Next year?

First up, thanks for a great festival. Everest and the Guillemots were brilliant! I was there for everything before Neil Young, and judging by the posts about the car park debacle, then it's lucky we left 4 or 5 songs into his set.

Things to keep for next year:

• Food and drink allowed on site. This was a good call. £5.50 for a burger? No thanks!

• Fold out chairs and umbrellas. Sitting around all day on the ground getting wet ain't fun, so having chairs and umbrellas is a must.

• A surcharge on beer cups to keep the place tidy. Just remember to be vigilant and keep them closely guarded if you want to cash them in. There were a few enterprising kids who earned a lot of pocket money!

Things to improve

• Car parking - cars parked too close, and getting off site

• Toilets. More of them, keep them clean, and keep toilet paper well stocked. Sort out the queuing system as well.

• The food. Sadly lacking in local produce. Speak to the farmers and offer them an incentive to put their stalls up.

Things to include

• Camping and shower blocks

• Local transport links

• Entry and exit at will using wrist bands

• Car park management

Even if you keep the event the same size next year, and only have one arena, then as long as you make things comfortable for the punters, you could be on to a winner.

> Fold out chairs and umbrellas. Sitting around all day on the ground getting wet ain't fun, so having chairs and umbrellas is a must.

The fold out chairs I found pretty irritating fwiw. Made moving round an absolute nightmare - Just take a waterproof blanket and sit on that!!

irussb wrote:Things to improve

• Car parking - cars parked too close, and getting off site

I'd add an option to allow early arrivers to park nearer the exits - okay, a longer walk, but it would mean we aren't penalised for coming for the whole day when it's time to leave.

Hank Hendrix wrote:The fold out chairs I found pretty irritating fwiw. Made moving round an absolute nightmare - Just take a waterproof blanket and sit on that!!

I sort-of agree, but I think it was more that they should have been allowed in certain areas and not others. Basically not near the stage.

tomandlu wrote:

Hank Hendrix wrote:The fold out chairs I found pretty irritating fwiw. Made moving round an absolute nightmare - Just take a waterproof blanket and sit on that!!

I sort-of agree, but I think it was more that they should have been allowed in certain areas and not others. Basically not near the stage.

Fully agree, we were saying whilst sat in the car (we had a long time to chat!) that from the sound tent forward it should have been no chairs etc.

tomandlu wrote:I sort-of agree, but I think it was more that they should have been allowed in certain areas and not others. Basically not near the stage.

Yeah, good enough. Maybe there should be a boundary. You have to remember, if you're going to include a set list which attracts festival-goers who are that bit older, then some of them are not going to be as mobile as they'd like to be. They might be able to sit on the ground on their water-proof picnic blankets, but getting up is going to be awkward.

• Fold out chairs and umbrellas. Sitting around all day on the ground getting wet ain't fun, so having chairs and umbrellas is a must.

Umbrellas - No! Please, please no more sodding umbrellas - they are so anti-social. You want to get the 'festival' vibe just wear some decent waterproofs or if you think you may melt in the rain then don't venture to out-door gigs.

I even saw someone with a picnic table - unbelievable.

The cup collecting system was great. saved me trekking to bins, saves litter, gives kids something to do, everyone's a winner. The lack of branding and sponsorship was a plus too.

The lack of local food, and particularly beer a shame and was a missed opportunity. I dont think i need mention the car parking debacle.

Oh yes, and as Wiff so rightly points out, ban those umbrellas, they block people's view, poke people's eyes and soak everyone else. Selfish

Wiff wrote:

• Fold out chairs and umbrellas. Sitting around all day on the ground getting wet ain't fun, so having chairs and umbrellas is a must.

Umbrellas - No! Please, please no more sodding umbrellas - they are so anti-social. You want to get the 'festival' vibe just wear some decent waterproofs or if you think you may melt in the rain then don't venture to out-door gigs.

I even saw someone with a picnic table - unbelievable.

Couldn't agree more about umbrellas. Possibly the most selfish item ever created. An "I'm alright, sod the rest of you" attitude. When it's my time to be the Fat Contoller I will make it a crime to own one.

The sophistication of all weather clothing in this day and age makes umbrellas redundant.

There does need to be a more understanding and flexible approach to pass outs. It's a long time to be stuck in one crowded place without a chance to stretch the legs and calm the mind.

The Real Ale Bar was great, especially the Festival Ale from a local brewer. A pity that it ran out by 1.30pm!!!

Arriving was cool, leaving was a nightmare. Badly needs addressing.

I felt sorry for the earlier acts that had no time to stretch out their sets. Neil Young was indulged to the point of overgratification. 3 times longer to play and the amps turned up to max. My Morning Jacket had to rush through their brief (and hushed) appearance as if they had a plane to catch! A bit different to their headlining 4 hours at the recent Bonneroo Festival.

A fair 1st attempt at a high profile festival. Despite the negatives (and the weather), an enjoyable and rewarding experience.

Thanks.

Chairs were not supposed to be allowed past the mixing desk as when I first arrived (11ish) the security made everyone with chairs either collapse them or move back.

Obviously as it got busier they gave up on the idea.

The chairs near the front were a massive pain in the arse, totally selfish, same for the people the were laid/sat down on the floor near the front, the ones that give you a look of total disdain for daring to tread near their coolbox even though you couldn't see them until you were on top of them.
I understand why some people took umbrellas but I saw some follks in full waterproof trousers,wellingtons, jackets and hats with huge golf umbrellas too! Were they so allergic to water that their nuclear-proof suits weren't enough?

Luckily when it stayed (mostly) dry for Neil's set the majority of 'brollies seemed to come down.

Fair enough to the comments about older people needing to be able to sit down, but the younger, more mobile ones need no excuse. It's not fucking Eric Clappedout at the Royal Albert Hall!

Chairs/tents I didn't mind so much - It was a family orientated festival covering a large age range, so only right they should be allowed - but as most have said, there needed to be a cut-off because some were too far forward to the stage which I think is very irritating (and not a little dangerous).

Umbrellas - well, if I had my way, they'd be banned from everywhere - for people of a certain height (seemingly my height) its a constant battle not to have your eyes removed, and on more than one occasion yesterday I had to get out of the way of a badly handled brolly for fear of my own face. Not to mention that at a festival they are anti-social and get in the way etc.

For a first effort though, I think they got lots of things right in the arena and with just a little tweaking it could be pretty much spot on. (alas, I fear the car-parking might never be sorted properly as the small roads and lack of exits to them is always going to be a bottleneck - giving the stewards a clue might help though!)

Absolutley, it was a long day and many people needed to be sat down, but not four rows from the front on an inflatable couch*





*takes deep breaths and counts to ten as anger starts to build (again).......

[quote="irussb"]First up, thanks for a great festival. Everest and the Guillemots were brilliant! I was there for everything before Neil Young, and judging by the posts about the car park debacle, then it's lucky we left 4 or 5 songs into his set.

This is pure Monty Python, "you lucky lucky bastards", leaving after just 4 songs and you think yourselves lucky. Don't you know its "better to burn out than to fade away", mind you, you probably missed him sing this


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