On 12 Mar 2013 at 1:56am Unbelievable naivety wrote:
Although I am as keen on a good noisy, smelly, hedonistic, druggy rave-up as anybody, there is a very good reason why major festivals happen in the middle of a field two kilometers from anywhere.
Umm..that is..time to prepare, and set-up and time to clean-up afterwards. This gig is happening 50m from peoples houses over 48 hours ( a longer period than bonfire ), in a concentrated area ( unlike bonfire ), where the majority of local residents will not be attending ( unlike bonfire ), where a large number of attendees will use cars and vans to attend ( unlike bonfire ), where a large number of ticket holders will need camping and overnight accommodation ( unlike bonfire ), where the equipment required and its transport is so massive and has no obvious access links ( unlike bonfire ), where access to the site will have to be secured on all sides ( unlike sitting on the golf course for bonfire ).
You don't have festivals so close to an urban area just so you can boost the coffers of a clearly ideologically struggling District Council. Anybody that thinks this will boost the local economy has clearly never been to a festival.
The food and drink franchises will be provided by out of town, licensed companies and the ticket holders will not venture out of their sanctioned perimeters. Preferring to eat and drink whatever "Gentlemen of the Road" ( and what an disingenuously, anti establishment name that is ) have sold the overpriced and presumably sole-trading opportunity to.
It's like you all went to the isle of Wight in 1970 and have gone misty eyed and gloopy about how the Music Industry works these days.
Mumford and Sons are probably one of the few global acts that everybody in the UK and USA has heard of. Umm Grammys and stuff.
And yet, because they are a bit folky, wear sandles, are public school educated, possibly don't eat meat and have beards, Lewes has bent over anus upwards for them. I look forward to the same treatment being offered to the Foo Fighters, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Slipknot and Metallica who I have invited personally for next summer's festival.
Oh..not so keen? Funny that.
You'd have crapped yourself if the Clash had come to town.
Lived here for fifteen years and Lewes will never stop me loving it and wanting to throttle it at the same time.
On 12 Mar 2013 at 2:09am Unbelievable naivety wrote:
Oh yes. I forgot.
How many real "Gentleman of the Road" charge £75 a ticket ( no camping, no parking, no full board and dubious portaloos ) before engaging you in previously agreed rectal activities.
So much for peace and love, suckers.
A much funnier man than me once said " Ever got the feeling you've been cheated. Goodnight."
And he sells butter now.
On 12 Mar 2013 at 2:10am Lewes lady wrote:
Let's all double-post...
Good Lord.
So everyone will turn up at 16.55 on the Friday, go into the gig-zone and not emerge again until they go straight home on Sunday morning? I don't think so.
So Hyde Park is 2 km away from houses? And Heaton Park? And Crystal Palace Bowl? And Roundhay Park? And the rest of the city-centre venues that are used a few times each summer? And football grounds in city centres? I don't think so.
So a 25,000 gate has been arbitrarily set then, instead of 40,000, or 50,000? Nothing to do with the Lewes location? I don't think so.
(Your kind personal invitations to the other bands you mention will be refused of course, as 25,000 is nowhere near big enough for them.)
On 12 Mar 2013 at 2:49am Absolute naivety wrote:
Every single venue you mention is used for one day or one night events.
One offs. Not a weekend "festival".
They are either self contained perimeters or a section of a larger estate.
Hence contained or further away from housing.
Clearly your comment about 25,000 being a small gig ( how cute and Lewes ) and not nearly large enough for the Foo Fighters, forgets that Mumford and Sons are probably the highest profile band in the world.
Genuinely? Do you live in Mountfield Road and look forward to being refused access to your own house for the weekend unless you have ID and two utility bills, or having people sh*t in your garden or sell posters and soup from your front steps? No I thought not. Oh silly me. I will just have to move out.
Or buy a ticket.
Do you look forward to the number of pissed teenagers that will try and climb up ( and fall off ) the Priory ruins to save a ticket that they can't possibly afford?
This forum complains about a house with controversial sash windows, how sad it is that the National Front is but a dim memory and too few French beans with their pub lunch...but dress it up with plagiaristic folk, some bland romantic musings, violins and a beard and my quality of life has to be sacrificed.
How very democratic of you. O I forgot..ummm no vote on this. Duh.
On 12 Mar 2013 at 3:03am Where can I buy weed? wrote:
Brixton Belle says that parking and camping will be on adjacent rugby fields and that it is a good opportunity for farmers to rent out their "fallow fields".
Now forgive me if I'm wrong, but I am not aware of operational farmland or farmers near the Convent Field. Let alone "fallow fields".
Or is this another "I eat rainbows and poo butterflies" delusion?
On 12 Mar 2013 at 3:48am lucky bugger wrote:
Absolute naivety, i can't believe you are whinging about the opportunity to earn some serious cash.
Rent your house out, not everyone that goes to a festival wants to wear wellies and sleep in a tent. Media coverage will be huge, host some professionals/corporates with the promise of some 'local knowledge'.
On 12 Mar 2013 at 7:54am Blip wrote:
LB: isn't your advice to rent out your house also unbelievably naive?
On 12 Mar 2013 at 8:35am Ducatipete wrote:
Isle of Wight 1970. Mumford and who? Roll back those years.
On 12 Mar 2013 at 9:50am Zebedee wrote:
As Council Leader James Page single-handedly authorised this gig, consulting with no one at all I guess if it all cocks up there will be a lot of pressure on him to resign...... won't there? Every cloud etc....
On 12 Mar 2013 at 10:21am get over it wrote:
why are people always complaining. its just two days you'll get over it, live life a little and enjoy the weekend, £75 is nothing when major crowded festivals miles away from your door step are £300. and if you dont like the music take this opotunity to get out of the town and see something different
On 12 Mar 2013 at 10:52am Lewes lady wrote:
Hmm, lots of small-town scare-mongering there. After all, how can people relieve themselves in front gardens if they're never in the town spending money?
The Ruins are, from actually reading the licence application, included in the venue area and, I suspect, are likely to be controlled by stewards.
The point I was making about band popularity is that they have deliberately kept the size down so that they can play in non-standard venues, and want to achieve a different vibe.
Likewise, the two day (well, one evening and one day) nature of the event is tailored to the location - otherwise they'd have done a three day job or at least a full weekend. This way everyone'll be gone by Sunday night so the working week will begin quite normally with staggered kit departures and clean-up.
On 12 Mar 2013 at 11:13am 70's Willy wrote:
James Page - he was a proper rocker!
On 12 Mar 2013 at 11:33am TDA wrote:
There aren't many entrances to the field, it has to be said. Interested to see how it all works out. I think Mumford and Sons are drab, but have been bought a ticket. Hope I don't die in a mad folk crush.
On 12 Mar 2013 at 11:59am Rookie wrote:
Some people will moan about anything and everything from behind a keyboard. Live and let live.
On 12 Mar 2013 at 12:45pm Rods_Tiger wrote:
Not a bad result from a simple question about "what are the plans for protecting the cricket pitches so that they will still be playable after the event ?"
Which still hasn't been answered.
On 12 Mar 2013 at 1:43pm Annette Curtin-Twitcher wrote:
Renting out your house for the weekend isn't such a daft idea.
A friend of mine used to live near Pilton and they used to rent their place out for 5 days when Glasto was on. They made a mint, far more than the cost of their annual trip to Italy that was where they went for the duration.
On 12 Mar 2013 at 2:59pm Dog poo wrote:
I hope it rains
On 12 Mar 2013 at 3:02pm Blip wrote:
Annette, wouldn't you be taking a chance on your house being trashed?
On 12 Mar 2013 at 3:52pm Lewes lady wrote:
Just out of interest, how many of the people objecting to the gig on this thread weren't in favour of the Amex Stadium being built?
Rod's Tiger - although it isn't written down in black and white and signed in blood by the organisers, I think it's pretty clear that temporary metal / plastic flooring systems are used to protect any sensitive sports turf from damage by fans at such events. If you are still worried, why not write to your councillor reminding them to check this particular detail nearer the time when all plans are finalised and submitted for sign-off? Or you could keep going on like a broken gramophone record on here about it, but I'd worry that you wouldn't feel listened to.
On 12 Mar 2013 at 4:17pm max wrote:
This gig really hasnt been thought out. There must be some way we can stop this thing going ahead?
On 12 Mar 2013 at 5:45pm musiclover wrote:
its a shame its not a proper rock festival instead of this trendy middle class folk trash maybe next year
On 12 Mar 2013 at 6:17pm Annette Curtin-Twitcher wrote:
Well, I objected to the stadium (and my hackles still go up every time I drive past the hideous monstrosity) but have no problem with the Bumfords gig.
I daresay it will cause some disruption, but I'll just make sure I don't need to go into town for any reason that weekend.
On 12 Mar 2013 at 6:17pm Rods Tiger wrote:
Lewes Lady - Thanks for clarifying, I just wanted to be sure that such things were being thought about in advance. I suspect that "when all plans are finalised and submitted for sign-off" will probably be too late.
My apologies for the 'broken gramaphone record' (asking twice) technique, I was taught it some time ago, and it usually works.
On 12 Mar 2013 at 7:36pm The Super K wrote:
On the brighter side, a MUCH better Rock concert is on the week before ..... Madness Tribute and G&R Tribute acts. Rock in the Bog!!!!!!
Cannot Wait!!!!!!!
And I was all for the Amex, and couldnt give a s*** about Mumford and Sons .... but I probably would if I lived down mountfield road!!!! poor poor people!!
On 12 Mar 2013 at 8:51pm Nappy Giver wrote:
Yeah, much better to live in Malling and have RITB blasting out in your back garden!
On 12 Mar 2013 at 9:05pm Lewes lady wrote:
Rods Tiger - If you make sure that those doing the signing-off know that you want the cricket square protected, they'll be able to check that particular box is ticked before approving the plans. Simples.
On 12 Mar 2013 at 10:03pm Seagull wrote:
Rubbish ACTwitcher. The Amex is far from a hideous monstrosity. It's a superb building and a thing of beauty that is an asset to the city.
On 12 Mar 2013 at 11:50pm naivety wrote:
Lewes Lady? Wow..so you suggest that the protection of the cricket pitch needs to be "signed off", before approval is given for a gig that has already sold out?
Whose the naive one? Don't get me wrong..as I made perfectly clear, I love a f**king good knees up. And the only things I can stand are corruption and incompetence.
This gig is both.
This is a stitch up. A con. A money making scheme that you have all fallen for because "Mumford and Sons" are insipid and non threatening. Badly conceived, badly planned and likely to be an embarassing memory for Lewes for years to come.
"A different kind of vibe", eh?
Well sorry. But the use of the word "vibe" is everything I have complained about above.
How dare you patronise me? I supported Amex and I've never complained about anything "in my back garden" in my life. But this gig is a f**k up and a done deal.
And the Priory ruins are part of the venue?
Do you think the lottery can get their money back?
FFS 
On 12 Mar 2013 at 11:55pm naivety wrote:
* can't stand
On 13 Mar 2013 at 11:03am brixtonbelle wrote:
Sorry 'Where can I buy weed", forgive me for suggesting a business opportunity for local landowners. I didn't mean to suggest that there were fallow fields lying next to the Convent Field, I think you've (deliberately?) misunderstood to have a pop at me. Maybe I should say - within about 4 miles. What's to stop some enterprising folk setting up their own park and ride scheme if they own a local accessible field ?
If the district council have any sense at all they will try and set one up anyway. Looking at the LDC website there is no provision (so far) for additional parking in the town to accommodate. But the Mumford website does makes clear that the best way of coming to the festival is by public transport.
Not sure where I heard about the parking on the rugby pitches, could just be an ugly rumour and obviously access would have to be strictly controlled.
Not sure what you mean by "I eat rainbows and poo butterflies" delusion' - you been at the whacky backy again?
I do think it's a good thing for the town - but it does need to be organised properly and I can understand people's fears and concerns that elected councils are just not up to the job. Let's hope we are pleasantly surprised. Arts and culture are proven ways to attract visitors to even the smallest villages (see chiddingly) and festivals have been springing up for years across the country, art galleries used to regenerate economically depressed areas etc.
I'd rather be positive about the event and hope your dire predictions UV, don't come to fruition. Enjoy the weekend - I'll be there too - just for 'the vibe'....
On 14 Mar 2013 at 12:45am Dave wrote:
The organisers of Rock in the Bog could get in touch with LDC and the Mumford management and maybe get a 'secret' gig sorted out, all in the name of helping the local community benefit from the Mumfords coming to little old Lewes of course.
Just a thought
On 14 Mar 2013 at 5:44pm Pedant wrote:
Benefit the local community, or Cliffe BS?