Music festival mix
So sad to hear about the at the weekend (and the death of another fan, apparently with no suspicious circumstances).
It's easy to take the kneejerk reaction that Scotland's biggest music festival is awash with drink, drugs and violence but that's really not the case. If anything, T in the Park has improved over the last few years.
Ten years ago, when I first started going, the atmosphere could be a little intimidating. Great gangs of teenagers, sozzled on cheap lager and chanting along to each and every act on the main stage. If your intention was anything different, you were largely out of place.
Some years later, and even though I've morphed into a middle-aged mum, I do feel that there's a place for me at T in the Park. A lot has changed. The demographic for starters - it's a much more mixed crowd, in terms of age and sex and geography.
This year, I met fans who'd travelled up from the Midlands, from Wales and the West Country where once they'd have come from as far as Falkirk.
There are plenty of conspiracists who say T's organisers are using postcode selection to create that mix - I have a colleague who claims friends in one of Scotland's poorer neighbourhoods have tried and failed to secure tickets for the last eight years, and believe it's not just bad luck which is stopping them.
Organisers deny any fixing - it's just the sheer popularity of the event they say which means 80,000 tickets sell out most years in an hour or less.
But whatever has happened, it makes for a more pleasant atmosphere. Admittedly, it'll never be a family friendly festival. It's boozy image - thanks to its roots and its sponsors - will never be shaken off.
But while it's still a huge part of the festival for many people, performers and fans alike, it's not everything. There are now so many alternatives - 11 stages, a funfair, stalls, a spa - that you'd have to be extremely dull to spend all day drinking in your tent.
The biggest change, though, is in the security. Not in response to violence - although there have been attacks at T in the Park before - but in response to terrorism.
In 2005, just days after the London transport bombings, and just a few miles from the G8 gathering at Gleneagles, organisers racked up the security. Metal detectors, bag searches, all became commonplace alongside the regular ticket checks. While the rest of the UK kept their eyes peeled for suspicious looking rucksacks, T in the Park had the prospect of checking 80,000 people who each brought their worldly goods in a rucksack.
But fans rose to the occasion - as they did two years later when torrential rain caused some of the car parks to subside and led to 12 mile tailbacks on all roads leading into Balado. Of course, there was fury and impatience - but there were also roadside parties and offers of accommodation for those who'd travelled great distances.
That was the reason organisers opened the campsite a day early this year, to try to stagger arrivals. Around 10,000 fans were in the campsite by Thursday night, 54,000 by the time the first bands came onstage on Friday. The atmosphere was good - noisy and high spirited, but nothing to suggest what was to come.
For all that it's a massive site, it's relatively well policed. Stewards patrol the site, it's well lit and managed.
There's also a camaraderie among the campers, even among those who start the festival as strangers. Hopefully that sense of cameraderie - so much more representative of the event than mindless violence - will be the strongest force here. Encouraging any fans who saw anything which might help police, to come forward with the information.
And I'm sure most T in the Park regulars would wish the 22-year-old in intensive care in Ninewells Hospital, the speediest of recoveries.
Not London’s South Bank, but the south bank of the River Clyde in Glasgow - every bit as lively in cultural terms as its namesake. I’m Pauline McLean, 91Èȱ¬ Scotland’s arts correspondent, and I’ll be blogging here about arts events and issues happening across the country.
Comment number 1.
At 14th Jul 2008, drewboykerr wrote:I only heard about the stabbing on the radio while driving home. Have been a few times now and have never had a problem on the campsite. Yeah, people can be loud, drunk and obnoxious - but that can be the case on any friday and saturday night in any town.
I love T, but my gripe is now the fact it is the most expensive festival in the country (if not Europe). Everything in the park now feels like it is just geared up to make money, rather than make the festival better.
I may not, for the first time in a while, buy tickets tomorrow because of it.....
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Comment number 2.
At 14th Jul 2008, Green Soap wrote:T does need to look seriously at the prices.
Asking an extra £11 or so for the Thursday camping was a total rip off.
You have a weekend camping ticket, and they still want more? That was just wrong.
I never made it this year - no time off work on the Friday meant I missed 3 acts I really wanted to see, yet they still put Feeder on at the same time as the Stereophonics. I'd hazard a guess a fair few people would have wanted to see both.
Why did they not try and schedule them when some popish act was on?
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Comment number 3.
At 14th Jul 2008, Yashin wrote:It's easy to take the kneejerk reaction that Scotland's biggest music festival is awash with drink, drugs and violence but that's really not the case. you say, apart from the violence, there is lots of drugs and even more drink, especially the cheap lager you talked about.
T in the park is a Lager advert after all.
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Comment number 4.
At 15th Jul 2008, Cosby1977 wrote:T was great as always this year. We camped in the Blue section where the guy was stabbed and only heard on the Monday morning. We have never seen any trouble at T. The campsite is very friendly and good natured.
One thing they need to look at the is the entrance to the campsite. The queue was massive and if they continue to allow more people to camp, they need to expand the entrance of make another one.
All told, another great year at T and I have just got my tickets for next year. Even more so as I proposed to my girlfriend in the campsite on Friday afternoon and she said yes! wonder if I can talk her round into having the wedding reception there...
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Comment number 5.
At 15th Jul 2008, darthpaulsithlord wrote:t in the p is now the biggest corporate festival in the world!
i was disgusted with the prices of everything from the lager (£3.80 a pint) to the bacon rolls in the campsite (£3.50)
the spirit of former years at t has gone.
If tennents decide to put up the price of a pint at an event they sponsor then i can see the event falling flat on its face.
for me i wont be returning to t in the park again and ill be looking at the smaller festivals now!
t in the park is now becoming a joke!
get the prices sorted out for everything!
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Comment number 6.
At 15th Jul 2008, darthpaulsithlord wrote:though id add too that with this stabbing business, i heard on sunday morning from the security team the guy stabbed was working for security and was stopping someone peeing on tents. Was also told that a 15 year old girl was raped. The security teams have some serious crossed wires and this was causing a great deal of tension in the camp!
I have seen numerous fights at t in the p and this year was probably better for there being less fights.
Am i not correct though that a good few years ago someone went on the rampage with a machete? that wasnt even that long ago.
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Comment number 7.
At 15th Jul 2008, LesMakin wrote:I agree that TITP is too expensive, prices for 2009's TITP start from £150 after fees if you get an early bird ticket without camping.
And yes, it's also mega expensive for food and drink on the site. Also £20 for parking per day is a joke since you can get in for free after 6pm !
Basically it all comes down to who's playing and TITP will need to bring in better acts or it will no longer compete with the other festivals.
REM closing the festival this year was very poorly attended, just as they were when the headlined in 2005. There are too many "filler acts" like shed 7 on the bill for my liking. The promoters need to get their fingers out and book better bands our music fans will go to the other events.
However, I have just bought 2 tickets for next year, that £297.95 without knowing who'll be on. I guess TITP can't be too bad after all.
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Comment number 8.
At 15th Jul 2008, montheclyde wrote:Couldn't agree more about the expense. T in the park now costs the same as Glastonbury, but at Glastonbury you get 3 and a half days music, with a much more varied line-up, you can camp for a full week at no extra cost, you get a full programme and a card with all stage times and you can take your own alcohol if you wish. I couldn't believe that having already paid out a vast amount of money, I had to pay a further £8 to find out when the entertainment (that I had already paid to see) was due to take place. Every other festival puts this information on it's website and also gives you a free programme with stage times
Having been to Glastonbury and other various European festivals in places like Barcelona, Belgium and Sweden, T in the park is by far the most expensive, and usually has the most conservative bill.
I admit that I'm usually tempted when it comes around, but only because it's local for me.
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