Smallest crowds on big stages/biggest crowds on small stages?

[plaskins]

13 hours ago, Supermerv said:

Smallest for me had to be Slaves opening Other on Sunday in 2017, definitely less than 200 people, but they still smashed it.

Nah, was much more that that! Few thousand I reckon. Great way to start the day though

[plaskins]

...

Edited June 13, 2023 by plaskins
Misread the topic

[Joshuwarr]

I saw Norwegian pop icon Annie headline one of the Dance stages in 2008 and there were nine of us present. Despite that she absolutely spellbinding. 

[cnph]

F*** Buttons on Park up against The Rolling Stones is the smallest I've seen I think. Not entirely surprising. 

[Padjeq]

9 hours ago, Joshuwarr said:

I saw Norwegian pop icon Annie headline one of the Dance stages in 2008 and there were nine of us present. Despite that she absolutely spellbinding. 

I was there for that! Sunday night and somehow we managed to be late and missed a few songs. Did you also happen to see Lykke Li in the Guardian tent? That was amazing.

We saw Sonny J in a dance tent the same year and we were literally the only 2 people in there.

The whole sunday felt much emptier across the whole site even though the worst of the weather was thursday into friday.

[Joshuwarr]

1 minute ago, Padjeq said:

I was there for that! Sunday night and somehow we managed to be late and missed a few songs. Did you also happen to see Lykke Li in the Guardian tent? That was amazing.

We saw Sonny J in a dance tent the same year and we were literally the only 2 people in there.

The whole sunday felt much emptier across the whole site even though the worst of the weather was thursday into friday.

Ha, no way! And yes, I saw Lykke Li too. The Guardian tent used to have some really great acts.

[shuttlep]

Rolf Harris Jazz word, Might have Benen WEST Holts by then

 

you couldn't move , took me hours to get to the brothers bar . Cranage

 

never say anything like it 

 

not sure on the year 08 maybe 

[eddie_corrigan]

32 minutes ago, shuttlep said:

Rolf Harris Jazz word, Might have Benen WEST Holts by then

 

you couldn't move , took me hours to get to the brothers bar . Cranage

 

never say anything like it 

 

not sure on the year 08 maybe 

it was 09. think it was the last year it was jazz world. we ended up in a hammock stall over the opposite side from the brothers bar out of the sun.

Edited June 14, 2023 by eddie_corrigan

[Drinky]

That Rolf set was dangerous, and in hindsight deeply embarrassing for all of us

[Skip997]

21 minutes ago, Drinky said:

That Rolf set was dangerous, and in hindsight deeply embarrassing for all of us

That were there!

Also deeply embarrassing that WH would even think of booking him (for musical reasons)

[The Nal]

Smallest crowd I've seen at the fest (anywhere actually) was Patty Griffin in the Acoustic in 2016 when ELO were on. Only photos I could find but there was no one behind me! Maybe 50 people there. Maybe less.

[Detective McNulty]

even if you take away the noncery of rolf harris, what the f**k where we all doing there watching him anyway? he was a ridiculously crap entertainer.

[Drinky]

“When I say Rolf, you say Harris!”

oh god the cringe

[Alex DeLarge]

6 minutes ago, Detective McNulty said:

even if you take away the noncery of rolf harris, what the f**k where we all doing there watching him anyway? he was a ridiculously crap entertainer.

It's the whole "it'll be a laugh/ semi-ironic nostalgia" thing that was alright a few years ago but I think has permeated all of culture now.

[BrimfulOfAsha]

Smallest - Low Anthem - Pyramid Stage in 2011

Probably one of my favourite bands and to put them first on a stage as big as the Pyramid was a crazy booking - made my day to watch them though

Biggest - Killers 2017 - Rammed

[The Nal]

5 minutes ago, Alex DeLarge said:

It's the whole "it'll be a laugh/ semi-ironic nostalgia" thing that was alright a few years ago but I think has permeated all of culture now.

And theres loads of it at the festival this year.

[TheBoz]

Lewis Capaldi on the Other Stage 2019. Kylie/Dolly legends slots, all rammed.

 

[shuttlep]

2 hours ago, Skip997 said:

That were there!

Also deeply embarrassing that WH would even think of booking him (for musical reasons)

THE YEAR AFTER HE PLAYED THE PYRAMID

[CaledonianGonzo]

He played the Pyramid a couple of times.

He's the first Pyramid performance to feature in Julien Temple's Glastonbury movie. The signs people are waving at him dont read well in retrospect 

[glimmers_of_hope]

19 hours ago, MEGATRONICMEATWAGON said:

It did seem to be alright in the end judging by this video. Maybe a lot of people rushed over after Kano finished on the Park - 

I wondered who was on before stevie wonder in JP. We rocked up early to watch Ash (so probably just after BSS) who were the JP headliner and there was barely anyone in the tent. Barely in double figures, I looked at my wife and said that I thought we might be making a huge mistake and so we went to pyramid and sure enough it was Rammo for stevie. 

anyway, often I can't tell if a set is quiet because I move as close as I can.  Whatever year Mercury rev headlined the park (2016 I think) the crowd was really small at the start and got a little busier before we went to watch new order. 

Killers at JP was busy, but we were there really early for Frank Carter and if you were in the tent you couldn't really tell that it was so bonkers outside. 

Radiohead at the park in 2011 was really uncomfortable, we were there for warpaint and it was a crush + rubbish weather. Probably one of my least favourite glasto sets, put us off seeing pulp the following day. 

Felt like muse at the pyramid in 2004 wasn't really that busy. I feel like I got there late and got a really good position. Was also very wasted so could just be my mind playing tricks. Was an amazing set.

[MEGATRONICMEATWAGON]

13 minutes ago, glimmers_of_hope said:

I wondered who was on before stevie wonder in JP. We rocked up early to watch Ash (so probably just after BSS) who were the JP headliner and there was barely anyone in the tent. Barely in double figures, I looked at my wife and said that I thought we might be making a huge mistake and so we went to pyramid and sure enough it was Rammo for stevie. 

anyway, often I can't tell if a set is quiet because I move as close as I can.  Whatever year Mercury rev headlined the park (2016 I think) the crowd was really small at the start and got a little busier before we went to watch new order. 

Killers at JP was busy, but we were there really early for Frank Carter and if you were in the tent you couldn't really tell that it was so bonkers outside. 

Radiohead at the park in 2011 was really uncomfortable, we were there for warpaint and it was a crush + rubbish weather. Probably one of my least favourite glasto sets, put us off seeing pulp the following day. 

Felt like muse at the pyramid in 2004 wasn't really that busy. I feel like I got there late and got a really good position. Was also very wasted so could just be my mind playing tricks. Was an amazing set.

It's difficult for anyone up against the megastars like Stevie, Macca, EJ. They've got so much clout they just hoover people up.

Radiohead 2011 was just a horrible mix. Bad weather, swathes of people, a muddy hill. I think I saw more aggro during the before and during of that set than at any other time at the festival. Not violence or anything like that, but people pushing past one another, falling over, lots of shouting and instructions of where people should be moving etc. Just crap. Also put us off from the TBA the next day.

But also, agree it's hard to really tell if a crowd is busy or not if you're nearish the front or in your own corner. The best way of understanding how rammed a place (outside of obvious sets like Macca when you just know it's rammed), is on iPlayer afterwards. I've been to countless shows, thought, "Oh, it's not that bad", but then seen it again on TV and be wowed. 

[FuzzyDunlop]

2 of my crew went to the West Holts and watched Flying Lotus in 2015. Sais the crowd was sparse. We were at the Chemical Brothers which was very busy. They came and met us after about half an hour.

[Skip997]

2 minutes ago, MEGATRONICMEATWAGON said:

It's difficult for anyone up against the megastars like Stevie, Macca, EJ. They've got so much clout they just hoover people up.

This is one thing I like about megastars, they provide space for the more discerning at other stages.

Looking forward to being the only one at whatever venue I end up at on Sunday night.

Although in retrospect I do regret missing Stevie Wonder

[BambooShanks]

15 minutes ago, FuzzyDunlop said:

2 of my crew went to the West Holts and watched Flying Lotus in 2015. Sais the crowd was sparse

Can confirm.  My memory is fuzzy but don't think the crowd reached the soundstage and there was plenty of space. 

Interesting show though

[MEGATRONICMEATWAGON]

1 hour ago, Skip997 said:

This is one thing I like about megastars, they provide space for the more discerning at other stages.

Looking forward to being the only one at whatever venue I end up at on Sunday night.

Although in retrospect I do regret missing Stevie Wonder

Stevie Wonder was an all-timer. I think EJ is going to be as well.

Don't make the same mistake twice, Skip! 😄