Boopoll Of The Week (121)

[patrick boo]

Apologies to all those that read the Boo blog - you'll have read this before, but it's relevant...

Is it just us, or are festivals getting out of hand? There's millions of them... Although we have attended a good few it was usually on the proviso that we didn't have to get too much into the whole 'great outdoors' lark, usually turning up in a silver suit and shiny shoes on the Sunday and passing amongst the great unwashed.
Since when was rock and roll enjoyed best caked in yesterday's shite wearing an assortment of carrier bags and binliners on any spare appendage? It's bad enough dealing with the heat and still trying to remain hirsute and glamorous, without throwing in a complete lack of basic facilities. What was so wrong with going to see bands in venues, with a roof and a good PA and a bar that wasn't in a tent? The thing is, it sucks the life out of everything else - nobody does a decent tour in the Summer any more because bands reach more people and earn more money playing in an assortment of fields - can't blame them for that...
You won't see PB paying money to wallow in mud this Summer - we get enough of that in the Winter.

[Hardcore Mel]

I'm so over the whole festival thing. The idea is nice but when your average weekend away ends up costing in excess of 300 quid it seems like it would make more sense to use that much money and go away somewhere nice for a week, where you can actually bathe, sleep in a bed and not shell out a fiver for a poke of chips or some warm beer.

[Lester Burnham]

I've never liked the idea of the old festival in a field (excluding Gavfest). I'm afraid that rolling around in yesterday's shit with the masses does not appeal. I'd rather spend £100 a pop to just go see bands down in Glasgow.

[Jan Deal]

There are many pros and cons to festivals:

Pro: You get to see loads of amazing bands over a weekend.
Con: You have to stay in a tent. For a weekend.
Pro: You and a whole bunch of friends get to have basically a 3 day nonstop party.
Con: There are hippies/neds with the same idea.
Pro: You'll get to see some amazing bands you've never heard of, and will probably never see again.
Con: Britain (especially Scotland) is hardly suited to a weekend spent mostly outdoors.
Pro: Not only can you see great bands, but festivals usually have other interesting things going on such as comedians, movies etc...
Con: Festivals sell out so quickly these days yr paying over 100 buckaroos on a gamble somebody good will be playing.

...I could go on.

[HairyScaryMark]

Maybe too many generic rock/pop festivals that have fairly similar bands who seem to tour festivals for a year or so then disappear.

UK lacks some of particular styles also

Also too many things called festivals which really aren't that much of a festival. More a series of vaugely related gigs that might happen anywhere.

The price of going to outdoor festivals in the UK is too high also, compared with other European countries.