Unofficial Official 2009 Glastonbury thread!

[SuperMikey]

'Special Guests' on Pyramid Stage, Friday confirmed as N*E*R*D. Tbf, I shan't be going to see them, but a decent band nonetheless. I shall be watching The Virgins in the John Peel tent at that time, and am mucho looking forward to it.

 

Can't beleive none of you have mentioned Bloc Party, headliners on 'the other' stage Friday night. I love Bloc Party, seen them a few times at smaller gigs, but looking forwards to them more than anyone :smile:

 

Really looking forward to seeing them for the 4th time! Always good live, and just a great band all round. However, i'm not up for The Ting Tings before them, what an overrated band they are. If they qualify for the title of 'band', in their case it seems to be that they consist of one shrieking woman and a tw*t banging a drum. I shall be watching most of The Specials' set and then heading over to see Jamie T.

[Spudders]

Just realsied that the Doves who I also wanted to see are on same time as Bloc Party.

 

Agree about the ting tings, but I'm guesing it's gonna be difficult to get from one place to another so I think I'll opt for the other stage on the Friday as it looks better (IMO) overall.

[lee_saint]

Just had a Text from Swannymere which reads as follows.

 

Hi Gimp, can you tell the people on the saintsforum, Glastonbury thread that the site is looking great especially Arcadia and The Park which has a village fete feel but is a ferkin' long walk! Ciao

 

All means nothing to me, but I assume it does to some of you. Cheers xXxXx

[SuperMikey]

O noes, I hate walking!

[Sidney Fudpucker the 3rd]

I would like to congratulate the BBC on their shocking coverage of Glastonbury. Once again we see 2 or 3 songs from an artist and then have to listen to Radio One DJ's talking utter sh*te. You can hear the band playing in the background yet someone has decided that the viewers would rather hear the opinions of a clueless **** who can't even get the name of the band right. Rant over... For today!

[SuperMikey]

Just got back - what an amazing weekend. The weather was great (most of the time anyway), the music was great and the atmosphere was great. Which one of you was walking around with a chequered saints flag? Saw that quite a few times over the weekend. Also, another saints flag camped near The Park, I was camped right next to you whoever you were!

 

Best acts of the festival for me were:

1) Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band

2) Kasabian

3) The Maccabees

4) Blur

5) Madness

 

Unfortunately Pete Doherty was cack as he seemed to be completely off his face. Roll on next year I say!

[Baj]

Just got back too, will post my thoughts more completely later,but oh my god, jamie t!!!!! god like!!

[Sheaf Saint]

Unfortunately Pete Doherty was cack as he seemed to be completely off his face.

 

Now there's a surprise

[SuperMikey]

Just got back too, will post my thoughts more completely later,but oh my god, jamie t!!!!! god like!!

 

Gutted I didn't get to see him, got down there nice and early for his set but it was already packed so I went to watch The Ting Tings instead (despite my futile protests to my mates...). Bet he went down a treat eh? He's great live, wish i'd seen him now.

 

I propose a questionnaire for all you Glastonbury-ees, just fill this in to sum up your festival!

 

Best Act - Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band

Worst Act - Pete Doherty/The Ting Tings

Best Onstage Moment - Bruce Springsteen's guitar swinging antics

Best Offstage Moment - Watching a reveller fall over in the mud with a pint in each hand, drenching himself.

Festival Anthem - 'Tender' by Blur

Act You'd Like To Play Next Year - Arcade Fire

[Baj]

Best Act - Jamie T or any one of the comedians in Caberet or performers on outside circus.

Worst Act - The Quo

Best Onstage Moment - Jamie T falling on his arse 3 times in one song and having to be hauled up by stage hands, really think he hurt himself.

Best Offstage Moment - Personally, being dragged on stage for "Betty" the strongest woman in the world.

Festival Anthem - ABC - Jackson 5. So many places were playing it, I'll always think of Glasto '09 when I hear that now.

Act You'd Like To Play Next Year - Sensus.... obviously

[Ash]

Best Offstage Moment - Personally, being dragged on stage for "Betty" the strongest woman in the world.

Too many mushies Bajer.

[Baj]

Too many mushies Bajer.

 

good point....

[Baj]

Didnt see a great deal of bands whilst there this year, we spent a lot of our time around the area west of Jazz stage, where there were the most amazing acts, performances etc to see, but of the bands we did see (in this order).

Mud Sun (Canadian / British rap double act) - 6/10

Bjorn Again (Abba Tribute) - 7/10

The Rakes (Good band, tosser lead singer) - 6/10

N.E.R.D (...rap) - 8/10

Fleet Foxes - 5/10

Jamie T - 9/10

Neil Young - 8/10

VV Brown - 7/10

Tinariwen (Is ok? Thank you velly muchas) - 8/10 (thought they were brilliant)

Eagles of Death Metal - 6/10

Spinal Tap - 7/10

Pete Doherty - 6/10

Jamie Callum - 9/10

Kasabian - 8/10 for perfomance, 3/10 for my enjoyment, dont really like em

Pendulum - 8/10 Surprisingly good, considering I barely new them.

Franz Ferdinand - 6/10 - Funny, and a nice thanks to last years Park gig.

Bruce Springsteen - 7/10

Status Quo - 2/10

Tony Christie - 5/10

Tunng and Tinariwen - 6/10

Cold War Kids - 8/10

Prodigy - 7/10

Blur - 7/10

 

Bands in italics I didnt see all the gig, so score based on what I did see...

[Deppo]

Jamie T? No bloody way, Baj. I'm not 'aving it. Not 'aving it.

[Spudders]

My first glastonbury and I really enjoyed it. Shame about the rain on the Thursday night but I guess it wouldn't be glastonbury without the mud.

 

Best Act - White Lies (Main act I wanted to see was Bloc Party and I loved them too, but purely as my surprise of the weekend I thought White Lies were amazing, so much so that I watched them on the Friday and again on the Saturday).

Worst Act - Didn't think much of Friendly Fires but to be honest any band I wasn't up for, I just went somewhere else.

Best Onstage Moment - Nothing that really stood out

Best Offstage Moment - listening to the conversation between too lads in the tent next to mine at 4am sunday morning when one of them had just returned off his face and woken the other one.

Festival Anthem - Glasvegas -Geraldine (although suprised they played it first rather than last).

Act You'd Like To Play Next Year - Puressence

Edited 29 June, 2009 by Spudders

[hamster]

I really enjoyed watching snippets on TV (again) this weekend.

 

Been saying for donkeys ears that we will go 'next year', and we're not getting any younger.

 

When should I be planning to get tickets for next year please? And what do people recomend re tents campers etc. I used to do stuff like 'Monsters of Rock' and 'Heavy Metal Holocaust' in my teens, and don't have the lust for roughing it that I used to have, plus Mrs h is a lady and I must treat her a such.

[Baj]

Saw this guy at Glasto, and nearly ****ed myself laughing, this isnt the full set but still funny.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDyoaktx7zU

[dubai_phil]

Better late than never I guess - anyone else still suffering post-Glasto depression at being back in the real world?

 

Top Moment? Every time I got the first mouthful of my latest pint of Medium Sweet from The Cider Bus

 

Found myself a campsite two miles outside the Wall with volunteer workers in it, 100 people and 12 CLEAN portaloos - only reason it would not be called heaven was the fact that we had to walk through Pilton each night which was two effing long hills up and one steep one down. But having a clean Portaloo is probably worth the pain! (OK it is heaven)

 

Last year spent lots of time in the weird places like the cabaret tent and stuff but this year saw

 

Regina Specter 3/10 yeah great angst driven chick music

James Hunter 3/10 yeah well we were waiting for the special guests at the Park

Hot Ratz 6/10 - had NO idea who they were but played a great set of covers of old Punk/Rock/80's ish stuff and then yesterday found out they were what's left of Supergrass no wonder they rocked

White Lies 7/10 had no idea they were so hyped over there, my lad gave me their album in Feb and have loved it since

Lily Allen - 5/10 more chick angst except for her last song/current hit which again got a tingly Glasto moment 8/10

Lady Gaga - what to say? More stoned than Doherty? Missed The Specials for this and it was just great 8/10 (would have been higher if I had been close enough to see her boobs without binos) but the flame-thrower bra - oh yeah that rocked!

Neil Young 3/10 - sorry didn't work for me and I strolled up the hill before the end

Jason Mraz caught the end of his set 4/10 but jumped up to a 9/10 for his single I'm Yours right at the end, was close to a magical moment and Radio 1 seemed to agree when they played it again on Monday evening

The Scirpt 6/10 - Never knew they were from Dublin! The whole couldn't believe they were there innocence and slushy wanna cry songs felt very much like a real moment, great singalong stuff

Pete Doherty -5/10 - expected a train wreck but in the end quite enjoyed his music, have to say he did actually look less stoned than most of the audience...

La Roux - 7/10 yep fought our way in the tent, couldn't decide if it was the Communards gone sex change or yahzoo, but really buzzed

Pete Tong 1/10 - music to fight your way out of a crowded tent to, luckiy it worked and only took us 15 minutes to get out!

Kasabian 3/10 - sorry music just went whoosh made me almost wish I had gone to see 4 poofs & a piano in the cabaret tent (well only nearly)

The Boss 8/10 - Great energy, great performance, great showmanship, best ever live gig? possibly, just having seen him 4 times before felt the music choice was just a little less strong than I saw at Milton Keynes, but deffo a rockier set

Status Quo 2/10 - luckily it is good music to walk up & down hill to on the way in

Tony Christie 3/10 - but of course 8/10 when the few who were there all went off on the March to Amarillo

Amadou et Mariam 6/10 - ok was being lazy - couldn't be assed to carry the folding chair all around on the final day, but these two blind African/Algerian whatever singers REALLY made an impression wonderful sort of post Cider Bus warm fuzzy glow music, one of the stand out weird magical moments this year

Tom Jones - 5/10 - Oh dear, he's been to Dubai twice and rocked, here he looked old, seemed confused and lost his place in the running order, the classics were there but the whole new generation stuff seemed a little flat, but then it was karaoke afternoon so who really cared was a good way of waiting for Madness

Madness - 8/10 What a surprise, saw them here and they were good but thought the whole Pyramid show just rocked and boy did we dance like sad old fat cider drinkers (and a big thanks to the Beeb who found us and showed the world inc my mum how monged we were - it WAS a roll-up mum - Honest!)

Noisettes 5/10 - didn't really do it for me but she sang Ben totally without any backing music stunning, haunting, and beautiful, another magic moment for which she gets a 9/10

Glasvega 7/10 - Got there with a sort of reluctance and really enjoyed their music although strange that they started with the anthems and got quieter as they went on.

The Prodigy 9/10 - OK I basically hate their music on the radio in clubs etc but the old farts had been told it would be something special and that we should make sure we got right down in the mosh pit so we (almost) did and Oh wow jump jump jump jump with a backpack and a folding chair on your back is probably against UK Health & Safety rules, think we broke someone's jaw but who the heck cared - awesome

Blur 10/10 - just caught the last song on the walk back and it was the only moment where the hairs stood up on the back of the neck this year. Would I have missed the Prodigy for them? no. Would I have loved to have seen both? yes - but then that's Glasto - always tough choices

 

Best food Argentinian Steak Sarnie/Roast pork Mushroom Sauce and rice and of course Mulled Cider in the evening

 

Worst moment 5 hours to move 4.5 miles around Shepton Mallett on Wednesday

Best moment knowing it was your final trip to the Portaloo tied with Sunday night getting back and finding the caravan right next to my car & tent had caught fire. From start to finish it took the Fire Brigade 14minutes to be called, arrive & put it out and the car & tent were unscathed although only 10 feet from the charred wreckage

 

Was it better than 2008? Better bands so less time to do the weird stuff like Shangri La/Trash City/Arcadia, but musically oh yes 11/10 and missing it like mad

 

Tips for next year

 

There are LOADS of volunteer organistaions that make the event work. Oasis Carnival Club do traffic duty on restricted access roads all week. You do 3 x 8 hour shifts, get the special camp site and pay 200 quid deposit. Then IF you attend all your shifts you get a free ticket AND the deposit back. The trick is to arrive early in the week and do one night shift - mates of mine didn't miss a minute of Glasto, although a day on the Cider and the toxic fumes followed by a midnight to 8am shift is a bit tough, specially when it is about 300C in the tent in the sun when they tried to get a few hours sleep in the morning. It is a really weird set up bit like a Vicar of Dibley Village Hall committee and a bit cliquish but smooze and it works AND you can take a caravan/camper if you want and it's ALL free

[SuperMikey]

I was thinking of doing some volunteer work at the festival next year phil, to pay for my ticket! I'm guessing you've worked with various organisations in the past, any recommendations?

[dubai_phil]

I was thinking of doing some volunteer work at the festival next year phil, to pay for my ticket! I'm guessing you've worked with various organisations in the past, any recommendations?

 

Well I actually blagged access to the campsite with a mate. I had a rental car and a ticket, he had the voluntary work and campsite access.

 

Oasis lot seemed good if a little yokelish. I don't know how they allocate their work shifts, the guy I went with had 4pm-12 on the Wednesday, midnight to 8am on the Saturday morning (rough staying awake all night after all day at the festival and then 8am-4pm on the Monday of the traffic jam which in reality was probably quite lucky. One Neil Young fan got to miss both Crosby Stills & Nash as well as the man himself. the youngsters working felt it was too far to walk in and out. They had about 8 sites - basically restricting access to sensitive private roads or the heart of the village of Pilton, Apparently the most difficult drivers are the locals who really get really nimby about the whole thing

Others I heard of was a group that supplied bar staff but that was something like 5 x 6 hour shifts during the festival that included a ticket and I think pay. They were sending emails around for staff about 5 days before the event.

The tickets are special ones and are distributed by Glasto to the organisations around 5pm late on the Thursday evening. That upset a few lads who had planned to put a secind tent up inside the site as by the time they could get in, the whole place was chocka. But instead of having a photo they had a P on them and a different wristband. My mate did get permission for me to use the site in advance, they wouldn't take kindly to about 10 people turining up in tents for one worker, but if you took a caravan I'm sure they'd be ok with a couple. BUT if you miss a shift they keep your deposit, which with the chais of the traffic on Wednesday making a lot of people late caused some rows, but again - you could volunteer to work from say Monday before the event and do your 3 shifts before the festival even starts

The external security crew had to do 12 hour shifts every day and that was pretty rough on them, they got paid 4 quid an hour whether on night shift or on days.

Didn't get to speak to any of the internal on site people

Absolutely recommend staying away from anything to do with clean-up gangs, loads of people do the whole raking the sewage, sorting through the rubbish for recycling etc.

There were campsite crew who seemed to spend their shifts in caravans in their respective fields - that was fine for the guys by the Pyramid field who could see and hear the main stage while working.

 

My mate did a whole bunch of googling and I think came up with the best, but if you do get to work, then like I found with the Golf work I do here then it REALLY pays to have your schmoozing head on from start to finish, the first time is pot luck but if you really turn on the charm and helpfulness and get under their skin then things look up really quickly when you get allocated. Many of the volunteers really didn't seem to get on with the organisers, but a smile and understanding of how tough their life is got a whole different reaction back

 

Oasis Carnival Club - google but they register REALLY early

 

HTH and only a small snippet of it really, I do think it is pot luck are you a volunteer or a piad worker? Spending 8 hours away from the site during headline acts could rather negate the point of going

 

Oh one final thing I only saw TWO Saints shirts this year.

[SuperMikey]

Thanks for that phil, by this time next year I shall be 18 and fancied the idea of earning a bit of wonga and getting to go to the festival at the same time, although I doubt they would employ many 18 year olds. I shall do some googling and see what I can come up with...

 

Apparently the bar staff were all volunteers from charitable organisations or work scheme programmes according to one bloke working on the bar, so might have a look in at working on there.

 

I saw a couple of saints shirts, was going to take mine but it's L/S and I probably would've been boiled alive inside it.

[swannymere]

I saw about 5 people wearing Saints shirts whilst working including a little lad of about 6 or 7 who i swear i saw last year! Also saw a couple by the Orange tent and a woman with a Saints carrier bag walking the drag from the main meeting point to the Pyramid via the cider bus (miserable cuunt, unlike his staff!). On the working front be aware that if you want paying and entry you'll be working so hard that you'll probably be too knackered to want to go out and about. Once again the punters ruined the festival by turning up, but it was great when they all fooked off on Monday;)

[Chorlton]

Best Act - Jamie T or any one of the comedians in Caberet or performers on outside circus.

Worst Act - The Quo

Best Onstage Moment - Jamie T falling on his arse 3 times in one song and having to be hauled up by stage hands, really think he hurt himself.

Best Offstage Moment - Personally, being dragged on stage for "Betty" the strongest woman in the world.

Festival Anthem - ABC - Jackson 5. So many places were playing it, I'll always think of Glasto '09 when I hear that now.

Act You'd Like To Play Next Year - Sensus.... obviously

 

 

Think that Betty was at Winch Hat Fair today. Did she do the human carousel?

[Baj]

Think that Betty was at Winch Hat Fair today. Did she do the human carousel?

 

Thats the one mate, and that's what she lifted me on!

[dubai_phil]

Ah bless

 

Found Lady Gaga's exploding boobs

[Junction 9]

Did anyone ever hear why the traffic was so bad on the Wednesday night? I left at the same time last year and drove straight into the West car park no probs. As Phil said, this year Shepton Mallet to Pilton took 5 hours! I couldn't see any reason for it.

I helped some lads put their tent up around midnight and they'd come down from Manchester by coach. 15 hours they were sat on it, 9 hours to do the last 20 miles. Sod that.

[swannymere]

According to somebody ITK about 80% of punters came on wednesday compared to 40-60% in previous years.

[dubai_phil]

Did anyone ever hear why the traffic was so bad on the Wednesday night? I left at the same time last year and drove straight into the West car park no probs. As Phil said, this year Shepton Mallet to Pilton took 5 hours! I couldn't see any reason for it.

I helped some lads put their tent up around midnight and they'd come down from Manchester by coach. 15 hours they were sat on it, 9 hours to do the last 20 miles. Sod that.

 

Was with some of the traffic marshalls. The story seemed to start with a fatal accident on the M4/M5, that led to a tail back that went all the way back to Bristol.

 

Then there was another accident think it was a Lorry fire on either the A39 or A37 which also had to be closed by the police. One of the only other roads then had roadworks...

 

We got 2.5 miles outside Shepton on the A361 at 12:45, went back to Frome and cut up to Radstock then across country and came out 2.5 miles north of Shepton. It then took me until 5:05pm to reach the site. The mate I was giving a lift to got out the car by the Gaymers factory in Shepton at 3pm and walked. They got to their registration bang on 4pm. I arrived at 5:15.

 

The problem got worse and because the car parks have to shut at 10pm, there were huge numbers of cars and distressed hot fed up people being corralled into temporary staging areas.

 

The problems were further compounded as many people stuck on coaches in the heat got off to walk for a few minutes to get some air - especially in Shepton, then suddenly one road would clear for a few minutes and during the night there were hundreds of kids walking into the site with all their gear on coaches that they had lost/couldn't find.

 

In the end the road from Shepton to Frome was a car park and the traffic was backed up and slow moving all the way onto the A303

 

Organisationally it wasn't a screw up, some people died and the knock on effect produced an almost perfect storm. All I could say was thank fook my rental car had a/c

 

Those who finally got in on Thursday found that most of the camping spots inside had been taken and were stuck right down on the south of the farm or by the toilets - yuk

 

But have to say that Radio Somerset & Worthy FM were close to useless at telling people what was going on and why and how long it would take. And as for the traffic radio station we found it was simply rubbish

[Junction 9]

It does seem to be the case that people are getting there earlier every year. If everyone is thinking the same way then it's going to be rammed as soon as the gates open on the Wednesday morning next year.

[hamster]

Think that Betty was at Winch Hat Fair today. Did she do the human carousel?

 

That was a good hat fair imho, there was a really nice 'vibe'. Did you see the 'russian' (essex girl) doing things with hool-hoops in an extremely ill-fitting leotard? And thise dinosaur things were brilliant.

[Chorlton]

That was a good hat fair imho, there was a really nice 'vibe'. Did you see the 'russian' (essex girl) doing things with hool-hoops in an extremely ill-fitting leotard? And thise dinosaur things were brilliant.

 

Yeh, think I saw her on the Sunday up the Arbor. And agree about the dinosaurs, they were great fun.

[SuperMikey]

Everyone ready for tickets today?

[Spudders]

spent a fair bit of time this afternoon and this evening 'in a queue' kept crashing just when I seemed to get anywhere. Sold out now. Nuts.

[Junction 9]

Got mine.

[SuperMikey]

Got mine. On the PC at 8.30am just to make sure! Had my tickets within 10 minutes.

You just need to have loads of windows open, and keep refreshing. You're guaranteed that way.

I don't see how there are so many people complaining about not being able to get tickets when it took 12 hours for the tickets to sell out, surely in that period of time you'd be able to get a ticket? Just get in there first ffs.

[Rattlehead]

Well done for getting tickets to an event which happened several months ago. Some of you even seem to have gone to it.

 

No wonder it's sold out Spudgun!