juliet: (waveform tree)
Sadly no tipi this year (the tipi people were all at Bestival instead, apparently), but Waveform was nevertheless once again splendid. [personal profile] doop heroically dragged the bike trailer with the MegaTent all the way there[0], which helpfully gave us somewhere to keep the bikes as well as actual space.

We did fetch up camped next to the Nitrous Kids (nitrous for breakfast, nitrous for lunch, and a fully balanced meal... no, wait, nitrous again), which helpfully enabled one to locate our tent in the dark. Just stand still, wait a couple of seconds... ffffsWHOOSH, aha, there it is. They were a little noisy but as I saw them carefully tidying up their campsite on Monday morning I will forgive them. Actually, the whole thing was remarkably litter-free, possibly due to the fact that about 50% of the people there seemed to be some variety of staff (or were at least accustomed to being staff at other festivals). Next to no nitrous canisters left lying about the place! Also on the 'potentially iritating drugs' front, Team Ket also remained largely not in evidence, apart from one chap who after a few minutes of uncoordinated stumbling was gently escorted off the dancefloor by his friend.[1]

We danced to lots of psytrance, some splendid crusty acid techno (possibly one of the Liberators, but it was bloody good whoever it was), a bit of random crusty folk at the very-UV-tastic solar stage, and Back To The Planet, who I last saw at Phoenix in 1994 (my first ever festival, awwww). They were ace. And/or I was monumentally nostalgic, whichever. Also we ate several vegan burgers, and sat around watching the world go by extensively. I had a go on a swing bike, and both of us got our faces painted by someone who turned out to be Ian Bell. [personal profile] doop managed not to fanboy too much.

Small festivals are *aces*. I hope they manage to run it again next year; the whole thing often feels a lot like a random conglomerate of crews who just happen by glorious serendipity to fetch up in the same field at the same time (although I am sure it actually takes a lot more planning than that), and as such you always wonder whether they'll manage to bring it together again next year... Still, 4 years so far ain't bad going. It is pretty much the *nicest* and friendliest-feeling festival I've been to; wish they'd bring back the compost loos, though!


[0] This was a Learning Experience in terms of the bike/trailer/train thing; mostly we Learnt that you need to allow rather more time for changes than normal, and that it's always quicker to rehitch the trailer even if this does currently require the use of a spanner. Plus not all trains will let you on, if they're small trains (but the odds decrease dramatically if you're running late, hence the need to allow more time).
[1] One often seems to encounter these teams of a K-ed up person with a sober-ish mate translating for them. [personal profile] doop is obviously the one who has these conversations most often, and he reports that they go a little bit like this:
"Hurbleburble hurble, vrrr."
"My friend here says that he thinks your glowsticks are splendid."
"Oh. Thanks."
"Vrrbur blurl, frr. Hurble!"
"He says that he finds the interplay of the blue with the green of the lasers particularly exquisite."
"Right. Good."
"Hurble, vr."
"He says..."
"'Nice one, mate.' Yeah, I got that one."
juliet: (tree)

The ever-lovely [livejournal.com profile] uon & I spent last weekend at the Waveform Project festival, down near Exeter. And it was entirely made of awesome. Highlights, in no particular order:

  • Cycling to festival! This was far less stressful than customary hanging around for bus kerfuffle. Also we got there at the same time as the bus-people from our train (much to all of their surprise :) ).
  • TIPI. The tipi was amazingly great. I normally camp only under sufferance; this I found actively enjoyable. It was enormous (big enough for us + bikes at least twice over), and you could stand up in it, and there were cushions & rugs & a little table & lanterns.
  • FIRE IN TIPI. Even more awesome. Plus we were able to get enough wood for 3 nights of fires just by gleaning from under a couple of trees, which was nice. Good to sit around it on Sat night with [livejournal.com profile] mouseboks & [livejournal.com profile] luciousa, as well.
  • Massive hippyness. We took part in the opening ceremony on Friday night (around the wishing tree!), and the Earthdance whatsit on Saturday night, & it was as hippy as a very hippy thing, & really very lovely indeed.
  • On the hippy subject: lovely chillout area, with a really sweet little garden/shrine, with plants in pots, and bits of pretty things and junk and little notes.... I now want to make one in the allotment!
  • Music: fab all over. If you like psytrance, anyway. Although actually I found myself also dancing to hard dance, and gabba, and a bunch of other stuff. Even some minimal techno in the chillout area on Sunday night.
  • Everyone there was nice. And cheerful, and friendly, and entirely up for a good time. And chatty - we fell into conversation with loads of people, & all of them were ace.
  • Saturday night in the MonsterTent was probably the friendliest & most loved-up crowd I've been in. I happily dumped all my stuff (including phone, wallet, & camera) by the side of the tent & got on with the dancing.
  • Compost toilets! I approve. Also they stayed clean - enough so that when wandering around barefoot on Sat/Sun afternoon, I didn't bother putting my shoes back on to visit them (the advantages of wooden construction).
  • Stars. Beautiful clear night Friday & Saturday, & the stars were absolutely amazing. I'd forgotten there are so many.
  • Civilised campsite: nobody making 'orrible racket all night or nearly setting fire to themselves & everyone around them (thank you Glastonbury Idiots) or anything.
  • Lovely food - the Furnace in particular did food that actually tasted like stuff I'd eat at home. Also the Moonbeam Cafe with a storming veggie breakfast inc sosmix & potatoes. And all the staff friendly & chatty as well.
  • Only 3,500 or so people - so you kept running into people again, which was nice.
  • SUNSHINE. Undoubtedly this made a big difference - there was grass around, and you could sit down, and it was very cheering. Hurrah for the sun.
  • V little litter. And a decent recycling/composting/etc policy.
  • Dancing in the sunshine to lovely psytrance. Aw man.
  • Pimms from a roving Pirate Pimms Cart!
  • Police being surprisingly tolerant when surrounded by fvcked & talkative ravers on Saturday night :-)
  • People doing fire poi & fire staff & so on every night by the wishing tree who were actually rather good & worth watching.
  • Trees! And generally pretty site all over (we saw DEER on the way home).
  • Arriving at Exeter St Davids on the way home with 50min to kill - time enough for 2 x swift halves apiece (6 guest beers!) & an unexpected chat with some v friendly elderly chaps, one of whom used to live in Bermondsey & the other work on Tooley St, in the 1960s/70s (apparently there used to be lots of prostitutes under the railway arches back then). We thought they might be anti-festival-goers but not at all :-)

I have doubtless forgotten lots of things. It was basically perfect from start to finish - I swear we spent the entire time grinning. I am totally going back next year. (As long as they keep it small, anyway - the organiser said something about the site having a 50,000 capacity. That would be rub. Up to 10,000 would prob be OK but they really really should stop there. Small festivals = Much Better.)

Edit: doop's photos, my photos.

juliet: (tree)

The ever-lovely [livejournal.com profile] uon & I spent last weekend at the Waveform Project festival, down near Exeter. And it was entirely made of awesome. Highlights, in no particular order:

  • Cycling to festival! This was far less stressful than customary hanging around for bus kerfuffle. Also we got there at the same time as the bus-people from our train (much to all of their surprise :) ).
  • TIPI. The tipi was amazingly great. I normally camp only under sufferance; this I found actively enjoyable. It was enormous (big enough for us + bikes at least twice over), and you could stand up in it, and there were cushions & rugs & a little table & lanterns.
  • FIRE IN TIPI. Even more awesome. Plus we were able to get enough wood for 3 nights of fires just by gleaning from under a couple of trees, which was nice. Good to sit around it on Sat night with [livejournal.com profile] mouseboks & [livejournal.com profile] luciousa, as well.
  • Massive hippyness. We took part in the opening ceremony on Friday night (around the wishing tree!), and the Earthdance whatsit on Saturday night, & it was as hippy as a very hippy thing, & really very lovely indeed.
  • On the hippy subject: lovely chillout area, with a really sweet little garden/shrine, with plants in pots, and bits of pretty things and junk and little notes.... I now want to make one in the allotment!
  • Music: fab all over. If you like psytrance, anyway. Although actually I found myself also dancing to hard dance, and gabba, and a bunch of other stuff. Even some minimal techno in the chillout area on Sunday night.
  • Everyone there was nice. And cheerful, and friendly, and entirely up for a good time. And chatty - we fell into conversation with loads of people, & all of them were ace.
  • Saturday night in the MonsterTent was probably the friendliest & most loved-up crowd I've been in. I happily dumped all my stuff (including phone, wallet, & camera) by the side of the tent & got on with the dancing.
  • Compost toilets! I approve. Also they stayed clean - enough so that when wandering around barefoot on Sat/Sun afternoon, I didn't bother putting my shoes back on to visit them (the advantages of wooden construction).
  • Stars. Beautiful clear night Friday & Saturday, & the stars were absolutely amazing. I'd forgotten there are so many.
  • Civilised campsite: nobody making 'orrible racket all night or nearly setting fire to themselves & everyone around them (thank you Glastonbury Idiots) or anything.
  • Lovely food - the Furnace in particular did food that actually tasted like stuff I'd eat at home. Also the Moonbeam Cafe with a storming veggie breakfast inc sosmix & potatoes. And all the staff friendly & chatty as well.
  • Only 3,500 or so people - so you kept running into people again, which was nice.
  • SUNSHINE. Undoubtedly this made a big difference - there was grass around, and you could sit down, and it was very cheering. Hurrah for the sun.
  • V little litter. And a decent recycling/composting/etc policy.
  • Dancing in the sunshine to lovely psytrance. Aw man.
  • Pimms from a roving Pirate Pimms Cart!
  • Police being surprisingly tolerant when surrounded by fvcked & talkative ravers on Saturday night :-)
  • People doing fire poi & fire staff & so on every night by the wishing tree who were actually rather good & worth watching.
  • Trees! And generally pretty site all over (we saw DEER on the way home).
  • Arriving at Exeter St Davids on the way home with 50min to kill - time enough for 2 x swift halves apiece (6 guest beers!) & an unexpected chat with some v friendly elderly chaps, one of whom used to live in Bermondsey & the other work on Tooley St, in the 1960s/70s (apparently there used to be lots of prostitutes under the railway arches back then). We thought they might be anti-festival-goers but not at all :-)

I have doubtless forgotten lots of things. It was basically perfect from start to finish - I swear we spent the entire time grinning. I am totally going back next year. (As long as they keep it small, anyway - the organiser said something about the site having a 50,000 capacity. That would be rub. Up to 10,000 would prob be OK but they really really should stop there. Small festivals = Much Better.)

Edit: doop's photos, my photos.

juliet: (waveform)
[livejournal.com profile] uon and I spent the weekend at the Waveform Project festival, and it was absolutely fantastic.

Writeup to follow, but here are some photos.

edit: doop's photos
juliet: (waveform)
[livejournal.com profile] uon and I spent the weekend at the Waveform Project festival, and it was absolutely fantastic.

Writeup to follow, but here are some photos.

edit: doop's photos

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