You can tell who’s never been….

Lost it’s edge? Never been to the late night gigs at the circus tents then? and the barrier just keeps the **** out THB, it’s always always been commercial and the bands that are on the main stage are always pretty popular or commercial acts. There are plenty of other places to hear and see non mainstream acts.

OP you will have a great time, get your tickets sorted.

It really isn’t an identikit/teenage/commercial fesitval as people here seem to be saying- you can easily spend the whole weekend seeing a plethora of bands and performance artists and never even go anywhere the Pyramid Stage where the more commercial acts are anyway. I think a lot of people must just watch the televised stuff and assume that’s what the festival is like.

They don’t publish the line-up in advance so you have to buy tickets in good faith but it goes without saying there will be stuff on you like as it is so diverse.

yunki – Member

oh definitely not.. it’s an extraordinary feast of musical delights, from your favourite superstar acts, to the drum and bass live jazz fusion act in a giant skunky teepee in a corner of the green field, right down to the late night paralytic skiffle band, drunkenly peddling their wares around the campsite at 4am like medieval minstrels..

Yeah, see- that sounds tailor made for people who’re not that bothered about music. To be fair though that became true of most of the festivals once it became hard to get tickets after the bill’s announced.

so long as you pay to get in and the bands get paid, its commercial innit?

For what its worth I’ve never paid, get a private bar, porcelain flushing toilets, warm showers, transport around the site and can pretty much go anywhere I fancy (was backstage for muse in 2010, and I don’t like muse!).

that sounds tailor made for people who’re not that bothered about music.

aaah..
now you’re being obtuse surely..?
I gave a very brief description, top middle and bottom..

AFAIK there are thousands of acts, offering something for everyone whether your tastes be indie, folk, pop, rock, dance, jazz, blah blah blah blah.. with much of the performances being among some of the best musical performances that you will ever see in your life.. just the atmosphere and energy of the band alone is likely to eclipse anything you’ve seen before.. it’s entirely up to you as to whether you pull apart the details or get into it..

but maybe that’s what separates a genuine music lover from a discerning connoisseur..

sorry that I didn’t list an entire line-up and a small report on the sound quality and vibe of each set.. 🙄

I’m finding it hard to imagine what you as a ‘real’ music lover expect from a performance..

In the 80s they said it wasn’t as good as the 70s
In the 90s they said it wasn’t as good as the 80s
blah blah blah

I did plenty of edgy festivals back-in-the-day but at my age safe middle class is where I’m at seem as that’s exactly what I am.

There is still a vibe about Glastonbury that you don’t get everywhere else.

Northwind I half agree with you – It is the ‘festival of contemporary performing arts’ – and there is just about every art you can think of – but really music is the core.

yunki – Member

just the atmosphere and energy of the band alone is likely to eclipse anything you’ve seen before

Why would you think that?

Also- I don’t think you’re quite understanding the point. Glastonbury is a huge pot luck of music, you just don’t know what you’ll get each year. Maybe you’ll luck out and there’ll be stuff you want to see, maybe you won’t. Last year would have been good for me and really made me look at it again, but the one before was horrible. With most festivals there’s at least a general indication of where it’ll go, with Glastonbury you end up with BB King on the main stage…

When I go to a gig, I want there to be bands I like. Would you buy a gig ticket to see unannounced bands of random genre? Then you turn up and it’s a skiffle band, Yoko Ono, and a thrash metal band, and dubstep in welsh, and Dweezil Zappa playing Mozart on a kazoo, oh and Peter Gabriel.

Not that there’s anything wrong with enjoying that, but when I say I love music, I mean I love music that I like 😉

When I go to a gig, I want there to be bands I like playing.

Then go to the V festival, it’ll be right up your street. I think the diversity of music and other acts that Glasto (still) offers is what sets it apart from the other big festivals. Not been for a few years, mind.

I’d pay for that gig! (@northwind)

Grew up very nearby and been 12 times since ’92.

It has changed, even in that time – but there’s still always a moment when you look around (usually at night) and think “bludy hell, amazing”.

ransos – Member

Then go to the V festival, it’ll be right up your street

Oh hell no! Though, Inspirals and Mull Historical Society last year…

Yes well that’s the thing isn’t it – if the headline acts don’t float your boat, there is plenty of other stuff to do, and you might surprise yourself and find something new you like.

I mean I love music that I like

aaaah..

fairy nuff my old china