[Archived] Isle of Wight Festival 2014

[cletus]

Firstly....My apologies if there`s another thread related to this (i didn`t see one)

The leg-iron is 40 this year & has said she wants to go to a festival before said 'date of doom'

so i`ve gone & got a couple of tickets for The Isle of Wight Festival this coming June.

I`ve never been before, so could any of you fantastic people give me some pointers/guidelines as to how it all happens?

We`re going by car & camping for the duration.

Any advice whatsoever on routes, ferries, camping, tents, do`s & dont`s would be MASSIVELY appreciated

(btw....i chose the festival, cos Biffy, RHCP & Kings Of Leon are headlining & the missus' tastes in music are shee-ite!)....plus i don`t think she`d appreciate Download Fest.

Thanks in advance guys!

[Guest Norbert]

Your wife a Capital FM girl then?

Never been to that festival, but here are some general rules I have learned over the years when I used to go:

1. Buy lots of baby/wet wipes. The anti bacterial ones can be helpful if there are no shower facilities.

2. Obviously a washing up bowl to use for washing yourself would be useful.

3. You are usually able to bring your own alcohol to the campsite, but not allowed glass.

4. Buy a collapsible plastic Jerry Can.

5. Disposable BBQs, bacon, rolls etc. are good to take.

6. Pitch your tent towards the back of the site. It is a nobache taking all your stuff, but you won't have 10,000 people tripping over you.

7. Go to the toilet early morning, after they get cleaned.

8. 5 year olds love having glow sticks and watching the Chemical brothers.

9. Do not use a blue an upside down chep pallet to carry your stuff. wheelbarrows are OK.

[tkturner]

Dont carry tons of booze unless your are cool with return trips back to your car, it weighs you down on the mooch to the campsite which is usually like a warzone if anything like festivals I have been to (think opening scenes of saving private ryan).

Some festivals have the facility to pre pay and reserve cans at the campsite which is awesome (not sure if isle of whight does this).

Think carefully about your tent, a cheap asda one sounds fine but it is not at all good if a storm comes. Dont underestimate how great somewhere dry to sleep and chill in can be.

Buy a tent bigger than you think you need. 3 man for 2 people due to the big rucksacks etc.

Does the festival allow casmping stoves to cook food etc? some dont.

If they do take an army hexi stove and fuel blocks with a fold away tin to cook and eat from, space saving and work a treat.

Check supermarket for tins of all day breakfast, fullmonty and big bbq they are decent in the morning to sort you out!

Look for alternative food than the normal dodgy burger stall. There should be fresh made stuff all over the place which is far better!

Take cereal bars / tunnocks caramel wafers

Take water

Take wet wipes

Take a torch

Airbeds are decent to lie on as some ground can be hard.

Wellies are a definate, seen some sorry looking people when the rain comes wandering around in cool footwear that has no place in ankle deep swamp conditions!

Festival toilets are horrible. As per previous advice, go early in the day for the cleanest times.

An empty water bottle is ideal to @#/? in during the night if needed to save having to get out of the tent to go.

Have seen some people (girls) take a plastic bucket to use in tents as an alternative then empty later.

Check if you can upgrade to a hospitality wristband. cash bar, better booze and semi normal toilets are always worth it!

Check if the campsite has any quiet zones if you want to get some sleep. Most campsites never sleep but quiet zones give you a chance.

Take suncream.

Check out the smaller stages with unkown bands on as they often have the stars of tomorrow on performing a better show than the headliners.

Think about your travelling to and from the event. Does it open for campers the day before? What time can you access your car? An early morning dart home can be a winner to beat traffic after the event has finished.

HAVE FUN, MEET PEOPLE, STAY SAFE

[only2garners]

If it's a special birthday you could consider the "glamping" options, where you get a pre-erected tent or pod. It won't be cheap but it will save a lot of stress and carrying stuff in.

From my experience of Glastonbury pretty much all the general advice above is good.

[Guest Norbert]

Take a canoe, just in case (how did they know it would be that bad?)

[cletus]

thanks for the replies guys

So it looks like wet-wipes & wellies are order of the day.

Suprised no-one seems to have been to Isle of Wight fest on here.

A mate of mine says he went one year & stayed in hotel in Portsmouth.....taking `walk on ferry` back & forth each day.

Gotta admit, at my age that appeals to me more than camping in a muddy field lol.

[Paul]

Suprised no-one seems to have been to Isle of Wight fest on here.

I have. 1969 Bob Dylan and the Band.

I guess you may not have been born?

[ABBEY]

I was still @#/? my nappy then lol

[thenodrog]

Reading all that lot don't forget to take a "WELCOME TO HELL" banner!

Odd why people want to subject themselves to suchlike when we all have ipods and comfort etc..... especially when by taking er indoors you are precluding any and all chances of a week long shag fest.

Just think if your boss said I'm sending you on a conference but we don't want to spend much money on a hotel so you have to pay your own extortionate course fees and are booked on this camp site with a load of drug addled individuals most of whose sole intentions will be to steal your phone/wallet etc. You will only have the use of stinking bogs without a shred of bog roll, no Hot Water, you will need to take your own wheelbarrow to get the mile from the car park your car. Not only that but your tent is tiny and cheapest on the market so if it rains you will get keaned wet through and wade through mud all week and if it's hot there will be no shade and you'll bake. Oh and all you have to eat and drink will be cold beans washed down with warm lager out of a can.........

I'd say that was a definite case for constructive dismissal.

Needless to say it's most definitely not for me.

[K-Hod]

Reading all that lot don't forget to take a "WELCOME TO HELL" banner!

Odd why people want to subject themselves to suchlike when we all have ipods and comfort etc..... especially when by taking er indoors you are precluding any and all chances of a week long shag fest.

Just think if your boss said I'm sending you on a conference but we don't want to spend much money on a hotel so you have to pay your own extortionate course fees and are booked on this camp site with a load of drug addled individuals most of whose sole intentions will be to steal your phone/wallet etc. You will only have the use of stinking bogs without a shred of bog roll, no Hot Water, you will need to take your own wheelbarrow to get the mile from the car park your car. Not only that but your tent is tiny and cheapest on the market so if it rains you will get keaned wet through and wade through mud all week and if it's hot there will be no shade and you'll bake. Oh and all you have to eat and drink will be cold beans washed down with warm lager out of a can.........

I'd say that was a definite case for constructive dismissal.

Needless to say it's most definitely not for me.

Like TJ in the Restaurants thread, if you don't like it- don't comment

Festivals are great fun if it's your thing, they aren't for everyone,if they are- it's just a case of manning up with regard to doing without the home comforts.

All the festivals I've been to have massively varied food stalls with many different types of cuisine!!

[yoda]

Like TJ in the Restaurants thread, if you don't like it- don't comment

Festivals are great fun if it's your thing, they aren't for everyone,if they are- it's just a case of manning up with regard to doing without the home comforts.

All the festivals I've been to have massively varied food stalls with many different types of cuisine!!

ain't that the truth,

cuisine might actually be pushing it a little though!

[K-Hod]

That certainly tends to be the case at smaller festivals.

Bigger festivals, Leeds for example have extortionate ticket and food prices. As well as not allowing people to take their own booze into the arena, then, guess what? Pints of watery lager/cider/ale for over £4 a throw....

[thenodrog]

Bigger festivals, Leeds for example have extortionate ticket and food prices. As well as not allowing people to take their own booze into the arena, then, guess what? Pints of watery lager/cider/ale for over £4 a throw....

You aren't really selling the experience to me are you K-Hod?

[only2garners]

It's like most things Gordon, there are good festivals and bad ones and ones to suit different tastes. I went to Leeds once with my son and it wasn't a great experience - even then it was pretty corporate.

I'm a regular at Glastonbury where I volunteer and I expect there would be a lot there that you would enjoy. It's certainly a foodie's heaven with just about every type of food available. There are plenty of cheap and nasty burger bars and the like but they are outnumbered by really innovative food carts with every type of cuisine. The beer these days is also pretty good. There are even plenty of ways of avoiding the worst excesses of the camping experience, such as glamping and taking a camper van. I camp right in the centre of the site but in truth it's only camping in the sense that I sleep in a tent - I never bother taking any of my own food or drink.

Of corse it you're not interested in music there's really no point.

[Sandiway Blue]

You can't beat the REBELLION punk festival in Blackpool,£130 for 4 days and around 240 bands.It's at the winter gardens in Blackpool so it's all undercover and the atmosphere is brilliant.No mongs pissing in your tent,sleeping in your tent or trying to nick anything off you.None of them ridiculously high banners blocking your view of a band that you want to see.No cartons of p*ss either flying over your head although you may get an odd glass of lager now and then.Despite the image of punks believe it or not they are a very friendly bunch so there's never any bother or fighting.Many a time you will get members of the bands standing with the fans watching other bands and having a pint with them.

Whereas a lot of festivals are just about the money,REBELLION is all about the fans.

Hope you and your missus enjoy the ISLE OF WIGHT festival Cletus,but if it's raining god help you!

[thenodrog]

You can't beat the REBELLION punk festival in Blackpool,£130 for 4 days and around 240 bands.It's at the winter gardens in Blackpool so it's all undercover and the atmosphere is brilliant.No mongs pissing in your tent,sleeping in your tent or trying to nick anything off you.None of them ridiculously high banners blocking your view of a band that you want to see.No cartons of p*ss either flying over your head although you may get an odd glass of lager now and then.

Hope you and your missus enjoy the ISLE OF WIGHT festival Cletus,but if it's raining god help you!

Dodging gallons of flying @#/?! Having your tent used alternately by strangers as a latrine or a dosshouse! Poor views of the acts! Sorry but all this marketing still isn't doing it for me I'm afraid.

[perthblue02]

You can't beat the REBELLION punk festival in Blackpool,£130 for 4 days and around 240 bands.It's at the winter gardens in Blackpool so it's all undercover and the atmosphere is brilliant.No mongs pissing in your tent,sleeping in your tent or trying to nick anything off you.None of them ridiculously high banners blocking your view of a band that you want to see.No cartons of p*ss either flying over your head although you may get an odd glass of lager now and then.Despite the image of punks believe it or not they are a very friendly bunch so there's never any bother or fighting.Many a time you will get members of the bands standing with the fans watching other bands and having a pint with them.

Whereas a lot of festivals are just about the money,REBELLION is all about the fans.

Hope you and your missus enjoy the ISLE OF WIGHT festival Cletus,but if it's raining god help you!

Used to love the punk festival when it was in Morecambe , went to Blackpool a couple of times didn't have the same atmosphere. Have you been to the Nice'n Sleazy weekend festival in Morecambe that big Ivan puts on?

[Sandiway Blue]

Used to love the punk festival when it was in Morecambe , went to Blackpool a couple of times didn't have the same atmosphere. Have you been to the Nice'n Sleazy weekend festival in Morecambe that big Ivan puts on?

i haven't yet,trouble with nice 'n' sleazy is it's slap bang in the middle of 'Touring' season.I'm going to watch Acid Drop at Sanctuary in dingleville next saturday,SLF at Manchester the week after and then The Stranglers in Manchester the week after that.Next month i've about 3 gigs as well as Charlie Harper's birthday bash at the Ritz in Manchester (All dayer) in May.Added to the Rebellion gig,which will cost between £400-£500 i just can't afford it tbh also a load of my mates don't want to do the camping thing which is a shame because it looks a cracking line-up this year..

[perthblue02]

i haven't yet,trouble with nice 'n' sleazy is it's slap bang in the middle of 'Touring' season.I'm going to watch Acid Drop at Sanctuary in dingleville next saturday,SLF at Manchester the week after and then The Stranglers in Manchester the week after that.Next month i've about 3 gigs as well as Charlie Harper's birthday bash at the Ritz in Manchester (All dayer) in May.Added to the Rebellion gig,which will cost between £400-£500 i just can't afford it tbh also a load of my mates don't want to do the camping thing which is a shame because it looks a cracking line-up this year..

Bloody hell he's 70 this year isn't he, Put the subs on a few times when I was putting gigs on around Lancs / Yorkshire , met up with him when they toured over here a few years ago , great bloke. Nice n sleazy has grown well (still cheap beer i believe) cheap enough to stay in guest house and taxi there and back. Also used to be some cracking weekend festivals at the Thatched House in Stockport

[cletus]

I have. 1969 Bob Dylan and the Band.

I guess you may not have been born? �

Correct. I think i might`ve been at the planning stage (born in Feb70)

[cletus]

Good news (for me)....

Managed to book 4nights in a hotel on the Isle of Wight, in Ryde.

The leg-iron wants to camp, but i brought her round to my way of thinking ....comfy bed, shower, food & proper bogs!

Does anybody know Ryde at all? I got told it`s about 5miles from the festival, but it has direct bus & rail links `cos it is a ferry terminal for the island.

Hopefully there won`t be a problem with getting back at night...which is something i have yet to look in to.