Day one and plans have changed already, there’s nothing like giving yourself time for things to go wrong over festival season! Today, for a start should have been day 2, pitched, acquainted and eagerly awaiting the opening sets – chilled out with a beer on the grass.
Clearly, that is optimistic to the point of stupidity and when I woke up to downpour yesterday morning I admit I wasn’t really feeling it. Having no plus one doesn’t help, and even the whip-up designed to invoke envy in every ticketless music fan wasn’t doing the job.
Logging on to buy ferry tickets for the car I wished I’d booked a B&B long before, only the uncertainty of accreditation held me back (these things are notorious for last minute tweakings). Three hours, I figured, would be enough time for me to unpack my recently-moved possessions and re-pack for the weekend. Another insane estimation on my part! Fortunately the £160 return fee for the ferry, plus petrol and navigation complications were coupled with the realisation that I had a 2 minute window to get to the fest and locate the press office conspired to make me re-think my plans. Chewing this over, my housemate who is off to a stag do in Brussels this weekend made the unaccounted for revelation that he would be staying at his parents house before departure. Carefully patched dog-sitting between my mum and boyfriend came apart at the seams and, opening the door to check that rainfall and increasing wind speed was real I decided there was no option but to stay, re-think mode of travel and plum for a later than anticipated arrival and a battle to pitch up in the mud the following day.
Which brings me to today. With relief that my bf took a bossy turn and made me go through the rigmarole of printing necessary documentation last night (wading through a maze of packed boxes, power tools and leapfrogging attention-deprived dog) and dthat I had compiled a last-minute list of things to pick up en-route I have just hauled what must be nearly 30k of luggage through Stratford to Waterloo station. This is why I would have preferred the car.
Of course, this is probably a ‘girl thing’ but I can, on occasion be a very good packer. The tent is i heavier than I’d have preferred, the Eurohike has evaporated in the sea of packed possessions. I have both a ground sheet and sleep bag. Bare basics. But then I needed to pack for rain, wind, cold, and optimistically maybe even a touch of sun. I’m not sure how I would have motivated myself otherwise. So far it’s been worth it, my legs have had a workout and I have EVERYTHING. (will update on this statement later). I am also enviously eyeing up a co-commuters’ nifty ensemble of lightly packed essentials, aware that he only has to make it to the campsite. I wish very much that I could drop off all my luggage at said camp, however in true un-paid press fashion I must navigate my way to the office with all my worldly goods. This is the biggest pre-occupation right now. Along side silent prayers I will work out what the devil I’m supposed to do about this Hovercraft malarkey.
On the bright side I did all my packing to Bruce Springsteen, after my weather related sulk drove me to pull the plug on Absolute. The only thing that really tempted me to stay tuned in was that their guy was documenting a particularly uncomfortable car journey in some ancient car.
I don’t envy them that, but I can’t see their reporters having to drag two thirds of their own weight across fields of well trodden mud… I will have to be particularly careful tent is well and truly up before I see a beer tent. With any luck I will also manage to find others from the VF crew and maybe even see some bands!
Today’s line-up as follows:
Tom Petty &The HeartbreakersGroove Armada (DJ Set)
Elbow
Enter Shikari
ExampleDJ Fresh presents Fresh Live
Noah & The Whale
Lana Del Rey
Feeder
Kelis
Carlo
Emerald
Woman
Mat Horne (DJ Set 1am – 2am)
The Garden Stage:
Chrystal Castles
Best Coast
Dry The River
Gretchen Peters
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