Where, when, how long, bands, set up....... etc

For me, I haven't really been keen on the Carling Festival (leeds and Reading) line up over the past 5 years or so. Great to see Libertines and Franz Ferdinand back to back last year but Eminem a couple of years back, 50 Cent last year (eat my bottle Mr 38p!!!!) not my cup o tea.

V = Not enough going on - only 3 stages and all feels a bit too commercial with the constant adverts between acts and various mobile phone cafes. Good line up this year tho. Rip off for just a 2dayer tho.

Glasto = Always looks amazing with huge choice of stages and areas and crazy people but the rest of the world knows it too and wants to get tickests before me!!! Miles away too.

T in the Park = usually looks great (not so much this year) but is just such a ballache to get too.

Bring back Phoenix Festival!!! Saw Pulp there for the first time ever and was so blown away in a hairs standing up on back of my neck kinda way. Saw Bowie there too. Move it to the north though.

Originally posted by HottyMcBuff
Where, when, how long, bands, set up....... etc

Bring back Phoenix Festival!!! Saw Pulp there for the first time ever and was so blown away in a hairs standing up on back of my neck kinda way. Saw Bowie there too. Move it to the north though.

Pulp.....BOWIE:o

Womad (http://www.womad.org) - super friendly, eclectic, open-minded.
Big Chill (http://www.bigchill.net) - lushness and beauty in stunning countryside.

Say no more.

I've been to V for the last 3 years, thought it was a nice venue, small enough to see all the bands you want to, but big enough to have plenty of choice. And the weather has, every year, been gorgeous!

But they keep charging more and more every year - they charge you for weekend tickets, then for camping, then (because we slept in a transit van) you have to pay ANOTHER £30 on top for going in the camper van section - they wont swap this bit for the camping, you have to pay for it all.

I'm not going this year, it's becoming a rip off. The bands don't really justify the cost.

www.shambalafestival.org < The best.

For me the only festies I'd look at in this country are:

Shambala
All Tommorows Parties and
The Big Chill

Honestly, for a much better festie experience check out mainland Europe.

You can go to something like Sonar or Fib at Benicassim inc. flight, ticket and accomodation for a little more than a ticket for glasto. And your not shacked up next to 30 something bank managers who think they are "alternative" for the weekend before heading back to their city living. Either that or 14 yr olds in black hoody tops setting things on fire because they are "sooooo punk".

The mainstream British festies are long dead. Just plastic money making machines in my opinion.

Despite the affect that the ticketing system has had on the type of people getting tickets, Glasto is still excellent. With the greenfields, leftfield tent and Lost vagueness still keeping it fresh, plus the new take on the dance village. Don't forget folks its all for charity.

Not been to shambala... but like the link. Looks good.

I'm always put off by not being able to carry on dancing until 8am.

Originally posted by boyface
You can go to something like Sonar or Fib at Benicassim inc. flight, ticket and accomodation for a little more than a ticket for glasto. And your not shacked up next to 30 something bank managers who think they are "alternative" for the weekend before heading back to their city living. Either that or 14 yr olds in black hoody tops setting things on fire because they are "sooooo punk".


That's at bit harsh.. surely the thing that makes festies great is that it's all about inclusiveness. Dissing 30something bank managers or 14 year old punks is as bad as dissing someone coz they are gay or black. It's just a different kind of snobbery wouldn't you say? If they're digging the vibe.. who cares?

But I do agree with you about the money making thing.

Originally posted by E-Man Groovin
That's at bit harsh.. surely the thing that makes festies great is that it's all about inclusiveness. Dissing 30something bank managers or 14 year old punks is as bad as dissing someone coz they are gay or black. It's just a different kind of snobbery wouldn't you say? If they're digging the vibe.. who cares?

But I do agree with you about the money making thing.

Well said !

Originally posted by boyface
Fib at Benicassim

Big it up! We're going out to FIB this year as our main summer festival, it looks ace. A friend of mine from Valencia explained that inside, its a pop festival, and outside, its sound-system heaven. Sounds good to me! :)

14 yr olds in black hoody tops setting things on fire because they are "sooooo punk".

Well.. I think your point was out of genuine concern rather than snobbery. Setting things on fire is a stupid mentality not restricted to either 14 year old punks or bank managers.. It spoils it for everyone though, i'm opting for somewhere a little more chilled.

Originally posted by E-Man Groovin
That's at bit harsh.. surely the thing that makes festies great is that it's all about inclusiveness. Dissing 30something bank managers or 14 year old punks is as bad as dissing someone coz they are gay or black. It's just a different kind of snobbery wouldn't you say? If they're digging the vibe.. who cares?

But I do agree with you about the money making thing.

ok, to clarify, I've had bad experiences at British festies with these kind of people. On more than one occasion we've had people shouting at us to go to sleep at about 1am!?....and they turn out to be 30 something professionals with enough camping gear to mount Everest...so my viewpoint is down to experience.

And the black hoody tops....if you've been to the Leeds festie at any point in the last few years you will have seen the 14 yr old black hoodie tops kinda kids burning portaloos and causing a "riot" as they think.....and yeah, I realise its not all of them.

So yeah, maybe a tad harsh, but just due to my experience. I find European festies to be a slightly older crowd and not full of kiddies and the people seem genuinely up for a better time, and the line ups include bands until about 2 am, then djs until about 7.....a much nicer idea :)

Just my experiences, so sorry if I discriminated, it wasn't intentional.

By the way, I see Kylie is headlining at Glasto....that is like sooooooooooooo 1995 T in the park ;)

She sang with Nick Cave then, it was ace.

Originally posted by boyface
ok, to clarify, I've had bad experiences at British festies with these kind of people. On more than one occasion we've had people shouting at us to go to sleep at about 1am!?....and they turn out to be 30 something professionals with enough camping gear to mount Everest...so my viewpoint is down to experience.

And the black hoody tops....if you've been to the Leeds festie at any point in the last few years you will have seen the 14 yr old black hoodie tops kinda kids burning portaloos and causing a "riot" as they think.....and yeah, I realise its not all of them.

So yeah, maybe a tad harsh, but just due to my experience. I find European festies to be a slightly older crowd and not full of kiddies and the people seem genuinely up for a better time, and the line ups include bands until about 2 am, then djs until about 7.....a much nicer idea :)

Just my experiences, so sorry if I discriminated, it wasn't intentional.

O.K. point taken completely. The point about enough camping gear to mount Everest did make me laugh though! I know what you mean but I always respect the "bank manager" types who go to festies.. at least they're not completely soul-dead yet which is a good thing. And I'm also into 14 year old punks as I remember when I was a young idjut ... I did equally dumb things!

Womad has an older and interesting crowd but they do clamp down on the fun far too early although now and then little party scenes pop-up unoticed by the authorities. A couple years ago a cafe stall set up a DJ rig and rocked the place until 4am. One of my best moments there.

I've heard great things about Benicassim. It's even been imortalised in poetry(!) (http://www.scriberazone.co.uk/collections/benicassim/3.shtml) on my website. Think I'll check it out soon.. if not this year.

Cheers

E

Generally Glastonbury is great, i know what you mean about people with far too much camping equipment but they tend to people that haven't been before. As a 30 something professional i take only what i can carry in one trip from the car, and most of that is beer.

Originally posted by J-Blaze
www.shambalafestival.org < The best.

Forgive me if I've missed it, but have they not announced who's on, despite the tix being on sale in a couple of days??

Who's been on before? What sort of music?? Again, sorry if I have missed it, I have briefly looked round the site but coulnd't find anything? Ta.

:D

Originally posted by BoroughGal
Forgive me if I've missed it, but have they not announced who's on, despite the tix being on sale in a couple of days??

Who's been on before? What sort of music?? Again, sorry if I have missed it, I have briefly looked round the site but coulnd't find anything? Ta.

:D

It's an underground type of festival; bands and acts etc are not announced untill very late as a suprise. But the music is always fantastic.

efestivals.co.uk
check this site out it has loads of festivals listed on it

Cool site, I've been wondering where to get info on all the festivals.

unadventurous, boring. no imagination

Ooo I'm going to glastonbury and I can't wait :)

I don't care what you say *sticks tongue out* I love it. It was hard to get tickets, but I think it will be worth it. If you just look at the line up, its incredible.

It is very money-orientated but at the same time it has a lot of charitable causes such as WaterAid and Oxfam.

Next year there is no glasto so I'm going to go to the Big Chill cos I like the name.

The Bradfield Festival of Music is on at the moment.

i find now adayz festivals are a proper rip off 100qid plus to sit in a field no thanks,cant wait for the free festy on july 30th SHEFF-STOCK 2 goin to be fantastic;)

You want to try some Folk Festivals guys. Honestly. Great atmosphere (pretty much 0 instances of stealing), late nights, wicked bands (global, folk, surprises....), fantastic people of all ages (lots of teens/twentie-somethings at certain festivals), not commercial or overpriced (even the food, and it's great! Mexican Tent anyone?)....what more could you want?!

I'd recommend Towersey for this year....just ignore the bizarre occurence of Rolf Harris (why???!!!!!)!

are there any northern folk festivals? They all seem to be down south.

Originally posted by robbie
are there any northern folk festivals? They all seem to be down south.

Tons!!!

Every festival is different and some are frankly crap....but recommended ones (northern) are Beverley, Otley, Warwick (ok not Northern, but not far and pretty cool!), Whitby Folk Week, Whitby Moor and Coast (not recommended - it's rubbish, see the review on my website). Off the top of my head anyway!

There are a lot in the Shropshire/Worcestershire (Bridgnorth, Bromyard) area, in the West Country (Trowbridge, Priddy, and the mighty Sidmouth), quite a few in the Midlands (Warwick...etc), and quite a lot in Oxfordshireish (Towersey, Oxford.....ok Cambridge doesn't count) too. Obviously they're further away but they get better camping weather down there!

There are folk festivals all over the country however, its just that the better ones are generally the ones that book the more up and coming acts and attract a livelier crowd.

Sheffield Folk Festival is this autumn!

Lmao, most people on this forum probably don't even know what a festival is... what a joke.

Shambala is going to be hot hot hot!!!!