2019 Predictions

[Suggestives]

1 hour ago, benali said:

Wow. Hadn't heard that about Hard Skin. Sounds like a very weird reaction from the crowd. It's painfully obvious what they are doing, not sure how people didn't get it.

I agree entirely.

It does seem like irony is dead, or certainly no longer capable of being understood by many people.

I loved the Hard Skin set and never realised this was going on in the crowd. 

[Gilgamesh69]

Anyone got any idea how much the early bird tix will be?

[Yesiamaduck]

12 minutes ago, Suggestives said:

I agree entirely.

It does seem like irony is dead, or certainly no longer capable of being understood by many people.

I loved the Hard Skin set and never realised this was going on in the crowd. 

I'm not sure how far into the crowd you were but this was deffo a reaction saved for those around the middle where I heard it most violently bellowed. Apart from the Guy that tried to start a fight with a band who bulldozed through a bunch of people to yell at them before they played a note of music. 

A special shout out to the one lad being painfully egrigious with the above. So much so I felt the need to drop what I was doing and explain to him that its an act and is a comedy and to try and calm down and their reaction was 'I DUN FUCKING CARE THEY'RE FUCKIN C*&S AND NAZIS WHY THE FUCK ARE THEY EVEN HERE' then proceeded to shove their way through the crowd to get out, but not without letting every single person they went past know how offended they were by the 'fat bald nazi'. You looked at least 40 years old, grow the fuck up.

First and only negative experience I've had at this festival and some of the most unpleasant people I've seen in a long time. 

Edited September 2, 2019 by Yesiamaduck

[Tomos_]

3rd time for me, and loved it as usual! Weather was good, atmosphere was great on the whole, and the beer and food was excellent (the pasta and dosa places were my joint favourites). 

Highlights

Ohtis, Stella Donnelly, The Beths, Parquet Courts, Martha (especially the Piano set), Jim Ghedi, Lisa O'Neill, Lewsberg, Aaron Chen, Ata Kak, Fontaines DC,  BC Camplight, Jarvis

Also enjoyed 

Spiritualized, Charlie Parr, Mitski, Kate Tempest, Courtney Barnett, Sleafod Mods

Not so good

As suspected, Black Midi are a load of overhyped bollocks (although I'll concede that the drummer is very good)

Viagra Boys were also laughably awful 

Caught 20 mins of Yves Tumour and couldn't decide if it was amazing or terrible...

I can see where people are coming from in terms of talking during some of the quieter sets. I find the best way to combat it to just move closer to the stage (if possible), and telling people to shut up usually does the trick.

Hopefully will be returning next year!

[93jag01]

My first EOTR, managed to see quite a bit and the whole festival was very enjoyable.

Highlights for me were definitely Jockstrap (the remix they did towards the end was brilliantly weird and wonderful), Black Country New Road, Squid, Black Midi (the guitarist doing a front flip on stage was a particular standout moment), Metronomy, Mitski, Shame (new songs sounding pretty great) and N0V3L.

Wasn’t quite convinced by Fontaines D.C, they’re good but I think there are still better live acts out there. Du Blonde weren’t really for me and Porridge Radio weren’t quite what I was expecting but weren’t bad.

Overall, I didn’t see any bands that I found bad and the festival was thoroughly enjoyable! Hope to be back next year.

[ljsawyer]

22 minutes ago, Tomos_ said:

I can see where people are coming from in terms of talking during some of the quieter sets. I find the best way to combat it to just move closer to the stage (if possible), and telling people to shut up usually does the trick.

I always try to stand as close to the front as possible for this reason, and I didn't really have any problems with chatterboxes all weekend. The pin-drop levels of silence during Michael Kiwanuka and Low were actually quite impressive given the number of people in the crowd. Not everyone wants to or is able to stand near the stage though, and it's a shame that people think staying near the back entitles them to completely disrespect the artist and talk about inane shite that could easily wait until after the set.

[Jeel]

57 minutes ago, Gilgamesh69 said:

Anyone got any idea how much the early bird tix will be?

£165 I believe

[Jeel]

Another good one, although it felt a bit low key in comparison to the last few.

Highlights: Low, Pottery, Squid, Viagra Boys, Stella Donnelly, the posh showers, the Raclette breakfast special

Lowlights: Chattering was bad early on but seemed to be less of an issue as the festival went on. Always annoying but happens at all gigs and festivals. Children running around every stage. There seems more each year and parents less inclined to actually give a shit about anyone but themselves. Highlights, baby crawling around the always dark Big Top and kids charging around in the dark during Metronomy. 

Also, people who sit in the most idiotic places. Like the front of the Tipi during a band and refuse to stand up. What is that all about?

Suggestions: The Bird on the Wire stuff is great but every year all you can hear in the background is the Cider Bus disco or another stage. Move that to the Talking Heads stage so artists can get the quiet their music deserves. Put me off seeing those solo acts. On a similar note, make better use of the Talking Heads stage and have things on there all day. 

Edited September 2, 2019 by Jeel
missing

[rararachel]

21 minutes ago, ljsawyer said:

I always try to stand as close to the front as possible for this reason, and I didn't really have any problems with chatterboxes all weekend. The pin-drop levels of silence during Michael Kiwanuka and Low were actually quite impressive given the number of people in the crowd. Not everyone wants to or is able to stand near the stage though, and it's a shame that people think staying near the back entitles them to completely disrespect the artist and talk about inane shite that could easily wait until after the set.

I was sort of “back of the front” for Low (further forward than the side stage / let’s dance sign) and there were two pairs of offenders in ear shot. If anything, their total arrogance in not keeping their voice down when people three four rows either way of them could hear every banal comment they were making was even more galling. It was SO quiet and they weren’t even pretending to whisper, full blown tedious opining on the music. Grown ups too, mind, not kids, not high, just really inconsiderate arrogant bores. 

[Yesiamaduck]

Right. Now I got all the ranty shit out of my system here is me grades. The were a lot of 10's this year! POM POKO probably edging out as my overall favs though. Didn't 'get' Jock Strap' thought they were a band that could benefit with more material before their sets really start making sense, there felt like there was a lot of needless filler. Unfortunately, despite loving the records I found Gazelle Twin a bit monotonus live. I was sceptical of Kero Kero Bonitos new set up but by the end of Trampoline I felt like I was going to float away in a little bubble of euphoria. 

 

Flamingods - 8/10
Jockstrap - 4/10
Once & Future Band - 8/10
Stella Donnely - 10/10
Jade Bird - 5/10
The Beths - 8/10
Bodega - 7/10 (docked a point for asking a festival if protests were going ahead to a crowd of people who couldn’t possibly say and the question sank there like the awkward turd it was.)
Mitski - 7/10
Parquet Courts - 8/10
Kelly Lee Owens - 9/10
Sweaty Palms - 6/10 (Fucking tired of every band like this having the same vocalist)
Squid - 10/10
KOKOKOKO! - 9/10
Gazelle Twin - 5/10
Kero Kero Bonito - 10/10
Sleaford Mods - 10/10
Pom Poko - 10/10
BCUC - 10/10
Cate Le Bon - 8/10
Deerhunter - 9/10
Metronomy - 10/10

Deerhunter were my biggest pleasant surprise as I was worried new material would feature heavily, but it was a greatest hits set and the most passionate vocal performance I've ever seen Bradford give

Edited September 2, 2019 by Yesiamaduck

[Yesiamaduck]

4 minutes ago, rararachel said:

Grown ups too, mind, not kids, not high, just really inconsiderate arrogant bores. 

This is actually bang on. I never find the 'kids', high or drunk people a problem. They usually recognize their place and are either in the thick of the action for loud bands or stand way back where chatting is more acceptable as you're kind of using the gig to soundtrack your party which is also fine. But the amount of times I here people prattling on about life for like 8 songs in a row and they're fully grown adults who are sober as anything blows my mind. At that point I just look at them with the 'da fuck is your excuse?' look and hope they stop.

[rararachel]

3 minutes ago, Jeel said:

Another good one, although it felt a bit low key in comparison to the last few.

Highlights: Low, Pottery, Squid, Viagra Boys, Stella Donnelly, the posh showers, the Raclette breakfast special

Lowlights: Chattering was bad early on but seemed to be less of an issue as the festival went on. Always annoying but happens at all gigs and festivals. Children running around every stage. There seems more each year and parents less inclined to actually give a shit about anyone but themselves. Highlights, baby crawling around the always dark Big Top and kids charging around in the dark during Metronomy. 

Also, people who sit in the most idiotic places. Like the front of the Tipi during a band and refuse to stand up. What is that all about?

Suggestions: The Bird on the Wire stuff is great but every year all you can hear in the background is the Cider Bus disco or another stage. Move that to the Talking Heads stage so artists can get the quiet their music deserves. Put me off seeing those solo acts. On a similar note, make better use of the Talking Heads stage and have things on there all day. 

Im wondering if they were trialling something with the talking heads this year and we might see more programming moved from Tipi to there in the future. It’s a gorgeous setting but seems things didn’t pan out all that well this year... 

Anyone know if either of the “secret sets” ended up taking place there? I think BRJ was meant to be one of them – Big Jeff was sure he was going to be there, but later said something about it being moved. Wonder why? I was there when the heavens opened on Saturday and got absolutely soaked, don’t think the ground/steepness would be great if if rained  consistently. 

I actually find the music the stalls play kind of irritating. You’ve just emerged from something transcendental and you’re smacked in the face with 9 to 5. Not a very fair gripe as so many people enjoy it, and it’s for the stall owners as much as anything, but god I loathe some of that music.

[The Nal]

Too early to digest (and Ive chicken nearly done in the oven) but another great year. 2nd EOTR and will be buying early birds tomorrow.

Will post some smart arse smarmy bollocks reviews tomorrow when my brain engages again.

[rararachel]

2 minutes ago, Yesiamaduck said:

This is actually bang on. I never find the 'kids', high or drunk people a problem. They usually recognize their place and are either in the thick of the action for loud bands or stand way back where chatting is more acceptable as you're kind of using the gig to soundtrack your party which is also fine. But the amount of times I here people prattling on about life for like 8 songs in a row and they're fully grown adults who are sober as anything blows my mind. At that point I just look at them with the 'da fuck is your excuse?' look and hope they stop.

It’s the people giving a totally banal BANTZ running commentary on the set that I can’t fathom. My absolute worst offenders this summer were two guys at Aldous Harding’s green man set — comparing her to Damon Gough / Badly Drawn Boy and listing out the similarities across two or three tracks. When one of them scoffed “huhuhurr and she’s not much of a looker either” I snapped (in a very nervous *intense stare* “what on earth, please be quiet” *walk away edgily* way). I’ll forever reserve a special hate for those two and all they represent! 

[Jeel]

5 minutes ago, rararachel said:

Im wondering if they were trialling something with the talking heads this year and we might see more programming moved from Tipi to there in the future. It’s a gorgeous setting but seems things didn’t pan out all that well this year... 

Anyone know if either of the “secret sets” ended up taking place there? I think BRJ was meant to be one of them – Big Jeff was sure he was going to be there, but later said something about it being moved. Wonder why? I was there when the heavens opened on Saturday and got absolutely soaked, don’t think the ground/steepness would be great if if rained  consistently. 

I actually find the music the stalls play kind of irritating. You’ve just emerged from something transcendental and you’re smacked in the face with 9 to 5. Not a very fair gripe as so many people enjoy it, and it’s for the stall owners as much as anything, but god I loathe some of that music.

I only made it there for Anna St Louis and it was trunk-sitting room only. I believe it was busier for Angelo de Augustine (but there was a crazy rumour doing the rounds that Stewart Lee was the surprise show there). I found it very odd that both secret sets were cancelled without much, if any, explanation. There were a lot of not officially playing musicians on site who would I'd guess be up for playing a few songs. 

[Jeel]

3 minutes ago, rararachel said:

It’s the people giving a totally banal BANTZ running commentary on the set that I can’t fathom. My absolute worst offenders this summer were two guys at Aldous Harding’s green man set — comparing her to Damon Gough / Badly Drawn Boy and listing out the similarities across two or three tracks. When one of them scoffed “huhuhurr and she’s not much of a looker either” I snapped (in a very nervous *intense stare* “what on earth, please be quiet” *walk away edgily* way). I’ll forever reserve a special hate for those two and all they represent! 

There were quite a few at the front this year. Even some on the barrier. Trying to impress each other with their knowledge of listening to 6Music. 

[Born in the fifties]

I think I've seen Parquet Courts 4 times previously, and they've alternated between good and bad. I certainly hadn't expected anything as ridiculously good as their Garden Stage set, particularly with the 2 stretched out numbers in the last half-hour of it.  I said afterwards that I'd be ecstatically happy if anyone could top that as my performance of the weekend, and The Murder Capital did it - an utterly stunning set. I've seen them a couple of times previously, but this was levels up again. The change in the sequence of the set list, and the way it built made a big difference, and the intensity of the whole set was something else.

[SweepingTheNation]

1 hour ago, Jeel said:

There were a lot of not officially playing musicians on site who would I'd guess be up for playing a few songs. 

That reminds me - I know the only official Sunday Best Fit piano stage sets were Martha and Squid, but there were three other people who got to use the amplified setup without introduction or being filmed. I now know one (with a keyboard) was one Martha Skye Murphy - former Nick Cave backing singer, apparently - but who were the American guy who did three songs right before Martha set up and the Scouser who was on the piano for ages? The impression seemed to be that they were someone notable.

[RustySpanner]

10 minutes ago, SweepingTheNation said:

That reminds me - I know the only official Sunday Best Fit piano stage sets were Martha and Squid, but there were three other people who got to use the amplified setup without introduction or being filmed. I now know one (with a keyboard) was one Martha Skye Murphy - former Nick Cave backing singer, apparently - but who were the American guy who did three songs right before Martha set up and the Scouser who was on the piano for ages? The impression seemed to be that they were someone notable.

Dan Lefkowitz (Futur Primitif) and Bill Ryder Jones.

[WM Hall]

6th EOTR. Very good fun but can't help but feel it's lost a bit of that which made it feel special - too many people, too many chatterers!!!

Highlights:

Kero Kero Bonito - God. Damn. Not had that much fun at a gig for years. Came out of it laughing with joy. The extremely friendly circle pit was the high point.

Parquet Courts - absolutely fantastic, high-energy with an elated crowd.

KOKOKO - Wicked, really really good. Hadn't heard even a full song of theirs beforehand, but loved it. Real Konono no.1 feel as someone said above.

Let's Eat Grandma - Was wondering how it'd work out on the Garden Stage, but loved their set. Lovely to see me pals killing it!

Jockstrap - Amazing band and a great set ruined slightly by fucking chatterers (more on that in a sec.)

Serpentwithfeet - Mesmerising and beautiful

Bodega - the Charmander to Parquet Courts' Charizard

Ata Kak - Scooby dooby dooby!!!

The drunken pummel horse competition in the woods on Friday night

How friendly 99% of the punters are - struck up so many lovely conversations with people over the weekend

Mega jenga

Garden stage silent disco

The rotisserie chicken place

Other good bits: Goat Girl, Martha Skye Murphy piano stage set, Jessica Pratt, Nov3l, Pom Poko, Mary Lattimore, Kelly Moran, Metronomy, Deerhunter...

Lowlights:

FUCKING CHATTERERS!!!!!!!!! So much more chatting during sets (particularly in Tipi) than any previous year. In the one instance I asked people to be quiet, they responded with "why don't you move" and got rude. Just fuck off to another festival you morons. There's so many times and places to talk at the festival - during the bands is not the time.

Martha - Hated what I could hear from the shower queue. And then it started raining. And then when finally I got into the shower there was a used tampon on the floor.

Serpentwithfeet only playing 30 minutes of his hour set. Felt like it could have been right up there with the sets of the weekend, but was far too short!

My radical manifesto for a new EOTR:

Scrap the Big Top (no one actually likes being in there) and reduce the festival capacity by, I dunno, 3000. Reduce ticket prices by £30-odd quid. Keep booking weirder and more diverse line-ups (as is the trajectory of the festival).

Edited September 2, 2019 by WM Hall

[Yesiamaduck]

I like the Big Top. It has the best sound. Scrap the Tipi Stage or replace it with something bigger/more spacious/airy. And is a good place for heavier/dancier acts to play during the day. I almost never go into the Tipi Stage because I always find it hideously overcrowded more often than not. 

[juliadevitt]

2 hours ago, Born in the fifties said:

I think I've seen Parquet Courts 4 times previously, and they've alternated between good and bad. I certainly hadn't expected anything as ridiculously good as their Garden Stage set, particularly with the 2 stretched out numbers in the last half-hour of it.  I said afterwards that I'd be ecstatically happy if anyone could top that as my performance of the weekend, and The Murder Capital did it - an utterly stunning set. I've seen them a couple of times previously, but this was levels up again. The change in the sequence of the set list, and the way it built made a big difference, and the intensity of the whole set was something else.

The Murder Capital’s performance blew everyone else out of the water for me.  Absolutely phenomenal. I love the album and have enjoyed some of their YouTube footage but the power and passion, style and performance of the live set were incredible last night. I missed the last 15 mins of Fontaines but it was more than worth it. I was on a high for the rest of the evening .

   

[SighMo]

15 minutes ago, juliadevitt said:

 I missed the last 15 mins of Fontaines but it was more than worth it. I was on a high for the rest of the evening .

   

Fontaines finished a bit early. A few of us ran straight over to the TeePee but were there in plenty of time. First time at Murder Capital for me and thought it was amazing. Got wiped out by the front man as he launched himself of the rail. 

[Fareham Grecian]

Overall, as good as ever. Highlights continue to be sound quality, range of artists, (generally) appreciative/respectful audiences, setting, food & drink. 

Musical highlights for me were Jarvis, Courtney, Pottery, Tyler Childers, Seazoo, Fontaines, Israel Nash, Harrison Whitford, Stella Donnelly, Kate Tempest. But so many other good things. The quality of performances this year was something else.

Minor gripes: more people. 14,000 this year. Not a huge issue but def felt busier. And...that’s it I think. I shall be furiously refreshing my browser (not a euphemism) from 11am tomorrow. 

[Fat_Buddha]

Had another hugely enjoyable weekend, my 12th and probably last EOTR.

Musical highlights include 

Flamingods

Spiritualized

Ohtis

Baxter Dury

Stella Donnelly

Cass McCombs

William Tyler

Tyler Childers

Lewsberg

Pom Poko

BCUC

BC Camplight

Kikogo Myu

Non musical highlights include

used Tangerine Fields as opposed to Honeybells for first time, much better value, f less room

posh showers much better than previous lot and very nice to have squeegee things

Thyme and Tide fish stall

book lovers

having a laugh with strangers

Lowlights include

Chatterers: far too many now, seemingly impossible to avoid at Garden Stage...not that easy to move and when you do, there’s always another one. Older blokes are worst culprits. There’s a regular group spend all afternoon at garden stage, having a right laugh, paying no attention to what is happening on stage. Not such an issue at Woods where there is more space to move away

piss poor information...no surprise shows at Talking Heads stage, huge, unexplained gap at Woods stage Sunday afternoon, and the stupidity of a surprise show on Sunday, just say who is playing, for God’s sake

more and more festie fans, as opposed to music lovers.

too 6music centric

Edited September 2, 2019 by Fat_Buddha