Glastonbury 2008

[23 Daves]

You don't have to name names but what were some of those negative viewpoints?

Amongst them were accusations of:

poor organisation and shoddy treatment for people performing on the smaller stages or tents.
Complaints about mud (inevitably).
Compaints about the fact that a large open field almost always leads to poor sound quality no matter how hard you try, and isn't the natural environment for listening to live music anyway.
Complaints about theft.
Moans about total lack of consideration, and how even if you wanted to crash out at 2am your tent neighbours wanted to take drugs and listen to happy hardcore.
Observations about "ridiculous weekend hippies".
Complaints about the fact the bill tends to be totally unadventurous, and you'd be better off just having a string of long nights out in a city (actually, I half-agree with this one).

As I've already said, I can't verify any of the above for myself because I've never been, but a lot of people who have played Glastonbury or managed acts that went there seem to have gripes and groans that go strangely unpublicised whenever the event rolls around again each year.  You just get a scattering of badly-written anti-Glasto articles after the event.  I think actually that most artists obviously aren't going to mouth off about it publically, because they want the money and the exposure that goes with an appearance...

On the flip side of the coin, all the performance poets I know who've been asked to go and do a set have loved it.  No exceptions.

[23 Daves]

Whoops, just realised I might have accidentally libelled Bob Stanley by listing the above without explanation... so I may as well repeat what he said to me (and was perfectly happy to go on record as saying at the time), which in a nutshell was the fact that he didn't like being surrounded by thousands of people over the course of a weekend all the time.  He liked his own space and his own circle of friends, etc.

I asked him "But isn't it nice to go somewhere and meet people who are into your particular music or fringe tastes?" to which he replied that he was a sociopath and didn't need the support of that stuff.

He didn't mention any of the other things I listed in my last reply.  Apart from the mud, I think.  But nobody likes that, apart from a mud fetishist. 

[Marty McFly]

reading that list, Daves, was pretty much you summing up every single Reading Festival I've ever been to. never done a Glasto but I can assure you that it's not the only festival with that kind of criticism. I've never had the misfortune of camping next to 2am ravers, though (well, not directly NEXT to any, anyway).

I've always found at Reading that the best performances, for me, are usually in the tents and not on the main stage.. there's just so much more atmosphere (and sound quality is inevitably much better too).

[vdbn]

Actually, I've spoken to a lot of musicians and music industry folk who hate Glastonbury (and festivals generally) as well.  Amongst them Saint Etienne.  I was given the job of ringing around different people to talk about their festival experiences once (with the hope that the magazine I was doing stuff for would be producing a very optimistic booklet) and I was stunned by the negative viewpoints I had to leave out of the final product.  It was very much a 50/50 split, and I was only expecting a few naysayers who were just trying to be awkward.

I was thinking about a different strain of articles though, the ones where someone from the Mail/Express/Telegraph's features desk is sent to a festival (usually Glastonbury) in order to say how horrible it all is. I'd actually be interested in reading an article featuring informed criticism of Glastonbury/festivals in general from people in the know. Even as a long time fan of the festival, it gets a bit boring when the coverage is more or less unquestioningly positive or negative.

Also, going by the interview two of Saint Etienne (the blokes) did with Katie Puckrick during C4's festival coverage in 1994, I'm surprised either of them knew where they were. I hope that's on Youtube...

[Marvin]

As Marty said, that's mainly a list of criticisms of any camping festival in the UK, rather than specifically of Glastonbury. Although I'd argue that aside from the two main stages, Glastonbury tends to have a more varied line-up than most, also it is one of the only big festivals with good family camping areas where there's no 2am ravers to keep you awake and it has one of the lower crime rates in comparison to other festivals.

A lot of criticisms seem to come from people who just naturally aren't going to enjoy outdoor festivals, or are misinformed ones from people who go there, spend all their time round the Pyramid stage and complain about a lack of variety.

Obviously the stuff about performers being managed badly is an interesting one, most of the smaller stages and areas are managed by seperate teams so I guess it depends on the venue.

[ThickAndCreamy]

No "Controversial Headliners" next year for Glastonbury;
http://www.nme.com/news/glastonbury/38407

I should place a bet on Oasis headlining next year, god that's quite bleak. I can easily imagine the headliners being - Oasis, another middle of the road pop band and a band most famous in the 80's and well past their sell by date, desperate for a revival.

[Marvin]

Bit of a non-story that, he said pretty much the same at the end of the festival. I think all it is is that until just before the festival they didn't know if they'd cover their costs. Doubt it'll be Oasis, probably Radiohead or Coldplay will be there, one old act coming back and so on.

More interesting is this bit: http://www.nme.com/news/glastonbury/38406

Tickets will be able to be reserved for £50 in October, which is a great idea - both for getting them money early, and for saving some stress come April.

[sublingual]

Just beat me to it! Here's the BBC link:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/somerset/7522221.stm

Sounds like a ok idea to me, mainly because I won't have stump up £160 all in one go for next years.

[Beagle 2]

"Organiser Michael Eavis said they were changing the ticketing system because of the confusion surrounding the sale of this year's tickets. "

Presumably the confusion of you assuming that lots more people wanted to go than actually did. I don't think people were sat at their computer terminals, debit card in hand banging their heads against the screen screaming "Want...to...go but don't understand what to do...nuuuurgh". Well, obviously I did for an hour or so, but then I got an adult to help me and it was fine.

[drberbatov]

I'm predicting Coldplay, Blur and a big American act that will be either Springsteen or the Foo Fighters.

[TheWizard]

Prince plz.

[Marvin]

"Organiser Michael Eavis said they were changing the ticketing system because of the confusion surrounding the sale of this year's tickets. "

Presumably the confusion of you assuming that lots more people wanted to go than actually did. I don't think people were sat at their computer terminals, debit card in hand banging their heads against the screen screaming "Want...to...go but don't understand what to do...nuuuurgh". Well, obviously I did for an hour or so, but then I got an adult to help me and it was fine.

They didn't assume that though did they? Because it did sell out, just not straight away, which it only did for a few years.

The confusion arose from the fact that See Tickets well and truely fucked up on the first day as usual, it was actually harder to get tickets that morning than the year before, despite lower demand on the day. The ticket system does need changing, and I'm very keen on the deposit idea.

[Beagle 2]

Yeah I know, I was just making a rubbish joke. I also think it's a good idea, spreads the cost out and avoids the stupid fingers crossed 8am refresh fest. Still, after that day it was pretty clear that there were tickets available for ages and it only actually sold out on the Friday of the event. Lots of reasons combined, not Jay-Z. Just as it didn't really matter that it was a slightly different kind of ultra dull mainstream headliner this year it won't matter when there's a usual suspect ultra dull mainstream headliner next, it's not what makes it great or ultimately determines the bulk of ticket sales.

[alan nagsworth]

Hm, shame. I really wanted to go next year etc etc

I got an adult to help me and it was fine.

I hope you got them to sort your registration photo for you. Those digital cropping tools can be sharp.

[Uncle TechTip]

Eavis told BBC News that he would go for "traditional" headliners, and revealed that the stress caused by this year's slow ticket sails took its toll on him physically.

:O

[Uncle TechTip]

Grrr please fix this server somebody.

[Spiteface]

Doubt it'll be Oasis, probably Radiohead or Coldplay will be there, one old act coming back and so on.

I think Oasis have said they won't be doing Glastonbury after the last time, which wasn't very good.  And I still like Oasis.

I suppose Radiohead could do the saturday night, just to give people more wanking material, and so people can pretend it was something seminal, when really it wasn't.

[ziggy starbucks]

I suppose Radiohead could do the saturday night, just to give people more wanking material, and so people can pretend it was something seminal, when really it wasn't.

its a bit harsh to criticise the radiohead gig one year before it has actually happened

[Spiteface]

I'll be right though.

I've just been really down on Radiohead.  I'm sorry, I just cannot get past it.  You know Zane Lowe will try and convince everyone it was the greatest moment in the history of humanity, even if they have a REALLY bad night.

All that said, I'd have thought Radiohead would have done it this year, what with them touring "In Rainbows"...

[sublingual]

Led Zeppelin are still a possibility for next year I reckon. Or U2 maybe.

Prince would be awesome.

[Eight Taiwanese Teenagers]

All that said, I'd have thought Radiohead would have done it this year, what with them touring "In Rainbows"...

I think they needed to make more money than Glastonbury would offer, after giving away their album for 3p a copy.

[Crabwalk]

They didn't play Glastonbury for 'environmental' reasons apparently.

http://www.nme.com/news/nme/34736

Thom told the NME "We ain't never playin' nowhere where there ain't no trains'n'buses never again.  And stop makin' your rag out of trees. Use somefink else."

Doesn't look good for next year. More likely to be the Hoosiers, Groove Armada and a reformed Seahorses to close out. Maybe No Way Sis.

[alan nagsworth]

I think they needed to make more money than Glastonbury would offer, after giving away their album for 3p a copy.

Whoa, you paid 3p? Big spender!

[Marvin]

They didn't play Glastonbury for 'environmental' reasons apparently.

http://www.nme.com/news/nme/34736

Thom told the NME "We ain't never playin' nowhere where there ain't no trains'n'buses never again.  And stop makin' your rag out of trees. Use somefink else."

No that Radiohead story was, in Thom's own words 'bollocks'. It was taken entirely out of context and he'd just said they weren't playing Glastonbury because they were doing their own shows that week and they didn't want to headline there too often:

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/music/a91505/radiohead-deny-glastonbury-rumours.html?rss

As he says, what Glastonbury do to minimise enviromental issues is pretty good compared to any other big festival.