In this post I embark upon my 7th voyage to the largest open-air festival in the WORLD
GLASTONBURY
I was working at the festival as a sound engineer and providing technical support.
Here's my 6-day virtual Tor... (Sorry, I couldn't resist)
I'm glad I took along my Mega-XL tripod to get this shot*
[* Actually half-inched from the Daily Telegraph:]
Walking down one of the many flag-lined entrances on my way in
Backstage of the Pyramid main stage
It's a very impressive temporary structure
My friend Stef stood next to his new and rather impressive sub-bass stacks for the Pyramid stage.
...and this was only 1 third of the subs used!!!
It sounded awesome :]
One of the many XTA processors being used across the entire site.
I'm part of the design team for these blue products and myself and another chap do the PC control software.
It's very rewarding to see our efforts being used to control all the speakers on the main stage.
And so it begins, day one
177,500 people in 900 acres of fields - the biggest Glastonbury EVER
A sea of punters going back to the horizon
A BBC cameraman panning to the left to avoid reflections off John's head; bottom left :0)
A shot from the stage into the crowd and back to FOH.
If I were performing up here, I would be cacking it!
Main stage engineers Spef and Simon at FOH
Friday afternoon and the rain really began on the Amy Winehouse set
I'm always grateful I can get out of the crowds and bad weather, take a seat and watch acts in the dry from FOH
Rain + 900 acres + 177,500 people = MUD... and lots of it
You get runny mud at first...
...then the 'orrible sticky mud, once it's been walked over for a while
A woman struggling to keep her balance
A bemused looking infant by the John Peel stage
Two very drunk Glastonbury 'Mud Monsters'
Glastonbury landowner Michael Eavis venturing out into the slop
My friend, the lovely 'expecting' Abby - Production coordinator from the Other stage.
She soon stopped smiling after this photo was taken, as she was informed it's her job to find fuel for Kate Moss's chauffeur, as he had ran out of diesel and couldn't get her off site! Oops
Sweet-toothed Andy will not let the weather get in the way of him and an ice cream.
Real cream, real hardcore!
The Pyramid stage at night
It was great fun to watch drunken / drugged people walking by and falling over in the mud; like this totally trollied girl who wandered in to a cafe we were in after falling over twice.
Wakey wakey Mr Silver Fox
Morning festival head... Bleh
The 'Dance Village' (dance music fields)
I was also helping in the large East dance tent.
I climbed the lighting tower to get this shot of the crowd below.I was looking after the sound for Fatboy Slim on Friday night!!!
*Grin*
We had site wide noise levels to stick too though, so I was made to keep it down, which was a shame :`[
My friend Esme 'giving it large' to a band called Pendulum
Just a small crowd then! :P
I would never go to a big festival as a paying punter.
Imagine queuing in this mud and rain to go to the loo in the morning - and when you get there the toilet will be minging! Eww
I had access to proper flushing loos, hot showers and no queue! Luxury ;-)
Traffic warden performance artists booking an on-site vehicle :]
(Performance art freaks me out... really it does)
A huge scary looking thing I found
A cool spider's web chair outside a bar (pre mud)
The finalé.
The Who playing on the Pyramid stage on Sunday night.
After that, a load of us went backstage and drank free beer until the early hours and celebrated yet another Glastonbury completed.
Driving out Monday morning.
All that's left is lakes of mud and a few abandoned tents.
It then took 8 hours to get home :[]
Today, I'm Most Angry About: Realising I can't stop myself turning statements in rhetorical questions, can I? ...Agh, I've just done it again haven't I? ...Agh, and again! Grrr
Grrr-O-Meter Rating: 5/10
Today's Top Tip: Marketing Managers: If you work for an un-environmentally friendly company, simply add a tiny green tree, flower or leaf to the company logo... That'll sort it!