Ashton Court Festival 2007
There was one small technicality around this year's event that almost seemed insignificant, but that I couldn't help thinking was rather pertinent.
The festival has been renamed.
Yes, it is now *officially* called 'Ashton Court Festival'. In previous years, despite the fact that everyone knew it as Ashton Court Festival, it was in fact officially named the 'Bristol Community Festival', however this year's late battle to obtain a license for the event (with significant restrictions) has finally ended the Bristol Community Festival that we all knew and loved, dare I say it, for good.
I suppose the new restrictions (sound limits, no alcohol allowed in, limited to 30,000 people, finish by 10pm) basically enforced the organisers to move the festival site down the hill to a smaller site (where the car parks used to be), so it all felt a lot more compact. It also resulted in a £15 admission fee, so hardly the 'Biggest free festival in Europe' accolade that was claimed when I first started going back in 1993.
The turn-out was pretty average compared to some previous years, with lots of people boycotting it due to the inflated entrance fee, so the 30000 capacity was never an issue.
Some Ashton Court traditions will never die though, like bumping into random old college friends that you haven's seen for years...
The ground was considerably more brown than green...
That was my one brief visit to the main stage, but it was much the same across the festival site and lots of people had brown marks on their buttocks.
Despite 'not being the same', that chilled out Bristol festival vibe was still strong, and as the day went on it was easy to forget that things were any different, apart from the view of course.
My horn-blowing friend Jon was on the amphitheatre stage with drumnbass band 'Dr Meaker' in the late afternoon. I had heard that the Glastonbury dance tent crowd were left screaming for more last month, so I was keen to finally see them play. Unfortunately the first half of their set was spent queuing for beer, but the second half didn't disappoint...
This cheeky extra last tune was the highlight of my day. I could see Clive Meaker saying 'We have to do it mate, we just have to do it!' to the bloke behind scenes.
Of course in keeping with our 'summer' so far, the clouds soon came, however remarkably it remained dry...
In fact, the clouds made for a cracking sunset, so another Ashton Court tradition was upheld...
The Quantic DJ set on the 'big top' stage could barely be heard from about thirty yards back. In fact, we didn't even realise he'd started until about half an hour into his set. We managed to get in a little closer in time for the Mad Professor...
It was all about nodding that head...
The rain finally came on Saturday night, and on Sunday morning word quickly spread that the festival site was a washout and had to be cancelled. At least that made my decision for me about whether to pay another £15 just to see Horace Andy - if only they'd billed him on the Saturday.
posted by Andy @ 10:43 am
4 comments
4 Comments:
Hmmmmmmm..how times have a changed. Ok, I have a few comments.
1) I remember seeing your status on Facebook once, wondering if you could justify the cost of Ashton Court. I thought times must've been bad because the last time I was there it cost a 5er. Now it's £15 quid AND you have to buy beer in there. Shocking. But I would have gone along if I was in Brizzle, at least for one of the days.....but given the cost and alcohol situation, d'ya reckon it could be the end of it?
2) Is that a fence I can see? Given the £15, I'm not surprised I suppose but it's a shame.
3) So Orange don't do it anymore?
4) How were the chavs?
5) Dr Meaker? Has he played Breakout?
6) Love the ride in the video, the one with the seats and the chains! I remember it well, all things considered.
7) I think you would've paid £15 to see Horace Andy. And it would've been the right thing to do.
8) Who did you go with? Just Jelfs and Nade? There's no sign of Chewie, Jess, Al, Em, Chris, Sam, Moe, Ben?
9) I don't like the new view.
10) Thanks for bringing back some very happy memories.
1) I don't think there will be a festival next year as due to Sunday's cancellation the festival is now massively in debt.
2) Yep - no walking through the woods and sneaking in anymore
3) Ummmm, don't think so
4) Didn't see too many actually, which was a bonus
5) Nope - they're commanding a fee way out of Breakout's budget nowadays - in fact they're touring some European festivals this year I believe
6) Yes, the fairground rides seemed to be randomly scattered around the whole site this year - the dodgems were on their own at the side of the main stage...
7) If money were no object, I most certaintly would
8) Just Jelfs & Nade, yes. Chew and Ali stayed at home, Ben went to Exit festival in Serbia (which I would have gone to were i not on placement), Em Chris Sam & Moe went to a new festival in Cheltenham called '2000 trees', which by all accounts was even smaller than Ashton Court, but very nice.
9) Each to their own I suppose
10) You're welcome.
Right - time to bash out 4000 words - it can't be that hard, surely?
Good work taking the time out of the deadline to answer my questions. Even though I bet you enjoyed doing so as it meant you could delay the agony of starting the essay, which is now completed and a thing of the past.....isnt it?
I should say that the view this time around is still considerably better than when it was in Hartcliffe a few years back.....when the chavs began to take over the world.
Thank God they were all too young to know who the Stereo MCs were!
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