tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45210194914782390682012-05-08T18:43:30.764-07:00Crazy Punisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09716692841531844335noreply@blogger.comBlogger350125TheCuckingFunthttp://feedburner.google.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4521019491478239068.post-15012926747632899262008-11-17T07:26:00.000-08:002008-11-17T07:27:27.912-08:002008-11-17T07:27:27.912-08:00The Killers Reading Festival 2008<br /><br />I pulled back, I didn’t fancy being in the middle of a scrum at the front, I ended 15 or so rows before the first barrier and I was eagerly waiting The Killers, although anticipation for the band from Las Vegas, the hype and excitement did not match Rage Against The Machine set. <br /><br />Less moshing, more singing was in order and despite the sound problems and the crowd chanting “Turn it up” in between the songs, it was a credible performance by The Killers not reaching the same level as the other headliners of Rage and Metallica. <br /><br />It was Somebody Told Me that prompted the first major sing a long from the crowd but it was a song that was dogged with sound problems and the song therefore lost some bite to it<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/bTtJgl1hs6s&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/bTtJgl1hs6s&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object> <br /><br /><br />"We're going to pick it up a notch, we're going to steal some souls, shake some bones, get some meat," Flowers told the crowd and the band launched into 'When You Were Young'<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/oLIdEJjRSMo&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/oLIdEJjRSMo&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />The Killers played Spaceman off the new album before launching into their biggest hit Mr Brightside<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/l0Eojz3TCOk&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/l0Eojz3TCOk&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />They closed with the song that is part of Nike’s new advert which coincides with the Beijing Olympics. It was a great end to the set, and saw a big load of confetti fall onto me (Like it was snowing) <br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/fiS_N0ozrUE&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/fiS_N0ozrUE&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object> <br /><br /><p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/zAEo" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon32x32.png" alt="" style="vertical-align:middle;border:0"/></a>&nbsp;<a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/zAEo" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">Subscribe in a reader</a></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4521019491478239068-1501292674763289926?l=thecuckingfunt.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Crazy Punisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09716692841531844335noreply@blogger.com53http://thecuckingfunt.blogspot.com/2008/11/killers-reading-festival-2008.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4521019491478239068.post-39048894961192436622008-11-08T18:24:00.001-08:002008-11-08T18:24:43.185-08:002008-11-08T18:24:43.185-08:00Reading Festival 2008 Saturday<br /><br />I was slowly running out of booze but I woke up in a tired state of mind (After experiencing a historic Rage Against The Machine set), the bands on today had a difficult job of trying to live up to the bands that performed on Friday. <br /><br />I was annoyed that the fucking “Security” took my bottle of water yesterday, which meant I had to purchase a tiny bottle in the arena for 2 quid (Which absolutely disgraceful in my opinion), but they didn’t check this time and I was let in with my bottle. <br /><br />They shouldn’t confiscate bottles of water anyway, it’s a matter of safety surely that people don’t dehydrate whilst watching a band. It is absolutely ludicrous that they force you to buy a bottle within the arena. <br /><br />The first band I briefly saw was British Sea Power in all honesty I didn’t really like them or get there music, although they went down well with the crowd. <br /><br />I was eagerly awaiting The Subways on the main stage, for the 2nd time I saw them this Summer. It was such a slow start to Saturday, and I was still knackered from the night before. A high energy performance from The Subways is what I needed to kick me into life. <br /><br />A firm favourite at Reading, this was there 5th performance, and I was desperate to see them at last years Reading Festival, they kicked their set with Oh Yeah and that sparked the crowd into life. Don’t get me wrong a lively crowd is brilliant, but I was surrounded by the types of people that read the NME magazine, but that’s the trouble when you like a band that is held in such high regard by the NME magazine. <br /><br />I swear some bastard tried to pick pocket my phone out of my pocket, but fortunately they didn’t get particularly far. <br /><br />I don’t believe there Reading performance wasn’t as good as the one at Glastonbury, but perhaps that was because the crowd was expected an incredible performance, whereas at Glastonbury, it was almost unexpected. The Subways had been given a really early slot after Kate Nash and just completely blew everyone away. <br /><br />The Reading Festival performance by them was very good, but not at the same level as they were at Glastonbury. <br /><br />It was awesome to let go and jump around and you can certainly do that whilst watching The Subways. <br /><br />I stayed to watch Dirty Pretty Things; We Are Scientists and Editors, before I headed near the front to watch The Raconteurs rock hard on the main stage. <br /><br />I saw them at Glastonbury, and I don’t think again they were as good as there Glastonbury performance but one of my favourite modern rock acts, performed well and I thoroughly enjoyed their performance.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/YgDXj3sgBwA&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/YgDXj3sgBwA&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/4Jnf6LlAs6c&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/4Jnf6LlAs6c&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object> <br /><br />Last year, at Reading Festival on the Sunday, I saw Bloc Party perform a flawless set when the Sun was going down the Sunday of Reading 2007 Festival and I made a promise this year that I would actually listen to some of Bloc Party’s music before this year’s festival. <br /><br />Trouble was it was the return of the NME crowd, and I was involved with must have been some of the worst pushing (No not moshing there is a difference!) at the front. I know this is going to make me sound like a grumpy tosser, and I know how its free for all in terms of trying to get a decent vantage point to view the band at Reading, however, I don’t appreciate twats coming in groups of like 50 – 60 people chains barging there way to the front, literally 5 minutes before bloc party come on. <br /><br />“Your tall, I’m going in front of you” – says a girl to me, look I may be tall but that’s beside the point… Don’t whine about having a shit position behind my head when you only bothered trying to get a decent spot all of about 5 minutes ago. <br /><br />It was the first performance by Bloc Party since the release of their 3rd album, and expectations were high to live up to their Reading Festival 2007 performance. They kicked off with Mercury off the new album, and it was truly horrific. It was definitely one of them “What the fuck?!” type of moments. It was ambitious to say the least to pull of this song live and they should have laid of looping his voice over and over… definitely did get off to a good start. <br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Apk7B9Iw3KY&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Apk7B9Iw3KY&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />Hunting For Witches was a much better effort as I tried to stay on my feet (Whilst chaos and severe pushing occurred all around me) during this song<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Apk7B9Iw3KY&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Apk7B9Iw3KY&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />I was gutted, I survived Rage Against The Machine and yet I went down twice to a bunch of NME Bloc Party fans. I am ashamed. <br /><br />Just before they played Like Eating Glass we were asked to hold our hands in the air and tingle are fingers around, and with everyone around me participating at holding their hands up, and with it just starting to lightly rain, it was one of them moments to loose yourself in. <br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/xcvJ0KxGwNY&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/xcvJ0KxGwNY&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />They unleashed the lasers, and these rays of green laser beamed off the stage in what was an imposing sight. <br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/duWzGoCwWOs&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/duWzGoCwWOs&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />Helicopter was a great end to set which didn’t live up to my expectations. <br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/3rK3x1h_mJU&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/3rK3x1h_mJU&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/zAEo" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon32x32.png" alt="" style="vertical-align:middle;border:0"/></a>&nbsp;<a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/zAEo" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">Subscribe in a reader</a></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4521019491478239068-3904889496119243662?l=thecuckingfunt.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Crazy Punisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09716692841531844335noreply@blogger.com1http://thecuckingfunt.blogspot.com/2008/11/reading-festival-2008-saturday.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4521019491478239068.post-24874807688836421572008-10-31T16:19:00.001-07:002008-10-31T16:19:46.911-07:002008-10-31T16:19:46.911-07:00I never had seen the main stage field so packed, all I could see was heads of excited Rage Against The Machine fans and you just knew that this was going to be something epic. <br /><br />My plan to avoid being 3rd row from the front right in the middle of the severe mosh pits had failed, and there I was to the left of the stage, with a cracking view of the stage and in prime position for when Rage decided to come on. <br /><br />My heart was pounding, I was completely shitting it, not wanting to be in position I was, but there was no way I would miss Rage Against The Machine perform in England the first time in 8 years. I was absolutely terrified of what injuries I would sustain of what would be the biggest mosh pit of my life.<br /><br />One thing was certain, there would not likely to be any NME indie loving wankers sitting on people’s shoulders blocking not only my view, but about tens of people behind them. <br /><br />I would compare the experience of the build up before Rage Against The Machine came on, to an unpleasant, apprehensive state of uncertainty. Was I going to end battered and bruised? Would I make it through the Rage Against The Machine set still conscious? I am ashamed to admit I was incredibly worried. <br /><br />The excitement was hitting fever pitch, and along with the crushing at the front, the moment we had all been waiting for. The lights on the arena were blacked out and all could be hear was a siren noise, the crowd knew what was coming next, and roared back, Rage Against The Machine walked on in Guantanamo Bay-style orange overalls and hoods, and stand stock still for long enough to inspire a decent degree of awe, before launching into the track Bombtrack.<br /><br />The sound of the bass coming from the speakers was phenomenal and made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. As so the moshing began, and it was really backs against the wall time as there was no chance of escaping this for the next 90 minutes, I began to let go and join in. It was just incredible, despite being dressed head to toe in orange suits they still played a perfect rendition of the song. <br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/USptEAitdUU&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/USptEAitdUU&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />Hits such as Tesify and my all time favourite Rage Against The Machine song Bulls On Parade <br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/kOC2I7FP67I&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/kOC2I7FP67I&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />This is Know Your Enemy, by this point I was gasping for water and hoping that the crowd surfers eased up a little rather than kicking me in the head. <br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/tavdzB6RFf8&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/tavdzB6RFf8&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />Rage Against The Machine performing Bullet In Your Head<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/PQwOw20Wfy8&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/PQwOw20Wfy8&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />Despite Rage Against The Machine refusing the BBC to film them, they couldn’t quite stop everyone and someone filming using a professional camera from the sound tower, captures Guerrilla Radio being performed and it’s a magnitude of how fucking mental it was down at the front. I was so hyped up at this point I passed caring about the elbows flying into my back and decided just to enjoy it. <br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/4V2HuusBCao&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/4V2HuusBCao&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />There was slightly more calm momentarily when songs such as Ashes In The Fall, Calm Like A Bomb, Sleep Now were being performed and was a useful opportunity to grab some water from the security handing out water during some of the more “Slower” songs. <br /><br />Rage Against The Machine is a band fuelled by politics and the whole set up on stage was very minimalist, almost raw in some respects, which goes hand in hand with Rage’s music. Most bands have some artwork backdrop behind them with the bands logo on; Rage simply had a giant red star. No gimmicks, just raw great music, performed by 4 brilliant musicians. <br /><br />They had the smoke machines going at the front of the stage which just added to the atmosphere. When you view it on the video below, I think it almost looks like smoke from all the people moshing so furiously at the front. <br /><br />They performed wake up, which was time for a legendary speech by Rage’s front man <br /><br />"Last April I came over and said a few things. And the next day Rupert Murdoch's Fox News ran a piece on us saying that I said the President should be assassinated. I need to reframe what we said so that a band can stand up and tell the truth. What we said is that President Bush and the whole administration should be brought in front of a trial for War Crimes and hung. And based on all the news we saw of all of you marching in the street before the war makes me think that Tony Blair should be right up alongside him.”<br />"This made me think what are they so afraid of? Are they afraid, really afraid, of four musicians from Los Angeles who speak their minds? I don't think so. You wanna know what the fuck they're so afraid of? They're scared of you. They're scared 'cause they know that if they don't start pulling all those troops out of Iraq, all those poor soldiers left in the desert to die, that you might go and start some shit in the streets, that you might stop working, that you might get together and organise a strike to stop them from ever invading another country again. That's what they're scared of."<br />The crowd lapped it up, despite some of the absurdity of what he was saying, but it was an epic song, with what felt like the whole field screaming “WAKE UP!”<br /><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Tcmv6xm9nMc&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Tcmv6xm9nMc&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />They went off, before coming back on for an encore <br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ZpFB3fr9prE&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ZpFB3fr9prE&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />There was one final killer song, to end the performance of all performances and Killing In The Name which had the whole crowd going. Not just those in front of the front barrier, but everyone in the field at that time. <br /><br />The cries of “Fuck you I won’t do what you tell me” were loud and it was the best crowd participation I have seen, it was the perfect end to a brilliant set. I don’t think that headlining performance will be topped for many of year. It was just astounding.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/TuLgb40LQnw&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/TuLgb40LQnw&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object> <br /><br /><p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/zAEo" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon32x32.png" alt="" style="vertical-align:middle;border:0"/></a>&nbsp;<a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/zAEo" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">Subscribe in a reader</a></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4521019491478239068-2487480768883642157?l=thecuckingfunt.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Crazy Punisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09716692841531844335noreply@blogger.com0http://thecuckingfunt.blogspot.com/2008/10/rage-against-machine-reading-festival.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4521019491478239068.post-14695412174871860632008-10-31T13:26:00.000-07:002008-10-31T13:27:18.409-07:002008-10-31T13:27:18.409-07:00I woke up that Friday morning, in anticipation and excitement at Rage Against The Machine’s first English performance in little more than 8 years. This was not Friday at Reading this was RAGE day and you could truly sense it amongst the crowd. This was the band everyone was desperate to see; this was the band that even overshadowed the headliners of the 2007 Reading Festival last year, when it was announced and strongly linked that Rage would be at the 2008 festival. <br /><br />Looking at the whole day, it was epic for many reasons for me; perhaps it was the massive adrenaline rush I got from being in one of the largest mosh pits I’ll ever undertake in my lifetime.<br /><br />Unlike the Glastonbury festival, where the performers that were performing where a bit his and miss, I have been excited the very moment this line up had been revealed. This line up was in a different league to what the Reading Festival had to offer last year, and arguably was one of the strongest line up for good 5 years. I could not wait for it to begin.<br /><br />As I trudged from my Green campsite towards the main entrance arena, it brought back found memories of the same walking trip I made a year ago at the 2007 Reading Festival<br /><br />It was a bright sunny, Friday and the first band I saw was Anti Flag who was one of my favourite punk bands, and despite being the first act on the main stage, the crowd were still in fine voice. <br /><br />It was a gutsy performance by Anti Flag but it was too early and still a bit too hot for me down at the front, for me to start seriously moshing along to the songs. <br /><br />It was one of few bands early on that was performing I was genuinely excited about, there wasn’t too much on at the main stage that I was desperate to see until the evening. It was all about pacing myself. <br /><br />I headed over the BBC introducing stage, which saw some unknown band, perform to us, singing songs to us, which we don’t know… For me part of the fun is bouncing along to a band, belting the words out of a band’s songs in a slightly drunk manner. I can’t understand why some people were so fascinated about try to find out about new bands at festivals; in my view it’s not really the place for it. <br /><br />At festivals in my view should be all about trying to see as many bands as you like and know, rather than discover bands you have never heard of. <br /><br />I headed into the Lock Up tent to listen to an enjoyable set by The Briggs and Frank Turner, who turned out to be less hardcore act than I was expecting, he turned out to be one of the finds of the festival weekend for me.<br /><br />Afterwards I sat outside eating a posh burger (Yes you really do get these at the festival) and I saw this guy drop his phone out of his pocket, coming to the rescue I picked the phone up and chased the guy and handed the phone back. The person was relieved and thanked me for returning, I felt good knowing that I saved someone the hassle of losing their phone and I kept thinking back to the day when I lost my wallet at Glastonbury. It was sheer despair when I’d lost, with sheer adulation when I got it back, and I’d like to think that being honest at festivals is the way forward and would be considerably selfish of me just to leave the guys phone their on the ground, whilst he walked off and not return it. Common decency and human kindness is an important part of the festival spirit that all festival goers should fight to maintain. <br /><br />I hang around before The Enemy graced the main stage with their presence. They are definitely a band to appeal to male chavs/pikeys/lads in my view. Any band dressed in polo shirt by Nickelson or Hackett, three-quarter-length shorts by Top Man will appeal to the common chav, needless to say I enjoyed them thoroughly as they prompted what was the first major sing a long of the Reading festival so far. Away From Here was a cracking way to open a festival set and it certainly had the festival crowd going. <br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/T33zLwxK4RA&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/T33zLwxK4RA&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br />Even the crowd started to get inventive, as all of a sudden baguettes started being lobbed around the front area of the crowd, and it was certainly a sight to behold. You’re used to bottles, beer cups etc being chucked around a rock venue arena, but it made a change seeing bread baguettes being lobbed into the air.<br /><br />Overall I though The Enemy put out a decent performance and an enjoyable set. <br /><br />Before The Fratellis came on football was on the agenda for a few festival goers and I just so happened to be standing near some Coventry City and Manchester City fans. They were a great laugh as we got into a chant off with some West Ham fans.<br /><br />I enjoyed it before The Fratellis came on, I have to say much like their Glastonbury performance, it was a bit flat and didn’t really get the crowd going, with the exception of Chelsea Dagger song, but other than that it was a let down really. <br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/zaGwKQiFEjc&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/zaGwKQiFEjc&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />There were too many wankers in the crowd who insisted that sitting on each other’s shoulders was the best way was to fuck up everyone’s view. I had a delightful view of a chubby girl’s lower back and black thong sticking out above her trousers. Nice. I wished I had the balls of someone else, but someone grabbed her thong and preceded to wedgie her. Absolutely classic and I would buy that guy a drink for the sheer amount of balls that took, trouble was with me standing directly behind her I got the blame for such action!<br /><br />A load of us were getting restless with the one girl that refused to get off her friends shoulders and when Queens Of The Stone Age finally came on, I had peer round this girls buttocks in order to bloody see! <br /><br />This was when me and few others around her decided to promptly fight back, we decided as soon as the main song kicked off we would create a mosh pit around this girl and her friend prompting her to get down. <br /><br />Queens Of The Stone Age kicked off with go with the flow and as soon as the drums kicked in we moshed hard and this was when I experience the mosh volatile mosh pit I had ever experienced at Reading festival and the movement amongst the crowd was fucking epic. It didn’t matter about the girl on her mates shoulders anymore, she promptly got down and I was propelled forward as the movement of the crowd carried me to the front. <br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/roAigbRssqM&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/roAigbRssqM&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />Sick Sick Sick was Queens Of The Stone Age next song and prompted more movement from the crowd and the scary thing was that despite being towards the back (Near the first barrier) I had ended up 4-5 rows from the front. I didn’t mind being their for Queens Of The Stone Age but thinking ahead on what was on after them and what the mosh pits would be like for Rage Against The Machine I didn’t particularly want to be in the mix of all the hardcore moshers. <br /><br />Mosh pits can in some ways be the only way to get some relief from the crush, as people that don’t want to be involved in the moshing step back and open up like a mosh circle for you and momentarily whilst you get pounded or jumped into by this that and whoever, you can instantly feel the coolness of not having to share body heat with everyone else!<br /><br />There was one moment when things turned ugly and this 2 people started slugging it out with their fists. It was a surreal experience as at first you don’t know if they were really fighting each other, but when it became clear that when one guy was on the floor and this other guy kept launching punches towards him then I had to step in and ensure the guy on the floor didn’t get completely obliterated. <br /><br />At the time it just felt like the right thing to do, but it the end it took like 7-8 of us to break the fight up, and looking back on it, it was a fairly brave thing for me to do. <br /><br />I calmed down a bit, and didn’t mosh again until No One Knows was played by the band, which prompted wilder crowd movement down at the front. It was one of my all time favourite songs , and it’s typically the song that accompanies me on my mp3 player whilst I’m running and you know what the experience of it being played live whilst, the yellow stage lights obscured my vision whilst moshing with many others was one of the highlights this year for me at Reading. <br /><br /><OBJECT WIDTH="425" HEIGHT="344"><PARAM NAME="MOVIE" VALUE="HTTP://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/V/JBN3SAQYBVM&HL=EN&FS=1&REL=0"></PARAM><PARAM NAME="ALLOWFULLSCREEN" VALUE="TRUE"></PARAM><PARAM NAME="ALLOWSCRIPTACCESS" VALUE="ALWAYS"></PARAM><EMBED SRC="HTTP://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/V/JBN3SAQYBVM&HL=EN&FS=1&REL=0" TYPE="APPLICATION/X-SHOCKWAVE-FLASH" ALLOWSCRIPTACCESS="ALWAYS" ALLOWFULLSCREEN="TRUE" WIDTH="425" HEIGHT="344"></EMBED></OBJECT><br /><br />A Song For The Dead ended a hugely enjoyable festival set by Queens Of The Stone Age and for me one of the best bands I had experienced watching live. <br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/IqJQ2FnWOGo&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/IqJQ2FnWOGo&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />Yet the main attraction was still to come, and I was like 3 rows from the front with no visible escape route from the mosh pits that will undoubtedly I would be involved in for the next 90 minutes. <br /><br /><p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/zAEo" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon32x32.png" alt="" style="vertical-align:middle;border:0"/></a>&nbsp;<a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/zAEo" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">Subscribe in a reader</a></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4521019491478239068-1469541217487186063?l=thecuckingfunt.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Crazy Punisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09716692841531844335noreply@blogger.com0http://thecuckingfunt.blogspot.com/2008/10/reading-festival-2008-friday.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4521019491478239068.post-35862413785732210712008-10-19T17:17:00.001-07:002008-10-19T17:17:44.164-07:002008-10-19T17:17:44.164-07:00One thing you cannot control at festivals, and despite the freedom, to go anywhere and do whatever you want, it is impossible to control the weather and I’ve still not worked out a way to stay warm in my tent during the middle of the night. I wear a few additional layers when I go to sleep, thinking that’ll be enough to keep me warm, then at 5:00 in the morning I’m freezing cold, thinking “Shit!”, wondering what on earth I could do to keep warm. Then as soon as the Sun comes up for the new day, your left to suffer in the sweltering conditions of the tent.<br /><br />As the crowds came entering in on the Thursday, I was hoping for some fun loving, female companions to camp up right next to me, to make up for the fact that the current group of neighboring tents a bunch of idiots. Well I say that, there was a group of tents behind me, who were well alright, but it was the group directly in front of my tent, I wasn’t overly keen on. <br /><br />I knew I was in for a crappy camping experience when I saw the “Leavers 08” hoodies that some of their groups were wearing. <br /><br />There was a group of metal heads who I spoke to briefly and seemed a decent bunch, I just need to get over my shyness and talk to these people instead of hiding away in my tent. <br /><br />Regrettably unlike Glastonbury I was camping alone, and in desperate need of some company. I was half tempted to move my tent to a more lively camp, but I decided I could not be bothered to deconstruct my tent, find a free spot in some other field in the hope of finding better camping neighbors. If I was so desperate to move I should have done it before the hoards of new festival revelers that were coming in on the Thursday. <br /><br />The final blade of grass was taken up by this couple and I knew, I’d have to lump the campers that surrounded my tent. <br /><br />I was regretting where I had camp, as it the grass was really boggy and as soon you reached the entrance of my tent there was this bogmarsh swamp, which soaked your feet whenever I entered/exited my tent. <br /><br />I decided to head around the campsite, to soak up the festival vibe, and despite walking around for an hour all the differented coloured campsites, I returned back to my tent, a bit deflated at the fact there was nothing for me to do. <br /><br />Reading Festival 2008, should have been called the Rage Against The Machine festival, as that was what everyone was talking about. It was the act that everyone was anticipating seeing, and wherever you went you could sense the excitement at the Los Angeles band performing. <br /><br />I was camped in Green campsite point 6, and the other side of the river near I was camped was this, burger van playing Rage Against The Machine Killing In The Name Of at full volume, and it was great, definitely the first vintage moment of the festival for me. Everyone around me started joining in <br /><br /><br />Then all of sudden, halfway through the song, some prick decided it would be a good idea to stop the song. Cue mass cries of “Turn the fucking song back on” to which after 5 minutes of bellowing, it was turned back on and played in its entirety. <br /><br />I just chilled before heading to the food stalls outside the main arena, to which I had tea, before walking past the Action Aid tent, which was attempting to break the air guitar record. <br /><br />I thought this sounded like a laugh and decided to join the hoards of people outside the tent, and join the queue in trying to break the air guitar world record. <br /><br />To drum up interest about the stunt, cue lots of “BOLLOCKS” chanting and eventually we were let into the tent. <br /><br />It was like me sticking on my greatest air guitar album in the world ever… album they started to warm the crowd up, with such classics such as Deep Purple Smoke On The Water , Beastie Boys Fight For Your Right. <br /><br />The atmosphere was pretty good considering, loads of people were singing away, bouncing along to the song and then once enough people had crammed into the tent, and the crowds were nicely warmed up, were off on our world record attempt. <br /><br />We all did our bit, everyone in the tent was playing the air guitar and it was shortly announced afterwards that we had broken a world record! <br /><br />I headed back to my tent to drink myself stupid, and I downed around 5 cans of strongbow in quick succession, and I wondered over to the beer tent, which seemed to be a breeding ground for meeting women, many came over started talking to me.<br /><br />It was a nice change to me going out to the pubs normally, and felt at ease talking to these beautiful blond girls, and not for what minute did I start thinking “What on earth are they doing talking to a ugly fuck like me?” for this was the Reading Festival, at place of which even the ugly can feel at ease and make friends. <br /><br /><p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/zAEo" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon32x32.png" alt="" style="vertical-align:middle;border:0"/></a>&nbsp;<a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/zAEo" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">Subscribe in a reader</a></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4521019491478239068-3586241378573221071?l=thecuckingfunt.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Crazy Punisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09716692841531844335noreply@blogger.com0http://thecuckingfunt.blogspot.com/2008/10/reading-festival-adventured-thursday.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4521019491478239068.post-80181277420193051432008-09-28T15:32:00.000-07:002008-09-28T15:33:23.061-07:002008-09-28T15:33:23.061-07:00The battle continues against the College powers that be that are hassling students to wear these stupid lanyards with your college card around your neck as a form of ID and sadly I wore it for the first time this academic year as my Media Studies group needed to go in the library and I was about to get chucked out had I not worn it… so I have now tried to avoid using the library altogether now.<br /><br />It’s very interesting that all students and lecturers have to wear them but guest visitors are welcome to waltz in without them, and so are the senior board members of the College are allowed not to wear them. Hierocracy at it’s best. One rule for them a different one for everyone else. Apparently there is going to be a crack down starting this Monday which should be interesting.<br /><br />Apparently there will be “security” at the main entrance hassling everyone to put their ID’s around are necks, not to worry, I’m going to be waltzing through the side entrance not to get hassled.<br /><br />College is still as frustrating as ever, still with its ridiculously long 2 hour 30 minutes lesson, and it’s erratic lecturers teaching us. My economics teacher moans when the class starts talking which is understandable, but then again when the lecturer stands in front of the class dictating notes, it’s going to be a struggle to concentrate for more than 2 hours on it, but then again it was like this last year at College and the year before and nothing changes. <br /><br /><p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/zAEo" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon32x32.png" alt="" style="vertical-align:middle;border:0"/></a>&nbsp;<a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/zAEo" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">Subscribe in a reader</a></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4521019491478239068-8018127742019305143?l=thecuckingfunt.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Crazy Punisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09716692841531844335noreply@blogger.com0http://thecuckingfunt.blogspot.com/2008/09/id-harassment-continues.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4521019491478239068.post-24327312253254942592008-09-21T15:41:00.001-07:002008-09-21T15:41:47.081-07:002008-09-21T15:41:47.081-07:00It was like a voice from God himself; just sitting there nearly at the end of my Saturday shift at work, on my 15 minute break in the staff canteen possibly the loudest tannoy I have ever witnessed at my time at work<br /><br />It was approaching 2:16 on the staff canteen clock, everyone in the staff room look depressed and a darkened mood which was in direct contrast to the weather outside which was glorious sunshine, and no one was talking in at all in the staff room. Then out of nowhere<br /><br />“In aisle 14, we have a special offer; go to aisle 14 to pick up your FREE vegetable slicer, where a person will be demonstrating the worlds sharpest knife! Go to aisle 14 to see a demonstration of this knife in action and pick up your FREE vegetable slicer!”<br /><br />It was the same bloody announcement they had been doing every hour from about 10:00 it seems, and the bloody thing had been doing everyone’s head in and for when it came on you could hear a collective sigh amongst the staff. One person had enough and muttered “Fucking Hell!” and stormed out the canteen. Perhaps he was heading to the people playing this shit over the tannoy and was going to strangle them till they bloody stopped it! <br /><br />It just summed me up why I hate my supermarket job, stuck in a job filling shareholders/management’s pocket whilst we get paid peanuts to whilst taking order from pen pushing management wankers and receiving more bullshit policies of how to run the Deli counter from people above on the work hierarchy. <br /><br />It frustrates me that I have to apply for a temporary Christmas job at Boots, to boost y earnings as I cannot get anymore hours at my current job. <br /><br /><p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/zAEo" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon32x32.png" alt="" style="vertical-align:middle;border:0"/></a>&nbsp;<a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/zAEo" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">Subscribe in a reader</a></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4521019491478239068-2432731225325494259?l=thecuckingfunt.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Crazy Punisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09716692841531844335noreply@blogger.com0http://thecuckingfunt.blogspot.com/2008/09/i-hate-work.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4521019491478239068.post-77713335162848892002008-09-20T16:14:00.000-07:002008-09-20T16:16:35.969-07:002008-09-20T16:16:35.969-07:00It made me smile, when Dan commented on an incident about a year ago when I was on msn, explaining to him the struggles of staying up to 2 am in doing media studies coursework, and how he commented on “Perhaps A levels aren’t for me and you should give up.” Up until Friday night when Dan reminded me off the incident I had completely forgotten about, but evidently it must have stuck in Dan’s mind and it must have been my reaction to the comments to which he said at the time.<br /><br />In taking 3 years to do A levels, no one can mistake me as an academic genius, but out of sheer grit and steely determination and perhaps a degree of madness, I finally nailed my AS exams this Summer and nothing fires me up more than proving people wrong and I think Dan knows this. Often I see him disagreeing with me or doubting me (Sometimes joking around) as he knows this annoys me but still I take great comfort that I “Proved him wrong”.<br /><br />Friday felt like the pub night of old, I don’t know what had been missing from previous trips to the pub, but it hasn’t been the same. Long gone the days when I used to be 16 going around in a massive group from my old secondary school sneakily drinking under age and getting kicked out of pubs, they were the glory days of pubbing, but less people have gone out in our group and now we just me and Dan it’s just not the same. I’m used to a group of people completely taking the piss out of me, now it’s just Dan…<br /><br />I met Dan at his workplace and we drove back to his house before heading out, and after a crap week at College it was nice to get away from it all for a bit. <br /><br /><p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/zAEo" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon32x32.png" alt="" style="vertical-align:middle;border:0"/></a>&nbsp;<a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/zAEo" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">Subscribe in a reader</a></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4521019491478239068-7771333516284889200?l=thecuckingfunt.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Crazy Punisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09716692841531844335noreply@blogger.com0http://thecuckingfunt.blogspot.com/2008/09/proving-you-wrong.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4521019491478239068.post-87729975270620282302008-09-16T16:35:00.000-07:002008-09-16T16:38:05.927-07:002008-09-16T16:38:05.927-07:00Yes I am guilty of not updating this blog, and yes I’ve still yet to write up the epic week spent at the Reading Festival, but now the Summer holidays are over and it is time for a moment of reflection on what was Summer and what stage I am at in my life at the moment. <br /><br />I have to honestly say the saving grace of the Summer was spending 2 weeks away from home at the legendary <a href="http://thecuckingfunt.blogspot.com/2008/08/tussling-with-glastonbury-security.html">Glastonbury Festival</a> and the <a href="http://thecuckingfunt.blogspot.com/2008/09/reading-festival-2008-adventure-part-1.html">Reading Festival</a>, without them I honestly would say this has been one of the worst Summers I’ve had. <br /><br />Why is that? You may well ask, well I think it’s down to a number of reasons personally. I think the lack of money was a major factor, more often than not I was restricted what I could do, it also didn’t help having 80 quid taken from my wallet at Glastonbury, and the fact I owed people a lot of money. <br /><br />It was tough, but I had to cut back where I could and that meant hardly going out and trips to pub were out of the question. <br /><br />The current economic credit crunch to hit the UK has not helped, this has consequently lead to my hours at work being restricted to 8 hours a week, and with so much free time in the Summer, I was begging for more hours, yet over a total of 8 weeks I was giving about 15 hours extra total.<br /><br />It has been frustrating on my part, as I hoped to being doing an extra 15 hours a week minimum across the holidays and really trying to rake in the money, but it has not turned out that way. <br /><br />I have written to the personal department at work requesting more hours, but that won’t happen until, the other “Part time” staff quits, whose only doing a mere 32 hours... which really fucks it up for me trying to get more hours. <br /><br />In terms of money it is not going too well… <br /><br /><br />It is also good to be back at College… I did contemplate that statement for all of a couple of moments before the College induction assembly began and there it was, the faculty head of A levels started speaking…<br /><br />I have never known such a smug, jumped up little pen pusher in all my life, running the A Levels at the most embarrassing, disorganised College in the country. This person can be describe as someone in the mid 40’s, trying desperately to appear cool in front of the students with the most inane jokes being told possible. Perhaps he should have realised how poor he is at humour when the hall went into a deathly hush when he was expecting laughter from another poor joke. <br /><br />For someone so desperate to be liked by the students, he could do with being less patronising. Even when he gives compliments it’s done in such a way which leaves you thinking if he’s taking the piss. “As you know, there are many that didn’t make it back to the next year. Those that are here… well done, you are gifted and special” <br /><br />It really took the piss when he was bleating on at those that were late into the meeting in the hall of all of 5 minutes and how “Every student, must be punctual and we will not tolerate anyone being late for any lesson”, and this was in the meeting which already started 15 minutes later than when they had originally planned. <br /><br />I cannot wait to leave this shithole that is College, and I don’t honestly know how I’m going to put up with another year of the same shambles as the previous 2 years. <br /><br />They have already had this new bullshit policy of improving security. Instead of having ID cards in wallets, we have to wear college ID around our necks in another gimmick policy to improve security. I refuse point blank to wear mine and will fight this tooth and nail not to wear one, in a scheme with very similar characteristics of the Nazi identifying Jews by placing stars on them. It will fail because of the following reasons<br /><br />1.Not practical, you will not get every student to wear an ID, despite threats of being dragged out of lesson by the College car parking monitors, oh sorry I was meant to say security. <br /><br />2.Teachers/Lecturers will not themselves question anyone with wearing any ID, it has been a week so far back at College and despite the pen pushing higher staff, none of my normal teachers care and I’m hoping it stays that way. <br /><br />I will not be intimidated by College to wear such a fucking stupid thing around my neck. <br /><br /><p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/zAEo" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon32x32.png" alt="" style="vertical-align:middle;border:0"/></a>&nbsp;<a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/zAEo" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">Subscribe in a reader</a></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4521019491478239068-8772997527062028230?l=thecuckingfunt.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Crazy Punisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09716692841531844335noreply@blogger.com0http://thecuckingfunt.blogspot.com/2008/09/where-i-am-at-now.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4521019491478239068.post-66187203017852451582008-09-01T17:44:00.000-07:002008-09-01T17:48:08.402-07:002008-09-01T17:48:08.402-07:00Unlike last year for this year Reading Festival I decided getting an early entry would be better, so that I didn’t have to get up so early on the Thursday, queue for ages before entering the Reading Festival campsite, no that would not be the way for me. I preferred the idea of getting there with no rush, setting up my tent without the hoards of people around. <br /><br />Like when I was <a href="http://thecuckingfunt.blogspot.com/2008/07/night-before-glastonbury.html">packing for Glastonbury</a>, I was running around like a headless chicken ensuring I brought all the essentials (Booze, tent, sleeping bag, ticket) and the plan was not to bring any food with me, as after I set up my tent I could head into Reading town centre and purchase some food from the local supermarket. <br /><br />After getting my mum to drive me to the station I had a relatively boring train ride to Paddington station. <br /><br />I struggled to work the simple concept of eastbound and westbound on the underground and took the long underground route to Paddington station. It also reminded why I hate the underground system in London so much.<br /><br />It is so dreary as you can tell half the commuters on the tube have just had the most stress filled day at work, all wearing suits reading the times or some equivalent paper. For the 40 minutes I was on the tube, it felt like I was part of the daily crawl with thousands trying to get somewhere or return back from work.<br /><br />To survive the London underground there are a couple of golden rules<br /><br />1. Do not make contact with anyone else on the tube carriage with you… despite sitting opposite each other and a small gap in the middle; you must look at everything else on the tube, than make eye contact! Even that means reading the same fucking insurance advert about 50 times over before you get to your destination.<br /><br />2. Do not spark up a conversation with anyone… god forbid you try make small talk to the person next to you, instead you must sit there with a glum expression on your face, like you have the weight of the world on your shoulders. <br /><br />I can’t say my underground journey was a particularly thrilling experience, but it did make me thankful I didn’t have to do this every day in London. <br /><br />I caught the train from Paddington to Reading, and this was when it hit me to how close I was to festival campsite. <br /><br />Despite not knowing Reading, I didn’t need directions as I followed those with camping back packs and the touts looking to “Sell and buy tickets”<br /><br />Festival Republic did a great job in keeping everyone on their toes, instead of the usual entrance that they had last year, they made everyone go the long way round to the entrance via the green campsite! I wouldn’t mind but with 24 pack of Strongbow in my backpack I was desperate to get in the campsite before it gets too dark to set my tent up.<br /><br />I trudged through the gate, and received my wristband for Reading 2008 and set my tent up in Green camp. <br /><br />Obviously I had the practice of <a href="http://thecuckingfunt.blogspot.com/2008/07/were-off-to-worthy-farm.html">putting my tent up at Glastonbury</a> and putting my tent up the second time round was a lot quicker. I didn’t realise at the time but it turns out I camped in a really boggy part of the Green campsite near a river, which wasn’t the smartest camp location to camp on. <br /><br />I needed to head to a supermarket to try and get some food for camp (As I was trying to save money this year by not constantly buying food from the food stalls) I headed into Reading town centre which is pretty confusing for someone whose only visited the city 2 times.<br /><br />I did eventually find a Somerfield, which I got some bread, booze, cornflakes, and Kit Kats to help me eat on the cheap, getting back proved a lot more difficult and confusing.<br /><br />I obviously headed in the complete wrong direct and it took 2 hours and asking around 19 people for directions before I got back. Despite Reading town centre being a shit hole, full credit to the people in trying to help be get back to the Reading camp site! <br /><br /><p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/zAEo" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon32x32.png" alt="" style="vertical-align:middle;border:0"/></a>&nbsp;<a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/zAEo" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">Subscribe in a reader</a></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4521019491478239068-6618720301785245158?l=thecuckingfunt.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Crazy Punisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09716692841531844335noreply@blogger.com0http://thecuckingfunt.blogspot.com/2008/09/reading-festival-2008-adventure-part-1.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4521019491478239068.post-77875267469487145782008-08-29T16:11:00.001-07:002008-08-29T16:11:40.729-07:002008-08-29T16:11:40.729-07:00As I arrived, battered, bruised back from the Reading Festival 2008 on the Monday of the bank holiday, I was in dire need of a shower, and to be striped naked and all the clothes I took to the festival, given a super strong wash to rid it of the sweat, mud, booze that it’s endured for the last 5 days. <br /><br />I tried in vain to keep clean, and I certainly made more of a dedicated effort than last year to stay as clean as possible, but once again I had to endure an embarrassing train ride home as these 2 blond uni students pulling faces at the smell I was giving off. It seemed my plan of spraying me silly with deodorant failed to cover the stench.<br /><br />I’ve already purchased my 2009 Reading tickets and I hope to camp with some friends next year rather than on my own and I hope for more brutal mosh pits and rock to blast my ear drums!<br /><p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/zAEo" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon32x32.png" alt="" style="vertical-align:middle;border:0"/></a>&nbsp;<a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/zAEo" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">Subscribe in a reader</a></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4521019491478239068-7787526746948714578?l=thecuckingfunt.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Crazy Punisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09716692841531844335noreply@blogger.com0http://thecuckingfunt.blogspot.com/2008/08/reading-festival-2008.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4521019491478239068.post-69871981662847230752008-08-18T16:55:00.001-07:002008-08-18T16:55:34.378-07:002008-08-18T16:55:34.378-07:00I love escapism, it’s the beautiful feeling where you forget all your worries and just enjoy the moment. At the Pyramid stage that Saturday evening, Jay Z performing the one festival song everyone know, and completely stealing the headlines from Amy Whinehouse (Despite her lash out towards a fan during a set), that Sunday morning I was brought back down to a bump as I munched away on my emergency rations of custard creams and cornflakes, nervous and shit scared about what I was going to do about my wallet situation. <br /><br />It took me ages to find the main lost and found during the morning, but I did eventually find it. It was a long trudge up the hill then near the farmhouse and I was nervously waiting to see if my wallet had been handed in. <br /><br />“Describe your wallet to us, when and were you lost it”<br />“Well I lost my wallet near the other stage, around 14:00 in the afternoon. I have my train pass, college card, national insurance, and work swipe in card, work discount card, student discount” <br />“Let me go have a look” she responded in such a way, that my chances of getting it back were very slim indeed. <br /><br />I waited anxiously for about 5 minutes, and when the lady came round with my wallet and said them magical words “Your in luck!” to see my wallet in her hand was one of the best feelings I had that weekend. <br /><br />It meant an end on relying on that ghastly free vegan food they were handing out and it meant I could get some more money out and actually enjoy the festival not having to worry so much. <br /><br />I could have not acted more like an idiot if I tried; I was skipping down a hill, in such a jubilant mood that could only come from when you recover your wallet. <br /><br />I withdraw an additional £40 and headed to the main stage to buy an awesome red Glastonbury t-shirt. I also treated myself to a cooked breakfast, I was just relieved that was the last time that weekend I’d be relying on vegan food. <br /><br />I couldn’t get why Neil Diamond was so popular even amongst the younger festival goers I spoke to across the weekend, but I was sure as hell not wasting my festival experience watching him perform on stage. <br /><br />We headed to The Other Stage to watch the god awful Scouting For Girls perform. My friends loved it, I couldn’t personally wait for them to end, and it was because the lyrics were so complicated for me to get my head around. “I think that you are beautiful” over and over again in a trance like state did my head in. <br /><br />Mark Ronson was on next and at least things couldn’t get any worse, and to be fair Mark Ronson did an alright job and brought Lilly Allen to help him perform the Kaiser Chief hit Oh My God and for the second time that festival weekend I heard Valerie being performed and it was miles better than Amy Whinehouse performance of it. <br /><br />We then surged forward as far as we could for The Pigeon Detectives which wasn’t as good as I was expecting, partly as I was standing with some boring gits that weren’t prepared to jump around to their songs. <br /><br />I don’t know what it was but my eyes kept watering really badly but I guess it indicated how tired I was after depriving my body of crucial sleep over the course of the festival. <br /><br />My friend and I were just a couple of rows from the front and it soon became apparent that we were surrounded by a few interesting characters surrounding us. Couple of religious head scarf wearing girls directly in front of us, then near them was some pretty hot indie fashion wearing girls but despite that we had a complete pisshead not so far behind us.<br /><br />Evidently he had one too many and he could barely stand, and I’d reckon he should have gone up the Saturday before Jay Z replacing Amy Whinehouse, he was far drunker than Amy, and would have provided more entertainment. <br /><br />I’m not sure I was too thrilled at him pissing in one of them beer cups and throwing it all forward, no was I thrilled at the water fight breaking out to the left of me. I didn’t have many clean clothes left and I didn’t want my newly purchased Glastonbury t-shirt to get drenched with water. <br /><br />If I was honest I had heard much of Groove Armada but all I knew there were dance act, so I thought that I would prefer to see them than The Verve on the Pyramid stage and I was.<br /><br />It was an epic finale to Glastonbury experience for me, despite the annoying 2 girls who seemed to think it was funny to throw cups of water in the air continuously although I did get my own back towards the end of the set for Groove Armada by accidentally on purpose throwing water in there direction.<br /><br />I did contemplate about bringing flares, but there was no need, someone lit a red flare a couple of meters behind us and it looked spectacular and it pissed off the security no end as they peered out to the crowd at the front of barrier in vain looking for the perpetrator. <br /><br />My mate and I were in the 2nd row from the front and we made it right to the very front when we had to help the 2 girls in front of us out and there we were, after standing for about 4 hours continually and despite the pains in my legs we made it right to the front. <br /><br />This was my best chance yet to annoy the 2 girls throwing water at us continuously, I jumped up and down so much so and in such an “Accidental” way that those behind me had to step back to avoid get there toes crushed! <br /><br />I may not of had a glowstick, but me friend and I were jumping up and down, with the lights coming from the stage set up blinding our vision and Superstylin was one of the highlights of the weekend. <br /><br />http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cv4YLtf2-dY <br /><br />I was at the very front going crazy and the build up to the chorus, allows you jump around like your feet are on fire. What a performance to end my festival experience on. <br /><br />Instead of fighting through the hoards of crowds when the set finally ended we jumped over the other stage barrier at the front and it was an incredible feeling that we were meters from the other stage, but the security of the steward just ushered us along an we headed out of a side exit. <br /><br />I had seen threads on the messageboard about how in previous years people have seen various celebrities, radio/TV personalities casually walking around the Glastonbury festival site. <br /><br />I spotted what I thought was Edith Bowman, and I just went over and stated talking to her. I could not believe it, and she was really approachable and friendly as we discussed Glastonbury weekend so far. <br /><br />We must have talked for about 10 minutes, and my friend was so gobsmacked at what was unfolding in front of him. We both ended up following her and she took us through this gate what would later find out to be the VIP campsite. <br /><br />The stewarding and security were great! They must have thought we were with Edith and we just waltzed through security at the gate, it was a surreal moment of the weekend. <br /><br />I have gained much respect for Edith, who unlike most celebrities it seems, is genuinely down to earth and really approachable, my friend and I both shook her hand as she headed off into the BBC coach.<br /><br />We had absolutely done it! We had somehow managed to get VIP area, at Glastonbury! <br /><br />It was at this point I’d realise it’ll be a good idea to take our wristbands off, as in my view if were in VIP, we needed to act liked we belonged there and we both had cover stories of being BBC technicians. <br /><br />We looked round the VIP campsite in disbelief, my main concern was where we could go to get completely hammered for the last night! <br /><br />We did eventually find the bar and to our surprise the booze was all free! THIS was living!<br /><br />We drank lots and being in the presence of some celebrities (Kate Moss, Jo Wiley, Kelly Osbourne was a few that we saw and recognized) we were absolutely living it up and I had never felt so confident for years. <br /><br />I don’t know what it was, but I was making small talk with everyone, which is so unlike me. I really wish I could feel that confident within myself each and everyday. I did have plans to try approach one of the famous women which I mentioned above, but the truth be told I never got the chance. It was odd seeing these people in the flesh and Kate Moss, was wearing a black leather jacket with jeans and is tiny in real life. <br /><br />I danced the night away and I partied hard till about 5:30 am in the morning, this was the biggest party I had ever attended. I had been partying 5 days straight in the west country and hear I was on the last night, pulling an all night, high on free booze in the VIP lounge. <br /><br />My mate dared me to dance on the table, and I don’t know what came over me, but I went ahead and followed his dare! At this point there were still hundreds of people in this swanky bar and I just got up and danced away to The Killers Mr Brightside which thinking about it, you can’t exactly dance much to that. <br /><br />It was incredible there I was standing on this black table that looked liked it came from Ikea getting cheered by many randomers, and then security got involved…<br /><br />I’m not sure what their problem was, and I’m not sure what damage I was going to do but I had a bit of a tussle trying to stay on the table dancing whilst these 2 security people tried to drag me off, a few other people nearby tried to stick up for me, and 2 more proceeded to came and drag me out as I initiated in my own sit down protest. <br /><br />My mate wasn’t too useful in this situation, he was there pissing himself with laughter but arguably the greatest rock and roll thing I did that festival week. <br /><br />It was truly epic weekend!<br /><br /><p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/zAEo" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon32x32.png" alt="" style="vertical-align:middle;border:0"/></a>&nbsp;<a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/zAEo" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">Subscribe in a reader</a></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4521019491478239068-6987198166284723075?l=thecuckingfunt.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Crazy Punisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09716692841531844335noreply@blogger.com0http://thecuckingfunt.blogspot.com/2008/08/tussling-with-glastonbury-security.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4521019491478239068.post-14930424490814736912008-08-16T17:33:00.000-07:002008-08-16T17:37:35.687-07:002008-08-16T17:37:35.687-07:00I don’t have many friends at work, but I was surprised to find myself invited to this Mexican themed night out with the workers. Helped by the fact that I did additional hours during the week on the Pie Shop, it was just a shame that all of a sudden I’ve now had seen the return of an ear infection. <br /><br />I went out on the Thursday to the pub in the evening to celebrate my exam results and for the first time in weeks I saw Dan and his friends. It made a change from moping around indoors in front of the TV in the evenings. <br /><br />It was the first time I could go out and properly celebrate my AS level exams results, given I failed in 2006 at my old secondary school, and in 2007 I took up new AS subjects and College and subsequently failed again. <a href="http://thecuckingfunt.blogspot.com/2008/08/level-results.html">This time I successfully got decent results in my exams. </a><br /><br />I went out again Friday and caught up with two village friends who also gained there exam results and instead of catching the train into the city to head off to the pub, I got a lift in what is my dream car. <br /><br />I am an avid fan of Top Gear and for the charms of the super cars, there’s nothing like the charm of a mini. It was not one of them new Mini’s which had been designed by BMV, but the old style Mini, similar to the models that were in the 1969 film The Italian Job. <br /><br />It’s handling is phenomenal, and sitting in the back (Although fearing for my life slightly as there was no seatbelt) it was a belter of a ride. You felt every single bump, but the car was as nimble as we raced through the countryside. <br /><br />It made me wish that I could drive and that I did own a car, but none of that is possible until work start giving me more hours. <br /><br />Work yesterday was a complete drag, not only sleep deprived thanks to next doors baby and with an ear infection which kept throbbing in pain throughout the day, I had a few other pains which were some of my co workers. <br /><br />I think my religious, OCD co worker is trying to control what I do at my workplace far too much. I don’t consider myself highly skilled working at the Deli, but I do work hard I feel and yet, I get moaned at and undermined by this other worker. Interestingly she only does it when the supervisor is not around and I was pretty close to telling her to “Fuck Off”<br /><br />“Can you cut some corn beef” she hawks<br /><br />“Yes I am cutting up some corn beef next” I reply back<br /><br />Then as I head out to the fridge to get the tin of corn beef<br /><br />“Will you get some corn beef, a customer is waiting” she snapped and it was that point I started to roll my eyes. <br /><br />Mixed with a few other lazy co workers I do wonder how I’ve not lost my temper at work. <br /><br /><p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/zAEo" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon32x32.png" alt="" style="vertical-align:middle;border:0"/></a>&nbsp;<a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/zAEo" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">Subscribe in a reader</a></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4521019491478239068-1493042449081473691?l=thecuckingfunt.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Crazy Punisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09716692841531844335noreply@blogger.com0http://thecuckingfunt.blogspot.com/2008/08/life-is-just-wonderful.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4521019491478239068.post-60158305066683614092008-08-14T17:06:00.001-07:002008-08-14T17:06:55.861-07:002008-08-14T17:06:55.861-07:00I don’t know what possess me sometimes, but this was a battle I just had to win, and the day was here that I was dreading. I hated the waiting and I planned with my friends to meet them at 1:00 (The time in which the College opened) so eventually I got up at 12:00 to catch the 12:40 train in.<br /><br />It seemed to me some sick joke when the train was cancelled for no reason… it seemed someone was desperate to prolong my pain of waiting for my god dam results. <br /><br />I eventually convinced my mum to give me a lift in and dashed into the depressing college head quarters and dashed to the hall to pick up my results. Unlike last year where I knocked down the whole queuing system which led to spontaneous applause by the students for the havoc I caused, this year it was a more ordinary manner as I went to get my results. <br /><br />My results where as followed<br /> <br />Business Studies Modules<br /><br />Business, Their Objectives and Environment - A <br />Business Decisions – U (I don’t care as I will retake that next year)<br />Further People In Organisations – D (Same again with the retake)<br />Business Strategy – B (A real turn for the books seeing as that was a hard exam)<br /><br />Overall Business Studies C 404/600 (24 short of a B which I can achieve with retakes next year) <br /><br />Economics Modules <br /><br />Market Failure & Government Intervention – C<br />National International Economy – C<br /><br />Media Studies<br /><br />Foundation Project – B<br />Textual Analysis – B<br />Case Study: Audience and Institutions - A <br /><br />I was completely shocked and taken aback, I didn’t know weather to punch the air or pinch myself in disbelief. One more year of A levels to go and I need to work hard to ensure I finish the job!<br /><br /><p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/zAEo" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon32x32.png" alt="" style="vertical-align:middle;border:0"/></a>&nbsp;<a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/zAEo" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">Subscribe in a reader</a></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4521019491478239068-6015830506668361409?l=thecuckingfunt.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Crazy Punisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09716692841531844335noreply@blogger.com0http://thecuckingfunt.blogspot.com/2008/08/level-results.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4521019491478239068.post-84203308304924589552008-08-07T18:35:00.000-07:002008-08-07T18:36:43.734-07:002008-08-07T18:36:43.734-07:00In some ways I am going to regret going to Glastonbury Festival at the start of my Summer holidays purely for the fact that everything else I do in the Summer will not be as good at the festival experience at Glastonbury. <br /><br />I miss the old Summer’s where I used to hang with a group of friends from the village and me and Zac used to be good friends with a girl called Lauren form my village. Times has passed and things have moved on and we now hardly ever speak to her, really frustrating as I used to adore her company, but unfortunately we have drifted apart and our friendship was not of what it was. <br /><br />I headed into the city today to buy some glasses after breaking my current pair by accidentally treading on them. <br /><br />I really need a women friend to tag along with me to help me choose a pair of glasses that suits me. I usually find a women’s opinion when it come to fashion and clothing is worth 10 of a mans opinion because a women will see through the fact that it’s not them trying on the item of clothing in question but the person itself, whereas a bloke tends to think if the item of clothing looks good on them rather than the person trying it on. <br /><br />I was absolutely useless at trying on and choosing a pair of glasses, but I did choose two pairs eventually although I’m not too thrilled at the prospect of them arriving in over a week! I’m desperate to get my new glasses as I don’t know how much longer tape can hold my lenses in place. <br /><br />I think Summer will improve once everyone I know starts getting in a bit of money as it seems at the moment everyone is too broke to do anything. <br /><br /><p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/zAEo" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon32x32.png" alt="" style="vertical-align:middle;border:0"/></a>&nbsp;<a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/zAEo" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">Subscribe in a reader</a></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4521019491478239068-8420330830492458955?l=thecuckingfunt.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Crazy Punisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09716692841531844335noreply@blogger.com0http://thecuckingfunt.blogspot.com/2008/08/choosing-new-glasses.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4521019491478239068.post-39746333523607503152008-08-03T18:02:00.001-07:002008-08-03T18:06:36.820-07:002008-08-03T18:06:36.820-07:00Jay Z Glastonbury 2008<br /><br />Jay Z performing at Glastonbury 2008 would go down as one of the festivals moments of magic surely. Not a massive Jay Z fan I have to say, but I was completely won over by his performance, and goes to show you that shouldn’t judge something before you tried it. <br /><br />Despite all the <a href="http://thecuckingfunt.blogspot.com/2008/08/loosing-my-wallet-at-glastonbury.html">pushing and shoving</a>, no one wanted to stand directly behind me in the crowd (Perhaps being fairly tall had something to do with that), I had lost one of my friends in the scrum and I could just see my other friend who was shielding 2 girls who were clinging to me before deciding to clinging onto him. <br /><br />Out of every act I’ve seen at Reading Festival 2007 and Glastonbury Festival 2008, Jay Z had the best opening of any act I’d seen. Even surpassing the 10 minute intro of Can’t Stop by the Chili Peppers which made me experience the biggest crowd surge I’ve ever been in. <br /><br />Playing on Noel Gallagher’s comments of criticism before Jay Z came on, this video montage of celebrity and political figures supposedly commenting on the fact and the controversy the Jay Z was headlining Glastonbury. It was brilliantly put together and poked fun at Noel Gallagher’s outspoken remarks. <br /><br />The video can be viewed here <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8rUbOt62ug">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8rUbOt62ug</a><br /><br />Then as soon as it ended into one of Oasis biggest hits Wonderwall prompted hands in the air from everyone around me and turned into one of the biggest sing a longs of the weekend. This was Jay Z responding in heart to Noel Gallagher by covering Wonderwall. It was one of the magic moments of the festival, and I was there to witness it in all its glory.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrDIOVXx-y8"></a><br /><br />The crowd was loving it. “Jay Z! Jay Z! Jay Z!” chanted the crowd <br /><br />Jay Z then launched straight into another song Jay Z yelled “I’ve got one thing to say”, before launching into an AC/DC back in black mash up with 99 problems. The crowd was bouncing and they said hip hop wouldn’t go down well at Glastonbury! <br /><br />Jack White, Amy Whinehouse and Jay Z’s misses Beyonce were spotted watching the rapper and not surprisingly sampled Whinehouse Rehab song and did a better performance of it than she did. <br /><br />It was a hard act to follow the explosive start he gave the crowd and those watching the coverage live on the BBC, but it did loose momentum somewhat half way through proceedings. Not all Jay Z’s song was that well known amongst the crowd. <br /><br />“Hey who here likes American Boy” and the well known recent Kanye West /Estelle hit was received well by the crowd, and for me gained extra credit when Jay Z started slagging off The Sun newspaper. <br /><br />In the build up to Jay Z’s performance on the Pyramid stage, there was talk of special guests like Chris Martin, Beyonce, Rihanna to join him perform some of the songs. Much to my disappointment Rihanna did not join Jay Z to perform Umbrella which is a real shame as I was about 2 rows from the front and any excuse to see Rihanna strutting around in the flesh would have been welcomed by me. <br /><br />“Can I all give you one more? I think you all deserve one more” shouted Jay Z as the set was drawing to an end, some witty genius nearby shouted back “You can give us 2 more you lazy bastard!” and Encore was a brilliant ending to a brilliant set.<br /><br />It was an epic performance by Jay Z and I won’t be able to forgot those opening 5 minutes in a hurry. Trudging back after the set had finished with the crowd, was magic as we sang Wonderwall again in unison. <br /><br /><p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/zAEo" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon32x32.png" alt="" style="vertical-align:middle;border:0"/></a>&nbsp;<a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/zAEo" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">Subscribe in a reader</a></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4521019491478239068-3974633352360750315?l=thecuckingfunt.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Crazy Punisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09716692841531844335noreply@blogger.com0http://thecuckingfunt.blogspot.com/2008/08/jay-z-glastonbury-festival-2008.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4521019491478239068.post-81091612920460214782008-08-01T16:00:00.000-07:002008-08-01T16:01:34.830-07:002008-08-01T16:01:34.830-07:00There had been massive speculation on whether or not Jay Z should headline Glastonbury in the build up to the festival and for my 2 cents I agree that I don’t think Jay Z has the backlog of songs for him to headline the festival. In my view he should be lower down the pecking order, considering how little hits he has had in the UK and most of the songs that have been successful are Jay Z collaborating with another act. <br /><br />I wasn’t even sure if I wanted to even see Jay Z perform, although despite my reservations my friends were adamant that we see him. I guess I’m glad in the end they did drag me along to go see him perform. <br /><br />It wasn’t the Welsh crooner Tom Jones, but instead it was a different act that opened the Pyramid stage, he surprised me aswell, like with Kate Nash the day before I enjoyed. It was up tempo, lively and despite never listening to Shaken Stevens before apart from hearing Merry Christmas Everyone it was a lot better than I was expected, although I do understand some fans were annoyed that he didn’t play some of his biggest hits. What these hits he didn’t play were, I do not know as I’m not a Shaken Stevens fan.<br /><br />There were some songs I did recognize with a cover of T-Rex’s Laser Love, and Pink’s Trouble and they helped to get the crowd rocking! <br /><br />Martha Wainwright was on after Shaken Stevens… and that’s all I’m going to possibly say about the worst act I saw that day.<br /><br />I was in prime position for Seasick Steve, even though it meant I was slowly getting burnt in the sun. This was my fault for not applying any sun cream, but I hadn’t banked on the weather being so good! <br /><br />The Rhythm and blues of Seasick Steve was incredible and one lucky girl was brought up onto the stage to experience the thrill of being the centre of attention in front of 50,000 people. <br /><br />The Sun had started beating me and so I needed to head back to my tent to cool off and grab some more water. <br /><br />It was unfortunate that my blood sugar levels all of a sudden dipped and I felt a hypo situation coming on, to which I was fighting the effects by shoveling glucose tablet after glucose tablet down my mouth.<br /><br />It was horrendous, I started loosing my balance when I walked, and everything felt such a blur, I incredibly bought some sausages and mash fast food from the stall without landing flat on my face, and my blood sugar levels were critically low. <br /><br />It must have taken about an hour for my blood sugar level to sort it self out, but it felt like a lifetime. <br /><br />There was even an incident where this girl accidentally kicked a football into the back my head and came over touching where the ball landed on the back of my neck to see if I was alright. It wasn’t the football injury I was worrying about at that point. <br /><br />I reached into my pocket to get my wallet out and then I couldn’t find it. It wasn’t there and that’s when the panic began to hit in. I had lost my wallet near the other stage in a crowd of thousands… my wallet could be anywhere. <br /><br />I could cope without my wallet for the rest of festival weekend not being a diabetic, as I can easily go days without food, but I needed food to keep my blood sugar levels up and I was shit scared how I was going to cope for the rest of weekend. <br /><br />I approached a steward, who found it immediately funny that I had lost my wallet and I immediately thought “Wanker” to myself. They are same type of steward wankers that insisted of giving you a tirade of abuse with the megaphones. For those that went to Glastonbury 2008 you can understand my sentiments of despair of being told to “Move out they way there’s a truck coming” but then again, I do understand the general public at times are idiots as I have experienced working in a supermarket as my part time job. <br /><br />I headed to the lost and property who said they didn’t have my wallet, but I got told to go to main lost and found up the hill. I wandered up the hill fighting of the tears, for what was the first time in years feeling vulnerable. <br /><br />If I could choose any act at that time to be on the main stage to distract my sorrow, then I wouldn’t have chosen James fucking Blunt as the background music to trudge up to the hill. I was rock bottom.<br /><br />I watched the Raconteurs live on the Pyramid stage after trying and failing to sort out my wallet situation and I caught the last half of their set on the Pyramid stage. Unlike most of the modern acts I had seen the Raconteurs have a great vintage rock vibe about them, and I regret not seeing all of their set.<br /><br />I headed back to the tent, still dejected from not having my wallet where I met up with the rest of my friends. I told them all about my situation and although sympathetic there weren’t too helpful in terms of offering help for me. <br /><br />I did the typical student thing, in reaction to any situation and that was to empty the cans of Strongbow I had in my tent and get as drunk as I could on 4 cans of Strongbow. <br /><br />Manu Chao was the act performing on the main stage and the best way to describe his music style is a mix of dank/reggae/rock beats which had the crowd dancing furiously away! <br /><br />I didn’t understand a bloody word of it (As for the most of the time he was singing in Spanish) yet fuelled by alcohol I was singing along as if I was a master at foreign languages! <br /><br />I think I successfully scared half the crowd that were standing around me by jumping like a sheer looney whenever there was a moment in Manu Chao’s performance that warranted me jumping up like a madman. <br /><br />I even got my friends jumping and some of my energy started rubbing on the people around me. After a while the people around me weren’t so scared anymore and realised I was just out to have a good time and joined in with me.<br /><br />It was definitely one of the most surreal moments of the festival weekend. I had just lost my wallet, yet I was dancing like no one was watching. <br /><br />Along with Jay Z, Amy Whinehouse certainly knows how to rack up column inches in the papers. It was reported that biggest crowd at the Pyramid stage for the whole weekend was for Amy Whinehouse; the crowd were there for mainly 2 reasons. The first was to live in hope that Whinehouse stayed cleared of any substances and preyed that she could deliver the kind of performance on stage that we know she is capable of. Then there was the other lot of people who were there hoping in a way to see her fuck it up.<br /><br />My friends had surged forward to get a prime position of what would be a thrilling performance or a complete flop. In truth it was a mixture.<br /><br />Whilst my friend got busy talking to this liverpudlian that had supposedly “Shagged the lead guitarist of Amy Whine house’s band” I was directly standing in front of this very beautiful Spanish girl who was on someone’s shoulders with just her bikini top on.<br /><br />It seemed a brilliant place to pull women, but I wasn’t interested in trying to pull, if its not my acne scared face, dodgy haircut or 80’s out of date glasses scare them off enough it would surely be my dancing to Amy Whinehouse. <br /><br />I don’t believe she was drunk, but surely on something!? She could remember the names of her band, but seemed to slur out the chorus of Rehab. There was even some on stage banter between her and the crowd and one things certain despite what people say about her husband, being responsible of leading Amy down this dark path of drink and drugs, she certainly is standing by her man, and championed him and the fact that he was being released soon. Sure Amy if you want to die quicker then being with Blake will certainly help on that front.<br /><br />I have to say in all honesty Amy’s performance didn’t seem so band, watching it live, perhaps this was partly down to Amy’s magnificent band who were allowed to show their talent in all it’s glory, perhaps it was down to the fact I could still dance away to the band whilst Amy mumbled on. <br /><br />It’s always a bad sign when the crowd was louder than Amy in parts whilst singing along to her songs. <br /><br />It was an ok performance there, watching the whole shenanigans on Youtube she was a complete mess. <br /><br />Once her set had ended we surged forward even more to witness what was of the most controversial headlining acts in recent times, but judging by the amount of people pushing and shoving desperate to get to the front, it seems there was a huge crowd to see Jay Z perform. <br />I have blogged about how “Civillised” the Glastonbury crowd had been during the course of the weekend, well this was completely different. My friends were shocked at the chaos that was happening around us. <br /><br />Being a 6 foot 2 something I wasn’t overly concerned by the pushing of the crowd, mainly as I could deal with it, but it was clear that some of the people standing near me were getting pretty distressed by it all. <br /><br />I tried to offer some protection for some of women standing near me by sheltering some from some of the worst of pushing. One girl who was with her boyfriend I helped to stay on there feet by supporting them upright as I genuinely tried to help the people standing near me not to end up completely squashed. <br /><br />I had lost my other friend, to which I yelled out his name to no avail… it was every person for themselves and I did for some odd reason enjoy being protective over some of the smaller, more venerable people near me. <br /><br />One girl turned to me to lift her up, to get her to crowd surf her way of the crushing, then as soon as she went, her mate turned to me and asked for my help again and I dully obliged in helping. <br /><br />Without any real effort we were now about 5 rows from the front and had a prime view in ready for Jay Z.<br /><br /><p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/zAEo" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon32x32.png" alt="" style="vertical-align:middle;border:0"/></a>&nbsp;<a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/zAEo" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">Subscribe in a reader</a></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4521019491478239068-8109161292046021478?l=thecuckingfunt.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Crazy Punisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09716692841531844335noreply@blogger.com0http://thecuckingfunt.blogspot.com/2008/08/loosing-my-wallet-at-glastonbury.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4521019491478239068.post-80818021259312394932008-07-25T16:20:00.001-07:002008-07-25T16:20:41.232-07:002008-07-25T16:20:41.232-07:00I entered a brave new world yesterday getting up early for one of the few times before 10:00 in the morning, other than when I’ve been working I have been laying in bed till mid day before getting up. This is down to the fact that it is my usual Summer holiday sleeping routine of staying up late at night, and getting up early afternoon. <br /><br />I got up early and struggled off to work, for the start of what I hope is many extra shifts at my workplace. <br /><br />Normally I would be working on the Deli section, but today I was covering the shortage of staff on the Pie shop instead.<br /><br />Like with all training I have received since I’ve been employed at my employee for year is typically patchy, and resembles very much struggling to learn and do things the first couple of weeks, as no one has properly explained to you why and how things work. <br /><br />It was a good job that I was an expert at making things up as I go along, but fortunately I had some pretty good work colleagues working with me. Unlike the Deli counter it made a change working with more my age and another important detail as well came to my attention, they were all females… <br /><br />One girl with glasses and short blonde hair peered up to me “GOSH, you’re tall, I feel tiny in comparison” she stated to me, whilst with a kind innocent smile on her face. <br />“How tall are you?” she queered to which I replied “Around 6 foot 2”. I took her observant of how tall I was as a bit of a compliment and got on well with the Pie shop team until I was rudely interrupted<br /><br />“We need you back on the Deli” and that was that, despite me being contracted to work 6 hours on the Pie shop I still end back on the Deli counter. My Deli supervisor was grateful to get me back on the Deli department as what they described the day so far being “Far too hectic” and “One of those days” and it was all hands to deck trying to sort out the chaos that had descended that Friday.<br /><br />They were all running around proclaiming how “The Cheese still needed to be done” and how “Running were out of Olive pots on the Deli express shelf”, I didn’t care nor did I give a dam about the bloody cheese or the olives. I just stood there doing my thing for the next 3 hours smoothing over the cracks and tried my best to keep it running smoothly. <br /><br />It was good to be back on a familiar department, and a department where I knew what I was doing, unlike being on the Pie department where I was stood like a lemon half the time not knowing what to do. <br /><br />I just need more overtime hours on the Deli, rather than other departments if possible, but I doubt my employing company will manage to sort that out for me. <br /><br /><br /><p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/zAEo" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon32x32.png" alt="" style="vertical-align:middle;border:0"/></a>&nbsp;<a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/zAEo" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">Subscribe in a reader</a></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4521019491478239068-8081802125931239493?l=thecuckingfunt.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Crazy Punisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09716692841531844335noreply@blogger.com0http://thecuckingfunt.blogspot.com/2008/07/working-on-unfamilar-department.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4521019491478239068.post-39228747529872154532008-07-19T17:22:00.000-07:002008-07-19T17:23:31.040-07:002008-07-19T17:23:31.040-07:00I’ve not forgotten my last Glastonbury blog entries but needless to say I’m still in the process of writing them up. <br /><br />Back to normal entries about my “normal” life and my summer holidays so far. It has been largely uneventful holidays so far, and frustration on my part for the fact that works are being difficult about giving me additional hours. <br /><br />Nice to know the business I work for is continuing its penny pinching ways by squeezing savings in staff wages in all ways imaginable. Not content to pay us worse than its competitors, working us like machines and understaffing many departments by many hours, it is now freezing overtime and part time staffs are limited to their contracted hours. <br /><br />For the rest of the year I’ve not had the time too work additional hours due to me trying hard to pass my AS levels at the 3rd time of asking, but when I’ve got time to kill in the Summer I can’t get hours for love nor money. <br /><br />I know departments that are screaming out for people to do the overtime, but they can’t offer the hours due to the restrictions being put in place. I was offered pitifully 5 extra hours for the whole of July… I mean it feels a right kick in the teeth for the hard work I have put in at work for the past year. <br /><br />I tried tact today, fuelled by the news that one of my coworkers was leaving the department that I worked on was moving to another department I asked my supervisor for additional hours and I was greeted with disappointing news again, that they would be looking to employ a full time member of staff to replace the leaving staff member. <br /><br />Mind due I did have an incident earlier where another department did ask me to do some extra hours for next week! I was of course delighted and said “More hours the better” and the other department then realised I only worked 8 hours a week, so hopefully they will consider me for a lot more hours in the future.<br /><br />I do get slightly irritated by the fact that I hardly ever socialise with my collegues at work, yet when I was approached by the collegues from another department, and when I needed to talk to them about additional hours I got moaned at for doing so “There still some ham here needed to be cut up, but don’t worry I do it for you” – well hang on a second, I can’t be rude and not talk to the person about my hours, yet it’s considered a sin if I do it, yet plenty of work collegues on my department do it, and it’s perfectly acceptable for them to have a chinwag for 5 minutes about fuck knows. <br /><br />I did detect a hint of mixed worry and slight tint of jealously “They do know your contracted hours here” –, which I’m guessing I’m a slightly more valued member of the workplace than I think I am. Perhaps they realise I do work hard when I am there, but who knows. I do feel sometimes that a lot of my work goes unnoticed and despite being there a year I am still left the shit tasks to do. <br /><br /><p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/zAEo" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon32x32.png" alt="" style="vertical-align:middle;border:0"/></a>&nbsp;<a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/zAEo" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">Subscribe in a reader</a></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4521019491478239068-3922874752987215453?l=thecuckingfunt.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Crazy Punisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09716692841531844335noreply@blogger.com0http://thecuckingfunt.blogspot.com/2008/07/too-much-time-on-my-hands.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4521019491478239068.post-36477552887581172362008-07-15T17:24:00.000-07:002008-07-15T17:25:58.407-07:002008-07-15T17:25:58.407-07:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/4476/picture102cl7.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px;" src="http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/4476/picture102cl7.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />I don’t what’s a bigger knock to my manhood, the fact that I had brought facial wipes with me on a camping trip or the fact I agreed to see Kate Nash on the Pyramid stage as the opening act of the 2008 Glastonbury festival.<br /><br />After a very uncomfortable nights sleep I awoken slightly weary, but in a weird excited mood knowing this was the day when the music festival really kicked off, but I didn’t understand my friends fuss about Kate Nash. I mean credit given where it’s due, talking cockney has made her very rich women, but I wasn’t overly fussed about seeing her.<br /><br />Perhaps that was the problem with Glastonbury 2008, for me it was more about the festival atmosphere I was there to experience rather than see some of the bands that were playing. In terms of festival standards, it wasn’t a bad line up, but in comparison to recent years, the line up wasn’t as strong as it was last year. There were no real show stopping, jaw dropping acts that made you wet yourself at the prospect of seeing them perform, but in no way this detract from my attempt to enjoy the festival to the best of my ability. <br /><br />I did well bringing my own packet of cereal, granted eating cornflakes with your hand, with no spoon, bowel or milk wasn’t the most classiest of moments in my lower middle class life, but it was brilliant to snack with rather than pay some of the extortionate prices that the food stalls were charging. <br /><br />Walking to the Pyramid stage from my tent I was going with my friend and his dad (Who were the group that set there tent up in the middle of the night) through the hoards of crowds, but when we finally got to the stage, the sheer enormity becomes apparent. <br /><br />The sheer size and scale of the Pyramid stage becomes apparent as this almost religious type focal point for the tens of thousands of festival goers standing in what was a grassy field.<br /><br />My first act seen at Glastonbury was Kate Nash, and it was good job I had some cider a little before watching Kate, because no doubt had I been fully sober I wouldn’t have enjoyed it quite as much as I did. Don’t get me wrong I wasn’t keen on Kate Nash’s music but as she performed with her cockney tones with her green wellies and her dress, I have to admit I thought she was great fun.<br /><br />I can appreciate a decent performance even if I do not like the music, and I was pleasantly surprised at enjoying Kate Nash’s set. <br /><br />Next on, were the Subways and by this point I had to say goodbye briefly to my friend as mentioned how I wanted to get up close to the stage to be in there with any of the moshing action at the front. <br /><br />A band known for their high energy performances that never seem to fail to thrash the crowd into a frenzy and the front man Billy seemed to sum the situation up well “"It's Friday morning, you guys should be drunk already," <br /><br />I should have been drunk, I should have got completely smashed the night before and continued drinking but I’m far too boring to be like that.<br /><br />It was good to experience a band at a festival, with songs which I know. Too often I turn up to watch an act and not really known the songs that the act is singing, but I didn’t hold back for this. For every song and every lyric I knew I was belting it out with a can of cider in my hand standing next to this legendary character dressed up as banana man. <br /><br />It would also be the heaviest bit of moshing at Glastonbury. Unlike the Reading festival where the crowd are livelier this was one the highlights seeing a load of people rearing to jump into each other. <br /><br />When The Subways playing Oh Yeah I was amazed to see that I was surrounded by some like minded individuals that were up for leaping around in the mud, bouncing off and into each other. It was fucking brilliant. It started off with a group of 5 of us, but by the end of it soon descended into about 200 mad revellers up for having a good time.<br /><br />“Will someone turn that fucking smoke machine off! We want to see the audience” screamed Billy and for me one of the most memorable quotes of the festival, as the band was covered by smoke from the smoke machine. <br /><br />The Subways saved the best too last with Rock and Roll Queen and despite it being a early in the day, the crowd where up for it and was one of the highlights for me of the whole festival. <br /><br />It was great to finally see a band that I wanted to see live for ages live, with great passion and energy to their performance. <br /><br />Embarrassingly though, as a heavy sweater my t-shirt was soaking and that wasn’t from the rain that hit Glastonbury that Friday. I had to buy some water from one of the stalls and head back to my tent to take my medication. <br /><br />Fortunately I wasn’t missing anything on the main stage, but I did want to be back in time to see KT Tunstall.<br /><br />The rain had started again by the time the Scottish singer approached the stage, and I still refused to get out of my shorts and t-shirt, like a madman I carried in the rain, although I did wish I didn’t wear glasses as it was getting really annoying having to dry them off every 5 minutes. <br /><br />KT Tunstall exceeded my expectations and she performed very well and there were some great moments of banter between her and the crowd. KT responded well to drunken cries “KT WE LOVE YOU! MARRY ME!” querying them with “Marrying me? You don’t even know me! We might not even share the same interests, whose knows the sex might be terrible!”<br /><br />She played songs from Black Horse Cherry Tree, Another Place to Fall and Other Side of the World and the rain didn’t seem to matter anymore. I was transfixed watching the Scottish performer on stage. <br /><br />KT probably came up with the best quote to define Glastonbury for me, “Remember people wet is just an attitude!” she exclaimed and indeed it was. <br /><br />I gave the next act up on the Pyramid a miss (The Feeling) and hang around till The Gossip came on.<br /><br />Cue Beth Ditto and her outspoken views, "I'm so jealous of you, camping to see Jay-Z," Ditto said shortly into the set. "Seriously, I'm so fucking jealous. Jay-Z: guilty of making this festival good!" At that point I was still dead set against seeing Jay Z that Saturday night, and I was pretty sure it wasn’t Jay Z himself single headedly making Glastonbury good. <br /><br />The set from the Gossip lacked something, despite all of Beth Ditto’s charm and charismatic talent the crowd where somewhat lifeless, that is until Beth Ditto decided to go walkabouts at the front of the stage. <br /><br />She proposed to the security, she even danced with them and the crowd noise was cranked up a few notches and some mini surges as people were desperate to get to the front to get a decent video/photo of her. <br /><br />I’m surprised though; there were literally hundreds of mobile phones/digital cameras tracking her movements, as she walked up and down along the front, yet at the time of writing nothing has appeared on youtube… <br /><br />I bet the security hated her! She even took it one step further by actually going into the crowd for the final finale which was Standing In The Way Of Control and for me it was like an hours build up just for that one song. The crowd were fanatical and this is what I want attending a music festival.<br /><br />Too long was people politely standing there, dancing, or maybe a bit of clapping, at a festival I want people jumping up and down, belting along with the songs, moshing, anything to show there into the music that’s being played. It was doing my head in the amount of people moaning at those jumping around. Granted no one likes to be jumped into, but come on, no one in moshing deliberately sets out to hurt one another and some marginal bumping into each other on the whole won’t ruin your life with career threatening injury. It was about fucking time someone put a rocket upside the backside of these people and for 5 minutes we saw the crowd in raptures to the Skins inspired teenage anthem of 2007. <br /><br />Yet again, I wasn’t too keen at seeing the Editors live, so I wandered around the festival site to grab some food and a beer before watching The Fratellis. <br /><br />I hadn’t told my friends that the phone battery of my Nokia N95 had died the previous day (Lasting an incredible 2 days!!!) who have been desperately trying to get in contact with me and all the places of spotting, was when I was about to go to the toilet. <br /><br />I sat down with them and discussed with them what they had been up too that day and what acts they had seen. <br /><br />Then the first random conversation of Glastonbury came about where this lovely Australian girl named Tiffany and her partner Steve got talking to us. It was good to talk to a convict, and we spoke for a while about Australia and politics, to which she proclaimed “John Howard is such a cunt!” but she was enjoying the festival. <br /><br />Fortunately the Editors had finished there set, and I started heading towards the front of the Pyramid to try better my position amongst the crowd to watch the Fratellis. Once again, they had failed to live up to my expectation, a bit of bouncing to Chelsea Dagger but not much else really from their performance, I was bitterly disappointed.<br /><br />Then for the headliner act who I had been looking forward too seeing all day, it was 10:45pm on the Friday and with a prime spot right in front of the Pyramid stage, I took a quick glace behind me, and all I could see was row upon row of people and waiting on tenterhooks about seeing Kings of Leon perform live again.<br /><br />I saw them last year at the Reading Festival on the Friday of the festival, where they were below headliners Razorlight and a band I heard little off came and blew me away. They were excellent live at Reading and I had high hopes for them to deliver as headliners at Glastonbury. <br /><br />They didn’t start with the bang, I was expecting though, unlike Reading where they kicked off their set with Black Thumbnail they started the set with a new song which many had not heard off before. A bit strange to kick off with the new songs, I thought, but it did kick into life as soon as Black Thumbnail and I was bouncing away along to the chorus! <br /><br />Caleb Followill and the band as a whole don’t interact with the crowd as much as other bands, but they kept nailing each and every song they played. It went to from Milk to the song Four Kicks in an instant and I don’t think I could have been any happier. <br /><br />It was getting a bit wild in the crowd, and that’s the time when you know the crowd are getting into the band performing. <br /><br />Fours Kicks was my favourite song they performed and in my view one of their best songs. It is in your face, catchy, and great to sing a long to whilst moshing with your arms around the back of some random strangers doing the exact same thing as you at the same time.<br /><br />I now read up on the internet that they actually played 21 songs in their set, now I can’t honestly recall that many songs. It was hard to tell as soon as one song finished they were straight into the next song. <br /><br />Kings of Leon were up there with one of the best acts I saw at this years Glastonbury festival. <br /><br /><p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/zAEo" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon32x32.png" alt="" style="vertical-align:middle;border:0"/></a>&nbsp;<a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/zAEo" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">Subscribe in a reader</a></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4521019491478239068-3647755288758117236?l=thecuckingfunt.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Crazy Punisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09716692841531844335noreply@blogger.com0http://thecuckingfunt.blogspot.com/2008/07/ill-get-my-guns-from-south-well-take-to.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4521019491478239068.post-44869318273029326262008-07-13T18:43:00.000-07:002008-07-13T18:44:44.864-07:002008-07-13T18:44:44.864-07:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://img166.imageshack.us/img166/2050/picture110ge9.jpg "><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px;" src="http://img166.imageshack.us/img166/2050/picture110ge9.jpg " border="0" alt="" /></a><br />After an epic day on the Wednesday and uncomfortable sleep that night, I woke up Thursday slightly weary and I sat there discussing outside my tent armed with my packet of cornflakes and strongbow in my other hand we sat around discussing our plans for the day.<br /><br />The general consensus was that should explore the site and head to one of the dance tents in the evening. <br /><br />I saw some posters that caught my eye about the Levellers performing later on in the evening and with them being one of the few bands I earmarked of seeing I was desperate to see them, although my friends weren’t as keen. <br /><br />That afternoon we headed to the famous brothers cider bus and I couldn’t pass the opportunity to try one of their ciders. The place was heaving! I sat down with my mates listening to some Jazz outside the Jazz stage. I was surprised how many people were dancing, and to be fair unlike most types of Jazz this Jazz was pretty easy to dance too, had my friends been slightly more easy going I probably would have down some dancing then and there, however I wasn’t tipsy enough to be in that frame of mind. <br /><br />I was also getting a bit tiresome of my friend who was really annoying me, with his brash, and bold arrogance at every opportunity. Quotes from him include “I am great” “Girls love me” “I’m intellectual genius” “I am your superior” and after about 8 hours of similar egowanking quotes it did get a bit tiresome. <br /><br />Evidently this was showing through my facial expression and some girls nearby picked up on this “Enjoy yourself this is Glastonbury!? Why aren’t you dancing? Stop looking so miserable” in most situations I would say a good “Fuck Off!” would be in order, but in such a situation I completely agreed! My friends were starting to get on my nerves and clearly weren’t into the same sort of music as me, or doing the same sorts of things as me at Glastonbury.<br /><br />The evening livened up when we headed to the Dance tent in the pouring rain, yet no one seemed to tell me in my happy camper’s shorts and t-shirt. Still experiencing the Glastonbury rain there’s nothing like it! <br /><br />We braved the rain, but it was a relief to get underneath the shelter of the East Dance tent, to which for a while we danced to whatever was being played. I was having a great time, letting my hair down and just dancing without a care in the world, but my friend wanted to head somewhere else. <br /><br />I wasn’t as keen (Partly to my inappropriate choice of clothing) by we soon entered a small white tent, called SPUNKY which was a classic name for a dance tent! <br /><br />It was quality and certainty one of the finds of the whole festival, we were in their for a good couple of hours just dancing away! Best of all I didn’t have to put up with one of my friends ego stroking quotes as the sound system from the DJ was blocking out the noise coming from his mouth! It was perfect I couldn’t hear him! <br /><br />Somewhere I must be in a load of pictures as these couple of photographers for some reason was taking photos from the same angle over and over again, but then again hopefully these photos never see the light of day, especially with me in them. <br /><br />Again we headed out back into the rain and I knew one way or another I was going to end up drenched with the rate of rainfall falling from the heavens, we ended up in the hot dog/burger food stall and I asked if I could have a serviette to wipe dry my glasses and my face. Fortunately they gave me one, but it wasn’t long before we were back in the rain.<br /><br />We split into 2 groups, me and my 2 others friends, whilst one of my other friends and his Dad headed off into a different direction. Our plans were to head to the tent which the Levellers were playing at.<br /><br />I was drenched from walking 2 minutes in the rain and we decided to humour the situation with a good sing song, such classics such as Walking On Sunshine, Feeling Hot Hot Hot, You Are My Sunshine, Why Does It Always Rain On Me, Singing In The Rain not even the weather could dampen our spirits! It was a relief when we found the tent which the Levellers were playing in. <br /><br />Despite it pissing it down, despite my t-shirt being drenched, and despite not being able to see much out of my rain droplet coated glasses, the Irish punk tones of the Levellers I can hear, but annoying I was about 5m short of making it into the tent, and more importantly shelter from the rain. <br /><br />Unlike my friends, I navigated my way through the crowds to find eventual cover and it was brilliant. One Way was belted out with full gusto and once again I started jumping up and down, only to be joined in by those around me. Despite being tired and rain soaked, the energy of people jumping up and down gets anyone caught up into the moment. Despite being tired you find the energy to jump and keep going!<br /><br />Once the Levellers had finished my friends headed back to the tent, whilst I went on a mission to be friend the local neighboring groups of people, pitched near our tent! <br /><br />Mind due I was off to explore the Park area at the Glastonbury festival site! I headed into this tent, which it was a club DJ playing music with people indoors just having a good time and dancing to the music. <br /><br />I did “My thing” and shook my body in time with the music (Partly as a way to dry off). It was weird environment to have music playing that’s for sure. We were covered in tent, similar to that of a circus tent and indoors it was a sea of people. I could describe it to a rave in the middle of some haystacks as it definitely had that farm feel attached to situation. <br /><br />I got asked if I wanted some Pills again, and once again I politely declined and headed back to my tent and changed out of my wet clothes into something dryer. I was cursing the fact that I hadn’t brought a towel. <br /><br /><p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/zAEo" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon32x32.png" alt="" style="vertical-align:middle;border:0"/></a>&nbsp;<a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/zAEo" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">Subscribe in a reader</a></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4521019491478239068-4486931827302932626?l=thecuckingfunt.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Crazy Punisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09716692841531844335noreply@blogger.com0http://thecuckingfunt.blogspot.com/2008/07/bring-on-rain.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4521019491478239068.post-28653020110996544202008-07-11T16:38:00.000-07:002008-07-11T16:39:49.545-07:002008-07-11T16:39:49.545-07:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://img55.imageshack.us/img55/1992/picture106di6.jpg "><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px;" src="http://img55.imageshack.us/img55/1992/picture106di6.jpg " border="0" alt="" /></a><br />Awoken at 300 hours, fortunately I didn’t need to do a lot to get ready before we set of for the car journey down to Dorset. With the Ford Mondeo just about coping with the amount of camping gear we all had taken with us, I was strangely awake for so early in the morning and our group set of for what big the biggest adventure we had experience of 2008. <br /><br />I did attempt to get some sleep but for some reason my friends Dad was in a panic about meeting up with his friend on time, so that meant a pretty rough ride in the back of the Ford, which made it pretty difficult to try and sleep in the car.<br /><br />We soon had another passenger to the car, which made it really uncomfortable in the back of the car. My friend was to the left of me, with his legs annoyingly spread out then the was this older guy.<br /><br />I did manage to get to sleep somehow, despite the difficult, tight conditions in the back of the Ford and I dozed till we got to the service station.<br /><br />I didn’t recall where the service station was, but we must have well on the way to Glastonbury judging by the hoards of backpackers there was and the Glastonbury festival fashion. What I mean by this is the wellies mixed with the colossal rucksacks upon these peoples back. <br /><br />I don’t think the service station staff knew what had hit them, it was definitely a lot busier than it normally would be at 6:00 in the morning, looks like the staff serving the cooked breakfasts hated all the extra people there was. The one and only female was doing pretty well keeping it all together and despite a long queue forming she still kept with it and one moment which did make me laugh was when a vegetarian asked for the vegetarian breakfast, to which the lady behind the till replied “You’ll get what your given love!” classic!<br /><br />Rather than risking the wrath of the lady behind the counter, or sacrifice a lot of money from my wallet (7 for a breakfast!) I decided to break a habit of a lifetime and eat in McDonald’s for the first time for about 6 years, in which me and my friend got one the delights from the breakfast. Actually to be the breakfast menu at McDonald’s isn’t too bad, and at 2 it was certainly more reasonably priced that the cooked breakfast they were offering. <br /><br />I armed myself with 2 emergency packs of Big Eat Walkers crisps from WHSmiths, fearing that I may not be able to eat for a long time and I was proved right, but that wasn’t a reason to fear the car journey! Only another 2 hours of the open road ahead of us and my legs were starting to feel numb again due to how squashed it was in the back, and I had no booze to distract myself from the pain.<br /><br />Not to worry, my friend had brought his CD of artists that where appearing at Glastonbury 2008! Sounds good eh, and it started well with some Kings of Leon to kick things off, but soon it descended into a mess as more and more bands like Scouting For Girls started and Dizzee Rascal wannabes started playing. It was torture, but was only 1 mile away from Worthy Farm site!<br /><br />It was going swimmingly till we turned in and saw the huge queue of cars, welcome to Glastonbury I thought! <br /><br />With that fucking CD of my friends still playing I decided to distract myself by staring aimlessly out the window, which would have worked so well, except for when you’re moving less than 10m every 5 minutes. I did think to myself that it was a good job that we did not arrive there later. I could have imagined the queues had we turned up 2 -3 hours later. <br /><br />We trundled along and before I knew it we were into the main Glastonbury, and to my delight that awful CD of my friends was stopped, as we tuned into the festivals only legendary Worthy FM.<br /><br />The women DJing evidently was someone which Glastonbury had picked at random from the street as everyone was in hysterics in our car! She was so bad it was good! She came out with some legendary quotes <br /><br />“If you like dance music then this next track will be one of your favorites, except for if you don’t like dance music then it won’t be one of your favorites!” <br /><br />“It’s Sophie’s birthday tomorrow and we want you text in suggestions on what Sophie can do, but no drinking! She is on antibiotics!” <br /><br />You couldn’t make it up, but it was absolutely classic! <br /><br />The Ford started snaking round the fields what seemed to be forever, but eventually we made it to the car parking spot! It was the start of the long walk to the camp spot and the ticket gate. <br /><br /><br /><br />I know I’ve used the expression the “Green mile” before now on my blog and no doubt I will countless times in the future, but really carting a really heavy backpack, 2 tents in one hand, and a gym bag in the other hand for about 1 hour really was one of the hardest things I’ve done. <br /><br />Getting my wristband was a relief, but that was part one of the hard part down, we had to head to camp spot next and that wasn’t exactly around the corner. <br /><br />My friend and I sat down, to wait for the others to make it through the wristband entry. I was marveling at my free Q Glastonbury guide and my 10 free disposable tent pegs (Which I did later find out were to be completely useless).<br /><br />As my friend dad made it through, it was onwards and upwards to Pennard Hill and another hour later we made it which was instant relief as I could chuck all my heavy bags down for a bit and concentrate putting the tent up. <br /><br />Unlike my Reading tent this was slightly more complicated, but with a bit of help from my friends Dad and girlfriend it was soon up in all its glory! That would be home for the next 5 days.<br /><br />I was also panicking about meeting up with my friend, I did tell him clear instructions of which field we were in and what flags we were nearby. I did eventually have meet him by stone circle and drag him to his tent! <br /><br />It was good to see everyone’s tents up, and in nice weather conditions as well! I decided it was time to explore the massive site that was Glastonbury. <br /><br />I tried my best to describe what the Reading festival was similar too, and I think that description of “Similar to a fate” in some ways rings true to Glastonbury as well. It had absolutely everything, from exhibitions, to bars, clubs, kid’s playground, stalls, food shops and many, many flags. With the sun shining it was glorious to explore the site.<br /><br />I headed with my friend around, and we looked at the various stages and I even tried a Cider from the bar to the right of the Pyramid stage, which the name of the bar I can’t recall. <br /><br />In some ways I whish I was resistant to being tired, but by about 3 in the after I started to feel it. My eyes were watering and the cider I just drunk really was foul. That’s right; you have just seen me moan about alcohol. <br /><br />I headed back to my tent for a quick half hour sleep before deciding to go out an explore, I headed for the first time up to stone circle.<br /><br />For those that don’t know Stone Circle is a gathering point where people at the highest point of the Glastonbury festival site and stay up late, to welcome the new day and roar when the Sun comes up. <br /><br />I wasn’t so much interested in that just yet, the night was still young and I could hear dance music in the not so far distance, and it was this DJ playing music, from a decks powered by the wind! Only at Glastonbury would you find this! <br /><br />I was surprised it had taken this long, but I was offered my first lot of pills to buy. I declined politely and continued to dance like a madman, in one could be describe as a dance pit.<br /><br />My two friend’s wasn’t so brave and decided against getting right into the centre of all the people dancing, eventually we decided to move on as the DJ kept having problems of the sound cutting out due to their not being enough wind! <br /><br />I liken Stone Circle to a bit like a mad dream, in which everything and anything is possible. It was an incredible site with all the groups with their flares overlooking the Glastonbury site, it was nice to relax after what I found to be a pretty stressful day. <br /><br />Stone Circle is the place where most people it seems like do drugs of some sort, but then again that’s a stupid statement to make as Glastonbury in itself is 5 days in itself to take drugs without really getting in trouble for it. <br /><br />Spliffs, pills, people hyperventilating into Balloons, Stone Circle had it all! <br /><br />My friends and I decided to head off somewhere else before we were meeting our other friend and his dad, who were doing the mad dash to the gate before it closes at 12:00am! <br /><br />We headed into this bar place, in what I think was the Avalon field area (To be honest Glastonbury is so huge for a first timer, it’s hard to remember where everything is, let alone the names for places!) to which some folks we perform what was Irish music! It was such a shame we got there right as they were finishing as the band were great and I was in one of them sorts of moods, which would have seen me dancing on the stage with some other randomers from Glastonbury. <br /><br />Afterwards it was time to meet our friend who had made into the Glastonbury gates with 5 minutes to spare! As we met them we took them to our camping spot, and to my amazement the little patch of grass in which we put a flysheet on the ground to try save a tent spot for them, was still there! Mind due it wasn’t easy for them to put up a tent in the middle of the night! <br /><br />I would have helped but I was too tired and needed the rest!<br /><br /><p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/zAEo" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon32x32.png" alt="" style="vertical-align:middle;border:0"/></a>&nbsp;<a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/zAEo" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">Subscribe in a reader</a></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4521019491478239068-2865302011099654420?l=thecuckingfunt.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Crazy Punisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09716692841531844335noreply@blogger.com0http://thecuckingfunt.blogspot.com/2008/07/were-off-to-worthy-farm.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4521019491478239068.post-55597416694907139912008-07-11T16:33:00.000-07:002008-07-11T16:35:12.958-07:002008-07-11T16:35:12.958-07:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://img244.imageshack.us/img244/9039/picture094go7.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px;" src="http://img244.imageshack.us/img244/9039/picture094go7.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Perhaps at the end of the day it didn’t really matter being at College for what would be my last lesson of the academic year, instead of being bothered to concentrate on editing our film clip in media studies, I was instead mucking around with my friends in what could be described as a “Laid back” lesson in which the media teachers left us to our own devices, and let us do pretty much want we want. <br /><br />I had only one thing on my mind and that was the Glastonbury Festival, which I was packing and leaving for the Tuesday.<br /><br />In all honesty I could have done without having the media studies lesson, as it was very difficult to remember everything I needed to pack for 5 days at the UK’s biggest music festival.<br /><br />I had 2 hours to complete packing before I had to catch a train to the area of which my friend lives in order to pick me up. <br /><br />It was a frantic dash from one place to another trying to find all my items needed as well as what would be final shower for about a week at the time I felt like I was fully prepared, in which I had everything I need in order to survive a week at Glastonbury, but it turns out later on, I realise I haven’t brought a pillow, torch and some other essential items. <br /><br />The size of my backpack and how heavy my bags was horrendous and it dawned on me how I needed to lighten the load as much possible as there is no way I could trek to the campsite with such a heavy rucksack. <br /><br />Once I navigated my way through the train ticket barrier (Not easy with some unhelpful train staff that refuse to open the ticket barrier) and onto the train to my mates house, I got picked up by him after arriving at the station and we were soon driving off to his Dad’s house. <br /><br />We drove into the driveway of his Dad’s house and it dawned on me how big his house was. It was huge (Especially compared to the small, semi detached house I currently live in), there was a driveway with room for about 8 cars, and garden almost big enough to put a football pitch on it, as well room for a Chelsea award winning garden round the back. <br /><br />I got the impressive instantly that my friend’s dad had a job high up somewhere in some sort of company and it was no surprise when he greeted me in a very business like manner. He reached out his arm, to shake hands with me.<br /><br />In the Glastonbury email newsletter that been sent to everyone in our group who was off to Glastonbury, we were told to pack light, trouble was despite my efforts to cut down on what I needed to bring with, it looked like I packed way too much stuff. I had brought with me 2 tents (Although one of which was my mates tent), a full campers backpack full of food, clothes and beer and one tennis bag fall of clothes. <br /><br />The faces of the people that were taken me said it all really, and I did feel slightly awkward taking so much stuff. <br /><br />My friend stuck on the DVD of the history of the Glastonbury Festival and this was wear my excitement began to hit fever pitch. These types of videos outlining the history of the festival have such a nostalgia value attached to them and definitely seeing the history of Glastonbury and some of the most legendary performances that has graced the festival over the years.<br /><br />I was sitting there on the sofa with about 4 strongbow cans, chugging them as fast as I can, knowing that whatever I don’t drink now, I would have to cart to the campsite tomorrow, and with my back being currently heavy enough as it is, I was desperately looking at ways to lighten it..<br /><br />It was soon off to bed knowing that we would be leaving at 3am, despite this we went to bed at 12:00 knowing full well how little sleep we would be getting. <br /><br /><br /><p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/zAEo" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon32x32.png" alt="" style="vertical-align:middle;border:0"/></a>&nbsp;<a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/zAEo" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">Subscribe in a reader</a></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4521019491478239068-5559741669490713991?l=thecuckingfunt.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Crazy Punisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09716692841531844335noreply@blogger.com0http://thecuckingfunt.blogspot.com/2008/07/night-before-glastonbury.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4521019491478239068.post-40466709461955098302008-07-03T17:25:00.001-07:002008-07-03T17:25:40.612-07:002008-07-03T17:25:40.612-07:00After spending 5 days slept in a cold, dark, damp tent, whilst resting my head on what can only be describe as a make shift effort by me to make a pillow, whilst realising that actually I have camped on a slight slope, it what was difficult sleeping conditions. It was a relief to finally return in some ways to gain the finer luxuries in life and comfy bed to sleep on. <br /><br />I had the best sleep in ages and I was asleep for 12 glorious hours, which made me relaxed and refreshed for the next day.<br /><br />I’ve only been back a few days and already my sister single handedly is ruining my time at home during my holiday, today I had the problem of hearing how loudly she talks to her friend on the phone during the morning.<br /><br />It is indeed my fault for going to bed at 3am but, I do not expect to be woken up in the morning what can only be describe as “Loud claptrap” coming from my sisters room which is next to mine. <br /><br />It must be a female thing, to get so widely excited on the phone whilst talking to their friends, with their voice tone getting faster and shrieker by the minute! Deary me! <br /><br />I think my sister got the message when I screamed “Fucking HELL! Do you want to talk any LOUDER?”<br /><br /><p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/zAEo" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon32x32.png" alt="" style="vertical-align:middle;border:0"/></a>&nbsp;<a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/zAEo" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">Subscribe in a reader</a></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4521019491478239068-4046670946195509830?l=thecuckingfunt.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Crazy Punisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09716692841531844335noreply@blogger.com0http://thecuckingfunt.blogspot.com/2008/07/in-some-ways-its-good-to-be-back.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4521019491478239068.post-46335224027341848582008-07-02T07:29:00.000-07:002008-07-02T18:46:09.137-07:002008-07-02T18:46:09.137-07:00Glastonbury by numbers<br /><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US">£3.50 for a lovely pint of Brothers strawberry cider <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p>£7 for a packet of cigarettes <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p>19 different acts seen <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p>28 hours slept in total over the week <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p>45 cans of alcoholic beverage (Including the many types of cider from the bars) <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US">£</span><span style="" lang="EN-US">70 lost (When I lost my wallet) <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p>1000 Artists performing at more than 20 venues<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p>2,802 toilets<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p>17,000 bins<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p>37,500 staff <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p>180,000 revelers there at the </span><st1:city><st1:place><span style="" lang="EN-US">Glastonbury</span></st1:place></st1:city><span style="" lang="EN-US"> weekend <o:p></o:p></span></p><br /><p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/zAEo" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon32x32.png" alt="" style="vertical-align:middle;border:0"/></a>&nbsp;<a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/zAEo" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">Subscribe in a reader</a></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4521019491478239068-4633522402734184858?l=thecuckingfunt.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Crazy Punisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09716692841531844335noreply@blogger.com0http://thecuckingfunt.blogspot.com/2008/07/glastonbury-by-numbers-or-another.html