Secret Sets. Best way to hear about them on site?

[johnny-yen]

This is my first Glastonbury for a few years now.  What are the best ways to be notified of surprise guests? I used to use SecretGlasto on Twitter. Is that still the best or are there alternatives these days?

Thanks

[Crazyfool01]

think youve answered your own question there 

[DareToDibble]

1 hour ago, johnny-yen said:

This is my first Glastonbury for a few years now.  What are the best ways to be notified of surprise guests? I used to use SecretGlasto on Twitter. Is that still the best or are there alternatives these days?

Thanks

Definitely still the best way. I would just make sure you have notifications on for any time they tweet.

Granted they might not always come straight through if your signal is patchy on the farm but it's still the best way for me. Most of the time I get them straight away.

[CaledonianGonzo]

Have the Secret Glasto team got volunteers running it this year?

[Isaact]

One of the things they got a slap on the wrist for last year was secret sets on stages too small to accommodate, so I think the days of a massive band on a small stage are over, unless it's a crowd-controlled venue.

[maelzoid]

Anybody have a list of all the secret sets we’ve had in the past? Might help for those struggling to manage their expectations. I think the days of the likes of Killers in JP are over, but we could still get an Elbow at the Park.

[CaledonianGonzo]

After social media (including people on this site) mobilised a complaints campaign to the festival and the council after last year it was inevitable there would be some blowback.

[strummer77]

6 minutes ago, CaledonianGonzo said:

After social media (including people on this site) mobilised a complaints campaign to the festival and the council after last year it was inevitable there would be some blowback.

Didn’t complain personally, but was caught up by accident in a couple of pretty bad crowd moments and can’t honestly blame anyone who complained about them. Something needed addressing. 

[uscore]

sadly?  truly secret gigs are a thing of the past now.   These days everyone knows who it's going to be, and they'll definitely be on a stage suitable for purpose.

It's probably better that way.  Long gone are the days when you would wait patiently at the front of a busy crowd waiting to see who the special guests might be, only to hear the dreaded words, "ladies and gentlemen, please welcome The Kooks!"

[RichardWaller]

That’s a point too. Anyone recall what time Thom Yorke and Johnny Greenwood were on in 2010? I’ll dig out me programme later, see what the slot says in that. Or does it generally say “special guests” or “TBC” rather than using a pseudonym?

[blutarsky]

You can set up text notifications so you get SMS as well as Twitter notifications. 

2 hours ago, DareToDibble said:

Definitely still the best way. I would just make sure you have notifications on for any time they tweet.

Granted they might not always come straight through if your signal is patchy on the farm but it's still the best way for me. Most of the time I get them straight away.

 

[MEGATRONICMEATWAGON]

6 hours ago, johnny-yen said:

This is my first Glastonbury for a few years now.  What are the best ways to be notified of surprise guests? I used to use SecretGlasto on Twitter. Is that still the best or are there alternatives these days?

Thanks

Twitter, Insta, TikTok, insiders leaking it, people who know people on here, the Glastonbury Press printing hints the day before... There's multiple routes now which info will come out.

 

[MEGATRONICMEATWAGON]

2 hours ago, RichardWaller said:

That’s a point too. Anyone recall what time Thom Yorke and Johnny Greenwood were on in 2010? I’ll dig out me programme later, see what the slot says in that. Or does it generally say “special guests” or “TBC” rather than using a pseudonym?

According to the Clashfinder, it was as "Special Guests". 2011 though because I remember my mate went to see Morrissey instead. Wish I'd done the same. Instead I was stuck way at the back of a muddy slope with 2k other people.

 

[mungo57]

10 minutes ago, MEGATRONICMEATWAGON said:

According to the Clashfinder, it was as "Special Guests". 2011 though because I remember my mate went to see Morrissey instead. Wish I'd done the same. Instead I was stuck way at the back of a muddy slope with 2k other people.

 

conversely I got there and watched BAD for a bit before (they were really good from memory, but I was rather battered) and thoroughly enjoyed Radiohead. Annoyed I missed Mozza but was worth it for me. I loved TKOL but a lot of people didn't, is was one of those Marmite sets.

[MEGATRONICMEATWAGON]

4 minutes ago, mungo57 said:

conversely I got there and watched BAD for a bit before (they were really good from memory, but I was rather battered) and thoroughly enjoyed Radiohead. Annoyed I missed Mozza but was worth it for me. I loved TKOL but a lot of people didn't, is was one of those Marmite sets.

Yeah, it seems like you have to sacrifice the slot before to have a good time for a secret set these days. Really wanted to see BB King then headed straight for Radiohead with a small stop off for food, thought it was going to leave plenty of time, but it did not. It didn't help that it was raining, the Park/hill was muddy too, mind.

If they'd just put the "Special Guests" on the Other or Pyramid, they could have kept the veil of secrecy as well as pleasing far more people. For people like me who did arrive in good time but were still stuck out of the optimum area for the sound system, we effectively lost two performances - Radiohead as well as then it being too late to hot foot it somewhere else decent at short notice. Morrissey was just too far away after we'd given Thom and the lads a chance.  

[mungo57]

14 minutes ago, MEGATRONICMEATWAGON said:

Yeah, it seems like you have to sacrifice the slot before to have a good time for a secret set these days. Really wanted to see BB King then headed straight for Radiohead with a small stop off for food, thought it was going to leave plenty of time, but it did not. It didn't help that it was raining, the Park/hill was muddy too, mind.

If they'd just put the "Special Guests" on the Other or Pyramid, they could have kept the veil of secrecy as well as pleasing far more people. For people like me who did arrive in good time but were still stuck out of the optimum area for the sound system, we effectively lost two performances - Radiohead as well as then it being too late to hot foot it somewhere else decent at short notice. Morrissey was just too far away after we'd given Thom and the lads a chance.  

agreed. They put the Libs on El Pointo under 'Special Guests' and that went fine.

 

[MEGATRONICMEATWAGON]

3 minutes ago, mungo57 said:

agreed. They put the Libs on El Pointo under 'Special Guests' and that went fine.

 

Exactly. Also, N.E.R.D on the Pyramid in 2009 were under "Special Guests" and that was packed. No social media game back then and it was still hotly tipped it'd be them, but it was a much better stage for such a popular act.

Edited May 26, 2023 by MEGATRONICMEATWAGON

[Franky]

PHM 🙏

[Crazyfool01]

Possibly an unpopular opinion but given the issues last year and the festivals obvious attempts to try and deal with them I’m not sure the secret glasto thing should be a thing now 

[FloorFiller]

3 hours ago, uscore said:

sadly?  truly secret gigs are a thing of the past now.   These days everyone knows who it's going to be, and they'll definitely be on a stage suitable for purpose.

It's probably better that way.  Long gone are the days when you would wait patiently at the front of a busy crowd waiting to see who the special guests might be, only to hear the dreaded words, "ladies and gentlemen, please welcome The Kooks!"

There was that tiny Paolo Nutini set last year that even the Secret Glasto people opted to keep secret at the time in fear of it getting too overcrowded and I’m pretty sure a bunch of people didn’t know about it until it had happened.

I’ve always loved the secret sets, but there’s certainly a limit to how big of an act you can have on how small of a stage before it becomes stupid, overcrowded and dangerous. Jack White on the Park last year for example seemed perfectly safe, especially with him more or less clashing with Diana/other huge acts, but if you stick somebody ginormous (Harry Styles, for example, being the rumour that won’t seem to go away) then you’re just asking for trouble.

I think more than anything they need to make sure, as much as it would annoy people, to schedule these kinds of sets opposite other huge acts to try and minimise the amount of people wandering over for curiosities sake.

Or, just do what seems to be the popular solution of having them on Other and Pyramid mid-day like was seemingly planned for Aerosmith. Not quite the same vibe of ‘huge act on small stage’, but safe, everybody gets to see them who wants to, and a headliner/sub sized act not at the end of the night is a treat regardless.

[MEGATRONICMEATWAGON]

12 minutes ago, Crazyfool01 said:

Possibly an unpopular opinion but given the issues last year and the festivals obvious attempts to try and deal with them I’m not sure the secret glasto thing should be a thing now 

I think it still has a place, but I think there needs to be a compromise depending on the size and popularity of the act. The Park is also not one of the best "smaller" stages to hold such vasts amount of people, esp in wet/muddy years.

[Crazyfool01]

Just now, MEGATRONICMEATWAGON said:

I think it still has a place, but I think there needs to be a compromise depending on the size and popularity of the act. The Park is also not one of the best "smaller" stages to hold such vasts amount of people, esp in wet/muddy years.

For me they just need to list everything . Agree with @FloorFiller comments above 

[tigger123]

1 hour ago, MEGATRONICMEATWAGON said:

According to the Clashfinder, it was as "Special Guests". 2011 though because I remember my mate went to see Morrissey instead. Wish I'd done the same. Instead I was stuck way at the back of a muddy slope with 2k other people.

 

2011 fri night was radiohead secret set doing the king of limbs. 2010 was Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood

[gfa]

2 hours ago, Crazyfool01 said:

Possibly an unpopular opinion but given the issues last year and the festivals obvious attempts to try and deal with them I’m not sure the secret glasto thing should be a thing now 

Secret Glasto is ran sensibly at least - if it was to shutdown someone else would just set up a new account doing the same thing but it could be a complete idiot running it / a troll - which could end very badly

[Crazyfool01]

Just now, gfa said:

Secret Glasto is ran sensibly at least - if it was to shutdown someone else would just set up a new account doing the same thing but it could be a complete idiot running it / a troll - which could end very badly

I’ve absolutely no doubt it is and yep that’s the balance . It’s become very big which presents its own issues though … difficult one