Observations of Glastonbury 2019

JupiterKid

So I can’t sleep a wink tonight and decided to go into the living room for a while and watch some telly.:o

I flicked through the channels and on comes Glastonbury. A few observations:

Why is Kylie one of the headline acts? Isn’t Glastonbury supposed to be about rock music? Don’t get me wrong...I love rock music - especially 1990s grunge and classic rock and a bit of 2000s era Kylie is isn’t bad at all but Kylie is pop music. Surely Kylie has a place at Glastonbury but not as a headline act?

The Cure are are as great as ever. Really sad that I missed getting tickets to their recent gig in Malahide.

The audience at Glastonbury don’t seem as young as they used to be. In fact, many of them seem to be be as old as me or older. :eek: And why not? More power to them!

Anyone here actually been to Glastonbury? What was it like? How does it compare to, say, Electric Picnic, Felie or Witness?

refusetolose

Kylie was in the legends slot, not a headliner

refusetolose

all the young people are listening to crap music

There's a Legends slot on the Pyramids stage, so that's when the 'classic' acts are wheeled out. Dolly Parton, Lionel Richie, Shirley Bassey and of course Kylie, have all been Legends. Very popular slot in the festival.

Glasto isn't just big, it's absolutely gigantic.

I dunno, there's a sort of hipster "look at me, I'm so cool I listen to stuff that's not cool" vibe to it, you know? Actually didn't Cliff Richard headline one one those same rock festivals about 1982 or 83-ish? Maybe not Glastonbury, might have been Reading.

I always hated them btw. No matter how into a band you really are there's always at least 10,000 people either going for a p1ss or going for a burger in the middle of the other 70,000 people while they're on stage. Could be The Rolling Stones, could be your mate's garage band, you're still gonna be elbowed out of it by some shouty drunk who wants a fight.

Thrashssacre

What is it that elevates Glastonbury and Coachella in the states above all other music festivals, there’s loads on every year that basically have the same or similar enough lineup and the above mentioned cost an absolute fortune in comparison.

Omackeral

refusetolose wrote: »

all the young people are listening to crap music

That's been said since forever and will be said in the next generation too about today's youth.

d8491prj5boyvg

Omackeral wrote: »

That's been said since forever and will be said in the next generation too about today's youth.

They are also listening to different music. Different to each other. Tailored Spotify playlists. Which is great in one way. But no communal totp or top 30 hits experiences. No battle of britpop cultural events.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

There's always been a certain retro element to Glastonbury and the lineup can't be said to lack variety, that's for sure.

As for what elevates the festivals - it's the text that it's not just a music festival. There's a lot of other types of art at Glastonbury as well - is not just music

Discodog

Deleted User wrote: »

I dunno, there's a sort of hipster "look at me, I'm so cool I listen to stuff that's not cool" vibe to it, you know? Actually didn't Cliff Richard headline one one those same rock festivals about 1982 or 83-ish? Maybe not Glastonbury, might have been Reading.

I always hated them btw. No matter how into a band you really are there's always at least 10,000 people either going for a p1ss or going for a burger in the middle of the other 70,000 people while they're on stage. Could be The Rolling Stones, could be your mate's garage band, you're still gonna be elbowed out of it by some shouty drunk who wants a fight.

I been to Glasto & Electric Picnic several times. I have never had a bad experience or met anyone shouty or aggressive.

somesoldiers

I liked this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1vlLJCr9Lo

am going through a bit of a UK rapper buzz at the moment, all started by this fella

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUBEWk2gaFM

Decuc500

JupiterKid wrote: »

Why is Kylie one of the headline acts? Isn’t Glastonbury supposed to be about rock music?

Kylie, Lauren Hill, Miley Cyrus, Janet Jackson, Hozier, Sigrid, Stormzy, Janelle Monae, Christine and the Queens, Tame Bloody Impala etc.

Glastonbury is not about rock music anymore.

beauf

Decuc500 wrote: »

Kylie, Lauren Hill, Miley Cyrus, Janet Jackson, Hozier, Sigrid, Stormzy, Janelle Monae, Christine and the Queens, Tame Bloody Impala etc.

Glastonbury is not about rock music anymore.

Rock music in general isn't as popular at the moment.

Hamsterchops

JupiterKid wrote: »

So I can’t sleep a wink tonight and decided to go into the living room for a while and watch some telly.:o

Anyone here actually been to Glastonbury? What was it like? How does it compare to, say, Electric Picnic, Felie or Witness?

Comparing Glastonbury to Electric Picnic, Felie or Witness would be like comparing London to Dublin or Cork!

Glastonbury is massive, (on an industrial scale) while the events you quote (Electric Picnic, Felie & Witness) are "Boutique" festivals & tiny by comparison. So many stages @Glasto, and so many different groups and followers at different stages, so while all the fifty year olds are at the pyramid stage watching Kylie, all the twenty year olds are elsewhere!

I heard Emily Evis being interviewed, and their farm + surrounding farms are transformed into a medium sized city for three days & nights, Glastonbury is massive in more ways than one.

the.red.baron

in fairness, Oxygen/Witness had in the region of 60/70 thousand people at it, so hardly boutique


and that was 10-15 years ago, so not small


Glasto was probably twice that size back then


Not sure of the appeal of these things, with all the non fans the buzz just isnt the same and you end up looking at tiny figures on stage at distance


it's misery by day 3

TheIrishGrover

JupiterKid wrote: »

So I can’t sleep a wink tonight and decided to go into the living room for a while and watch some telly.:o

I flicked through the channels and on comes Glastonbury. A few observations:

Why is Kylie one of the headline acts? Isn’t Glastonbury supposed to be about rock music? Don’t get me wrong...I love rock music - especially 1990s grunge and classic rock and a bit of 2000s era Kylie is isn’t bad at all but Kylie is pop music. Surely Kylie has a place at Glastonbury but not as a headline act?

The Cure are are as great as ever. Really sad that I missed getting tickets to their recent gig in Malahide.

The audience at Glastonbury don’t seem as young as they used to be. In fact, many of them seem to be be as old as me or older. :eek: And why not? More power to them!

Anyone here actually been to Glastonbury? What was it like? How does it compare to, say, Electric Picnic, Felie or Witness?

I have been to Glastonbury 9 of the last 11 times. To answer some of your questions:

Glastonbury is NOT a rock festival. Glastonbury is a music and arts festival. I know you are just asking the question and not complaining but every year there are complaints about certain acts. You have that moron a few years ago on about Kanye West. Before that the uproar about Jay-Z.

Glastonbury has, for the last 20 years or so, catered to FAR more that traditional rock and is all the better for it.

Especially the Legends set: Kylie (Not my thing, didn't go but knew she would do VERY well. Fair play to her), Dolly Parton, Tom Jones, Lional Richie, Rolf Harris for God's sake (Although I bet they want to forget that). Cliff Richard, as was said.

Again, I know you are not complaining and this is NOT aimed at you but the people who always complain about the lineup not being rock are people who have never been and are ignorant about Glastonbury. They see the 8 or 9 acts that the BBC show: Typically the Other Stage Headlines and The Pyramid last 2 acts on each day. Something from The Park and the John Peel tent. But that's it. It is AMAZING the diversity of the music there.

The age range at Glastonbury? Where to start: Seven weeks to seventy-seven years. The age range is VERY wide. It all depends on the acts that are on. Your typical Stormzy audience is going to be very different from your Cure audience. I have not noticed the age range changing other than the depressing fact that I am sliding higher up that age scale. Hah. But the age range is brilliantly wide. As long as you have an open mind (And can handle an open mind...... and the whole size and camping thing) then you are welcome.

As for:

Deleted User wrote:

I dunno, there's a sort of hipster "look at me, I'm so cool I listen to stuff that's not cool" vibe to it, you know? Actually didn't Cliff Richard headline one one those same rock festivals about 1982 or 83-ish? Maybe not Glastonbury, might have been Reading.

I always hated them btw. No matter how into a band you really are there's always at least 10,000 people either going for a p1ss or going for a burger in the middle of the other 70,000 people while they're on stage. Could be The Rolling Stones, could be your mate's garage band, you're still gonna be elbowed out of it by some shouty drunk who wants a fight.

No offence intended but this is actually almost 100% incorrect. Glasto is NOT Oxegen or even the picnic.

I was at Lional Richie (He was brilliantly cheezy fun) and there was a bunch of teenagers in front. Very hipster-looking. Obviously WAY too young for him. I asked them "Why are you here?" And they gave the best answer "Cos it's the legends slot, he's brilliant, the sun is out and we wanna have fun" And by God they did. They knew EVERY word of every song. Plus, you got to remember: There is a difference between headlining and headlining the Legends set. Legends set is usually the up-beat optimistic and fun set to drag you out of your tent, hungover and stinky and get you on your feet again.

Shouty drunken fights at Glastonbury?......... Just no. I have NEVER seen a single fight there. Arguments very occasionally but a drunken Oxegen-style fight? Not. Once!

So, tldr: Remember this for next year: Glasto is NOT a rock festival. It is a music and arts festival and anyone big enough to be there has a place there.

...... And it's not Oxegen.

Mint Sauce

OP, do you watch Glastonbury any other years? Over 200,000 attendance this year, over 2,500 acts. Glastonbury is not just big, it's massive on an almost City scale.

As for Kylie, she was on in the Legend Slot on the Sunday afternoon, same slot has been played by Johnny Cash, Lionel Richie, and Stevie Wonder. Granted she was not great, but there was plenty of other acts on, at the same time, on other stages.

Gregor Samsa

I was at Glastonbury in 1999, 2000 and 2003. Absolutely amazing experiencing. You could spend the whole weekend there and not visit the two main stages at all, and still have the best time ever. I guess if you haven't been, or have only been to smaller festivals, you'd be forgiven for complaining that such-and-such is playing - as if they're taking up a valuable slot that someone more worthwhile could have, but Glastonbury is completely different, and if you'd been you'd understand that it makes no sense to even care who's on the lineup. There's so much going on (not just music) that it's just impossible to take it all in. While I like the BBC coverage, it in no way does the event justice. You just can't convey the feeling of 200,000 people on a farm for 3/4/5 days surrounded by thousands of performances of every type.

I used to go to Féile before (in Tipp an Cork) - you'd spend half your time dodging scumbags and hoping that your tent was still there when you got back in the evening (1994, we came back to a pristine patch of grass in an otherwise field of mud - some toerag had just randomly grabbed it walking past and dragged it 500 meters away. 1995 in Cork, we came across three local 12 year olds with big black bin bags that were casually cleaning out all the tents they could). I never once saw any trouble at Glastonbury.

Looking forward to when my kids are just a bit older to bring them over to it. That's another amazing thing about Glasto: You can have off-their-head 18 year olds abusing the freedom of their first weekend away, middle aged families with kids and empty-nesters reclaiming their freedom all at the same event, and each of them having an amazing time in their own (different) way.

Mad_maxx

Discodog wrote: »

I been to Glasto & Electric Picnic several times. I have never had a bad experience or met anyone shouty or aggressive.

Both events are impeccably middle class, especially Glastonbury which was hipster thirty years before the term was coined

rossie1977

Glastonbury has never been a rock festival more a performing arts one. There are long running rock festivals with Monsters of Rock/Download being the biggest in the UK.

Thrashssacre wrote: »

What is it that elevates Glastonbury and Coachella in the states above all other music festivals, there’s loads on every year that basically have the same or similar enough lineup and the above mentioned cost an absolute fortune in comparison.

Glastonbury because of its longevity and legacy, Coachella for it's celebrity endorsements

blinding

The crowds are Very White and Middle / Upper Class . Don’t tickets cost £275 . Is this too keep the rif-raf out .

All seems slightly Racist really .

Thelonious Monk

I went once not a wink of sleep for 4 nights and took drugs like ket and 2cb that id never even heard of on top of everything else. It's truly amazing in size. I barely went near the main stages there are so many acts to choose from.

TheIrishGrover

blinding wrote: »

The crowds are Very White and Middle / Upper Class . Don’t tickets cost £275 . Is this too keep the rif-raf out .

All seems slightly Racist really .

Why? Because Black, Asian or other groups can't afford tickets?

Wow

blinding

TheIrishGrover wrote: »

Why? Because Black, Asian or other groups can't afford tickets?

Wow

Have you ever looked at the audience . Looks like a Klu Klux Klan meeting .

pjdarcy

blinding wrote: »

The crowds are Very White and Middle / Upper Class . Don’t tickets cost £275 . Is this too keep the rif-raf out .

All seems slightly Racist really .

Racist is a bit strong. Elitist maybe but if you want to see lots of the best acts on the planet in a single weekend that won't come cheap.

Think of the ticket price in this way: a seated ticket to see Stevie Wonder on his own in the 3 Arena was 160 euro. The Glasto ticket doesn't seem so expensive now eh?

blinding

pjdarcy wrote: »

Racist is a bit strong. Elitist maybe but if you want to see lots of the best acts on the planet in a single weekend that won't come cheap.

Think of the ticket price in this way: a seated ticket to see Stevie Wonder on his own in the 3 Arena was 160 euro. The Glasto ticket doesn't seem so expensive now eh?

Certainly keeping the lower classes out at those prices:eek:

Why is this sort of thing such an elitist thing .

If John Snow ( channel 4) remarked on a Glastonbury Crowd he would have to say , that he never had seen so many white folk together at one time .

It goes to show that you can segregate society by money if you so please .

Autecher

pjdarcy wrote: »

Racist is a bit strong. Elitist maybe but if you want to see lots of the best acts on the planet in a single weekend that won't come cheap.

Think of the ticket price in this way: a seated ticket to see Stevie Wonder on his own in the 3 Arena was 160 euro. The Glasto ticket doesn't seem so expensive now eh?

Have you ever seen the crowd at a Stevie Wonder gig?? It's like a Klan rally!

blinding

Autecher wrote: »

Have you ever seen the crowd at a Stevie Wonder gig?? It's like a Klan rally!

Just as well Stevie can’t see them ( or can he ) . He’d probably think he was at a Klan Meeting if he could see the members .

Its interesting how you can excuse people through financial means .

Discodog

The biggest problem for Glasto is finding headliners. There are few acts big enough & they won't get paid much.

Thelonious Monk

blinding wrote: »

Just as well Stevie can’t see them ( or can he ) . He’d probably think he was at a Klan Meeting if he could see the members .

Its interesting how you can excuse people through financial means .

Black people don't like camping

https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2010/jul/09/black-people-camp-holidays

Gimme A Pound

pjdarcy wrote: »

Racist is a bit strong. Elitist maybe but if you want to see lots of the best acts on the planet in a single weekend that won't come cheap.

Think of the ticket price in this way: a seated ticket to see Stevie Wonder on his own in the 3 Arena was 160 euro. The Glasto ticket doesn't seem so expensive now eh?

Presume Blinding is taking the piss (presume).

£275 for three days and the costs of putting that massive festival together, is good value.

Discodog

Gimme A Pound wrote: »

Presume Blinding us taking the piss (presume).

£275 for three days and the costs of putting that massive festival together, is good value.

Plus it's run as a charity. Michael could of become a very wealthy man if he'd wanted to

blinding

Gimme A Pound wrote: »

Presume Blinding us taking the piss (presume).

£275 for three days and the costs of putting that massive festival together, is good value.

Good value for wealthy people . Black people ain’t buying into it for some reason . I suppose it has the look of a Klan meeting which could be off putting to Black People .

pjdarcy

Autecher wrote: »

Have you ever seen the crowd at a Stevie Wonder gig?? It's like a Klan rally!

LOL - that made me spit out my tea!

Gregor Samsa

blinding wrote: »

The crowds are Very White and Middle / Upper Class . Don’t tickets cost £275 . Is this too keep the rif-raf out .

All seems slightly Racist really .

Funny, because the last time I was there, we got chatting to a group of black lads at the Wise Crone café. They asked us where we were from. When we said Ireland, one of them replied "I'd never go to Ireland, there's no black people there."

blinding

phutyle wrote: »

Funny, because the last time I was there, we got chatting to a group of black lads at the Wise Crone café. They asked us where we were from. When we said Ireland, one of them replied "I'd never go to Ireland, there's no black people there."

I assume you told him that was not true . Fair dues them for going to such a White Festival as Glastonbury .

Guy:Incognito

blinding wrote: »

Good value for wealthy people . .

£90 a day for a full day of entertainment isnt a lot at all.

This is like your schtick on the brexit thread. Just keep repeating the line in the hope it takes hold. With your kkk stuff.

Gregor Samsa

blinding wrote: »

I assume you told him that was not true . Fair dues them for going to such a White Festival as Glastonbury .

And deprive him of his chance to troll us? No way. If that's how he got his little kicks, who am I to take it away from him.

El Weirdo

Gimme A Pound wrote: »

Presume Blinding us taking the piss (presume).

£275 for three days and the costs of putting that massive festival together, is good value.

Five days. So even better value.

blinding

Guy:Incognito wrote: »

£90 a day for a full day of entertainment isnt a lot at all.

This is like your schtick on the brexit thread. Just keep repeating the line in the hope it takes hold. With your kkk stuff.

There are other costs associated with going to Glastonbury , Obviously .

The accumulation of these costs are probably why it is such a Middle Class / Upper Class Festival . This is Probably why it also turns out to be such a White Festival .

blinding

Have a look . https://www.google.com/search?q=Glastonbury+audience+photos&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi3ttXl3KfjAhWDYcAKHc7bCE0Q_AUIECgB&biw=960&bih=472

Jeez that audience is as White as a Klan Meeting .

ohnonotgmail

Gimme A Pound wrote: »

Presume Blinding us taking the piss (presume).

£275 for three days and the costs of putting that massive festival together, is good value.

I wouldn't presume that at all.

irishguitarlad

I've been to a good few music festivals but never glastonbury. It doesn't really interest me to be honest, It seems more to me that you go there for the vibes/experience do drugs and get pissed and not really go for the music. I prefer to go to a festival where a good chunk of the line-up interests me. I like Download, went there in 2012 and had a great time, that's Britain's rock festival by the way, not Glastonbury which is a bit of everything (except metal and yes I know Metallica headlined but that went seriously against the grain)

Bobblehats

The real Glastonbury experience is wandering down the stall lined thoroughfares tanked up on chunky hot spicy cider. Far beyond all the scallies trying to flog you their wares deep into the nether reaches where some hippie chick will come out of nowhere smear mud all over your face and take you by the hand to a .. converted sauna in the back of a van populated by old crusties but it’s an experience all the same

My favourite stage was actually one of the one knocking out lots of black music it’s just well situated or something. And the hare tent, it’s not a real festival without that

TheIrishGrover

He may be on to something.....

Nah, I mean apart from the fact that it's not 275 quid (It's 245 quid) and it's not just for 3 days but for 5, it's an idiotic comment designed to troll so moving on......

With regards to the age: I know I said it is a wide range but it may skew a little older next year. Next year is the 50th and Paul McCartney has pretty much self-confirmed and I'd say next year if gonna be more old school acts.

TheIrishGrover

ohnonotgmail wrote: »

I wouldn't presume that at all.

And you would be wrong. Given the size of the place, the amount of acts (Music and non-music), the fact that it starts on Thursday and not Friday, the fact that you can bring whatever you wish in food and alcohol-wise, the fact that, if you so choose, you can not spend a single penny in there, it is great value.

An Electric Picnic ticket can cost you 205 Euro and then you are gouged once you leave your tent. The acts, while good, cannot compare with Glasto. This is because Glasto can pay more for the bigger acts.

For God's sake, one year I saw U2, Coldplay, Elbow, Beyonce, Tinie Tempah and had to miss The Chemical Brothers, QOTSA, the Kiaser Chiefs, Fat Boy Slim and Pete Tong because they were all on at the same time.

FTA69

Load of people I live with went there can came back absolutely rotten stinking, smelling like death. Not one of them had a shower in five days and apparently most people use wet wipes or something. Dirty yokes.

Looked like a shower of scruffs I wouldn’t be caught dead at it.

Gimme A Pound

Lol at the KKK tents.

I find that the people who do the whole "middle-class white people, boo" wankology are nearly always... middle-class white people.

Gimme A Pound

FTA69 wrote: »

apparently most people use wet wipes or something.

The technical term being "a hoor's shower".

ohnonotgmail

TheIrishGrover wrote: »

And you would be wrong. Given the size of the place, the amount of acts (Music and non-music), the fact that it starts on Thursday and not Friday, the fact that you can bring whatever you wish in food and alcohol-wise, the fact that, if you so choose, you can not spend a single penny in there, it is great value.

An Electric Picnic ticket can cost you 205 Euro and then you are gouged once you leave your tent. The acts, while good, cannot compare with Glasto. This is because Glasto can pay more for the bigger acts.

For God's sake, one year I saw U2, Coldplay, Elbow, Beyonce, Tinie Tempah and had to miss The Chemical Brothers, QOTSA, the Kiaser Chiefs, Fat Boy Slim and Pete Tong because they were all on at the same time.

i was responding to the first part of the post. the part that mentions presuming. You have taken me up completely incorrectly.

Gimme A Pound wrote: »

Presume Blinding is taking the piss (presume).

£275 for three days and the costs of putting that massive festival together, is good value.

TheIrishGrover

ohnonotgmail wrote: »

i was responding to the first part of the post. the part that mentions presuming. You have taken me up completely incorrectly.

Apologies.