Ban the f**king flags

[stuie]

12 minutes ago, I am Jon said:

I think the only way to get rid of them is if all the flag haters turn up this year carrying commercial flags like this.

 

It will be a sacrifice but will force organisers into banning them next year. 

I can see why they wouldn’t like it but I can’t see them policing it… they can’t even stop people letting off flares in dense stage crowds so security won’t barge through to get a flag 

[Skip997]

2 minutes ago, stuie said:

I can see why they wouldn’t like it but I can’t see them policing it… they can’t even stop people letting off flares in dense stage crowds so security won’t barge through to get a flag 

They managed to remove the protesters at the U2 headline slot 

[I am Jon]

28 minutes ago, stuie said:

I can see why they wouldn’t like it but I can’t see them policing it… they can’t even stop people letting off flares in dense stage crowds so security won’t barge through to get a flag 

Just need an official announcement and occasional notice on the screens asking people to take them down. That should be enough to get rid of the majority of flags blocking views during acts. 
 

Edited June 18 by I am Jon

[gfa]

They clearly have no interest in banning flags.

[Ged Devereux]

29 minutes ago, Beerqueen said:

I was at Richard Hawley last week and we remarked on how few people were filming for any length of time, just a quick photo or video for less than half a song and that was it.

Had a woman sat in front of me who took a load of pictures at the beginning of every song 

[Hotfry]

Ban the f**king flags

[Supernintendo Chalmers]

37 minutes ago, gfa said:

They clearly have no interest in banning flags.

 

Totally agree. I think the organisers see them as part of the cultural fabric, imagery unique to the festival. They're even included on official artwork, albeit downscaled to the reality of the situation.

 

As angry as people get about flags, I really don't see a future where they're banned at all.

[gherkin8r]

25 minutes ago, Supernintendo Chalmers said:

 

Totally agree. I think the organisers see them as part of the cultural fabric, imagery unique to the festival. They're even included on official artwork, albeit downscaled to the reality of the situation.

 

As angry as people get about flags, I really don't see a future where they're banned at all.

I've never once been more than very mildly annoyed by flags in 9 visits. Maybe it got lots worse last year.

[ourkid1984]

13 hours ago, Yoghurt on a Stick said:

 

I think what you say may be the whole point - should the minority be represented when the possibly 'perceived' majority do not want that? Which way lies democracy? 

I'm not sure what the majority opinion is on the whole flags debate, I can just say that from what I've heard from people is they're popular. At any big event you can't please everyone but you can do efforts to reduce invasive and rude behaviour and I don't know what everyone else thinks but I'd be surprised if people saw flags being more of a problem than loud chats or constant phone use during gigs. 

[bennyhana22]

13 minutes ago, ourkid1984 said:

I'm not sure what the majority opinion is on the whole flags debate, I can just say that from what I've heard from people is they're popular. At any big event you can't please everyone but you can do efforts to reduce invasive and rude behaviour and I don't know what everyone else thinks but I'd be surprised if people saw flags being more of a problem than loud chats or constant phone use during gigs. 

 

Absolutely this.

 

Personally, I love the flags. Do they obscure the view a bit? Yes. Does it detract significantly from my enjoyment? No.

 

I'm probably not the best person to use as an example, as I am almost never at the Pyramid which is, I would suggest, the only place where flag density might really piss people off. For me, the images of a flag-festooned Pointy are part of what make it such a special place and genuinely unique.

 

Now, crowd talkers and set video-recorders.....

Ben

[stuie]

25 minutes ago, gherkin8r said:

I've never once been more than very mildly annoyed by flags in 9 visits. Maybe it got lots worse last year.

exactly the same… file my vote under couldn’t care less about flags! If anything, I’d say that they add to the iconic imagery of the pyramid field. 
 

this thread is quite old now so I reckon I’ve added my opinion on here a few times whenever it pops up! 

[Claire0406]

i actually quite like the flags and i am somebody who doesn't go deep into the crowd, i think it makes glasto unique and i love seeing what people come up with, however if it becomes all adverts then i would change my mind. 

[Ben7amin_]

100% if you go to a festival now that has big stages and does not have flags it feels a bit soulless compared to Glastonbury. The sound and atmosphere are number 1 &2 , getting a clear view of the stage is 3. And I cant get 3 without damaging 2 then I'm in favour of flags. 

 

Only ones I would get rid of are those who use it to advertise this feels a little wrong. 

 

Perhaps the shorter ones among us (like me) are so use to having our view blocked we stopped caring. 

Edited June 18 by Ben7amin_

[clarkete]

3 hours ago, bennyhana22 said:

I'm probably not the best person to use as an example, as I am almost never at the Pyramid which is, I would suggest, the only place where flag density might really piss people off. For me, the images of a flag-festooned Pointy are part of what make it such a special place and genuinely unique.

 

Now, crowd talkers and set video-recorders.....

Ben

 

Why do you have a strong view on it if you don't go to the stage where it's most commonly an issue? 

 

As for video, these days the view is so poor there for larger acts that problem solves itself. 

 

2 hours ago, Ben7amin_ said:

100% if you go to a festival now that has big stages and does not have flags it feels a bit soulless compared to Glastonbury. The sound and atmosphere are number 1 &2 , getting a clear view of the stage is 3. And I cant get 3 without damaging 2 then I'm in favour of flags. 

 

Never been there, but I recall from previous threads mention of flags being down, for example for Arctics at Reading and Leeds? 

 

A selection of pictures from the last couple of years.  I moaned before that during Elton there was quite a bit of the set I couldn't see him or his guests even on any of the multiple screens.  

 

A common riposte is that if you want a better view move elsewhere, but I believe one of the pics is from the accessibility platform in the centre and clearly they don't have that choice. 

 

I've also included two old pictures people shared, one from Bowie and one from Leonard Cohen. You can clearly see the difference and I'd be somewhat surprised if anyone claimed they would have been improved by a bunch of radio x flags clustered right in front. 

 

People should take what they like...just put em down when the acts are on. 

 

 

 

[Tiesto13]

I don't mind the flags too much, I do enjoy some of them, particularly when they are pretty decent artist specific joke, shows someone has put a bit of thought and effort into it. Not a fan of people who just show up with a county/country flag though, save those for your tent. They are also helpful even if you aren't holding them if finding your mates.

 

Flags with advertising can get in the bin though.

 

Re phones at gigs, I think a large part of this is reflective of how important people's phones are in them experiencing something now. I have to admit, I always try and take one photo of every set at a festival I'm at/every gig, just to give me something to look back on and remember. Obviously a big difference between that and filming whole songs/sets, which I agree is complete nonsense, but also think that the proliferation of phones will be more likely people grabbing a few photos which takes up 2-3 minutes of an hour long set which they are otherwise fully invested in.

 

 

 

 

[goldfishboy]

4 hours ago, Ben7amin_ said:

The sound and atmosphere are number 1 &2 , getting a clear view of the stage is 3. And I cant get 3 without damaging 2 then I'm in favour of flags. 

 

but every glastonbury before flags became popular had great atmosphere AND a clearer view of the stage

[bennyboi]

I dont see much on the pyramid, only Elton last year, Nothing on my list this year so I'm not too fussed. 

 

Thing I dont understand is WTF people would burden them a f*cking 20ft flag pole all weekend?????

 

Why do people do it? 

[ramblingmad]

Going to bring a flag for the first time this year but only because it will just be me and my partner and I'm a bit worried about he occasion where she will need to pee in the middle of a set. We will only use it when one of us needs to walk away when we're in a crowd otherwise it will go in our bag.

[incident]

1 hour ago, bennyboi said:

I dont see much on the pyramid, only Elton last year, Nothing on my list this year so I'm not too fussed. 

 

Thing I dont understand is WTF people would burden them a f*cking 20ft flag pole all weekend?????

 

Why do people do it? 

 

Because they want to spot themselves on TV, and show it to everyone down the pub / on Facebook / WhatsApp.

 

Literally, that's the only reason.

[Looother]

 

That's obviously completely out of hand. Unless you're at the front of that crowd there's no chance of seeing anything but flag, and the ability of someone in the audience to see the stage obviously takes precedence over the ability of someone watching on TV to see their mate's flag.

[CaledonianGonzo]

1 hour ago, ramblingmad said:

Going to bring a flag for the first time this year but only because it will just be me and my partner and I'm a bit worried about he occasion where she will need to pee in the middle of a set. We will only use it when one of us needs to walk away when we're in a crowd otherwise it will go in our bag.

Just buy a cheap hand-held antenna with a little marker on the top of it like tour guides use. Works just as well.

[DeanoL]

23 hours ago, gfa said:

They clearly have no interest in banning flags.

The festival don't, they quite like them.

 

The BBC absolutely do, they've made filming a nightmare for years, there's certain angles that just can't be got any more (wide shots) - if you compare the Glastonbury footage to other live festival footage you'll notice it. It's either close ups of a particular band member, a weirdly angled top-down wide shot (got with cameras above the flags) or big pull back audience shots. It's not ideal, and increasingly problematic for newer acts who have choreography, dancers and other stuff going on on stage.

The advertising flags have also caused a bit of a nightmare in recent years for even audience footage.

 

It'll eventually be pressure from the BBC that gets them to do something if they do something. And will likely depend on the power-dynamics in that relationship.

[DeanoL]

4 minutes ago, CaledonianGonzo said:

Just buy a cheap hand-held antenna with a little marker on the top of it like tour guides use. Works just as well.

Or just stand near someone with a flag. All the benefits and you don't have to carry a flag around all day.

[rwhitehouse13]

1 hour ago, Looother said:

 

That's obviously completely out of hand. Unless you're at the front of that crowd there's no chance of seeing anything but flag, and the ability of someone in the audience to see the stage obviously takes precedence over the ability of someone watching on TV to see their mate's flag.

This photo shows exactly why they need ti be banned. That’s shite for anyone except those at the front. And it looks rubbish on TV too.

 

The main focus should be the stage and the artist performing, not a load of flags. It’s an arts and music festival, not a flag festival.

[Claire0406]

5 minutes ago, rwhitehouse13 said:

This photo shows exactly why they need ti be banned. That’s shite for anyone except those at the front. And it looks rubbish on TV too.

 

The main focus should be the stage and the artist performing, not a load of flags. It’s an arts and music festival, not a flag festival.

if you were looking at it from the same level as the peoples heads though, they will be seeing the stage fine, it is only really if you are really far back that it blocks your view but then you wouldn't see much from back there anyway, i camp opposite the pyramid stage and i go into the crowd and only ever to about half way down and i can't say i have ever really had too much of a problem or certainly never thought it was because of the flags. As long as they don't become forms of advertising i like them and think it makes the festival unique