Festivals and Travelling for Music: From Glastonbury to Ghent

Send us Fan MailCan a music festival replace a traditional summer holiday? In this episode of Unravel Travel, Malcolm and David revisit more than three decades of festival travel, free concerts and trips built around live music.Their festival memories begin at Glastonbury Festival in 1992, reached from North Lincolnshire in an ageing Mini with camping equipment—and a portable toilet—strapped to the roof. They recall James, Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine and several emerging performers they failed to appreciate fully at the time, including Blur and PJ Harvey.Malcolm returned to Glastonbury in 1993, 1994, 1995 and 1999. He remembers the smaller stages, comedy, crafts and bars beyond the main programme, as well as the festival’s increasingly formidable fences and ticket arrangements. His memories also include Tom Jones, a burning wicker figure, comedian Rob Newman, or was it?Malcolm’s first major festival was Reading Festival in 1991, where he attended on Sunday to see The Sisters of Mercy. Only afterwards did he appreciate what he had missed on the other days—including Nirvana. It demonstrates one advantage of attending an entire music festival: discovering performers you did not originally plan to see. And a guest appearance by John Peel.The episode then travels to Rock Werchter in Belgium, where David saw Metallica, Neil Young with Booker T. and the MG’s, Faith No More, Lenny Kravitz, the Levellers and Sonic Youth in 1993. Compared with major British festivals, tickets, food and drink in Belgium were surprisingly affordable.After starting a family, Malcolm returned to festival life through the family-friendly Wychwood Festival at Cheltenham Racecourse. Between approximately 2010 and 2013, the family saw performers including the Waterboys, the Damned, the Levellers, the Saw Doctors, Dodgy, Dreadzone and the Human League. Wychwood combined live music with comedy, crafts and children’s activities.Free festivals also feature strongly. David recalls the 1994 Carnival Against the Nazis in Brockwell Park, featuring the Levellers and Manic Street Preachers, and seeing John Cale with the Soldier String Quartet at Belgium’s Lokerse Feesten. At Gentse Feesten, the historic centre of Ghent becomes a ten-day city festival of music, theatre, circus and street performance.Although, not quite offering the same vibe the same vibe, the rise of one day festivals like British Summertime Live (Hyde park, London), usually offer great line ups and give a great reason to visit a place and hook for a memorable trip which can include other activities in nearby locations.Finally, Malcolm and David discuss travelling to see bands, including The Wedding Present in Ghent, New Model Army in Brno and concerts at venues such as Nottingham Rock City, the Marquee and Wembley. They finish with memories of the Great Xpectations Festival in Finsbury Park and the pleasure of discovering free local live music such as the summer delight of Cap r live music in Breclav, Czechia.Places mentioned Glastonbury and Pilton, Somerset  Reading  North Lincolnshire  Cheltenham and Cheltenham Racecourse  Brockwell Park, London  Finsbury Park, London  Hyde Park, London  Ghent, Belgium  Werchter, Belgium  Lokeren, Belgium  Brno, Czechia  Bradford  Bristol  Nottingham  Wembley and Hammersmith, London  Singapore  New York Other subjects and performers mentioned Festivals as alternatives to conventional holidays  Travelling overseas for cheaper concerts  Discovering unfamiliar performers  Festival ticket ballots and security  Glastonbury’s fences and unofficial entry  Camping equipment and the portable toilet  Arriving early and leaving after the crowds  Family-friendly festivals  Free festivals and politically motivated music events  Following New Model Army around Europe  The Wedding Present in Ghent  Festival camaraderie  Famous music venues  Pulp and David Bowie  James, Carter USM, Blur and PJ Harvey  The Sisters of Mercy and Nirvana  Metallica and Neil Young  John CaleGreen Day The CureThe Damned The Levellers and Manic Street PreachersIf you have any question on this or another travel topic, just contact us at [email protected] theme music is Traveler's Blues by Jerzy Gorecki from Pixabay (with licence)https://pixabay.com/users/jerzyg%C3%B3recki-2233926/