is leeds just as good as reading?! just want reassurance from any leeds ppl, cos missing reading this yr-too slow buyin me tckts damn it! going to leeds instead.
Well the lineup is basically the same, from what I hear the last night 'antics' there cause a bit more damage to the portaloos than Reading... :/ something about riot police when all we seemed to get at reading was 4 dozy coppers...
...ace fun. I've been there for the past two years, and had a really great time on both occasions. You get the same friendly atmosphere that you'd get at any other festival, and as has been said further up this thread, it's the same line-up.
Only problem I can really think of is:
Temple Newsam (where it's held) is in the middle of sodding nowhere, so a bit of a walk to the local co-op is usually required in the morning, and to get into Leeds itself costs you a fairly hefty bus fare.
The 'Last Night' antics get overplayed a little. It's true that the portaloos take a bit of stick, but this doesn't develop into a full-scale riot. If you want to avoid the pockets of trouble then it's easily done: don't camp near the bogs!!
no riots??? if a army of pigs wielding big fuck off battens and shields willing to kick the piss out of any poor unsuspecting (yet thouroughly provocative) fucked up kid then no...i suppose there were no riots. must have been a dream?
OK lets get this straight from the off. Leeds kicks Readings ass, way better site, way less comercial, freindlier staff and contuary to belief way less coppers(so u dont have to worry about getting busted for smokin da erb). I had been going to Reading since 96 untill 99 and i had a wicked time exept for the last year as it was getting a bit comercial not in terms of bands but sponsorship (im sorry carling is the rankest beer). then in 2000 it sold out really quick because it was way more popular so we got a ticket to Leeds instead, i had to pursade my mate to come because no one could be arsed to travel from London.
When we got there at 2am the night before the fest, the first person we saw was a mate back fom London and he was on security. they were just sitting there havin a smoke not bothering people or herasing them like at Reading with irate staff and sniffer dogs. this made every one feel more comfortable so there was a real relaxed vibe, not so paronoid. the camping site itself is just as big as reading only its on a hill so u either go on the semicircular field which curls round at the top or at the base where theres a large expanse of flat land.
The next morning we went over to the arena and its kinda like Milton Keynes bowl, eccept it dips down towards the main stage and then on the other side theres the tent stages. this means if theres a band playing that u wanna see but u dont want to dance to or if your just fuct u can sit down on the hill and have a perfect view (dont try that at reading by the way)
Because the main stage is fairly seperate from the tent stages it means theres less people in one space at one time so it doesnt get stupidly crowded and u can get from A to B alot easier unlike Reading where theres people spilling out of the tents from either side.
As for the exploding toilets, i personoly think its the best entertainment i have ever had the privelige of witnessing (if uve seen apocolype now youll have an idea of what it looks like, fat plumming fires people dancing and no one being hurt!).personaly i think they should stick it on the Line up but hey! As for the Riot police Oasis headlined (not slipknot as many papers tryd to blame, they played on a different day) and so the drunken (Oasis) fans caused a lot of agro and the police got called in. We had a perfect view from our tent on the hill with exploding toilets on either side and a small battle between drunk northeners and the police with helicopters equipt with fat search lights it was real value for money.
So as u can expect me and my mate have been going back each year and it consistantly fuckin rocks. im not saying that Reading is bad by the way id like to have seen Raging speedhorn deafon a few thousand people at 12 in the morning, but as u can probably tell the free entertainment balaces it out so i dont mind.
ok well i hope thats given you some kind of picture as to what to expect and hopefully given u reason to be happy with your ticket purchase. If u dont agree with me youll find me standing on the saturday evening between the Botique dance stage and carling stage debating which to see (aphex twin vs fu manchu!)ill probably look quite stressed due the shitty stage times thanks to mean fiddlers(bastards!).
k dudes burn one up or have a bear or whatever and count the days at work and just think of leeds and the life affirming experiances that await u......
I have to admit that watching the fires was very entertaining - although my lungs were fucked for about a week after because of all the fumes. A lot of people on message boards seem to be against the fires though, so I was reluctant to say anything good about them.
dont get harrassed by security. Every skip rat on steroids that lived near leeds must have applied for a job with MF. one twat in particular took great pleasure in searching every nook an crany on my person, the only place he didnt look was up my arse! he then went and nicked my mates half ounce! the bastard. gave him the option of handing over the dope or calling the pigs and not being allowed back in. the pigs on patrol were very chilled out however but the local meet cakes who are employed there are just after your drugs so be careful!
the thing is when they searched me last year, after id had my wallet and pockets/bag checked i over-heard a supervisor say to his bitch that they werent allowed to check your wallets. so just hide it in your wallet. and refuse to let them search your wallet. dont sue me if you do get caught though.....
they are allowed to do bag searches and pat downs but nothing more than that, and they certainly arent allowed to take anything off you but thats the crux of their schemes, they know they cant confiscate anything except weapons because since they arent police it would be as if they were in possesion, so they work that and they threaten to "tell on you" if you dont give them your shit. personaly if it ever happens im going to try and haggle because they will chuck you out if you dont give them something, just try and be reasonable and say can you give them a percentage and say it would really ruin your weekend, if they are a mean cunt and get aggrevated just hand it all over kwik because getting chucked out and possibly arrested is much worse (sorry to be patronising the last bit is clearly common sense).
why not just bag it up and slip it between the cheeks? They won't notice the bump as it's between your cheeks, and i can't see any guy or gal getting their hands up your ass. We're not talking penetration here, just slotted outside the sphincter, between the cheeks.
It wouldn't take anymore than a radio call to onsite police.
And yes, arguing with them is only likely to give them reason to do something, or pick up on something else.
hey dickhead, you stopped goingto reading because of the sponser? so the carling leeds fest is less commercial? i think theres no difference you tosser.
well personally i've been the last two years (i know its not that much) but i havent ever a) been hassled about drugs or b)witnessed anyone being hassled about drugs.
the fact my mate was screaming out "who wants to share join in on our hotbox" with 'security' only 10-12 foot away and them not giving 2 shits suggests otherwise. but i dunno, thats just 2 years so...
plus in 2000, i camped in one of the far fields and there were exploding toilets/gas canisters etc...
however 2001 the bastards enclosed the toilets and secured them properley.
anyway, thats just a few points made, the sitting on a hill thing seems pretty cool tho.
and i go to reading you bastard. mine and paul's hot boxes were best thing about reading last year though, hey gower... i'll get searched this year, i know it.. and i'll cry
nah, youll have smoked it all before they search you.
i havent heard of anyone being searched to be honest.
i mean i fucking saw someone selling hash cakes to a fucking security guard for fucks sake! (excuse the expletives)
now THAT is the kind of sharing of the wealth/communal spirit we like to see.
Leeds rules all the fests in Scotland. Therefore leeds is the only option for a rock fan. As for the roits its all blown way out of context. So, some toilets got burnt, best thing for them I mean who is going to clean those things and then re-use them. Fingers cross that Leeds goes ahead cause how many chances do we get to see NOFX!!!!
if u buy your ticket NOW you can get like a super duper saver thingy its actually cheaper than going to reading like 20 something quid open return(im coming from London) you can also save by going from different stations so shop around there ARE deals out there.
the train drops u in the centre of leeds where there is a super market (get every thing you will need and then some, dont give yourself a reason to hate where site is)Right out side the super market there is a bus that costs like £1 it takes u to the festival so theres so straining with tents and shit tring to get there, see its that easy guys.