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Underground > Radio & Music >

What do you think of festivals?

12:32 / 14.02.06

since i didn't find any other threads on this topic here's one now: are you planning on going to any summer festivals this year? which? what do you think of them in general?

as for me, i generally like "real" concerts better as far as the music is concerned, but then there's all the stuff surrounding festivals such as camping with your friends, getting to know many bands you've never even heard of and this romantic teenager sentiment of "endless summer" that gets me everytime.

so far i've attended hurricane festival in my german hometown every year since 1999 but this year i'm not so sure.. the first bands were announced this morning and i'm not convinced yet.

so, any of you, going anywhere?

21:44 / 13.04.06

agreed ... real concerts are better musicwise, but its all about the atmosphere innit?

as far as this summer goes: i am thinking about going to either the exit festival in serbia or the benicassim festival in spain. anyone been? any good?

the british ones seem to be getting more expensive and joyless with each passing year (apart from glastonbury maybe, but thats cancelled: boo)

21:52 / 13.04.06

I'm pretty sure Glastonbury's getting more expensive. When it's on, that is.

It's nice to give the land a break.

16:02 / 04.07.06

Benicassim was supposed to be very good this year. A friend of mine attended and had nothing but good things to say about it. I would like to attend myself next year.

On the subjects of festivals I'm going to, well, I actually just got back from the Roskilde festival in Denmark yesterday, which was absolutely fantastic!

The line up was very strong with big acts like Bob Dylan, Sigur Ros, Funkadelic and Scissor Sisters as well as some fantastic little groups, solo artists and duos like Insen, Animal Collective, Jenny Lewis & The Watson Twins and Martha Wainwright. There was also nice mix of nationalities; people came from as far abroad as Japan, Australia and Brazil, which must say something about the festival's good reputation.

I was going to start a thread asking people how they felt the different festivals compared to each other, but we could just do it here instead. I've read that one person felt the British ones were becoming a little joyless, and there was a member of Pitchforkmedia staff writing in the Roskilde newspaper that the festivals in America are very corporate and somewhat overly and needlessly policed. Do people here prefer to travel abroad for thier music?

My own time in Roskilde was spent talking to very friendly people and enjoying a very healthy variety of music (I also got jumped on by a man dressed as a giant banana). There was only the one sponsor I could spot which was Tuborg, who provided the beer. Yes, the certainly had a monopoly, but the festival seems to try its hardest to stay away from corporate advertising. In fact, Roskilde actually has quite a humanitarian focus with communal talks, protests etc, and there was no heavy police presence or crackdowns on people smoking weed. People were allowed to leave the grounds to buy beer and food and bring it back to their tents.

Now I have only been to the slightly lame in comparison V Festival, so perhaps Roskilde is not unique in any of this, but I get the impression to Roskilde is still slightly more liberal in its approach to music and experience than other festivals. What say you people?

Kiltartan Cross

18:57 / 04.07.06

I have a (sadly far from unique) talent when it comes to music festivals - no matter when I try to book tickets, they're always sold out. Always. I'm going to Green Man later this year; it'd be nice to see any fellow Barbeloids there. I'd've liked to go to T in the Park, but no joy there.

STOATIE LIEKS CHOCOLATE MILK

19:45 / 04.07.06

Hevn't been to Glastonbury for many years, but I used to go every year (back when bunking the fence was practically mandatory, though I did pay a couple of times).

Not the best place to see bands- you may have a wonderful time watching them, but very few bands are at their best, soundwise, in a field. I used to think of it as being a brilliant, brilliant holiday, with the bands being a bonus.

The last couple of times I went, I watched maybe two bands each time, spent most of my time getting wankered in the cabaret tent, and had the fucking time of my life.

Now I don't really do many drugs anymore, I can't be arsed, really.

Though I have had some great times watching bands there. One day I'll go again.

That said, I'm going to ATP in December, and I'm really looking forward to it. Especially if Nurse With Wound actually turn up!

STOATIE LIEKS CHOCOLATE MILK

19:48 / 04.07.06

(And the time I saw Bodger and Badger in the children's tent was a moment of joy I will take with me to the grave, it really was. People had actually brought mashed potato with them and everything. It was wonderful. I actually have their autographs from the following year- when I didn't go- which a friend got for me- a little drawing of Badger saying "Wotcher, Stoatie". It's ace).

uncle retrospective

07:49 / 05.07.06

I have to say that I'm a big fan of the music festival, I've been to most of the Irish festivals and to the last 8 Glastonbury's, I use it as a reunion for my collage mates, we meet up once a year and have a party.
Glastonbury isn't as good as it was but that's just because all the bands like Coldplay and the White Stripes are headlining these days and they bore the hell out of me. Saying that the Flaming Lips would have been headlining the main stage this year that would have been amazing.
Due to Glasto not being on I went to Primavera in Spain. Headlined by Motorhead, the Flaming Lips and Mogwai. It was fucking amazing although the Spanish just stand in one spot and clap politely, you knew the people going nuts were from the British Isles.

The Electric Picnic is a newish festival in Ireland it's year 3 for it. Last year was the best festival in Ireland ever with the Flaming Lips, Kraftwork and Nick Cave headlining. People were in shock at how good it was. It's based on Glasto and even has the silent disco and Lost Vagueness. 'Lithers come over this September and we'll have a party! It's got Mogwai, the Super Furry Animals and the Pet Shop Boys! What more could you want?

12:36 / 05.07.06

My daughter, the accountant, goes to these things quite a bit. She says they're all right, 'Glasto' in particular - you get to dance around on hubby's shoulders (well at least he's good for something!) and watching Coldplay after two gin and tonics is apparently very heaven.

As a hot rock lady in the early Seventies, I gave Bowie a blow job, but it seems mean to criticise.

11:43 / 06.07.06

It's been a few years since I went to a festival, but I remember the last time I considered going to a larger one, I thought that the prices were going up way too fast, something like 10%/year (roughly).

And as much as I've enjoyed going to larger festivals with tens (if not hundreds) of thousands people, I keep thinking that the smaller festivals with just a few hundred, or perhaps a few thousand people have just been better.

I'm not quite sure why, it might be that the smaller size might give everyone a bit of a sense of being part of the things as a whole, creating a friendlier atmosphere. It's quite a difference between hiking for ages between a stage and your tent, and being able to walk it in just a few minutes. Also, at smaller festivals you usually have a chance to meet the bands you like, which is nice.

11:15 / 07.07.06

A music festival is pretty much my favourite environment on earth - my definition of a good time.

Festivals like Reading or Download hold no interest to me (unless I get a free ticket of course). I'd like to go to Glastonbury again but in general nowadays I prefer the smaller events. Ten to fifteen thousand is about the maximum number of people you should have a festival, I reckon.