A very quick query for you all to consider
A client of mine was talking about their “bucket list” the other day and mentioned going to a festival again. As far as I can gather, they used to go to music festivals back in the 70’s, but would like to go again “to see what they’re like now.” With this in mind, does the Massive have any recommendations for a festival next year for someone in their late 60s? We’ve only been to End of the Road in the past few years (which seems nice enough) and I wonder if the Larmer Tree Festival would be a winner (as it’s on the same site, but seems less hipster).
I’d be grateful for any ideas or suggestions (as will my client).
I think that there are certain non-negotiables here:
Are they OK with camping?
Are they OK with (however regularly maintained) festival portaloos?
Can they drive there or is it public transport?
If not then it’s one of the city centre festivals like Wireless (except they need to be into pop and R and B) or British Summer Time. A hotel nearby won’t be cheap but should mean that they above can be avoided/minimised.
If they are Ok then I would go for one of the smaller camping ones, tend to be more diverse in age-ranges than Reading or Bestival. also less walking with I think is a plus. Near us: Luna in Tanworth-in-arden is delightful and small. Larmer Tree is very good as you say. Sure other people will have recommendations.
Cambridge Folk Festival
Or any folk festival. Or folk gig, for that matter.
I am 62 and went to Cambridge folk festival this year
Perfect – free of idiots, good food, friendly and compact
No significant walking involved and portaloos pretty good..
You have to avoid overdosing on diddly diddly music though which can be done – just needs careful planning.
I believe they are actively considering your last sentence as next year’s T-shirt slogan.
Womad has an abundance of grey haired attendees and is very civilised. Well it is down here.
Gives them a chance to air their “Oh, I just picked this up in a street market in Africa/Vietnam/Cambodia” gear 🙂
“A New Day” festival in Mount Ephraim Gardens near Faversham. You can camp there but we stay in a hotel in Faversham. Sensible people, sensible beer prices (and decent beer too) – £4 a pint. Great line up of music too. Not crowded and no idiots running about either. I’m 65 and swore never to go to festivals again after previous experiences but this is just really good. I’d say the majority of the audience is “about” my age but attendees range from kids to grannies. This year’s line up and info underneath
https://anewdayfestival.com
Folk festivals are the ones, not least as they (have had to)stretch the definition of folk.
Cambridge, Shrewsbury, Towersey I have all visited in years recent and would/will go again, but need, almost as Steve suggests, careful pruning around how much trad arr you can stand. Cropredy ,of course, might fit the bill.
Forgot about Towersey. Good call (albeit, I’ve not been there in 20 years).
Does it have to be overnight? Folk By The Oak in the grounds of Hatfield House is about as civilised as it gets and is a one dayer.
https://www.folkbytheoak.com/home/
They had a Pimms tent last time I was there, that’s how civilised it is.
For one day Barking* is very quiet and laid back, and freee for residents or cheap cheap cheap for others.
* it’s actually one for 2 days, but given the location it’s the Travelodge if you aren’t local and want to do both, a tactic I advise wherever possible for any festival in any case.
Larmer Tree Festival has a more mainstream bill than EOTR. Another difference is that they do day tickets, which might be helpful.
Wilco’s Solid Sound Festival. Two problems with that though: it doesn’t take place next year and it’s in Massachusetts…
These are all great examples, thanks.
If they’re Zappa fans, Zappanale in Bad Doberan in northern Germany is great. The town itself is beautiful – hotels are a wee bit expensive but nearby towns are cheaper. There’s camping at the beautiful green location. When I was there two years ago the audience consisted of mainly 60-70 year old ex-hippies with grey ponytails, large bellies and wearing their prized raggedy 1983 tour t-shirt. Accompanied either by their similarly aged wife or a younger fraulein looking slightly bewildered at zeess strange musik. I realise that last bit isn’t much of a recommendation but it is an excellent event and I’d like to go again
We have totally fallen in love with Crodredy and have been the last three years. We are in the given age group, but the attendees aren’t just old farts like me and it certainly isn’t all folk music at all. It is fairly compact (one stage, so you take a chair or blanket for comfort) and you can wander into the lovely village to visit the fringe stalls and events. Camping is quite civilised in that you have your car where you camp and you get a pitch, not the free for all like other events. Lots of people use camper vans of course. People are very friendly and you find yourself rubbing shoulders with the artists as there is no back stage bar (so I’m told!). A passing familiarity with Fairport Convention helps.
My mate who is a Cropredy regular of 20 odd years says no one minds you just plonking your folding car down in the field and sitting there with a pint all day..
His story is queuing for the bar when a brummy started chatting to him. Turning round it was Robert Plant.
It is very well ordered in that way – people take the piss a bit about the ‘deckchairs’, but the single stage format means you don’t need to move around a huge site, and you can leave your stuff while you explore the food and drink and know it will be there when you get back. There is a standing area at the front if you want to get up close for any particular act.
Oh yes, and stories about bumping into Percy Plant are legion! When at the front this year I found myself stood next to Sandy Denny’s daughter, Georgia Lucas, and Adam Wakeman during Richard Thompson’s set.
The one snag with Cropredy compared with all those festivals that retro mentioned above is that, if it rains, you can’t avoid a soaking. I’ve done ’em all several times over, and each one has developed its own endearing character. But I do remember one year seeing Thommo at both Cropredy and. two weeks later, at Shrewsbury and thinking how much more enjoyable it was under cover – never any tension about the English summer weather.
My recommendation is somewhere you can walk to, or at least go home every night. For me that is Bingley but there are lots of little festivals these days – heavy on the music, but not the whole “festival experience”. That suits me. (2 1/2 years to 60)
OTOH they could save a lot of beer tokens as follows:
Put on completely unsuitable clothing for a couple of days en plein air.
Find a suitable field where no one will bother you for a few days.
Eat a load of magic mushrooms as soon as you’ve put up a ridiculously undersized tent.
Lie half-in, half-out of the tent for 48 hours, humming to yourself and looking at the grass.
Take all your clothes off and wring them out, as they will inevitably be soaked by now.
Lose one shoe.
Put most of your clothes back on.
Realise you haven’t seen any actual bands, shrug and decide it’s time to “split”.
Walk home, having forgotten to take the tent down.
Spend decades reminiscing about the great time you had.
What exactly would the point be? Isn’t there some better idea or other in the bucket? Sorry if it’s a silly question, but had to ask.
I’m going out on a limb here, but I’m guessing that they used to go to music festivals back in the 70’s, but would like to go again “to see what they’re like now.” Happy to help.
Yeah, that.
The Proms.
If you don’t like classical music, that isn’t a problem these days, it’s basically Later with more fiddles.
Personally, I reckon they should ditch “Later With Jools Holland” and replace it with “Later With The Metropole Orkest and Jules Buckley”.