LEEDS AND READING FESTIVAL

Some Native Chap · LEEDS AND READING FESTIVAL

Okay people the leeds/reading festival is bloody complicated. So prepare for a really long post on this one.

The dates for the festival are the 22nd to the 24th of august (i.e. friday to sunday). The price is likely to be aboot £155 + booking fee, but I can't guarantee anything. Getting tickets I'm not sure aboot. When I got my tickets it was a preety leisurely affair, but according to the festival forums getting tickets has been a nightmare in recent years. aboot 15 minutes after the lineup is announced the first batch of weekend tickets will be released for sale online. These will allow entry on the thursday. The following day a small number will be released for sale at certain HMV stores. After that they'll be a second batch of weekend tickets, which may only allow access on the friday and which will sell out very quickly. Day tickets will probably be available for a while longer.

Because of this I have no idea how the hell to organise ticket buying. But either way you'll have to decide soon if you want to go to the festival in general, as the tickets will go on sale in a few weeks at most.

A few things to consider before deciding whether to go. Firstly the festival will be fairly close to the holiday we go on, if we go on one. It will be at most us from the pub (me, PM and Manx), since no one else i've asked can afford it this year. We'll have to decide whether to go to leeds or reading obviously. However they're aboot the same distance so it makes little odds. we'll have to work out how to get there. There will be car parking, but there's always a risk of break-ins.

As for the festival experience itself. Here's a few reasons why you may not want to go. Some of this may be a bit out of date since I haven't been in a few years.

Queuing: The festival involves a lot of queuing. Getting into the festival for a start will take a couple of hours. For this reason it's not a good idea to take more than you can carry comfortably, as for some of this queuing you can't put your stuff down. Once the festival has started there's only really much queuing if you want to get in to see the first few acts.

Hygiene: The toilets at leeds/reading will either be portaloos or use cutting edge 'hole in the ground' technology. Using the showers is not a good idea so you generally wash using water and a towel in your tent. You will not be too fresh by the end of the weekend.

Sleep: Don't expect to get too much sleep. Other than the obvious sleeping on jagged rocks, there will be a loud buzz of background noise until aboot 5 in the morning.

Theft: Can't emphasise this enough. Do not take anything you can't afford to lose. Theft wasn't too bad when I last went, but information seems to suggest it's got a lot worse. Make sure anything valuable you do take can be carried with you and not left in the tent.

Bottles: There's a fair amount of plastic bottle throwing between and during bands. In fact unless you run away at the start of every bottle fight or stay a long way from the stage you probably will be hit with a bottle at some point. Chances are you'll be lucky and it'll be an empty one. Bottle fights are considered all in good fun, but if you see someone filling a bottle with stones or some such thing most people will understand if you punch them.

Rioting: There's often riots, but generally they're no bother at all in most of the camping areas.

General Arseholery: Speaks for itself really. Not generally too much of an issue.

Despite all this the festival should be a good time with a lot of good music, sleep deprivation and heavy drinking. I've always had a good time. I've been to two festivals and the worst thing thats ever happened to me was being hit by one bottle (half full, smarts like a cordless iron).

Captain Manx

well, so far i am liking the sound of it, i will have to check my funding (especially with this teacher thing) and see what the lineup is but sounds like a fun time for all.

On a side note, im enjoying the idea of a new life for the forum, if more than just me and dave visit.

Some Native Chap

Well we have a date for tickets now. 31st of March. So we need to decide by then what we're doing aboot this festival and the holiday.

Might set myself a limit on how many good bands need to be there to make me go. Something like 18 bands over the three days exlcuding any clashes. They've got aboot 5 stages, so that shouldn't be too much to axe. If it's all the Cribs and Razorlite then sorry people but I'm out (of the closet!).

Some Native Chap

Apparently when they first announce the line up you get aboot six main stage bands per day and aboot three off random other stages. So I guess if there's aboot six to eight good bands and you guys want to go I'll be along.

Looking at the line ups from previous years on wikipedia, even when the line up was gash (like last year) there was enough going on on other stages to make it entertaining. Still wouldn't have gone last year.

Am tempted to list some of the bands rumoured, but these things are wrong as often as right.

Captain Manx

I agree with your previous post, when i see a line up of some kind i shall make my decision based upon how many good bands ill get to see.

Some Native Chap

So we're all decided we'll probably go if the lineup is any good. That means the only other thing to decide is Leeds or Reading. I actually don't have much opinion. Don't like Leeds much and don't like anywhere near London, but I can't imagine that they'll be much difference between the two festivals.

pigeoninthecrowsnest

I agree.

Captain Manx

Some Native Chap

I agree with this causal chain of agreement.

pigeoninthecrowsnest

Captain Manx

Some Native Chap

I decided to buckle and mention the rumoured bands, just to start some idle chat aboot what bands would make y'all consider going. The bands that are rumoured that I give a damn aboot are:

Rage Against The Machine
Metallica
Foo Fighters
NoFx
Less Than Jake
Slipknot
Queens of the Stoneage
Velvet Revolver

Captain Manx

That would be pretty fucking good if they were all on the line up. Id pretty much consider it a definate go if metallica, foo's and queens were gonna be there

pigeoninthecrowsnest

Yeah thats a pretty good line-up if rumours are true. The anticipation!
Headliners three American guitar bands.... hmmm

commander brandy

stop agreeing! i demand u play connect four in cock punching terms whilst u are on this excursion. those leeds/reading people will never see it coming.

douches.

pigeoninthecrowsnest

no cock punching mother lickers!

Some Native Chap

At some point when the festival is not 5 months away I will post a checklist of stuff to take.

Some Native Chap

Okay, well in advance of when I intended to post it. Here is a festival checklist modified from the one on the leeds festival website, since you really can't or shouldn't take everything they suggest. Be prepared for freezing cold, unbearable heat, flooding and mud.

Checklist

Tickets
Tent + Tools to put it up - probably best to get in one rehersal before the festival.
Sleeping gear - May want some extra padding/insulation. The ground is hard and it can be bloody
cold.

Money or cash/debit/credit card - I wouldn't take both myself, since it's more stuff to lose, but
decide yourselves.
Wallet
Keys
Mobile phone

Torch (with fresh batteries)
Camera
Waterproof bag (in case of flooding)
A bag for your worn clothes
Sun Cream
Sun Glasses
Bog roll

Deodorant
Mints - Or you could take a toothbrush and toothpaste, but this is easier
Plasters
Medication - if necessary. You can buy stuff there, but it's expensive
Towels
Seating - If you want to hang out around the tent much you might want to take a folding stool or
small chair, but this depends on how you want to spend your time. And they do get stolen.
Clothes - Very easy to take far too many. You are basically slumming it.
Wet wipes/soap/shower gel - It's generally easier to just get a quick wash in your tent than go to
the showers
Haircare - Only if you're really obsessive aboot it. Any attempt to wash your hair in communal
water will be greeted with distain from your fellow campers.

Lots of bottled water - Whatever people say I would not trust the communal drinking shit. Take
enough for drinks and washing.
Food - You may find that food preparation that seemed fairly simple becomes a real pain, so try
to take food with minimal preparation.
Alcohol - It's expensive there and everywhere in a five mile radius, so weigh up cost vs ability to
carry it. Also apparently no glass is allowed anywhere and no alcohol within the arena (it is
allowed in the campsite).
Entertainment - If you plan on spending much time in the tent you may want to take a book
or deck of cards or something.

On a final note it's probably best not to take a padlock, a tent isn't too hard to break into anyway.

Some Native Chap

More bands have been added to the lineup.

Not too much I'm excited aboot, but alkaline trio on the sunday makes that day a whole lot better.

Some Native Chap

Bands I'm definitely going to see are:

Metallica RATM Alkaline Trio
Tenacious D QotSA Seasick Steve
Slipknot The Fratellis/ GoldFinger The Gaslight Anthem
Feeder Serj Tankian

I would go see less than Jake, but they're bound to clash with Rage. Other than that there's a lot of bands I wouldn't mind seeing, so looks like a good time.

pigeoninthecrowsnest

Leeds! Leeds! Leeds!

One thing I forgot aboot was marker pen for 'toilet tenting' Dave's tent!

Captain Manx

Its good to see people back on the forum.

Long live the toilet tent and PigeonMaster and Dave's bathtime buddies time.