Glastonbury 2016

[Adam B]

Might as well kick off this year's thread, as I am going again

News so far:

ELO - for the Sunday afternoon chill out slot - quite looking forward to that, will take me back to my childhood trips in the parents' car singing along to Mr Blue Sky etc

Muse - saw them in 2010 and they were excellent, may choose to see something else this time round but they are a reliably great live band

PJ Harvey - big fan of her although not sure how she will come across live

Coldplay - stadium filler, never seen live but whilst not a massive fan again will be a big and quality performance

Edited by Adam B on Sunday 20th March 15:55

[Adam B]

and Adele

hmmm - well it saves me the usual who-to-watch clash conundrum, usually good stuff on some of the other stages

[Adam B]

Things are hotting up

[Adam B]

delivers every year - really chuffed as some repeats over previous years that I missed

Will be inevitable clashes but these will all be on my short (long) list

FOALS
BECK
LCD SOUNDSYSTEM - especially as I saw the last ever UK gig in Hyde Park
PJ HARVEY
ZZ TOP
DISCLOSURE
NEW ORDER
THE LAST SHADOW PUPPETS
GRIMES
SIGUR RÓS
UNDERWORLD
JAMES BLAKE
SANTIGOLD
DAUGHTER
MERCURY REV
WOLF ALICE
BASTILLE
RÓISÍN MURPHY
JOHN GRANT
YEARS & YEARS
TWO DOOR CINEMA CLUB
OF MONSTERS AND MEN
UNKNOWN MORTAL ORCHESTRA
SAINT ETIENNE
BAND OF HORSES

[Adam B]

tobinen said:

ELO Sunday afternoon presumably?

Yep, praying for good weather (as every year) as Mr Blue Sky on a hungover Sunday afternoon would be be perfect

[Adam B]

mantis84 said:

Indeed it will! Apart from Mr Blue Sky I don't know much ELO stuff that I'm aware of - any pointers on where to start?

my knowledge is gleaned from the back seat of my parents car listening to their album from the tape deck when about 7 years old so I am no expert!

but these are probably the most well known (other) tracks

Don't Bring Me Down - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mOFay9Rhac
Sweet Talkin Woman - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LnPnbhyjGc
Livin Thing - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJuV5TyFy5M

if you are on Spotify or similar flick through the best of album

[Adam B]

epom said:

Anyone else completely underwhelmed by that line up ?

not me

not impressed by headliners (but that is my taste, not that they are unimpressive names) but going to Glastonbury for big headliners means you are massively missing the point IMHO

Plus I would guess Beck and Foals will be headlining the Other Stage - so that avoids clashes for me if Pyramid headliners were bands I was keen to see

[Adam B]

epom said:

Excellent reply, thanks for that makes sense. And yes tbh yes, I was basing it on the headline acts.

You are welcome. Part of the joy of Glasto is the sheer scale/breadth of choice and having a wander and discovering something new or unforeseen.

A few years ago after a few too many Thatchers I strolled off to John Peel tent to watch Crystal Castles (slightly gothy emo band I vaguely new but liked a couple of singles), found myself thinking their stage show wasn't what I was expecting and the band had grown in number, before having a fantastic 45 minutes jumping about to Crystal Fighters!! Never heard of them before, and a bit hippy looking to be something I would naturally follow.


for a positive slant:
http://metro.co.uk/2016/03/29/10-reasons-why-the-2...

[Adam B]

Offer of a warm private shower in a proper house is there again.

Although costing me 150 a night rather than 100 last year so showers are a tenner

[Adam B]

All the lefties are conveniently collected on the Leftfield stage and thus easily avoided

Think i prefer Braggs politics to his music but its a close run thing

when does the full stage by stage timetable come out?

[Adam B]

PurpleTurtle said:

Likewise, I live in walking distance of Reading Festival, this is the first of 18 consecutive years I'm not going.

Normally buy a weekend ticket line-up unseen but it has got so piss poor in recent years, connected to a change of chief booker at Festival Republic at that time, my spies tell me.

http://clashfinder.com/s/g2016/

Friday looks good at Reading but all 3 are playing Glasto, rest is no comparison although i like Biffy

bks - LCD soundsytem and Underworld clash

[Adam B]

So everyone downloaded the app and currently scratching their heads on the inevitable band clashes?

I always start with a rough plan that usually goes to pot, want to be a bit more disciplined this year and at least see my top 5

anyway got any recommendations for Thursday?

[Adam B]

excellent thanks Mantis - exactly the sort of off the wall suggestion I was after

[Adam B]

Davey S2 said:

7 hour queues to get in apparently and the place is a quagmire.

setting off in 30 mins, thank god for a villagers pass

[Adam B]

Mud not too bad, hopefully will dry out today but forecast to get worse Friday / Saturday

We hit standstill queues 2 miles out from Shepton, would have been many hours to get in I suspect, apparently caused by skimping on surface covering in car parks causing stuck vehicles.

Thank god for local knowledge and country lanes, circumvented it all and got to base camp in 20 minutes

[Adam B]

Foals were brilliant, Underworld nailed it, followed by a muddy/messy night/morning in Block 9. Hot Chip did a Prince homage DJ set and the rest is very blurred

[Adam B]

Rh14n said:

ELO a top band - saw them earlier in the year at Liverpool. I'd have thought that they would've been better headliners than Adele.

Squeeze as usual also brilliant!

ELO were great and the Sunday mid pm slot is always for a chilled out old timer, I am not Adele fan and watched New Order instead but to suggest ELO should headline the UKs biggest festival, given the average here is probably 25 is laughable in reality, sorry

I only know them because my parents played their album regularly when I was in the car as a nipper

Edited by Adam B on Sunday 26th June 20:55

[Adam B]

Rh14n said:

I'm glad my humble opinion made you laugh but I would suggest that my opinion is as valid as yours.

This is not about your or my taste, or who you think performed better. It's the commercial reality of running a huge festival. Punters (the majority in their 20s which I wager you are not) want big current bands to be headlining, unless you are massive like Rolling Stones

[Adam B]

tankplanker said:

ven at Glastonbury where the tickets sell out and have a long waiting list for cancellations even before a single act is announced? I can't see the choice of acts having any impact in the short term, long term yes, poor choices of acts could result in less people going. Viewing figures on the BBC the other hand...

Of course it won't affect in year 1 as people buy tickets well before line up announced, but 90% of the audience don't want to see creaky old 70s bands as headliners, they want big current acts to justify £240 tickets. So yes it would affect TV audiences and eventually attendances.
Also the 4pm slot is a tradition, some quality but past it old timers that put on a good show, perfect post hang over chill out, that attracts the biggest crowds, regardless of current band popularity.

Personally I am not that fussed who the headliners are (this year was my 13th I think) as there are always good alternatives - The Who are one of the most overrated bands ever IMHO and I had no intention of listening to their stodgy dad rock and had a great time watching the chemical brothers. There again I am a way from my 20s so a minority vote

Edited by Adam B on Monday 27th June 20:15

[Adam B]

tankplanker said:

e agree on the TV coverage, but your second paragraph confirms what I think, most people who go don't care who is headlining.

Did you see the reaction to Jay Z or Kanye West? And to a lesser extent Adele

I don't care now and neither do the regulars I go with, but I did when I went the first couple of times, and the 7 or 8 youngsters in the extended crowd were only talking about Adele and Coldplay