Looking Ahead to Glastonbury 2013

Just coming round from an amazing trip to Glastonbury Festival. This was my fifth time and can i dare say the best one so far. You may read people talking about it being too big, too corporate, too decadent. I can categorically say that anyone who has been knows none of this is true. Yes its come a long way from its humble beginnings and yes the hospitality/rich sections have grown somewhat, but the core of the festival is still as strong, beautiful and beguiling as ever. Also the Hospitality bits are just a way of squeezing money, for the worth while charities Glasto supports, out of the rich and stupid. The real festival is out with the people anyway, that's why so many of the bands venture out among us plebs.

So 2013. Glastonbury festival, and by extension worthy and its neighbouring farms, will be enjoying a fallow year next year. Strategically timed to coincide with the national portaloo shortage to be caused by the Olympic games. The festival will be returning, no doubt bigger and better in 2013. Gates are rumoured to open on Wednesday 26th June 2013.

Just the same as the last 5 years you will need to register your details to be able to buy a ticket. You can register now here. Why wait?

Tickets will be on sale...Well if they stick with current procedure tickets will go on sale sometime in late 2012 possibly the first weekend in October, and will cost around £200. Again if they stick with current procedure you will be charged a deposit of £50, you will than have to pay the rest of the price by a set date early in 2013 (around February). If you don't you will lose your ticket and be refunded your deposit minus an admin fee (£10 this year).

Glastonbury's a busy place so here is ...

A Considerate Guide to Glasto

1. Give priority on the paths to those lugging stuff. If your exploring the site once you've pitched camp, and your on the same path as someone lugging a ton of gear go round them. They are probably in no mood to go round you.
2. The paths are full of people trying to get from one place to another, if your on one and you need to stop step off them. Don't just stop and hold up several thousand people.
3. Do not wash wellies at the stand pipe. You don't need to wash wellies! Glasto festival itself had to tell people off about this. It is a wellies raison d'etre to be muddy, and anyway they will be just as muddy within 4 steps I promise you.
4. Do not wash your hair at the stand pipes. If you absolutely, positively, must wash your hair than do it at your tent with a jug. (As most others do.) Or get one of those fancy pants solar showers. I literally had to queue for 2 hours to fill a 5 litre water bottle(which takes about 2 minutes,) because lots of people were washing their hair (which can take between 10-20 mins each person.)
5. Don't wee anywhere but the toilets*. It really does put the festival at risk. It kills fish etc. Also its minging to step in mud that is a large percentage piss.
6. Love the Festival Love the farm. If you bring it take it home. In 5 festivals we have left nothing but the odd bag of rubbish.



* Comfort bottle or travel Johns are fine.

Glastonbury Forecast

This time next week I will hopefully be very drunk on strawberry brothers, maybe even trying to convince someone that their inflatable bed would be a much better place to sleep than the grass in front of the other stage.

So on with the Forecast.

The Weather

The scorcher of a June we were promised never turned up, and even though the long range weather does suggest the weather improving for next week. It shouldn't be as hot as last year. Long range weather is notoriously flakey so in no way is this a guarantee. They do suggest though more cloud with wind, meaning cold nights but hopefully cool mornings. (So we may get some sleep this year, should we choose to.)

The Park Special Guest

Jarvis Cocker, has all but confirmed one of the special guest to be Pulp.

Good money is on Arctic Monkeys filling the over slot as they now have previous with their surprise appearance at the Radio One Big Weekend, and they have suspicious gaps in their tour on both Friday and Saturday.

Both Foo Fighters and Arcade Fire have Saturday night Gaps in their European tours but as they aren't in country it might be asking to much. ( I really hope not.)

Coldplay To Headline the Pyramid stage

Though it’ll be sometime in April before we get the “Full List” and sometime in June before the excellent clash finder is finished. The slow drip of officially confirmed bands has begun.

With the announcement that Coldplay will make there long over due return to the Pyramid stage on 25th June. They join unconfirmed but very highly rumoured U2, Beyonce and Prince.

Personally I am holding out for Arcade Fire, Foo Fighters and (wishful thinking) QOSTA. All of whom are touring at the right time. Fingers crossed.

It wont be long until I am a blibbering mess of anticipation, as i tick the days off till i'm back were everything makes sense. Let's just hope its a wet one this year.

We Got Glasto 2011 Tickets.

Excuse me for a few minute while i happy dance.............


.....thanks for that. It was hard work 3 hours of refreshing using 2 laptops and 2 smart phones but we finally got through, and we are the lucky ones many people were left disappointed after 4 hours plus when the tickets sold out. Frustrations that aren't helped by the bragging of those that allegedly got Glastonbury tickets on the first try. There seemed to be a massive demand this morning, due to last years a-typical good weather no doubt (I'm praying for rain for next year.) So there was always going to be people disappointed, but SeeTickets seem little interested in creating a better user experience, (come on all you need is a few servers that posts nothing but sorry the queue is full please try again, instead of connection refused messages.) This obviously comes back to my Capitalism versus Consumerism rant. SeeTickets could spend money on a better user experience but there isn't any increased profit in it. Quite the opposte they would actually increase there overheads while still selling the same number of tickets. I think Emily Eavis should look into sharing the tickets between two suppliers as this would lead to them competing and leading to a better user experience for everyone.

This will be my 5th Glastonbury and Cath's 6th. It's an amazing place and in my opinion better in the rain. People come together in the rain help each other out cheer people on as they trudge from one stage to another. Last year under clear blue skies and soaring temperatures, people got angry ,frustrated and selfish. Someone pushed my girlfriend over in there rush to get to a better view for Snoop without apology and I got hit on the head with a full can of cider. It was a massive difference to the normal well natured crowd and I'm sure just because of the a-typical weather.


My Top Tips

1. Take as much as you can comfortably carry.
- Remember it may be a long walk and Queue to get from your car to the site! That said unlike other festivals there is very little you can't take in to the site. The sack tuck below is the one we use its served us very well.
2. Don't stick to the main stages.
- There are 30 stages and countless tents with live music and other activities, if you sit yourself and one of the main stages all day your missing so much.
3. Walk up to the park after the headliners
- It's an amazing view.
4. Go on Friday morning nothing happens til than anyway
-.........sorry i'm lying. Lots happens on Thursday. Not much on wednesday most people use it chillin and getting bearings. Arrive between wednesday morning and Thursday midday. Sometimes arriving later is actually better see below.
5. Be prepared for a long traffic jam and to be parked miles away.
-Gone are the days that turning up early means a close parking spot and a short traffic jam. In the last two years as more people come as early as possible, we have started queueing around 9am Wednesday and have averaged about 6 hours to the site!!!! Also carparking has been changed due to the boundary extension. Some of the carparks are miles (not lying) away from the site and arriving early does not mean you will get the closest ones. We had to walk through several empty carparks to get to the gate last year. ...more to come.