2019 Predictions

[SmithOperator]

4 hours ago, Declan said:

Oh and thanks for the updates on the what's app group.

How do I get onto that for next year?  I heard rumours of a magical WhatsApp group over the weekend.  I want in on that magic.

[goldengirl]

Had a great time, albeit a more chilled out one than previous years.

Highlights were...

Deerhunter -  I've wanted to see them live for years and they definitely delivered. 

Mitski - A captivating performance, I didn't know there would be interpretive table dancing :')

Bodega - great energy, we fell in love with the drummer.

Parquet courts - wasn't sure what to expect as I had heard mixed reviews but the garden stage worked it's magic. I found the HoneyHahs a bit awkward, but they seemed to enjoy themselves and they're just kids.

We partook in the arts and crafts this year and enjoyed making a group flag along with some other bits and bobs.

The silent disco and karaoke were good for some late night singalongs.

Letdowns were...

Too many kids... It's a music festival not a village fete? Being woken up by the cries of a newborn at 6am (I think maybe the boutique camping needs it's own family camping area), and seeing kids running around seemingly unsupervised and headphoneless is not ideal.

Chair dwellers and chit-chatting during the bands. 

I would rather do away with secret sets and just know who is playing in advance...

Still the best festival out there though 

[benali]

41 minutes ago, SmithOperator said:

How do I get onto that for next year?  I heard rumours of a magical WhatsApp group over the weekend.  I want in on that magic.

It was set up by someone here who messaged the link. Was unbelievably useful for secret sets although if you weren't in it the best way to find out was to either have a look outside the press area or just ask Big Jeff. 

[benali]

I still can't get over how good Low were. That's right up there with my favourite EOTR sets. 

Personally I think they got the mix of music spot on this year. Having been to a lot of the early festivals I sometimes got bored with the lack of alternatives to singer songwriters and Americana. It's not that I didn't like it, just that at times I wanted to hear someone use a distortion pedal or bash out some electronic beats. 

Looking at our term dates for next year I imagine a lot of schools will be on Inset days beforehand. In that case there might well be an even larger exodus on Sunday evening. The main problem will be for teachers who will have to work on the first 2 days of the festival and again on Monday when most schools will go back.

[Yoss]

8 hours ago, WM Hall said:

Hang on, did people seriously have a problem with the Honey Hahs making an appearance during Parquet Courts' set...!? That song ('Death Will Bring Change') has a children's choir on the studio recording, and the one previous time they've played it live they've brought children along to sing with them. This was the second time they've played it live, so they brought their label mates (and former EOTR performers) along with them... It was a sweet addition and contributed nicely to an amazing set. Wtf is wrong with people that they're upset/complaining/irritated about it!? In what way could it be considered "borderline disturbing" or "beyond awful"?

Yeah fair enough. Just to clarify though, it was the Honey Hahs themselves as an act that I was slagging, rather than specifically the appearance here.

Though as it goes, I didn't think it worked. I get why they did it - it's an important song to Austin, about the death of his sister, and they don't get to perform it often, I can see why taking the opportunity to do so might have seemed a good idea. As I say, didn't think it worked, but it didn't particularly detract from a mostly great set.

[SighMo]

3 hours ago, Muddy Holly said:

 

Non-music highlights - the new showers in Tangerine Fields, hearing a macaw ? (one year I’ll actually see one)

 

I saw two parrots fly right over the top of the Garden Stage. Can’t remember  who was playing but I looked at a lady stood next to me, then at my pint and we both whispered ‘parrots?’ at the same time ? 

[Vamagus]

Yes saw the two parrots in the tree by the entrance to the garden stage. 

[TheMerryPig]

My thoughts:

 

Absolute standouts were:

Low – mesmerising and I’ve no idea where the time went

The Murder Capital – third time I’ve seen them and best yet

Other highlights were:

Pottery – excellent, one to watch as long as the manic drummer stays healthy!!

Harrison Whitford – find of the festival for me

Michael K – a perfect headliner

Stella Donnelly – even better than last year

Squid – engaging and interesting

Kate Tempest – I’ve already bought tickets to see her again

Pom Poko – fun

Martha Skye Murphy – a chance find on the piano stage, haunting

Tunng – shouldn’t work but it really does

Angelo de Augustine – competing for the Shy and Awkward prize but beautiful sound

Honourable mentions for Martha, The Beths & Israel Nash who are all fun acts I’ve seen before and would again.

Anyone else catch Yves Tumor? Compelling enough that I’d gladly watch again, but I can’t rationalise why given that it basically just a loud recording with some heavy echoed, live voice on top.

 

On stages:

I love the Garden Stage when everyone is standing, hate it when it’s full of blankets/chairs. I get chilling in the sun, and I don’t mind a few chairs – fine at the back of Woods etc. But if you just want to chatter (or read as oddly some were!) with some music in the background, it’s bloody inconsiderate to form an impenetrable barrier for people who actually want to get close enough to listen.

I also love the Big Top. I think it is a real asset to have a stage that is such a contrast to the others and some things work perfectly in there (e.g. Pond, Idles, Squid)

I thought the Talking Heads stage worked real well for a quiet act like Angelo de Augustine

[Declan]

5 hours ago, IBee said:

I found this time at the Garden stage going in from the left as you look at it worked for me- bit of a trek but didn't ever have a problem getting a good spot.

I bought a coffee as Jarvis started, tiptoed through the crowd on the left stage and ended up on the barrier.

[Declan]

3 hours ago, SmithOperator said:

How do I get onto that for next year?  I heard rumours of a magical WhatsApp group over the weekend.  I want in on that magic.

It was a link in this thread.

 

[RustySpanner]

1 hour ago, SighMo said:

I saw two parrots fly right over the top of the Garden Stage. Can’t remember  who was playing but I looked at a lady stood next to me, then at my pint and we both whispered ‘parrots?’ at the same time ? 

I’m pretty certain the parrot fly past was during Mitski.

[RobEggleshaw]

Too many kids???? Wtaf? Just when i thought the moaning had covered just about everything, somebody drops that?? 

[Vamagus]

2 minutes ago, RobEggleshaw said:

Too many kids???? Wtaf? Just when i thought the moaning had covered just about everything, somebody drops that?? 

To be honest I’d usually be first in the queue to complain about the kids but actually we thought the EOTR kids this year were some of the nicest we’ve seen at a festival in years and we kind of liked having them around (must be unwell ?)

One thing I would criticise are the dads who took fairly young kids into mosh pits on their shoulders. Clearly it’s up to them if they want to drop their kid or risk them getting a boot in the head but have they considered they might be spoiling it for everyone else given that I suspect most people in a mosh who spotted a kid would hold back for these very reasons. 

[ljsawyer]

36 minutes ago, RobEggleshaw said:

Too many kids???? Wtaf? Just when i thought the moaning had covered just about everything, somebody drops that?? 

This. I saw so many kids over the weekend rocking out, having a great time and not being a nuisance to anyone. I also think it's great that parents are taking it upon themselves to expose their children to all the great music the festival puts on. A band like Squid might not even exist had they not attended EOTR together as kids.

Edited September 3, 2019 by ljsawyer

[WM Hall]

41 minutes ago, RobEggleshaw said:

Too many kids???? Wtaf? Just when i thought the moaning had covered just about everything, somebody drops that?? 

In as uncreepy a way as possible, the kids are always one of the best parts of EOTR - for the most part kids under 11 are impeccably behaved and respectful. I loved seeing small children rocking out to Let's Eat Grandma and Kokoko. Saw a child do some fantastic dancing to Jade Bird (who I couldn't stand, but hey, at least the kid could!!).  The biggest nobs at the festival tend to be drunken 30 somethings

[Sean1234321]

39 minutes ago, Vamagus said:

One thing I would criticise are the dads who took fairly young kids into mosh pits on their shoulders. Clearly it’s up to them if they want to drop their kid or risk them getting a boot in the head but have they considered they might be spoiling it for everyone else given that I suspect most people in a mosh who spotted a kid would hold back for these very reasons. 

Yes, it's a really stupid thing to do...but it's most likely a heat of the moment decision and if the kids are ok then fair enough in my book.

I think it was during Viagra Boys that I saw a boy on his dad's shoulders pointing at the pit..the dad then moved in and someone launched a beer in to the air and the kid got drenched

It was all good fun though...I doubt mum was very impressed however.

[SighMo]

There was no way the dad with the lad on his shoulders at Viagra Boys was going down; steady as a rock. I told him his lad would be carrying him one day?.  Saw the same guy in the Fat Whites pit with the lad last year. All added to the fun. 

Edited September 3, 2019 by SighMo
Typo

[Sean1234321]

Yeah I remember seeing a similar thing at a couple of bands last year and wondered if it was the same people.

[Jeel]

1 hour ago, RobEggleshaw said:

Too many kids???? Wtaf? Just when i thought the moaning had covered just about everything, somebody drops that?? 

More like too many irresponsible parents. The front of stages should not be playgrounds. Too many seem to view the festival as one big family holiday where they can get drunk and watch a band whilst their kids go off somewhere and play. Or how about using the area at the top of the main stage as a cricket pitch and then looking upset when a thousand or so people walk through. The site is small. Things like the organised rounders games are ok but having said that you could hear it in the Tipi over some performers. 

There were quite a lot of young children without ear protectors, which I find highly problematic.

The kids themselves are impeccably behaved, relatively speaking, but at the end of the day they're kids who will scream, shout and charge about. 

[jamesrain]

I had a wierd situation Sunday night, watched bcuc in the tipi tent, last secret set so must have been around 2.30 when it finished and was going back to my tent with my other half up in the family field, when we could hear a todler crying,  nothing unusual about that but as we got close to the tent, I could hear a women talking to the child on the outside asking if their mummy or daddy was there.

The todler was pretty distressed, we shouted from the outside for a few minutes, trying to get the attention of the parents but nothing, so after a quick chat on what to do next and my other half saying we should get a steward, the women decided to go into the tent and I backed her up, thankfully after the women unzipped the tent and started to comfort the child the dad who was sleeping next to her started to wake up, bit of a crazy situation to end the weekend standing in someone else tent at 2.45 in the morning.

While I'm stood in this tent thinking what the feck is going on here, the women in the tent next to this one made an appearance and was telling my other half that the crying had been going on for 45 minutes with no movement from anyone, she seemed pretty stressed by the situation. Anyway it all turned out okay in the end apart from all the families woken for 45 minutes.

 

Edited September 3, 2019 by jamesrain

[RobEggleshaw]

9 hours ago, Jeel said:

More like too many irresponsible parents. The front of stages should not be playgrounds. Too many seem to view the festival as one big family holiday where they can get drunk and watch a band whilst their kids go off somewhere and play. Or how about using the area at the top of the main stage as a cricket pitch and then looking upset when a thousand or so people walk through. The site is small. Things like the organised rounders games are ok but having said that you could hear it in the Tipi over some performers. 

There were quite a lot of young children without ear protectors, which I find highly problematic.

The kids themselves are impeccably behaved, relatively speaking, but at the end of the day they're kids who will scream, shout and charge about. 

I was there for a bit of one of the games at the top of the woods stage so from the other perspective:

that game of cricket* was hilarious; there were about 40 fielders round the bat at one point, some great chirp going on for both batsman and bowler. A couple of catches went down which built to the atmosphere and when the lad was finally caught close in, the field erupted into a huge (for a cricket game)mosh pit, pogoing and hugging and cheering. Those memories will be spoken of for years, long after you have stopped tutting at it ?

Moaning about how other people enjoy festivals is, i fear, symptomatic of how intolerant we have become as a society. We are too quick to pass judgement from.our own points of views. To bash people for being in the insta crowd for instance when we've facilitated that environment for our youngsters is frankly, fucking ridiculous. That is youth culture, we have allowed big tech to run our world, now our younger generations have been brought up in it - don't then have a pop at them for conforming with it's pressures.

 

*I'd also like to add how heartened I was by how much cricket i saw being played around the place. Clearly the WC and Ashes have been having an effect.?

[psbros]

Another great year. Didn’t know as many acts going into it as in previous years, but highlights for me were - 

Jessica Pratt - missed her a few years ago and love her albums. Mesmerising on the garden stage in the hot sun. 

TVAM - heard they were great at Green Man. Loved their sound, would see them again for sure.

Angelo de Augustine - beautiful set on talking heads stage. Felt that venue really worked for him.

Low - more apocalyptic than when I’ve seen them before...what about that 5 minute wall of sound?! Was like a jet taking off but in a good way.

Bodega - much better live than I thought they would be, totally commanded the Woods stage.

Spiritualized - stunning set, even without some of their better known tracks.

Sam Evian and Hannah Cohen at piano stage / tipi - still think Americana just suits the place ... it’s in DNA of the festival.

Kelly Lee Owens - right at the front for that. Even better than previous EOTR set. A triumph.

Stella Donnelly - totally engaging, got a great reception.

Pottery - wow, what a live act for kickstarting festival.

Metronomy - did everything they could on a chilly Sunday night. Loved the way they all introduced themselves at beginning of set - made them instantly likeable. 

Only a few gripes -

Chatterers - as others have said, most are middle aged men like me who seem disappointed that they are not watching The Fall or The Clash but are stuck watching Low or Mitski. Just move then, rather than banging on about how crap you think the act is.

Some of the food - spectacular mark ups. Weirdly under - spiced and inauthentic. Bored by a lot of it now, but the vegetarian Mexican place was v v good.

The comedy ‘Oi!’ band in tipi early on Sun morning...I get they are a comedy act but their sound really polluted the fields around them and when out of context was a bit intimidating...especially in our current political climate. Or maybe it’s just me. 

Altogether brilliant festival though ...

Roll on next year!

 

 

[Declan]

Didn't mind the cricket although the Dad bowling a bouncer at a 10 year old was a bit OTT. 

The only kids problem I had was that they were a bit too well behaved, I prefer the more rambunctious Green Man kids. 

[benali]

The kids are the future of the festival. Our eldest was at the first EOTR on his first birthday and is now down the front in the mosh pit. 

[riverlodge]

2 hours ago, Declan said:

Didn't mind the cricket although the Dad bowling a bouncer at a 10 year old was a bit OTT. 

haha that made me laugh - competitive Dad is alive and well obviously