Bearded Theory 2023

[Rumblestripe]

What a great festival. Great music, reasonably priced food and booze and I didn't see a single "mardy bum" all weekend.

Add to that spotless toilets and free showers (though as we were in Oaklands we had a bit of a walk to get to them). And not a drop of rain AFAIK?

Some very very minor gripes

1. Sound bleed from "Big Ed" into the right side of Maui Waui

2. Sound mix a little variable in Meadows

3. Festival taking 25% of merch takings, so many artists had decided no to bother (I would have loved an "Oh My God, it's..." t-shirt.)

Musical highlight for me Rumba De Bodas on Maui Waui exactly what I wanted when I wanted it, whole tent dancing to (how to describe it) Balkan Folk x Afro Beats x Reggae x ++. Sensational.

[Gnomicide]

Superb weekend, they absolutely smashed it. The addition of the new stage was a master stroke, the toilets were incredibly clean, the weather as as perfect as you could ask for, every act we saw put on a great show. Apart from the car park (bang on 3 hours to get out!), it was the perfect weekend.

 

[On The Blend]

Post game thoughts from a first timer:

The good:

• It was twice the bloody size I was expecting, there’s an entire fairground in the middle of it. Also it’s hard to imagine it without the tent, definitely seems like a good idea to me.
• Cracking act variety, cracking stage variety. The Woodland in particular was fantastic, gorgeous space, good music, bar and loos adjacent, what more could you possibly want? 
• Skindred, Pet Needs, Flogging Molly, Gogol all great, but I have to give the top spot to Snayks on the Woodland stage. I went from having never even listened to them before the fest to going all out at 3pm on a Sunday. Talk about stage presence. Would call it flawless if it weren’t for him accidentally giving that kid a bit of a clobber.
• The glorious sun.
• The fabulous bonhomie of the chap working in the coffee place in Catton camping.
• The accessibility, loved how everyone could get to everything, someone in a wheelchair was even lifted up at Millie Manders and the Shutup, great stuff.

The bad:

• Signage: I know they sell programs for a tenner a pop but would it really kill the sales to whack a big map by the entrance of the arena for us newbies? I didn’t see any signs for the water points, toilets or rubbish zone. Get a big balloon with a water droplet on it and stick it on a long string by the stuff so people can find the stuff and use the stuff.
• The cold, the terrible cold.
• The ‘recycling’: there’s no way in hell that 70% of that filthy mixed mound is getting recycled. In my field there was literally one wheelie bin for cans and it was full Friday morning. This crowd seem just the kind of lovely folks that would definitely sort their rubbish if there were decent bins for it.
• Stick some planks under the water points please and thank you.

Will definitely be back, thought the vibe was spot on and whoever does the booking knows what they’re talking about.

Edited May 29, 2023 by On The Blend

[Digi]

First timer here and absolutely loved it. Its been a sh*t 12 months. My mum died just before Glastonbury last year then we didn't get tickets in November. We had just bought Bearded tickets and a couple of weeks later my dad was diagnosed with stage 4 throat cancer. As an only child, I took a career break and have spent the last few months living with him to get him through treatment. Up until a fortnight before, I was having to tube feed him so wasn't sure we would get there

Dad is doing great, and I'm so thankful for getting to spend a few days in a field where I could just breathe again. I've been to a fair few gigs and festivals over the years but I'm certain that was the best organised. We never encountered any queues, any litter or any knobheads. The line-up was great but what made it even better was the demographic. 

We actually came away feeling OK about a lack of Glastonbury tickets which I never thought I'd say. It might be post-festival euphoria, and just gratitude for getting to do what I love after having to cancel so many plans recently, but I genuinely think I enjoyed it more than I have done Glastonbury which can be really bloody hard work 

[Pinhead]

I understand as my Mum is final stage heart failure. I am her primary carer so spent sometime over the festi checking up on her condition.

Anyways, the cold overnight is frankly not a BT problem - its always been that way and damp due to the nearby river.

Sound on Meadow was poor granted - crap lo fi bass and distortion. Sort it.

No locals wristbands so dont know who these daytrippers were - maybe peeps with enough cash to buy a full tix and just turn up for the band they desparately want to see.

[Paul ™]

11 hours ago, Nobody Interesting said:

Are there 'locals' Sunday tickets or something?

Nope, no day tickets at all.

9 hours ago, ciderbus said:

Saw a few bits online about long queues to get off the car parks today. Hope it was sorted.

A campervan broke down at the exit, along with some selfish people pulling out the queue and driving across the field to get to the exit gate.

[bexj]

I was working on the ped gate on Sunday, there are a few locals day tickets and guest tickets, all approved by the Gate Manager.  

 

[Nobody Interesting]

12 hours ago, Rumblestripe said:

1. Sound bleed from "Big Ed" into the right side of Maui Waui

3. Festival taking 25% of merch takings, so many artists had decided no to bother (I would have loved an "Oh My God, it's..." t-shirt.)

Musical highlight for me Rumba De Bodas on Maui Waui exactly what I wanted when I wanted it, whole tent dancing to (how to describe it) Balkan Folk x Afro Beats x Reggae x ++. Sensational.

Pirate Ship always had the same sound leak there but it was ever so slightly  mitigated by the loos that used to be between Maui and Convoy.

and the 25% was plus VAT which if you are not VAT registered makes it 30% commission.

Rumba De Bodas were superb.

11 hours ago, On The Blend said:

• The cold, the terrible cold.
• The ‘recycling’: there’s no way in hell that 70% of that filthy mixed mound is getting recycled. In my field there was literally one wheelie bin for cans and it was full Friday morning. This crowd seem just the kind of lovely folks that would definitely sort their rubbish if there were decent bins for it.
• Stick some planks under the water points please and thank you.

This was the coldest yet - next year we will probably all bake in a mini heatwave.

70% is sorted and recycled. It is all sorted offsite in proper recycling sorting centres.

Seen planks tried elsewhere, all that happens is when you stand on them you get splashed with mud.

11 hours ago, Digi said:

We actually came away feeling OK about a lack of Glastonbury tickets which I never thought I'd say. 

You are not the only ones who have found this - us and many others used to go to GF, and now don't. BT is GF in a small beautifully shaped package.

9 hours ago, Pinhead said:

No locals wristbands so dont know who these daytrippers were - maybe peeps with enough cash to buy a full tix and just turn up for the band they desparately want to see.

Bonkers if true

2 hours ago, bexj said:

I was working on the ped gate on Sunday, there are a few locals day tickets and guest tickets, all approved by the Gate Manager.  

 

Seems there may have been some then - it was the first time we had seen so many 'new' cars moved to near wristband exchange with clean looking people getting out of them.

[Flaminglippy]

Surprised there were issues getting out...we were still in bed in the tent at 7.30am and home by 9.05am. Very lucky to get a parking space right next to the entrance this year, last year we were parked in a field over the road and was absolutely knackered by the time we got there.

Too early for predictions for next year? Think we will get some of the 'standard' James, Charlatans, Levs. Would Pulp be too much to ask for? Franz Ferdinand? Whilst I love my indie but hope we get at least one headliner who is a different genre. If they were taking notice of the band t shirts this year think Idles would be very popular (first time I can remember seeing more t shirts other than NMA). Smaller bands would love to see Deadletter there, fantastic live band. Benefits again. 

Edited May 30, 2023 by Flaminglippy

[bexj]

41 minutes ago, Nobody Interesting said:

 

Seems there may have been some then - it was the first time we had seen so many 'new' cars moved to near wristband exchange with clean looking people getting out of them.

There was also quite few people nipping out on Sunday morning to feed the cat, have a shower and be back in time for the music starting!

[On The Blend]

57 minutes ago, Nobody Interesting said:

70% is sorted and recycled. It is all sorted offsite in proper recycling sorting centres.

Seen planks tried elsewhere, all that happens is when you stand on them you get splashed with mud.

 

I mean, but is it though? I know it said that in the program but most of what I saw was a mixed mound of crap and call me a bitter old cynic, but companies don’t painstakingly pick through and clean each piece before recycling it, it just gets dumped.

And if not planks then a pallet, or wood chips, or sand. I think we can agree, regardless of solution, that increasingly large muddy puddle is not the optimal approach.

[Tumph]

It was great this year - almost all the gripes from last year were sorted out and we had a fab weekend. 

Personal highlights

- Interpol - completely understand they are not for everybody but I LOVE them and they were on top form.

- the Go! team - didnt know what to expect and was blown away

- Anna Calvi - what a voice !!

- Coffee stand on the way to the woodland - top class 🙂

learning point - reminder to self  - remember how pissed off you got at primal scream and don't bother with them again 😞

[Rumblestripe]

28 minutes ago, Tumph said:

learning point - reminder to self  - remember how pissed off you got at primal scream and don't bother with them again

Ah now I enjoyed Primal Scream, I thought it was a well constructed set. I get that Mr. Gillespie is not so much "charismatic" as "anti-charismatic" but that five piece choir gave so  much punch to the vocals. The only problem I got was when I tried to sing along I sounded like an asthmatic toad with a sore throat in comparison to the exquisite noise produced by the choir!

[On The Blend]

57 minutes ago, Nobody Interesting said:

70% is sorted and recycled. It is all sorted offsite in proper recycling sorting centres.

Seen planks tried elsewhere, all that happens is when you stand on them you get splashed with mud.

 

I mean, but is it though? I know it said that in the program but most of what I saw was a mixed mound of crap and call me a bitter old cynic, but companies don’t painstakingly pick through and clean each piece before recycling it, it just gets dumped.

And if not planks then a pallet, or wood chips, or sand. I think we can agree, regardless of solution, that increasingly large muddy puddle is not the optimal approach.

[Nobody Interesting]

1 hour ago, On The Blend said:

I mean, but is it though? I know it said that in the program but most of what I saw was a mixed mound of crap and call me a bitter old cynic, but companies don’t painstakingly pick through and clean each piece before recycling it, it just gets dumped.

And if not planks then a pallet, or wood chips, or sand. I think we can agree, regardless of solution, that increasingly large muddy puddle is not the optimal approach.

Yes it is and has been every year regardless of how it is left in piles. All the piles do is make it cost more to sort, but it does get sorted.

and yes agree large puddles are crap - but that is pretty much down to the users who think washing their hair under them or brushing teeth while leaving taps running is fine. As someone who has been to heaps of different festivals this is a problem everywhere and despite many efforts not one I have yet to see sorted succesfully.

[Skelts]

1 hour ago, Flaminglippy said:

If they were taking notice of the band t shirts this year think Idles would be very popular

I saw quite a few too, mine included. Did you see Pigs x7? I got taken along by friends, never heard of them before. It was like watching Joe Talbot’s twin brother. 

[Digi]

2 hours ago, Nobody Interesting said:

 

You are not the only ones who have found this - us and many others used to go to GF, and now don't. BT is GF in a small beautifully shaped package

This was pretty much exactly the conversation our group all had. It was like they had taken all of the things we love so much about Glastonbury, left out the bits we hate and put them all in a field and made it manageable. 

We absolutely loved the vibe. My friend was incredulous when I told her that, at nearly 50, I have NEVER dressed up in fancy dress. It's just never really appealed for whatever reason. We are already planning our outfits for next year. We had serious fancy dress envy on Sunday 

Edited May 30, 2023 by Digi

[Digi]

2 hours ago, Flaminglippy said:

If they were taking notice of the band t shirts this year think Idles would be very popular (first time I can remember seeing more t shirts other than NMA). 

If we are going by band t shirts, Ferocious D will be on every stage in every slot! 🤣

[On The Blend]

40 minutes ago, Digi said:

If we are going by band t shirts, Ferocious D will be on every stage in every slot! 🤣

I am glad someone else noticed the Ferocious Dog merch bonanza. There were so many I was sure they must be plying and I’d missed them on the line-up

[Pinhead]

On day tickets - in the past when on the gates I've had to call it in where someone turns up and says they have been invitied by the organisers and when it hasn't been a blag, it turns out that the previous team would often invite their mates etc. and not tell anyone, especially Oxfam, who these were. However a list used to be maintained by Event Control of the known ones, and once verified against that we'd walk them through to accreditation and they'd get a standard wristband for the day. Now its owned by a different ents organisation, I'd have thought that this would likely have reduced / stoped altogether as it gets a bit fuzzy to police.

 

Agree about the signage as well. Tho the stewards will always aim to help you all find things, there was very little in the way of signposts and stuff around the site. This should be improved.

Water points with sinks - I discovered that these all drain out the back onto the ground (well at least the ones I looked at anyway), which is quite suspect really as I always thought waste water couldn't just be allowed to drain to the land. Hence the puddles around the taps!

[Johnnyseven]

Something that annoyed me about this year. I paid x much for a ticket but then have to pay extra to find out when bands/artists we all paid to see are playing. In the past they've put a board up outside each stage saying who is playing each day and when. I'd rather they just put an extra fiver on the ticket and gave the set times out for free.

[Pinhead]

They should hand out a card with them on really or publish them online in a simple form. That said, anyone can use the clashfinder which was really pretty accurate against the official lanyard times I thought this year. They should also do what G does and show whats on between acts on the stage on the screen at the back.

[Nobody Interesting]

1 hour ago, Johnnyseven said:

Something that annoyed me about this year. I paid x much for a ticket but then have to pay extra to find out when bands/artists we all paid to see are playing. In the past they've put a board up outside each stage saying who is playing each day and when. I'd rather they just put an extra fiver on the ticket and gave the set times out for free.

We have been going to Bearded since 2015 and in that time you have always had to buy a programme for set times. The only venue with a board in the Something Else Tea Tent, always has been that way.
Maybe you are thinking of another festival or I am festival blind and have never seen these boards.

There is always Clashfinder - estimates/logic andf leaks which is free unless you donate to the site.

A £5 on every ticket means a group of 8 who share a programme between them |(taking pics) pays 8 times rather than 1.

[Nobody Interesting]

50 minutes ago, Pinhead said:

They should hand out a card with them on really or publish them online in a simple form. That said, anyone can use the clashfinder which was really pretty accurate against the official lanyard times I thought this year. They should also do what G does and show whats on between acts on the stage on the screen at the back.

Clashfinder has always been best guesses until last year when I got a leak of the actual set times so it was spot on.

This year, bar any typos from me and things that were wrong in the Lanyard (such as DJ from London) it was correct as I had the information - the only thing I did not add was Big Ed as I did not want to spoil the well kept secret.

Next year clashfinder will use this year as the base for guesses until I, hopefully, get the info again.

[Johnnyseven]

15 minutes ago, Nobody Interesting said:

We have been going to Bearded since 2015 and in that time you have always had to buy a programme for set times. The only venue with a board in the Something Else Tea Tent, always has been that way.
Maybe you are thinking of another festival or I am festival blind and have never seen these boards.

There is always Clashfinder - estimates/logic andf leaks which is free unless you donate to the site.

A £5 on every ticket means a group of 8 who share a programme between them |(taking pics) pays 8 times rather than 1.

I've only been to Bearded and Glastonbury since I started going to Bearded in 2019 so it's definitely not another festival i'm thinking of. I'm 95% sure Magical Sounds had something up on the doors to the tent showing set times in the past and i've never bought a programme (until this year) yet i've somehow known what times people were on so was sure it was posted up somewhere in past festivals.

If not £5 per ticket they should just work out the number of programmes/lanyards sold and divide it by the number of tickets and add that onto the ticket price. They seem to have loads left on Saturday/Sunday so it would reduce waste too. I heard someone arguing with a seller on Saturday that as a day had already passed they should get it for a reduced price.