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Anyone tempted by the V festival then?

I am going for the first time this year, but this shit about it not having the same spiritual feeling as Glasto must be bullshit because anywhere where you are penned in is going to be the same eg queues for loos, drinks, food.

OK its backed by Branson but look at most festivals and music arenas arent they backed by some company or other? Its about time some old skoolers realised that thats the world we live in now.

And anyway its only about 30mins away from me so thats got to be a plus point!
 
It's not just backed by Branson, it's owned lock stock and barrel by him

I realise corporate bollox dominates almost all festivals these days - the branding of Ashton Court makes me want to scream - but there's degrees of it.

Beautiful Days doesn't have any at all. It's great :)
 
spanglechick said:
pulp headlined the saturday (which i went to), and weller the sunday (which i didn't) - but i think you're right that there was no camping or anything...

pulp rocked though. Properly fabulous.
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there was camping but off side, a good trot from the festival.
 
Dubversion said:
it's the worst thing i've ever been to. even seeing the Flaming Lips at the height of their powers didn't reduce the agony of it. horrible soulless joyless funless shithole of a great big queue fest.
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if i can blag it somehow i'd go. but yer man version has it spot on. it has nothing in common with what i'd want out of a festival except bands, and even morrissey and radiohead aren't good enough to get me to pay for v.
 
I went the first few years before they did camping as I used ot live just a few miles up the road (Chelmsford) Like somebody else said it wasn't really billed as a festival then - just a one day bands in park type event.
The first year was Pulp headlining one day, which was pretty sweet, then Paul Weller the next day, however at the same time on the 'other' stage it was Orbital so I watched them instead :D

Alternatives for this year...trying to round up all my mates to go to Beautiful Days same weekend and just an 1.5hr up the road (from Bristol anyway ;) )
 
JTG said:
It's not just backed by Branson, it's owned lock stock and barrel by him

I realise corporate bollox dominates almost all festivals these days - the branding of Ashton Court makes me want to scream - but there's degrees of it.

Beautiful Days doesn't have any at all. It's great :)
Click to expand...


OK Branson owns it 100% but I dont mind going because he needs the money doesnt he? :rolleyes:

Ive just looked at The Beautiful Days site and it looks pretty good, but if it ever becomes a big event you know deep down the organisers will take that corporate cash......but I cant see many people refusing to go because of it changing names to

The McDonalds Beautiful Days Festival

McDonalds making all your days Beautiful Days™

:mad:

:D
 
StanSmith said:
Ive just looked at The Beautiful Days site and it looks pretty good, but if it ever becomes a big event you know deep down the organisers will take that corporate cash......but I cant see many people refusing to go because of it changing names to
Click to expand...

Given the Levellers' track record, I seriously doubt that tbh
 
I am quite surprised Radiohead caved in, considering they make a point of doing the 'no logo' thing on their tours, and largely advertise their work on the web through leaked MP3s and blips.
 
JTG said:
Given the Levellers' track record, I seriously doubt that tbh
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Well it wouldnt bother me that much, all im after is a good time with my friends (and any new ones that I might make there)

I never thought I would go to any sort of festival because I hate camping but what the hell I like the line up (most of it), it close to home, its my birthday and I think I will have a good time.

I go to enough gigs so im sure I will love it.
 
spanglechick said:
first v festival was in 1996 :confused:

pulp and paul weller headlining... :confused:
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You've reminded me that I went there in 1996 (non Glasto year) on a day ticket, to see Pulp and a few other bands that didn't stick in the memory (Pulp were excellent though)

It was generally pretty shit, but hugely eclipsed in awfulness by whichever year Massive Attack played, maybe 2001 or perhaps 2000. As I said, MA were superb, but nothing else was ...

Tickets sold out in 3 years <edit : I meant HOURS!!! :o > for this year? If the extra popularity is from people buying under the delusion that it's a good Glasto subsitute, they may ened up sorely disappointed ...
 
William of Walworth said:
You've reminded me that I went there in 1996 (non Glasto year) on a day ticket, to see Pulp and a few other bands that didn't stick in the memory (Pulp were excellent though)

It was generally pretty shit, but hugely eclipsed in awfulness by whichever year Massive Attack played, maybe 2001 or perhaps 2000. As I said, MA were superb, but nothing else was ...

Tickets sold out in 3 [hours] for this year? If the extra popularity is from people buying under the delusion that it's a good Glasto subsitute, they may ened up sorely disappointed ...
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camping tickets sold out in that amount of time last year IIRC. Many of them are sold back in september, before anyone knows what the lineup is, they go on sale for about a fortnight. V is very popular with we "plastic festivallers". ;)
 
spanglechick said:
camping tickets sold out in that amount of time last year IIRC. Many of them are sold back in september, before anyone knows what the lineup is, they go on sale for about a fortnight. V is very popular with we "plastic festivallers". ;)
Click to expand...

It has a big following on the eFestivals forums, so I suppose I shouldn't have been that surprised ....

If you want to try a total contrast of a festival, that only lasts one day so no compromises to personal hygeine risked**, try Strawberry Fair, first Saturday in June, Cambridge, FREE. There'll be a big Urbanite presence ... :cool:

**except for hanging out with various hippies, alternatives and dready types :p :D :cool:
 
William of Walworth said:
It has a big following on the eFestivals forums, so I suppose I shouldn't have been that surprised ....

If you want to try a total contrast of a festival, that only lasts one day so no compromises to personal hygeine risked**, try Strawberry Fair, first Saturday in June, Cambridge, FREE. There'll be a big Urbanite presence ... :cool:

**except for hanging out with various hippies, alternatives and dready types :p :D :cool:
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well I might just do that, Mr Walworth (so long as it doesn't clash with Unsound Italy?)
 
spanglechick said:
well I might just do that, Mr Walworth (so long as it doesn't clash with Unsound Italy?)
Click to expand...

There is that risk, but SF is one day and Unsound is two weeks so ..... :cool:

We havenn't had the Unsound dates yet anyway.
 
William of Walworth said:
There is that risk, but SF is one day and Unsound is two weeks so ..... :cool:

We havenn't had the Unsound dates yet anyway.
Click to expand...
all this is true - but if it does coincide with school hols, then i must go during them, or not at all... :(
 
I've been to 3 Vs - paid once years ago for Massive Attack & the first comeback of the Mondays, but got into the last 2 on a hospitality blag, which made it bearable.

It's an shit festival. Aside from the other concerns already expressed, it's a real conveyer belt during the day, with almost 3 bands an hour churning through reduced sets and only the headliners on the main stages getting a decent allocation.

Last year I saw Sonic Youth do a 25 minute set (wot's the fucking point of that?) and Super Furry Animals going through the motions in a 35 minute headline set.

Oh, and between bands - and this is probably why the time-slots are so restricted - the big screens pump out adverts for Branson's 57 varieties of tat for the masses.

V sanitises the festival experience to within an inch of its life.
 
corporate whore said:
I've been to 3 Vs - paid once years ago for Massive Attack & the first comeback of the Mondays, but got into the last 2 on a hospitality blag, which made it bearable.

It's an shit festival. Aside from the other concerns already expressed, it's a real conveyer belt during the day, with almost 3 bands an hour churning through reduced sets and only the headliners on the main stages getting a decent allocation.

Last year I saw Sonic Youth do a 25 minute set (wot's the fucking point of that?) and Super Furry Animals going through the motions in a 35 minute headline set.

Oh, and between bands - and this is probably why the time-slots are so restricted - the big screens pump out adverts for Branson's 57 varieties of tat for the masses.

V sanitises the festival experience to within an inch of its life.
Click to expand...

Excellent post, and pretty much exactly as I remember it as well -- the really really short sets were very noticeable ...
 
Yup, only times I've gone to V is with the free backstage press passes, even then it was dull, other than that if they think I'm paying they can git tae fock.

Same goes for Reading, really, unless there's a very, very special band on I wouldn't even consider attending, never mind actually paying...
 
DG55 said:
So what about Reading + Download? Anyone been?
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I went to Download last year, a mate had some spare tickets, so I decided that it was worth it. If only to see Ozzy and Black Sabbath, and Motorhead.

It was a good weekend. Perhaps too many teenage "apprentice drinkers" falling over and throwing up, but what do you expect from a heavy metal festie?

Giles..
 
for what it's worth, i went to one V and about 12 Readings and i've never paid a penny. Wouldn't go to Reading again, it's too young and too 'rawk' - it's lost the quality and diversity it had in the early 90s - but you'd still be more likely to see me there than fucking V. I'd rather stand in Reading's shitty arena surrounded by pissed kids and burger vans than the sea of mediocrity of V.
 
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