TalkAwhile - The Folk Corporation Forum

The worst day I have ever spent at a Festival. Got there mid afternoon after traffic delays and a half hour hike from the car park, only to find they had changed the running order so we had missed Paul Heaton. Not happy at all and not helped by it raining incessantly. Despite decent waterproofs we were soon soaked to the skin. Joining instructions had said only small brollies, but everyone else seemed to have large golf umbrellas so we couldn’t see.

Thoroughly miserable we decided to call it a day, but by then the field was an absolute quagmire. Worst mud I have seen at a festival and I have been to some dreadful ones. We could have avoided much of it had the opened some of the exits, but no, the jobsworths were in charge, so everyone had to walk back to the main entrance to leave, making the conditions even worse. I have never seen so many worms in the mud. Think they were trying to leave as well.

Left before the Manics, whom we heard whilst walking away (but gather it was only a short set). Home to get showered and watered in time for the Pet Shop Boys. Thankfully they were stunning.

As for the music we did hear, had never heard Shed 7 and not inclined to investigate further, whilst Gabrielle had one song I knew and liked. As for Sister Sledge, they did what they say on the tin but it was not the right conditions for a party.

Will never complain about anything at Croppers again!

Sounds like a 2024 Summer festival to me.

 :)

Eurgh.  How much did tickets for this debacle cost, David?

£55. Which I didn’t think was bad to see PSBs, Manics and Paul Heaton. Had the weather been decent, we would probably have come way fairly happy, apart from the change in running order.

My d in l was there, but not seen her yet, will be interesting to hear what she says about it.

That's cheap as chips in the current order of things.  Which perhaps explains why the hadn't spent enough money on organisational aspects and weather mitigation?  Incidentally, my phone is now very insistently sending me clips from the event, mainly featuring a very off key Kim Wilde.

I tuned in to Radio 2 for jonnie walker  and this was on.  Shed7.  I found them unbearable and switched off.

I was disappointed as I was listening to it on Radio Two, as I was painting fences…only to find they were only broadcasting small parts of a set, then going back to normal programming.

Later, I came in to watch some on TV…but the sound balance was all over the shop…I could hardly hear vocals on most of them except Haircut 100 and the Pet Shop Boys.

Agree about Kim Wilde…possibly needs to take a tip from Tony Christie and come down a bit, pitch wise. Thought James Dean Bradfield could benefit from that, too, though I loved their set.

Really enjoyed Pet Shop Boys, a lot more than I expected ..so many hits from across the years and such a great stage show.

He seems to sound just fine in their own concerts so I suspect there was some fairly shoddy sound stuff going on (monitors etc etc)?  I imagine the same was probably true of the others (Kim et al) too?

Possibly but, as you mentioned, Kim Wilde was out of tune and James DB sounded in tune,but a bit strained…for whatever reason. Could have been issues with earpieces I guess….Whereas Travis, Haircut 100 and Pet Shop Boys were in tune and clear vocals.