't want them smoking near him but he didn't have a problem if they stood back from the barrier, which is sort-of fair enough I guess.

I know drugs are illegal, but .... it's a beautiful festival, but the over-the-top security & police runs the risk of ruining it.

There, I've said the thing that cannot be talked about. It needs to be talked about a LOT more, before the golden goose is killed, cooked and roasted. And that WILL happen if things go on as they are.

[eFestivals]

the crowd clearance at the end of Gentlemans Dub Club ( due to medical emergency)

Did you see this - all of it? (I saw none, but heard about it).

The official line on Sunday was that there was no incident, the crowd were cleared only so that the 'Police Rave Unit' could drive down to the stage.... which I did find hard to believe going from what i'd heard.

[eFestivals]

Did Arrested development play Sunday?

yep - they were excellent too. :-)

Did you happen to catch By The Rivers who played in their place on Friday? I've seen them a few times now, and they're a superbly tight band.

[eFestivals]

There's now a review of the weekend online, here:-

http://www.efestivals.co.uk/festivals/boomtown/2013/review1.shtml

There'll also be some photo galleries sometime soon-ish.

[random_man]

There's now a review of the weekend online, here:-

http://www.efestivals.co.uk/festivals/boomtown/2013/review1.shtml

There'll also be some photo galleries sometime soon-ish.

[ybelgrave1]

Hmmmm .... I saw more punters being 'detained' by security at this festival by more than double the worst I've seen elsewhere in more than 30 years. I've no idea what for.

Also, at the Lion's Den, security in the pit were hassling anyone who they thought might be smoking a spliff - tho everyone I saw them hassle was only smoking a rollie!

I even saw security hassle an old-ish guy who was holding an (innocent!) balloon, presumably because it was thought to be NOS ... and then the embarrassment of that security guy rocketed to the moon when it was explained to him that guy was deaf.

I asked that security guy why he was hassling spliff smokers when the acts on the stage were encouraging people to smoke. He said that he didn't want them smoking near him but he didn't have a problem if they stood back from the barrier, which is sort-of fair enough I guess.

I know drugs are illegal, but .... it's a beautiful festival, but the over-the-top security & police runs the risk of ruining it.

There, I've said the thing that cannot be talked about. It needs to be talked about a LOT more, before the golden goose is killed, cooked and roasted. And that WILL happen if things go on as they are.

[kerplunk]

Photos online:

http://www.efestivals.co.uk/festivals/boomtown/2013/galleries.shtml

(apologies for the dust spot on sensor visible on some pics!)

Edited August 14, 2013 by kerplunk

[eFestivals]

I have epilepsy and unfortunately had a tonic-clonic seizure on the Friday morning when I was waiting for a friend at the gate. The police ran up to me and went through my bag whilst I was fitting and found a small amount of drugs on me when looking for an ID. When I came round I was very confused about what had happened and rather than offer me medical attention they took me to be searched. This was only a few hours after the young girl died on Thursday night, and though I understand that if they find illegal substances on someone they have to deal with it, surely it shouldn't come before their health? Even though I had proof of my epilepsy on me they continued to imply that I had had the seizure due to drug abuse which was not only upsetting but frustrating. I was only offered medical attention after spending an hour in the police holding area filling out forms and answering questions that I was not able to answer properly due to my postictal state. I was offered no phone call and when I asked to call my friends as I was confused about what was happening they repeatedly refused. My sister was very upset when she heard what happened to me and spoke to a detective inspector later that day who was hugely embarrassed about what had happened to me and consequentially gave her her personal phone number.

That's outrageous. :angry:

Please please PLEASE put in a formal complaint, so that those c**tish old bill are held to account for denying you medical treatment - but mainly so the next time they find someone in need of medical help those old bill get that person the medical help they need. Next time their obsession with nicking people could cause a death.

[ybelgrave1]

That's outrageous. :angry:

Please please PLEASE put in a formal complaint, so that those c**tish old bill are held to account for denying you medical treatment - but mainly so the next time they find someone in need of medical help those old bill get that person the medical help they need. Next time their obsession with nicking people could cause a death.

[frostypaw]

Absolutely do it that way round so they are as lenient as possible to try and stop you complaining.

Then make the formal complaint. They do need to sort out their priorities and that's a shocking case to prove the point, hope you're all fine now must have been very disorientating and unpleasant

[eFestivals]

I would like to make a formal complaint but I've been advised by a solicitor at release to wait until after the debriefing to do so. I'm hoping to only receive a caution as it was quite obviously for personal use but I've been bailed to go back down to Hampshire in September and will find out the outcome then.

oh FFS, didn't they caution you at the time? They really are being c**ts to the nth degree.

But yeah, the advice you've had is probably right. If you put in a complaint now they're very likely to try to prosecute you as their own defence against your complaint, as that's the way they operate as standard (as I've found out to my own cost before now).

I have already written to Boomtown to complain about what happened though and hopefully they will learn from what happened to me for next year.

well done for that, but I hugely doubt they'll have any sway at all on how the old bill choose to act. For that it'll need pushing thru the police complaints.

[dumski]

yep - they were excellent too. :-)

Did you happen to catch By The Rivers who played in their place on Friday? I've seen them a few times now, and they're a superbly tight band.

[Sofa]

constant harassment . not nice .This festival wont last long by the sounds of it ,real pity,there aren't many left with the late 80s early 90s chaos vibe left these days,its all so 'Family' you cant do that anymore Frowny frowny bullshit .

Just out of interest is this organised by some real old school lot ,any connection to Torpedo Town free festi from back in the day?

Edited August 18, 2013 by Sofa

[Harry3]

Hmmmm .... I saw more punters being 'detained' by security at this festival by more than double the worst I've seen elsewhere in more than 30 years. I've no idea what for.

Also, at the Lion's Den, security in the pit were hassling anyone who they thought might be smoking a spliff - tho everyone I saw them hassle was only smoking a rollie!

I even saw security hassle an old-ish guy who was holding an (innocent!) balloon, presumably because it was thought to be NOS ... and then the embarrassment of that security guy rocketed to the moon when it was explained to him that guy was deaf.

I asked that security guy why he was hassling spliff smokers when the acts on the stage were encouraging people to smoke. He said that he didn't want them smoking near him but he didn't have a problem if they stood back from the barrier, which is sort-of fair enough I guess.

I know drugs are illegal, but .... it's a beautiful festival, but the over-the-top security & police runs the risk of ruining it.

There, I've said the thing that cannot be talked about. It needs to be talked about a LOT more, before the golden goose is killed, cooked and roasted. And that WILL happen if things go on as they are.

[frostypaw]

According to the press despite the poor girl on Thursday the drug arrests and seizures were well down on last year so the situation may be more positive than it initially appears and they might not find an excuse to ruin it. Certainly alongside the clearly heavy handed moments described here the organisers will be in a fairly good arguing position

[Harry3]

However I heard the organisers broke sound restrictions?

[frostypaw]

Yeah I heard 8 complaints compared to 70 last year, good going

[eFestivals]

Just out of interest is this organised by some real old school lot ,any connection to Torpedo Town free festi from back in the day?

nope, it's organised by some people aged around 30-ish from Bristol.

[si_t]

As a goer of many a festival for many years, and a boomtown attendee since the first one after recydrate, It's with sadness that I have to say I'm now out.

A truly brilliant idea, executed incredibly well, and lineups of Ska and reggae to put a big smile on my face it may be......

.... but the cat and mouse with security, the caution I picked up thanks to the friendly labrador last year (1g of MD - well done c**tstable, sure you're making the community a better place with your good work), and the obvious fact that this is only going to get worse mean that we're just going to have to look elsewhere.

Let's be honest, how much fun is an incredible Lion's Den reggae tent structure, when you can't even smoke a spliff whilst enjoying it? (according to reports on BT's FB page - security rugby tackling a guy lighting a joint)

I will be attending another festival instead next year. It probably won't have as good a lineup, and probably won't have the visual brilliance of Boomtown - but atleast I won't have to be involved in this ridiculous situation of creating a surreal drug fuelled environment, and then snagging people looking for a chilled weekend of escapism with a 5 year caution.

In my view, the mistake was moving to the current location. However, there will be more school leavers there next year than ever before, it'll sell out, and the majority of people will make it through the weekend without a police record... so good luck to all.

[eFestivals]

and lineups of Ska and reggae to put a big smile on my face it may be......

for a proper reggae line-up including the famous soundsystems - and none of the hassle that comes with boomtown - you should check out One Love.

I loved Boomtown this year, but like you I'm not entirely sure that I'd go again (tho I suspect an act or two on their bill might get me there).

[tjamest]

for a proper reggae line-up including the famous soundsystems - and none of the hassle that comes with boomtown - you should check out One Love.

I loved Boomtown this year, but like you I'm not entirely sure that I'd go again (tho I suspect an act or two on their bill might get me there).

[eFestivals]

+ 1 for One Love - Extremely chilled out, great mixture of reggae genres, sensible security, a few police when i arrived on Friday, but once they realised the place wasn't full of Yardies i hardly saw them. Great brain melting soundsystems and no issues with smoking what you liked all over the site including the tents.

Glad you liked it.

I thought the number of old bill were ridiculous on every day - tho to be fair to them I didn't see them hassle anybody, and they seemed to know that there weren't any problems so didn't go looking to create any. And security were fantastically chilled again.

I know that at about Saturday lunchtime they'd had just one "incident" to deal with - where that "incident" was some lost property (without any suggestion that what had been lost had actually been stolen).

Dan has posted on the One Love facebook that the festival was incident-free - yet again. It really is a very lovely festival.

Edited August 20, 2013 by eFestivals