h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I am, are you?

(or please form an orderly queue and point me to the threads I've missed...)

What on Earth is Glasters?

Glastonbury. Sorry, force of habit.

Glastonbury.

Don't know why but sitting in a muddy field for three days, eating overpriced food that's a sure-fire case of food poisoning and just doesn't jump out at me as a way to keep myself entertained for a weekend.

No, I am not going to Glastonbury.

'Nout wrong with a bit of mud, but your point about the food is irrefutable.

I'd love to go to Glastonbury, but only if I had a warm place to go to speep, woth good toilets and some decent food on hand

Oh, and someone who liked the bands there enough to go with me

Because Speeping is the closest thing to my heart. If i don't get a good speep then I can be very grumbly, wouldn't enjoy the mud and would eat too many hotdogs.

Oh I am going! It's my first time at Glasto, usually a Reading goer. I'm SO looking forward to it! Any tips for a first time visiter?

The most useful tips are the old chestnuts:

1) Get there early for a decent camping spot.
2) Triangulate! Note a couple of landmarks (trees etc) and remember it all looks very different in the dark.
3) Be aware that you will lose your tent. But you will find it eventually.
4) You will get lost. Glastonbury's huge. Follow the hippie drumming to take refuge in the Stone Circle.
5) Take bin bags & bog roll and, if you're feeling high-falutin', wet wipes.
6) If possible, use public transport, else you'll spend several hours in a hot car going nowhere fast.

But you probably know most of that from Reading.

Rain or shine you'll have a stonking weekend you'll never forget. ('97 & '98 were two of my favourite years!)

oh dude thank you! what a good list! we are indeed going very early and are camping in the green fields if poss as apparently thats the funnest. any bands your particularly looking forward to? sad about kylie huh (on a personal level not that she wont be at the festival, as i would have given that a miss) poor lady, hope she's alright

Glad to be of service!

Not too bothered by the big names (I saw Radiohead in '97 so can't really take Coldplay that seriously), but will try to catch The Killers, Kaiser Chiefs, Rufus W,Alabama 3, G Love & The Special Sauce, and at least 10 minutes of Chaz 'n' Dave (who'll probably turn out to be the most entertaining band there!)

That said, I'll probably miss all of 'em and spend the weekend being distracted by random Gamelan bands or lying by the Jazz/World stage's superb cider stall (to the left as you look at the stage. Pear cider. Lovely).

It is a shame about Kylie. Not really my cup of tea either, but would probably have had a look. Here's to the Minogue - get well soon

BTW, there's a Glastonbury chatroom from a link on the Glastonbury site (I don't think we can post links on here, but I stand to be corrrected).

ah I'd like to add bloc party, bright eyes and hay seed dixie to that list to name but a few! I have heard about the cider actually, I will be sure to have pear flavour as you have recommended it,and yes, heres to kylie

ooh maybe i'll check out that site. thanks again. have a good night .....

Just the 2 of us then?

Hey hey! I'm going too. It'll be my second time, as I went in 2002. I was going to go to Reading, but my friend got me a Glasto ticket without asking me, which was a nice surprise.

To be honest, I haven't even looked up who's playing, but if Alabama 3 are on, I'll definitely give them a look, 'cos they were great last time round. They always play, don't they? I'm surprised they haven't been given their own stage.

I can taste that pear cider from the Brothers Bar now.....

Ooh, that Brother's Bar cider (thank you for reminding me what the bar's called). It's been my friend on many a Sunday.

Someone bought you a ticket? Wow. I hope it's legit (I say that from the point of view of someone who did plenty of fence-jumping in earlier years, but is glad to buy a ticket now I can afford one!.)

You're right, Alabama should have their own stage, but so should G Love & the Special Sauce. I once saw them twice over one weekend, and know I missed at least two sets!

Anyway, that's 3 of us. Surely there must be more!

I got my (morally dubious) ID card (thin end of the wedge?) Now waiting on my ticket. Anybody got theirs yet?

(Assuming there are more than 3 H2G2ers going which, lets face it, seems likely).

Wish I'd come across this thread before, but I haven't checked out Askh2g2 for years!

What were your best memories? Here's my top ten, cut and pasted out of my journal... (in no particular order except chronological)

1) Arriving late on Wednesday night and hearing the spontaneous waves of cheers travelling around the camping fields because everyone was just so excited to be there.
2) Waking up after five hours of torrential rain on Friday morning and finding a 15-foot wide river had suddenly come into being and neatly divided the hill we were camped on (we were in the wrong half).
3) The feeling you get hearing the first band on Friday that you really enjoy - this year it was The Zutons.
4) Realising that certain puddles were so deep the water came over the top of my Doc Martens and flooded them - giving a whole new meaning to the term 'fill your boots'.
5) Stumbling along from the Dance Arena back to our tents via The Other Stage singing 'Rockaway Beach' by The Ramones at the tops of our voices.
6) The amazing relief and comfort when, after one and a half days of trudging through the mud with wet feet inside wet boots, you get to the Millets stall and they've just had a delivery of wellies in your size.
7) Everyone getting together above the Pyramid Stage in the baking Sunday sunshine to watch Brian Wilson prove to be the Genuine Article.
8) Finally getting inside the Dance Tent East halfway through Mylo's set after spending ages on the way in hemmed in tightly by a mass of bodies - and then realising that once you were in, there *was* enough room to dance. You can't half bust some moves in those Wellingtons...
9) Going up to Lost Vagueness when the bands were finished on Sunday night and discovering that the three of the four venues were offering a Ska night, a Soul night, and an Eastern European Polka Band. Result!
10) A beautiful sunrise, as seen from the Stone Circle at 4.30 on Monday morning.