Vision was meant to be quite a mad night.
It was probably the best and craziest event I went to, even getting there was an adventure in itself with the police trying to make it as hard as possible with numerous road blocks, closing carparks and telling everyone it had been shut down before we got there. It was of course ridiculously packed but we had no idea why it was so full initially as we had tickets and had been inside so we had no idea about people rushing the fences until people we spoke to told us what had happened. The rain didn't start until we were in but then it was just torrential, plus the wind was awful and kept whipping the sides of the tents up. People were absolutely caked in mud and the crush in the tents got a bit scary at times especially as it was a stuggle to stand in the mud let alone dance.
Other highlights included getting stuck in a portaloo for what felt like hours when completely off my mash as I was unable to work out that I had to push the door not pull it, a bloke dressed as Superman diving in the mud then hugging everyone covering them head to toe in mud too and the car I was in crashing within about 3 minutes of leaving the next morning (luckily nothing serious and the other guy was a mate of my friend anyway). I suspect the music was amazing but all I really remember is me and my mate spending an absolute age at one of the stalls selling those "On A Mission" type car stickers, captivated by the melting postcards and trying to work out how money worked so I could buy a purple om sticker.
Not surprised the promoter was dodgy - as was always the case back then I remember the flyer promising loads of stuff that never materialised including boasts of a "Hollywood Bladerunner science fiction film set" which literally consisted of a couple of old rusty scap car bonnets suspended from ropes either side of the stage in the main arena. The supposed "Roman temple" was basically a couple of lumps of polystyrene and there was no sign of the tunnels supposed to be linking all the areas, or half the other stuff listed.
Mind you promising stuff that never showed up was par for the course back then and every promoter did it. Not once did I ever get a free ice lolly or massage, "Full Free Fun Fair" at best translated a a couple of ropey rides and every single "fully carpeted, heated themed arena" was always just a crappy circus tent. To this day me and my mate still call every single room in a venue or house (no matter how small - even cupboards count) an "arena" in tribute to those old rave flyer lies.
