Glastonbury? It is many things, but it's also an abbey that was/is rumoured to contain the grave of King Arthur. Of course, it was probably a lie, as the monks who claimed to have found the grave REALLY needed some money .

big music festival, the fence is to keep the people without tickets....out.

I think it's all disgusting, when I first went to Glastonbury in 1980 it was free, well ok you had to give a couple of quid to the farmer but that was nothing. And the fence was only there to stop the cows wandering back into the field. Stonehenge festival was free too. Then in 82 Thatcher declared war on the free festivals, a fence was put yup around the Henge and security guards posted, while Glastonbury suddenly became rather expensive and the cops would trteat you like crap on the way there, stopping cras and vans and demanding people show receipts for everything they possessed, or theyd be arrested on a trumped up charge of suspicion of thepiseft. Disgraceful. And now Glastonbury festival is just a big money-making enterprise full of wannabees who like to pretend theyre hippies for a few days.

btw King Arthur isn't buried at Glastonbury, it's just a legend and an untrue one at that. Glastonbury is a fascinating and beautiful place and well worth visiting, but prepared to put up with a lot of noo-age nonsense, crystals, dragon drivel, people pretending to be wizards, all that crap. Nice old tearooms at the bottom of the main street.

Ah but Taw, the festivals at stone henge had one of the most famous "monuments" being clambred on by hippies all over the place. It could easily become damaged and such stuff. It was around the time of "yob culture" where 70's rebellion took a nasty turn to violence instead. Glastonbury seemed to start a spate of criminal activity, and caused havoc for the locals - hence why they get free tickets. I agree that its lost any such sembelance of "what it stood for" - but then again, if you could make the 80+ million that it generates, I am sure that you would build bigger fences and stuff to ensure that peeps paid. I think i read that one year there was over 80000 non paying people inside there. Now if something went wrong, they could get sued for danger to people, and if it wasn't around 100 quid a ticket, or no regulations and free...well - can you imagine the attempts to keep safe and secure areas for the million who would easily turn up? Remember that american gig where a riot started and raping was occuring? Imagine the lawlessness if it was kept the way you and others remember it with todays society. It would be the worst festering pit of hell ever, and you know it. It just wouldn't be possible/practical, especially for the poor sods who live there and have to put up with festival goers 'rights' as they think they have - to a festival.

Blame it on society, and stop blaming everything possible on a government. After all, you can no longer leave bikes unlocked up, car keys in your car overnight, and no longer leave your house unlocked at night either. Society just isn't capable of being nice enough anymore to enable a "free" moster concert like that to occur without massive and major tradegy, be it crime or death.

Edited by - Chips on 6/27/2004 2:59:15 AM

I dare say you're right in the main, but I was at Stonehenge in the final year, and it was incredible to watch what was being reported on telly (someone had a portable) with what we were experiencing, which was Wiltshire Police turning up unannounced and smashing up tents and caravans and giving anybody who objected a good kicking. The hippies only went on top of the stones in protest at the way they were being treated by the cops, to say "we aren't leaving.." I was there, i saw it.

however these days free festivals would be ruined by the youths we have in our society now.

that festival in the US you refer to, was thaqt the one where the Hells Angels did the security, and the Rolling Stones were made to perform at gunpoint?

I thought the hells angels one was a myth - saw a program about hells angels which painted them in a terrible light, but did point out that it was nutters who attacked them first.

However, about stonehenge - well - they were all hippies, and without being 'policital' lets face it, they weren't hippy loving people in those days - so yeah, they did get "heavy" - but i only have reference material to go off - and they tend to show people all over the stones (not the rolling ones! doh!) looking, well, Greenpeace-ish, without the coppers in riot gear behind them.

However, Glastonbury is disgusting. Seeing as grom aint posted for a while, i assume thats where he is though

"(not the rolling ones! doh!)"

- I'm sure Gib must have a rule somewhere to revoke moderator status for jokes that are really really bad

edit - omfg did I really write this? "the youths we have in our society now" bejasus I sound just like me fayther

Edited by - Tawakalna on 6/27/2004 3:31:25 AM

starting to show your age taw.

When doesn't he show it?

I might be an old fart but I know my music! I don;t think that much of Glastonbury anymore, its very much big names only now, thus "justifying" the hiked prices. imho V is a better festival, and it's held only a few miles away from me on the other side of Stafford (near where Grom's sister lives) The bands are just as good i reckon, it's not q such a hyped up ripoff and its local! so I can go for the day and be home to go to sleep in a comfy bed in the warm, not in a freezing quagmire.

nah, V is awful you silly man

glastonbury moved with the times, as all festivals did. it beggars belief that you of all people are getting arsey about glasto taw, i had you pegged as being a LITTLE brighter than that. times change, and having a free festival with dozens of the worlds best bands and playing where every drink and drug is available to buy wouldnt stay open to last this long, let alone being invaded by a bunch of scally ****ers looking to kick off and get plastered. Every time i've been to glastonbury its been nothing but a relaxed peaceful atmosphere. everyone is there to enjoy and relax. no hostilities, no abuse, no fuss. you can be as extravegant as you like with completely alternate tastes to everyone else and still have a blinding 3 day weekend.

The fence fiasco, as well as the ticket problem this year has just been a few of the latest cock ups taht has started to bring the festival down but when people write it off because "it wasnt as good as it was in the old days" then it just pisses me off.

EVERYTHING wasnt as good as it was in the old days because you have a glazed over, nostalgic view of that time, where you were actually happy. Hell i goto my local where i used to know EVERYONE who came in and out of the doors. Now i know NO ONE and im mumbling crap like the place isnt as good as it was. Its exactly the fupping same, but i cant accept social change in something i thought would stay the same forever.

Glastonbury is brilliant, i've not been for 2 years now but im gonna move heaven and earth to get a ticket next year and i WILL have a blinding time because thats all that anyone ever has.


"If i told you a secret you wont tell a soul,
will you hold it and keep it alive"

well it isn't as good as it was in the old days. And my nostalgia glowingly resides pre-1979. I'm never going to go to Glastonbury again even if I didn't have to pay, because its too big, too noisy, too smelly, and too wet, and I can't stand not getting any kip before the wee hours, as you know full well.

"hard-core man, ****ing hard-core" -Animal Mother

Yes i do, plus you're as weak as a kitten and cant take it


"If i told you a secret you wont tell a soul,
will you hold it and keep it alive"

... so, uh, anyone going to Reading Festival this year?