Glastonbury Festival 2013

[Goaty]

Wonder if anyone been to Glastonbury before, as I am off to there on next Thursday early morning. It would be my first time there, so looking forward to it!

[Colin YNWA]

I went to Glastonbury regularly (the years it was on) between 1995 and 2005, I think that's something like 9 times. It really was / is still I'm sure a fantastic event, its certainly was getting increasing mainstream during that time, a point which I hope has hit its nadir with Chris Evans now presenting the TV coverage and the truth be told I don't miss it anymore, in fact the only time I have missed it since I stopped going was when Neil Young played. Always wanted to see Neil Young there.

All that said as an event its miles ahead of all the other festivals I've been too (except probably ATP which I also have been to a number of times). The key difference with Glastonbury is the classic, once ya in, ya in. None of this camping and the rest separate, no bag check ever day, nowt like that. Its vast and some of my favourite times there have been wondering off, getting lost from my friends and just exploring (or stumbling around more like) and just finding corners and places I'd never been. Acrobats at 2am, stages you never knew existed, meeting glowing monster and having a lovely chat with them, safe foot sex, just sitting in fields over looking the site marveling at the wonders spread out.

Another Glastonbury cliche that is oh so true (and seemingly increasingly ever year judging by the music  line-up) is don't let it be all about the music. Find the circus field and be amazed, wonder the Green fields, get sucked into Lost Vagueness (do they still do Lost Vagueness?) really explore and you'll find wonders. Ration the bands to those you really want to see otherwise it'll become a march between stages and frustration at the crowds.

Most of all the talk of the terrible loos is just nonsense, I mean I wouldn't picnic there, but I've seen a lot worse, particularly if you use the long drops which aren't closed in. That 'fresh' air does wonders for them. Always carry some loo roll mind and take wet wipes to wash.

Take care of each other.

[COMMANDO FORCES]

Wet wipes to wash, how uncivil

I shall watch the highlights on the television set, in the comfort of my own home thank you very much.

[I, Cosh]

Take care of each other.

Could be wrong, but I don't think Goaty will be going mental with the acid mangoes.

[Goaty]

Take care of each other.

Could be wrong, but I don't think Goaty will be going mental with the acid mangoes.

A what?

[Dandontdare]

I'm contractually obligated to whinge about how it was much better in my day and it's now too commercial etc, but it's still a fantastic event.

I went 4 times between about 86-92, before the security fence, police on site, flushable loos or TV coverage. I blagged or snuck my way in; or paid a pittance each time, I think I only once bought a full price ticket  (so while ticket sales have gone up and up since then, I'm not sure actual attendance has)

Good advice from Colin, especially about rushing around trying to see every band. Pick a few rock solid highlights and then just wander around sampling whatever you come across. Head for the Greenfield for a bit of tranquility amongst the chaos and don't plan on sleeping much.

It's worth trekking longer with your gear when you first arrive to find a camping spot that's slightly less crowded than people who just dump their stuff as soon as they get in. It's a good idea to have a flag or a distinctive tent because it can be hard to find yours among the millions of others.

and don't take the brown acid 

[CrazyFoxMachine]

Another Glastonbury cliche that is oh so true (and seemingly increasingly ever year judging by the music  line-up) is don't let it be all about the music. Find the circus field and be amazed, wonder the Green fields, get sucked into Lost Vagueness (do they still do Lost Vagueness?) really explore and you'll find wonders. Ration the bands to those you really want to see otherwise it'll become a march between stages and frustration at the crowds.

Couldn't agree more that's a really beautiful thing to read someone else saying. I met a man at (a different) festival and we got talking about Glasto and he went "oh last year I just plonked myself in front of the pyramid stage for the whole weekend" I nearly throttled him! What a waste of yer money and yer Glastonbury experience, to just sit and watch a load of overhyped sods. Glastonbury's never been about that for me. It's as much the green crafts & futures, enormous Greenpeace & Water Aid displays, Jazz world circus n' cabaret - the Pilton palais cinema! There's big ale tent next to that normally... the cider bus, the brothers bar! The Bimble Inn and the Rabbit Hole, finding a nook that sells weird wine at three in the morning and watching a Balkan hip hop punk jazz trio.... sigh

My mum used to work high-up there so I've been literally ever year 'since I were born except maybe 1998-2002 when the family stopped camping and I wasn't old enough to go stay on my own. Hell I'm from the actual Glastonbury TOWN. The one the majority of Somerset's June visitors never check out

I've got an enormous list of people worth seeing but I will say that Professor Elemental who I've been doing comics with for a while is playing Sensation Seekers Sat & Sun half five to six. Also I can't recommend Steve Frost's Improv All-Stars more. Like Whose Line but live often with Phill Jupitus - Astrolabe Fri & Sat half one - !

Goaty fling me a PM we'll meet up and I'll get ye a cider.

Also - in regards to Lost Vagueness it stopped being that in the mid to early noughties I think then as of '07 or '08 I think it became "Shangri La" which is much bigger (and regrettably) a bit more of a "thing". It was themed the first two years as a dystopian Blade Runner future, with junk shop bristling alleyways and weird installations, there are about a trillion stages up there. Since then I think it's lost it's theme a little but it's still visually astonishing. The tragedy about it being "a thing" is that 1-6 in the morning (previous prime Lost Vagueness time) it gets totally clogged up so they introduced a very depressing cattle-herding one way system. Which caused a riot last year. A RIOT I ask you, at Glastonbury. Tch.

[Goaty]

Cider Bus?? I loved Cider!

That would be nice, thanks CFM, will pm you today.

[Colin YNWA]

The cider bus is one of the sites most famous points (and whisper it... to be honest over rated...)

[Theblazeuk]

The Brothers Cider Bus? Since they stopped doing the bottles it's not as great but nothing beats a strawberry cider for breakfast.

The hot cider bus, well that's a welcome refresher at 1am when you're tired, cold and wet and looking forward to another few hours of partying on the stone circle.

Top tip for the loos... wait for the poshest looking lady to come out of the loo and go in after her, she'll probably have given it a little wipedown for you. Just saying...

Bring your wellies. Just in case. And enjoy! Make sure to check out Arcadia after hours, the tesla coils/flames are amazing.

[CrazyFoxMachine]

Top tip for the loos... wait for the poshest looking lady to come out of the loo and go in after her, she'll probably have given it a little wipedown for you. Just saying...

At the top of the big ground (this requires a hike) looking down over the Pyramid field and up by the medical centre there are A SUBSTANTIAL amount of clean clean porcelain toilets. Oh crikey yes.

[Theblazeuk]

Well if you really need it, there are a few options for clean toilets

Other tip - you can find some tasty, cheap homemade stuff in the hippy fields. Lovely having a brew and a brownie as you pass through the greenfields. And Yoga is a nice way of getting that camping crick out of your neck (or depening on what you cna manage, a massage can be had too)

[Ancient Otter]

BBC 4 will be repeating the Festivals Britannia documentary on the 29th June (01:20) and 1st July (00:00). Great documentary, loaded with vintage footage (pre-fame Rod Stewart as a festival punter!) with a bit of history about Glastonbury festival (there's a funny anecdote about [spoiler]the Pyramid stage's connection to a ley line).[/spoiler]

[radiator]

I went to Glastonbury in 2002, but the experience was spoiled somewhat by going on a year that had perhaps the worst lineup in the festival's history (Stereophonics and Rod Stewart headlining IIRC), and also because I went with some guys from my at the time work, who turned out to be the most boring people in the world. Seriously, they were all asleep in their tents by 11pm!

My advice would be: however much money you think you'll need, take double or triple that because you'll need it. And maybe get one of those money belt things to keep it safe.

Have a good time, Goaty!

[Colin YNWA]

My advice would be: however much money you think you'll need, take double or triple that because you'll need it. And maybe get one of those money belt things to keep it safe.

In terms of keeping stuff safe always remember to sleep with it. So take ya money, phone whatever, out ya pockets and put it in ya sleeping bag (assuming you make it). The occasions I've known people have stuff knicked have involved people quickly going into tents in the middle of the night and snatching trousers and jackets.

Its was no where near as big a problem when I last when as when I first did though.