Rookie Mistakes

[guidarufino]

So my little brother is coming to Glasto for the first time this year which I'm really excited about (it's my 3rd time).

I was chatting to him the other night about how great it'll be that he can avoid making many of the rookie mistakes that I did in my first year and benefit from the wisdom of my experience.

So what rookie mistakes did you make in your first (or perhaps subsequent?) years and what tips if any would you give to a Glasto virgin?

I think my biggest mistake in my first year was three fold to do with meeting people. Firstly I didn't take a spare battery for my phone and the car charger which I'd bought for it didn't work so I had to waste loads of time going to chill n charge so I could contact people.

Secondly I was too vague about rendez vouz points. "8pm at Pyramid" definitely does NOT work!!!

Thirdly I woefully underestimated how long it takes to get anywhere or do anything. And was not aware that time taken to achieve any mission doubles for every additional person with you at the time.

So my first piece of advice to Dave is get your phone sorted, fix some set meeting points on Thursday which you're all familiar with and expect to take twice as long as you think to get anywhere. I bet someone could come up with some kind of formula for this. Time taken = .... Variables being time of day, level of sobriety or otherwise, number of people in party, conditions underfoot etc etc.

Having said all that, the single best night I've ever had at Glasto was the day I last saw any of my friends at 11am. Having spent several hours trying to find them all, I realised I was having a brilliant time without them and ended up having the night of my life round the fire circle in the Healing Fields til the sun came up and we were rocking to the melodious rhythm of the poo lorry!

[Lou's other half]

Hard to believe I know, but I was woken on the Sunday morning of my first Glastonbury by a light drizzle and realised that not taking a tent was not the best idea...

A classic rookie error, but one I persist with to this day, is detailed advance planning! Lou and I are currently deep into our scheduling and planning with the full and certain knowledge that we will achieve virtually none of it. It's simply not that kind of event, but my God it's fun sitting in the pub working it all out!!

Thinking "Oh, it's just a bit of rain, I'll go barefoot" in '98...

It's a long list, I think I've made them all!

[Hash4Cash]

get there early, get tent up, then leg-it to cider bus / brothers bar, get caught up in the buzz of it all and drink 20 pints of cider, pass out, get woken by litter pickers and spend the rest of the weekend with a sickly hangover.

eat the burgers you packed before leaving on sunday.

rant at friends about missing <insert act> because they spent the afternoon talking to the stone dragon in Kings Meadow.

take a hit from some friendly but weird hippies' spliff only to find out after a massive sweat that it was 10% weed and 90% salva.

drink a yellow coloured liquid in a bottle you found thinking it is cider

[guidarufino]

Start drinking when you realise you're just a few short miles away from the site. This seems fine even though there's only two designated drivers for the van as you're so close. Right? Wrong. 7 hours and one bottle of vodka later, you get one very bored and frustrated driver, his girlfriend who's equally pissed off who doesn't drink and two disgustingly drunk girls in the back of the van causing mayhem and getting out and running away every time you stop for a few seconds. NB trying to make said driver down whisky when you finally do arrive so he can "catch up" with you doesn't help.

[Hash4Cash]

driving down with a great rasta flag flapping from the back of the car stating 'glastonbury or bust' only to get pulled over by the coppers.

[Lou's other half]

Eating some delicious herbal fudge on the first afternoon of the Treworgy Tree Fair and waking up 36 hours later having missed all the bands I'd gone to see and discovering that the contents of my friend's bag that I was "looking after" were now noticeably lighter to the tune of all her cash, her bank cards and her stash... Sorry Debs...

[Hash4Cash]

Treworgy Tree Fair: they dont make festivals like that any more... such a shame.

[tort]

When trying to explain to somebody how long it takes to get from A to B just ask them how long they think it would take them in dry conditions with nobody about then immediately double it to take into account the Glastonbury shuffle which everybody falls into within about 24 hours of arrival.

Then apply the following formulae:-

1) Is it crowded? = X2
2) Is the crowd moving in the opposite direction to you? = X4
3) Is it muddy? = X2 for every 2 inches of mud
4) Are you thirsty? +10 minute bar stop
5) Have you answered “Yes” to 4 within the last hour? +5 minute piss stop
6) Does your route take you via the Theatre Field? +30 minutes while you are accosted by groups of Neanderthals, Gorillas & flag waving Trolls
7) Does your route take you via the Babylon markets? +1 hour while you buy inappropriate clothing you would never be seen dead in when you get home
8) Are you trying to get to Shangri La between midnight and 3am? – Forget it and get there earlier tomorrow!

That just about covers it.

[tort]

Treworgy Tree Fair: they dont make festivals like that any more... such a shame.

Ain't that the truth!!!

[Mandypants]

Probably the biggest boob I made was the second time I went to Leeds, I was quite a seasoned festy goer by the time I got to Glasto.

The weather had been gorgeous all weekend, so, on the Sunday morning, I took some gear back to the car to make the Monday escape a little easier. That evening it pissed down, like, monsoon conditions, the skies just opened and dumped a lake on us! Clever me had, coincidentally, packed my wellies and waterproofs in the car The car was in the furthest reaches of the car park, so there wasn't a chance of getting it before being drenched.

[stinkywitch]

Taking 2 kids ages 7 and 9 for their 1st time, spending hours printing out special cards with ALL our details on in case they got lost. Getting to stone circle and hour after we put our tent up and both kids go missing, all the special card are nice and neat in our rucksack. Scary time but they had just found the stone dragon. Chill mum lol.

We arranged to meet some friends there in 2009 so we let them bring all our kit and we would meet later, we got on site at about 10 am, and started our drinking till friends arrived.....6pm they managed to get in and we was well and truely mashed by then and could only watch as they struggled to put the trailer tent up!

If a friend spend too long in a porta loo it doesn't mean they are stuck and there is no need to go and yank the doors off said porta loo to rescue him!

[whatme]

If a friend spend too long in a porta loo it doesn't mean they are stuck and there is no need to go and yank the doors off said porta loo to rescue him!

it wasnt my fault, i came out of one loo , asked where chris was and was told he was stuck in the loo,
Superman to the rescue

if you get into a 18tone lorry then get dragged out by the owner, remember to take less acid next time,thought i was at work
the driver did laugh

[RickySSmith]

This year will be my third Glastonbury in a row so I guess I'm still quite a newbie to the whole thing...

List of mistakes -

Re-Using a paper cider cup to drink wine out of all evening - they aren't 100% watertight forever! Having almost half a pint of wine suddenly come gushing out of the bottom of the cup onto my shorts wasn't good, didn't really care about the lost wine - it was the fact I looked like I had had a rather large accident....

Attempting to rely on an iPhone for the festival 2 years ago, which died on the Thursday (see thread in chat about Spare Phone)

Going with too many people! That was probably the biggest mistake, last year I travelled down with 2 friends (who were also a couple *groan*) we failed to meet up with my other friends before going through the gates which meant it was just me and them camped together right on the corner opposite The Park and toilets that wasn't a problem in itself but I had a group of friends on Pennard Hill and another group near the John Peel tent... so I was trying to spend as much time with all of them as I could which just turned into a massive pain in the arse trying to meet up with all the different groups spread across the site...

Oh and taking too much beer (yes - it is possible) I had over a whole crate left at the end of the festival last year, cannot stand warm beer! This years plan less beer... more smokes oh and StinkyWitch's ingenious idea of freezing wine boxes!!

[Nelly]

I do agree with RickySSmith - we came back with beer last year too - warm beer is just wrong.

I will be arriving with many boxes of frozen white wine this year too

[robbieflash]

First year last year, many things learnt.
Pack light, cripes, 2 bags and a tent was a very bad idea. Mainly because of the silly amount of food i had, and a stove, not realising that there is perfectly amazing, fairly cheap and accessible food if you look around for it.
Packing too many clothes really, think i got through 2 pairs of tshirts the entire weekend.
Er, not bringing a bag with me, i'm notorious for always having one on me, and glastonbury was no different, i like to lug alot of crap around with me.

Don't get caught at the front with a fairly rowdy crowd on the Saturday night, only to come out with broken shoes that are hanging together by a thread, realising you actually haven't got another pair apart from massive walking boots that were uncomfortable on the rock hard ground.

Your mates have awful music taste.

And only getting round to visit the far end of the sight on the last evening.

Many mistakes, but all noted for this year.

[crazybird79]

Biggest mistakes 1st time i went.......
Not getting there till very late weds night (thought i was in a refugee camp), parking furthest carpark from where i wanted to camp!
taking as much stuff as we could carry and having to walk for 2/3hrs with it all in the dark while trying to find somewhere to camp
taking everything but the kitchen sink (even a 2ft mirror! never again)
making to many plans to go see ppl/things (missed most of them lol)
trying to use a sheewee for the first time on carpark and pissed all over myself #fact wasnt used again !! pahaha
infact i think evrything was to the extreme the fisrt time i went but god have i learned from those dreadful mistakes
i hope anyway

[Flip]

I'll post here on the 27th June

[exstockwellgooner]

Trying to flit between stages/areas without realising how long it can take and also realising that by just mooching about you discover all sorts and have a better time.
Planning on seeing more than one act at similar times.
Too much warm beer at the end of the day......
Packing far too much.....

[Roo]

'88 Amnesty Fest, Milton Keynes - My First Solo Festival!!!
Had arranged with friends to borrow a tent to take Collected it as I set off hitchhiking to realise they had lent me an 8man ridge tent with military grade canvas! This tent was bigger and heavier than the rest of my gear, I was hitching and had never put the tent up before and no instructions came with it!!!
So, advice from this experience, is if you are borrowing a tent off someone, go check it out a weeke or 2 before hand and get a lesson in putting it up. Also, if a bit on the big size, work out a way of transporting it!

Similair mistake for Reading in '89. Though maybe went the opposite way! Bought the cheapest tent available in argos. Nice and light, though only discovered after crawling in it that it was about 6inches shorter in length than I was in height so had to sleep with my feet out of it, and there was very little room for the few other things I'd taken with me!

So again, have a dry run with the tent beforehand!

[ROWLANEL]

Not taking waterproofs in 2005 and pitching my tent with the entrace facing up hill! Not a very good move!

Loosing my tent after getting slightly wonky and not finding it till 8 hours later (in the rain!).

Taking off a very expensive ring and putting it my bag, only to go and put it back on again and not being able to find it. Eventually found it though after a very frantic search in the bag and in the mud! Never take valuables to Glasto.

[Bell Boy]

Start drinking when you realise you're just a few short miles away from the site. This seems fine even though there's only two designated drivers for the van as you're so close. Right? Wrong. 7 hours and one bottle of vodka later, you get one very bored and frustrated driver, his girlfriend who's equally pissed off who doesn't drink and two disgustingly drunk girls in the back of the van causing mayhem and getting out and running away every time you stop for a few seconds. NB trying to make said driver down whisky when you finally do arrive so he can "catch up" with you doesn't help.

can i join your party pleeeaaassseeeeeeeeeee.........

[Roo]

Loosing my tent after getting slightly wonky and not finding it till 8 hours later (in the rain!).

This happens to so many people lol

Once witnessed an argument between 2 drunken teenagers in the early hour of Thursday morning at the entrance to two camping fields off the railway track. They were arguing as to which field they'd pitched their tent in!
I did intervene and explain if they couldn't agree which field and hadn't seen their tent since daylight & sober they may as well go find a cafe to sober-up in and wait for daylight as they had no chance. This revelation was greeted with some stunned silence as the information filtered through the haze to their logic centres.

[guidarufino]

lmfao, great thread guys. Thanks loads. I'll be directing my little bro here. I reckon you probably need to make a lot of the mistakes for yourself but there's definitely something to be said for learning from each other's f**k ups.

I've decided this year it's all going to be about hats. Last year my various pashminas (not real ones, just those cheap ones you buy off the guy in town for £5) were brilliant. They kept the sun off my head during the day, kept me warm at night and were great to cuddle and wrap myself up in when I was feeling a bit anxious and strung out for reasons I couldn't possibly imagine now....

So this year I am going to get the best hat ever. I'm thinking a big floppy wicker type sun hat which will work equally well in rain and sun. Though it won't rain this year but it's best to be prepared. I'm going to have different ribbons for it so I can pretend I've got a different hat on each day.

Definitely a mistake I've made in the past is taking too many clothes so I could have a choice of outfit each day. It didn't really matter since I was in a van both years but I'll have to be more selective this year.

This year the money I'm saving on hiring a van is getting spent on food instead of taking my own which never worked as well as I'd thought it would anyway. I'm still determined to find a solar or gas powered fridge / cool box of some description. What's all this about freezing wine boxes? Have I missed something? I can't really drink wine any more (stupid IBS) though. Does this cunning plan work on other booze?!

Totally agree on the too many friends thing. Unless you get lucky, I think you just have to accept that you can't spend as much time with all your different groups of friends as you'd like to.

[stinkywitch]

What's all this about freezing wine boxes? Have I missed something? I can't really drink wine any more (stupid IBS) though. Does this cunning plan work on other booze?!

If i'm not mistaken you can freeze alcohol thats less than 15% maybe even 20% i'm sure it needs to be flat as well or it could get messy in your freezer.

[KarenEH]

Some great tales! I think I must be too practical, haven't made any real bloomers! Except last year, taking my sister's advice to pick a band you really want to see and change it for a different band- Grr, still haven't seen Florence! Mind you she ditched Muse for George Clinton and her mate fainted in the crowd so she saw nothing!! Wine box- fab idea but you can't do it with anything else, cans don't expand and they can split in the freezer. Vodka pouches won't freeze because of spirit level, so it's only the wine! Not sure about large plastic cider bottles though- it's worth a try out first!

[Lou's other half]

Boldly declaring that I never get drunk at Glastonbury (based on absolutely no evidence whatsoever) and proceeding to get utterly mashed outside The Bread and Roses before passing out spreadeagled in our (very small) tent leaving virtually no room for Lou... It's a tale she is very fond of retelling, so I thought I'd get in there first!

[Glasto-worker]

Although I was not involved I do know this happened.

One year { about 5 to 7 years ago } on the WBC Crew Coach on the way down from London they stopped off at a service station and when the coach was ready to leave two of the crew was missing - after a quick hunt the coach departed .

We later found out what happened - lets call them Bill and Ben - Bill and Ben went to the toilet and then came back out but in the meantime a Coach had pulled up between the toilets and the WBC Coach and they did not spot it was different so walked on and sat down where they ' thought ' they had been sitting before .

The Coach departed and they never paid any attention to Motorway signs and hours later they only twigged something was wrong when they spotted Blackpool Tower and when they approached the driver he told them they were on a SAGA Tour Coach .

I don't have any details how they got down to Glasto but I know it was the next day and their Team Leader was going nuts as they were missing for their shift but then a Staff Manager got a call from Security that there was two WBC Volunteers who had appeared at the gate without tickets or a staff pass { a staff pass is only issued once their details have been verified onsite }

Actually Bill and Ben had made one smart move which saved their skins - they had bought a stick of Blackpool Rock and this was accepted as proof that their story was true.

So if you are traveling by Coach make certain you get back on the correct Coach.

[stinkywitch]

[shelley]

What stinky said!

[Twisted Fire Steward]

Good thread. I think others have covered most of my cock-ups over the years but I'll add one. Try to make a good detailed mental note about where exactly you parked the car, referenced to fixed things like trees and pylons. It's no good thinking to yourself that it's next to a big white van so I'll find it easily!!

The other advice, probably not that helpful on this forum but here goes. If you are a responsible, respected Dance Village Steward Supervisor, don't turn up back there slaughtered when off duty and dance drunkenly to The Orb with a female friend who is not your missus.

[char40too]

Try to make a good detailed mental note about where exactly you parked the car, referenced to fixed things like trees and pylons. It's no good thinking to yourself that it's next to a big white van so I'll find it easily!!

You nailed it on the head with this tip!! We left 5ish on the Monday morning last year and the mist was thick as milk!!

I got "left behind" as I struggled with by baggage (again took far to much stuff on my first Glasto) and all of a sudden my other 5 "mates" were GONE

Spent the next half hour straggling around with every field looking the same as the last one!!!!

Lets just say there was a fair amount of *********BLEEP********* coming out of my mouth (anyway that's my sob story )

ROLL ON JUNE!!

[stardustjunkie]

Last year was my first year. I think the stupidest thing we did (besides taking too much booze that we didn't drink..) was wanting to be near the front for the big bands.

This would be fine if it didn't mean getting there an hour early.. We wasted so much valuable time just waiting.

Turned out that when we casually strolled in the pyramid field for Stevie Wonder, we were so far back, yet had the best time ever. It was incredible. Also absolutely loved Florence and we were somewhere in the middle. Just make the most of all the time you have, don't worry about getting close to the stages, you'll still enjoy it

[guidarufino]

This is the opposite of a mistake, a cunning plan that actually worked.

Our neighbours in the campervan field last year were this super cool group of older couples (all around the 50ish mark I'd say) who'd never done anything like Glasto before. They were really lovely, the women mothered us and the men fixed all the stuff that kept going wrong with our van.

Anyway, they were super organised and got down to pyramid really early every day and staked out a brilliant spot up against the disabled viewing platform, replete with camping chairs, sun brolleys, food, drink etc and stayed there all day! It was so brilliant because it finally made what I'd thought was impossible; meeting someone AT pyramid! In fact it became our base of operations for the whole of that magical Friday when I saw more live music in one day than I'd seen in my whole life. And all my various and disparate groups of friends were able to find me during the day and we were able to come and go and always find our way back. Best plan ever!

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fb...type=1&theater

You can just about see where we are in that pic and see my friends' chairs behind us.

Stinky - I realised after I'd posted that that obviously you can't freeze vodka, what a numpty! You'd think I'd know that having a bottle of vodka always in my freezer!

So I was thinking what else you could freeze in advance and all I've come up with is Pimms (maybe) and Robinsons / Ribena etc... So I'm thinking that if we can take lots of frozen stuff and freezer blocks, put them all together in a cool box that's maybe powered off the cigarette lighter in the car then we could maybe have cold drinks for at least the first couple of days? More if it's not as hot as last year. Previous years I've obsessed about food, Pimms and vans. This year I am going to mostly obsess about cold drinks!

Is it just me or is there nowhere to buy ice anywhere in Glasto?

So do you need to empty some of the wine before you freeze it? Does it expand much like water does?

[exstockwellgooner]

This is the opposite of a mistake, a cunning plan that actually worked.

Our neighbours in the campervan field last year were this super cool group of older couples (all around the 50ish mark I'd say) who'd never done anything like Glasto before. They were really lovely, the women mothered us and the men fixed all the stuff that kept going wrong with our van.

Anyway, they were super organised and got down to pyramid really early every day and staked out a brilliant spot up against the disabled viewing platform, replete with camping chairs, sun brolleys, food, drink etc and stayed there all day! It was so brilliant because it finally made what I'd thought was impossible; meeting someone AT pyramid! In fact it became our base of operations for the whole of that magical Friday when I saw more live music in one day than I'd seen in my whole life. And all my various and disparate groups of friends were able to find me during the day and we were able to come and go and always find our way back. Best plan ever!

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fb...type=1&theater

You can just about see where we are in that pic and see my friends' chairs behind us.

Stinky - I realised after I'd posted that that obviously you can't freeze vodka, what a numpty! You'd think I'd know that having a bottle of vodka always in my freezer!

So I was thinking what else you could freeze in advance and all I've come up with is Pimms (maybe) and Robinsons / Ribena etc... So I'm thinking that if we can take lots of frozen stuff and freezer blocks, put them all together in a cool box that's maybe powered off the cigarette lighter in the car then we could maybe have cold drinks for at least the first couple of days? More if it's not as hot as last year. Previous years I've obsessed about food, Pimms and vans. This year I am going to mostly obsess about cold drinks!

Is it just me or is there nowhere to buy ice anywhere in Glasto?

So do you need to empty some of the wine before you freeze it? Does it expand much like water does?

The 24 Hour type shops sell it-we paid about 6 or 7 quid (I Know-Extortion) for a bag last year but it kept our beers, vodka and wine cold for a few hours on the Saturday.

[guidarufino]

Christ on a bike, £7 for a bag of ice?!! Mind you, I paid about £3 for a cold bottle of diet coke (the small ones) to go with my warm vodka one day! Hence my obsession with cold drinks perhaps?! I also paid £10 for a bottle of aloe vera to cool down my terrible sunburn but I've still got that and it's dead good so I don't mind that so much.

[stardustjunkie]

I'm not sure if you can freeze Pimms, it's about 20-25%? I can't remember the exact percentage.

I guess if you mixed it with lemonade it might be more likely to freeze?

[guidarufino]

I'm not sure if you can freeze Pimms, it's about 20-25%? I can't remember the exact percentage.

I guess if you mixed it with lemonade it might be more likely to freeze?

Good thinking. Though it'd have to be flat lemonade wouldn't it? I'll check the % tonight.

I have a thing about Pimms. My first Glasto I was determined to have proper Pimms complete with ice, fruit, mint leaves, mixers etc. It took some doing but by God I pulled it off. Warm flat Pimms, nice!

[stardustjunkie]

Ahh I do love Pimms. My family in Cornwall always have some stocked up. When we go on large family holidays we get through at least one bottle a day, with all the trimmings in it

Our town has a beer festival and to our delight it had a Pimms tent last year!

You can't beat it, it's got to have strawberries, lemon, lime, mint and ice in, or it just isn't the same!

[guidarufino]

Pimms has to have (in my world)

strawberries
cucumber
orange
fresh mint leaves (preferably with green fly!)
ice
lemonade
ginger beer
a large slug of gin (or vodka if no gin available).

mmmmmm

You can get a cheap version of Pimms which tastes exactly the same in Lidl (or is it Aldi?). It's called Austins and tastes exactly the same!

[IAmTheWaffle]

My rookie error in 2005 was to not take wellies, though about it on Thursday but when it is blue skies and 30C you think it's a silly idea to get them at the festival.

Then *that* storm happened and you couldn't get wellies for love nor money. Also, a truck delivering extra wellies to the stores at Glastonbury itself got stuck in the mud on site apparently!