Should have been at Glastonbury

went 1993 to 1998. had enough now. would prefer smaller festies. glasto is too huge now. prefer watching it on telly on sofa with cuppa and happy fags.

 

Last year I went was the year after the last Stonehenge Free Festival. Mutoid Waste Company constructed a car henge. I went with Majic Theatre and the famous Flying Taxi. Camped in the performers field and did stupid things for the whole festival.
We built the 'Machine at the centre of the Universe' in the middle of the performers field out of a bunch of scrap bicycles. We had a flight of the taxi complete with support squadron (I had a helicopter helmet and goggles).
Maddest thing we did was a full on old style jumble sale with rich tea biscuits and a cupper for 5p. We reversed bartered everything:
"How much you want for that?"
"50P"
"How about 25p?"
"How about 10p?"
"What?"
"Here's 50p it's yours?"

Think we caused permanent mental damage to some folks.

Difficult to get performance tickets to do stupid things now, wouldn't go as a punter, all those tents..

Might go to the 'End of the Road' Festival if it's on..

Cheers
s

 

I was thinking of popping down there this weekend but cant rally afford the fuel etc.. I planned on just setting up somewhere for the night in the camper and maybe seeing if i could walk on the Glasto site. Sit up in the healing fields. Just on my own, sitting there with a few tunes on, contemplating, at a time when the place is crammed full of people. Kinda spiritual buzz if you like. Ahh well.

 

there are lots of people who do go on the year off .... i went one of the years - just for the day ...

my word the eavis cows are big and scary when they chase you ...

 

VERY Interesting news ........

http://www.musicweek.com/story.asp?sectioncode=1&storycode=1050099&c=1

Glastonbury Festival's decade-old partnership with Melvin Benn's Festival Republic has come to an end. According to a statement from Festival Republic, the Premise Licence Holder at Glastonbury Festival has "agreed with Michael Eavis that the time is right for both parties to go their separate ways".

Benn agreed to undertake the licensing and operational control of Glastonbury Festival in late 2001/early 2002. Since then the Festival has boasted an annual capacity of 177,500 people.

The statement from Festival Republic today read: "Time moves on and now is the time for Michael and the Glastonbury team to pick up the reins again and build for the future. This will then allow Melvin and the Festival Republic team to focus on growing new Festival Republic events and the existing FR owned festivals here in the UK as well as internationally in Ireland, Germany and Norway as well as the time required of Melvin as Chairman of Wembley Stadium."

"The separation has been mutual and cordial and Melvin will oversee the change and the selection of the new Operations Director (yet to be appointed). The Festival Republic interest in GFL 2011 (the operational company of Glastonbury Festival) will be passed on to LNG, Festival Republic’s parent company, in a long term arrangement that genuinely secures the future of the Festival. (The Workers Beer Company interest in the same company remains unaffected.)"

Melvin Benn said: “From an operational point of view, myself and my team have taken the Festival as far as I can and it is time for a change I think. It has been a wonderful journey with Michael but Latitude, Berlin, Hove and Electric Picnic, none of which existed in 2002, are my priorities, alongside maintaining Leeds and Reading as the bastions of the festival calendar they are, not to mention my demands at Wembley.

“That said I am committed to ensuring as smooth a handover as possible to the new team in Pilton and enjoying Glastonbury for many years to come as a festival goer myself.”

Michael Eavis said: “Melvin definitely earned his stripes running the gates for us during the Eighties. This was a difficult time dealing with the closure of Stonehenge, the Battle of the Beanfield and the travellers and my attempts to accept them here at Worthy Farm was exciting but very challenging.

“We both learnt a lot about festivals then, and Melvin and I have managed to put together what is the Glastonbury we have now.

“I’ll be sorry to see him go but he has masses of responsibility with all of his shows across the world and now is a good time to part company. I’ve got just about the best team in the business and Emily and Nick are heading up the next generation to take on more responsibility as well.

“Looking across the farm at the moment I think we were very lucky to choose a good wet year to take out - amazing bit of luck!

“See you all next year with a very promising line-up.”

 

So I wonder what really happened then? Surely a company doesn't walk away from a profitable enterprise because they have a number of other profitable enterprises on the go? And strange that ME refers to the time in the 80's when his dodgy security beat up a traveller so bad he had to be helicoptered off site? Anyway, let's see what happens, probably a good thing..

Cheers
s