Ban the f**king flags

[danbailey80]

33 minutes ago, DeanoL said:

I seem to remember the festival did a poll a few years back and it was roughly 50/50 for ban/keep, with keep coming out marginally ahead.

Numbers will change now, buy I say this just to make the point that neither side is in a tiny minority on this. It's not just 10 angry people on forums that don't like them and it's not just the people who take them that *do* like them. Lots of people on both side. Point being, have the discussion but anyone claiming that one side is tiny compared to the other is straight up wrong.

The thing about that poll is that they didn't give an option of 'Requesting they are not taken beyond the sound desk'. To say they should be "banned' is not necessary. I think they could find a compromise, such as asking on the screens in between acts. 

 

 

[hfuhruhurr]

I'm on the no flag side but also big hats can get in the sea too. Saw some crazy fool with a sodding great pyramid on his head!

[sprocketrocket]

I'm in the no flags camp, but compromise could be reached? 

On the screens before an act, they could put a message up asking people to take them down for the performance. People tend to follow rules and if that even encourages 75% of people to do it then that's a win. 

[jannybruck]

This was the first year I've noticed them fairly aggressively get in the way of the Pyramid coverage and directors having to find (often multiple) alternative angles fairly quickly, which is an extra layer of friction overworked telly people probably don't need while they're working the fest.

I don't know if there's any debrief from the BBC and the festival itself but I can't imagine this not seriously coming up in discussions.

[al_coholic]

So just watching back Rick Astley and there is some complete bell end in the pit with a f**king swingball. And he's swinging it around. If there was any reason to ban this sh*t this is it. What kind of absolutely self centered twat does that. 

[tom22]

Love the flags. Some absolute corkers this year, the Kendall In the Wind one was a highlight.

Would say maybe having a ban on

- corporate logos, the 30% off gym discount one was just taking the piss, and a few Radio X ones just looked out of place

- Massive flags, there was one for Maddy or Matty (?) 30th in the style of a Stella Artois logo which was about 3x the size of the others

- Short flag poles, if they're all 5M+ up in the air they keep the view much less obstructed

could be a way to go perhaps.

 

But, unless you're right up the front, being able to see the artist on the stage is a bit pointless, they just become like an ant size wise, and the screens are far more useful for seeing what's going on than being able to see the stage. Never not been able to see more than enough of what's going on, and the flags are so distinctively glasto and look great in person and on the tv.

[Crazyfool01]

On 6/24/2023 at 12:26 PM, airwaves said:

And WTAF Is this monstrosity twirling above punter's heads at Rick Astley?? 

😡😡😡

@FuzzyDunlop is that you ? 

[Respectfatfrog]

Flags are the trendy thing to do it seems there was a big rise this year sadly I'm now converted to no flags 

[Cbrinxy]

I love the atmosphere the flags give but I would like to see the stage. I noticed it’s only the ones that are closest to the stage that really obstruct the views so maybe there can be a ‘no flag zone’ in a certain radius in front of the stages 

[balti-pie]

Ban em in the pit, keep em in the rest of the field for the spectacle 👍

[Sasperella2]

4 hours ago, DeanoL said:

It is absolutely crazy to have an elevated disabled viewing platform that has no view of the stage!

I was standing right next to the viewing platform for AMs and had a perfectly good view of the screens. I cant remember if I could see Alex or not but tbh at that far back your only looking T the screens and the beautiful overall view (which includes flags, crowd and sky) 

[strummer77]

1 hour ago, tom22 said:

Love the flags. Some absolute corkers this year, the Kendall In the Wind one was a highlight.

Would say maybe having a ban on

- corporate logos, the 30% off gym discount one was just taking the piss, and a few Radio X ones just looked out of place

- Massive flags, there was one for Maddy or Matty (?) 30th in the style of a Stella Artois logo which was about 3x the size of the others

- Short flag poles, if they're all 5M+ up in the air they keep the view much less obstructed

could be a way to go perhaps.

 

But, unless you're right up the front, being able to see the artist on the stage is a bit pointless, they just become like an ant size wise, and the screens are far more useful for seeing what's going on than being able to see the stage. Never not been able to see more than enough of what's going on, and the flags are so distinctively glasto and look great in person and on the tv.

Bolded bit isn’t really true. Take Lil Nas X. On the post I had from next to the disabled platform - without the flags down in the pit you would have seen him jumping on the giant horse and it coming on stage. Of course you wouldn’t see clear facial expressions, but you would be see the musicians interact, massive stage set up and backdrop screens at the back of stage.  
 

Keep the tall and appropriate size ones but lose the mass of them at the front. 

[efcfanwirral]

1 hour ago, Sasperella2 said:

I was standing right next to the viewing platform for AMs and had a perfectly good view of the screens. I cant remember if I could see Alex or not but tbh at that far back your only looking T the screens and the beautiful overall view (which includes flags, crowd and sky) 

I was just in front of the sound desks for foos and couldn't see either the stage or either screen. First time I've noticed this happening 

[Xeph1995]

6 hours ago, strummer77 said:

 

Here’s a photo from next to the disabled platform on the right hand side and it was a stretch to see ANY of the stage for most of the afternoon. So loads of people in wheelchairs etc on the platform couldn’t see  

Honestly I can’t understand why people are against some sort of rules to allow people to view the stage! There has to be some compromise to allow both to happen.
 

Yes people can pick better spots on quieter gigs but for something like Elton you had to take where you could get to and be comfortable. Just  seeing a wall of flags should not be ok.

I have no problem with this, just straight up vibes imo. 

Wouldn't be the same without views like this, seeing the stage really isn't the most important aspect imo. 

Edited June 26, 2023 by Xeph1995

[HotChipWillBreakYourLegs]

13 hours ago, Sasperella2 said:

I was standing right next to the viewing platform for AMs and had a perfectly good view of the screens. I cant remember if I could see Alex or not but tbh at that far back your only looking T the screens and the beautiful overall view (which includes flags, crowd and sky) 

Maybe people might want to choose to look at other things on stage and not just what the director chooses for them.

And flag carriers force others to look at their flags and not the stage.

[strummer77]

11 hours ago, Xeph1995 said:

I have no problem with this, just straight up vibes imo. 

Wouldn't be the same without views like this, seeing the stage really isn't the most important aspect imo. 

This is your opinion but for loads of others it isn’t. Lots of people do like seeing the bands and have paid money to do so. Is the ‘vibe’ worse in West Holts where you can see? Seemed a lot better in that field for packed sets. 
 

Choosing your ‘vibes’ over others views - including disabled people viewing the stage from the platform - is clearly selfish. Compromise should be found and clearly can 

Edited June 27, 2023 by strummer77

[ameski18]

It's the Insta generation! They want the "there I was" moment on the tele. 

I'm not really sure how they could ban them - I mean you're not allowed coke or glass bottles either but I saw plenty of those over the weekend too! 

[Justcalledtosay]

After this years festival i've gone from 'keep the flags, i love them, they make Glasto special' to ban them from the pit. I watched a few sets from half way to three quarters of the way back in the field and the stage is completely obscured. I felt sorry for people that can't or won't go any further forward due to their health or mental issues.

[DeanoL]

15 hours ago, tom22 said:

But, unless you're right up the front, being able to see the artist on the stage is a bit pointless, they just become like an ant size wise, and the screens are far more useful for seeing what's going on than being able to see the stage. Never not been able to see more than enough of what's going on, and the flags are so distinctively glasto and look great in person and on the tv.

But the Pyramid is on a hill. So you go a bit further back, and the flags are now blocking the screens as well.

[MEGATRONICMEATWAGON]

Just to resurrect this thread.

I had a question. Does it actually matter if you see the performers themselves on the stage if you know you're at the gig anyway?

Like, I could barely see Elton John, I was pretty central, past the two sound stages. Couldn't see hardly at all. He was sat down behind a piano for 90% of it. I doubt most of the crowd saw him much at all. But did it matter?

 

[jow95]

On 6/27/2023 at 12:53 PM, DeanoL said:

But the Pyramid is on a hill. So you go a bit further back, and the flags are now blocking the screens as well.

They're almost the size of the pyramid itself and I doubt you couldn't see that. 

[Drinky]

14 minutes ago, MEGATRONICMEATWAGON said:

Just to resurrect this thread.

I had a question. Does it actually matter if you see the performers themselves on the stage if you know you're at the gig anyway?

Like, I could barely see Elton John, I was pretty central, past the two sound stages. Couldn't see hardly at all. He was sat down behind a piano for 90% of it. I doubt most of the crowd saw him much at all. But did it matter?

 

Elton sits up there with Blur and the Stones where the vibes were enough to make up for any views or lack thereof. Plus unlike Radiohead 2017 he used the screens properly

Edited February 24 by Drinky

[GrumpyRaver]

Most pointless thread ever.

[clarkete]

56 minutes ago, Drinky said:

Elton sits up there with Blur and the Stones where the vibes were enough to make up for any views or lack thereof. Plus unlike Radiohead 2017 he used the screens properly

You had an incredible view from where you were. 

 

Many of us had a view like this

 

[Ben7amin_]

18 minutes ago, GrumpyRaver said:

Most pointless thread ever.

Agreed