Glastonbury

[al_yrpal]

I have never got Radiohead? Seems to me sounds to slit your wrists to...

Al

Only a couple of songs from Elbow to lift your spirits all evening.

[661-Pete]

Well - perhaps I have no right to post in this thread, seeing as I'm a complete outsider - none of the genres of entertainment on offer at this venue hold the slightest interest for me - but here goes!

It seems to me that this event is an excellent device for relieving thousands of innocent punters of large chunks of their hard-earned dosh, to the aim of making a select few individuals exceedingly rich. How much does a ticket to the festival cost, these days? No, I probably don't want to know that!

At least attendees will probably be spared the mud, this year. Or will they? We had our local drought relieved with thunderstorms, here in Sussex a few days ago - don't know what it was like in Somerset.

To my mind (and I did some googling, to discover that the festival actually takes place several miles from Glastonbury itself), it seems that the historic town of Glastonbury, with its important heritage and archaeological interest, might do well to divest itself of its annual noisy neighbour, once and for all.

But I know I'm - ahem - 'micturating' in the wind here. Ho hum!

[Bonefishblues]

I switched channel half way through their set - not a fan.

[Cyril Haearn]

I really do want to know how much tickets cost

I would probably not go to G but I would really like to know about it, I am interested in things I am not interested in! What about the noise, is there a risk of hearing damage? May one bring food and drink, or must one buy them there, what about security, is everyone registered? Will XTC be playing?

One imagines there will be no cyclists at G, it coincides with the York Rally. +1 for Yorkshire, the NRM, Chris Juden, the biking Bishop, Hull and the Arctic Corsair!

[Toffee]

£243 if you are interested

http://www.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk/i ... n/tickets/

[Cyril Haearn]

That is clever business, selling tickets two years ahead. Some people will buy tickets but not be able to go

I think G was quite a small festival that somehow grew and got out of hand, a bit like in Hay-on-Wye?

I really hope to read reports from people who were there

[meic]

I really hope to read reports from people who were there

I went once, I cant really give much of a report, I dont remember much about it, for reasons that are deduce-able.

On the other hand Cropredy Festival is much more like "old" Glastonbury and half the price.
Not streetcred or high profile like Glastonbury though, and with a multi-generational appeal. (code for full of original hippies who are now old-fogies with their kids and grand-kids).

[[XAP]Bob]

I really do want to know how much tickets cost

I would probably not go to G but I would really like to know about it, I am interested in things I am not interested in! What about the noise, is there a risk of hearing damage? May one bring food and drink, or must one buy them there, what about security, is everyone registered? Will XTC be playing?

One imagines there will be no cyclists at G, it coincides with the York Rally. +1 for Yorkshire, the NRM, Chris Juden, the biking Bishop, Hull and the Arctic Corsair!

Noise and hearing damage...

The PA at such a site is hard to do well...

http://www.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk/i ... ice/noise/

Note from here: http://www.festivalinsights.com/2015/07 ... astonbury/
They are looking to run at a shade over 100dBA - which is Ok for up to about ten minutes listening...

Of course that's a bit of a fudge because I don't know their averaging schema, I report max levels, so my average will generally be 5-10 dB down (which takes 'safe' listening up to 45 minutes)

[al_yrpal]

If you go to a festival all you need is yourself, shelter and something to sleep on/ in. There are loads of food outlets, some of it crap, but usually some decent ones. Often long queues for showers, loos vary but some are pretty good. Yes it's pretty loud but that's part of the fun. If you don't like what's on stage just head for another. There are shops selling clothing and other stuff to adorn yourself. A chance to let your hair down escape from normal daily life and discover new unexpected musical experiences. Never been to Glastonbury but like other festivals there are other things besides music going on too - poetry, comedy, kids entertainment etc.

Seeing as a single gig costs £25 upwards these days I think the ticket price for festivals is pretty reasonable for what the organiser has to provide in terms of amenities, rent and security. After all it is 3 or 4 days of continuous entertainment on tap.

Personally, I like smaller festivals like Green Man, End of the Road, Cambridge etc...

Al

[old_windbag]

I always think of this when people mention festival loos.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=InR7tip2Izk

You win some you lose some, lifes experiences.

[Si]

Im about to go to my local festival...1/2 a mile away, free, and the band that i want to see is in a pub:-) i wonder how many people go to G just so they can say they were there? Too many people in too small a space for me. Too much to get in too.

[reohn2]

I'm too old to understand it.
No scrub that,when I was a young buck I never liked loud music and large crowds,I've walked out of a couple concerts and one pop festival for those reasons.
I just never thought music was for listening to under those conditions

[Cyril Haearn]

I went to a jazz church service once, or rather twice. First time I tried, my legs carried me out as soon as the *music* started, the riff sounded like the repeated last screams of a dying animal. Second time I managed to stay but the first song was *hit the road Jack, and don't you come back no more*
An unchristian sentiment IMHO

Surely the excessively loud music at G and elsewhere is illegal. Or does the legislation only apply to workplaces? Is G not a workplace?

[661-Pete]

£243 if you are interested

Seeing as a single gig costs £25 upwards these days...

Well, seeing as the sort of classical concert we go to now and again, costs around that much (the single gig figure, I mean, not the Glasto price! ) - yes I suppose it's reasonable.

If I ask "what do you expect to get out of a visit to Glasto?", I suppose people might ask the same of me. We regularly go to orchestral concerts at the Brighton Dome - the last one we heard had, IIRC, Rossini's Barber of Seville overture, Grieg's Piano Concerto, and Dvorak's 8th symphony. All very well-known works, performed many times, I'm familiar with all of them especially the Grieg (even attempted to play the piano part myself... ).

So why do people like Mrs P and myself like to go to listen to favourites such as these? Well, no matter how well you know the work, each performance is subtly different to the last one you heard. You're listening out for a new presentation, a new interpretation. Nevertheless, I think that some of the time we like being in the 'comfort zone' of familiar music, just relaxing and letting it flow in. Mrs P is affected differently than I am, because she's less well versed in the classical repertoire, so to her a performance comes out as a newer, unfamiliar experience.

Is the same true - for some at any rate - of a concert at Glastonbury? My knowledge is scanty, but I have observed that several old-timers are performing there - the name Barry Gibb springs to mind especially. Do these guys re-play their earlier, well-aired songs, or do they come up with new material? Or a bit of both? Do people go because they fondly remember the Barry Gibb of old?

Of course there is new, as-yet-unperformed material in the classical domain too. Some of that is rather hard to listen to!

[al_yrpal]

A lot of those 'Age Concern' performers like Barry Gibb and Kris Kristofferson just come up with the old stuff, they are often slightly sad too, musical shadows of their former selves. I observe that many people stay locked into the music of their youth and eschew anything new and fresh. People generally seem to like sticking with the original interpretation.
With Classical music it's all written down in the dots and there isn't huge scope for variance, just subtle changes but I am no expert. I loved watching Nigel Kennedy improvise in the middle of a well known piece (Bach's violin Concerto in A minor I think ) https://youtu.be/C2T-stg5BMU he's a real musician! People walked out, more fool them!
The best artists and bands constantly write new stuff and evolve. If they don't they slip off the radar. My daughter's outfit's sets comprise 2/3 old, 1/3 new which keeps things fresh and long standing fans happy. I think that's about right. It also helps to sell the latest album.
I always look forward to what the Proms season brings every summer. We have a great sound system and its often transmitted in surround sound which makes you feel you are right there.

Al