My last Guilfest

[Johnny Echo Echo]

Thats it!

After five years on the trot, you won`t see me at Guilfest again.

This year was a fxxking joke.

From the toilets (what bloody toilets???) to the so called "diverse" line-up (that`ll be the SKA weekender then), the speaker collapses, the random line-up changes and delays to the absolute tosser new security company bloke that told me off for taking photos from the audience of the Icicle Works because "people have paid a lot of money to use the photographer`s pit and you`re not allowed to take photos using a big camera like that from the audience" (the big camera is a £100 compact actually from Argos)

It was the icing on the cake as I laughed in the little scamp`s face and the audience around me told him to go forth and multiply!

I have never felt so unwelcome at a festival, felt so ripped off or wanted to smack a security guard before (ever!), ...so next year I shall follow the lead of UNCUT magazine (who used to sponser the second stage before Guilfest upped the fee) and bugger off to their own Latitude festival instead.

Guilfest, as they say on CBBC`s "Best of Friends" - you SUCK!

[Peridot]

Having just got back from my worst festival experience ever, I am not in the right state of mind to reply reasonably to the posters who are offering excuses and explanations for the inexcusable shambles that was Guilfest 2007

So I'll just say 'here here' to this one.

[5co77ie]

Just out of interest is it the festival or the campsite that has you narked? I only ask cos in my experience a bad campsite puts me off more than the festie - ie lack of sleep. Last year we had the neighbours from hell - this year much better - and thus a better experience.

[Peridot]

Just out of interest is it the festival or the campsite that has you narked? I only ask cos in my experience a bad campsite puts me off more than the festie - ie lack of sleep. Last year we had the neighbours from hell - this year much better - and thus a better experience.

[jacketspud]

I decided to not go this year because I diddnt enjoy it last year and so decided to put a different festival on my list for this year to replace it. At the last minute I really wished that we were going cos i liked the look of the line up this year a bit more compared to last year (just my personal thing)

Anyhow although I diddnt enjoy it last year for a few reasons it wasnt enough to ever put me off going again - Im sure one year we will be back - what im saying is things change and hopefully for the better - put a complaint in in writing about the toilets if they really upset you and they will take notice - cos its a shame not to go to a festival just because of the toilets. I always expect the worse when i go to a festival toilet and go equipped with tissue/anti bac etc and a bucket for the tent if camping with little ones ( I even bought those travel johns for my daughter for incase there was ever a long queue for the loos and she was desperate )

Bad to hear about the fight in the crowd though - not very Guilfest at all!

[Johnny Echo Echo]

Sorry Sco77ie, it has nothing to do with the campsite (my decision not to return to guilfest), as I mentioned it was what happened throughout the site and Peridots comments on a few things I forgot too, like the four can rule (why not make it four cans of lager in blue cans only? - its just as stupid either way!) and the glass bottles on site. The security checked no-ones bag as I walked through, I myself carried a bag through at least twenty times without a second glance) i`m telling you the place is full of excuses - the council let us down etc, but who employed them? ...with our bloody ticket money? ... stop passing the damn buck and put your hands up Guilfest!! I feel I`ve been put through a mincer this weekend and the organisers won`t see my money again. I used to recommend this festival and even got a few friends to come along in past years - they won`t be back either.

[DeanoL]

Well I enjoyed it, but it was my 7th Guilfest/Guildford live and easily the worst: the sunday obsession with Ska, the appaling state of the toilets, the lack of the little things that make Guilfest fun, the fairly poor line-up in the comedy tent on saturday (made worse by the fact that for the first time they were actually enforcing the 'no swearing/rude stuff' rule for the comics). Again, it wasn't *bad* but it was the worst it's been in 7 years.

[Neil]

the fairly poor line-up in the comedy tent on saturday (made worse by the fact that for the first time they were actually enforcing the 'no swearing/rude stuff' rule for the comics).

while I can't tell you they were good if you thought they weren't, I can tell you about the 'no swearing' thing .... now that there's late night comedy after the bands are finished, the daytime stuff is classed as family friendly, and the late stuff is classed as 'adult'.

For a festival with so many kids attending, this is fair enough - after all, some parents don't like their kids to hear that sort of stuff, and by splitting it in this way then everyone's tastes can be happily accommodated.

[Johnny Echo Echo]

Fair enough Neil - but I wasn`t laughing!

[Peridot]

... made worse by the fact that for the first time they were actually enforcing the 'no swearing/rude stuff' rule for the comics ...

[DeanoL]

while I can't tell you they were good if you thought they weren't, I can tell you about the 'no swearing' thing .... now that there's late night comedy after the bands are finished, the daytime stuff is classed as family friendly, and the late stuff is classed as 'adult'.

For a festival with so many kids attending, this is fair enough - after all, some parents don't like their kids to hear that sort of stuff, and by splitting it in this way then everyone's tastes can be happily accommodated.

[zydaco]

glad i gave guilfest a miss this year by the feed back on here,it used to be great vib ,class acts weller,pogues,qou,saw doctors,water boys,blondey,space ritual,seem to go down hill when they lost the chill out tent,we go to the smaller festys now much more laid back less twats to,

[fruitcake]

I gave Guilfest a miss in 2007 and i must say judging from the feedback, I am glad i did.

We have been going since 1998 and in 2006 we felt the festival had completely lost its friendly family feeling vibe.

Security are disinterested and positivley unfriendly.

Camping is cramped, toilets bad.

Cant get any where near the front of the stage too many people crammed in (day people with their cool boxes blankets and chairs who camp out for the day and give you bad looks and abuse if you step on their blanket as you try and squeeze by!!)

Definately looking for the smaller festies with the traditional laid back friendly vibe.

R.I.P. Guilfest

[Alfie Reefer]

I have to say I didn't get the same experience in 2006 as I had in 2005 either. Didn't go last year as i live abroad, but things being well I may go this year, but I did notice in 2007 there were a hell of a lot of unsigned bands performing, even in the Rock Tent. Guilfest will have to get it's format right if they are going to maintain the festival in future years.

[blackplanet8]

Went for 6 years but in 2006 the atmosphere was different,lots of chavs/open drug dealing--the quality of bands[unsigned and unheard of] in the smaller tents was poor/beer prices high/dance tent just repetitive generic dance music with a gathering of unsavoury types/to many picnic blankets&chairs---went to Latitude/greenman/solfest/end of the road instead all with better atmospheres/music/cheaper tastier beer/better dance tents.I hope Guilfest gets its act together because it still has a soft spot in my heart after 6 years and getting me back to festivals again after a long break but there is a lot more competition out there now.

[geofelgie]

I switched to Latitude last year simply because the quality of the line up dipped alarmingly for the second year in a row. So fortunately I missed last years debarcle.

What i find amusing is some years ago there was a silly little one day festival in a park in Reigate headlined by Voulez Vous.....Guilfest made comments in the local press when it was announced (just before guilfest took place if I recall) saying ....Come to a real festival....type stuff......and stated that you'd never see tribute acts at GuilFest........ now you have one headlining!!!!!! And i suspect the "From the Jam" twollocks will be the main draw.

Got into a bit of an argument with Neil recently about this so I've checked up on my facts......I know 23 people who went to Guilfest last year (not including kids etc) and not one of them enjoyed last year. That is NONE. what i didn't realise is that seven of them left early....a couple of them quite early on the Saturday.

This is such a shame....I used to really love this festival.....this festival got me into festivals!!!! But the booking the last couple of years has got so tired they really should either give it up or get someone in to do it for them.

So, I'm not going to say never because I would be so made up if they did sort it out, but I wont be back this year. The worrying thing is I live 12 miles away, I'm music obsessed, I hang around with other music-obsessives, but I don't know a single person who is intending to go to Guilfest this year - as i say 23 last year, it must've been well over 50 in 2005. And tired old blondie and a covers band are not going to change anyones mind.

[eFestivals]

all that says more about your friends than it does about Guilfest.

[geofelgie]

oh really!!!!!

So i should find friends who like dragging five year olds through massive puddles of shit should i??????

[Song Simon]

I was expecting last year to be my last one - not because I didn't enjoy it, more because every year I expect it to be the last one they do!

Pleasantly surprised there's one for 2008 though, and I'll definitely be around for it (in body, not necessarily in mind). Have to admit I'm underwhelmed by today's announcement, it's a bit too heavy on nostalgia acts and reformed bands for me, but hopefully there'll be some good stuff somewhere else on the bill.

[geofelgie]

the age range goes from 18 to fifty something.

We have lifelong status quo fans as well as goths and tragically emo addicted thirty somethings.

8 couples and 7 singles

18 kids between them off the top of my head.

I've been to 8 guilfests......no knowing how many they've been to between them but I'm guessing it would top 50.

Several have been/are in bands.

A whole bunch of them still regularly go to the Cambridge Folk festival - one's played several times.

Personally I'd've thought these were exactly the type of people guilfest would want rather than the sort of pumped up chav you're beginning to sound like

[eFestivals]

oh really!!!!!

So i should find friends who like dragging five year olds through massive puddles of shit should i??????

there were no puddles of shit.

There were puddles of piss which was very unfortunate. Guilfest went all out to have the best bogs that any festival ever had had, and had the infrastructure on the site (water & sewerage) been up to it as Guilfest were told it was then it wouldn't have been an issue and everyone would be heaping massive praise on them for caring about their customers far more than any other fest.

Yes, it was a f**k up, and a huge one. But it was a f**k up that came about due to having the very best intentions for the attendees, and not (as you'll find at most fests including some that some people like to see as Guilfest competition) because the organisers were looking to shave their spending everywhere possible and shaft the punters.

[eFestivals]

the sort of pumped up chav you're beginning to sound like

the only "pumped up chav" round here is the one who doesn't know what the f**k they're talking about - you. You are talking factually incorrect bollox, which if told you by your friends comes back to what I said - it says more about your friends than Guilfest. It's not like you were there to know for yourself.

Edited March 27, 2008 by eFestivals

[sonny]

Pleasantly surprised there's one for 2008 though, and I'll definitely be around for it (in body, not necessarily in mind). Have to admit I'm underwhelmed by today's announcement, it's a bit too heavy on nostalgia acts and reformed bands for me, but hopefully there'll be some good stuff somewhere else on the bill.

Edited March 27, 2008 by sonny

[lamstonite]

the only "pumped up chav" round here is the one who doesn't know what the f**k they're talking about - you. You are talking factually incorrect bollox, which if told you by your friends comes back to what I said - it says more about your friends than Guilfest. It's not like you were there to know for yourself.

[eFestivals]

how can you say he's talking factually incorrect bollox? He said his friends didn't enjoy it and left. How can you question that?

because there were no puddles of shit as he claimed.

And it seems to me (a complete 100% neutral, i dont know guildfest and couldn't give a shit about it ) that they f**ked up last year big time. People have got every right to complain about it on here and stay away and rave about festivals that they prefer

yep, Guilfest f**ked up - but due to having the best intentions. Guilfest admit that themselves.

And yes, people have the right to complain - but only to complain on what actually happened, and not on what they've made up that didn't happen. And yes, people are entitled to stay away and rave about a festival they prefer - but with regard to this guy's mates, as he's said they left early on the Saturday, I don't have much idea why they were there in the first place. The only reason to have left early was if you hated all the bands on 5 stages, the comedy, the dance DJs, and the extra bits and pieces, but if you hated all that then perhaps it's best to stick to Glynebourne and not somewhere that has contemporary music and other contemporary stuff?

It's a fact that ticket sales for Guilfest have increased year on year every year for the last few years (if not for longer). So while people are entitled to not like it, it remains the case that it's becoming ever more popular.

I'm not trying to say it's perfect - but what festival is? Guilfest is somewhat different to many other fests anyway and always has been - it's set up to work in Guildford, an area that's close enough to London that it's hard to get people to take interest in anything local; this is why (for example) that a major city like Guildford has no major gig venue (unless one has re-appeared in the last year or so?). Guilfest has to be made to work with where it is, and it's succeeding at that very well, irregardless of what some people who couldn't find anything to like over five music stages and more think.

Edited March 27, 2008 by eFestivals