Bearded Theory 2024

[Popsider75]

Fantastic weekend.  Always a bit tougher with the mud but didn't spoil it too much. 

Left about 8.30am this morning. Motorhome was in the campervan field opposite side of the road (Oaklands?)

Few people getting stuck. I had a walk around prior to leaving and planned the best route I could and managed to get off under my own steam thankfully..low gear low revs and keep going!

Enjoyed lots of bands...if I had to name few favourites I would go for Bodega, Sprints,  English Teacher  and Michael Head (even minus band!). Plenty of other great stuff. Janes Addiction and Dutty very good. 

Spoke to lots of nice people over the weekend it's always a great friendly vibe.

Time to recover now ahead of Glastonbury next month.  Hopefully drier weather for that!

If your still on site good luck with your departure and safe onward travel.

Edited May 27 by Popsider75

[chloe_91]

I went yesterday as a plus one for the first time and what a great festival. Everyone in high friendly spirits despite having to do 4 days in it. We left after amyl and it was easy to get out - hope those leaving today had an easy way out!

 

I saw bodega twice (good fun but guilty of eating into stage time with sound checks), English teacher (over 10 minutes eaten in, and whilst quality were a bit dry to watch) les savvy fav as a nostalgia hit who were just chaos (in a good way) dry cleaning - I’m a big fan and loved it, my mate not so much.

 

dinosaur jr - who id not listened to much before but were the band of the day for me, big riffs, the guitars spoke for themselves and listening endlessly today.

 

Amyl to end the day whose energy is brilliant, with the energy iggy pop

would bring 

[just7]

Just got back to Devon. Done every BT except the first one.

we were good boys & did as we were told and turned up Friday, apparently hardly any one else took any notice. Our ‘reward’ was we were camped the absolute furthest you could park a caravan, next to a swamp! One mile muddy walk to the Arena, ho hum!

Good bits, the people, the bands, general vibe.

Bad bits, the mud, can’t be helped but more chippings might have made a difference in places.

£6 for a beer & that was cheapest seems a bit steep & food prices banging up there, £15 for a burger & chips.

Will we be back next year? Dunno, think the original ethos is dissipating, I mean what are those ridiculous booking charges for each & every ticket purchased all about other than blagrant profiteering? Most expensive festy we do now..Might need to return to something a lot smaller.

our camping site below, we we’re literally next to it. Free swimming pool!

Edited May 27 by just7
Wrong date

[balti-pie]

Really enjoyed it! just got home after a reasonably straightforward five hour drive back to the south coast. Was volunteering for oxfam and set up my tent in some teeming rain on Wednesday, of course the mud made everything harder work (like someone else says above, not having the option to sit down and plonk yourself on the floor for a bit is a right bugger, and that’s exacerbated by doing an eight hour shift on your feet beforehand!) but the site is nice and small, easy to get to a great spot in front of a stage with a pie in hand without the kind of military planning and knowledge that Glastonbury tends to require, really friendly people everywhere, and the food and drink choices were really decent - didn’t have a bad meal all week. Band highlights; Soft play, Bob Vylan was ace, ferocious dog and gentleman’s dub club were a great double, orbital were excellent headliners and I think I’ll be seeing em again at Glasto, and Dinosaur Jr were my absolute highlight - they were f**king great. Exactly what I wanted, massive riffs and guitar majesty, bass and drums perfectly synced, I just love the elemental quality of a 3 piece band, it’s great. They were great. Will definitely go to Bearded Theory again, I want a dry one next time though! 

[Nobody Interesting]

6 minutes ago, just7 said:

 

Bad bits, the mud, can’t be helped but more chippings might have made a difference in places.

 

 

It is up to the land owner what can and cannot be put down on the land as it is grazing land hence nothing being put down.

Tues into Weds there was over one months rain in under 24 hours landing on wet ground which is essentially a flood plain.

I am amazed how well the land stood up to it and doubly amazed how well the organisers created space for vans and tent due to such flooding. My hats go off to them

[elgatonegrofabricwardrobe]

Another fantastic Bearded Theory topped off by the run of Dinosaur Jr, Amyl (an inspired headliner booking) and Baxter Dury. As usual at Bearded we didn't encounter a single dickhead. We'll be back next year no doubt about it.

[Gnomicide]

Apologies for the Twitter link but it's the easiest way to put the video up. 

 

My 5 days condensed into 1 minute 40 minutes.

 

https://x.com/TheGlastoThingy/status/1795081086675857445?t=mBthDScEDzFT_qBT7xmvAA&s=19

 

[sadimmock]

We just got back after our first ever Bearded Theory. All in all it was fantastic weekend with a great atmosphere and lovely crowd. The mud did make things tiring but I don't really think that it could be helped given how much rain fell so quickly. Really enjoyed Amyl, Dinosaur Jr, Baxter Dury, Orbital and Meryl Streek (absolutely unique). We also had a lot of fun dancing around Big Ed and chilling in the Woodlands.

 

What wasn't so great was the sound quality which I thought was really muddy for a lot of bands and may have been the cause of the incredibly long sound-checks; at times The Meadows was unbearable. Also could have done without the message that flashed up before Dexy's and general confusion over set-times. Really small quibbles though! 

[AmyShambles]

Another fantastic Bearded, had a blast. The mud was rubbish but think we got relatively lucky with the weather overall. 

 

I was disappointed when the line up was announced but saw some top class stuff across the weekend. Meryl Streek, Sprints, Dinosaur Jr, Amyl and The Sniffers and BC Camplight the standouts. Silent Disco was great on Saturday night too.

 

It's a cracking festival and will definitely be booking again for 2025. Fingers crossed for 2023 weather though!

Edited May 27 by AmyShambles

[ciderbus]

1 hour ago, elgatonegrofabricwardrobe said:

Another fantastic Bearded Theory topped off by the run of Dinosaur Jr, Amyl (an inspired headliner booking) and Baxter Dury. As usual at Bearded we didn't encounter a single dickhead. We'll be back next year no doubt about it.

Hadn’t really thought about that but our friends who were first timers commented on the no dickheads element around the site. It does make a difference. Agreed on Amyl and the Sniffers. I was looking forward to them a lot while unsure if they were headliners.  They really were, great set.

 

i think the “transformer” idea of a covers set is a fun addition, really enjoyed Bodega does Dylan.

[Nobody Interesting]

9 minutes ago, ciderbus said:

Hadn’t really thought about that but our friends who were first timers commented on the no dickheads element around the site. It does make a difference. Agreed on Amyl and the Sniffers. I was looking forward to them a lot while unsure if they were headliners.  They really were, great set.

 

i think the “transformer” idea of a covers set is a fun addition, really enjoyed Bodega does Dylan.

 

Wait til they book Blossoms and say they are for the Transformer set............................. everyone will be on Astley watch

[Beerqueen]

On 5/26/2024 at 12:12 PM, germanmon said:

Samantics was fantastic yesterday. We’re working, so were just exploring Woodlands for the first time. Thought we’d stay there as he was just about to come on despite not knowing what he was about, and so glad we did. 
 

Heartfelt, hilarious and very talented. Would definitely catch him again so hope he’s doing a few more festivals this summer. 

First saw Samantics getting on for 10 years ago I think, when he was very young and I don't think I've seen him since.  But I remembered that I had enjoyed him and wanted to see him again.  I was not disappointed and he was one of the highlights of the weekend.

[Kurosagi]

Big thanks to whoever on here mentioned Les Savy Fav as I had a gap and popped by. I've managed to live my life not checking them out and so had no idea what I was about to see - that singer is properly mental, phenomenal stuff. After dragging the crash barrier from outside the tent he finished the set by walking off singing into the mic until he got to the children's merry-go-round and say next to a very bemused kid as the ride started going round. Fortunately they stopped the ride before the mic cable garroted someone. Absolute blast, perfect festival highlight!

 

[Kurosagi]

The crap record exhibition tent had us wetting our pants, cracking idea. This was my fave, think I'll make it into xmas cards for the relatives this year.

 

[DORAYME]

Relectantly followed BT's request to delay entry till Friday.  Did so only to rewarded with a CV pitch in the over-spill field which was a water-logged joke.  To rub salt in the wound as we took our first walk up into the arena we weere greated by CV;s being pitch in the dry fields nearer the arena.  A kick in the balls for following their request to delay.  Worse still, 5 toilets for hundreds of vehicles,  complained and excuse was "it's the over spill.  Worse still they weren't cleaned for 48 hours and were glastonbury 92 like by then, shame on you BT.  No interest from staff to sort this, when we found a concerned staff member 3 hours later it became clear the location of these toilets were not on the site map, hence why they hadnt been cleaned.  Disgraceful.  Next year BT I won't follow your requests cos you treated us like crap.

[Kurosagi]

First time at BT and yes I'll be back. But for f**k's sake organisers lay some effing metal track to give people a chance - one or two pieces per entrance was taking the piss.

 

This was the state of our field (bottom left Trent) on the Weds and the stewards were happily sending more vehicles in. Carnage. The groundwater was horrendous and didn't dry out for the entire festival, a real wet and messy slog each day. The Peak 4x4 Rescue lot did their best but they were in totally over their heads. At one point they spent over an hour and a half trying to move one motorhome that burnt out the first 4x4's winch and they ended up having to daisy chain THREE 4x4 vehicles which if we hadn't been there to jump up and shout would have taken out the wing of our van as the motorhome slid within a foot of us as he slammed on his brakes. Yikes.

 

[Kurosagi]

7 minutes ago, DORAYME said:

To rub salt in the wound as we took our first walk up into the arena we weere greated by CV;s being pitch in the dry fields nearer the arena.

If it makes you feel any better, it won't, but we turned up Weds afternoon (long drive and before the announcement) and those fields were already full, which is why we got diverted into the swamp. You *really* didn't want to have ended up in that field.

[Nobody Interesting]

53 minutes ago, Kurosagi said:

First time at BT and yes I'll be back. But for f**k's sake organisers lay some effing metal track to give people a chance - one or two pieces per entrance was taking the piss.

 

 

How much track do you want then - one long road in the middle where once you have to turn off that you are in the water and mud, several roads where you still have to turn off them into the mud and water or the entire field covered?

There is no way you can plan for extreme weather like there was that has never happened before - track needs booking months in advance and costs heaps as do the teams needed to lay it and all for a  scenario nobody could ever have expected.

[onemoresolo]

Our second Bearded and it really could have been a shocker. My wife is temporarily (all being well) disabled, the weather forecast was awful and to top it all off our cat was hit and killed by a car on Tuesday night barely an hour after we’d finished packing.
 

It was touch and go whether we’d go at all and there were still plenty of tears, but between the accessible team, the other punters and a bit of sunshine we made it through and will take some happier memories home. The site held up really well considering the rain, much better than bluedot last year, and I think the crew did everything they could. I do feel for all those with serious mobility issues who will have had their weekend spoiled, but I’m not sure what more could be done in the circumstances.
 

Musical highlights for me were Bob Vylan, Orbital, State of Satta, Sprints, Bdrmm and Prima Queen. Special shout to Chris Hawkins’ DJ set on Thursday night which made us both forget about things for an hour. We also loved brews from the tea tent and sitting by the fire pit.
 

Fingers crossed for drier weather next year.

[Spuddhism]

On Saturday night, heading back to camping, my mate dropped his phone in the mud. By the time he realised, we couldn't find it. We were directed by a marshal to check in Welfare, and it had been handed in. And still in the case were his credit cards and the entire £100 in cash he had in it. You've got to love the BT crowd, punters and crew alike.

[Pinhead]

5 hours ago, Nobody Interesting said:

 

It is up to the land owner what can and cannot be put down on the land as it is grazing land hence nothing being put down.

Tues into Weds there was over one months rain in under 24 hours landing on wet ground which is essentially a flood plain.

I am amazed how well the land stood up to it and doubly amazed how well the organisers created space for vans and tent due to such flooding. My hats go off to them

 

Is it actually grazing out of season? I thought it's mostly on the estate's parkland hense all the rules concerning ground damaging activities. No animal fencing where you'd expect to see it near river either.

 

Crossing points needed hay / woodchip, e.g. between Trend and Arena / Woodlands. A big pile of hay was parked on the Production road all weekend and went nowhere...

 

Love the festival and not a bit of agro seen all weekend - really chilled given the weather that can stress peeps out sometimes. Feels a bit 'by the numbers' now though compared to previous years and certainly becoming a kind of punk rock festival now moving away from ska and indie.

 

Love Dinosaur Jr when they got the sound right...

[Pinhead]

1 hour ago, Nobody Interesting said:

 

How much track do you want then - one long road in the middle where once you have to turn off that you are in the water and mud, several roads where you still have to turn off them into the mud and water or the entire field covered?

There is no way you can plan for extreme weather like there was that has never happened before - track needs booking months in advance and costs heaps as do the teams needed to lay it and all for a  scenario nobody could ever have expected.

 

Yeah, naturally it's a cost and therefore a loss for the festival booking track and not needing it, but every festival should have a Plan B for serious wet weather that includes enough contingency tracking to protect the entrances / exits and even down the main route into a field. That way the main route is kept clear from stranded vehicles and fire / medical access might be easier to ensure deeper into the field. Tracking the side lanes is prob over the top though as you say.

[Pinhead]

The river was a rising fast too over Wed PM. I saw someone from BT mgmt and said have they contacted the EA to ask how high it's gonna go and said 'good idea' or whatever. The EA can open sluices further down in some cases if it gets threatening. Anyway it peaked Thurs and avoided flooding Rugby to Prod route and anywhere else on site. Can't imagine what it would have been like if it had gone over the top...

[balti-pie]

They’ll be better informed in terms of logistics the next time that site gets a dollop of weather - it’s used for Bloodstock in August too, so it’s all useful research. The last really wet BT was 2014 apparently, so there’s been a fair few layout and logistical changes since then, but now they’ll know where might need shitloads of straw laying down, metal pathways, all that jazz. As ever it’s a work in progress. It was specifically tricky circumstances with that much weather on that day in particular. 

[shi]

27 minutes ago, Pinhead said:

 

Is it actually grazing out of season? I thought it's mostly on the estate's parkland hense all the rules concerning ground damaging activities. No animal fencing where you'd expect to see it near river either.

 

Crossing points needed hay / woodchip, e.g. between Trend and Arena / Woodlands. A big pile of hay was parked on the Production road all weekend and went nowhere...

 

Love the festival and not a bit of agro seen all weekend - really chilled given the weather that can stress peeps out sometimes. Feels a bit 'by the numbers' now though compared to previous years and certainly becoming a kind of punk rock festival now moving away from ska and indie.

 

Love Dinosaur Jr when they got the sound right...

 

Agree.....Bought early birds, was really disappointed with the lineup, as punk isn't the side of the musical spread that we started going for. 

As it turns out, we had a great time. However our musical highlights were not the 'big hitters' and if the next one is so shouty I think we'll have to give something else a go.... which is a real shame because the bearded punters are amongst the best I've ever shared a field with.

The fact is that when you pay 200 quid for a ticket and your best 3 things are in maui , you're probably going to the wrong festival