Music Festivals in Scotland

parkside_stroller

This thread is opened for discussion on the various music festivals in Scotland - large and small. I've jumped here from a T in the Park thread (HERE) but I'm hoping people will give some opinions on the pros and cons of the various festivals, share some experiences, discuss the rip offs and the best deals and much more.

I went to T in the Park this year - 2nd in a row.

I thought the music and various people I met were great but I thought there were various things which annoyed me - here is a small list of rants about T to get us started:

Beer - if you don't like Tennents Lager you are stuffed as there isn't any other on sale.

Drinks prices are too high - £3.10 a drink.

They add 10p on each drink for a plastic cup to encourage you to recycle, even if you don't take the plastic cup e.g. if you take a small plastic bottle of wine.

Some people feel they can't hold their drinks so they throw them over the crowd in front of them - and occasionally wet people throw their drinks back (usually hitting someone else entirely).

Camp site is terrible - poorly situated toilets mean people just add to the muddy mess by urinating near to their tent.

You have to walk for miles to get to the camp site from the car park and if you need to go back to your car you will not be allowed to go in the nearby main gate - you will have to enter the arena via the campsite again.

Transport is too expensive - it cost £18 each return journey this year from Edinburgh. If you are camping this is a total cost but if you don't have camping tickets (or can't bear to stay) then it will cost £18 each per day.
Citylink are the official bus service, let's compare some fares -
Edinburgh to Perth is 42 miles. Fares from £2 each way.
Edinburgh to Dundee is 61 miles. Fare from £2 each way.
Edinburgh to Balado (T in the Park site) is 26 miles and cost £18 - it was not possible to buy a single ticket.
How can the bus operators justify these prices?

Someone on the other thread mentioned some blogs about T in the Park that made for interesting reading, it was also suggested that the smaller Scottish festivals are better, the English ones are better again if you read some of the comments on the blog (links on Emms original T in the Park thread).

I've been to one of the smaller festivals this year too - Prestonpans Music and Ale festival - Link Here.
It cost £15 and I didn't pay an extra booking or post fee as I didn't go through Ticketmaster or any of the other agencies.
Do people think the ticket agencies charge too much or do they offer a good deal by ensuring genuine fans get tickets and this stops tickets from being sold at inflated prices by touts?

Do the large festivals charge too much?
Do they offer value for money?
What do the smaller festivals offer - are they better value?
Will less commercial festivals be able to attract bigger acts?

Could go on all night with questions but hopefully that gets the ball rolling.

Here are a few links for anyone who isn't aware of the other festivals apart form T in the Park.
Oban's Dunstaffnage Festival (28 and 29 July) - I can't make it that weekend but some great bands if anyone is interested in it click HERE.

Also looked at Balladrum (tartanheartfestival) but not enough for me in the music (Click here if anyone wants a look) unfortunately.
I really like the idea of getting my kids into a festival (they like music too) without paying through the nose and hopefully with some heed paid to keeping them safe and well.

http://www.outsiderfestival.co.uk/ has a mix of music and outdoor activities e.g. mountain biking

This is the link to the MSE page where this page was born - http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=473330&page=3

Emms

This thread is opened for discussion on the various music festivals in Scotland - large and small. I've jumped here from a T in the Park thread (HERE) but I'm hoping people will give some opinions on the pros and cons of the various festivals, share some experiences, discuss the rip offs and the best deals and much more.

I went to T in the Park this year - 2nd in a row.

I thought the music and various people I met were great but I thought there were various things which annoyed me - here is a small list of rants about T to get us started:

Beer - if you don't like Tennents Lager you are stuffed as there isn't any other on sale.

We dont drink at concerts/festivals. Dont really understand why people bother to be honest as most of them end up getting too drunk to remember anything and at £120 for a weekend ticket I would rather remember it!

Drinks prices are too high - £3.10 a drink.

Drinks are expensive at all events like this. I dont think that would be any different at any other festival.

They add 10p on each drink for a plastic cup to encourage you to recycle, even if you don't take the plastic cup e.g. if you take a small plastic bottle of wine.

I didnt realise they charged the extra 10p when you get a drink. They were advertising it as if it was just something you got back when you brought it back. Charging when you dont get a glass is out of order tho and personally I would contact them to complain.

Some people feel they can't hold their drinks so they throw them over the crowd in front of them - and occasionally wet people throw their drinks back (usually hitting someone else entirely).

Your pretty much going to get this everywhere too. If it was only beer they chucked it wouldnt be too bad but I dont want to think about that too much!

Camp site is terrible - poorly situated toilets mean people just add to the muddy mess by urinating near to their tent.

I havent camped before, never will cause I cant bear the thought of it. This year was exceptionally muddy due to all the bad weather. I dont think its normally as bad as that. The toilet situation doesnt sound very pleasant tho but they do that all over the place too. How many hundreds of people did you see peeing up against the outer fence, I even seen some dude doing it against the fence for the mail urinals! He only had to walk a few feet and he would have been in there!

You have to walk for miles to get to the camp site from the car park and if you need to go back to your car you will not be allowed to go in the nearby main gate - you will have to enter the arena via the campsite again.

I think its pretty rubbish too that campers cant gain access via the main entrance although im sure theres prob some reason for it.

Transport is too expensive - it cost £18 each return journey this year from Edinburgh. If you are camping this is a total cost but if you don't have camping tickets (or can't bear to stay) then it will cost £18 each per day.
Citylink are the official bus service, let's compare some fares -
Edinburgh to Perth is 42 miles. Fares from £2 each way.
Edinburgh to Dundee is 61 miles. Fare from £2 each way.
Edinburgh to Balado (T in the Park site) is 26 miles and cost £18 - it was not possible to buy a single ticket.
How can the bus operators justify these prices?

It is expensive but for any arranged event you are going to find inflates travel prices. The car park is also expensive. If you arrived on Friday you pay £12 for the weekend, if you had weekend tickets and were parking both days it was £8 for each day.

Someone on the other thread mentioned some blogs about T in the Park that made for interesting reading, it was also suggested that the smaller Scottish festivals are better, the English ones are better again if you read some of the comments on the blog (links on Emms original T in the Park thread).

Must go have a nosey at them

I've been to one of the smaller festivals this year too - Prestonpans Music and Ale festival - Link Here.
It cost £15 and I didn't pay an extra booking or post fee as I didn't go through Ticketmaster or any of the other agencies.
Do people think the ticket agencies charge too much or do they offer a good deal by ensuring genuine fans get tickets and this stops tickets from being sold at inflated prices by touts?

Do the large festivals charge too much?
Do they offer value for money?
What do the smaller festivals offer - are they better value?
Will less commercial festivals be able to attract bigger acts?

I think £120 for the amount of bands that are on offer is pretty good considering that the average concert it between £30-£40. It is still a lot of money though but I think in general all festivals are about the same price.

Could go on all night with questions but hopefully that gets the ball rolling.

Here are a few links for anyone who isn't aware of the other festivals apart form T in the Park.
Oban's Dunstaffnage Festival (28 and 29 July) - I can't make it that weekend but some great bands if anyone is interested in it click HERE.

Also looked at Balladrum (tartanheartfestival) but not enough for me in the music (Click here if anyone wants a look) unfortunately.
I really like the idea of getting my kids into a festival (they like music too) without paying through the nose and hopefully with some heed paid to keeping them safe and well.

http://www.outsiderfestival.co.uk/ has a mix of music and outdoor activities e.g. mountain biking

Theres another festival that we were thinking about going too but dont have the funds just now. Its liveatlochlomond

Theres also the connect festival at Inverary

This is the link to the MSE page where this page was born - http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=473330&page=3


Emma

Mattjimf

The smaller festivals are always going to be better, as they are less corporate. The price of the alcohol on site is about on par with normal concerts in Glasgow, Aberdeen, Edinburgh so not much problem there.
The car parks this year were a joke, but the trek will always be a pain at the start of the weekend.
There were problems with the toilets, but i have seen them worse in previous years.
As said above, you always get people throwing glasses even at indoor concerts, just pray that whatever is inside is cold, as then you have a pretty good idea it's not bodily fluids.
For Alternative festivals in Scotland, other than Tartan Heart, Outsider, connect and Live@Lochlomond there is also Indian Summer (on this weekend in Glasgow), Wickerman plus many small local festivals that although they don't have big names, you can still have a good time. For a better idea check out https://www.efestivals.co.uk.
Do they charge too much? When you consider that there may be ten bands that you want to see, if you were to buy tickets individually to see them in total it would cost roughly £300 (assuming that tickets are £30 inc booking fee), if you get a camping ticket for T it costs about half that, and that includes accomodation.
Do they offer value for money? Yeah they do, as you have so many bands on over the weekend, a lot of them you may never contemplate seeing, but you take the chance as it's not costing you anything extra.
The smaller festivals have more of a family atmosphere, and generally offer other attractions as well as music.
As long as acts are looking to get their music out to the masses then they will play where they can, also we are lucky in Scotland to have a good reputation as fun loving people who just want to enjoy ourselves and the bands appreciate that.

wolfehouse

indian summer festival today at victoria park glasgow from 2pm
http://www.ents24.com/web/event/1286658/Indian_Summer_Festival.html

Tatoola_Bongedie

I went to the Outsider Festival

my first ever (I'm getting on a bit now & am ticking boxes* but found the prospect of TITP waaay too scary) & we had a ball
even got up on the floor in the Dance Tent

we didn't take part in any of the 'outside' or environmental/political stuff, so I can't comment on that (am sorry I missed the Planetarium though) we just went for the music & atmosphere, both of which were great
everyone, from babes in arms to septuagenarians, seemed to be having a good time, & there was absolutely no 'bother' of any kind

around 10,000 attended, nice manageable size (hope it doesn't ever get too big) even the toilets remained usable, if a bit muddy :rolleyes: till the end
worst thing? I'd say the trek from car-parking to campsite, but I gather that's par for the course everywhere

at £75 for 3 days including camping, I thought it was really good value: some fabulous Scots bands, solo stuff from KT Tunstall & Eddi Reader & the the icing on the cake ... Crowded House :T

roll on next year, can't wait


*did a 3-in-one
1) festival
2) camping
3) dancing like a maniac in public

parkside_stroller

I know one to the attractions of T in the Park for me is that I can catch the bands I really like and see a bit of some others that I might have heard a little of but might never have seen elsewhere - so I've caught some good music just by popping into a tent while passing (or because the rain started).
I've sometimes missed that band that I really wanted to catch too - tent full (The View this year) and stayed to watch the band my OH wanted to see more (The Killers) but I've generally thought the festival was great.

In terms of value for money - it could be argued that it's good value given the amount of stuff that is on - especially if you are happy to maximise what you see by leaving a gig sharp to go to catch a bit of something else.
It isn't possible to see everything you want to see however so I'm not going to fall into T in the Park's marketing hype.

Wickerman has some appeal to me but I've looked at the line up and there might not be quite enough for me which makes me think that the more well known (or perhaps more currently popular bands) tend to look towards playing a T rather than elsewhere. I'm sure I'd probably have a good time anyway so I might still get tickets (Ripping Records in Edinburgh have plenty).
One of the things that grabs me about something like Wickerman is that camping is included - whereas they charge extra at T in the Park.
It's the way they seem to put premium charges on to things that generally hacks me off at T - the biggest example of this is the profiteering on the bus links.

Just on the subject of pint throwing - I can't get my head around why people pay so much for their drink and then throw it away but do people see a lot of this at other festivals?
It is years since I've been to any of the English festivals but I don't remember anybody throwing pints - is this a mainly Scottish preoccupation (I'd hate for us to be thought of as a nation that can't hold it's drink - lol)?
I know it's pretty common at some of the gigs I've been to in Glasgow (and I've seen it at the Corn Exchange in Edinburgh) but do people in Aberdeen, Dundee and elsewhere feel they can't finish their own drink and offer to share it with the crowd?
I'm far too tight to share my drink - might buy someone a pint though.

Ali1501

Tartan Heart Festival

I bought ticket's for DS and I....I'm excited :dance:

Mattjimf

parkside_stroller wrote: »

Just on the subject of pint throwing - I can't get my head around why people pay so much for their drink and then throw it away but do people see a lot of this at other festivals?
It is years since I've been to any of the English festivals but I don't remember anybody throwing pints - is this a mainly Scottish preoccupation (I'd hate for us to be thought of as a nation that can't hold it's drink - lol)?
I know it's pretty common at some of the gigs I've been to in Glasgow (and I've seen it at the Corn Exchange in Edinburgh) but do people in Aberdeen, Dundee and elsewhere feel they can't finish their own drink and offer to share it with the crowd?
I'm far too tight to share my drink - might buy someone a pint though.

Yeah it's very common, obviously at the larger venues in Aberdeen (AECC and Music Hall, although i have seen it done at the Beach Ballroom). It's just the way of the world that you get people who 'show' their appreciation by throwing drinks, IMO it's a waste of good alcohol!! :beer:

Tatoola_Bongedie

Mattjimf wrote:

Yeah it's very common, obviously at the larger venues in Aberdeen (AECC and Music Hall, although i have seen it done at the Beach Ballroom). It's just the way of the world that you get people who 'show' their appreciation by throwing drinks, IMO it's a waste of good alcohol!! :beer:

Emms wrote: »

Your pretty much going to get this everywhere too. If it was only beer they chucked it wouldnt be too bad but I dont want to think about that too much!

the 'beer' throwing issue? from what I gather, Emms has pretty much summed it up above _pale_

I have a friend who's been going to TITP since it started, & among tales of 'toilet' tents with buckets (fair enough) & poly bags (YUK!) & the more 'considerate' audience members wearing incontinence pants ...

she assures me that no-one there ever throws drink away
it is Scotland after all

goldspanners

I Have Been To T In The Park A Few Years Ago,really Started To Hate The Type Of Crowd It Was Attracting So Decided Not To Return,instead I Have Visited Other Festivals Over The Years And Have Found Better Value For Money At These,for Example The Leeds Festival Usually Has The Same Acts As Titp,but It Is A Lot Friendlier And Better Layed Out,they Don Want To Charge You For Every Single Thing You Might Need And If They Do It Is Usually A Fairer Price You Will Pay.
But Last Year I Went To The Wickerman Festival Just Outside Kirkudbright And Was Suitably Impressed With The Amount Of Freedom At This Festival It Is More Of A Family Orientated Atmosphere But Still A Very Good Festival,maybe It Doesnt Have Big Name Acts On All Day But It Is A Fairer Price For A 2 Day Festival It Has Everything Else The Big Festivals Have Just On A Smaller Scale,and You Are Not Conned At Every Turn,the Campsite And Campervan Site Is Very Close To The Festival Arena So You Can Go Back To Your Tent Or Van To Make Your Own Meals And Also A Big Money Saver For Us Was That You Could Freely Enter The Arena With Your Own Drinks Instead Of Being Forced To Buy The Main Sponsors Produce. We Also Returned To This Festival This Year To Find The Same Relaxed Approach And Discover Some Great New Acts (the Hussys And How To Swim).
Also Went To The Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival Last Year In Inverness,found This To Be A Mini Version Of Titp,not To Well Layed Out Heavy Handed Security And Trying To Pry The Pound Coins From My Tightly Clenched Fists At Every Turn Imaginable.
If You Are Looking For A Good Weekend Of Music And Discovering Some New Stuff That Doesnt Cost You A Fortune I Would Recomend The Wickerman,it Didnt Really Cost Us That Much To Get There Either,half A Tank Of Fuel There And Back,you Really Can Enjoy This Festival Without Worrying About How Much Money You Need When You Are There,i Think I Spent At Most £15 2 Baked Potatoes And A Few Pear Ciders,what More Do You Need.
Oh And A Severe Lack Of Neds!!!

Emms

goldspanners wrote: »

I Have Been To T In The Park A Few Years Ago,really Started To Hate The Type Of Crowd It Was Attracting So Decided Not To Return,instead I Have Visited Other Festivals Over The Years And Have Found Better Value For Money At These,for Example The Leeds Festival Usually Has The Same Acts As Titp,but It Is A Lot Friendlier And Better Layed Out,they Don Want To Charge You For Every Single Thing You Might Need And If They Do It Is Usually A Fairer Price You Will Pay.
But Last Year I Went To The Wickerman Festival Just Outside Kirkudbright And Was Suitably Impressed With The Amount Of Freedom At This Festival It Is More Of A Family Orientated Atmosphere But Still A Very Good Festival,maybe It Doesnt Have Big Name Acts On All Day But It Is A Fairer Price For A 2 Day Festival It Has Everything Else The Big Festivals Have Just On A Smaller Scale,and You Are Not Conned At Every Turn,the Campsite And Campervan Site Is Very Close To The Festival Arena So You Can Go Back To Your Tent Or Van To Make Your Own Meals And Also A Big Money Saver For Us Was That You Could Freely Enter The Arena With Your Own Drinks Instead Of Being Forced To Buy The Main Sponsors Produce. We Also Returned To This Festival This Year To Find The Same Relaxed Approach And Discover Some Great New Acts (the Hussys And How To Swim).
Also Went To The Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival Last Year In Inverness,found This To Be A Mini Version Of Titp,not To Well Layed Out Heavy Handed Security And Trying To Pry The Pound Coins From My Tightly Clenched Fists At Every Turn Imaginable.
If You Are Looking For A Good Weekend Of Music And Discovering Some New Stuff That Doesnt Cost You A Fortune I Would Recomend The Wickerman,it Didnt Really Cost Us That Much To Get There Either,half A Tank Of Fuel There And Back,you Really Can Enjoy This Festival Without Worrying About How Much Money You Need When You Are There,i Think I Spent At Most £15 2 Baked Potatoes And A Few Pear Ciders,what More Do You Need.
Oh And A Severe Lack Of Neds!!!

Good post but very difficult to read. Go easy on the capital letters!

Emma