Cost of Living and Glastonbury

[balti-pie]

8 minutes ago, Sorcha17 said:

Fellow old firm hater here - Ross County all the way 

Dingwall is a hell of a drive from Pilton! Been quietly considering moving up to the highlands for a couple of years, and I think I’d like the drive to Glastonbury as long as I’ve enough time to do it quite leisurely. No overnight craziness for me . . . Nice little stop somewhere in the north of England, a lot of good playlists, and a fuckton of sandwiches and sweets. Road trip 👌

[Sorcha17]

1 minute ago, balti-pie said:

Dingwall is a hell of a drive from Pilton! Been quietly considering moving up to the highlands for a couple of years, and I think I’d like the drive to Glastonbury as long as I’ve enough time to do it quite leisurely. No overnight craziness for me . . . Nice little stop somewhere in the north of England, a lot of good playlists, and a fuckton of sandwiches and sweets. Road trip 👌

I'm based in Edinburgh now, but my first Glasto in 2010 we took the train from Inverness to London and then the coach to the farm! The Monday back is potentially the worst trip I've ever made.

[Ayrshire Chris]

9 minutes ago, balti-pie said:

Dingwall is a hell of a drive from Pilton! Been quietly considering moving up to the highlands for a couple of years, and I think I’d like the drive to Glastonbury as long as I’ve enough time to do it quite leisurely. No overnight craziness for me . . . Nice little stop somewhere in the north of England, a lot of good playlists, and a fuckton of sandwiches and sweets. Road trip 👌

We Drive down from Ayrshire, stop at Tebay services for a meal , the best on the M6, drive on to Hilton park services for an overnight stop in travelodge, up early and three hours drive to Glastonbury. That’s the way we’ve always done it whether holiday in the town or the festival. Nice and leisurely. Dingwall is however a helluva drive, did it once for a footy game😉

[sauceageroll]

6 minutes ago, Ayrshire Chris said:

We Drive down from Ayrshire, stop at Tebay services for a meal , the best on the M6, drive on to Hilton park services for an overnight stop in travelodge, up early and three hours drive to Glastonbury. That’s the way we’ve always done it whether holiday in the town or the festival. Nice and leisurely. Dingwall is however a helluva drive, did it once for a footy game😉

I’ve a feeling that the drive back from Dingwall to Fife will seem like a short jaunt in comparison to the coach home to Edinburgh come the Monday 

[Nice hymer]

On 11/23/2022 at 4:08 PM, MrHew said:

I didn't start going until the mid 90s but even then it seemed more edgy and you'd have know idea what/who you'd find round the next corner. 

You mentioned elsewhere the DIY thing and that's also missing these days. People seemed far more willing to create entertainment collaboratively, even if that was just bringing a drum to the stones and joining in. 

I really miss that, but that's just me. If I was an 18 year old going for the 1st time now I have no doubt I'd still be blown away. 

It's not just you.

My 18yr old has been going his entire life. He appreciates how good it is but even he can see how it's changed.

In both our opinions, smart phones and social media have changed almost everything and not in a good way.

I still really miss the 'old' festival and crowd, despite its dangers and shameless criminals.

My kids look with envy at the days when a phone wasn't in sight.

Watching old videos on youtube, the energy is raw and the chaos palpable, sadly those days are long gone...

[Crazyfool01]

Any impacts on that sale?  ... seems most got what they wanted or was that just down to timing of the sale ?

[Skip997]

16 minutes ago, Nice hymer said:

It's not just you.

My 18yr old has been going his entire life. He appreciates how good it is but even he can see how it's changed.

In both our opinions, smart phones and social media have changed almost everything and not in a good way.

I still really miss the 'old' festival and crowd, despite its dangers and shameless criminals.

My kids look with envy at the days when a phone wasn't in sight.

Watching old videos on youtube, the energy is raw and the chaos palpable, sadly those days are long gone...

Totally agree @Nice hymer

[acidstorm523]

On 11/17/2022 at 11:43 PM, Jose Pose said:

Glastonbury attracts a relatively diverse crowd, but it undeniably attracts large swathes of middle class people. That’s not so much a Glastonbury thing, that’s more a festival thing. Go back 10/15 years and festivals in general were far more niche, now they’re completely mainstream and peoples mums go to them. People who wouldn’t have dreamt of going to a festival 10 years ago now see it as a normal activity, it just so happens that Glastonbury is the poster boy for festivals with it being broadcast on TV.

The fact that alternatives to camping have grown almost exponentially in this time is no coincidence, and reflects how there are more than plenty middle class people there now compared to 10/15 years ago.

Don’t forget those mums, like myself, we’re going before their kids were even born 😂

when I started going in the 80s I was a student who was living in squats, but now I have a house and kids, so I guess some of the demographic has naturally changed as we have got older..

Edited December 1, 2022 by acidstorm523

[acidstorm523]

24 minutes ago, Nice hymer said:

It's not just you.

My 18yr old has been going his entire life. He appreciates how good it is but even he can see how it's changed.

In both our opinions, smart phones and social media have changed almost everything and not in a good way.

I still really miss the 'old' festival and crowd, despite its dangers and shameless criminals.

My kids look with envy at the days when a phone wasn't in sight.

Watching old videos on youtube, the energy is raw and the chaos palpable, sadly those days are long gone...

Definitely, phones and social media have changed everything. My kids are same age as yours, and they are jealous to not have been there 

[Nice hymer]

40 minutes ago, acidstorm523 said:

Don’t forget those mums, like myself, we’re going before their kids were even born 😂

when I started going in the 80s I was a student who was living in squats, but now I have a house and kids, so I guess some of the demographic has naturally changed as we have got older..

Yeah, I've said it many times. We were switched on kids with a high likelihood of doing ok in life (festivals in the 80s were anything but mainstream😅)

Our experiences and a degree of good luck has left many of us in a position where we can appear middle class, particularly to the younger ones who haven't had the same opportunities (go to Uni without loans / buy house at sensible cost / lead private lives / build friendships that are deeper than a friend request etc)

I'm cool with anyone at the festival, just be accepting/tolerant, look out for others, be nice and have a good time.

Hope your kids get to go, there's always volunteering 🙂

 

[gfa]

1 hour ago, Nice hymer said:

It's not just you.

My 18yr old has been going his entire life. He appreciates how good it is but even he can see how it's changed.

In both our opinions, smart phones and social media have changed almost everything and not in a good way.

I still really miss the 'old' festival and crowd, despite its dangers and shameless criminals.

My kids look with envy at the days when a phone wasn't in sight.

Watching old videos on youtube, the energy is raw and the chaos palpable, sadly those days are long gone...

I agree being 21, but so many people I know would not be a fan of like no phones policy etc. We went to fabric which operates it and they just didn't really get why - see it as a pain. Quite different 1 night and cameras only VS a 5 day festival where you want to find eachother

[acidstorm523]

3 minutes ago, Nice hymer said:

Yeah, I've said it many times. We were switched on kids with a high likelihood of doing ok in life (festivals in the 80s were anything but mainstream😅)

Our experiences and a degree of good luck has left many of us in a position where we can appear middle class, particularly to the younger ones who haven't had the same opportunities (go to Uni without loans / buy house at sensible cost / lead private lives / build friendships that are deeper than a friend request etc)

I'm cool with anyone at the festival, just be accepting/tolerant, look out for others, be nice and have a good time.

Hope your kids get to go, there's always volunteering 🙂

 

I’ve taken my kids every year since the first one was 2. And I’ve always felt it is one of the greatest educational opportunities I can give them. Music, freedom, joy, all sorts of people. They love it and we are still all going together this year. We go off and do our thing, but it’s also a family bonding like no other! 
luckily they were nearly out of school when the fine system came in. I just took them anyway, without question. The school knew , but I’d call them in sick.  The time of year when they are watching films in class often, and they gained far far more than any perceived loss. 

[gfa]

All but 2 packages sold out for WV/Sticklinch, all CV and Tipis gone

Do we think that was easier? I've not done the accomodation sale before but was helping others - feels like the sentiment was there was more success than others.

[gooner1990]

1 hour ago, Nice hymer said:

It's not just you.

My 18yr old has been going his entire life. He appreciates how good it is but even he can see how it's changed.

In both our opinions, smart phones and social media have changed almost everything and not in a good way.

I still really miss the 'old' festival and crowd, despite its dangers and shameless criminals.

My kids look with envy at the days when a phone wasn't in sight.

Watching old videos on youtube, the energy is raw and the chaos palpable, sadly those days are long gone...

Completely agree...I think it was 2010 when people I was camped with first started updating Facebook whilst they were at the festival, then a few years later portable chargers meant they could do it all weekend, and then things like Instagram/Snapchat etc were constantly being used to update whilst there.

[Skip997]

8 minutes ago, gooner1990 said:

Completely agree...I think it was 2010 when people I was camped with first started updating Facebook whilst they were at the festival, then a few years later portable chargers meant they could do it all weekend, and then things like Instagram/Snapchat etc were constantly being used to update whilst there.

Very strange behaviour.

I use my phone for meeting up, although that's not often necessary, I know where a lot of my mates will be during daylight hours and we tend to go to the same stages/areas/crew bars at night.

[Nice hymer]

4 minutes ago, gooner1990 said:

Completely agree...I think it was 2010 when people I was camped with first started updating Facebook whilst they were at the festival, then a few years later portable chargers meant they could do it all weekend, and then things like Instagram/Snapchat etc were constantly being used to update whilst there.

And it might be a contentious view, but I wonder if some of this year's ticket increase is to fund more 'Instagramable' stuff.

I get that it's good to fund artists and I approve, but it feels like stuff is being created almost solely to share on social media and there's clearly money being thrown around.

The festival was the best long before we had so many 'things'. As they say, less is more.

[gigpusher]

23 minutes ago, gfa said:

I agree being 21, but so many people I know would not be a fan of like no phones policy etc. We went to fabric which operates it and they just didn't really get why - see it as a pain. Quite different 1 night and cameras only VS a 5 day festival where you want to find eachother

I was quite happy that my phone didn't have any signal last festival. It's a bit of a pain in terms of meeting up with friends for an act but otherwise it was lovely not even bothering with my phone. 

[gooner1990]

32 minutes ago, gigpusher said:

I was quite happy that my phone didn't have any signal last festival. It's a bit of a pain in terms of meeting up with friends for an act but otherwise it was lovely not even bothering with my phone. 

Yep, I was effectively 'off grid' this year as I'm on o2, but apart from a couple of times when I had to rely on others with me to find out where people were it didn't bother me too much.

[efcfanwirral]

1 hour ago, Nice hymer said:

And it might be a contentious view, but I wonder if some of this year's ticket increase is to fund more 'Instagramable' stuff.

I get that it's good to fund artists and I approve, but it feels like stuff is being created almost solely to share on social media and there's clearly money being thrown around.

The festival was the best long before we had so many 'things'. As they say, less is more.

to be honest I think with the increases in general costs it was to maintain what's already there, possibly even a bit less

[clarkete]

1 hour ago, efcfanwirral said:

to be honest I think with the increases in general costs it was to maintain what's already there, possibly even a bit less

Indeed, the increase is not massively over the cost of living of the last three years, plus there are plenty of stories on here about transport and infrastructure costs surging massively for shows. 

@Nice hymer where is "clearly money being thrown around"?

The halcyon days some yearn for had appeal, but anyone who longs for the time I first went and there were two stages and after hours people got f*cked and simply danced near the food stalls, or went back to their camp and sat in front of the fire needs to recognise people wanted more then and they want more now.   It's brilliant that there's so much to do for folks of all ages and interests and across 5 long days. 

 

[Nice hymer]

3 hours ago, clarkete said:

Indeed, the increase is not massively over the cost of living of the last three years, plus there are plenty of stories on here about transport and infrastructure costs surging massively for shows. 

@Nice hymer where is "clearly money being thrown around"?

The halcyon days some yearn for had appeal, but anyone who longs for the time I first went and there were two stages and after hours people got f*cked and simply danced near the food stalls, or went back to their camp and sat in front of the fire needs to recognise people wanted more then and they want more now.   It's brilliant that there's so much to do for folks of all ages and interests and across 5 long days. 

 

As I said, a contentious view.

I'm not going to single out specific 'attractions' because that's not fair on the people who have dedicated their time and efforts. I think that some vanity projects have popped up that seem quite indulgent (and probably expensive), things that make the perfect Instagram image. To an extent, no one would leave the festival feeling short changed if some of these things didn't exist. (It's not a competition with Coachella/Burning Man for the best social media feed)

I know that I'm in the minority but I still like a simple festival, for me it's not about more of anything (other than more toilets around the Other Stage). Oddly, the 'more' stuff they offer, the less it appeals. But that's just me....

 

[stuie]

14 minutes ago, Nice hymer said:

As I said, a contentious view.

I'm not going to single out specific 'attractions' because that's not fair on the people who have dedicated their time and efforts. I think that some vanity projects have popped up that seem quite indulgent (and probably expensive), things that make the perfect Instagram image. To an extent, no one would leave the festival feeling short changed if some of these things didn't exist. (It's not a competition with Coachella/Burning Man for the best social media feed)

I know that I'm in the minority but I still like a simple festival, for me it's not about more of anything (other than more toilets around the Other Stage). Oddly, the 'more' stuff they offer, the less it appeals. But that's just me....

 

There are plenty of simple festivals available but the things you’re talking about are the things Glasto does to try and remain the king of the UK festival scene. I wouldn’t call them vanity projects! 

[clarkete]

2 hours ago, Nice hymer said:

As I said, a contentious view.

I'm not going to single out specific 'attractions' because that's not fair on the people who have dedicated their time and efforts. I think that some vanity projects have popped up that seem quite indulgent (and probably expensive), things that make the perfect Instagram image. To an extent, no one would leave the festival feeling short changed if some of these things didn't exist. (It's not a competition with Coachella/Burning Man for the best social media feed)

I know that I'm in the minority but I still like a simple festival, for me it's not about more of anything (other than more toilets around the Other Stage). Oddly, the 'more' stuff they offer, the less it appeals. But that's just me....

 

How do you know that "to an extent, no one would leave the festival feeling short changed"? 

Who made you Judge Judy and executioner? 

Apologies if I rise to the bait, but as one of the oldies and someone who has gone longer than the vast majority of posters here I think it's unfair for people to be sniffy about how others enjoy the festival - one of the best things by far is that people can do what the heck they like. 

[gooner1990]

14 hours ago, clarkete said:

Indeed, the increase is not massively over the cost of living of the last three years, plus there are plenty of stories on here about transport and infrastructure costs surging massively for shows. 

@Nice hymer where is "clearly money being thrown around"?

The halcyon days some yearn for had appeal, but anyone who longs for the time I first went and there were two stages and after hours people got f*cked and simply danced near the food stalls, or went back to their camp and sat in front of the fire needs to recognise people wanted more then and they want more now.   It's brilliant that there's so much to do for folks of all ages and interests and across 5 long days. 

 

I go to a festival called 'Truck Festival' near my home and have done since 1999.

Up until I would say around 2011-12 ish it was a small but decent enough festival, the odd name band, capacity about 10,000, one main stage, few tents and a barn which became a dance/dnb arena at night,  mostly local people went but you got a few from further adrift.

However everyone moaned that the acts weren't big enough, they wanted more things to do, better eating options, they wanted this that and the other.

The festival then got sold to a commercial company and to cut a long story short, its now 35,000 and acts like Sam Fender, Kasabian etc, big bars that charge £6 a can, big food vans (not local stuff anymore) charging the earth etc etc.  And guess what happened? All those people who moaned now don't go anymore because it 'got too big' 'its too commercial' 'they charge too much' 

Dammed if you do, dammed if you don't.

[DeanoL]

On 12/1/2022 at 2:46 PM, Skip997 said:

Very strange behaviour.

I use my phone for meeting up, although that's not often necessary, I know where a lot of my mates will be during daylight hours and we tend to go to the same stages/areas/crew bars at night.

Not that strange - pretty normal behaviour these days.

Honestly if you don't like phones at festivals, you can leave yours at home. But if you don't like how others are behaving at a festival, then you're no different to those tutting at people taking drugs or whatever.

People can do what they want, and enjoy the festival however they like as long as it doesn't involve directly harming you. That's kinda the point of a festival, you can do what you want and people won't judge you for it. You enjoy it your way, and let others enjoy it their way.

(Or y'know, accept that as crew, it's a job, so it's not going to be designed for you, it's designed for paying punters)