There's blossoms in the trees and the land is waking up from it's winter slumber. Which means the rock festivals will soon be here. I don't go to as many as I did when I was younger, I prefer smaller venues and the festivals in mainland Europe have a much better vibe than ones in the UK. Not as many beer monsters, I suppose.
However, when
myself and my mates were younger the Monsters of Rock festival at Castle Donnington
was one of the highlights of the year. These days it is called the Download festival. It didn't really matter who was on, we
would hire a Transit van and pile as many people and as much beer as we could
and usually be lathered before we even got there.
Here are some of
the things I remember from my festival days:
Standing waiting
to get into the arena and passing an empty plastic cider bottle around to piss
in. When a bottle fight started in the crowd my mate pulling his arm back to
throw and showering us all in our own urine.
Dressing as vicars
and havng a custard pie fight in the car park using shaving foam and paper
plates.
Cadging a bin
liner off a bloke in a burger van during a downpour, punching head and armholes in it and
using it as a coat then watching Iron Maiden.
Nine of us trying
to sleep on the floor in the back of a van.
Trying to put an
unconcious drunk bloke in the recovery position and not remembering how to do
it. He ended up looking ike the Isle of Man coat
of arms.
Pouring a load of
beer into a binliner so we could take our own booze into the arena to beat the
bottle embargo and drinking it by shoving our heads into the bag.
Arguing with the security outside the arena because they wouldn't let us take our own food inside. We had to eat as much as we could then give the rest away. One bloke thought we were a Christian aid charity.
Going to a pub
outside the Reading
Not washing and
being covered in mud for days.
Having some of the
biggest laughs of my life with some of the best mates I could have wished for.
Oh yeah, we saw loads of great bands as well, too many to list here.
So get yourselves off to at least one festival if you can and enjoy it.
19 comments:
Man your post is making me seriously want to get myself to a festival but this year's big one in Ireland, Oxegen is taking a year's break so I doubt I'll end up at any. The festivals you went to sounds like so much fun too.
I haven't been to a show for years! Been thinking about it a lot lately. My wife has never been to one, that could be my excuse to go!
Not a good line up of shows this summer however! Plus there is a slight taste in music between the wife and I. That could pose a problem!
Oh, those sound like so much!! Now I wish I've gone to some of them. Maybe I still will now that I'm young.
Except, I'll try to book a hotel room. I'm way too OCD to sleep with 9 people on the floor of a van. LOL
I've never been to a festival because SA never catered for such events - and now I just feel old. But it sure sounds like a lot of fun!
Life is good. You never know who might turn up next to you. Favorite Young Man was in the Chicago airport and saw Oasis buying pretzels. My blog is once again open to the public. I'm not in Google Reader yet, but I'm still at www.dumpedfirstwife.blogspot.com. Lola returns next week.
Love,
Janie
Throwing urine an not bathing for days, umm ewww..lol...sounds like a great time though.
I always remember a girl at one of the big events with a huge steel security fence, who quietly worked her way up and down the fence with an adjustable spanner. nothing happened for about two hours then a huge section clapsed like a pack of cards and we all wandered in.
Dressing as vicars? Hmmmmm.
A festival is not truly a festival unless at least one bottle of piss and several hours of restless car-sleep are involved.
Eeeewwwww!!!!!!
I went to a music festival when I started dating my boyfriend at the time (who I later married). One of his friends ended up in jail. And I other I learned isn't a very nice drunk. I still avoid him. ;)
Bottle full of piss and rock and roll.
Now THERE'S a party.
sounds fun, however, those dark people in rock festivals are scaring me ;D
Outdoor concerts + booze + great mates always equal a fantastic time.
Of course the next day's hangover isnt always so much fun.
I just wish I remember more of seeing Joe Cocker
Nice sounds like loads of fun!
So many adventures! I love this. It brings back memories for me too ;)
Oh my holy hell!! I wanna hang out with you and your friends. Except I may not know what the crap is going on when phrases like "Cadging a bin liner off a bloke in a burger van" are used. I don't even know what that means.
Tony, to me you seem the type of person who can make a good time where ever you go! Out of curiosity, are you in contact with any of those friends? May be a perfect year for a reunion tour. You know, before the end of the world and all.
Our US music festivals never seemed nearly as colorful and epic as the Traditional UK music festival. I think UK festivals are their own institutions in their own rights. I love reading about your exploits but I can also agree with enjoying decent venues...indoors preferably :) or tropical!
Rock n roll, bro. Donny is was an ugly chicks in fishnets heaven in its time.
Post a Comment