Main Menu

Tip jar

If you like CaB and wish to support it, you can use PayPal or KoFi. Thank you, and I hope you continue to enjoy the site - Neil.

Buy Me a Coffee at ko-fi.com

Support CaB

Recent

Welcome to Cook'd and Bomb'd. Please login or sign up.

March 28, 2024, 05:43:10 PM

Login with username, password and session length

Festivals [2009]

Started by actwithoutwords, February 23, 2009, 06:31:17 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

glitch

Quote from: imitationleather on July 23, 2009, 03:33:46 PM
I had another amazing Glade. I was a bit worried about the change of venue but it worked perfectly. The sound levels were much improved from last year where it was actually possible to have a conversation over the music. It rained a lot but never got too muddy, which was another plus. Squarepusher was a disappointment, but I'm used to him being completely underwhelming live now. Besides, Duran Duran Duran, DMX Krew, The DJ Producer, Dr Donk & The Donkmeisters, Parasite and Countryside Alliance Crew playing non-stop arse-clenching blinders more than made up for it!

I also had probably the lushest food I've ever had a festival. No meal was a disappointment. Ooh yeah. Fuck Pot Noodles, chilli burritos are where it's at for festival grub!

I've been sleeping a lot this week. All them crazy drug things really take it out of a guy...

Did you see 16 Bit? Made my weekend. iTaL TeK was fun too.

Definitely going back to Glade, probably the most fun I've had at a festivals. Although the trips helped, obviously.

imitationleather

Missed both unfortunately. I heard that 16Bit was amazing though.

I really loved Arcadia, it was a great addition. In past years Glade has desperately lacked an all night outdoor stage. It's nice to have a non-100% psytrance outdoor stage too...

Ah, Glade is my favourite festival by far. It never disappoints.

DanRev

Adam Buxton is doing his BUG thing at Reading festival.

I've heard some good things but what is it? Is it comedy based around music videos or music videos with some comedy around it? Alot of what I've heard about it seems to be quite techy and for the enthusiasts so I'm hoping that at Reading they'll just have lots of pretty colours and some funny words that I can mong out to.

Captain Crunch

Life of Agony have been added to the bill for Damnation:

http://damnationfestival.co.uk/

Not my cup of tea from what I've heard so far but I'm still tempted, a change of scenery would be good and Gates of Slumber are just too good to miss.

Any other whores on the deffy list yet?

ThickAndCreamy

Quote from: DanRev on August 10, 2009, 10:44:49 PM
Adam Buxton is doing his BUG thing at Reading festival.

I've heard some good things but what is it? Is it comedy based around music videos or music videos with some comedy around it? Alot of what I've heard about it seems to be quite techy and for the enthusiasts so I'm hoping that at Reading they'll just have lots of pretty colours and some funny words that I can mong out to.
He seems to be the only comedian in the alternative tent I want to see, but unfortunately I know nothing at all about this show, still it will hopefully make a good change.

Am I the only one here going Offset Festival (the lineup for the Clash stage is on the main page, including Wild Beasts) here then?

Why is Offset not more popular, it's £45 for a two day festival (£55 including camping) and it's right on the edge of London. You can get the sodding tube there for god sake and it's location is splendid. The lineup is rather good now and the festival last year was fantastic. Everyone should go you sodding bores.

dmillburn

Not sure about Offset this year, enjoyed it last year and it's great value for money but the dodgy sound on the main stage and the bit of trouble late on the saturday last year have put me off a little for this year. I'm thinking of a day ticket for Saturday but don't think they've released the timetable to say which acts are on which day yet have they?

I am now doing Shambala though - we know about 20 people going and everyone keeps telling me how it's their favourite festival so thought it's worth a go. I hope it's as good as they all say (everyone seems to compare it to Glasto of old) and not just a load of crystal healing unicorn hippie
wank like the promo dvd from a couple of years ago made it seem.

brand_new_modems

if anyone else is going to freerotation this weekend say hello will you

ThickAndCreamy

I've just came back from Green Man and well, what a magnificent festival. The crowd was outstanding, not even the slightest hint of aggression or cuntiness and just generally very easy to talk to, relaxed and very friendly people.

As for bands I actually saw and paid attention to chronologically;

Friday

Diagonal - Post rock / electro / ambient style band alike very much to Chromehoof but a lot more rythmic and beautiful. Were fantastic live and played a few minutes of marvellous impromptu ambience that made me hold them in high esteem. 8/10
Gang Gang Dance - 8/10. Too inebriated to remember much apart from them putting on a decent and energetic live show.
Four Tet - 6/10 - Mostly dull, overly prolonged beats and generally a huge disappointment. Both Four Tet and Animal Collective had the same huge glaring error live. When they perform they try to fuse the songs into each other by slowly changing the beats over time. This means you often have 10 minutes of repeated forgettable instrumental beats that bore you such a vast amount. 6/10
Animal Collective - 6/10 - Second time I've seen them live, second time I've been hugely underwhelmed. It's fucking infuriating really, the remixes don't work well live at all. You wait for a song you could dance to, however if this song appears it is;
1) Extended, usually twice as long as the recorded version is.
2) With repeated beats and phrases for minutes and minutes at a time, completely removing any emotion or energy from the song.
3) Disjointed.
4) Huge forgettable instrumentals between each song.
They ruin even tracks like Brothersport and My Girls using this method and generally makes watching them live a terribly anger inducing experience knowing what they could actually play.

Saturday
Beach House - 8.5/10 - Wonderful live, enchantingly so really. Hearing them sounds so much more beautiful and soothing than on record.
Grizzly Bear - 9/10 - Seeing as how their music on record never seems to ever produce an emotional response from me live they were overwhelmingly good. All of their faults on record, from the overproduction, emotional vacuous music to the almost too clean style sound are just removed when they play live. Full of energy, exuberance and simply a sheer joy to watch.
Bon Iver - 9/10 - What you would expect really from him live: powerful, loud and heartfelt.

Sunday
Amorphous Androgynous
- 9/10 - What a live show they put on. A euphoric show with an incredible array of instruments, videos to accompany the songs and charisma. One of the most likable shows I've seen in a long while as well, everyone on stage just seemed to be delighted to be there and put every last drop of sweat into producing such a distinctively good psychedelic show. They even played a few beats (literally) of the Future Sound of London towards the end.
Wilco - 7.5/10 - Whilst I'm not really a huge fan of them on record, they are clearly a very good live band. They know how to manipulate the crowd magnificently and put on a pretty good live show.

I would have seen more bands Sunday but I was hungover to the point of insanity until around 9pm. Really though it was a great festival with a perfect nightlife. It has so much going on 24/7 that to recall it would just be pointless and overlong but yes, I'm definitely going again next year.

glitch

Well, the first announcement about the Bangface Weekender will be about this weekend. And I've just signed myself up for a trip to Snowbombing.

Looks like next year's festival hype is starting now.

ThickAndCreamy

I went to Reading festival last weekend! I shall be quick as I am both lazy, hungover and far too wonderful.

The typical view of how people will see Reading is pretty much true. The people there are generally far too young, violent, shouty and not very friendly. I can't be bothered to elaborate, lets just say the facilities all smell of shit and are used by youngsters who are very stylish.

Also, I must say pills are very bad, don't do them. I know this is obvious advice but yes, just don't. Under the influence of 10 beers I decided I'd buy some pills from a stranger who I helped put down his tent, I took two and it was messed up. I danced around for 5 hours in a haze mostly shouting, hugging wide eyed people and screaming the Panda Bear song Pills. I THEN LOST CONTROL OF MY BLADDER AND BOWELS AND SPENT HOURS ON THE TOILET IN AGONY UNTIL 6AM. This is in capitals as I need to highlight just how poor it was, hearing people chanting all night long as I sat playing a space invaders game on a mates phone on some very vile toilets. Pills are blimmin' horrible.

As for music, Radiohead were the best live band I've ever seen, Faith No More were incredible and other bands I saw (Titus Andronicus, Vampire Weekend etc.) were only good.

I have many memories of the event, and I never wish to ever go again. The alcohol has started to impregnate and vigorously fuck my mind and it's a bit annoying. It ended that I was getting drunk enough to walk around stark naked except shoes and socks for 20 minutes, dancing as I walked, high fiving everyone going past and trying to get people to hug me naked. Reading not only destroys your sense of sanity and trust in human nature, it also turns you into a lunatic.

Squink

^ pics or it didn't happen.

Deadeye Dick

One for the pictures thread, fo' sho.  I've known people who've attended the Leeds leg and managed not to see a single band - impressive work at a more diverse festival like Latitude or Glastonbury, but for a festival that seems to be music and then sod all, frankly insane.  Radiohead looked incredible on the broadcast last night, but I'm pretty glad I'd didn't bother getting a Leeds ticket because even on just a day pass I'd probably have been driven to fury by the phalanx of tossers that consists of their average crowd.  Drug taking, nudity and biggytitbo-influenced shitting seems about as rational a reaction as any to the situation.

_Hypnotoad_

Just catching up with some stuff on sky+ from Reading, what the fuck is it with Ian Brown and singing live?

It's not just bad, or sub-par, it's attrocious on a level you wouldn't accept from a drunken tramp

I'm hardly one to want completely polished performances, surely one of the great things about live music is its uniqueness and imperfections, but surely someone can suggest politely to him that it might be worth getting some vocal training or something because he's unlistenable live

thepuffpastryhangman

Quote from: ThickAndCreamy by nameIt ended that I was getting drunk enough to walk around stark naked except shoes and socks for 20 minutes, dancing as I walked, high fiving everyone going past and trying to get people to hug me naked.

And your clothes were right where left them? Or you balanced on your head (arms are just two things in the way unless they're hugging eh) throughout?

We went to Shambala. I've not been to a festival for yonks. It's not really a festival at all. Yet we're encouraged to believe it's more of a festival than any of the others. Weep worthy. (I failed to notice Rob Newman 'There Has Been Blood' was on on Friday night, nowt else worth seeing.)

imitationleather

I hope you went to see Vexkiddy at Shambala!

thepuffpastryhangman

Nowt like that. Nowt fullstop. Went coz I knew folks who were going and folk'd told folks 'it's the one to go to'.

Security going round telling folks to turn their music off even though the places around them were open (though only until 2 or 3). No sound systems whatsoever allowed in the camping areas. No instantaneous stalls/traders, hence the only food outlets were official high price dubious quality ones. Nothing independent whatsoever, ie. nothing operating outside the law of the organisers. The hideous logic of avenues, distinct areas for everything, the constant presence of security despite there being no need. The terrible quality of the acts/bands, their one riff extended to ten minutes passes as a song, be it folk, blues, 'dance' or otherwise. The lack of travellers. And so much else to complain about, everything closing at 3 or 4 at the latest.

The only good thing was the complete lack of 'threats of violence' despite drinking etc, thus undermining Long's First Law.

Oh, and the way they suggested food and drink would be reasonably priced, no it aint.

As said, I'd not been to a 'festival' in yonks, though I do attend a fair few country shows, and this resembled a country show in terms of crowd, lay-out and degree of restrictions and organisation. But without the free smaples and the animal judging. I've absolutely no idea why anyone would want to attend such an event. Annoyingh things included daft talks on 'politics' with 'lets all wear name badges and say what so-and-so means to us', helpless ignorance abounds, but yeah, we'll change things...meanwhile, across the field it's taking 20 minutes to get a cup of tea because the servers are so lunched out, the revolution will not be remixed.

In summary: depressing on every level. And not enough levels anyway.

dmillburn

Interesting - I was very dubious about Shambala before going (though it would just be a massive hippie/crust fest) but I thought it was superb and to be honest don't really understand a lot of your comments.

The music went on until 5 or so (even past 4am on the Sunday which I was surprised at) although you sometimes had to seek it out. Security were excellent, no heavy handed searches on entry and no problems with sound systems in the camping areas unless you were in a family area where they rightly stopped it - they even let us break the rules and have a fire once they saw it was in a proper container and that we weren't spazzed up on K. Are you sure you weren't in a family area by mistake? It wasn't always that clear unless you checked the map and they warned in advance about keeping the noise down there.

Also I genuinely don't understand what you mean about instantaneous food outlets - surely this is always the same at every festival, people apply and pay for for a pitch for their van/stall? I've never seen guerrilla sandwich makers setting up and selling knock off food at a festival ever, and even if they did I really wouldn't want to risk it.

The food was superb, so much choice compared to other festivals and prices were OK ranging between £5-£7 for a meal which whilst not cheap is standard festival prices. Lots of variety and the quality was excellent. Likewise £3.20 for a pint is in no way unreasonable at a festival. There were loads of people without stalls selling craft type stuff they had made around the site, particularly outside the Kamakaze tent on the Sunday so again not sure what you expected there. There was also lots of independent traders selling a variety of drugs, including at least one I've never heard of (2CV - what the fuck is that? Thought maybe a legal high but same bloke was also selling acid, pills and MDMA)

I did think the line-up was a bit rubbish apart from Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs and DJ Die but it didn't bother me at all - I normally spent my time at festivals zipping from one stage to another trying to see everything so it was nice in a way to not have that pressure! Too much Jules Holland type gypsy/folk/dub nonsense for my taste in the day but late at night there was some incredible music in the tents, particularly if you are into d'n'b - Sunday was incredible for old hardcore and 92-94 jungle! The site itself was great - the woods looked awesome at night and I loved the house burning on the Sunday. I didn't bother with any workshop/healing field nonsense (although I actually did mean do go to the krumping, nipple tassle making and cock drawing workshops) and still found loads of stuff going on.

I go to a fair few festivals each year (I'm a regular at Truck, Glasto, Standon, Supersonic plus normally do a few others like Offset, Bloom etc) and if you didn't get on with Shambala then I honestly think festivals probably aren't for you as you'd probably hate any of the others infinitely more.

Not having a go by the way, just genuinely interested - what festivals have you been to in the past? Interested to see what you've had to compare it to. Personally it was a real nice surprise for me and I'll definitely have it again next year.

Next up, Offset this weekend. Lineup looking good, hope they've sorted out the niggles from last year and there's no wankers kicking off this time.


boki

Quote from: dmillburn on September 02, 2009, 02:51:11 PM2CV - what the fuck is that?

It's a car.  Are you that Monsieur Mangetout fella?

thepuffpastryhangman

2CB

I heard no systems in the camping areas, there were signs up banning them. Folks I knew with a pitch next to The Wonky Cock were forced, by security, to turn their system off before 1am.

The only folks I saw selling 'stuff' were holding a sign for Bhang Brownies around the 5.30pm Saturday parade, though that's a minor point.

I'm currently in a queue on the A12 near the Blackwall Tunnel so I can't tap much more right now. I skipped a bit o' school to attend Stonehenge '84 (the last one ever). Went to Glastonbury a few times before '92, some others in the late 80s, including one good one in Cornwell I forget the name of. Also spent a lot of 89-92 going to discos in warehouses and fields, all of which were infinitely freer than Shambala. The festivals were also freer in a commercial sense as no one seemed to pay to get in, ever.

dmillburn

It sounds like you've had a similar background to me - used to go to Exodus religiously every fortnight, lots of other free parties/raves/festivals etc and it's fair to say Shambala was nothing like that but in comparison to other festivals today it was relatively uncommercial, even compared to other small festivals (no sponsorship or advertising, Carlsberg beer tents etc or any of the other stuff which is becoming the norm). The thing is there not much these days that is like that, you probably need to go to another festival in order to make a fair comparison - you'd probably be shocked at Glastonbury these days if you've not been for that long, it's certainly changed a lot. And if you ever went to V you'd explode.

I didn't quite understand why some places were allowed to carry on playing music and others had to shut. I know there was problems with a sound system right next to one of the family camping areas last year so maybe they've tightened up on that as a result - however there was people banging tunes out right at the back at the top of the hill near the woods.

There was loads of people who didn't pay to get it, we spoke to a fair few over the weekend who all said it was a piece of piss and there was a massive hole near where we were camped with a steady stream of people coming through.

Ronnie the Raincoat

I'm going to Offset this year- say hello, Essex Boy!

ThickAndCreamy

Yay! Everyone should go to Offset, it's a magnificent festival for such a low price.