Glastonbury 2019

mean gene

Best band of the weekend imo were the cure both musically and technically savage set list

Technocentral

patmac wrote:

Not trying to troll or anything, but usually love Glastonbury but found this years festival (headliners in particular) pretty underwhelming. Stormzy was just shouting, The Killers and The Cure were just average bands. The Chemical Brothers were the stand out gig for me.

Go on the ****! You are the only person in history to call the cure average, obviously not a music fan.

gucci

I consumed a hell of alot of this on tv over the weekend, its obviously nothing like being there but for me The Cure were amazing. I wont call myself a fan, but I had a strong appreciation for them before tonight, I was shattered tired at 930, said I'd stick out til 10, but at 11.30 I was waiting for more. What a set, and given what went on the bulk of the big acts over the weekend, it was refreshing to see a band stand up, sound amazing and just bang out song after song with little or no fuss or frills.
No monologues, no cameos, no OTT stage production to distract from anything.....absolutely cracking.

I have never been to Glasto', if I did go, the headliners would never be the draw, its more the depth of up and coming and more slightly off main acts that interest me. I think once again that was strong this year, but the headlines were a bit lame, both in terms of actual selection and performances.

Notable exceptions to that for me were the Cure and Chemical Brothers (The New Order Temptation samples brought a HUGE smile to my face)

Some of the suprisingly good sets i caught and stuck with were Fontaines DC, Lil Simz, The Comet Is Coming, Jonny Marr, Sharon Van Etten, Mavis Staples, Foals and Jon Hopkins, all good performers in various points of their career tragectory. People who I have added to the list of acts I will try and seek out a show for in the future, again or for the first time.

FrancieBrady

Technocentral wrote: »

Go on the ****! You are the only person in history to call the cure average, obviously not a music fan.

Don't forget Ally!

S.M.B.

Mrs Shuttleworth wrote: »

Was at an 80s festival not far from Glastonbury on Saturday. Human League and Thomas Dolby almost blew the sky out with their analogue synth sounds.

Came home last night watched some Glasto on the Beeb sorry other than Christine it looked complete rubbish. That Janelle Monae is a spoofer - I've seen her live before - functional dancing, whingeing about Trump, all to hide really mediocre material.

I've seen 100s of acts over what's now approaching 25 years of gig going and Janelle Monae would certainly be a contender for a slot in the top 10. Would have really struggled with her clash with the Cure last night had I been at Glasto this year.

jobless

question for those that were there, looking at the tv at main stage acts, the crowds looked massive.... can you see anything near the back?

Stillill42

Mrs Shuttleworth wrote: »

Was at an 80s festival not far from Glastonbury on Saturday. Human League and Thomas Dolby almost blew the sky out with their analogue synth sounds.

Came home last night watched some Glasto on the Beeb sorry other than Christine it looked complete rubbish. That Janelle Monae is a spoofer - I've seen her live before - functional dancing, whingeing about Trump, all to hide really mediocre material.

I'm going to put it down to tiredness, Mrs. Shuttleworrth. Janelle seems to me one of the more inventive performers out there. It's not really my cup of tea but her show was very engaging, she's witty and warm and she has a few fantastic numbers in there. Plenty worse out there.

Basq

Phew.. just en-route home to drop off campervan.

Arrived Wednesday and saw the fireworks from where they launch (The Park/Stone Circle). Got very cold after fireworks so then went for a general wander around The Glade to a few spots.. good fun singalongs and a bit of "dad dancing".

Thursday was a warm one so spent a lot of time just outside Strummerville in the shade with a few beers. Got in early for Frank Turner's acoustic solo set in Strummerville. Was good although very busy so fence holding people out with 4 stewarts ended up breaking down. After that, a bit of a dance in Greenpeace to Simian Mobile Disco. Good fun!

Friday was a bit of time at The Pyramid for Bastille - great fun pop music to get the crowd moving.

Then watched a bit of Maribou State on West Holts. Very good!

Onto Pangea.. it's no Spider but still early days. Very cool though. Stayed for a bit of Black Madonna.

Friday evening was Frank Turner at Fields Of Avalon. Incredible showman. Needs a bigger venue than that though crowd were loving it.

Had a wander round SE Corner - IICON Stage looks great. Then went for few drinks and singalong in Avalon Inn.

On Saturday, was just way too warm. Saw the first 5 minutes of Lewis Capaldi.. entrance was very funny to be honest. Was very good with Bastille yesterday but not a fan of his music personally.

Spent a bit of time in the shade around The Glade/Spaceport waiting for temps to cool down. So took a wander up to see Foals Secret Set at The Park. It was absolutely jammed and forgot there was no screens up in The Park so ended up moving on to Glastonbury On Sea to watch a big of them. Glastonbury On Sea was a really excellent addition - bingo, old seaside games, candy floss etc. Really fun!

So decided to come down for Liam - he was ropey as hell.. saw him on The Other in 2015 and I blamed the sound but just as bad as Pyramid so can't blame the sound anymore. It almost sounded like the guitars were trying to drown out his voice at times.. and probably not a bad thing. Real shame! Opted out early for some grub.

The Killers were good, but not spectacular. Their second half was better with Pet Shop Boys and Johnny Marr. Was gutted to miss Johnny play earlier today so happy to hear some Smiths. Brandon Flowers need to ease up on the ego.. confidence is one thing but don't be a bellend - "We're The Killers so that must make you the victims" :rolleyes:

Sunday was a much cooler affair in terms of weather thankfully. Arrived just in time for David Attenborough on The Pyramid. Some man for 93 (I think) to be fair. And then Kylie just didn't sound great IMO.. was fine but won't go down as a classic Sunday Legends Slot.

Watched the first 5 minutes of Billie Eilish.. I don't.. get it!

So made a move for Friendly Fires at John Peel. Just a helluva live band.. good fun and lots of dancing. Recommended!

Onto our last headliner of the weekend The Cure. Saw them last year at Hyde Park and probably preferred them there to be honest. Was good for the hits but there was a mass exodus of people leaving after 15 minutes around us.. last time I saw people leave to that extent (us included) was for Kanye in 15. Robert has a great voice still!

Phew!

Sound on stages definitely was a problem this year.. tents were the place to be.

Best gig of weekend so far - Frank Turner in Fields Of Avalon. Go see him live if you have a chance.

Til next year (fingers crossed) Worthy Farm!

Le Bruise

bodhrandude wrote: »

Wow! This looks mental, I'd say that was some gig.

Only heard about Babymetal after some folk mentioned them on this thread. Had a listen last night and this morning.....mental stuff, but really enjoyable. They certainly know how to power out a catchy chorus line!

fiveleavesleft

Le Bruise wrote: »

Only heard about Babymetal after some folk mentioned them on this thread. Had a listen last night and this morning.....mental stuff, but really enjoyable. They certainly know how to power out a catchy chorus line!

That line sums Japanese music up well:D, alot of people seemed to enjoy them, hopefully encourages more people to delve into Japanese music, so much amazing stuff over there.:)

Lotus Flower

Technocentral wrote: »

Go on the ****! You are the only person in history to call the cure average, obviously not a music fan.

The Cure are nothing special IMO, and I'm a music fan, believe me

Stillill42

Lotus Flower wrote: »

The Cure are nothing special IMO, and I'm a music fan, believe me

All opinions, innit? I think they're wonderful.

Lotus Flower

Stillill42 wrote: »

All opinions, innit? I think they're wonderful.

Exactly, opinions. Ridiculous to suggest that someone is not a music fan for having a certain opinion on a band

Weepsie

jobless wrote: »

question for those that were there, looking at the tv at main stage acts, the crowds looked massive.... can you see anything near the back?

I was in the crowd for the Rolling Stones set (2013), and was not able to see much. That was an exceptionally large crowd though and claimed to be the biggest Glastonbury crowd ever for the Pyramid Stage.

Like any big outdoor gig, you can see something and there's always a bit of space to meander except near the front.

Stones was the exception, I was way, way, way down the back and way off to the right, beyond the trees. IT was nigh on impossible to get close. They were still great though.

Next year I was fairly far back for Metallica and could see it fine.

A lot of it slopes as you go back.

brevity

Christine and the Queens and Janelle Monae were very good I thought.

ceegee

jobless wrote: »

question for those that were there, looking at the tv at main stage acts, the crowds looked massive.... can you see anything near the back?

Pyramid stage (main) is on a slope so the view is decent near the back.
Other stage (2nd biggest) is flat but you can see the screens from most of the field. The sound is very dodgy at the back because it's so exposed to winds.

The worst stages from my experience are West Holt's and Park, as they are smaller but don't have screens so view from the back can be poor (although I think WH may have screens now, wasn't there this year and can't remember if they did in 2017).

ghostdancer

West Holts had screens in 2017, possibly 2016 too.

no screens in The Park is a pain, but it's on a hill back to the sound desk, and the acts that play usually have small crowds so no need for screens there mostly. it's only really for the secret sets or the odd act that can fill further back than the hill.

brevity

Basq wrote: »

Til next year (fingers crossed) Worthy Farm!

You seem to go every year, is it worth it. I read some bits here and there that it’s “not what it used to be” but that could just be miserable people who are never happy.

I would love try it out, would you recommend it? What are your tips for going?

hankless

TV watcher here; can the average attendee get into the Pyramid Pit and/or Other Stage pit, or are they reserved for VIPs and dignitaries?

loveisdivine

brevity wrote: »

You seem to go every year, is it worth it. I read some bits here and there that it’s “not what it used to be” but that could just be miserable people who are never happy.

I would love try it out, would you recommend it? What are your tips for going?

I've never been, so my opinion isn't worth much. But I will say that we watch it on TV every year and I have noticed that the crowd looks a lot different. Seems to be a much more "festival chic" young girl crowd. Obviously that's a generalisation, but it definitely seems a more poppy vibe. I'm sure the lesser known areas of the festival are still everything they used to be.

ghostdancer

hankless wrote: »

TV watcher here; can the average attendee get into the Pyramid Pit and/or Other Stage pit, or are they reserved for VIPs and dignitaries?

anyone can get in. can't even remember if there's a pit at the Other stage.

for the Pyramid you can just walk up to the side and usually walk straight in.
celebs/people with AAA passes are usually in the bit between the pit and stage, with the photographers/security staff. although plenty of celebs are just part of the crowd too.

saw someone interviewed over the weekend that they'd been at the barrier behind the pit for 4hrs waiting for Stormzy. they could have got into the pit and up to the front row in that time....

Seathrun66

hankless wrote: »

TV watcher here; can the average attendee get into the Pyramid Pit and/or Other Stage pit, or are they reserved for VIPs and dignitaries?

First come, first served. For the bigger acts you really do need to be there hours in advance.

MadYaker

I’ll do a write up tomorrow maybe my brain isn’t working

Always Tired

BadTurtle wrote: »

Yup, huge hit. Just like crazy frog. Its ****ing woeful.

It's not my bag but it's better than crazy frog to be fair.

Anyway the point was you had no awareness of the biggest song in the world for the past 3 months, you thought it was a Miley Cyrus song.

Seathrun66

Lotus Flower wrote: »

Exactly, opinions. Ridiculous to suggest that someone is not a music fan for having a certain opinion on a band

Absolutely true. I disagree with you regarding The Cure and I can see why their lesser known stuff doesn't appeal to people. But it's all healthy discussion and I'd personally never describe someone as a non-music fan. It seems like a self-defeating argument.

Electric Nitwit

brevity wrote: »

I would love try it out, would you recommend it? What are your tips for going?

Go. Just do it.
You will not regret it.

That's the one piece of advice everyone will agree on. There are a hundred ways to enjoy Glastonbury so everything else is very subjective.

Register now, upload a photo etc. Make your mates do it to. When the tickets go on sale (October I think) have all of you ready. Make sure you're all on the ball. All of you, no lazy freeloaders letting you do the work. It's tough but those that take ticket day seriously tend to be OK.

What you see on TV is a tiny, tiny fraction of the experience. Plan very little, follow your nose, embrace the random. You'll love it, trust me :-)

brevity

ghostdancer wrote: »

saw someone interviewed over the weekend that they'd been at the barrier behind the pit for 4hrs waiting for Stormzy. they could have got into the pit and up to the front row in that time....

I saw that too. It didn’t make any sense!?

brevity

Electric Nitwit wrote: »

Go. Just do it.
You will not regret it.

That's the one piece of advice everyone will agree on. There are a hundred ways to enjoy Glastonbury so everything else is very subjective.

Register now, upload a photo etc. Make your mates do it to. When the tickets go on sale (October I think) have all of you ready. Make sure you're all on the ball. All of you, no lazy freeloaders letting you do the work. It's tough but those that take ticket day seriously tend to be OK.

What you see on TV is a tiny, tiny fraction of the experience. Plan very little, follow your nose, embrace the random. You'll love it, trust me :-)

I’ve been to a good few festivals, not enough mind you, so I would be fairly comfortable in the environment. I know Glastonbury is about 10 festivals all joined together though.

Would love to see Arcadia and Block 9 and some of the hidden gems

robinph

ghostdancer wrote: »

anyone can get in. can't even remember if there's a pit at the Other stage.

for the Pyramid you can just walk up to the side and usually walk straight in.
celebs/people with AAA passes are usually in the bit between the pit and stage, with the photographers/security staff. although plenty of celebs are just part of the crowd too.

saw someone interviewed over the weekend that they'd been at the barrier behind the pit for 4hrs waiting for Stormzy. they could have got into the pit and up to the front row in that time....

The celebs you'll see on the balconys either side of the stages when they do side on shots of whoever is singing in the middle of the stage. You'll sometimes be able to make out an Evis there.

Saw that person saying they had been waiting for 4 hours as well and couldn't understand it. Maybe if there is a big group of you then it would take a while to get you all together in a nice spot at the front, but really other than in the middle of the headliners main most bouncyiest tracks you'll be able to get anywhere you like. You'll not be able to find anyone, unless you know exactly which person with a pigeon on a stick it was that you were stood beside.

There isn't really a pit, that barrier is just to prevent any mass surges forward, but doesn't go anywhere close to being a blocked off area. Think that only came in the year after some deaths at a festival in Denmark on the same weekend a good few years ago where it was muddy/ hilly and people just got crushed at the front. I did spot they had a small barrier in front of the Other Stage on some of the coverage as well. There was some act playing there who I saw the singer hop of the stage and carry on signing whilst walking through the crowd all the way to that barrier and back again.

LowOdour

Was looking at Glastonbury for my 40th birthday in 2021, but heard that it's moving location.

Next year is probably a non runner....wonder will it be back in Worthy Farm in 2022?