Williams Green

[assorted]

5 hours ago, adequate8 said:

I remember telling you it was on, but have a vague memory of you saying Glasto told you not to post it? Or did you just make a call not to given the mayhem it'd cause...

They didn’t release anything that wasn’t already figured out or publicly known for fear of overcrowding which makes that Twitter account pretty useless other than getting info for those that run it. I am hoping this year people realize this and leak directly to the forum or discord. 

[moogster]

I'm thinking by now people got so used to have "must see" acts on WG on Friday that leaking wouldn't make a huge difference?

True or false, this rumour may indicate the festival is looking at a better solution there, so I'm all for it. As long as they don't can the platform for those, as most of you pointed out, great new bands that are so conveniently placed to catch between other sets on bigger stages.

[Neil]

overcrowding doesn't really work as a rationale for changing, because the alternative would be a big stage which looses the attraction of seeing a big band on a small stage.

[LivOctober]

Seems like the overcrowding is mainly an issue on the Thursday and it's fine for the rest of the festival - think the answer to that is to either book smaller, more niche bands for the secret act to ensure people don't turn up because it's a recognisable name, stick some similar sized secret acts on other stages at the same times to spread out the crowd (if that's even possible?) or just do away with secret sets at William's Green entirely.

Bastille was far too big of a booking - if it's a band that's been on the Pyramid the festival before, they're probably too big for William's Green.

[gfa]

1 hour ago, Neil said:

overcrowding doesn't really work as a rationale for changing, because the alternative would be a big stage which looses the attraction of seeing a big band on a small stage.

It does when the council are getting pissy about it

[Skip997]

54 minutes ago, LivOctober said:

Seems like the overcrowding is mainly an issue on the Thursday and it's fine for the rest of the festival

There was overcrowding in certain locations more or less throughout the festival.

The only solution is reduce attendees, sadly this isn't going to happen.

[Harmonic Prospector]

I've always loved the atmosphere and acts at Williams Green on the Thursday. It was busy enough without the (big) secret set acts with Power Ballads, Guilty Pleasures, Old Dirty Brasstards, Elvana, The Smyths, etc. I think it's just got a bit carried away with itself in recent years, causing more mayhem that an already busy part of the site on the Thursday really needs. I think doing away with the secret sets won't adversely affect an already extremely popular area of the festival to hang out on the Thursday. 

[Ayrshire Chris]

1 hour ago, Skip997 said:

There was overcrowding in certain locations more or less throughout the festival.

The only solution is reduce attendees, sadly this isn't going to happen.

Or choose more appropriate stages for acts that are going to attract the large crowds. It’s a huge site and plenty of scope to provide alternatives that would prevent overcrowding. 

[Skip997]

14 minutes ago, Ayrshire Chris said:

Or choose more appropriate stages for acts that are going to attract the large crowds. It’s a huge site and plenty of scope to provide alternatives that would prevent overcrowding. 

It's slightly unpredictable.

Who'd have guessed TLC would cause so much chaos?

[gfa]

10 minutes ago, Skip997 said:

It's slightly unpredictable.

Who'd have guessed TLC would cause so much chaos?

TLC was hardly chaos vs Mel C, Bastille, Wet Leg and Calvin Harris

[gigpusher]

1 hour ago, gfa said:

TLC was hardly chaos vs Mel C, Bastille, Wet Leg and Calvin Harris

Wet Leg really depended where you were. I was in a good position with space I could have only dreamt about when I was at Phoebe Bridgers. 

[Havors]

6 hours ago, Neil said:

overcrowding doesn't really work as a rationale for changing, because the alternative would be a big stage which looses the attraction of seeing a big band on a small stage.

Its the only logical explanation. They had to close the field for quite a while last and it was chaos... Even for those who didnt want to go there, they couldnt get past, had to circle right around williams green.

They can only do it if there is an alternative somewhere else at the same time... when there is nothing else on, the whole festival tries to get in there. A bit like The glade and the crossroads on the thursday night... ive never seen it so busy. 

[gfa]

2 hours ago, gigpusher said:

Wet Leg really depended where you were. I was in a good position with space I could have only dreamt about when I was at Phoebe Bridgers. 

quite the opposite for me!

[Neil]

10 minutes ago, Havors said:

Its the only logical explanation. They had to close the field for quite a while last and it was chaos... Even for those who didnt want to go there, they couldnt get past, had to circle right around williams green.

They can only do it if there is an alternative somewhere else at the same time... when there is nothing else on, the whole festival tries to get in there. A bit like The glade and the crossroads on the thursday night... ive never seen it so busy. 

Yeah, if they're going to put stuff on there needs to be competing stuff on otherwise everyone will try to go to the one thing. 

[gigpusher]

49 minutes ago, gfa said:

quite the opposite for me!

Just goes to show how your perception isn't always reality. I had space to dance about for Wet Leg and Confidence Man whereas for Phoebe Bridgers I had no space whatsoever and being the height I am I was in sweaty armpits territory. It wasn't the best. Thankfully Phoebe was 😄 

[Skip997]

5 minutes ago, gigpusher said:

Just goes to show how your perception isn't always reality. I had space to dance about for Wet Leg and Confidence Man whereas for Phoebe Bridgers I had no space whatsoever and being the height I am I was in sweaty armpits territory. It wasn't the best. Thankfully Phoebe was 😄 

The weird thing is that no matter how busy a venue or stage is there's nearly always space somewhere.

[gigpusher]

Just now, Skip997 said:

The weird thing is that no matter how busy a venue or stage is there's nearly always space somewhere.

Yep and a slice of luck or a bit of good planning can mean you are ok. 

[bennyhana22]

17 minutes ago, gigpusher said:

Just goes to show how your perception isn't always reality. I had space to dance about for Wet Leg and Confidence Man whereas for Phoebe Bridgers I had no space whatsoever and being the height I am I was in sweaty armpits territory. It wasn't the best. Thankfully Phoebe was 😄 

Oh gosh, wasn't she?

*swoons*

Ben

[gigpusher]

4 minutes ago, bennyhana22 said:

Oh gosh, wasn't she?

*swoons*

Ben

Worth enduring the sweaty pits for!

[gfa]

2 hours ago, gigpusher said:

Just goes to show how your perception isn't always reality. I had space to dance about for Wet Leg and Confidence Man whereas for Phoebe Bridgers I had no space whatsoever and being the height I am I was in sweaty armpits territory. It wasn't the best. Thankfully Phoebe was 😄 

definitely! we did rock up to wet leg as they started to be fair so silly from us but was just so quiet and tube carriage squashed. had plenty of room at phoebe at the far side of the tent

[marathonsteve]

Williams green overcrowding was dangerous last year on Thursday

[Neil]

3 minutes ago, marathonsteve said:

Williams green overcrowding was dangerous last year on Thursday

just think how much worse it'd be if people like me didn't keep away knowing it'll be mobbed.

[marathonsteve]

Just now, Neil said:

just think how much worse it'd be if people like me didn't keep away knowing it'll be mobbed.

Very True Neil

[Jose Pose]

Thursday is always going to be an issue crowd wise with the capacity at what it currently is. Think of the capacity of the Pyramid, Other, WH, JP and park not being used and about maybe 80/90% of those people that would be on those fields on the normal music days trying to squeeze themselves somewhere else on the site.

I’m repeating myself from earlier on in the thread, but as silly as things like Bastille on WG are, those people who turn up are being kept away from other areas and helping them to be less busy, even though there are plenty of other oversubscribed things on Thursday anyway.

Just changing WG up and putting smaller acts on there on a Thursday isn’t a solution in itself, it’s just going to push the problem elsewhere on site, it needs to go hand in hand with other changes.

Edited February 6, 2023 by Jose Pose

[Tranquility of Solitude]

All these issues can be avoided by making Thursday your pub crawl day, and avoiding Bar on the Green.