This is more for future me so I can read back and remember some of the in jokes and stuff that happened at Donny.
Wednesday - "GET TO THE CHOPPER". Bacon sandwiches at 1am with Emma and Tiff. Tiff awaking at the word bacon. Setting my sandwich on fire and throwing it.
Thursday - Burning my toast and juggling it around the site. 3 thong men skipping through Gold Camp.
Friday - Scrambling over the mud hills. Emma disappearing behind a mound. Dropping the guitar in coheed.
Saturday - Roly Polys down the hill. Poo smeared toilets. Rock Sugar "quarter to NI EE IIINE". Coming out the toilet with my water carrier, and going "...ahhhhhhh" when I came out. "DID YOU SEE THAT NINJA?" "What ninja?" "Exactly"!
Sunday - The mud baths. People sliding through it with an air bed and tent. Bin bag clothing range. Stripping in the car park.
Tuesday, 15 June 2010
Festival Hints
This might be a grower ;)
For anyone thinking of camping at places like Download Festival, V Festival, Glastonbury, Reading and Leeds etc etc. I'm going to try and compile whatever clever little ideas I have used/come across before in the attempt that one day, a festival newbie will find this and it might just add to their experience. So here goes.
1. Kleenex Packets. Instead of loading up on toilet roll and other large bulky bum wiping items, small packets of tissues pack easier, are a lot more discreet, and can be carried around the main arena rather easily. Bit simple, but worth knowing.
2. Hexamine. Apparently a lot of festivals are starting to ban any form of gas for cooking, and only allowing solid fuel or BBQs. In this case, Hexamine will be one of very few options. Firstly, the round tabs take a hell of a lot more to light than the square ones. You're looking at either 4 round or 2 square to heat a small kettle full of water, or a couple of tins. The gas given off though requires that you cover the food in some way shape or form. I personally took the lid off a tin, and placed a mess tin over the top.
2.5. BBQs. A good companion to the Hexamine cooker is a disposable BBQ. The metal base can be used to sit the Hex cooker to create a decent wind block. And the metal grill can be used on top to create a good base for balancing tins of food. You may also want to use firelighters in the Hex cooker if the tabs refuse to start. PS, it will leave one heck of a mess.
3. Tins. Tins tins tins are fab. They keep in the heat, come with ring pulls, and take no time at all to heat up. My favourite by a country mile is a tin of hot dogs. You can usually buy bread from the campsite shop. Toast the bread on the BBQ whilst you heat the tin, then you can have like 8 hot dogs wrapped in toasted bread. When you are cold and hungry, who wouldn't?
4. Cuppas. Since alcohol and soft drinks are damned expensive at festivals, and not everyone fancies being a drunkard, a cheap alternative is Tea/Coffee. Boiling a kettle at night takes no time at all, and it also gives you a way of keeping warm. That and in some supermarkets they now sell sachets of UHT milk, which you can keep in the tent for the whole weekend without worrying about it spoiling and stinking out the place.
5. Baby wipes. Simple really, keeps you relatively clean without having to head for the showers.
6. Tents. Always go at least 1 man bigger than how many people you intend to sleep in there. Don't just think "there are 2 of us, I'll get a 2 man tent". My personal favourite is also the pop up tent. Especially when the rain starts, or you need to get the hell out of dodge on the final night.
7. Chairs. Camping chairs are a god send. So take one, because sitting on the floor might sound fine before you go, but is a nightmare whilst you're there. If you intend on travelling light, a camping stool should be your weapon of choice.
8. Clothing. Plan for all weathers. Hoodies, rain coats, shorts/skirts, vests, hats, and everything in between. It might be sunny when you leave, but this is England, and since when has the weather been predictable?
9. Hayfever. Funnily enough, standing in a field all day can affect those who suffer from hayfever, who knew? So plan way ahead and take your pills/sprays in advance. Whilst your there, make sure you take them as often as the manufacturers allow. My hayfever is pretty terrible so I took Loratadine, Cetirizine, and Beconase Spray. One thing to consider, and please keep in mind I have no previous medical background, but Syndol tablets contain Doxylamine Succinate, one of the most powerful antihistamines there is. It is one of the original antihistamines, so it is one of those that can make you drowsy. But hey, you're at a festival, so you shouldn't be driving or operating heavy machinery anyway. Just be aware that Syndol is also paracetemol, so watch how much you take.
10. Jet lighters. Completely impervious to rain and wind, and WILL light that damn BBQ I tells ya.
11. Towels. You never know when you'll need a towel. Read the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy.
12. Radar Phone Apps. For some of the current wave of smartphones, there are apps that use GPS to "mark" where you are, and when you want to come back, they act like a Radar and point you back to where you were. The one I use is on Android and called CarDar. When you are parked at a festival, there can be another 100 000 patrons, so your car can easily be lost in the mist. Couple that with 5 days of partying, and people leaving, arriving, and general removal of landmarks, finding your car can be nigh on impossible. But using CarDar, I managed to return straight to my car, in the middle of the night, in a giant carpark. Brill :)
I'll add more as I think of them, but that's a good start isn't it? =]
For anyone thinking of camping at places like Download Festival, V Festival, Glastonbury, Reading and Leeds etc etc. I'm going to try and compile whatever clever little ideas I have used/come across before in the attempt that one day, a festival newbie will find this and it might just add to their experience. So here goes.
1. Kleenex Packets. Instead of loading up on toilet roll and other large bulky bum wiping items, small packets of tissues pack easier, are a lot more discreet, and can be carried around the main arena rather easily. Bit simple, but worth knowing.
2. Hexamine. Apparently a lot of festivals are starting to ban any form of gas for cooking, and only allowing solid fuel or BBQs. In this case, Hexamine will be one of very few options. Firstly, the round tabs take a hell of a lot more to light than the square ones. You're looking at either 4 round or 2 square to heat a small kettle full of water, or a couple of tins. The gas given off though requires that you cover the food in some way shape or form. I personally took the lid off a tin, and placed a mess tin over the top.
2.5. BBQs. A good companion to the Hexamine cooker is a disposable BBQ. The metal base can be used to sit the Hex cooker to create a decent wind block. And the metal grill can be used on top to create a good base for balancing tins of food. You may also want to use firelighters in the Hex cooker if the tabs refuse to start. PS, it will leave one heck of a mess.
3. Tins. Tins tins tins are fab. They keep in the heat, come with ring pulls, and take no time at all to heat up. My favourite by a country mile is a tin of hot dogs. You can usually buy bread from the campsite shop. Toast the bread on the BBQ whilst you heat the tin, then you can have like 8 hot dogs wrapped in toasted bread. When you are cold and hungry, who wouldn't?
4. Cuppas. Since alcohol and soft drinks are damned expensive at festivals, and not everyone fancies being a drunkard, a cheap alternative is Tea/Coffee. Boiling a kettle at night takes no time at all, and it also gives you a way of keeping warm. That and in some supermarkets they now sell sachets of UHT milk, which you can keep in the tent for the whole weekend without worrying about it spoiling and stinking out the place.
5. Baby wipes. Simple really, keeps you relatively clean without having to head for the showers.
6. Tents. Always go at least 1 man bigger than how many people you intend to sleep in there. Don't just think "there are 2 of us, I'll get a 2 man tent". My personal favourite is also the pop up tent. Especially when the rain starts, or you need to get the hell out of dodge on the final night.
7. Chairs. Camping chairs are a god send. So take one, because sitting on the floor might sound fine before you go, but is a nightmare whilst you're there. If you intend on travelling light, a camping stool should be your weapon of choice.
8. Clothing. Plan for all weathers. Hoodies, rain coats, shorts/skirts, vests, hats, and everything in between. It might be sunny when you leave, but this is England, and since when has the weather been predictable?
9. Hayfever. Funnily enough, standing in a field all day can affect those who suffer from hayfever, who knew? So plan way ahead and take your pills/sprays in advance. Whilst your there, make sure you take them as often as the manufacturers allow. My hayfever is pretty terrible so I took Loratadine, Cetirizine, and Beconase Spray. One thing to consider, and please keep in mind I have no previous medical background, but Syndol tablets contain Doxylamine Succinate, one of the most powerful antihistamines there is. It is one of the original antihistamines, so it is one of those that can make you drowsy. But hey, you're at a festival, so you shouldn't be driving or operating heavy machinery anyway. Just be aware that Syndol is also paracetemol, so watch how much you take.
10. Jet lighters. Completely impervious to rain and wind, and WILL light that damn BBQ I tells ya.
11. Towels. You never know when you'll need a towel. Read the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy.
12. Radar Phone Apps. For some of the current wave of smartphones, there are apps that use GPS to "mark" where you are, and when you want to come back, they act like a Radar and point you back to where you were. The one I use is on Android and called CarDar. When you are parked at a festival, there can be another 100 000 patrons, so your car can easily be lost in the mist. Couple that with 5 days of partying, and people leaving, arriving, and general removal of landmarks, finding your car can be nigh on impossible. But using CarDar, I managed to return straight to my car, in the middle of the night, in a giant carpark. Brill :)
I'll add more as I think of them, but that's a good start isn't it? =]
Monday, 14 June 2010
What?
Helen Summed It Up Rather Well
With "do you feel more human yet?"
If you had seen me at 7:30 this morning, 3 hours after I'd returned home and gone to bed, I would have best been described as a warmed up bag of shit that showed some faint signs of life.
But now, after a little bit of sleep, some of my regular diet, a couple cups of coffee, and the best shower of my life, I actually do feel more me. But I think it's going to be a couple of days before I am, ME. Maybe a grapple tonight and stint in the gym tomorrow will fix me =]
If you had seen me at 7:30 this morning, 3 hours after I'd returned home and gone to bed, I would have best been described as a warmed up bag of shit that showed some faint signs of life.
But now, after a little bit of sleep, some of my regular diet, a couple cups of coffee, and the best shower of my life, I actually do feel more me. But I think it's going to be a couple of days before I am, ME. Maybe a grapple tonight and stint in the gym tomorrow will fix me =]
That's All Folks
And that's it for another year. Massive thank yous to Rich, Tiff, Emma, Alfie, Ava, Tish and Nikki. This weekend would have sucked without you.
All that's left is to unpack the car, and wash my very ruined clothes. Got some serious work cut out for me to rectify the damage both to me and my property.
Now after the sun rise drive home I was wishing for, its time for sleep (for a couple hours at least).
All that's left is to unpack the car, and wash my very ruined clothes. Got some serious work cut out for me to rectify the damage both to me and my property.
Now after the sun rise drive home I was wishing for, its time for sleep (for a couple hours at least).
Sunday, 13 June 2010
The Final 3
Ok, maybe I wasn't the last man standing. Bit too premature on that one. Anyway, here are our final 3 contestants =]
Last... Man... Standing.
Fighting off terrible cold, flooding, quagmires, blistering heat, hunger, thirst, burns, I am the last man standing =]
Billy Idol
Is it me or is he a bit of a let down? I think I'll wonder over for Dillinger and Porcupine Tree. And hello rain.
Intensive Care
Is what's needed after a festival like this. I feel nothing like my regular self. I have painful, swollen eyes, and a nose that won't stop running. Just general groggyness. O well. Either way, Download.
First band we caught was Atreyu, which was a surprise cuz it seemed they'd swapped with Flyleaf, who we saw next. After that was a few minutes of Five Finger Death Punch, followed by a quick treck to see Cancer Bats. I then managed to persuade everyone to come to Rock Sugar, who were brillaint. Enter Sandman and Don't Stop Believing worked so well together.
Back to the main stage for Lamb of God and Megadeth. Deftones blew the crowd away after, and I crept away near the end to catch Breed 77. Finally Rage Against the Machine, who definitely live up to all the hype and more. Just, wow.
In other news, my FPOS came in handy on an unconscious girl, and some lunatic smeared faeces and on the roof of the portaloo just. This place is nuts.
First band we caught was Atreyu, which was a surprise cuz it seemed they'd swapped with Flyleaf, who we saw next. After that was a few minutes of Five Finger Death Punch, followed by a quick treck to see Cancer Bats. I then managed to persuade everyone to come to Rock Sugar, who were brillaint. Enter Sandman and Don't Stop Believing worked so well together.
Back to the main stage for Lamb of God and Megadeth. Deftones blew the crowd away after, and I crept away near the end to catch Breed 77. Finally Rage Against the Machine, who definitely live up to all the hype and more. Just, wow.
In other news, my FPOS came in handy on an unconscious girl, and some lunatic smeared faeces and on the roof of the portaloo just. This place is nuts.
Saturday, 12 June 2010
Take THAT Mess Tin!
Or why you should always cover your tins while cooking them on a Hexi Burner w/ Fire Lighters.
Yeah, I'm Back in Black
And smelling rather funky. Day 1 is over and the bands have been great. 36 Crazyfists were astonishing, and I loved the duet with Howard on Elysium (like on the album). Killswitch were as brutal as always. Coheed were as talented as ever. Them crappy vultures, hmmm, they shouldn't have been anywhere near that good a slot. They were simply subheadliners on individual rep alone. But together, just bad. Finally, AC/DC acted like they'd never left. Time for at least some sleep before day 2. Eek
Friday, 11 June 2010
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