If you missed it, you can check out a really good report on greener festivals from the BBC as part of the Countryfile programme, which was first shown on Sunday 23rd August and is now up on the BBC iPlayer.

It features contributions from our very own Claire O'Neill, Big Chill production manager Claudia Langmead, Big Chill land owner James Hervey-Bathurst and from Melvin Benn, boss of Festival Republic. John Craven’s report explores the impact of audience travel to festivals on greenhouse gas emissions, recycling and the waste left behind at festivals by the fans and returning the land back to the beautiful countryside it usually is.

The iPlayer link is http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00tl5fv/Countryfile_22_08_2010/ and John Craven's report starts at about 09.40 minutes in and the second part on the hard work which is the 'clear up' and the positive economic impact of the Big Chill is at about 31.20 minutes in.
 
Claire also featured on BBC news (fame at last!) where BBC reporter Maddy Savage visited the Oya Festival in Norway – where the four main stages at the festival are powered by 100% sustainable power from hydro-electricity. You can see more here http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-10964307 including another fascinating video.

Oya was a winner of the 2009 Greener Festival Award and overall winner of the ‘Greenest festival in Europe’ award last year, presented at the European Festival Awards. The Croissant Neuf Summer Party, one of our ‘outstanding’ festivals in 2009, received the same title at the UK Festival Awards last year. This year we have had an amazing number of entries for our Greener Festival Awards scheme and we are on track to make nearly 50 Awards – that’s up from 37 in 2009, 32 in 2008 and 16 in 2007 when we started the scheme. And some of the festivals we have been to this year have made really big improvements in making their festivals more environmentally friendly and in reducing their greenhouse gas emissions. We will have an interim list of Award winners on our site at www.agreenerfestival.com soon and a final list of this year’s recipients will be published at the end of September on that site and on this site, with the UK, European and US winners joining the record breaking nine Australian Festivals who have already won our prestigious Award this year.

Our Awards organisers, Helen in the UK and Europe, Lee in the USA and Amie in Australia, have been flat out processing Awards applications and getting independent auditors to all the events who enter our Awards scheme so a big ‘thank you’ to them – but also a big thank you to all of the festival organisers who enter our scheme, or who sign up to the ‘Green n Clean’ scheme in Europe, or who have signed up to the 10:10 campaign to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. 10:10 is an innovative carbon reduction campaign that works with individuals, businesses and organisations ranging from hospitals to councils to schools. Cross music industry initiative on climate change group Julie's Bicycle is working alongside the 10:10 campaign to help festivals identify and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and festivals who have pledged to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by 10% this year include Lovebox, The Big Chill, Lounge on the Farm, the Isle of Wight Festival, Latitude, Bestival, T-in-the-Park, Reading and Leeds, many of whom are leading contenders for the Greener Festival Award as well.

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Ever since Carl Barât’s drugs-or-the-band ultimatum to Pete Doherty backfired in 2004, the Libertines reunion rumour mill has been working over time to predict when the boys in the band to put aside their issues and pick up their guitars again. At a press conference in April, it was finally announced that that day had arrived and the four men who captured the hearts and minds of a nation’s music lovers were to make their return on the main stage at Reading and Leeds at the end of the summer. With those gigs just over a week away, now feels like the right time to get our expectations in check and weigh up the situation. Will the final notes of ‘I Get Along’ ring out across the field, echoing through our hollowed, dead souls or will 100,000 people be left dazed from witnessing one of Britain’s great modern bands back together and on form?

Of course, the motive behind the reunion could be the crucial point between success and failure. Undoubtedly, the Libertines are back in business for the money, no question. Who wouldn’t be when Festival Republic come knocking on your door, showering you with 1.2 million shiny pounds in return for only two shows? But whether the cash is the only reason for getting back together is another matter entirely. The band themselves have maintained their all-about-the-music stance from day one, even when questioned about it by countless journalists and scrutinized by message board-dwelling fans the world over, but whilst they might have got their poker faces down to a tee, the real way to see if they’ve been telling the truth lies in the performance. They have the potential to outshine headliners Arcade Fire within one bar but if their hearts aren’t in it, they will merely be a flickering torch to the Canadians’ sparkling chandelier of light.

Assuming our old Arcadian friends are doing it for all the right reasons though, there’s then the small matter of them not having played together as Messrs Barât, Doherty, Hassall and Powell for near enough six years. With other commitments keeping the four apart, rehearsals only got under way in the second week of August and by the time bank holiday weekend comes around only two warm up shows (one for friends and family, one open to fans) will have been played. Even for a band who built their legacy on being shambolic and chaotic, such little time to refresh their memories of chord progressions and choruses might not be enough.

What they play could also be the difference between a hoard of frenzied teenagers and a sea of bored faces shouting for the ‘hits’. Some of The Libertines’ best songs remain unreleased, left in shadowy corners of the internet for savvy fans to stumble across but whilst hardcore fans might want to hear those tracks live, crowds at one of the biggest festivals in the country probably aren’t going to share that enthusiasm. That leaves us with the ‘Can’t Stand Me Now’s and ‘Time For Heroes’ end of the Libs catalogue, and although they might not be part of everyone’s dream set list but they are more likely to unite the whole crowd in singing along with all their might.

Whether or not this reunion is one of the select few that actually end up being good is still unknown but we’re hoping for legacy’s sake it’s the most talked about and exciting set of the weekend. The thing about these boys, though, is there’s always the potential for it to go very, very wrong. Which, I suppose, is all part of The Libertines’ charm.

By Rhian Daly.



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With grime, R&B and hip hop in such rude health, why are we yet to see a bespoke urban music festival? Christopher Swindells finds out…

The infamous meeting of Anti Nazi League and Rock Against Racism on 30th April 1978, as they form a 80,000-strong procession from Trafalgar Square to an open carnival in east London’s Victoria Park. The Clash’s historic performance (with Sham 69’s Jimmy Pursey guesting) was an iconic moment for the anti-fascist movement of the time that was set to become part of UK music legend. If the event set to remove the strangleholds of racism from the UK music scene after controversial comments from figures like Eric Clapton what has its legacy been and why has the growing movement not produced even a handful of ‘urban music festivals’ today?

Urban music - the catch-all, sometimes cumbersome but nevertheless generically used shorthand tag for Afro-Caribbean culture and music. It was the modern day struggle to recognise the musical influence of ethnic minorities like the Afro-Caribbean community within Britain that led the way for The Love Music Hate Racism resurrection thirty years on in 2008. It was hardly the return to grandeur and promise of the seventies as Patrick Wolf, Hard-Fi, and The View padded out a limp, lifeless line-up. Perhaps the fans, whose numbers equalled that of Victoria Park’s 1978 celebrations, had reason to cheer though as amongst the banal indie were new British pole bearers for urban music like Chipmunk, Tinchy Stryder and Roll Deep. Yet today as music fans embrace over 800 music festivals every year in the UK only a small handful will specialise and serve any duty in the name of urban music. The 2008 event demonstrated, for all the bravado of equality in the progressive 21st century society that New Labour had championed, the truth was clear for all to see: the urban act was a beast best caged with the other animals for fear of letting it loose on a platform all of its own.

It might come as some surprise to hear the establishment in the form of The Prince’s Trust have made the most pronounced strides in recent years in championing the ‘urban festival’ on British soil. Both 2004 and 2005 of the Trust’s festival at Earls Court featured MC’s, street artists and rappers from De la Soul to Xzibit. Over 15,000 punters attended the sold-out festival, which served as a measure of both arrival of the underground culture that had emerged from the British capital and how the US born scene now had its own unique British born resurrection.

Another cornerstone of the establishment that has had its hand in furthering the cause is the much revered BBC. Since its conception in 2002, Radio 1xtra has promoted live events and festivals showcasing the best in urban talent. But you could say that remit has been taken fairly lightly of late: 2010 holds no plans for live events, as the station seems subject to the corporation’s obsession with cost-cutting.

The scene today, in the wake of recession, seems far from the promising and fertile land for urban talent that it did just a few years ago. This is a perverse statement when it’s hard to escape how quickly urban music has grown from the peripheries it inhabited just a decade ago to the heights of chart-topping nobility today. Jay Z remains one of the biggest rap acts in the world, having sold over 40 million albums, and Eminem was named ‘artist of the decade’ at the end of 2009 by Billboard magazine. On the national scene, never has urban music from R&B to grime seemed in such a state of rude health, from the  Mercury awards handed down to Dizzee Rascal and Speech Debelle to, love it or hate it, the nonstop chart takeover bid by N-Dubz and Plan B. Yet the chart dominance of these lucrative few acts seems the preserve of the established catch-all music festival as a breakaway event that can deserve the unashamedly urban tag is forever just out of sight. For every cider-fuelled folk fest in a country barn, to every metal-studded, fist-pumping, rock n roll joint surely there should be an urban music festival making up some friendly competition?

There is one reason why in 2010 some believe urban music festivals are still on the endangered list. The criticism of the London Met and Form 696 that has in recent years dealt with licenses for live events has seemingly blighted attempts in the capital to forge on with such events that seemed aimed at minority groups. After immense public pressure, a restructuring of the form was granted in September of last year, removing the need for organisers to specify target audiences. Campaigners like Undertones ex-vocalist and Chief Executive of UK Music Feargal Sharkey said the move hadn’t addressed the problems anywhere near enough.

The signs are showing, too. Last weekend the capital welcomed Julian Marley for the One Love Festival at Hainault Forest Country Park. A weekend bursting with over a hundred of the best dub and reggae acts was a rare treat for those with one love for reggae. Indeed, all urban music fans might find themselves wondering how for every folk, dance and even heavy metal festival there isn’t an equal number of competing urban festivals. The big names like Glastonbury, Reading and Leeds weekend and T In The Park might be happy sprinkling some token urban rap and rhythm into an overstated guitar-based line-up, but that’s little comfort to fans of urban beats who go without a weekend that takes some pride in their music taste. The festival scene has embraced the urban scene, albeit with a limp hug that can celebrate the mainstream acts and leave the heavier, less popularised acts in the dark, while the urban scene waits and has still yet to embrace the festival scene. The Notting Hill Carnival remains one of the few events devoted to celebrating urban music over 40 years since it began. Surely new life and self-preservation for urban fans and artists is learning from Notting Hill. Life can only be better outside the fold, in the sun, rather than having to make do with sharing the festival tent with the older brother who still thinks it’s rather hip to be square?
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It was a busy week for A Greener Festival environmental auditors: our new assessor Clare was off to the ever enjoyable Cambridge Folk Festival, Kim and Pomme had Kendal Calling and I got the big metal banana itself, the now 60,000 capacity Sonisphere. And I have to say having enjoyed a rain soaked Sonisphere last year, it has definitely got bigger – much bigger – and good news for organisers Kilimanjaro Live, the Sunday was a complete and utter sell out as metal fans flocked to Knebworth House in Hertfordshire for a feast of metal, rock, electro and punk. With a stellar line up topped by Iron Maiden, Rammstein, Alice Cooper, Slayer, Placebo, Motley Crue, Gallows, Pendulum and Alice in Chains the weekend was blessed with remarkably good weather too (last year it rained!) continuing this blogger’s run of good luck with festivals this summer – a baking Glastonbury, a roasting Lounge on the Farm and now a glorious sun drenched Sonisphere.
 
I got the train from London and the shuttle bus at Stevenage station couldn’t have been easier – a distinct improvement on last year when things were a bit more muddled - and well done to the organisers for making train travel so easy. There were big signs up at the station, directing festival goers to the shuttle bus, friendly staff on hand to help and plenty of room for rucksacks and tents.  It’s a quick ride over the motorway and then Sonisphere comes into view – with vastly more camping (and parking) this year.
 
The lovely Lucy showed me round the site just as Skunk Anansie came on stage – we had to stop and watch the end of their set by the way – they were on TOP form – a real eye opener – and Skin hasn’t changed AT ALL – I must get some of whatever she is taking – my picture in the attic is running out of time.  The site is remarkably litter free (for a festival) and one new innovation at Sonisphere this year was a Coke sponsored recycling scheme where punters could ‘swap for swag’ – returning used plastic bottles to a big stand in the main arena where they could swap them for swag  – 10 bottles gets you a torch and lanyard, 15 bottles a cap and 20 bottles a T-shirt.  It works – when we got to the stand they were urgently trying to get hold of more stocks having completely run out – just as two of the sites most avid collectors returned with more recycling (see picture on the right)! Sonisphere also now have a 10p deposit scheme on their paper and plastic beer glasses and again it just encourages people to return glasses to the bar for recycling.
 
We all know left behind tents remain a big problem.  Apart from their ‘Simply The Fest’ campaign for recycling tents, Sonisphere have teamed up with The Better Festival Group (www.thebetterfestivalgroup.co.uk) to launch the Big Tent Recycle Campaign for 2010 to urge festival goers to recycle tents, sleeping bags and camping mats – it really is best to take all your gear home and reuse it, but knowing some people just won’t do this we really hope this scheme works.
 
Overall, a bigger, better and distinctly greener approach at Sonisphere this year. Hats (or recycled caps) off to them!

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Hey there readers - Katie P here - now one third of my way through my 30 festival adventure around the globe. Every week I've visited a different destination and had my fill of a fun new festival experience.

Week nine saw me head to Croatia for the stunning Soundwave Festival - a non-stop party hosted right on the water's edge among the pine trees and stars of the Dalmatian coastal region of the country. The stages saw everything from freestyle poetry, to gentle acoustics and experiment flute-playing to hard and heavy beats and night time basslines. I was joined by two Trident competition winners - two French UK residents - and we spent four days lapping up the sunshine, dancing the night away in warm and smiley surroundings and snorkelling in the sea. Ahh, it's a tough life.

For week ten, I braved UK soil for the tenth anniversary of the infamous Global Gathering festival near Stratford. Thousands of merry revellers gathered in the neon-filled fields for a weekend of dance and electronic fun from over 150 different DJs and artists. Special mention goes out to Chew Lips, Chase & Status, Jaguar Skills, Tinie Tempah, The Bloody Beetroots and Dizzee Rascal for making it an eclectic and fun-filled weekend in the English countryside.

Over the course of the next few weeks, I’ll head off to Paris and Bulgaria for more international fun, as well as kicking back and hanging at Beautiful Days in Devon.

For my full blog, photos and videos from the Perpetual Festival - and to be in with a chance of winning tickets to come with me - see www.tridentgum.co.uk

****
Katie Parsons
www.tridentgum.co.uk
www.twitter.com/katieparsons
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Winners of the 2010 Greener Festival Award are set to get our brand new trophy - although its not exactly brand spanking new as each trophy is made out of a recycled wine bottle - but with a brand new label design by our very own Luke Westbury, indicating that the winner has received the Greener Festival Award 2010 in one of three classes - Improving, Commended or Outstanding.
 
In Australia nine Festivals already have the Greener Festival Award and our Awards Organiser over in Oz, Amie, has kindly agreed to locate suitable wine bottles, empty them and affix our labels once she has, ahem, finished with them! The winner in Australia are Bluesfest, The Falls Festival (on two sites) WOMADelaide, Southbound, Fairbridge, Island Vibe, Blues n Roots and Peats Ridge (who were awarded an outstanding Greener Festival Award) and will be getting their trophies soon.
 
The final list of Award winners from the UK, European the USA will be announced in September and we hope to hand out the Award Trophies to UK winners at the UK Festival Awards in November (along with the overall Greener Festival award for the best performing UK festival, last year won by the Croissant Neuf Summer Party) and we hope to give out the winners' trophies to European Festivals at the European Festival Awards at The Eurosonic/Noorderslag Festival in Gronigen, Holland in January 2011 along with the award for best overall "Green 'n' Clean" European festival organised by our friends at the European Festivals' organisation Yourope (won by the Oya Festival last year).

Last year's Greener Festival Award Trophy was made out of recycled Plastic Bottles, re-moulded Wellington Boots and crushed CDs and designed by Sade Goddard, a student at Keswick School in Cumbria.
 
http://www.eurosonic-noorderslag.nl/en/conference/

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This Blog is from Rashon Massey [TheRFW.com/blog/15secFAME], one of our US environmental auditors and also a journalist for the Roving Festival Writer Blog. It was Rashon’s fifth BONNAROO and as Rashon says "the event still stands as an American triumph of music festivals. Bonnaroo is the only festival where the average person will lose ten pounds from sweat, dehydration and exhaustion throughout the course of the events duration." So - over to Rashon!

This year, being an official GREEN AUDITOR on behalf of A Greener Festival I was elated to explore Bonnaroo from a new perspective.  Assuming this role would allow me to investigate and interrogate those responsible for the greening initiatives and communities that not only orchestrate but blossom from the Roo.  This was my dream, momentous experience to branch out and begin finding new friends and exploring terra incognita within an experience I was developing a bad taste towards.

Alongside Derek Singleton, a suave, fedora-sporting young man who just completed an exciting, 82-page report taking a look into music festivals and their sustainability programs, we would examine the greening efforts together.  Both veterans of the event, I was excited to meet up with a new friend and discuss the potential and environmental impact a festival of this magnitude could produce. The duty and jobs to be performed by Derek and I were to work with the Bonnaroo Sustainability Coordinator, Laura Sohn, and complete an overall, comprehensive walk-through while asking questions, exchanging information and documenting through photo and video the onsite highlights of the greening efforts.

The festival spans a full weekend, yet Derek and I didn’t meet with Laura until noon on the final day of the event.  With her brightly-humorous and enjoyable spirit, Laura greeted us in the backstage media compound on Sunday, and with cameras, pens and paper, Derek and I boarded her gas-powered golf cart (although they do have electric carts as well!) and began the onsite greening tour.

The first thing Laura explained were words that still resonate within me: “Although Bonnaroo takes steps every year to get better, our greening initiatives are far from perfect.  Each year is a lesson of success and failures.”  Well shared words from a woman who has assumed this part-time, year round position since 2007.

Talk numbers, shall we?  Good. In 2009, 329-tons of landfill trash were collected, and 33 percent of all waste by weight was separated into recycling and compost.  30-tons of organic waste was composted which totalled three times as much as 2008, and Laura attributes the improvement of numbers to the implementation of the onsite “Trash Talker” program.  A work exchange system, “Trash Talker” rewards those attendees that can commit three, six-hour shifts next to waste stations (while wearing blue-gloves) in aim to aid the festival patrons with the disposing of trash, recyclables and compost in the proper receptacles.  For their tireless work and oftentimes on the spot sorting, they receive a free pass to the four-day festival.  A fair deal since ticket prices were about $240 or $275 at the gate/box office.

The first stop on our greening tour brought us to the onsite compost sorting area, which surprisingly did not STINK!  Welcomed by a mound of sorted and ready to go compost, a well-developed system of trash drop off, identification, sorting and separation takes place.  In a tented pavilion, more blue-gloved volunteers extensively do the work that most people would dread.  Like a well-oiled machine, the rotational groups of fifteen riffle through bags of trash, acting as the first line of defense to protecting our landfills and festival community ecosystem.

Something worth noting, vendors are rewarded for using compostable utensils and plates, and even if you brought enough food not to purchase goodies within Centeroo (the main area where music and activities take place), you are sure to use or see the biodegradable cups for lemonade, beer and assorted other beverages.  Produced by NatureWorks LLC, the cup is made of Ingeo biopolymer, a corn-based material, which allows the product to be sorted into the compost receptacles with other wasted food.  Although more expensive than your normal grocery store party cups, Bonnaroo continues to work with the company after six years because in just over a year, “the cups pretty much break down with the other stuff in the compost pile,” according to Sohn.  Beware – according to an article at Tonic.com, “the cups are not, however, officially “biodegradable” as designated by the United States Federal Trade Commission since Ingeo does not break down in nature in a “reasonably short time,” as per the FTC Green Guide’s specifications.”  Again – as Laura stated, Bonnaroo is not perfect, but it is trying to get there.

The next stop on our green adventure lead us to Anna Borofsky, owner of Clean Vibes (the company maintaining the recycling efforts at several major music festivals) at the mega recycling station.  A colorful, glittering heap of containers, bottles, cans and other recyclable products proudly congregate together and await delivery to nearby recycling facilities where further sorting will take place.  To crunch numbers again, in 2009 nearly 81-tons of plastic was delivered to Tennessee recycling plants by Clean Vibes, “…a fraction of the 130-tons of total gathered recyclable materials including scrap metal, corrugated cardboard, boxes and vendor cooking oil,” says Borofsky.  “By the looks of this pile, we already have more recyclables than last year.”

Laura took us past waste management, greening information stations and shared specific goals she would like to see addressed in the development and execution of Bonnaroo’s 2011 music festival.  Just like the budding projects for the desolate, rundown areas of Detroit, MI, Sohn hopes to begin community gardens around the town of Manchester to be tended and used by locals.  Not only a possible source that would provide fresh produce and fruit, but a cultivated idea which also opens the door for employment opportunities to stimulate economic revenue.   

The Bonnaroo team would then be able to access and use these foods during the festival, guaranteeing organic food and residual profits for the locals.

At the end of the tour, I also was able to take my duties as a GREEN AUDITOR to a special place in Centeroo themed “Planet Roo.”  Adorned with vendors, non-profits, organizations, café, a solar-powered stage and small lounge showcasing eco-conscious films and open discussion forums, Planet Roo is an area that Bonnaroo improves every year.  Whether you’re looking for more information from an organization aiding the cleanup efforts of BP’s latest oil catastrophe, or interested in reaching out to the worldwide OxFam cause to end poverty and hunger, resources abound are available to activate, encourage and bring awareness to giving back to not only our planet, but your home-based community.

While Derek and I hope to see the planning and execution of renewable energy sources (how much electricity did Jay-Z’s massive set use?), Bonnaroo is on the right path and strives for improvement.  Many do not receive the opportunity to interact and witness the 24/7 energy and persons it takes to keep the four-day festival moving, and for that, I am incredibly grateful I received the privilege.

I left Bonnaroo 2010 with a perspective and acquired experience that trumps any prior reservations I once felt towards the music festival.  Being able to elevate the experience beyond the headlining acts and my year after year complaints reminded me that sometimes new adventures are happening all around us.  Even the Bonnaroo experience changes, but it is up to each of us to allow our view and focus to be broadened and opened to our surrounding environment. Just as Laura stated, nothing is perfect, but it is the quest to better ourselves and the land.

www.bonnaroo.com

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Recession? What recession? Bella sold out even before the final acts had been announced, and Twitter and Facebook are resounding with disappointed wails. It looks to be a vintage year, with a line-up in which the headliners (Feeder and Amy Macdonald) are only the tip of a very eclectic bill. Musically you can take your pick: Oxford's rising stars Stornoway, classic club diva Candi Staton, Bob Marley's legendary Wailers, original folkrockers Wolfstone featuring local boy Duncan Chisholm, the glorious voice of Neil Hannon's Divine Comedy, Badly Drawn Boy, Rachel Sermanni (local singer/songwriter who wowed the music biz earlier this year at Go North!), Claire Campbell with her lovely Abagail Grey, current album chart-topper Eliza Doolittle and more.

Collect fun festival favourites Orkestra del Sol's Top Trumps while you do the conga, the waltz and the polka. Old-stager Dick Gaughan rubs shoulders with new kids on the block Woodenbox and A Fistful of Fivers. Harper Simon (son of Paul) continues a noble tradition, Colin Macintyre is no longer Historical but still from Mull as is charming indierocker Sorren Maclean. Fence Collective's King Creosote and ex-Razorlight's Andy Burrows' new band, I Am Arrows are both bound to draw a crowd. The DJs in the Mother's Ruin outdoor dance floor include The LED (winners of the Rock Ness DJ Competition) and Skinnyrocket from Paris, bringing his box of techno techno techno... Eclectic really is the only word. As usual, I'll be arriving at Belladrum with a cast-iron list of Must Sees from which I'll constantly be diverted by the lure of amazing sounds coming from one stage or another but that's festivals for you, and the chance-seen band is often the one which lingers longest in the memory.

Belladrum describes itself as "Homegrown heaven in the Highlands" and it fosters homegrown bands with the Seedlings tent, as well as booking Scottish bands who are already thriving out on the festival circuit, like Kassidy (hot from Bestival) and Twin Atlantic (soon to support Blink-182 and Limp Bizkit). It's not just about music, there's entertainment of all kinds as well. This year's I'm heading for the Co-operative Verb Garden, chaired by journalist Iain McWhirter (Sunday Herald, Newsnight Scotland), with a range of debates which should encourage some cathartic ranting (possibly fuelled by the accompanying whisky tastings).

At the Venus FlyTrap Palais Mr Boom will entertain the littlest festival-goers while the Remains proudly announce themselves as the only Ramones tribute band in Achiltibuie, and if tribute bands are your thing, there's Gimme Abba and Maybe Winehouse too. Street theatre, trapeze and capoeira in the Arena; salsa, belly dancing and yoga in Madame Fifi's Dance Parlour; music workshops in Tweedledee; stories and puppet shows in Tweedledum; more puppets, workshops and a flea circus (the real thing? surely not in these days of health and safety) in Tir Na Nog; theatre, clarsach and a wedding (brave souls) in the Temple; parachute games, crafts, drama and Eden Court's Flash Mob in the Snapdragon tent ensure that there is entertainment for the whole family no matter what the weather decides to give us.

Talking of the weather, this has been one of the worst summers in this area of the Highlands that any of the locals can remember, not so much for the rain, though that's been plentiful, as for the relentless grey clouds. Packing for Bella you'd be advised to take wellies, waterproofs and Avon's Skin-so-soft (which is, bizarrely, among the best midge protection potions in existence). But pack a sunhat and some suncream in case Bella's legendary weather-working magic succeeds in clearing a gap in the clouds. Oh, and did I mention the food and drink? Best in the business. See you there.

By Jenni Macfie.
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Lounge on the Farm is a fantastic ten thousand capacity festival that is now a well established part of the Kent music calendar. Set in rolling farmland near Canterbury, the festival has a real emphasis on local – local foods, local juices and even local beers.

This year the festival was blessed by glorious sunshine which came in handy as I ended up walking from the rail station to the site. Now there was meant to be a shuttle bus but I have to say it wasn’t at the station and no-one knew anything about it – no signs – no staff – but you know, the festival crowd is a great bunch of people and within a few minutes train passengers were working out taxi shares with (up till then) complete strangers, and some of us set off on foot (yes, I checked the map first!).

Merton Farm was buzzing when I got there and I had planned to meet up with Neil who was looking after all things green. As we had set a time for later on, I decided to catch up on a couple of bands and these included the Yearner Babies who feature on our ‘Festivals Harvest’ album, and I had the interesting experience of a rather over excited dreadlocked young man dancing in front of me – I just wish he had thought to wear trousers that fitted – or worn a belt! Grey pants aside, the Cow Shed (yes, it really IS a Cow Shed) was really relaxed with a good crowd.

One new innovation at LOTF this year is that the festival is now using tools from Julies Bicycle to measure their greenhouse gas emissions. It is important that festivals set a ‘benchmark’ and measure their greenhouse gas emissions on an annual basis – it’s only when they know what greenhouse gases they are emitting  and from where that festivals  will have a chance of reducing  carbon and other greenhouse gas emissions. You can find out more on the Julies Bicycle website  - www.juliesbicycle.com.  But as audience travel is going to be a major factor, a well-publicised travel and transport plan remains a must.

Recycling is a priority at LOTF and it is a really clean site with well marked recycling points which split waste into four streams –three recyclables - paper, glass, plastics and then waste.  All of the catering I saw used recyclable plates and cutlery although the bars still use plastic disposable glasses – it would be nice to see souvenir or reusable glasses in the future – something a number of festivals like Cambridge Folk Festival have brought in. But it really was great to see almost all of the food and drink sourced through local suppliers and from local firms. Kent is called the ‘Garden of England’ so why not use food and drink that grows on your doorstep!

The line up was as good and varied as ever – Hercules & Love Affair, Toots & The Maytals, Martha Reeves, Phill Jupitus on the new comedy stage, Electric River, Josh Weller and DJ Yoda – but it was nice to see that LOFT has a solar powered cinema as well as a number of charity stalls over in the Meadows, excellent to see that  kidz weren’t forgotten and Greenpeace had a big presence on site. LOTF is great fun – and getting greener every year – so happy fifth birthday LOTF!

www.loungeonthefarm.co.uk

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Firstly, congratulations to all of the winners of the competition to win a copy of our brilliant double CD and download album ‘FESTIVALS HARVEST’ – if you have won, you would have got a email from us by now. And almost all of Virtual Festivals’ truly international readership (as far a field as the USA and Germany, Australia and Belgium) got it right – how do you cut down on personal CO2 emissions to get to festivals? Well, walking and cycling are brilliant, followed by coach and train - but if you have to go by car – the answer is LIFTSHARE!
 
On the topic of travel, Latitude sent us a really really well planned out transport plan for this year’s festival (which has just finished). Organisers Festival Republic were keen to encourage festival-goers to respect the local environment and local residents and put in place public transport options to encourage everyone to leave their cars at home, with a convenient network of coaches, trains and shuttle buses to get right into the heart of the festival. With transport to and from festivals the biggest contributor to CO2 emissions, public transport options are essential to lightening a festival’s environmental load. Not only that, it will also help to reduce congestion in the car parks and on the surrounding roads. Cycling was certainly one option – and Latitude had bike racks available onsite for cyclists and whilst actually walking to the site was discouraged, as local roads around the site are not suitable for pedestrians, there was a shuttle bus available. The festival also joined up with National Express, Anglian Bus and rail operators to offer a variety of convenient and good value public transport options pointing out that travelling by train emits three and half times less CO2 than travelling alone by car and travelling in a full coach is the greenest form of motor transport with each journey generating less than 10% of CO2 per person than those who travel alone by car (see the statistics below). Latitude also promoted Liftshare and had almost 900 people registered for Liftshare for the Festival. If just a third of them matched a lift, that’s a potential saving of almost 24 tonnes of CO2 - if every car coming to Latitude Festival had 4 people in it, there could be almost 3000 fewer cars and a reduction in CO2 emissions of almost 240 tonnes!
 
It has been really nice to see bands who feature on ‘Festivals Harvest’ out and about at festivals too – Ellen & The Escapades, Mayhew, Tom Williams & The Boat and My Luminaries were all at Glastonbury and Yearner Babies at Glastonbury and at Lounge on the Farm (yes Duncan, that WAS me in the audience). The amazing Beaus will be at the Tramlines Festival at the Peace Gardens in Sheffield on the 24th July - catch them if you can - its free!  If you haven’t got a copy of Festivals Harvest yet – you can get 28 brilliant new tracks from 28 brilliant new bands here and here and here.
 
We have been busy busy busy visiting festivals who are taking part in our Greener Festivals Awards scheme – in the UK, on mainland Europe and in the USA.  Penny kicked off our visits with a trip to Spain for SOS 4.8 in Murcia, Rob then had a mini tour of his own to Open Air St Gallen in Switzerland and then on to Rock for People in the Czech Republic and back for The Big Session in Leicester, Luke visited the ever brilliant and inspiring Isle of Wight Festival as well as Wireless in Hyde Park, Sharon was at Hard Rock Calling, Claire went to  Hadra in France, Penny and Mish visited Glastonbury, Iain made it to T-in-the-Park in Scotland, Hel went to Wood, Alicia was at Sunrise and Ben made it to Lounge on the Farm in Canterbury. Over the pond in the USA, our Awards organiser, Lee, organised visits to Summer Camp, Lightning in a Bottle and Bonnaroo  - and thanks  to Rashon, Lindsay  and Derek for their help in the US. Over in Australia, Amie has done all her hard work and has her feet up, busy sticking our own very special labels on recycled empty bottles of wine – for our 2010 Awards season winners – hic! We have more to get too as well, including Sonisphere, Kendal Calling, Big Tent, The Cambridge Folk Festival and Splendour in the Grass, Grassroots, Summer Sundae Weekender, Oya Festival, Malmo Festivalen, Rototom Summer Sunsplash, Solfest, Bestival and the Croissant Neuf Summer Party. See you there!
 
Lastly – it was really nice to get an email from Shai, a festival organiser in Israel, thanking us for our efforts. This is what Shai said: “Thanks for the quick reply, and for the data you've sent.  Your site brings a lot of inspiration to where we could be if we gather in good ideas and knowledge from festivals with experience.  We hope you'll keep on with this beautiful work, and hope we'll get some progress here that we can show off! We’ll  be in touch and Thanks again!”
 
Those travel statistics:
CO2 Emissions per Passenger Mile getting to and from a Festival
 
(1) Coach: 26.97g. Car: 334.2g.
(2) Train: 96.32g. Car: 334.2g.
(3) Car (4 people): 86.05g.
 
Based on DEFRA 2008 emissions figures, coach with 40 passengers, train with
national average occupancy rates, solo occupant in cars.

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Greetings readers! Katie here having a few days rest before returning to the road for the Trident Perpetual Festival. I've completed six of the 30 festivals that I will be visiting around the globe - and am still having the most incredible time!

Week five of the international jaunt took me to the legendary Sonisphere Festival in Istanbul in Turkey, where myself, two comp winners and 40,000 Turkish fans were treated to three days of incredible heavy metal fun courtesy of Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, Anthrax, Rammstein, Alice In Chains and more.

Housed in a giant football stadium on the edge of the water (in Europe, looking over at Asia!) - the amazing event was packed with an enthusiastic audience, rock and roll karaoke, interactive stalls, food, drink and enough black t-shirts to fill a submarine! The festival was pretty slickly organised, and short changeovers between bands meant the metal kept on rolling from 2pm till 11pm each day. Highlight performances include Alice In Chains who were moving and intense, Rammstein's fire-starting stage mania, Antrhax's chaotic mosh pits and Metallica's amazing presence. Add to that three mornings spent wandering the streets of Istanbul and checking out the local mosques and architecture - and you've got yourselves an amazing weekend. Hooray!

Week six had me back in Wales for the extreme sport loving Wakestock Festival. 10,000 music fans gathered in fields just south of Bangor for three days of great live performances, wakeboarding competition events and all-round partying tomfoolery. I managed to meet some pretty amazing celebrities over the course of the weekend - Plan B, N-Dubz and more - and interviewed Mr Hudson, Chase & Status, Huw Stephens, Feeder and The King Blues too! It was a really diverse line-up and I danced to a DJ set from Zane Lowe, indie-rock from Frankie And The Heartstrings, pop fun from The Ting Tings and much more. Winners Courtenay and Georgia had a great time partying in the summer sunshine - and we even took a morning trip to a local beach for pasties and ice cream! A lovely time had by all!

Right now I am pretty tired - but ready and excited for all the forthcoming 24 festivals of fun! Roll on week seven!

For my full blog, photos and videos from the Perpetual Festival - and to be in with a chance of winning tickets to come with me - see www.tridentgum.co.uk

****
Katie Parsons
www.tridentgum.co.uk
www.twitter.com/katieparsons


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It’s less than 3 weeks to go until Lovebox, it’s 9.27pm on Sunday 27 June and I’m sitting at home in front of the laptop, with every window that can be opened open (and its still absolutely boiling) and piling through the ridiculous amount of e-mails that come in at this time of year. Well actually, to fess up, I’ve just sat down after having had a “dance like nobody’s watching” moment in my living room to Insomnia by Faithless courtesy of BBC4's Glasto coverage  – still sends shivers down the spine and conjures up memories of many good days, or rather late nights gone by.

Most of tonight has been spent sifting through about 200 e-mails in my inbox, trying to spot the killer diller ones that really need dealing with and moving them up the To Do List to fight alongside the others that are already up there. Sunday night is a good time to do this, a bit of peace and quiet away from the buzz and chatter of the office and the phones ringing off the hook, time to think and deal with things that really need dealing with, even if Glastonbury is doing its best to de-rail that in the background.  

This period is about running on adrenalin. Most festival organisers will tell you that under normal circumstances, it really would be impossible to deal with the amount that has to be dealt with in the final lead up to a big festival. But someway, somehow, you get through it and at the end of it all, when you see people having such a great time, you feel blessed and know it was worth the hard yards.

Just one last thing to do before bed, say my prayers to the Sun god, kick back and watch Stevie Wonder and try not to be insanely jealous of all the people who have enjoyed an amazing Glastonbury this year.   At some point during the night I will wake in a cold sweat dreaming that I’m walking around the festival stark naked and then later on that we played Germany in the World Cup and got beat 4-1. Cue Homer Simpson voice...Doh!

Rob Silver
Head of Lovebox
Lovebox
Friday 16th, Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th July 2010Comments (0) | Permalink

So once again the dishevelled punters of Glastonbury pack up their tents and begin the long trundle to their cars. No doubt a few wrinkly hippies will continue to live the dream until they get kicked offsite later this week.

2010 has been a vintage year, the stuff of dreams. A mammoth forty-year birthday celebration with the sun beating down on all who came, featuring so many A-List surprise collaborations that we couldn’t contain ourselves any more, bubbling over with so much joy that harnessing the positive vibes in some way would have created a fresh renewable energy source.

Glastonbury is my favourite weekend of the year by a country mile. There’s something about the place that makes me sigh from the romance, spirit and adventure of it all whenever I set foot on terra firma from the coach.

The fields of the farm come alive with energy and the place looks like it’s been sprinkled with magic fairy dust from the pockets of the festival gods. Flags flutter in every corner, sculptures spring from the ground, while even the drinking dens and eateries create secret alternative universes whenever you step through the threshold.  

From the peaceful spiritual vibe of the Green Fields through to the hedonistic carnage of the Dance Village, there is quite literally something for everyone here. And everyone feels that magic, with punters, traders, performers and security going all out to enrich the experiences of everyone around them.

Where else would you see parasol-wielding ballerinas gracefully swanning across the site, shading hot audience members from the sweltering sun, or Geisha Dogs pouring drinks for the thirsty hordes in a Japanese-themed speakeasy?

I have made so many friends at this incredible place over the years just through the sheer randomness of it all - joining Conga parties down by the Pyramid Stage, and helping Shangri-La fire fighters to put out ‘fires’ with their water guns.

This is what it’s all about: an opportunity to meet people who have come along with an open mind and an open heart for a weekend of fun, fun, fun.

And it’s all for a good cause – the many partner charities receive the proceeds from this wonderful weekend. This is quite literally the festival that just keeps on giving.

So it is that I shall resume my daydreaming about Glastonbury for the next 12 months, ticking off the 358 days remaining until 2011 bursts forth in a blast of technicolour light.

Oh Glastonbury, how I do love thee…

By Laura Foster.
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Hello all! Katie P here - I just got back from my 3rd and 4th festivals of a total 30 that I will be reporting back on from around the world.

For week 3 of the Trident Perpetual Festival Experience I jumped on a short ferry ride for the Isle Of Wight Festival. Taking place over three days in the gorgeous summer sunshine, the festival played host to some of the world's best legendary artists as well as promising newcomers of all genres.

On my first day I was treated to a foot-stomping set from Calvin Harris which got the entire festival dancing in the early evening. The main stage was then graced by the incredible Florence And The Machine, offering up an utterly spine-tingling and angelic performance to the gathered thousands. Headliner for the night was Jay-Z - kicking out the kind of infectious beats and hip-shaking grooves that are impossible to ignore and even harder not to fall for. The sight of thousands of hands bouncing in unison was an exceptional end to the night. Day two was a beautiful blur of The Hold Steady, Paloma Faith, Crowded House, Blondie, Biffy Clyro and The Strokes - a wonderful mix of old and new, happy rock and dirty pop, Scottish riffs and massive hits. Class. The final day at Isle Of Wight was all about three performers for me - Friendly Fires, Pink! and Sir Paul McCartney. An amazingly diverse range of sounds and styles, but all performing with such glee and joy that they were amazing to watch. Add in a large dose of dancing, partying, World Cup matches, terrible fancy dress - and Isle Of Wight was certainly a brilliant weekend of musical fun.

For week four I headed down to Wales for Beach Break Live - a student weekday festival specialising in non-stop entertainment, beautiful surroundings and hoards of happy people. From Plan B to Chase & Status, Beardyman to Toddla T - it was a fun-filled few days of great music and massive beats - along with fake moustaches, powder paint fights, beach volleyball and fairground rides. Whether lounging on the sand, dancing in a tent or playing ping-pong in a field, there was something for everyone at this brilliant week away. A definite must-go for next year!

Right now I'm preparing for a trip to Turkey and Croatia, plus a whole host most festivals on the way. If you fancy the chance of winning tickets to come with me, enter your Trident Gum pack details into the form online on their website. Good luck!

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The entries are in - the judges have judged – and in the end after much deliberation we have one clear winner, Natalie Porter, and two most excellent runners up, Gearoid Maher and Ben Harris. We had so many good ideas we thought we should mention some of them here and we would also like to point out that all of these ideas will be looked at carefully by lots of festivals and so when it gets to the next festival season, some of these ideas might well be actually happening at events  – making them greener and cleaner – thanks to you!
 
Natalie’s idea was very simple – and clearly could be very effective in preventing food waste at festivals.  Natalie works at Glastonbury and she helps to run a large backstage catering facility.  She said: “every year we have to order food before the festival, and as the weather is inherently unpredictable, so are our sales! Any perishable food left over, such as bread and vegetables, that isn’t worth taking away is donated to the welfare groups catering for clean-up crew and their families. It would be great if festivals could encourage this on a larger scale, as so many food outlets must have leftover stock that would otherwise be binned”. Simple, neat and an idea that our judges Claire, Lucy and Catherine felt sure many festivals will be looking at.
 
Gearoid’s idea was equally simple but effective – and believe it or not is to do with tyre pressure on cars. Both Catherine and Claire liked this idea and Claire pointed out that it goes way beyond just festival travel. Pointing out that transport is a major source of CO2 emissions at festivals, Gearoid proposed a solution called “Reduction by Inflation”, focussing on reducing emissions from private cars, by offering a free tyre check and inflation service to all vehicles queuing to enter festival car parks. Users of the service will have their tyres inflated to proper pressure, and will receive tyre safety fact sheet to keep in their car. It’s a neat solution – as Gearoid points out, under-inflation needlessly increases rolling resistance of tyres, forcing engines to burn more fuel, increasing fuel consumption by 10-15%.  By inflating festival-goers’ tyres to proper pressure, a festival can cut CO2 emissions and increase the fuel efficiency of attending cars. What a result!
 
Ben’s idea can be best be described as “putting the ‘pee’ back into power”. Ben pointed out that toilets could use the dead aim of festival-goers to power simple electric generators. “A turbine placed inside the catchment area of a urinal would prove to be an irresistible target. These could be installed in the men’s urinals and the women’s she-pees giving a light-hearted fun edge to the one part of festival life that people often speak badly of” adding “Energy produced from these toilets would go to an adjacent charging station where phones, PDAS or cameras could be left charging while watching a band. Money made on this stall could be used to further off set the festivals carbon footprint by going towards a green policy already in place”.
 
Recycling was high on many people’s agendas – particularly cup and beer glass deposit schemes and left behind tents. It’s already good to see a number of festivals like the Cambridge Folk Festival and Latitude running successful souvenir beer mug initiatives, but many of you suggested this should be widespread – reducing waste and keeping festivals green and clean. With tents, Kevin Deely pointed out that the thousands of tents that get left behind at festivals are often brand new or in good condition and that whilst many festivals have tried to persuade people to take the home them or find another solution – they have met with little success. So Kevin says: “why not have a simple sign that can be universally agreed which means “I have left my tent, you can have it. Maybe a sticker, or cheap flag or something?” And with the sticker affixed, either organisers or indeed other festival-goers can take the tent home." We liked this as a positive grass roots idea that lets people take the initiative – and coupled be an ‘anti-prankster device’ to stop your idiot mates sticking a sticker on a wanted tent, this is a really good idea – thanks Kevin! Paul Barker’s idea would be to collect up all the tents and camping equipment left behind, have volunteers sort clean and repack the equipment up into bags and sell it on the official festival websites - and the money raised could be split between charities and organisations linked to festivals such as WaterAid and Greenpeace. Paul points out “this would save the equipment going into general rubbish waste and would save fellow festival goers hours of hunting around on the internet looking for the best deals, as we could come directly to you for second hand equipment that would also benefit others”.  Ed Gawne came up with a couple of corking ideas and we really liked the idea of priority tickets at a future festivals for those who support the environment.  Festival-goers would need to  check in with attendants when they have set up their camp and state they want to take part in an opt-in scheme. This means people can’t claim to have cleaned an area they haven’t actually camped in. They have to go back to attendants and have their site checked when they leave, and/or could contribute a couple hours to clearing other sites. Their wristband number is recorded, and traced back to whom they are. “Priority ticketing are exactly the kind of loyalty thing done by mobile phone companies, where it works well. Tickets obviously go like hot cakes, so allowing people a ‘day beforehand’ to buy if they opt into “love the farm, leave no trace” ticketing would make a real difference. If there are concerns too many people would sign up, this could be done under a quota”.
 
We had simply masses of ideas about kinetic energy and Claire really liked Theo Miller’s point that as “Every person at the festival has to go through the turnstiles at the entrance” this could be “turned into power”. Martyn Hill was one of a number of people who suggested turning all indoor dance floors into pressure pads so that energy is collected and stored for use elsewhere, or just to offset those tents saying: “Add them just randomly around the site with a booth and a (solar powered) stereo and people will just dance on them regardless of what time of day or night…that’s just what we do :) ”. Nice idea Martyn, as was the suggestion as the Kids Field “surely has high levels of energy that can be captured. Kids love doing things, and middle class parents love saving the world even more!” Casey Shaw suggested that the heat that is given off by the lighting on the stages could be transferred back to heat water for use in showers saying that this technology was already being used at the TV studio she worked at (well done ITV!). Our judge Catherine thought that the best and most elaborate of the many kinetic energy ideas (which judge Lucy thought was practical and efficient too) was simply to put kinetic energy converters under walkways at festivals. Phil Shuttleworth said “With the paths being the main walkways and very busy especially at night I am sure you would create enough power to run some of the festival as well as run the lights.  If you also have the paths locked together in the fields in from of the stages, (not the whole field) then when music is playing and the crowd jump up and down as they do at the front this will also create energy. The more excited the crowd is the more energy created. This would particularly work well in the dance village.  It just seems that at a festival there is so much kinetic energy spent this should be harvested. And with these boards platforms if you will being portable there could be money made transferring them from festival to festival”. Thank you Phil.
 
Matthew Arnold sent us a some really detailed set of opportunities open to festivals that would assist in reducing the environmental impact including using anaerobic digesters to create biogas from faeces before turning it into biomethane for central heating and gas appliances saying “biomethane gas can also be used to drive a gas engine to produce electricity for the festival”. Matthew also highlighted the Hatsudenyuka Floor, “a technology that features elements capable of generating piezoelectricity. The piezo elements convert the pressure and vibration of footsteps into electricity, used to power electrical equipment. Piezoelectricity applications have been trialled in train stations and dance floors, and while large-scale systems are yet to be launched, roll out of the technology is being planned”. Thank you Matthew.

David Minch was one of a number of you with ideas about waste – human waste – saying that the proceeds of one Glastonbury should fund a main sewer network and on site processing plant. The long term aim should be biogas production to be stored for use on the farm and if possible and economically viable it could also produce fertilizer adding “this is a chance to create a centre of excellence in poo processing” – love it David!
 
Finally, Travel is a major concern for festivals and we had lots of good ideas here. Audience travel to out of town sites really does form a major part of all greenhouse gas emissions, and Gearoid’s idea on inflating tyres is already a winner. Catherine really liked Samuel Walter’s idea that festivals should make travel a part of the festival experience saying: “Host a folk club and music on certain bus and train services (the Sheffield to Edale folk train is an existing monthly folk club in which folk performers perform on public transport on the way to a venue in the middle of the Peak District.) If this model can be organised on a major scale to a festival, getting the festival-goers to partake as well as professionals then it makes the public transport travel more appealing to the public, you will miss out if you don’t do it. Travelling should be made a part of the festival”. We know our friends at the Big Green Coach Company are already doing this and Beach Break Live set up their eco-race competition for low carbon travel solutions – so things are getting better! John Milburn said “For me a great way for the festival to get greener would be for the coach companies to genuinely subsidise entry to the site as at the moment it is not attractive enough to get people out of their cars." John said: “The coach companies could offer a better rebate against the cost of the tickets and / or provide better services for customers – showers on the coach for the return trip?” A good idea John.
 
There were some amazing entries and we will make sure the best ones get to festival organisers. A big “Thank you” to our judges Catherine (Julies Bicycle), Claire (Association of Independent Festivals/AGF) and Lucy (The Glastonbury Festival).  Natalie’s winning goodie bag is fabulous and includes CDs from The Verve, Orbital and the Futureheads, DVDs and CDs from The Glastonbury Festival, a very exclusive Nirvana T-shirt from their last ever ‘In Utero’ tour, A Latitude Festival mug, a Glastonbury Crew T-shirt, BRITS memorabilia, our new Festival Harvest CD featuring the best of new British talent and lots of other goodies. The runners up bags for Gearoid and Ben will be almost as good. Promise! Special thanks for the prizes to Glastonbury, EMI, Big Life Management, BPI, Darren and FaceAche and DMS. We would also like to give EXTRA special big thanks to all of you readers of Virtual Festivals for entering!

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The festivals are all rolling in it, taking all our money and making some of our favourite events more commercial aren’t they? Or are they?

At the Festival Conference in 2009 you probably would have been shocked to see the lack of hands being raised to the question "Was your event profitable last year?" I know I was. The only ones I can remember off the top of my head were Glastonbury and Creamfields.

So why aren’t the others making money?
Well, among the problems the festival world is facing are rising costs of production/equipment/staging/artists fees/waste disposal etc so they’ve got a lot to contend with to make sure the event takes place year on year. Add to that some great English wet weather and all of a sudden they’re faced with costs of providing fixes to ensure the festival-goers and stages don’t disappear into a pool of mud, having to repair the land afterwards and also pick up the cost of disposing of the increased level of abandoned camping gear and other possessions.

So, with not making enough money to turn a profit they have to look at other ways to ensure your favourite event returns year on year and doesn’t end up in the festival cemetery. Now, I’m not a festival organiser, I can only speculate but common sense would point to solutions such as:

- More tickets having to be sold.  Thus reducing the amount of personal space available to you for dancing and camping, possibly losing that boutique feel.

- Your ticket price increasing year on year to the same cost as a last minute all inclusive week in Alicante.

- The hiked up price of your beer, cider and burgers as a knock on effect of higher pitch costs.

- And lastly the introduction of the ever so hated commercialism of Nestles, the Coca Colas and TK Maxxs’.

So then starts the moaning of the masses - “this festival isn’t what it used to be”, “it’s got too commercial now”, “it’s too expensive”.  And these are all valid points but it’s the sad truth that some events might have no other choice to go down these routes to ensure they can return the following year, they don’t (well, at least not to me) appear to be doing it just to line their pockets.  Festival organisers generally start putting on an event for their love of music and they put on a party to end all parties generally with little financial return from the event itself.

Maybe - and this is just my idea to create more of a zen-like utopia in the festival world - instead of people getting so worked up about their favourite festivals getting too big or commercial people could re-direct their attention to themselves and their fellow festival-goers, realise how much of an effect they can have on their event and create more of an atmosphere to look after their festival.

Maybe, if enough of an impact was made by the festival-goer a festival team could promise something in return? A ban on Rowntrees Randoms, a freeze or reduced ticket prices, bigger acts or even some beer tokens to everyone in way of saying thanks? A scheme/initiative like this would be different to what's been done before, might make people pay more attention, become more aware than they are now and take action.  Cause let’s face it, while many do make the effort to put their waste in bins, recycle and take their belongings home with them, a number of people aren’t and so the “Leave No Trace” messages don’t seem to be getting us very far.

Anyway that's my two pence worth, this wonderful non-commercial, cheaper, clean, green, funky festival zen world may never happen and I do understand that some morons will always be morons but I still reckon quite a few could be converted with the right approach. Until then I'll carry on dreaming and breaking up the festivals in beautiful locations that get trashed and make my soul cry, with the festivals were you can hardly spot a single cigarette butt on the floor and could happily walk barefoot the entire weekend. They restore my faith in humanity but admittedly sometimes their line up isn't as strong as the behemoths.

So if you think your event is getting too expensive or has become too commercial, before you have a moan at the festival organisers take a look around at the end of your weekend and particularly on the final day and ask yourself how much could that cost to clean up/dispose of? Then appreciate that what you’re looking at might be one of the many reasons why all the things you hate about festivals will be happening again next year.

Jenni Wares
Respect Your Festival
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The first winners of the Greener Festival Award 2010 have been announced – and we have a record breaking eight Australian festivals getting our prestigious Award, topped by Peats Ridge Festival whose team win our outstanding Award for 2010. These eight brilliant festivals made the grade in Australia (nearly double the number who won last year) and they are all a testament to the real efforts Australian festivals are making to get green and clean, and lead the fight against climate change. The winners are Bluesfest, The Falls Festival (on two sites) WOMADelaide, Southbound, Fairbridge, Island Vibe, Blues n Roots and Peats Ridge.

Our Awards Organiser in Australia, Amie, adds this: “Due to Australia’s magnificent size, five new assessors put their eco-credentials to good use in the 2009/2010 festival season here, helping us to collect data from states around the vast continent. Our motley crew is female dominated, not because we have anything against the boys but that’s the just the way it has turned out. With a steady increase of participating festivals, up to 8 from 5 last season, and with festivals from 6 states covering distances of over 5,000kms (around 3,000 miles) the sheer magnitude of assessing events over this kind of space without flying or otherwise pumping out carbon emissions is our biggest challenge. That’s where my girls come into it. The process usually starts pretty quickly after a festival has contacted me with a desire to be involved and assessors are usually found through friends of friends. All of our assessors have a passion for the environment and most have had some experience with the workings of the music industry. But the key recruiting factor is a desire to get involved. Once contact has been made training on what is expected of the assessors and how they might go about this takes place. Access to a help-sheet, which details practical advice for the first-time assessor as well as looking over some previous assessments to gain an understanding of what level of detail is needed. It is at this point that assessors are asked to clarify key words so they are clear in their meaning in this context. Please bear in mind that all of the above goes ahead via email or occasionally phone. In fact I couldn’t actually tell you what two of my assessors even look like. We’ve never met face to face. But despite that I can tell you they’re dedicated and professional and carpooled to get to each festival they attended. And their smiles look like this - :D” Way to go Australia, Amie and her team!
 
And thank you to all the Virtualfestival.com readers who entered our Great Big Green Ideas competition – we had a massive number of entries and the judges (Catherine from Julies Bicycle, Claire from the Association of Independent Festivals and Lucy from the Glastonbury Festival) are going through them now. Loads of you suggested ‘people power’ - turning human energy into electricity to power lights for example through kinetic energy and ‘piezoelectricity’, there were some great ideas on transport improvements especially on lift-sharing and car pooling,  clever ideas to improve coach access and coach travel , lots of ideas for better recycling onsite at festivals, some really good suggestions to instigate and improve deposit schemes on glasses and cups, some, errrm,  very imaginative uses of human waste (“putting the ‘p’ back into power” was one’ ) and plans to build solar and wind generating facilities at festivals. Sadly Dan’s idea to “make U2 play acoustically at Glastonbury with no lights or microphones on” can’t be tested in 2010! The results will be out soon – watch for the next blog! Many thanks to the Big Issue for supporting this competition – the results will be announced in a couple of weeks right here and two clever funsters will each get a goodie bag stuffed full of festival – well – stuff, including CDs, DVDs, exclusive crew T-shirts and lots of other, well, stuff!
 
And finally – do you want to win a FREE copy of our brand new FESTIVALS HARVEST album???!!! We have one hundred free – yes FREE – downloads to give away of this great new album which features twenty eights great new bands picked by organisers at some of our best British festivals including T-in-the-Park, Glastonbury, Solfest, Isle of Wight, the City Showcase and Kendal Calling.  All you have to go is to go to www.agreenerfestival.com/blog and find the keyword on there (hint – it’s nice to share a car and greener too) and just email that keyword to agreenerfestival@aol.com.

If you are selected as a winner you will be emailed back with a special link - and twenty eight hot sizzling tracks will be yours – free! Bands featured include Glastonbury’s Emerging Talent Competition winners Ellen & The Escapades, the hotly tipped Mirrors, UK Festival Awards critic nominees Yearner Babies, The Orkid, the outstanding four piece girl band from Plymouth, Lykez, the brilliant and innovative urban act from London, Doncaster’s hot new talent The Beaus, the beauty of Faded Cadence, Tom Williams & The Boat, already a firm festival favourite, and outstanding contributions from Mayhew, Mopp and A Band Called Quinn, all from Scotland.

ENTER NOW TO HAVE A CHANCE OF WINNING! proceeds from the album, released on June 7th, go to help our work in helping festivals get greener.

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Hello! Katie P here - frontlady for the all-new Trident Perpetual Festival experience. Over the course of the next eight months, I'll be heading to 30 different music events - one a week - and reporting back on my adventures through blogs, photos and video interviews from all over the world.

Last week I set off on the first of my global treks to Ibiza for the industry-famed IMS. I was joined - as I will be each week - by two competition winners, who got their mitts on tickets through a random draw on the Trident Gum website. Kyle and Aaron from Burnley came along with me for the adventure, and we had five days in the sunshine soaking up the fun-fuelled atmosphere of the party island.

Our first three days were spent at the IMS - which is an International Music Summit bringing together the best minds, ideas and developments from the world of electronic music and DJing. Housed in the stunning five-star Gran Hotel in Ibiza (a short walk from the famed Ibiza Town port) a bespoke conference room hosted the full-day lectures, which ranged from tech-specific equipment demonstrations to debates on the future of social networking. We saw interviews with David Guetta, Pete Tong and Mark Ronson among others, and made a whole load of new friends and international buddies.

In the evenings we sampled the musical-highlights of the island, including clubbing at Pacha and bar-nattering at Grial, culminating in the incredible Ibiza IMS Grand Finale Festival hosted at the top of a fort over-looking the sea. There were DJ performances from Skream, Pete Tong, Mark Ronson and Sasha - with 2,000 people dancing united to the tunes as the sun set over the island. Never before have I sung, laughed and bounced around in such a stunning location. I'd heard plenty of mad things about Ibiza before going there, but now I am completely converted. I'll be heading back there later in the year for the closing parties - so keep checking the site for your chance to win and come with me! We'll have a blast!

For Katie's full blog, photos and videos from the Perpetual Festival, see www.tridentgum.co.uk

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Katie Parsons
www.tridentgum.co.uk
www.twitter.com/katieparsons
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When U2 were announced as one of this year’s Glastonbury headliners, a phonic phenomenon, which I can best describe as what a pig mating with a foghorn might sound like, rumbled in the ether as festival-goers collectively groaned or cheered in equal numbers.

I was with the groaners, mourning the loss of an exciting opportunity for Glastonbury to wow us in its fortieth year. It felt safe, predictable and worst of all, dull. However, it also made a lot of sense.

Whatever you, or indeed I, may think of the shark-jumping, irrelevant, tax-shy perpetrators of musical blandness, the fact remains U2 are living, active legends with an extensive back catalogue of at worst popular and at best classic songs (most of which can be heard daily on Heart FM – not that there’s anything wrong with that). Add to that their reputation as one of the best live bands around, who were bound to pull out all the stops for their first ever festival appearance, and you can see “crowd pleaser” written all over it.

But that was before Bono’s back packed up. Exit U2; enter Gorillaz, Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett’s “virtual band”, which has become increasingly real of late with pixels taking more of a backseat. It wasn’t the most obvious choice, but again, it makes a lot of sense.

Gorillaz may not quite have the back catalogue of U2, but they still have a fair number of big hits from three critically-acclaimed, big-selling albums, the third of which they’re currently promoting, a diverse range of songs comprising various genres, and at least a few songs the crowd can sing-along to. It’s also guaranteed to be a feast for the eyes as well as the ears with Hewlett’s animated performers projected on giant screens, drawing the attention away from the real ones on the stage.

One of the most attractive and intriguing qualities of Gorillaz headlining, though, is a by-product of the aforementioned diversity. I’ll let Glastonbury organiser Michael Eavis fill you in: "I'm very excited about Gorillaz' show coming here because they're so open to guests and collaborations.” So not only will you get Gorillaz, but also some big names who have helped out on their albums - maybe a surprise or two along the way as well. The obvious ones are Mos Def and Snoop Dogg, who are already booked to appear at this year’s Glastonbury. Other possibilities include Shaun Ryder, De La Soul and Bobby Womack, all of whom appeared at a Gorillaz gig in London just a few weeks ago.

If you’re still not sold on the idea, at least be thankful they’re relevant. U2 haven’t been relevant since Noel Edmonds gunked people on primetime TV. Gorillaz are looking forward; Bono probably knackered his back by twisting to look backwards.
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All sorts of rumours are hitting festival news ranging from rock legends to RnB gods, even Kylie Minogue has been thrown in there for good measure. What’s assured is that whoever gets the slot will have some very large and rather legendary shoes to fill, so keeping that in mind, here the acts we think are the closest to snatching that infamous Friday night slot.

Writing the setlist:
Gorillaz – Following two highly successful African Express shows at Glastonbury and an unforgettable headline show with Blur last year, Damon Albarn is the go to man for Glastonbury Festival organisers. Gorillaz is his only project to not get an airing at Worthy Farm and with some of the group’s latest collaborators (Mos Def, Snoop Dogg…) already onsite over the weekend it’s a little bit of a no-brainer. VF has also heard from an inside source at their label to expect some big news on the subject and it doesn’t come much bigger than this.

They have one foot in the farm:
Coldplay – If the red tops are anything to go by, the band will already be in talks with Michael and Emily Eavis. Chris Martin has long been hailed as a friend of the family and without a UK festival show for some time, Glastonbury seems like the perfect opportunity.

Groove Armada - These guys are already on the bill, playing the John Peel Stage on the Friday, and with years of headlining experience behind them the move from one field over shouldn’t be a problem. It would be much easier to give their John Peel slot away to a smaller band than to find a brand new bill-topper.

Dizzee Rascal - The rapper was set to perform below U2 originally and he has more than enough live performance experience to steal the show. The Rascal has plenty in his album cannon to fill the time as well; the only question that remains is if he’s a worthy replacement for such a legendary band.

The Chemical Brothers – With a new album on the horizon and after drawing one of the biggest crowds the festival has seen in 2000, the dance duo may be a perfect fit for the show. They haven’t played the festival for a couple of years either and, out of the two ‘big’ live dance acts missing from the festival’s original line-up, only they and Basement Jaxx remain.

A Pilton possibility:
Paul McCartney – The former-Beatle is already touring and has a show in Hyde Park the same weekend. It would be easy enough to get him to pack his guitar and head to Somerset for the Friday evening to repeat his triumphant 2004 show. Not song for song, obviously, but we expect it would be fairly similar.

Kylie – The Aussie singer pulled out in 2005, but admitted to the papers earlier this month: “It’s too late for this year, they’ll have booked everyone, but I really want to get there some day.” That day might be closer than she thinks but the star has been off the radar for some time now.

Radiohead – It seems like we’ve been waiting a lifetime for them to return to Pilton and their insurmountable performance at Reading Festival last year would be the perfect aperitif for Glastonbury’s 40th anniversary. The only thing standing in the way would seem to be Thom Yorke concentrating on his solo work, but hey, they could kill two birds with one stone here.

Kings Of Leon – The band are already booked for Hyde Park just three days after the event, which could this work to their advantage. Glastonbury is a known favourite of the group after Michael Eavis gave them their UK festival debut and the nod for their first headline show as well. Is it time to repay the favour?

Beyonce – Her husband’s show did great things back in 2008 and Beyonce’s live concerts are just as revered by music critics. With an armour of musical assaults, the RnB queen is certainly ready to step up and make her first festival appearance, but is it too late to take the gamble?

Kasabian – Three albums down and they always seem to be left to do their thing on second billing. T In The Park and V Festival have given them the chance to prove themselves as top dogs this year, but it doesn’t seem like Glastonbury will too.

Lady Gaga – Her 2009 performance on the Other Stage was remarkable and today’s first lady of pop could certain bring the Pyramid Stage to life with pyrotechnics, crazy shaped fashion mishaps and glorious pop numbers. But with just one album it may have come too soon.

Worthy of a slot, but it ain’t gunna happen:
David Bowie – As much as fans want him there, David Bowie just isn’t going to perform. The Daily Mail learned their lesson back in November when they said he’d appear at Glastonbury this time around. His answer? “Sadly, there is absolutely no substance to this story."

The Rolling Stones – It would be fitting for the festival’s 40th anniversary, but they’ve already said no and U2 pulling out probably ain’t going to change that.

Prince – If he was available, the Eavis’ wouldn’t signed him up ahead of U2 and probably Muse. UK festival fans will have to wait a little longer to see him on the Pyramid Stage.

Led Zeppelin – Earlier this year Robert Plant suggested that he might appear in 2010 but so close to the festival starting, the rock legends look likely to watch it all from home instead.

The Cure – They have the credentials, certainly, but they’re notorious for turning down the advances of festival organisers and it doesn’t look like things are going to change now.

Arcade Fire – Perhaps one of the only contemporary groups able to fill the U2 boys’ boots, but Reading and Leeds usually sew their acts up with exclusives so they can forget it.
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