FW: hawks/fantasy

[M Holmes]

Nick Medford writes:

> In message <200105011512.QAA27895 at holyrood.ed.ac.uk>, M Holmes
> <fofp at HOLYROOD.ED.AC.UK> writes
> >
> >I was watching Hawkwind at Stonehenge that night, but the next day when
> >we got to Glasters, everyone was talking about it.
>
> What, Roy blew out the Henge to play Glasto? What was he thinking of?
> Any idea what year that was?

It was 1981. Hawkwind played Stonehenge on the Friday and Glasters on
the Saturday. I remember that clearly, even though, As Captain Dave
pointed out, my memory banks of the Saturday evening were somewhat
corrupted by a gallon of organic scrumpy.

> >I concluded that Glastonbury was a dangerous place compared to
> >Stonehenge Festival and sent to Stonehenge until the riot cops closed
> >it down in 1985.  I didn't make Glastonbury again until 1989 but I
> >have been to every one since - and there always seems to be
> >substantial amounts of crime.

> Agreed- and we're not talking non-crimes like low-level drug stuff

Oh there's always been a certain amount of that.

> or
> little outbursts of, uh, over-exuberance, are we? The atmosphere at
> Glasto can be downright ugly at times.

yep, and it can be very fine.

> I stopped going over a decade
> ago- the last time I went it was marred by various kinds of
> unpleasantness and at the end of the weekend I was forced to confront
> the fact that I'd paid through the nose all weekend for a not very
> good time.  Only real positive thing I remember that year was the
> ubiquitous (in this thread anyway) Roy Harper.

> People say it's improved though: that the numbers are better contained
> and provided for

Not last time. At least as many (100,000) climbed the fence as paid to
get in. The toilets overflowed. The food tents had huge queues. They ran
out of water at various points. There was some very risky crowding.
The risks of having tents crammed in 4 inches apart with very drunk and
stoned people trying to wander through them in the dark carrying burning
torches are pretty clear. Imagine being between a line of burning tents
and a 12 foot steel fence.

Glastonbury in various years has been extremely lucky not to have had
some sort of Roskilde type event through crowding. There's also the
obvious health risks from litter, overflowing latrines, and lack of
water for washing when combined with dense crowds. Sorting out some
means to really keep out most of those who don't have tickets is going
to be an absolute prerequisite for getting a licence in future. Last
time it was clear to even the authorities that things were dangerous and
Roskilde has reminded them that they'll be held responsible if things go
awry.

The solution is apparently going to be a 25 foot steel fence. Given that
the 12 foot one regularly produced 150 broken ankles per event, I expect
we'll have a certain number of broken necks, but then I may have less
faith than warranted in the good sense of my fellow man. Climbing a 12
foot fence is an exercise for the amateur which requires caution.
Climbing a 25 foot fence is an exercise only for someone who knows what
they're doing. OTOH, they'll also need a good protocol to stop people
bribing gatekeepers to get in.

How much stopping gatecrashers will go towards removing the excitement
of not knowing whether your tent and its contents will be there when you
return to it depends on whether thieves are more represented amongst the
gatecrashers than the paying public. I'd expect to stop it to some
extent but that really organised gangs will happily pay to get in and
make it up on volume.

Stopping the problems associated with drug retailing (I.E gang driven
turf wars and professional villains being around to try to obtain the
rather large takings) is probably beyond the remit of the festival
organisers and down to the Police.

I've little doubt that less crowing would go a long way to alleviating
the problems though. Whether turning the whole place into Stalag 13 is
the way to go, or simply having fewer superbands there, is probably the
only real question of strategy.

It'd be a pity if they don't solve it though. Eavis has built up the
infrastructure onsite for a really great festival and it'd be a shame to
waste it.

FoFP