Random Glasto 2022 Observations

[mario man]

22 minutes ago, adequate8 said:

Anyone else go to faux real at crows nest last night? Incredible, seemed like entire crowd was made up of ppl in bands (wet leg, squid, hot chip, sorry, katy j pearson)

Not on site this year but I swear there’s always at least one member of Hot Chip in the Crows Nest whenever I’ve been there!

[Gashead86]

28 minutes ago, Joeski23 said:

Overselling and filling in areas with more dance stages is completely ruining the festival in my opinion, spent most of the weekend queuing for the toilet, bar or just trapped in a congested flow of people, I was planning on bringing my children 8 & 12 next time but there’s no way with this overcrowding and feel if more people start feeling like this it will start to lose its family vibe. I would rather pay more and them reduce the number back to more manageable amounts. 

Ah this is a real catch 22 isn’t it!

I haven’t been able to get tickets since 2017 and before 2017 hadn’t been successful for 3 years. So that’s one festival in the last 5, and I tried my ass off for all of them!!
So with that in mind I’m all for an increase in tickets! Hell, if they put attendance up 50% I’d be initially delighted at the increased odds of actually getting a tickets! 
BUT, the whole reason I love Glastonbury so much is because of the relaxed family vibe of the place. It has sounded to me like it lost a tiny bit of that feeling this year and I think that’s far sadder than not actually being there!

I guess the question is, how do they progress? I mean realistically they surely can’t squeeze many more people on to that farm anyway can they? So that in itself probably means we are already near max capacity. But it does sound like those extra 20k or so added this year have made a real difference and not in a good way. However, you can guarantee that demand will be just as high (if not more!!) for next year, so can they really afford to reduce the capacity back to what it was pre pandemic? 
 

I know this is more questions than answers, but that’s because I genuinely don’t know how they progress from here. Feels like the festival is at a real fork in the road as to its future. 

[DirtyLurker]

Yesterday was tough for me, we've all had that feeling, sometimes fleeting, sometimes for a few hours, where it's all a struggle, not quite feeling like you're "doing it properly", having waited so long almost anticlimactic BUT we went & podded in Caberet tent saw Reginald D Hunter and had a giggle.  Felt better.

 Think we are all a bit out if practice at dealing with such a huge volume of people, I went to a couple of small festivals last year but I kind of forgot just how many people 200k actually is.  The busy crowds are very courteous & friendly so I believe I feel anxious in the crowds due to my own coping rather than any issues with others - if that makes sense?

Today I plan to throw myself in a bit more with the festival, it may not happen, I may still just be floating about on the peripherals but I'm good with that, the small random stuff can be much more memorable.

 

[BBC7BBCHEAVEN]

1 hour ago, billum said:

I’ve seen more queue jumping / pushing in this year than ever before, wasn’t really ever a thing in my experience before this year

Stood behind an old man and woman last night absolutely berating the staff at the exit because they had to queue, disgusting to watch 

We were stood in line with a 5month old baby that was better behaved 

[henry bear]

Seems to be a large amount of people with babies/very young children in bulky prams/pushchairs. Each to their own and all that, but personally I always left mine with the grandparents until he was old enough to get something out of it.

[Gashead86]

1 minute ago, henry bear said:

Seems to be a large amount of people with babies/very young children in bulky prams/pushchairs. Each to their own and all that, but personally I always left mine with the grandparents until he was old enough to get something out of it.

Serious question, what age was that? 
I ask as having watched the bbc footage with my two year old last night and he loved it! Dancing around the front room like a lunatic! But I suspect the reality would be that he’s a little too young to actually go just yet… Even given the fact that he will of course be a other year older come the next festival.

[BBC7BBCHEAVEN]

1 hour ago, billum said:

I’ve seen more queue jumping / pushing in this year than ever before, wasn’t really ever a thing in my experience before this year

I queued up for one of the kikagaku moyo records after the show yesterday and I've never seen a display of more "non-glasto" behaviour than there. They asked for a queue and would sell in order yet loads of people kept trying to push through and crowd the tent

The flip side was how good those in the queue were defending those who were next and telling the jumpers to piss off. One guy also paid for a record for the girl in front of me who's card for declined, a total stranger, and that reaffirmed my belief that the majority here are good people 

 

[balti-pie]

2 minutes ago, henry bear said:

Seems to be a large amount of people with babies/very young children in bulky prams/pushchairs. Each to their own and all that, but personally I always left mine with the grandparents until he was old enough to get something out of it.

This has been a particularly strange time with the delay between getting tickets and actually getting to go - a fair few people I’m sure got tickets before actually having a kid, and then deciding whether to plough on regardless, or give up the ticket. I love seeing kids around the place, but when it’s rammed it does seem a bit scary for them. Kids running around t+c amazed at everything will never not be cool to see though. 

[MrBarry465]

4 minutes ago, henry bear said:

Seems to be a large amount of people with babies/very young children in bulky prams/pushchairs. Each to their own and all that, but personally I always left mine with the grandparents until he was old enough to get something out of it.

I don't really understand the appeal of bringing a child that young to a festival like Glastonbury.

[Zoo Music Girl]

22 minutes ago, DirtyLurker said:

Yesterday was tough for me, we've all had that feeling, sometimes fleeting, sometimes for a few hours, where it's all a struggle, not quite feeling like you're "doing it properly", having waited so long almost anticlimactic BUT we went & podded in Caberet tent saw Reginald D Hunter and had a giggle.  Felt better.

 Think we are all a bit out if practice at dealing with such a huge volume of people, I went to a couple of small festivals last year but I kind of forgot just how many people 200k actually is.  The busy crowds are very courteous & friendly so I believe I feel anxious in the crowds due to my own coping rather than any issues with others - if that makes sense?

Today I plan to throw myself in a bit more with the festival, it may not happen, I may still just be floating about on the peripherals but I'm good with that, the small random stuff can be much more memorable.

 

Absolutely relate to this. Not there this year but I have struggled from time to time with not thinking I'm doing it right or enjoying it enough. You're absolutely right that the smaller stages can be the best part. I intend to try to take it super easy next year and not rush from band to band, but we'll see if I actually manage it (and a ticket!).

[DirtyLurker]

4 minutes ago, Zoo Music Girl said:

Absolutely relate to this. Not there this year but I have struggled from time to time with not thinking I'm doing it right or enjoying it enough. You're absolutely right that the smaller stages can be the best part. I intend to try to take it super easy next year and not rush from band to band, but we'll see if I actually manage it (and a ticket!).

Good luck with tickets.  I missed out 19 & only got these in resale, the fomo is real!  That then I think has added to my need to enjoy it, I'd waited 5 long years be back here, why isn't it perfect.  

It was always going to be a different,  I buggared my knee a few weeks back & I have to keep reminding myself I'm lucky I'm not on crutches, I actually made it here and I can walk about, I just can't dance and I bloody love dancing.

Placed my envelope in the Burning Lotus on Thurs morn and I'll hopefully make it near to the Park around midnight to experience the communal remembrance & catharsis.❤

 

[Zoo Music Girl]

Just now, DirtyLurker said:

Good luck with tickets.  I missed out 19 & only got these in resale, the fomo is real!  That then I think has added to my need to enjoy it, I'd waited 5 long years be back here, why isn't it perfect.  

It was always going to be a different,  I buggared my knee a few weeks back & I have to keep reminding myself I'm lucky I'm not on crutches, I actually made it here and I can walk about, I just can't dance and I bloody love dancing.

Placed my envelope in the Burning Lotus on Thurs morn and I'll hopefully make it near to the Park around midnight to experience the communal remembrance & catharsis.❤

 

That sounds amazing. Enjoy! Sorry to hear about your knee, though.

I decided not to try the resale as just couldn't deal with waiting for so long and not knowing but I'll be there one way or another next year. Miss it so much! Have a fantastic last day.

[henry bear]

1 hour ago, Gashead86 said:

Serious question, what age was that? 
I ask as having watched the bbc footage with my two year old last night and he loved it! Dancing around the front room like a lunatic! But I suspect the reality would be that he’s a little too young to actually go just yet… Even given the fact that he will of course be a other year older come the next festival.

I think when he was aged 6. Everyone’s different of course, but it’s one thing having a toddler enjoying bouncing around to music at home, and another when it dawns on you that your evening’s entertainment is going to end at 8pm because little Jimmy is tired and ratty. I’d suggest taking them elsewhere to start. And imagine the effort of lugging around all their stuff, pushchairs etc, in the mud. 

[DDave]

2 hours ago, DirtyLurker said:

Yesterday was tough for me, we've all had that feeling, sometimes fleeting, sometimes for a few hours, where it's all a struggle, not quite feeling like you're "doing it properly", having waited so long almost anticlimactic BUT we went & podded in Caberet tent saw Reginald D Hunter and had a giggle.  Felt better.

 Think we are all a bit out if practice at dealing with such a huge volume of people, I went to a couple of small festivals last year but I kind of forgot just how many people 200k actually is.  The busy crowds are very courteous & friendly so I believe I feel anxious in the crowds due to my own coping rather than any issues with others - if that makes sense?

Today I plan to throw myself in a bit more with the festival, it may not happen, I may still just be floating about on the peripherals but I'm good with that, the small random stuff can be much more memorable.

 

Get stuck in and have fun mate. 

[Tranquility of Solitude]

Sea Girls are sooo good here 

[Toilet Duck]

2 hours ago, kalifire said:

I’ve queued too often armed only with a card to be told “the system is down” when I eventually get to the front. Cashless doesn’t work. 

Also, Lamb at Avalon were sensational last night! 

Avalon was lovely yesterday. Spent the early evening there with a couple of pitchers of Pimms in the warm sun, Tom Robinson and Johnny Cooper Clarke. Left to get ready for Macca, but could have stayed there all night. Glad Lamb were great, haven’t seen them in ages. 

[benali]

42 minutes ago, henry bear said:

I think when he was aged 6. Everyone’s different of course, but it’s one thing having a toddler enjoying bouncing around to music at home, and another when it dawns on you that your evening’s entertainment is going to end at 8pm because little Jimmy is tired and ratty. I’d suggest taking them elsewhere to start. And imagine the effort of lugging around all their stuff, pushchairs etc, in the mud. 

We've been taking our kids to festivals with us since they were 1, in fact out 16yo had his first birthday at EOTR.

It's easy when they are toddlers as you can lob them in the stroller and they'll fall asleep in it while you can carry on watching bands etc.

When they got a bit older it normally meant tag teaming it, and we'd take it in turns to go back to the tent after the headliner depending on who was on.

Now they are teenagers they often outlast us anyway!

They've grown up at festivals and wouldn't have it any other way. When we ask them if they'd rather go abroad or to festivals in the summer they say festivals every time.

[Messy]

I'm not there but I have an observation... How are you all getting internet access? I swear it's been a black hole Thursday until maybe late Sunday in the past. Is Wi-Fi widespread these days?

[BBC7BBCHEAVEN]

2 hours ago, henry bear said:

of it.

I've had my coffee now

Edited June 26, 2022 by BBC7BBCHEAVEN

[willgooneday]

31 minutes ago, Messy said:

I'm not there but I have an observation... How are you all getting internet access? I swear it's been a black hole Thursday until maybe late Sunday in the past. Is Wi-Fi widespread these days?

Maybe a 5G mast went up during Covid like in most areas? 

[Suprefan]

First delay in scheduling Ive had this weekend. Nightmares on Wax at least gonnna be 15 mins late and wonder if they cut them off or let it push everything else that follows.

Edited June 26, 2022 by Suprefan

[kalifire]

2 minutes ago, Suprefan said:

First delay in scheduling Ive had this weekend. Nightmares on Wax at least gonnna be 15 mins late and wonder if they cut them off or let it push everything else that follows.

They’ve been huddled on stage for about seven minutes of that. Wondering what’s up…

[Suprefan]

7 minutes ago, kalifire said:

They’ve been huddled on stage for about seven minutes of that. Wondering what’s up…

I saw them trying to fix an issue with a string player but that was 10 mins ago. This is not gonna be that good for 30 mins.

[majormajormajor]

2 hours ago, benali said:

We've been taking our kids to festivals with us since they were 1, in fact out 16yo had his first birthday at EOTR.

It's easy when they are toddlers as you can lob them in the stroller and they'll fall asleep in it while you can carry on watching bands etc.

When they got a bit older it normally meant tag teaming it, and we'd take it in turns to go back to the tent after the headliner depending on who was on.

Now they are teenagers they often outlast us anyway!

They've grown up at festivals and wouldn't have it any other way. When we ask them if they'd rather go abroad or to festivals in the summer they say festivals every time.

Love it. Our first was born two days ago (gave up our tickets this year, obviously - wasn't easy though). So she'll have her birthday at Glastonbury every year.

I am thinking we'll be there with her next year. Start 'em young. 

[Pinhead]

Standing next to Emily at Diana! Quite far back tbh - thought she of all peeps would have got closer...