Glastonbury. What's it all about?

Raymond Lin said:
It's about 1/4 music and 3/4 living like a hippy for 5 days with no worry in the world but hang out with your best friends, chatting, watching sunrise, dancing in the rain, eating over price burgers, smelling like a homeless and not be judge on it, and tick it off the bucket list.
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You left out the drugs and sex. :p
 
XeNoN89 said:
All my mates went this year. I love music but refuse to go because the idea of living in a field with no proper toilets, showers and a bed sounds like my worst nightmare.

I'm a clean freak so it's basically never going to appeal to me unless I can stay in a proper hotel near by.
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motor homes are ace
 
I first went to Glastonbury 22 years ago (god I'm old!) and my one lasting memory is using the temporary toilets (which are just toilets over a huge pit) and seeing a pair of glasses floating past down in the sea of waste.
Perhaps people go to gather such memories? Although I'd hope the facilities have improved since then.
 
It's about getting wasted (Legally of course) & listening to untold different live music with like minded folk.
 
I go to Download every year with a bunch of friends. We all enjoy the same music, we enjoy staying up late with a few crates and we all enjoy the experience. Is it expensive after travel, tickets, food etc, yes. However it is something we all enjoy and wouldn't ever miss,
 
adam98150 said:
You left out the drugs and sex. :p
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Sex after a couple of days in a tent (particularly during the scorching years), without showers, is not all its cracked up to be.

I've been regularly going for far too many years, taking me from being a young crusty juggler, up to now as a middle aged professional.
The reasons for going haven't changed, spending time without any pressures of the outside world, chilling out with friends, meeting new ones, wandering around finding new and interesting bands, comedy, circus, drama, food, and drink.

My wife used to try and force an itinerary of bands she must see, but I found that approach hideous and constricting. Its much better to just wander and join in with any thing interesting, thats the way you find fun interesting and unique experiences that half the 'bucket list' type wedged in at the main stages miss. If someone wants to spend their time watching The Stones eating overpriced buggers they can, but I think they'd be missing most of the festival.

If you want more input from slightly fanatical regulars then take a look at efestivals.co.uk. There is one hell of a community there that can give great advise on how to get the best out of any festival. However most of them have lousy tastes in music. :)
 
It really isn't a lot of money when you think what you pay to go see a play or band.
AMD as said, it's not just about the music. There's so many other things to do. One of my favourite bit's is just wondering around and bumping into people and see what happens. Nearly every is friendly and up for a laugh. Can't help but start chatting to strangers. Oh and the food is great generally.

Haven't been to festivals for so long now :( due to other holidays.

Bulldog bash was my favourite though. Watching drag racing, live music, great crowd, lots of drinking. Epicness.

Raymond Lin said:
One thing I dislike more than the stink in the end is the traffic leaving the camp site on Monday...
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Leave early or late, last time I went we went about 3 in the morning. Stopped drinking mid afternoon. Did what we wanted then instead of getting a few hours sleep just went.
 
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Muz333 said:
I go to Download every year with a bunch of friends. We all enjoy the same music, we enjoy staying up late with a few crates and we all enjoy the experience. Is it expensive after travel, tickets, food etc, yes. However it is something we all enjoy and wouldn't ever miss,
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I used to do download every year, but the line up seems to get worse every year (or least fewer bands that I'd want to see AND haven't seen a few times already)

I also lost all patience for the amount of walking involved, you should try bloodstock some time if you get the chance; half the ticket price, really relaxed atmosphere, even the security are very friendly, and everything there is generally about 30-40% cheaper than download, toilets are generally very clean, and the best bit is that it's about a 5 minute walk from the campsite entrance to the main stage.

there's also the battle of bloodstock, which is always a laugh: medieval full contact re-enactment :)
 
I share your sentiments OP... perhaps more as far as the likes of Leeds/Reading etc... are concerned a lot of UK festivals are overpriced and full of chavvy idiots. Glastonbury is perhaps a bit different but really I prefer the smaller UK festivals - Standon Calling is usually decent.

Frankly for a large festival over a week then I'd take Sziget over any UK festival. Much more friendly international crowd, better weather(though did rain this year) decent line up.
 
Festivals are usually about 50% beer/drugs, 50% can't (won't?) remember :p

Seriously though, for me it's about getting wasted in a field with some good mates and enjoying some music together without a care in the world. Simple as that really. There's nothing quite like it.

Never been Glasto, not my thing, but Download and Bloodstock are decent :)
 
dowie said:
I share your sentiments OP... perhaps more as far as the likes of Leeds/Reading etc... are concerned a lot of UK festivals are overpriced and full of chavvy idiots. Glastonbury is perhaps a bit different but really I prefer the smaller UK festivals - Standon Calling is usually decent.

Frankly for a large festival over a week then I'd take Sziget over any UK festival. Much more friendly international crowd, better weather(though did rain this year) decent line up.
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Indeed. I have been a little hard on Glastonbury but it is an easy target due to its popularity. My criticisms really apply to most UK festivals, which have become bloated and victims of their own success.

Case in point, I went to Parklife in Manchester this year on the basis that I had cheap tickets and I live a short bus journey away. Despite all this convenience we still had to queue for over an hour to get in due to security... in the rain... I enjoyed it but I certainly wouldn't travel from miles away and camp like loads of other people.

I take your point about the smaller festivals. If it's easy to get to and easy to get around then great.
 
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